#awful ending for destiel

[inthemourninglight]

I never really give fic recs like this but I just finished Aching in the Absence of You by @sobsicles and it is honestly my favourite Destiel fic I’ve ever read, and also in my top 5 favourite fics ever. If you’re a fan of a little angst with happy endings, please give it a read!

[insanesonofabitch]

Thinking about moc!Cas makes me feral tbh. Like i know Chuck was lying about The Cage but like—EVER SINCE I HAD TO BURY HIM IN A MALOK BOX. EVER SINCE THEN? Do you think Cas told Dean to be the one to bury him? Do you think they spent so much time together before The Mark took over? Do you think he realized the implications of The Mark making Cas kill him? Do you think Cas was calling his name while he was locking him up? Do you think tears were falling down his cheeks back then? Do you think about how reminiscent that would be of Dean burning him in season 13? Do you think he regularly prayed to Cas day and night? Do you think his prayers consisted to telling him I’m sorry, and telling him I love you? Do you think about how, despite still praying to Cas regularly, he has lost all hope and faith in the future because he lost him?

[destieldisaster]

I don't actually think they had sex in the 9x06 fanfic gap i think they were in two separate beds listening to each other breathe and desperately wanting to hold the other but each too convinced the other hated them to even consider acting on it. They were hurt and lonely and PINING

[gh-0-stcup]

Continuing on my Chuck rant - now many discussions of background characters and their choices come to a point where someone can say "Oh but Chuck's plan, Chuck's influence, so I guess they didn't really have a choice."

Mary's deal? John's shitty parenting? The angels, the demons, the monsters? Sam and Dean's personalities? Amara's whole deal? In the short time I've been back in the fandom, I've seen alll kinds of things called into question.

What a way to retroactively ruin every story you've ever told and every character you've ever introduced in the 15 years of the show's run.

[tiktaalic]

Destiel is like if you were a child and you said to your parent are we getting McDonald’s and they said. No. And you said awwww man. And then you looked out the window and said wait but there’s a McDonald’s right there are we getting McDonald’s? And they said. No. And then you pulled into the parking lot for McDonald’s and you go so we’re getting McDonald’s :) and they say. No. And then go use the McDonald’s bathroom without making a purchase while leaving you in the car. And you keep driving and pull into a different McDonald’s into the drive thru line and your parent orders food for you and when you get it you go Aw yeah McDonald’s! And your parent says why the fuck do you think we’re getting McDonald’s. You’re crazy. You’re insane. You’re also a pervert. And yanked your fries out of your hands and tossed them out the window. But at the end of the day. You did. You did get McDonald’s

[captainvulcant]

Doing a poll on the Destiel website for science

[aturnoftheearth]

like the idea of a supernatural revival or whatever because any of the following outcomes would be a win, either to further my bitterness or bring me peace:

a. likely: they cut cas out completely, forever cementing him as the worst treated character of team free will (don’t bother with any more polls), and this inevitably leads to some funny tweets/posts about how jensen ackles didn’t want to leave cas out !!!! he actually wanted them to gay kiss on tv !!! but Big CW shut him down again >:( even if they’re not on the CW anymore. hashtag they silenced him.

or

b. more likely: they bring cas back but don’t mention destiel at all. misha collins says for $500 USD he’ll get on cameo and give his own headcanon. fans of him fund it in 20 minutes. it’s 37 seconds long and awful and shallow and he says “dean tells cass to ‘get out of his ass’ again” while winking very explicitly and end recording. insert scenario a for the jackles thing here.

or

c. most likely: cas back, love confession addressed. cas is like “dean i assure you that, above all, i value our friendship.” dean politely says “hey man, you’re my best buddy, and i really appreciate you. you know that, right? alright good talk.” and claps his shoulder on his way out of the frame, leaving cas with the sad yet contemplative look. okay that’s all no more addressing anything UNLESS it’s a multi-episode thing, in which case they include some sort of bait. a potentially longing look-back from dean, a disappointed? resigned? look from him after walking away, etc.

and bonus least-likely but best possible scenario:

d. destiel canon. old mutuals return. content creation  renaissance. this website becomes inhabitable. another 3 years of lovesickness on ye.

[buoyantsaturn]

i have so many talented friends are you jealous

when the evening pulls the sun down (and the day is almost through) by emi @thelordofshrimp

the temptation to include rcau. however: spiderman reference and also elbow drop are undefeatable <3

professionalism is a social construct by katherine @yrbeecharmer

bc its the one non-exes au fic from this year and also bc just bc winning best au in liz's fic awards isnt making you work on this any faster then maybe me reminding you of it now will <3

FAR GALAXIES by rosy @rosyredlipstick

god. the toss-up between this and it's a scream was insane. genuinely i do not know how you do it rosy you are so talented i am in awe of you always and i am SO excited to see where this fic ends up <3

What if I Told You None of it was Accidental by alfie @lordstormageddidnt

comes out of alfie's ao3 page covered in blood. so much destiel. please. take this solangelo fic. i risked my life for this.

training wheels by ethan @ethannku

ok. we can have some valgrace instead of the solangelo fic ethan wrote this year. and NOT just bc i beta'd this fic <3

i hope that we meet in another life by becca @thebhorror

sorry. yall KNOW i had to pick the saw trap fic.

whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again by lori @sunflowersandscreams

omg hiiiii i actually found this one while searching for which fic i wanted to post and its so short and sweet that i couldnt resist <3

you keep pushing love away (and you fall in head first) by niamh marie @ikeasharksss

hiiii not to post the most recent fic published BUT im a sucker for royalty aus <3

Distant Early Warning by marblebee @marbleheavy

thank u my beloved marblebee for giving me an easy option by only posting one fic this year <3 sorry about ur foot tho

With this heart of mine that's guilty, not remorseful by dreamy @dreamyzworldlove

the thg au has captivated me. what i can i say.

If you love me... by ember @gatesofember

JASICO!!!! this fic makes me so insane <3 love jasico <3

but of course these are all just fics. also very important to check out all of the insane art posted by liz @sclangelc and also remi @pinkerpick and i guess leafy @gayleafpool if youre into cats

[electrificata]

here are my house observations, im in season 3

some of the shit house says to foreman is genuinely unforgivable

foreman as a character i generally like. omar epps is giving a good performance of an even-keeled-but-not-without-effort kind of guy, i do like the plotline of a guy who came to learn from an expert whos the worst guy in the world and trying to figure out how to do the same thing without being the worst guy in the world. i also think they way they keep him out of hospital love triangles is racist, foreman is not currently hot but could be with 15% more attention from the writers room.

really sexist as a general rule. i have not encountered the idea of "jailbait" this much in literal years.

hipster racism. its the 2000s. funny to talk abt this because "hipsters" were younger at this point and the character of house is, im assuming, in his mid 40s at the start of the show, but thats the general logic that seems to be on display. "well you know that he's a good guy so its ironic and funny that he's threatening to use the n word as a joke."

a) stupid logic to begin with, doing something ironically is also just doing it, b) doesnt even work on its own terms here because house is widely acknowledged to be an awful person in the context. the entire show is built around the question "how much deliberately annoying, dangerous bullshit will we endure from this dickhead to maintain access to his unique skillset"

i still dont "get" house/wilson. like i do see it, like i can see that theyre a little obsessed with each other and they have a fun mutually manipulative dynamic, and they make sense as foils (guy who's self-consciously awful and often ends up doing noble things accidentally/guy who's self-consciously noble and often deliberately does awful things). but i cannot feel myself going insane about it. if anything i like him better with cuddy

cuddy really really hot. really really really hot. cuddy.

so like yeah i see house/wilson im just not going insane about it the way i thought i might. altho tbh it took a global pandemic and a extended, byzantine renaissance of tumblrina supernatural scholarship to make me have a destiel spiral. i need infrastructure for these things.

cameron's character is such an old school token girl character. i hate how they treat her "niceness" almost as much as i hate how they treat her crush on house.

a better show (written by me) would have some more cuddy and foreman "managing" house plotlines (foreman being a protege allows focus on the legacy of house's medicine, how to replicate it, how to contain damage), probably give him some of the cuddy and wilson time. the three of them together would be good i could do that.

cuddy/foreman. hm. in the remake.

like, i do get how this happened. house is troubled in a durable, interesting way. the writing is good enough to support his layers, the way his snap-judgement psychoanalysis of everyone he meets curls back around to shine a light on his own issues. good balance of competence and patheticness. laurie is giving a masterclass in the niche field of "british comedian comes to us tv drama, grows some stubble, becomes a sex symbol." i read an old review that referred to his "sourpuss charisma" i really like that turn of phrase.

(i was also into josh on the west wing when i watched that last year, i have a type i love antagonism. no im not dating anyone right now, who wants to take me for a candlelit dinner and tell me i smell good and my voice is sexy) (you cant just compliment me, ill be bored or uncomfortable, you have to bury it in a disagreement and make it clear youre kind of mad that youre into me)

that said i think the show kind of misunderstands house's sex appeal. it feels very written-by-men. women characters throw themselves at house in a porny kind of take-me-now way. in my observations guys who are arent traditionally hot but attractive in this antagonistic, talky was dont really get that kind of treatment, but they do get the main cast wilson/cuddy/cameron "i hate this guy but im obsessed with him and i will never make a move or i will and itll go badly" kind of stuff. my phantom house reboot does have cameron and house hook up and its a really mean and destructive fwb thing with like 4 false endings. does this make sense.

right now im in the middle of the plotline where leighton meester plays a 17 yr old girl stalking house because shes so in love. like thats not the vibe. at least from what ive seen. im not omniscient.

lol it turns out she has a spore makign her hypersexual lolllll i literally have this on in the background rn ok i take some of this back.

whenever i mention to someone im watching house theyll recount to me the plot of the one episode they can remember and it always sounds insane and its never made up.

"the one with the intersex teen model who fucks her dad to manipulate him and has testicular cancer" like yeah. yeah thats real. if you talked to me 3 weeks ago thatd be the one i recounted to you.

yes house does leer at her in that episode and its treated as logical and normal for a 45 year old man.

i hate chase, he's awful but boring.

im curious how long im gonna keep watching this, i know the later seasons get kind of soapy plotwise and i dont know if thats what i want out of this

[doctorprofessorsong]

Destiel Fic Recs

It's that time of year where nobody knows what day it is or how they got there, so why not hide from your family/boss to read Destiel fics. And friends, this last list of 2022 may be the best so far.

The Leap by FriendofCarlotta @friendofcarlotta (Explicit, 82k words)

I don't know how to explain the way 91W lit up my brain like one of those old electricity balls at Spencer's but I thought I would never have that experience again until this fic came along. It's a very different, much softer story, but this fic has the 91W vibes that make you want to crunch on your own bones (vintage gay sadness is the tag we live in here). Its so deeply rooted in a sense of place and time. Dean and Cas are so clearly and immediately bonded and kept apart by circumstance. The longing y'all. The way they can't help but fall in love at the risk of their lives and freedom. It's gorgeous.

The fic is set in post WWII occupied Berlin in a divided Germany just before the wall goes up. Cas is a closeted police officer in East Berlin, trying his best to survive under a brutal dictatorship in an environment in which reporting your neighbors is not just encouraged, but expected. Dean is an American-born mechanic residing in West Berlin. For both of them, falling in love with a man could mean arrest, prosecution, and worse.

But they can't help the instant attraction between them. Neither of them is ready to walk away from the hope of a future together, as impossible of a dream as that is.

Beyond the 91W vibes, the thing about this fic is that the canon parallels are just so beautiful. Cas is expected to comply with a rigid hierarchy and to obey absolutely. Dean is trying his best to find optimism for those around him, and he has an irresistible early seasons charm and brashness that makes you fall instantly in love with him. And while there is period homophobia and oppression in this fic, FriendofCarlotta also pulls so much queer joy into the story. A slice of gorgeous community built against all odds and euphoria at finding love and family and shelter in the most hostile of places.

This story made me ugly cry (a true feat) and it's one of those stories you finish and consider turning back to Chapter 1 and reading it all over again. Seriously. Go read it then yell at me about it.

The Law of Equivalent Exchange by awed_frog @awed-frog (Mature, 60k)

This is the fic you have to read in one sitting because you don't want to be crushed by a falling desk like in Mystery Spot and never see the ending. It is gorgeous in a way that I think may have irrevocably changed me. A testament to love and devotion that left me absolutely breathless.

Cas, Angel of Tears, is assigned to watch over the lives of two brothers, tied together and experiencing hundreds of lifetimes of sorrow and joy in preparation for some mysterious Heavenly plan. His mission is to watch over a green-eyed boy, to guide him into each next life. The human doesn't know, doesn't remember (mostly), but it's impossible to ignore the growing bond between them. Cas finds himself inexorably changed by watching the many lives he experiences.

This is a canon fic (and tbh if you don't know canon the middle is going to confuse you because it's a reimagining of canon events with this context). That means awed-frog has somehow managed to make the crunchy Destiel scenes even more heart wrenching (extra crispy?).

This fic had me crying by Chapter 2. It's just a beautiful sweeping epic. And it does have a soft and beautiful landing. I will be thinking about it for awhile.

Märchen by tiamatv (Mature, 93k)

Fairy tale princess Dean Winchester. That's the delightful headline for this really fun and inventive fic. Dean of Winchester is the eldest prince but he lacks magic, making his brother the heir. What else do you do with a spare but promise to marry him off for political reasons, in this case to Michael, an Angel from a neighboring kingdom who lent his swords to Winchester to defeat the demons.

But Dean isn't gonna be some kept pretty thing, so he shocks everyone by saying no. Michael won't marry Dean without his consent, but that term is used very loosely, as angels do. So Dean is locked in a tower full of monsters where he is cursed to remain until he consents or finds his true love.

It's a tale as old as time (yes I said that), but there are some delightfully fresh elements. From Charlie the dragon princess (marry me, Charlie) to a sentient carnivorous hedge, the quirky characters make this fic impossible to put down. There are also some delightful genre choices such as an omnipotent narrator that make this fic feel comforting yet fresh.

In the end, you will be rooting for the angel knight and his prince to slay their inner demons.

A Crash Course in Computer Safety by followthattardis @debatchery (Explicit, 29k)

I love a good fusion and as a fan of the show Chuck, this Chuck Destiel AU absolutely slaps. If you are unfamiliar with the show, it's still an absolutely fun ride. Dean is stuck working at a Best Buy rip off as essentially a member of the Geek Squad. His life is in shambles after his best friend got him expelled from Stanford and stole his girlfriend, but he's making due.

That is until a mysterious email from his ex best friend throws him into a world of intrigue. Suddenly he's got the CIA and the NSA breathing down his neck. Even worse, he has to pretend to be dating the scorching hot CIA operative as a cover.

The Destiel feels are surprisingly potent for a mash-up, and the story is paced so well you won't want to put it down. Bonus points for perfect use of Henriksen.

Buckle up and cue up Short Skirt-Long Jacket by Cake.

The Shadow in the Corner by MalMuses @malmuses (Explicit, 47k)

I don't know that there are many fic writers who excel so thoroughly at classic romance as MalMuses. Her fics bring such a fantastic mix of horny, humor and softness. This one is no exception.

A Victorian steampunk story, this one is set in an alternative timeline where magic is known and the MOL openly fight monsters. Dean aka the Red Hand is tasked with a special investigation - to solve why a monster seems to be targeting the head of the agency's little brother, Castiel.

There's a good bit if mystery and intrigue, but the the headline for me was the delightful way Dean and Cas were both very aware of this instant connection and slowly orbiting each other as gravity pulled them closer. There's a softness to their relationship and it's largely external angst that keeps them apart as long as they are, but you never doubt that they are entirely gone for one another. Yes they suffer from perpetual horniness around each other, but its also very clear they genuinely like each other in a way that melted my cold dead heart.

In the end, a fun read with an exceptionally satisfying ending.

4:08 to Tombstone by Zuzeca (Explicit, 20k)

Cas is a Seraph with a mission: to save Dean Winchester, to retrieve the Michael Sword from Hell. But Dean perceives Hell not as it is, but instead as the wild west. Thrown into a bisexual cowboy fantasy, Cas has to navigate a dangerous escape while protecting this beautiful soul from those who would destroy it.

This fic is an absolute treasure. Amazing trueform angel descriptions, some gorgeous treatment of Dean’s Hell trauma, and a poignant bond between Dean and Cas that makes it a really sweet read (though mind the tags it gets dark). Its a really fun and novel take on the escape from Hell.

All That Remains by DoctorProfessorSong (Mature, 16k)

I am going to be annoying and self-rec here but I just released a fic I am super proud of. It's bittersweet and emotional and I poured my grief and parts of my soul into it. The tags are daunting but I do think it ends in a satisfying and hopeful place.

The stabfest story examines a canon divergent world where Dean is turned into a demon by the MOC, and Cas is forced to kill him to free him. He has a plan to save Dean, but it fails and Dean makes a deal with the Shadow to escape the Empty. The same deal as Cas. What follows is a reinterpretation of canon where both of them are unable to speak the truth because they risk losing it all.

It's a story about love and loss and hope. And perhaps most importantly it's a story about faith, not as some cheap fix-all, but as something that you hold in your heart in the darkest places.

Tag list below the cut. Let me know if you want to be tagged in future lists.

@varlysca @naturallyathief @greatbigbuggerer @fandoms-and-things @cascodedtech @you-cant-spell-subtext-without @deanwasalwaysbi @fellshish @valleydean @raspberry-tooth @the15yearhatecrime

[whimsyswastry]

15 Questions for 15 Friends

Thank you very much for the tags @pigeontheoneandonly and @favoriteblogonthecitadel 💛💛💛

Are you named after anyone?

No, but I’m often asked if I’m named after a location in a famous movie. I was not.

When was the last time you cried?

Two days ago. I’ve been struggling with an ulcer that just won’t heal and I woke up in horrendous pain and nausea on Saturday morning.

Do you have kids?

We do not. There’s a 25% chance of passing on my connective tissue disorder and sometimes it’s the fun “I’m so great at gymnastics!” kind and sometimes it’s the less fun “my brain won’t stay in my head” kind. I don’t want to put a child through all that.

What sports do you play/have you played?

I was a ballerina, gymnast, and soccer player until the injuries started becoming too frequent.

Do you use sarcasm?

Very rarely and even then only with people I’m very comfortable with (most notably my partner and my sister).

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

I’m not sure if there’s one thing I always notice. I’m pretty quick to pick up on moods, even with total strangers. So probably that. Their vibes 🙃

What’s your eye color?

Brown

Scary movies or happy endings comedies?

I used to love scary movies but I’ve noticed that as I age I have lower and lower tolerances for things like gore and screaming (especially screaming). I much prefer a comedy these days. Or a low stakes drama.

Any talents?

I had to ask my partner because I’m not good at these kinda questions. He said “interior design…like arranging stuff, and baking, and storytelling.”

Where were you born?

Literally like 2 miles away

What are your hobbies?

Video games, writing, baking, rearranging furniture in the middle of the night, reading, bird watching, crocheting, web design, quilting (I’m awful at this one but I enjoy it nonetheless)

Do you have any pets?

I have a basset beagle dachshund mix (unsure of the percentages) named Daisy Mayhem. See her Booplesnoot under the cut.

How tall are you?

5’6”

Favorite subject in school?

I liked social studies in elementary school, English and Stats in high school, and my favorite class ever was biological psychology in college.

Dream job?

Freelance web design, if it could be 100% HTML and SASS based instead of JS. I hate JavaScript. My brain just doesn’t work that way.

No Pressure Tags -> @n7viper @quietborderline @satashiiwrites @greypetrel @hauntedjellyfishtraveler @unicorn-farm @swords-n-spindles @ad-astra13 @hockles @trickythedino @captain-peroxid3 @dairsmuids @lyriumwolf @destiel-wings @hawkeshep

[littlefankingdom]

All the plants are trans in French

So, the word used in Japanese isn't the word for "plant" as flowers, nature... It's a borrowed english word, "plant" (you can hear them say the english word "plant" in the sub) I don't know japanese but I can imagine that this is the word they use for nuclear plants, as it was brought to Japan after WWII, probably by the USA. We can talk another time about the implications and the meaning behind it.

How to do you translate "plant" in French? Well, because it's "plant" as in "power plant" and not "flower", they used "reacteur", which means "reactor", and not "plante", because we don't use it for anything else than vegetation. But French, coming from Latin, is a gendered language, and so, everything has a gender. "Plante" is feminine, using she/her and all the grammar's feminine agreements (nature is associated to womanhood in like every culture I'm pretty sure), but "reacteur" is masculine. Which lead us to the translation of Trigun, since it started in the very end of the 90s, to have every characters talking about the plants with masculine pronouns and agreements. They show you those creatures with a body similar to a female human body, that can get pregnant and give birth, and they use he/him. And nobody had an issue with that, as it is still the same translation in 2023. And I wonder if other languages have done the same, or did they stick to "plant" (French translation used to translate EVERYTHING, even names. It was an awful decision. But maybe other languages weren't that stubborn and proud?)

The power of translation! In the same way that destiel is canon in Spanish for Supernatural, plants are trans in French for Trigun.

[bloodydeanwinchester]

My major Dean trait is that I don't like stories with sad endings so I'm too scared to start Twist and Shout 😭 but is 91w worth it? It looks really good but I don't want to start if it ends horribly

-- @liopleurodean

hi ashla! i would definitely recommend NOT reading twist and shout then because that ending is just sad. i cried really hard and felt awful after i read it. in most cases i like stuff with a sad ending but when i read twist and shout i realized that i DO NOT like destiel fics with sad endings. there's gotta be something happy about it for me. (at least in most cases. i did enjoy a complete kingdom but there's nothing happy about THAT ending lol)

now with 91w i enjoyed the ending but it also hurts my chest a little bit to think about it. it's bittersweet and real for a fic about the horrors of war. it is not sad in the way that twist and shout is sad. for me it's the happiest ending that these two characters could have hoped to have and i think the fic is absolutely worth it!

feel free to message me if you want a more spoilery answer to this! i wont give away the ending if you don't want but i can give more details that others might not want to see<3

[einloukrativesangebot]

February 2024 Destiel Fic Recs

Fics that were written in february of 2024, that I really loved.

Bad Day at the Office by nephiliminality

Castiel has successfully retrieved Dean Winchester from Hell, and now all he has to do is resurrect him, introduce himself and persuade him to serve Heaven. Should be an easy job, right?

Unfortunately, keeping this particular human alive is a lot harder than he expected. If Gabriel would stop laughing, that would really help.

(Lazarus Rising meets Mystery Spot. That's it, that's the fic)

This was is so good, awesome doesn't even begin to cover it.

Piece of Mind by golbygloom

Castiel has only been human for a few weeks when he experiences his first 'headache,' as Dean calls it. At first, he thinks it's nothing, as Sam and Dean said, but as they begin happening more and more frequently, he becomes convinced that this is Naomi's doing as she tries to rip him away from everything he's worked so hard to get. Why else would his head be aching almost constantly, with the pain originating so close to his eyes?

This fic is very angsty, but who doesn't love angst?

room for one more troubled soul by an_ardent_rain

“I’m here looking for Sam Winchester.”

“Yeah,” he says. “That’s me. What can I do for you?”

“I’m… sorry for bothering you,” Castiel says. He clears his throat, and then takes a deep breath, pulling himself together. “I need your help. It’s about your brother.”

Sam’s eyebrows raise in surprise, though he keeps his expression mostly blank. Castiel licks dry lips. “Dean went on a hunting trip,” he says. “And he hasn’t checked in in a few days.”

The concept is so intriguing and the writing is amazing.

dawn breaks overhead by dykeydean

So he finds himself standing in the middle of a run-down motel, letting himself be dressed by a human.

He doesn’t quite remember getting from there to here, but it doesn’t matter. This human’s soul is good, and so he trusts. There is nothing else to do.

“I only got one bed, but, uh, we can share,” the human says. He radiates nervous energy, and Castiel supposes that a bloody angel- fallen angel- showing up on your doorstep would be quite disorienting. Then again, humans used to worship angels almost to the level that they worshiped God. Perhaps times have not changed, and the human is simply awe-struck.

“I don’t sleep,” Castiel says, and then he blacks out.

Again, amazing concept and the writing is superb.

spanner in the works by casdoms (moffwithhishead)

 “You have to choose, Castiel. Us, or them.”

Them. It was always going to be them.

Definitely worth the read, especially for Cas-fans.

Candy-crushing the angel way by FreyaBlackthorn

Dean is a bit uncomfortable with Cas staring at him during the night; he convinces the angel to download Candy Crush.

Because Dean is a candy and Cas is crushing, right? (I'm sorry).

This one is hilarious.

Steady As The Night Goes by Angel_With_A_Shotgun (CalmWaters)

“Yeah. Here,” Dean lifted one of the blankets from the stack beside the bed, “you kept kicking them off earlier.” Cas took it quickly. Wrapped himself up in it. Wide, blue, fevered eyes stared into Dean’s. More alarm bells rang inside of Dean’s head.

Or, a newly human Cas struggles with a fever, while Dean struggles with his feelings.

It's just very sweet and very in character for Dean.

True Blue by adeptune

Based loosely off of this tweet:

"Anyone down to take couples counseling and see at what point the therapist realizes we don't even know each other ?"

Or Sam bets Dean a thousand dollars that he and Cas can't go to couple's therapy for a week without the therapist noticing they aren't a couple...

These guys really do need therapy...

feather and nest by orphan_account

Early November comes and goes. Dean tries to hold on through the winter.

Starts angsty, but the ending is really cute.

Cowboy Blues by tollie

“I’ll take this,” Dean dropped a beaded bolo tie on the counter, “and he’ll wear the hat.” “I will?” Cas said, but Dean appeared not to hear as he swiped the Charlie card and pocketed the receipt.

Episode coda for 13x06 "Tombstone" in which Dean buys Cas that absurd hat and Cas wonders what the real cause is for Dean's good mood.

This is very fluffy and such a nice fanfic gap-fic.

Kitchen Table Conversations by Owco

“So let me summarize,” Sam began, still somewhat hoping he’d wake up and this would be a bizarre dream he’d never tell anyone about, “Dean was asking for it so hard it turned into a prayer, causing you to accidentally jump into his body. You were so cozy next to his soul that you left your vessel dead on the bed for over ten minutes. Have I got that right?”

This one's very funny.

Here are the January Recs

[awakenthemusic]

Nimbus

Summary:

Dean tried to call out a warning, but he couldn’t make a sound, no matter how hard he tried to scream. He thrashed against his bonds, but could only watch in dismay as Cas stepped into the trap.

“Dean,” He cried, rushing into the room, his angel blade at the ready.

Dean could do nothing but send Cas a meaningful look in warning.

Tags:

Short fic, ~800 words, Destiel, Case aftermath

For Suptober 2023 Day 4 - Nimbus

Under the cut or on Ao3

Dean’s back hit the wall with enough force to knock the air from his lungs. His head whipped back and cracked against the concrete, sending starbursts across his vision.

The monster they’d been searching for grinned at him malevolently. Its eyes gleamed as it gestured sharply causing ropes to fly across the room, yanking Dean’s wrists together in front of him roughly and tying them tight.

Shit! Dean struggled to think through the sudden fog in his head. Not a djinn, the son of a bitch was an angel!

The rogue angel placed a mocking finger over its lips and disappeared, melting into the shadows near the door. Only a few seconds later, the handle of the door turned.

Dean tried to call out a warning, but he couldn’t make a sound, no matter how hard he tried to scream. He thrashed against his bonds, but could only watch in dismay as Cas stepped into the trap.

“Dean,” He cried, rushing into the room, his angel blade at the ready.

Dean could do nothing but send Cas a meaningful look in warning.

The rogue angel rematerialized behind Cas and locked Cas’ blade hand in a tight hold, immobilizing the weapon. It chuckled darkly and said, “I knew you couldn’t resist if I used your favorite pet as bait.”

Cas fought the other angel’s hold, but couldn’t break free. He stilled suddenly, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Finally,” The other angel crowed from behind Cas in a way that was really starting to get on Dean’s nerves. “The mighty Castiel has been laid low! With your favorite mud monkey as witness, everyone in heaven and on earth will know that I am the one who ended you!”

Dean’s blood ran cold and he thrashed uselessly against his restraints. It couldn’t end like this, they’d just gotten Cas back. He hadn’t even told him…

Suddenly, Cas looked up at Dean and winked, his defeated air disappearing as his left hand flashed out of his pocket, glinting silver. No way...

The nameless angel growled, “Say goodbye, brother.”

Cas smirked and said, “Goodbye, brother,” before lashing out behind him with the second angel blade.

Heavenly white light haloed out around Cas, dancing through Cas’ perpetually messed-up hair and limning his broad shoulders. The look on his face was a combination of the determined look of a warrior he always wore in battle, which Dean usually thought of as his ‘smiting face,’ and a confidence that could only be called ‘cocky’.

Dean stood, squinting into the glow radiating out around Cas, everything in his mind suddenly quiet, in awe of the angel in front of him. Heat coiled low in his gut and his knees went weak just as the rogue angel’s power winked out. He swayed forward, suddenly dizzy, though whether that was from the possible concussion or all the blood in his body rushing… away from his brain, who could say?

Cas managed to untangle himself from his enemy in time to steady Dean, catching Dean’s arms in a firm grip. Fuck, he’s so strong…

Dean couldn’t stop staring at Cas. He, mercifully, had no idea what his face was doing, he just had to hope he wasn’t drooling.

Cas must have thought he looked confused, because he shrugged a shoulder and said, “Good thing you forgot your angel blade.”

Dean nodded reflexively, the words refusing to compute in his brain. He clutched at Cas’ hand where it curled so gently around his wrist and sighed, “Kiss me.”

Cas froze. He studied Dean’s face, the glorious, dangerous light of hope dawning in his eyes. Then, his face shuttered and he took a half-step back. “You hit your head, you don’t really mean that.”

Dean shook his head to disagree, though he couldn’t rip his eyes away from Cas. He latched onto Cas’ hand, not letting him walk away again. He fought through the cloudiness in his brain to mentally kick himself. He should have talked to Cas sooner, should have told Cas how he felt the moment they got Cas back from the empty. Now, fresh adrenaline coursing through him at nearly losing Cas again, all his fears about how this might change them seemed so stupid.

In the end, the truth rolled off Dean’s tongue easily. “Loved you for years,” He breathed. “Thought you knew until…” He shuddered as he pushed down the memory of Cas’ goodbye in that cursed dungeon. “Thought you didn’t want…”

That light was back in Cas’ eyes now. He swallowed, eyes darting all over Dean’s face, voice rough as gravel as he said, firmly, “I want.”

Without a second thought, Dean reached up, tangled his fingers in the lapels of Cas’ coat, and yanked him into a searing kiss.

[thefreakandthehair]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

tagged by @steddieas-shegoes like, forever ago and I keep forgetting.

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 42! most are steddie with some criminal minds fics from over ten years ago buried deep.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 252,271

3. What fandoms do you write for? right now, just stranger things! I've been toying around with writing destiel again but if I did, it'd be anonymous. (after my entire portfolio was wiped from livejournal, I'm still in pain about it.)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 1. and if I get burned, at least we were electrified.  2. i made this mess with love.  3. what you feel is what you are (and what you are is beautiful)  4. the answers are all inside of this.  5. Livin' On A Prayer 

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? yes! eventually! sometimes, it'll take me awhile because I just get backed up but I read them and smile and kick my feet, and even though it takes me a bit to reply, those comments are what keep me writing. <3

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? happy endings are guaranteed in this house, always. I'll never write an angsty ending-- canon hurts me enough. the most bittersweet ending though would have to be scar-crossed lovers. 

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? oooo, that's tough because they're all happy endings! but I think over the hills and far away because, by virtue of it being a long fic, the happy ending feels deserved. those two went through it to get to that ending which made it so satisfying to write!

8. Do you get hate on fics? I haven't, no, and I'm very grateful for that. but I'm also like, super liberal with the block function. we cultivate our spaces here, friends!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I do, but only in the context of like, what else is happening in the fic. I just can't write pwp lmao, major kudos to everyone else who does it so well! I'm in awe of your talent perpetually.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I wrote a supernatural/charmed crossover au many, many years ago. but recently? kicks cracky supernatural/stranger things crossover au scrivener wip under the couch. nope.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? not in this fandom!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? not that I know of, but that'd be super cool.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? not yet... but I have some plans. keep an eye out next year. 👀

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? steddie broke something in my brain, but destiel laid the path for it be broken to start with.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? liturgies & devotionals, unfortunately. or at least in its current existence in scrivener? it's a big undertaking but if I can make it less complicated, maybe it stands a chance.

16. What are your writing strengths? not once have I been able to answer this and feel comfortable with it, but I do really enjoy the omniscent third person point of view and have gotten compliments on it. and narrative writing, I like setting the scene and developing introspection.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? there are several but god, fucking dialogue! it's my kryptonite. that, and actually ending a story. context disease is so real.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? the only other language I've ever used is a snippet of Klingon, but I'd also feel comfortable using bits of French because I know a good bit of French. anything else would just feel super inauthentic because idk what the fuck I'm saying.

19. First fandom you wrote for? uh, it was around 2001 and it was for a fandom that I no longer associate with.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? to the surprise of no one: over the hills and far away <333 so much of me is in that fic and it was hugely healing.

no pressure tags: @withacapitalp @stevethehairington @steves-strapcollection @henderdads @patchworkgargoyle @inairbinad @steddieasitgoes @starrystevie @judasofsuburbia @fragilecapric0rnn @kkpwnall @fastcardotmp3 @penny00dreadful @cranberrymoons @catknives @hbyrde36 @cuoredimuschio @wormdebut @wynnyfryd @sidekick-hero @t-boyeddie @scarcrossdlvrs + anyone else who hasn't been tagged and wants to participate!