#dean/cas + doomed lovers trope

[shallowseeker]

If you're a native Spanish speaker, wanna take a stab at the telenovela in 7x03? (It's very hard to hear under the main audio.) You can hear, My love, my love? I think I hear, no me dejes (Don't leave me) in the mix.

I love that Ricardo, you know, has a bloody collar and smudge on his right brow, kind of like...you know:

///

7x01

Ahem.

It also, of course, calls to mind John's death in 4x03, but only in how Mary cradles him.

The rest is so-- [REDACTED]

And if you think Dean wasn't grieving in his prickly veneer of toughness, listen to his voice in that brief moment he thought Cas was back. His breathy little "Ca-as?" is sooo shaky.

Then, he and Bobby both grabbed onto him with the intention of getting him home (and working through what just happened, "Okay, one thing at a time.") It was so--

This is the same episode where Cas said he had no more nostalgia for Dean and threatened to snap him into bloody soup, and then Dean urged Death to kill Cas, and Cas looked somehow shocked, despite what he'd just threatened to do himself. They're so--

To say nothing of the look on Dean's face when the Leviathan says in clear words, "Cas is, hmm, gone. He's-- dead!"

[elizabethrobertajones]

Dean & Cas Are In Love

A hopefully one day conclusive study of these assholes, hopefully told as briefly as I can.

[it went fuckin canon? Rendered useless in my own job. Posting these gifsets from my drafts for @mittensmorgul​ who can make better use of them than me.]

-------

I think I giffed the first 4 just because no one can resist that hug and “nice peach fuzz” boop. The raw affection while Cas stays stock still because he’s living an entirely different genre of survival horror to Dean. You know, Dean in an action RPG with one clear objective (handily these are often like, Find Wife, for a generic action guy). And Cas is in some sort of indie psychological horror where the very concept of Wifey is poison and he must resist the temptations of Save Wife to paradoxically Save Wife. 

I think Gif 5 is right after “we’re getting out of here” just to seal Dean’s pride in having accomplished his objective and heard the quest completion music. 

Then a gif of Benny cutting in because this nonsense has gone on long enough and he can see Cas is resisting all this and Dean after a minute of this conversation is wilfully blind to what is plain to Benny: Cas is resisting all this good cheer, and to Benny this is suspicious because you SHOULD only want to get out of Purgatory. Benny is being used here to show the absolute blinders Dean has on when it comes to Cas: to have a straight guy to the dynamic (ironically) simply to display that Dean is NOT on a simple emotional level here, and if he wasn’t already proving to be compromised over Cas in getting here, now they’ve arrived it’s become abundantly clear he’s on a whole other level with Cas to Benny when we’re talking Brothers In Arms.

(I mean Dean has a whole subtextually gay thing with Benny too, who comes across incredibly queer and in like a sad gay movie with Dean in the Benny-centric episodes, so when I say they exemplify Brothers In Arms and Benny is the straight guy, I am talking by Supernatural standards.) 

The I Prayed To You line then drops one of the biggest bombs in all of Destiel, and in later years will be amplified by the Longing Retcon two seasons later, which implies all prayer to a specific angel doesn’t need a whole formal letterhead and stamp and mailing address carefully written on it before it can be sent, but can just be a quick drunk text from your heart with no conscious intent. Making this entire year 1000x worse from Cas’s survival horror game perspective. Even before that, of course, this was the most dramatic statement of emotional intent from Dean we’d gotten thus far and as with the “has too much heart” statement being a thesis on Cas, this became basically the tentpole evidence for Dean’s point of view on Destiel, proving how much he cared.

Cas then reveals a sliver of how rough it’s been for him, and shattered Dean’s bubble with the explanation of where he went on arrival in Purgatory and why. That it was another self-sacrificial gambit, and a forbidden star-crossed lovers type thing of Cas being near Dean would doom him simply by proximity. Nom nom nom tropes.  

[destieltropecollection]

Destiel Trope Collection Day 25: Slow Burn

The difference between living and existing (WIP) | @lucy-is-alive

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 6052 Main Tags/Warnings: John Winchester's A+ parenting, College AU, Sexuality crisis, PTSD, Childhood trauma, Recreational drug use, Angst and hurt/comfort Summary: As soon as he got the chance, Dean left his father behind and went to college. However, he never anticipated that the absence of the person who had disrupted his entire life would make it worse. With the help of his friends, he tries to navigate through the emotional hurricane that comes with complex PTSD.

Celestial | @deservetobesaved

Rating: Mature Word Count: 10585 Main Tags/Warnings: slow burn, mutual pining, fluff, emotional affair, bottom!dean Summary: Dean is in a less than stellar marriage, but he assumes things will work themselves out. At the same time, Mr. Castiel Novak becomes his new co-worker at school and Dean has to rethink everything he thought he had figured out.

Welcome to the Badlands (WIP) | @cr-noble-writes

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 15386 Main Tags/Warnings: graphic violence, dystopian au, fusion, into the badlands au, slow burn Summary: The wars were so long ago, nobody even remembers. Darkness and fear ruled until the time of the Barons, seven men and women who forged order out of the chaos. People flocked to them for protection. That protection became servitude. They banished guns and trained armies of lethal fighters they called Clippers. This world is built on blood. Nobody is innocent here. Welcome to the Badlands.

Profound Kisses | @verobatto-angelxhunter

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 20700 Main Tags/Warnings: Destiel, post 8x07 canon divergent, mutual pining, explicit sexual content, angst with a happy ending, clueless! Castiel, pining!Dean, Top!Dean, Bottom!Cas, slow burn, love confessions, first kiss, french kiss, Sammy knows. Summary: Dean knows he's screwed. He discovers he is in love with Castiel in Purgatory, and now he can't even have the angel in front of him, because he knows it's a one sided love. It’s Valentine's day and Dean tries very hard to hook up as always, but he can't get Cas out of his mind. So he drives back to the motel, drunk, and he finds Castiel trying to help him. Then, when Dean asks Castiel for some experimental kisses and the angel accepts, Dean starts a very dangerous game… finding in Castiel's kisses the most delicious experiences, but also, his own perdition. Will Castiel fall in love with him? Or will he stay emotionless as always?

Hate me, but love me too | @notfunnydean

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 23310 Main Tags/Warnings: Virgin!Dean,f hate spell, hate curse, younger!dean, older!sam, Grace Sharing, First Kiss, First Time, Hate Sex, Dubious Consent, Mildly Dubious Consent, Cas is cursed, (not really MCD but Cas isn't alive in the beginning), Castiel has sex with somebody else in the beginning(and Dean sees it), Heartbreakbut I will fix it! Summary: Dean’s whole life changes when his mother tells him that John isn’t his biological father and he needs to save the world from his sibling Adam, who is the King of Hell. But he can’t do that alone, he needs the best Hunter earth had, Castiel Novak.

Starstruck (WIP) | @peanutbutterjelly-pie

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 40860 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Slow Burn, Actor Dean, Single Parent Castiel, Pining Summary: From the outside Castiel Novak looks like a regular guy: a good job, two teenage kids, a nice house and a crappy car he’s way too attached to. But there’s one thing no one knows about him: that, over twenty years ago, he used to live next to no other than Dean Winchester – back then a brash and loud-mouthed boy and nowadays a huge movie star and Hollywood’s sweetheart. Castiel never bothered to tell anyone about his childhood friend because frankly, who would believe him? Probably even Dean himself already forgot about his former awkward and weird neighbor, so Castiel seriously doesn’t see any point in mentioning the whole thing ever. But then an interview on national TV happens where Dean reveals way more about his past than ever before … and Castiel - as well as the rest of the world - suddenly realizes that he left a much bigger impact on Dean’s life than he originally thought.

Letter to Dean Winchester (WIP) | @castielsangel-blade

Rating: Mature Word Count: 44182 Main Tags/Warnings: Past Lisa/Dean, Past Aaron/Dean, Past Castiel/Dean, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Mentions of Past Cheating, Mentions of Past Toxic Relationship, Gray Romantic Castiel, Asexual Castiel, Epistolary, Bisexual Dean Summary: Castiel writes and sends a letter to Dean Winchester. He wants closure for the toxic relationship they had in high school.

Falling Apart | @cr-noble-writes

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 49204 Main Tags/Warnings: minor character death, sam deceased when fic starts, alcoholism, drug misuse, addiction, rehab au, soulmate au, flashbacks, ptsd Summary: Sword & Cross Resident Rehabilitation is a last-ditch effort for Dean Winchester to move past the drug and drinking problems he developed to bury his guilt over the fire that killed his brother. Not to mention the wild visions and smoky, sentient shadows that have plagued him his entire life. It's supposed to be the best Savannah has to offer, but one look at the crumbling tile floors and dangling crown mouldings, and Dean has his doubts. Enter Castiel Novak. He’s rude, aloof, and a total dick from the moment they lay eyes on each other but Dean can’t help but feel a mysterious connection to the man. Maybe he really has lost his mind. But when Castiel starts making appearances in Dean’s vivid visions of the past, he knows there is more to their link than meets the eye. Even if Cas keeps telling him otherwise. It seems everyone at Sword & Cross knows what’s going on except for Dean. Trying to conquer his mountain of guilt and doubt and figure out the connection he is certain he shares with Castiel is only made harder by the “accidents” that seem to follow him. Not to mention his attraction to Gadreel. Whatever secret Castiel is trying so hard to keep, Dean knows he has to uncover it.

Will you be my ten inch hero? | @notfunnydean

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 57468 Main Tags/Warnings: Bullying, Homophobic Language, Abusive John Winchester, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, giving a baby to adoption (not between Destiel), Rape/Non-con Elements, John kicked Dean out, Virgin!Dean, surprise guest appereance, Minor Crowley (Supernatural)/Bobby Singer, Minor Charlie Bradbury/Jo Harvelle, Minor Rowena MacLeod/Gabriel, two surprise pairings, not Ketch or Mick Davies friendly Summary: When John Winchester kicks Dean out, after he saw him kissing another boy, and Dean sees that Sam has a perfect life at Stanford without him, Dean starts a new life in Santa Cruz. He works at a tiny shop as a cook, has found some friends there, and is overall happy enough. That changes when Castiel comes into his shop and his Co-worker Azara, who has a different man every night, starts flirting with him right in front of Dean. Not that he would be jealous or anything, but there is something about Castiel that makes him weak in the knees. Only that Castiel would never want him back, right?

Roll With It | @saltnhalo

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 72818 Main Tags/Warnings: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Boss/Employee Relationship, Secretary Dean, Alternate Universe - Not Hunters, The Proposal AU, Alternate Universe, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Editor Castiel, Fluff and Angst, Sam Winchester at Stanford, POV Alternating, Geek Dean, Russian Castiel, Sharing a Bed, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Top Castiel, Bottom Dean, Misunderstandings, Tattooed Castiel, Love Confessions, Slow Burn Summary: For two years, Dean’s been slaving away beneath his boss – many label him a secretary, but he fucking hates that and feels like it only applies to someone wearing a pencil skirt, so he insists on his title of Executive Assistant. And for what? In the vain hope that one day he’ll manage to become an editor for Sandover Publishing, and that he’ll see the manuscript that he’s slaved over since college finally realized in print. That’s the dream, anyway. Right now, he’s fucking late. Dean wants to be an editor. Castiel just wants to stay in the country. ‘The Proposal’ – as you’ve never seen it before.

When the Magnolias bloom (WIP) | @flurryflair

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 92951 Main Tags/Warnings: slow burn, angst with a happy ending, mutual pining, human!Castiel, divorce, infidelity, middle aged destiel, explicit sexual content, top Castiel/bottom Dean Winchester, top Dean Winchester/bottom Castiel, POV alternating, unresolved sexual tension, denial of feelings, porn with feelings, anxiety attacks, manipulative relationship, unhealthy coping mechanisms, canon-typical violence, case fic, bisexual!Dean, demisexual!Castiel, semi-canon, minor Castiel/OMC, minor Dean Winchester/Lisa Braeden Summary: It's been ten years since the Apocalypse. Ten years without talking, without knowing one another. Castiel has a company to handle and a wedding to plan, Dean has a broken marriage and a decision to make. They have separate lives, lovers and families of their own, they aren't supposed to meet again, to mess it all up. And yet they do, when they least expect it, and maybe when they most need it. A story about second chances, about hope and resilience, and a love that feels both doomed and inevitable.

Unsung Melody (WIP) | @toomanyships-sendhelp

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 177617 Main Tags/Warnings: Canon Character Death, AU Slaves, Slow Burn Summary: Dean runs a busy bar and grill in Lebanon, Kansas. Semi-retired from hunting, he'll still catch a case when one blows his way or the urge to hunt strikes him again. It isnt until a case that opened decades ago claims another victim and Dean has to get back in the game a little more than he expected.

[orionsangel86]

“I Think It’s Time For Me To Move On”

...And Other Things That Have Destroyed Me This Weekend...

So there is this common trope within love stories which generally happens at the end of the second act in which everything goes wrong and we all think that the lovers are doomed to failure. Its pretty much standard in every Jane Austen novel, every romantic film every made, every single bloody love story. Go ahead, name one. I guarantee you the break up moment is there.

Within the epic love story of Dean and Cas, there have been many break up moments, and all have had their emotionally devastating impact on the relationship and the show...

But THIS was a different level. 

(For a nice summary of Destiel break up moments and understanding of this trope, @tinkdw​ wrote about it here.)

I didn’t think that there would be another moment within Dean and Cas’s relationship that could hit me this hard. The mixtape in 12x19, the wrapping of Cas’s body in 13x01, and the return of Cas in 13x05 are moments that I consider to be the very top of the scale in making this pairing undeniably romantic. Moments that pushed it beyond a platonic interpretation. These three moments have been the things I cling to when the show has otherwise made me doubt any conclusion to the DeanCas story, and since there hasn’t been another one of those moments since 13x05, until now I have been somewhat nervous that the story was dropped, or being forced back behind a platonic screen. 

15x03 has ripped that screen away. 

Emotional meta under cut...

This entire episode was an emotion fuelled dramatic roller-coaster that killed off three characters including our beloved witch queen in a scene that almost stole the show and practically canonised the SamWitch ship. Rowena’s death should have been by far the most torturous moment for viewers to endure, and it was extremely torturous and had me sobbing on a plane 3 hours into a 7 hour flight. That incredibly heartfelt moment between Sam and Rowena will probably go down as one of the top tear-jerking moments on this show. It was tragic in the best way - the way Supernatural is famous for.

But lets not gloss over the fact that in an episode where THAT should have been the climax, where THAT should have been the emotional highlight and end point, instead we get a further MORE dramatic stand off between Dean and Cas that pulled focus and ripped all of our hearts out just as violently as poor Ketch in the first act (a very clever and smug piece of meta foreshadowing there Mr Berens).

On a meta level, this is HUGE as a writing choice because they MUST know how this looks. This was the climax of the third episode of the finale season. The way Supernatural has always structured itself since Carver era is that the first three mytharc episodes of each season establish the direction of the story and set the foundations for the character level focal points and dramatic key notes to come. 

That the writers have chosen to end the foundation episodes with a DeanCas break up moment that was more dramatic than a Spanish Telenovela has just stunned me and left me reeling because I just can’t see how else this can go. This break up scene absolutely DEMANDS a huge reconciliation of the sort that will be part of the A plot of the season - the FINAL SEASON. Guys. Part of the reason I have been so quiet and so disillusioned with the show during late season 13 and season 14 was because they pushed any Destiel plot into non existent territory - it became kinda irrelevant and Dean and Cas just acted like friends (homoerotic friends yes, and sometimes like an old married couple, but it was mostly played as an afterthought imo), so for this to suddenly be brought to the forefront of the emotional story again is excellent news for us. 

The thing is, like with those huge moments I listed above, the break up scene is basically undeniably romantic when you break it down to its components:

1. It’s only Dean and Cas. 

Once again we have another scene of high stake emotions that excludes Sam. In a platonic reading of the show, it makes zero sense for there to be such a hugely disjointed relationship between Cas and Dean and Cas and Sam given he has known them both for so long now that if they were all “just friends” then surely Sam would also feel the impact of Cas’s choices as heavily as Dean. In a platonic reading, Dean comes across as an asshole, Sam comes across as being weirdly uncaring about his friend of 10 years, and Cas comes across as not even bothering to get Sam’s opinion before leaving. A romantic reading makes sense because quite literally THIS IS A ROMANTIC BREAK UP.

2. The words spoken. 

“Well I don’t think there is anything left to say.”

“I think it’s time for me to move on”

From Cas’s perspective at least, name one time in a piece of media where such language has been used for a platonic breakup sincerely? There have been heartfelt break up songs that use these exact words. (I should know I’ve spent the last 24 hours listening to them all).

That last line in particular is so heavy. It’s the last line of the episode and nothing about it is platonic. This is relationship terminology my dudes. “I need to move on, and get over you.” This is Cas’s bloody Adele song. My heart breaks for him, but if I was his sassy and fabulous best girlfriend right now I’d be sitting him down, sipping a cocktail, flipping my hair and telling him “Babe, you’re too good for him. Good Riddance. Let’s go out, have some cocktails, something pink and fruity. No dive bars for us darling. I’ll take you to Heaven... the fun one in London.”

In all seriousness though, from Cas’s perspective, this was him admitting defeat and giving up the fight for love. How anyone can possibly say Cas isn’t in love with Dean after this, well I just don’t know what show you are watching. This is the face of a heartbroken man who has just accepted that his love is unrequited. 

3. The many faces of Dean Winchester

On the other end of the scale, Dean was mostly silent after his poisonous words “And why does that something always seem to be you?”

Forgive the terrible gif quality I’ve no time for fancy gif work!

Look at his face here. He knows what he said was fucked up and he immediately regrets it. The way he swallows around that regret and then turns away.

and after Cas says that devastating final line and walks away? We get THIS reaction from him:

The jaw clench as he looks down. The sorrow on his face as he realises he has well and truly fucked this up. LOOK

Finally, he looks up, makes himself look up and watch Cas leave. If that isn’t the face of a broken man I dunno what to tell you. Anyone who thinks Dean is totally heartless and uncaring right now needs to reassess because this is NOT the face of someone uncaring. This is the face of someone who has just lost everything. Again. 

4. The FUCKING MUSIC

Seriously. The sweeping heavy drama of the low strings that come in right after Dean says that horrid line, that carry the weight of the look of horror and heartbreak on Cas’s face as they amplify the emotion there. As they blend seamlessly into the slow and subtle version of the Winchester family theme behind Cas’s heartbreaking speech and Dean’s stubborn stoic face hiding a multitude of emotion, until the violin dominates as Cas says “I think it’s time for me to move on” and the Winchester Theme swells to its climax, ripping all our hearts out just like poor Ketch as Dean watches Cas walk out of his life surrounded by darkness. 

I MEAN.

A friend on Twitter reminded us all of this point about the importance of this theme via @justanotheridijiton​ here which is essentially:

“The Winchester theme is not simply an aural marker to let the audience know when and how Sam and Dean love each other (any Supernatural fan knows that is the baseline of their relationship), but to provide narrative information, especially when the image and dialogue are incomplete or inconsistent with the true situation...  Seasoned fans will recognize the theme and its history of being paired with images indicating deep emotional bonding and a desire to do the right thing by the Winchester code. Here we trust our ears over our eyes to reveal the truth.”

So here is yet another key indicator that any surface read that this is actually an ending between Dean and Cas and that Dean really is just an angry asshole is utter bullshit. 

Honestly, this was PAINFUL, but it was painful in the best way. It was 13x01 levels of pain, but this time it was Cas choosing to walk away which makes all the difference. Dean’s greatest fear isn’t his loved ones dying on him after all, but of his loved ones choosing to leave him. This was exactly the kick up the ass Dean needs in order to win Cas back, classic love trope style. 

Hence my excitement at what is to come. Yes we won’t see Cas again until 15x06, but in the meantime I fully expect a good helping of angst and wallowing from a depressed Dean who has to deal with the fact that he has just lost the love of his life and it is all his fault. That he just pushed away the one person who promised they would always stay by his side. That has got to hurt. 

So yeah, this episode emotionally destroyed me, and I’ve only really covered the primary reason, let alone all my feels over SamWitch, Rowena’s death, Belphegor’s taunting of Cas over his deepest fears and then having to suffer through smiting a creature wearing the face of his son until his body was nothing but a burnt corpse... I wonder if Bobo had a bet going in the office over how much he could hurt us all? He was certainly enjoying scrolling through the Supernatural tag on Twitter and liking everyone’s reaction tweets including some brilliant Destiel related ones. I do love Bobo. Our Angst Goblin King. 

If anyone had asked me a few weeks ago what my thoughts were on the chances of getting explicit canon Destiel by series end, I would have said somewhere in the realms of 30-40%, considering it a battle of wills between DabbBerens and CW studio execs who I still feel are against it in general. I would have considered everything that happened after 13x06 as the writers getting a big NO on Destiel from the network and therefore having to pull back on any Destiel related plot points (purely my own speculation on BTS matters of course).

Now I am wondering if Dabb kept fighting the network? If he managed to wear them down into begrudging acceptance? I’m currently up to around an 80% chance of textual canon DeanCas if we continue on this path. If Dean is clearly shown to be mourning and hating himself over Cas next episode, and if this DeanCas dramatic plot line continues to be a focal point of the emotional story arcs... well...

I’m side eyeing 15x07 a lot right now. Only in my wildest dreams would I think that they might actually introduce an old boyfriend for Dean in a “coming out” episode, but the placement, timing, and potential is all there and I’m kind of once again donning the clown mask because I’m just in awe at everything that they are doing. I guess we’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, I’m gonna paint my face in red and white and wear my rainbow wig and listen to break up songs on Spotify whilst trying to shove my heart back into my chest where Bobo Beren’s gleefully ripped it out with his hands like the demonic angst goblin he is. Wish me luck, I’m not sure I’m gonna get through this season with my emotions intact.

[destielfanfic]

Group Ask #181

Relevant links to find lost fic

previous group asks - feel free to browse them!

spnstoryfinders

Guide to Finding Fic

Guide to Finding Lost Fic

PSA - Save Your Faves!

Also, please check out our Tags Page and see if the fic in question could be found under some plot/ trope/ pairing related tags! And big thanks to all followers who do check out tags before sending in the ask!!! <333

Ask #1 ( @twinkjensenackles): there’s this fic…#1

can you help me find a fic 👉👈 if not could you tell me some tumblrs/twitters/instagrams that do find fics? (if you can ill put the fic description here in case it happens to be one of your favorites or something) dean and cas had gotten drunk and dean thought it would be a good idea to prank cas and say they got married, cas is all happy but dean is like “oh no” you dont have to answer it but if you do happened to know it PLEAASE tell me😿 thank u😻 ur blog is greatly appreciated❤️

Found by @nickelkeep!

When In Vegas by Dmsilvis, TobytheWise [NC-17, 16,500 word count]

Dean has figured out the most perfect prank. The prank to top every other prank. Ever. Getting his best friend drunk and then convincing him they’d gotten married in their drunken stupor was easy. Dealing with Castiel telling him he’s been in love with Dean for years? Well, that’s a different thing entirely. Castiel wakes up married to the love of his life who he’s been secretly pining over for years. Now he just has to convince Dean that he’ll be the best husband ever, making sure Dean will never regret the decision he made that night. Things take a terrible turn when Castiel finds out everything was a lie in the name of a prank just as Dean realizes how much he truly loves Castiel back. Will they be able to overcome this misunderstanding or was their relationship doomed before it even started?

Ask #2 (anon 1): there’s this fic…#2

I've been looking everywhere for a fic, and I just can't find it! Dean gets a job at a sex shop (I think Crowley owns it, but it might be Castiel's), and it works out well, since he's a masochist, but not a submissive, so he doesn't go into subspace. It's a lengthier fic with CBT, shibari, etc, but I can't find it anywhere. I read it on AO3, but I can't find it based on the tags. Any ideas?

Ask #3 (@kitkat0522 ): there’s this fic…#3

Hi, I'm searching for a series that I read years ago. It involved Cas becoming human, started living with Bobby (cooking/cleaning) while the boys were still hunting. Dean is in major denial over his relationship with Cas, and is really against anything physical ...

Desperately looking for a long Destiel series. The majority of the stories are explicit and revolve around Dean not being comfortable in his sexual relationship with Castiel. Other parts that I can remember include Cas living with Bobby, Dean running into an old gf and Cas getting jealous and almost leaving. I think towards the end of the series Sam actually ended up with a girlfriend. The series takes place over several years and the boys are graying by the end. I have googled like crazy, help!

comment - my first suggestions were new testament [just more of the same’verse] by outpastthemoat and Return to Sender Address Unknown by gedry, alas, those were not the right fics.

Found by @gogoaubergine:  The Writing on the Wall by DasMervin (submitted rec)

Ask #4 ( @alexasbliss ): there’s this fic…#4

Hi! So I need help finding a fic, I’ve gone through the possible tags with no luck but there’s also a chance I may have overlooked it. Now I’m doubting if it’s a real fic lol but from what I remember it was on ao3 and in the fic Dean is kidnapped but escapes, but he’s dealing with some bad ptsd from it so his therapist (I think?) suggests for Dean to find a way to cope with his anxiety and he decides to go to a ranch to help clear his mind and Cas works there and he’s like a horse trainer?

Found by anon: Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses by Blayzepwa [NC-17, 58,600 word count] When Dean’s therapist, Ellen, suggests that he tries something called equine assisted therapy to help him deal with his PTSD, he thinks she’s crazier than he is, and that’s saying something. Horses, seriously? Yeah, really not his thing. But then he meets Castiel, the awkward and…well, kind of strange volunteer with the program. At first he’s unsure of what to think about Castiel, or his horses. But as he builds up his confidence, both in himself and others, he learns a couple things: horses are actually pretty freakin’ awesome, family can surprise you, and that occasionally good things come wrapped in strange packages.

Ask #5 ( @lovesagoodstory1 ): there’s this fic…#5

Hey I’m looking for a fic Cas is Deans Dom they’re at a club he kisses Jimmy thinking it’s Cas I can remember the rest. Help!!

Ask #6 (@iamthebigbanana ): there’s this fic…#6

I’m so sorry to bother you, I have never done this before but it’s driving me INSANE not remembering this fic, basically chuck writes cas out of reality and he comes to dean in his dreams multiple times to try to remind him that he’s there?? And chuck keeps trying to write him out of existence but it doesn’t work??? Like cas keeps coming back like “you have to remember!” I’m so sorry to bug you and if you don’t know either it’s fine, either way I LOVE your blog and THANK YOU for everything!!!!!

Ask #7 (@alwayspraisethemockingjay): there’s this fic…#7

Hi! I was wondering if you could help me find this fic. I’m very sure it’s recent in that it was written in 2019. Plot: dean and cas are both highschool teachers and it’s enemies to friends to lovers. Dean is forced to help cas with his debate club (I think debate club). Also at some point they break up and get back together. Thank you so much!!!!

[dean-you-assbutt-cas-loves-you]

Some fic recs for you guys ♥ These are the ones I read during the months of December and January. There’s also 2 christmas fics (the last 2) 

[13 fics]

The Choices We Make [NC-17, 17k, spn verse]

Castiel, now human, faces the decision of whether or not to step up and fight along side the Winchesters. He knows the life of a hunter is far from easy, yet Castiel's existence has been anything but easy, after all. In time, they will find out whether the former angel's choice was the right one or doomed to end in failure.

Your Favorite Hello [NC-17, 28k, au]

Accounts Manager Dean Winchester and CPA Castiel Novak have been working at the same large company for several months, only interacting through office IM. Then a typo on an expense report leads to an unexpected phone call that results in a simmering crush on both ends of the line, despite neither knowing what the other looks like. Office romances typically never work out, especially when one of them has a slightly bad (though undeserved) reputation, and the other has a slightly bad track record with lovers. But their first face-to-face meeting at the company Christmas party makes them both willing to give it a go. Through a whirlwind romance, Dean wonders if they're moving too fast, and Castiel worries that he's opening himself up for another devastating heartbreak. Together, it turns out that sometimes good things do happen.

A Crash Course in Someone Else's History [PG-13, 11k, spn verse]

Castiel is captured inside a trapping circle of holy oil set by Dean and Sam Winchester. The brothers call him "Cas", claiming that he has amnesia and that he is obligated to help them take down Crowley to atone for his betrayal of them. It's the strangest story Castiel's ever heard, and one he doesn't have time for because he's only just raised Dean from Hell and has work to get back to.

Building a Memory [PG-13, 33k, spn verse]

Who is Dean Winchester? When you get past the childhood trauma, militaristic upbringing, and crippling codependency with his brother, not to mention the unhealthy coping mechanisms, what’s left?

When Dean wakes up in a hospital, banged up and absolutely no memory of himself or his life, maybe he’ll get the chance to redefine himself. Especially since those around him refuse to tell him who he used to be.

Five Years [NC-17, 10k, spn verse]

Diverges from canon after 11x20. After Chuck defeats Amara and takes Lucifer back to Heaven, Castiel stops talking.

Translation  [G, 27k, spn verse]

When Cas arrives at the Bunker, clearly ill, and keeps having trouble remembering Dean or Sam or English, the brothers have to resort to a spell which paints Cas in sigils in an effort to anchor him to his own memories.

The brothers aren’t prepared to experience Cas’ memories for themselves. Through events they thought they knew and ones they didn’t know existed, Sam and Dean will have to face the fact that with the years between them, and even with Dean secretly learning Enochian, they still haven’t fully translated Castiel.

If this works, they will have Cas with them and a whole new understanding, but the full extent of what it means to be Cas might be more than Dean can handle.

The Choices We Make [NC-17, 17k, spn verse]

Castiel, now human, faces the decision of whether or not to step up and fight along side the Winchesters. He knows the life of a hunter is far from easy, yet Castiel's existence has been anything but easy, after all. In time, they will find out whether the former angel's choice was the right one or doomed to end in failure.

One White Lie [G, 11k, au] 

Castiel takes a deep breath and rings the doorbell. He doesn’t need to run through what he’s going to say – he’s already planned and edited and rehearsed it a thousand times. He is going to ask Dean Winchester out to dinner. If it’s not too forward, he’ll say, perfectly charming. You see, I’ve seen you around the neighbourhood and you always seem so earnest and I’d really like to get to know you bette— The door swings open, and Castiel panics.

He intends to excuse himself. He means to apologise and come back some other time. However, in a moment of blind fear, what comes out of his mouth instead are the words, “Could you spare a moment for Jesus Christ?”

Trope Springs Eternal [NC-17, 41k, spn verse] 

Dean's in love with Cas. Cas is in love with Dean. That much is obvious to everyone who sees them. But instead of acting on it, these two idiots seem bound and determined to score gold medals in the pining olympics. The staring, the longing, the unresolved sexual tension that's strong enough to combust and engulf the planet…is there anything that can push them out of their safe, cowardly positions? Leaving them to their own devices hasn't worked so maybe it's time to pull out the big guns.

Once Upon A Time in a Disney Store [G, 23k, au] 

When Castiel Novak gets sick and loses his voice for a few days, he comes up with a clever trick to explain his lost voice to the kids in the Disney Store he works at. One little Mary Winchester, however, takes his note too serious and promptly starts a quest for his prince. Will her charming uncle be able to break the curse and be his one true love?

Part Of Your World [NC-17, 37k, au] 

A Little Mermaid AU

As per angelic tradition, Castiel is given one day on Earth to spend among humanity. But he didn't expect to spend that day falling in love with Dean Winchester.

When Castiel returns to his post in heaven, he can't get Dean out of his head. He makes a deal.

Castiel has three days to make the man fall in love with him, or lose his grace.

I Choose This [PG-13, 21k, spn verse] 

They almost kissed, but he had to open his mouth and ruin it all. Dean wanted to fix it, and Christmas seemed like just the time to set things right. Hopefully, Cas can stop hunting Lucifer for long enough to join them at Jody's house for the holiday season.

Serendipity [G, 23k, au] 

Stuck on opposite sides of the country, Dean and Cas make big sacrifices to be together at a special time of the year. However, when they realise that their joint idea of paying a surprise visit to each other's faraway home has left them still trapped miles away from each other, they have to find some way to meet in the middle - and it has to be before midnight if it's going to be perfect...

[shallowseeker]

The script for 7x17 Born-Again Identity wasn't all that different from what aired.

The thing that made it hit so tensely romantic n' horrifically raw (to the point that it made everyone uncomfortable, allegedly) was probably this seemingly innocuous little line: "Just-- take it. Please."

It's not just the symbolism of the coat being a symbol of their relationship, (though it is certainly that). The coat, like the Leviathan blossom in season 15, is a little smooshed, but it's still there, against all the odds. But this "just take it, please," line is just so desperate. It sounds dangerously close to "giving away your heart." Please.

Just take it. Please. Just take it. Please.

///

All the monsters, and Chuck, throughout the series, "just want your heart," (ex., the werewolf to Dean in 13x23 script), but Dean already gave it to Cas.

///

He goes to the car trunk. Digs... Comes up with Cas's folded, stained COAT. DEAN: Dumb to keep. I know. I saw you-- dissolve or whatever. But, just in case. 'Casue I never stopped wanting to fix it either. So we got something in common. (re: the coat) Just-- take it. Please.

The script also calls to mind 7x10 Death's Door, where Bobby laments his fight with Karen, and not being able to fix their last fight. Bobby's dying act was to help direct them toward the whereabouts of Emanuel.

///

And then, after Dean finds Cas, he is so, so reluctant to tell Cas the awful truth, partially in order to spare him the pain of it. He knows that Cas, in his core, cares about doing the right thing. He knows that this will hurt him.

And...he's so afraid of Cas disappearing. Sam's dying, and Dean needs his help, but he's also, really, really taking an emotional hit by all of this.

Cas says, "Tell me. I'll be fine." And Dean is generally unhinged and distressed about that possibility: "How do you know?" Because being an angel is "bloody and corrupt," and Dean knows that it hurts Cas to be tangled up in all of it.

DEAN (snapping) Think it's that cut and dry? Really?! (then) You know what he did. So what, tell him, he'll take it in stride? He could snap, disappear-- who knows!

///

On the heels of this:

DEAN: No. Honestly-- I don't know if he's dead. All I can say is...whole thing couldn't be messier. (then, quieter) I could always shake if off. Anything. Might take a while, but I could. Then... Cas did this. And I just can't, I don't know why. CAS: It doesn't matter why. DEAN: What? Course that matters--

Of course it matters, because it's Dean's feelings. It's different! He doesn't know why! It's The Piece of the Puzzle that Dean keeps tearing at, not letting it scab over. It's the thing he's been working to understand about himself, from his outsized reactions to Cas not trusting him in season 6 to his incredible devastation at the events of season 7.

This will lead him to a dawning acceptance of why he can't shake Cas in season 8, and that will lead Dean to a sad, calm resolve to accept...whatever it will be.

//////////////////

(Text Attributions// Supernatural scripts here via @spnscripthunt. Transcripts are located here via SPNWiki. Visit their Tumblr to donate.)

[destielfanfic]

Unofficial Rec Bulletin #169

You can submit fics to be include in these here. Other recs/promos/etc can be dropped in our ask box. More info about the bulletin and submitted recs here. Link to previous bulletins.

Contents:

Fic Recs:

Colder Weather

Non timebo mala - I won’t fear evil

Take a Look to the Sky

Walk into the Tide

Other Recs/Promos

DeanCas Graphics Challenge

DeanCas Tropefest 2017

Destiel Harlequin Challenge 

SPN Canon Big Bang

Fic Recs:

Colder Weather by Shannon-Kind [M, 24,500 word count]

(au, super au, angst, creature!cas, pining!dean, pining!cas, depression, suicidal, bigbro!gabriel, challenge fic) recced by @ellis-park​

“I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but there are some people that just seem to suck the joy out of the world around them.” Dean chuckles darkly in understanding. “My parents were like that.” Dean Winchester doesn’t suspect his new friend Castiel’s sincerity. Castiel Novak is a Pranat. One wrong touch, and anyone from his species can digest the joy from the world around them. Unwilling to doom any one town to that fate, Castiel overcomes his ‘disability’ by driving an eighteen wheeler between the hubs of a large shipping company and living on the joy from the packages in his care. A few smiles here, a hearty laugh there, but at least he can believe no one is too deeply affected. When a terrible snowstorm forces him to pull into an empty parking lot, a kindhearted cook brings him inside the empty diner for some coffee and company. Over several visits together, they begin to share friendship, and maybe something more. But as much as he craves it, Castiel can never allow himself to touch Dean Winchester. Not if he wants his new friend to lead a happy life.

Non timebo mala - I won’t fear evil by romachebella, supernaturallyconfussed11 [NC-17, 69,500 word count]

(au, angst, dark, porn, mafia, historical au, hurt comfort, bottom castiel, !sastiel, !dcbb 2014, challenge fic) recced by @slashhaven11​

Non Timebo Mala is a story about hope and not losing it even in our darkest moments. Sam Winchester is a trained assassin whose moment has arrived; the job that he has waited for has come to him. A murder contract, which will lead him to his long lost brother who is caught in the arms of the Yakuza. Castiel Novak: An American translator working in the embassy gives refuge to a criminal one night only to be thrown into a whirlwind of crime and passion that he never thought he would experience. Dean: An American in the yakuza and the face of the Kuro Tora company, a front for the yakuza's activities in post war japan. He is strong and almost indomitable, until he meets the American translator who promises him something that he lost a long time ago

Take a Look to the Sky by chicktar [NC-17, 185,200 word count]

(au, angst, dark, abo, noncon, protective!cas, mechanic!dean, neighbors, bonded, bottom!dean, abusive family, bdsm) recced by @chicktar

AU with Castiel and Dean as neighbors. Alpha Castiel has been pining for his neighbor Omega Dean. Castiel discovers Dean after he has been raped and tortured and all of his protective instincts kick in. Not sure where I'm going -- this is my first fanfic ever, so I'm just trying this out to see where it heads.

Walk into the Tide ‘verse by ahrent [T, 14,800 word count for verse]

(au, fluff, angst, amnesia, hurt comfort, mechanic!dean, teacher!castiel, protective!castiel, !samjess, domestic, marriage) recced by @winchesterwithwings​

The first time Dean met Castiel was at a wedding. They would have a lot of firsts. It was the start of a love story, of sorts.

Other Recs/Promos:

DeanCas Graphics Challenge

This monthly challenge provides graphics makers a forum to explore Dean and Cas through a series of ever evolving lenses! July’s challenge is Aesthetics. Example prompts will include vibrant, pastel, greyscale, vintage, neon, etc. Rules can be found here and here!

DeanCas Tropefest 2017

The Dean/Cas Tropefest is a big-bang style challenge for experienced fic writers & artists. Authors have the summer to write a fic at least 15k in length that incorporates two or more tropes. Artists have six weeks to illustrate two or more scenes from the fic(s) they claim. Check out the Rules and Schedule. Art claims are open NOW!

Destiel Harlequin Challenge 

The Destiel Harlequin Challenge is a writing and art challenge for lovers of cheesy romance novels - and what is not to love!! These fun fics started posting July 1st, so check them out!

SPN Canon Big Bang

All canon fics, all the time! That is the basis of this new big bang. Bring your case fics, monsters of the week, angels and demons and have some Canon fun. Postings began July 3!