#dwwf 2024

[dcwildwestfest]

A. Fragilis

By spirithorse | @eachainn Art by hexentaenzerin | @hexentaenzerin

Link to Fic | Link to Art

150 million years ago, an Allosaurus finds a stranger had wandered into his territory and he wants the intruder out.1877, the middle of what will become known as the Bone Wars between O.C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. Castiel Novak is transporting fossils from the latest dig in South Dakota back to Yale. He has to be careful, because there are people who work for Professor Cope who would gladly take the fossils off of his hands.

Rated Explicit | 68,000 words | Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death

[dcwildwestfest]

Love is a Cowboy

By deancaskiss | @deancaskiss Art by thestarsmakemedream | @thestarsmakemedream-art

Link to Fic | Link to Art

Retirement. Something Dean never expected he’d get to have, especially with Cas by his side. But here they are, and Dean knows it’s finally time. After months of searching, when Cas finds them the perfect forever home to make their own, it feels too good to be true. But it’s real. And it’s all theirs to start something new together. What was once bags packed with weapons and salt becomes cowboy boots, baskets of homegrown herbs, and feed for the animals. But Cas knows there’s one part of the hunting business that Dean still needs. Saving things. And luckily Cas knows exactly how to make that happen to turn their ranch into a home to create their own found family.

Rated Teen | 8,200 words | No Archive Warnings Apply

[dcwildwestfest]

Love is a Cowboy

By deancaskiss | @deancaskiss Art by thestarsmakemedream | @thestarsmakemedream-art

Coming to Ao3 on April 16th, 2024

Rated Teen | 8,200 words | No Archive Warnings Apply

Retirement. Something Dean never expected he’d get to have, especially with Cas by his side. But here they are, and Dean knows it’s finally time. After months of searching, when Cas finds them the perfect forever home to make their own, it feels too good to be true. But it’s real. And it’s all theirs to start something new together. What was once bags packed with weapons and salt becomes cowboy boots, baskets of homegrown herbs, and feed for the animals. But Cas knows there’s one part of the hunting business that Dean still needs. Saving things. And luckily Cas knows exactly how to make that happen to turn their ranch into a home to create their own found family.

[Keep reading for a sneak preview!]

“No,” Dean said, pushing the paper across the table with a frown. “We ruled that one out last week. You’re just getting desperate putting it back on the table.”

Cas dropped his head back, casting his eyes up towards the ceiling with a long sigh. “Dean. There isn’t anything else within a 50-mile radius that has enough rooms to fit everyone, and is the right distance between Sam and Eileen, and Jody, Donna, and the girls.”

Dean shoved his chair back, stalking across the kitchen and leaning against the sink with his back to his husband. “We discussed this, though. A million times, Cas. That house is too dark. It feels like this bunker all over again. And slap bang in the middle of a cookie-cutter neighborhood. That’s not us, man. We can’t do the whole ‘friendly with neighbors' crap. And if something ever does track us down, it just puts hundreds of people in danger.”

Taking a deep breath, Cas made his way over to Dean, wrapping his arms around Dean’s waist and dropping his chin onto Dean’s shoulder. “Then maybe we broaden our horizons. Look at something different?” he murmured against the back of Dean’s neck.

Dean tensed up for a second, before the frustration ebbed away and he turned in Cas’ embrace. Cas was the one to tip their foreheads together, and Dean let him, letting his eyes flutter closed as Cas’ hands slipped under the hem of his shirt to trace patterns along Dean’s lower spine.

“Like what, Cas? What could possibly ever feel like home after all the shit we’ve been through? Nothing on Earth feels safe enough and normalcy isn’t something we can just mold into.”

Cas’ hand stilled on Dean’s back for a moment, before he inched closer, pressing a ghost of a kiss to the corner of Dean’s lips. “Do you trust me?”

“C’mon that’s not fair, this doesn’t have anything to do with—”

But Cas shook his head, the movement separating their lips, leaving Dean with a sudden ache to feel Cas’ mouth against his own again.

“Answer the question, Dean. Do you trust me?”

And wasn’t that a loaded question? All the truth and lies over the years. The betrayals and the forgiveness. The loss and heartbreak, clashing with faith and love.

There was no one Dean trusted more.

“Of course I do.”

Cas smiled, rewarding Dean by bringing their lips together into a kiss. “I’ve got an idea.”

[dcwildwestfest]

The Prodigal

By FriendofCarlotta | @friendofcarlotta Art by aggiedoll | @romachebella

Link to Fic | Link to Art

Dean Winchester travels the wide-open country, looking for bounties to collect and doing odd jobs to make ends meet. Usually, he rides with his brother Sam, but they’ve had a falling-out and now Dean’s all by himself — until he meets Cas Novak, a preacher’s son in search of his missing father.Cas believes his notorious outlaw brother Luke knows something of their father’s disappearance, so he asks Dean’s help in tracking Luke down. Dean figures there’s no harm in helping out, and he might earn himself Luke Novak’s bounty into the bargain.All Dean needs to do is keep a lid on his growing feelings for Cas. (aka Free to Be You and Me, rewritten as a Western)

Rated E | 19,500 words | No Archive Warnings Apply

[dcwildwestfest]

A Love Beyond Boundaries

By Mydestielbabies_67 | @spnisthewayoflife

Art by Rezal | @rezal-art

Link to Fic | Link to Art

Castiel Novak finds himself at a loss when his daughter Claire, a world champion jumper, becomes fearful of horses after a riding accident. Unsure of how to assist her, he turns to his brother for help. His solution comes in the form of Dean Winchester, a seasoned cowboy renowned for his ability to tame the wildest of horses, who begrudgingly steps in to offer assistance. Dean's rugged charm and undeniable charisma not only leave a lasting impression on Castiel but also offer a unique solution to Claire's situation, teaching both the Novaks the real meaning of trust, healing, and the transformative power of connection.

Rated E | 29,000 words | No Archive Warnings Apply

[dcwildwestfest]

The Prodigal

By FriendofCarlotta | @friendofcarlotta Art by aggiedoll | @romachebella

Coming to Ao3 on April 18th, 2024

Rated E | 19,500 words | No Archive Warnings Apply

Dean Winchester travels the wide-open country, looking for bounties to collect and doing odd jobs to make ends meet. Usually, he rides with his brother Sam, but they’ve had a falling-out and now Dean’s all by himself — until he meets Cas Novak, a preacher’s son in search of his missing father. Cas believes his notorious outlaw brother Luke knows something of their father’s disappearance, so he asks Dean’s help in tracking Luke down. Dean figures there’s no harm in helping out, and he might earn himself Luke Novak’s bounty into the bargain. All Dean needs to do is keep a lid on his growing feelings for Cas. (aka Free to Be You and Me, rewritten as a Western)

[Keep reading for a sneak preview!]

When they locate the sheriff’s office, they find the jail cell empty and the lawman tossing playing cards into his hat, which is sitting upside down on a chair across the room. A couple of Wanted posters are tacked up on the wall, edges curling up in slow rebellion where the glue’s gone too dry to hold them.

“Afternoon,” Dean says, with a nod and a tip of his finger against his hat brim. “Slow day?”

The sheriff shrugs, unperturbed at having been caught slacking off. “Every day’s a slow day ‘round here, brother.”

Cas pipes up from next to Dean with a breathless, “It’s an honor to meet an esteemed colleague. Being a man of the law myself, I mean to say. It’s an honorable profession, albeit a—”

“He’s new,” Dean says, desperate to cut off Cas’ nervous rambling before it rouses even this sleepy small-town lawman’s suspicions.

The sheriff emits an acknowledging grunt, eyeing Cas dubiously. “Name’s Lafitte. How can I help y’all ‘esteemed colleagues’?” He grins at them, sun glinting off a gold tooth.

Dean arranges his face into an expression of pained concern. “Our town’s preacher went missing some weeks back and we’ve reason to believe the outlaw Luke Novak is the one who took him.”

Lafitte’s eyes flick back and forth between them. “Where did y’all say you were from? Gotta be a mighty big place, to be able to spare both the sheriff and a deputy so’s they can chase after a preacher.”

Damn it all. Lafitte is much more shrewd than Dean expected a small-town lawman to be. “Hatsville, Missouri,” he improvises. “New town. Lots of railroad money.” Cas seems inclined to weigh in as well, perhaps to expound on the various attractive qualities of the fictitious Hatsville, so Dean hurriedly changes the subject. “About Novak. Heard he mighta passed near here recently. That true?”

The sheriff weighs him with a lengthy glance before he allows, “True enough. Didn’t come through Jubilee, but they say he robbed a train no more’n three miles from here. Most excitement we had in town was that no-account drunk Walt, claimin’ he met Novak on the trail and got his poker winnings taken. You ask me, it’s likely as not Walt stole the money in the first place. Wouldn’t be the—”

“Where can this Walt be found?” Cas asks, with the eagerness of a man who’s new to the hunt and getting a taste for it. Dean bites down on a smile.

Lafitte regards Cas with some disfavor, obviously not best pleased at having had his account interrupted. “Chances are, he’s at the saloon, trying to talk his way into a bottle of whiskey on credit he ain’t got.”

A man with information they need, desperate for a drink — hard to do better than that. “Much obliged,” Dean tells the sheriff and, with another tip of his hat, leads the way back outside. Somewhere down the street, high above the low-slung rooftops, the town clock strikes two.

[dcwildwestfest]

Wanted Man

By hexentaenzerin | @hexentaenzerin Art by Susy Rose | @susyrose-fanart

Link to Fic | Link to Art

Cas is working in his smithy when a telegram reaches him, that his twin brother has gone missing. He's afraid that his nightmares might be more than just dreams, so he closes up shop and makes his way west to go look for his brother. He doesn't expect to find help in the known outlaw Dean Winchester, but Dean is a better man than the law would make you think. Sometimes you just have to work outside the law to bring justice to the things that go bump in the night.

Rated M | 11,800 words | Graphic Depictions Of Violence

[dcwildwestfest]

Twilight Embers

By Celestial_Starlight | @celestialstarlight27 Art by MBQ | @mbqnoyolo

It’s 1852, Gold Rush California. Two years ago, Sam, Dean, and Cas derailed the apocalypse. Sam left for college, Cas ditched to fight in the angel civil war, and Dean has been hunting solo. Dean picks up a case hunting a mine-dwelling monster that strips its victims down to their bones. If he doesn’t stop it, the mines will shut down and Murphys will die like so many boomtowns before it. Cas shows up to help, but they can’t go back to the way things were before, not after Cas cut him off. Cas works for Dean’s forgiveness and Dean works to forgive him. Despite Cas’s betrayal, Dean loves him more than ever. He just can’t help but wonder: is that enough to save them?

Link to Fic | Link to Art

Rated T | 15,500 words | No Archive Warnings Apply

[dcwildwestfest]

Wild Blue Iris

By Sunkenfox | @Sunkenfox Art by thestarsmakemedream | @thestarsmakemedream-art

Coming to Ao3 on April 7th, 2023

Rated E | 32,400 words | Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Five years after the notorious Winchester Gang went their separate ways, Dean Winchester returns home to Seneca with the hopes of seeking revenge for his father’s death. Setting off to bring his family back together, Dean is joined by a handsome saloon owner with a revenge mission of his own. On the trail, Dean is forced to confront his inner demons and thirst for vengeance and his own happiness when he finds himself falling in love.

[Keep reading for a sneak preview!]

“You can’t just barge in there, Dean! You didn’t think this through. You never do!”

Dean bit back the anger that formed a lump in his throat. He knew Cas understood the pain he was going through, knew why he needed to do this. “I can’t just sit by and let him get away. He’s in there, right now. This is my chance.”

”It’s your chance to get killed. Nothing more. We’re outnumbered. We got no plan on how to get out of here. Not to mention the rest of the gang is back at camp with no idea Dick’s here.”

Looking past Castiel, Dean could see Dick in the saloon surrounded by his men. It would be so easy to waltz in and shoot him down. But Cas was right. They were ill-prepared, and Dean had no backup besides Cas against what seemed to be the whole Leviathan gang.

Dean looked at Cas and saw the concern in his eyes and calmed enough to form rational thoughts. “If we don’t do this now, I don’t know when we’ll get another chance.”

“Don’t you think Sam deserves to be a part of this, too? He lost his father, just the same as you. We know where Dick is now. It’s going to be easy to follow him and take him down when we are all prepared.” Castiel’s eyes softened as he placed a hand on Dean’s shoulder. “If you go in there, Dean, you’re going to get yourself killed. I can’t lose you.”

The thought of forcing Cas to lose yet another person he loved to the Leviathans made Dean’s stomach churn. Leaning over, he placed a soft kiss against Castiel’s lips. “I know. I couldn’t make you go through that.”

Nodding for Cas to follow him, Dean retreated back to where they hitched their horses. He gave Dick one last look through the window, and accepted that right now wasn’t the time to kill him. Allowing Dick to enjoy himself tonight, Dean found peace in knowing that it would be the last time Dick would ever know what happiness felt like.

[dcwildwestfest]

A Love Beyond Boundaries

By Mydestielbabies_67 | @spnisthewayoflife Art by Rezal | @rezal-art

Coming to Ao3 on April 27th, 2024

Rated E | 29,000 words | No Archive Warnings Apply

Castiel Novak finds himself at a loss when his daughter Claire, a world champion jumper, becomes fearful of horses after a riding accident. Unsure of how to assist her, he turns to his brother for help. His solution comes in the form of Dean Winchester, a seasoned cowboy renowned for his ability to tame the wildest of horses, who begrudgingly steps in to offer assistance. Dean's rugged charm and undeniable charisma not only leave a lasting impression on Castiel but also offer a unique solution to Claire's situation, teaching both the Novaks the real meaning of trust, healing, and the transformative power of connection.

[Keep reading for a sneak preview!]

"Are you Dean Winchester?" The stranger asks, and Dean nods slowly, still stuck in his trance and he clears his throat, trying to regain his composure.

"Yeah, uh, that's me. Who are you?"

Holding his hand out, the man continues. "My name is Castiel Novak. I believe I’m in need of your assistance." Dean takes a moment to recover from the shock of the stranger's presence before extending his hand to shake Castiel's. The touch of their palms sends a surge of electricity through Dean's veins, and he can't help but notice how warm Castiel's hand feels against his own.

"Nice to meet you, Castiel," Dean says, his voice coming out a little raspier than usual. "What kind of assistance are we talking about here?"

"About six months ago, my daughter Claire was involved in a terrible accident. She was thrown from her horse during a tournament–"

Dean's eyes widen as Castiel speaks. He holds up a hand to stop Castiel. "Wait, your daughter… Claire Novak? The Claire Novak?"

Castiel nods, a mix of pride and concern evident in his eyes. "Yes, that's her. Claire is a talented equestrian, but since the accident, she refuses to go anywhere near Lucky. It's like… her entire world has been shattered. She used to spend hours with Lucky, training and bonding with her, but now she can't even bear to look at her without breaking down."

His voice cracks slightly, betraying the pain he feels for his daughter. Dean can't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the man. He can tell that Castiel really loves his daughter, "So you're asking if we can help Claire overcome her fear and to get Lucky to trust Claire again?" Castiel nods again, his expression filled with what Dean can only describe as hope.

Dean crosses his arms across his chest as he contemplates the situation. He has always been good with animals, understanding their fears and insecurities. But helping a young girl overcome her fear of horses? That's a whole different challenge.

Dean takes a deep breath, his mind already racing with ideas on how to approach this task, and he meets Castiel's gaze with a determined look in his eyes. "Buddy, I normally work with horses with people problems, not people with horse problems, so I can't promise anything… but I’ll give it a go," he says and Castiel's face lights up with gratitude.

As they exchange contact information and make arrangements, Dean can't help but wonder how he got involved in something so unexpected. But as he watches Castiel's face light up with gratitude, he knows that sometimes the most important assistance you can offer is helping someone find their way back to what they love.

And if it means spending time with someone as intriguing as Castiel, Dean figures it might not be such a bad thing after all.

[dcwildwestfest]

Wild Blue Iris

By Sunkenfox | @Sunkenfox Art by thestarsmakemedream | @thestarsmakemedream-art

Link to Fic | Link to Art

Five years after the notorious Winchester Gang went their separate ways, Dean Winchester returns home to Seneca with the hopes of seeking revenge for his father’s death. Setting off to bring his family back together, Dean is joined by a handsome saloon owner with a revenge mission of his own. On the trail, Dean is forced to confront his inner demons and thirst for vengeance and his own happiness when he finds himself falling in love.

Rated E | 32,400 words | Graphic Depictions Of Violence

[dcwildwestfest]

when I saw you all alone against the sky

By an_ardent_rain | @alulangel Art by nickelkeep | @nickelkeep

Coming to Ao3 on April 21st, 2024

Rated M | 20,000 words | No Archive Warnings Apply

Haunted by grief and a love unrealized, Dean Winchester leaves the bunker and his brother and sets off onto the open road. Moving aimlessly along the highways of the American west, he does his best to ignore the emptiness inside him, searching fruitlessly for something he’ll never find. But something is reaching out into his dreams, and the bleak, beautiful landscape he’s been photographing his whole trip has one more thing to show him. 

[Keep reading for a sneak preview!]

When Dean finally forced himself out of the car, the sun had long set.  The night was dark, no light anywhere.  He was completely alone. 

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the fresh, lonely air, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.  All that crying had gummed up his lashes, and his eyes felt raw and sandy.  He sniffed and rubbed at his right eye with the heel of his hand.  It had to have been hours since he’d eaten anything, the last thing he could remember having was that sandwich at the drive-thru for breakfast.  It hadn’t been quite that long since he’d had something to drink, but his mouth was dry and gritty and his head was sore.  A feeling that he was pretty sure was something close to dehydration left his body tired and heavy.  He opened the rear driver’s side door to grab a beer from the cooler in the back seat before he stopped, rethought it.  Instead, he crawled in and reached up to grab one of the loose bottles of water from the passenger seat.  Should probably put a few of those in the cooler, too, he thought.  Maybe he would tomorrow.

He’d been sitting there long enough that the engine had cooled, and he slid up onto Baby’s hood.  Slowly he drank his water and stared up at the vast expanse of sky.

It was almost lonelier than the empty land below it, thinking of all those stars up there, with so much space between them.  Dean wanted a beer.  The biggest problem with a road trip this long, with driving so much, was how much time it meant he had to spend sober.

“Fuck,” he whispered to himself, leaning back and resting his head on his hand.  That aching feeling was uncoiling again, unwrapping the barbed wire from around his heart.  It always hurt, but at least when he didn’t think about it, when he didn’t let those feelings free, he could mostly ignore it.  Times like these, there was no staunching the flow; all he could do was let it bleed.

“Cas,” he said, letting the name loose in the cool night air.  No one could hear him.  Not the grass beneath Baby’s wheels, not the wind, not even the stars.  “Cas,” he said again, a little louder.  He let out a long, slow breath and then a low whine, his jaw clenching and his eyes squeezing shut.  “Cas…  Sweetheart…”  He blinked up at the sky.  “I miss you so goddamn much.  I miss you.  Why’d you leave me, you son of a bitch.  Why’d you have to leave.” 

[dcwildwestfest]

Posse: One Seraph, One Hunter, One Archangel

By Hectatess | @hectatess Art by Hexentaenzerinn | @hexentaenzerin

Coming to Ao3 on April 23rd, 2024

Rated M | 12,800 words | No Archive Warnings Apply

Castiel was fed up with his siblings treating any other being as sub-par. Humans and the spawn of Eve were all still sentient beings with feelings, and in some ways even better than angels. So he skipped heaven and decided to create a safe haven for ‘monsters’ in Kansas. Then one day Garth comes in to tell him about a human with silver rounds… And all of a sudden he is caught up again in heaven’s shenanigans, because the beautiful soul that is looking for his kidnapped brother? That is the Righteous Man and Cas finds himself on a posse with him to try and get the Boy King back from Lucifer.

[Keep reading for a sneak preview!]

"Sheriff!"

Castiel sighed and straightened his back which was cramped from sitting slumped in his desk chair. He liked the people in this town. They were good folks. Even if some of them were… less than common. He pushed his hat back to free his eyes and looked up at the guy that waltzed in. “Calm down, Garth. What is the matter now?”

The lanky man nervously wrung his hands. “I know you told me I shouldn’t worry about all the um… special metal, but this guy… it ain’t just the usual bits and bobs.”

Dropping his feet from the desk with a loud ‘bang’ of his heels on the wooden floor, Castiel stood. “Meaning?” he demanded to know. Garth looked around and dug his gloved hand into his jeans pocket. He withdrew it and dropped two items on Castiel’s desk. They shone expensively in the dim light, obviously silver. Garth shoved the coin to the side with a shake of his head. The copper-cased silver bullet got pushed towards Castiel with a nod.

“Fuck,” Castiel muttered under his breath. He returned the bullet and coin to Garth, closing the guy’s fist around them. “Loaded?” Garth nodded, his usually happy face grim. “Doesn’t mean he is here for that specific reason, Garth. Just go home and watch Bess. Those two tykes in her belly need to be kept safe. I’ll look into it. Where can I find the man?”

Garth sighed and gave Castiel the best puppy eyes he had seen in his long life. “Alright. Just be careful yourself. You’re just human. You ain’t immortal.” Garth tugged his hat down. “He’s stayin’ at Ellen’s.” And with that, he saluted Castiel and left.

Ellen’s. That was a way out of the tiny town, but for Castiel that wasn’t a problem. He just had to make sure no one saw him leave, or arrive. Because Garth couldn’t be more wrong. Sure, Castiel wasn’t exactly immortal, but he sure wasn’t human either. Then again, neither was Garth, or Bess, or even Benny, the Cajun blacksmith. A lot of folks in this town weren’t actually human. And it was Castiel’s honor and his sworn duty to protect the folks in Kismet, Kansas. They just didn’t know how far that duty went, and how special Castiel really was.

[dcwildwestfest]

Wanted Man

By hexentaenzerin | @hexentaenzerin Art by Susy Rose | @susyrose-fanart

Coming to Ao3 on April 12th, 2024

Rated M | 11,800 words | Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Cas is working in his smithy when a telegram reaches him, that his twin brother has gone missing. He's afraid that his nightmares might be more than just dreams, so he closes up shop and makes his way west to go look for his brother. He doesn't expect to find help in the known outlaw Dean Winchester, but Dean is a better man than the law would make you think. Sometimes you just have to work outside the law to bring justice to the things that go bump in the night.

[Keep reading for a sneak preview!]

Cas shoots up from his pillow with a gasp. The nightmares are back and this time his brother Jimmy also made an appearance. For months now he has woken up at least once a night shaking with fear because people with black eyes show up in them, doing horrible things to his friends and family. Usually they all are strangers though. But not this time. This one felt different. Not just because Jimmy was the one with black eyes, but also because he was torturing his own family. Cas can still see Jimmy’s wife and daughter clear as day, terror written all over their features.

With the intention of trying to forget and getting a little more sleep, he pours himself two fingers of whiskey from the bottle on his nightstand and downs it like water. When he can’t fall back to sleep after tossing and turning long enough to see the sun rise and painting his room in soft yellows, he decides to get up and start his day.

He washes his face at the bowl on his dresser making a mental note to refill his jug before bed.

He finds his shirt and pants over the chair where he put them last night and gets dressed. Running his hands through his unruly hair must suffice for today, because he has to go feed the cats and dogs before he can eat something himself and get ready for work.

[dcwildwestfest]

Over the Wide Plains

By allthismusic Art by Hectatess | @hectatess

Coming to Ao3 on April 3rd, 2024

Rated T | 12,500 words | No Archive Warnings Apply

Plenty of folks out here are running from something. Dean knows that as well as anyone. But most folks aren’t doing it literally. When he sees a stranger jog past his farm, he can’t help but be intrigued. What is Castiel trying to outrun? And what will it take for them both to realize that they can finally stop running?

[Keep reading for a sneak preview!]

The next time Castiel runs by Dean’s cabin, Dean is more prepared for his appearance, and he feels compelled to call out. “Castiel,” he yells across the field when he spots the runner silhouetted in the morning light, “Hey, Cas.” The silhouette slows down and turns. “C’mere,” Dean calls. After a moment’s pause, Castiel changes direction, jogging toward Dean until the silhouette of him turns into features — an average build, slightly shorter than Dean, messy dark brown hair, strikingly blue eyes.

Dean has already grilled the johnnycakes on the stove in the cabin, so it’s easy to hold the cast iron pan full of them out to Castiel. Dean gestures for him to take one, but Castiel doesn’t reach for the cornmeal pancake. “Go on, have some,” Dean says. He doesn’t know how many miles a day the guy is running, or why, but he figures it’s enough that he could use some extra sustenance.

“Thank you,” Castiel says, “but there’s no need. I wouldn’t want to take what you have from you—”

“Shut up and eat,” Dean interrupts, shoving the cast iron pan at him again. Castiel responds by taking the smallest of the johnnycakes.

“I’ll bring you some money next time,” Castiel promises after he has eaten the cornbread. “I know that goods can be in short supply outside of town.”

“Buddy,” Dean replies, “if there’s one thing that’s not in short supply out here, it’s corn.” He gestures to the fields around them, the land thick with stalks, and adds, “I won’t take your money.”

“You should,” Castiel tells him, “I’m a rich man, Dean.”

“Oh yeah?” Dean asks. He’s sure the town must have paid some small sum of money to convince a schoolteacher to make the journey 0ut to live on the frontier, but he doubts it would be enough to categorize one as rich.

[dcwildwestfest]

when I saw you all alone against the sky

By an_ardent_rain | @alulangel Art by nickelkeep | @nickelkeep

Link to Fic | Link to Art

Haunted by grief and a love unrealized, Dean Winchester leaves the bunker and his brother and sets off onto the open road. Moving aimlessly along the highways of the American west, he does his best to ignore the emptiness inside him, searching fruitlessly for something he’ll never find. But something is reaching out into his dreams, and the bleak, beautiful landscape he’s been photographing his whole trip has one more thing to show him. 

Rated M | 20,000 words | No Archive Warnings Apply