every breath you take
How long had the battles been raging on? Dean had no idea.
Ever since he had said yes to Michael, and allowed the Archangel to take over his entire being, time had passed slowly inside of his head. It had always confused him as to how this whole thing worked; would he just,, eventually fade away if Michael was in control for too long? Would he stay there, trapped in the back of his own mind, unable to push to the surface?
He didn't have to wait long to find out.
Ever since he had agreed to letting Michael take him over, Dean had had no privacy. He couldn't think about anything without Michael making a crude remark.
Well, hey! He was still there, inside of his head! Give him a little privacy at least!.
Over the years, Dean's loneliness, albeit, had gotten the better of him. It seemed like Michael was lonely too, for he eventually began to speak back.
When not in danger, Michael would often chat with Dean. He would ask questions about his early life, even though he had been watching him ever since he was born. In return, Dean would ask about Heaven; what God was like, and how Michael handled Lucifer's betrayal.
It took a while for Michael to open up about that. He would often stop responding; dropping out of the conversation with a snappy response. Curiosity got the best of Dean, because he pushed until Michael frickin' just opened up. That's all he wanted! He wanted to connect with someone on a personal level; one that didn't make him feel so alone.
The more they talked, discussing their lives and what they've had to give up, it hit Dean like a freight truck that he and Michael were not so different.
Sure, Michael had pointed this out to him before, but Dean never let the information sink in. He always ignored it, preferring to see the Archangel as the bad guy. If he did that, he didn't have to feel so bad about himself. But the more he listened, the more he began to sympathize and understand.
In a way, Dean felt bad for him. An Archangel, burdened with the task of someday killing his younger brother. This was something that Dean could relate to oddly well, for John had once told him to kill Sammy if he were to spiral out of control.
So, Dean let himself get close to Michael. He formed an attachment to him; subconsciously finding himself longing for the Archangel to talk to him whenever silence set down upon him again. He didn't want to slip back into that familiar loneliness; he wanted to feel kinship with someone.
It wasn't until one fateful battle with Lucifer did Dean realize that Michael was losing. Lucifer seemed to be advancing far too quickly; his powers were overwhelming Michael! The Archangel seemed to be losing his control; wildly attacking his sibling in an attempt to catch him off guard.
It wasn't until the moment that Michael was struck a fatal blow did Dean realize that they were going to die. He had wanted to die many years ago, but now that he had taken comfort in Michael's kinship, he wanted nothing more than to live. Couldn't they live together? Wasn't there a way that they could all live?
"I forgive you." The words that Dean spoken were strong. They were words that he had never said to Michael before; words that Michael had never known he had needed. Not until now. "I blame you for none of this. This is merely your destiny, as it is mine. You aren't responsible for me being your Vessel. I forgive you for everything, Michael."
Dean wasn't sure who was in control when his hand touched his left eye, where a damp substance was slipping past his waterline. He was sure it was the both of them, crying because of their shared bond. But this was the end of their road.
As Michael's Grace, and Dean's body, was destroyed by the force of Lucifer's attack, Dean's last words echoed in both of their ears.
"I forgive you."
It was the most accepted that either of them had felt in a long time.