Just imagine for me, if you will:
Cas has made his deal with the empty— a moment of true happiness and the empty will strike. He knows this, he’s known this since the deal was made, obviously. More importantly, he knows what it is that will give him true happiness, and it’s the man standing across from him staring at him with terrified green eyes. He knows what he must do, how he must save Dean. It isn’t how he planned to confess, but—
But—
But wait, Dean is talking. Why is Dean talking?
“Cas,” Dean is choking out, his voice unstable. “Fuck, Cas, this isn’t—“
“Dean—“ Cas glances at the door. They don’t have time for this, but Cas knows that this very possibly is the last thing he’ll ever hear Dean say. And Dean looks urgent, practically begging Cas to listen with the intensity of his gaze.
So Cas relents, just for a moment. He meets Dean’s gaze and it’s enough encouragement for Dean to continue.
“This isn’t how I planned to tell you— if I planned to tell you at all. Fuck, Cas, I always swear that I’m going to tell you next time. But we’re running out of next times, man, and I just— I can’t keep it in— I need to—“ Dean’s eyes are wild as he glances between Cas and every corner of the room, completely aware of the intensity of the situation and the weight of the words he’s trying to say.
“Dean,” Cas says just as urgently, stepping forward to draw Dean’s gaze to him. “Tell me what?”
Dean meets his eyes and for one single moment, the world slows to a stop around them. Cas can see the answer to that question in Dean’s eyes a moment before he says it out loud. He forgets, for just that second, that they’re standing on the precipice of death, that they don’t have the luxury of indulging in this. For just that second, Cas lets himself let out the breath he’s been holding for ten years.
“I love you.” Dean breathes, and he looks like he could sag in relief from finally speaking the words. “I love you so goddamn much and I have for so goddamn long and I couldn’t let either one of us die again without making sure you knew that.”
And oh, oh, Cas has never felt something like this— this blooming, all-consuming warmth. He’s never felt something so tangible unfurl in his chest, spreading out and filling up every corner of his being.
Cas has loved Dean for nearly every second they have known each other and now he knows that Dean loves him, too. That Dean wants him to know— needs him to know that he’s loved, no matter what happens.
Cas opens his mouth to respond—
And he sees the black bubbling along the wall behind Dean.
He should have known.
But how could he know that Dean would love him back? How could he anticipate that Dean would say the words to him that he had rarely said to anyone, in any capacity, in his entire life? Of course he knew Dean had the potential to be his ultimate happiness— or rather that his ultimate happiness was wrapped up in Dean in one way or another. Of course he knew this because everything he did, everything he wanted, everything he cared for or longed for— everything, all of it revolved around Dean.
But still, he never thought that Dean would say it first.
“Dean, I—“ Cas needs to say it back, is desperate to say it back, but the empty is headed directly to him and Dean is in its path.
Cas can’t think, can’t bear the idea of risking Dean for anything. He acts, shoving Dean out of the way as he empty sputters and gurgles, wrapping around him.
“Cas!” His name wrenches out of Dean’s throat in a way that’s painful to hear. Cas hates that it’s the last thing he’ll ever hear in Dean’s voice, hates that it has to be his final memory of the man who gave him everything.
The man who taught him to love, who gave him a place to belong. The man who helped him clean up his messes, who treated him as equal instead of other. The man who became the center of everything in Cas’s universe— every single thing that Cas cared about or was interested in stemmed from the same root named Dean Winchester and now Cas was leaving him behind.
I love you, too! He tries to shout as the empty drags him away. His last conscious thought is a desperate, unbridled hope that against all odds, Dean was able to hear him.
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Post S3. Steve — inspired by how out of shape the kids were, knowing they're about to enter highschool territory and will need even better stamina to protect themselves from bullies, and it's just good for them — harasses the party into doing morning cross-country style runs.
At first they obviously try to get out of it. But once Steve starts withholding their chauffeur privileges for a week per run they miss and proves that he means it, they begrudgingly go along with it.
Steve’s not mean about it. He doesn’t push them to run particularly fast or for excruciatingly long distances. As long as they keep themselves moving, he’s happy about it.
Of course even better are the few days where he’s able to convince Max to join them — usually through promised milkshakes afterwards.
She never jogs with them, instead skateboarding either behind them all or taunting them from in front. Which again — Steve’s just happy she’s out in the sun with them. And if the boys are too out of breath to try and strike up any kind of conversation with her when she’s not in the mood for it, then it’s all the better.
- -
Robin’s a special case. She is, of course, her own adult (as much as you can be at their age, anyway) and Steve loves her like no other, his Platonic Soulmate capital ‘P’. But Steve’s now finished his third round of Upside Down dealings, and he’ll be damned if he leaves her to deal with the aftermath all on her own. (Like he may have felt back in the beginning, but he doesn’t often like to acknowledge those particular feelings).
So when the Underground Bunker and Torture flavored nightmares finally start to make their appearance, Steve knows just the solution.
Much like the kids, it takes some convincing. Especially considering it’s nearly the middle of the night.
But Robin’s much more willing to indulge his jock tendencies. And once they get going, having snuck out Robin’s thankfully ground-floor window, she starts to see the benefit. Simultaneously releasing the body of its flight-or-fight adrenaline rush and helping to get them out of their heads.
She still hates the actual running part of it. Bemoans every time they come back covered in sweat (okay so mainly just Robin, Steve’s only “lightly damp” by his own words).
Yet Robin is the one to suggest moving their runs to the daytime as they slowly recover from Starcourt. Slowly able to get a proper night’s rest again.
Eventually it almost just becomes habit to quick change, grab their drinks, and go for a lap around the downtown shops if they both get off shift before the sun sets.
And if a certain unsuspecting metalhead happens to keep almost walking into signposts whenever the two of them jog past, well, Robin’s entitled to a little free entertainment. ;)
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Obsessed with how Gortash in "Empty Prayers" AU fits in with the team.
He is a failed chosen of god, as well as Gale, Shadowheart, Nemo and somewhat even Lae'zel.
He is the war criminal type with a really cool class/subclass. He has (bad) history with Karlach and Wyll (due to kidnapping of his father) and (good) history with Nemo.
The party of Gale, Nemo, Gortash and Astarion is pretty much "bad and/or questionable decisions" bingo. They can not be allowed to go out exploring like that because things will go badly (for everyone else involved).
He wants to rule the world, but doesn't have the means to anymore + his former patron god WILL torture him endlessly if he dies, so he cannot die.
He WILL have to learn to rely on other people bc not only he doesn't have a choice in that, but his own survival is closely linked to how well he'll adjust to the new reality.
He probably tries to avoid sleeping or sleeps as little as possible at first because he doesn't trust anyone in the camp but Nemo, and Nemo is kind of the reason of his downfall, so it's complicated.
Nemo has to convince him to sleep and stay guard for him because Enver lowering his defenses amidst strangers and enemies? Absolutely not.
The awful adjustment from being at the top of the world to being at the end of the food chain (again). The determination to climb back no matter what.
The fact what he wears his coat at all times bc without he is vulnerable to fear and that won't go.
Bonus point: Bane not answering his prayers and abandoning him while Bhaal tries to claim Nemo over and over again.
The "my god left me" VS "your god can't leave you alone". Hating Nemo for still having his god's attention, pitying Nemo because Bhaal is the last god you want to be acknowledged by.
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that clone thang
waves at you. Hi welcome to the post where I answer the clone question but don't really have a fun linear way of doing it so it ends up being as many words as my brain allows
[really fucking long warning]
anyways this question is reallyreally interesting and actually something I never think about despite the nature of it?? Like it's sorta one of those things that gets joked about or referenced a bunch but it's never actively on my mind. I think one of the major decision points for me would be whether they have the same memories as me, the same feelings, the same thought process, etc or if they're just some sorta guy that looks like me. I'm assuming it's the first but the latter is. Interesting at the least.
I said last time I would kill them which. Isn't anything I could morally justify in any way whatsoever. It's not from a place of fear or hate towards that guy in particular. It's not like "oh no I don't want a clone what time to kill him" it's more like,, yk. I think I would have more difficulty killing an exact clone of me, memories and all because that's such a dick thing to do?? I would hate to die so. They would presumably hate to die.? But there's also that mutual. Morbid curiosity I suppose. WHICH this whole thing is really generally dark and not on theme with this blog in general I guess but idk suck it up or whatever for now.
I would hate to kill someone in general actually, I don't condone murder, shockingly enough. Which this whole. Whatever. Opens up an argument about how I don't have the,, right? To kill my clone. Which I don't. I think he knows that though. I also know that. If we got into a? Legitimate fight. I don't know who would win. Obviously yes I should say me because I'm so cool and the original but that just goes back to the superiority thing don't you think? We're literally the same person and most of my actions outlined here is just some sorta. Mean.
Famously, I am not a fighter, not according to my dad at least. But that's just because I'm not? Running around and getting into fights?? I think if I jumped myself I could kill him. Or even just. Had a knife. I don't think we would fight though,? I think us killing each other or one of us could be arranged relatively peacefully. If that makes any sense.
I think if they were just an empty shell, some sorta guy that I don't know inhabiting my form, I would kill them. Without much thought behind it. Not out of hate for them, more out of hate for myself
back to less. Murderous thoughts, I think it would be incredibly comforting having someone I could like. Talk to. Assuming it's just. Me but not me. I could talk to them about absolutely anything! And they would get it! They would nod their heads and go mhm I know what you're talking about. I think in that respect we could be really good friends but that's not even really... friendship,? And even in terms of being comforting that's really limited because it's still just. Me. I'm still stuck with myself even if he does happen to be outside of my own mind. And I hate it and hate it and hate how as I'm going over all this I'm sitting here thinking "he would get it" because he's me!!! Of course he would get it.! Out of everyone on the goddamn earth if anyone was to get if of COURSE it would be myself!!! And it sickens me because there's still no further outside connection. I can talk to myself all day long but in the end does that really get me anywhere?? Does anything get resolved??? Like the whole thing with therapists and such is that you get an outside perspective on your problems or whatever and that's an INCREDIBLY inside perspective. i don't know.
getting away from that trainwreck because I'm trying oh so hard to get away from negatives here I think if like. I ignored all of that. We could be good friends. Maybe. I sort of hate the idea of having like? A reflection of myself? Some Guy that's not me yet still me. But in this ideal imaginative world, we could be good friends. We could bring each other up and all the good stuff. But at the end of the day I can't really escape the fact that.. it's me...?
I don't think I could live with that. I think we should walk away and never talk to each other again. I think the fact that there's some guy who's just. Me. Out there, somewhere would haunt me and eat away at me. In the perfect world we would be great friends! Do all that stereotypical "I have a clone time to make them do work for me" type stuff but in a loving caring relationship type way! But it's not really a perfect world and I'm not really a perfect person either and I would kill some guy that looks like myself just for the hell of it because I'm a dick I guess?????? I hate it and I'm a terrible person for it and i would not admit this in a court of law but oh my god!!!! I WISH I could just sum it up to one of the the generic responses but I CANT. I want me dead and I think I would also want me dead and it's some sorta terrible cycle till someone dies. Maybe it would be fine. Maybe I'm over thinking it. Maybe he wouldnt think too hard about it. But since he's me it probably would.? I sure would over think the implications of me being a clone of someone just look at me now! Documenting my delusions online. In a tumblr dot com post. We would be great friends if not for the horrors. I think we should vivisect each other.
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bestie. PLEASE tell me all those bozos in the post s8 au actually go to theraphy after this..... they need it
Lance and his fam need family theraphy sooo bad.......
but. how would Kuron react to a suggestion of theraphy? since hes all 'living my best life over here' right now?
i also feel like Shiro going to theraphy(he SHOULD. god he needs it) would also make things SO much worse....... that loser Shiro might need theraphy but HE is better than that
Oh these blorbos NEED a therapist or maybe even 10. But the question is will they get a therapist? The answer is a fat no, not anytime soon.
Kuron, Shiro, and Allura are all different flavors of "I am A-ok!!!" (<=literally on fire) and so is Lance's family. Hunk simply just doesnt have the Time and there are no therapist available in the astral plane for Lance.
Shiro isnt exactly going to therapy but Curtis did got him self-help books he reads, and if Kuron came to know about them than yeah he would make fun of Shiro, and claims that he "doesnt need therapy" and have "excellent coping mechanisms" and is "built different", but since he doesnt know it he doesnt care about it
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