So here's the story behind this fic: My wonderful friend and I were talking about past experiences in dance blocks that took place during marching band in high school. She mentioned that the drumline she was in did a plié exercise to Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) Remix by Journey, and so being the classic rock geek that I am, I looked it up immediately, and Oh, DEAR LORD, I was not disappointed! It sounded like a totally rad battle scene in a movie, and of course the song is about love, so I thought of my favorite ship that would be right in the center of a big ass battle to save the world: Dean and Cas. And BOOM! A story was born! Then I was in the middle of writing my first draft and suddenly it became a sad reflection of Supernatural canon from season four to season fifteen.
The name of the story is taken from the lyrics of Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), by Journey.
It's best if you listen to Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) Remix while reading due to the lyrics between paragraphs. Lyrics are italicized.
Here we stand, Worlds apart, Hearts broken in two, two, two
Castiel never understood the chains that bound him to heaven, especially after pulling the Righteous Man from Hell. Meaningless orders and an unexplainable dissatisfaction from brutal missions left the angel feeling empty. Heartless.
Losing ground, I'm reaching for you, you, you
But gripping a soul that remained unblemished, even after forty years in Perdition, caused something to change. A profound bond between two beings was created in an instant. That instant Castiel dragged the Righteous Man from the bowels of hell, through brimstone and hellfire, caused a rift between Castiel and the Heavenly Host. An unexplainable bond and a feeling of fullness in his chest brought Castiel back to Dean every time.
LOVE
Castiel, of course, wouldn't understand what his and Dean's profound bond was for years.
LOVE
And by the time he admitted his feelings, it was much too late. Dean was in danger and a deal was made to save Castiel's best friend and only love. Castiel knew that Dean would be heartbroken in what should be his happiest moment, but he also knew that happiness wasn't in the having, but in the knowing.
You know I still love you, Though we touched and went our separate ways
But Dean would manage. He was strong and so full of love that he would manage. Even if only for Sam. Dean would be able to manage in ways that were impossible for Castiel.
LOVE
LOVE
Castiel would never regret his decision to save Dean, but as The Darkness into its suffocating depths, Castiel couldn't help but dream of what could have been. He knew that the tears of pain that flooded Dean's eyes would haunt the nightmares of his tortured eternity with The Darkness.