SPN Dean/Castiel fic recs
Jul. 5th, 2010 05:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
unadriftSo. Dean/Castiel fic recs.
And because I'm lazy, I'm not changing the running (McKay/Sheppard kind of) system:
This collection of recs is sorted by category. The one I chose for a fic should already tell you a lot about the reasons I like it. Because all the fics on this list are very well-written and with great characterization I'm going to mention it here and get it out of the way. The individual recs include only short, more specific comments (like rec'd for...), or quotes, which are indicated by italics. Call me lazy (again), but I'd hate to spoil anyone with too much detail.
Updates:
08/2010 (new recs, including some rearranging and a new category: Complete AU)
11/2010 (new recs)
Most recent additions are marked with ♠.
Hurt/Comfort and Angst :: Humor and Crack :: Complete AU :: Happymaking!
Guh! :: [Insert Plot Device Here] Made Them Do It :: Hurts So Good
A Long Year by uselessplayback
Rated PG-13, 9700 words.; for the weird mixture of angst and humor. (The good weird.)
"Think of it as a game," Lucifer says idly. "You keep him alive for a year and he will stay that way. I won't interfere."
The vessel Lucifer occupies is a handsome man radiating culture and elegance. His clothes are impeccably tailored and Castiel suspects that he has ordered them specifically, choosing garments that appeal to his vanity, the way he has clearly chosen his vessel.
"And if I don't?" Castiel asks because there is always a catch. With demons and with his own kind—especially with his own kind—there is always a catch.
"Then I will have you," Lucifer says simply.
---
♠ Across the Universe by weirdwednesday
Rated NC-17, 8300 words.
As the third week nears its end Castiel asks what he’s been wondering for some time now.
"Will you drive on forever? Run forever?"
---
A Yellow Wood by trinityofone
Rated PG, 4000 words; for fallen!Cas, who is more than just Castiel without wings.
It was supposed to be easier, now, like this. It wasn’t.
---
And I Will Walk On Water by tracy_loo_who
Rated NC-17, 122000 words. Goes AU after the season four finale. (Note the warnings.)
Dean had spent the past three months thinking the archangels had killed Castiel, and now he found himself almost wishing he'd been right.
---
Anything Worth Dying For by waldorph
Rated NC-17, 30100 words.
It was still a mess, and half of the entire population of the Earth was gone. There was mourning, and people to grieve. But it did happen that the world was made new again; decimation and rubble vanishing, the hole in the ozone repaired, global warming reversed. It was as though God figured that after the Apocalypse, humanity would have enough to deal with. And yet the urge to write has not left my hand, years later. I am compelled to tell the story, which is all right. My job was easy, comparatively.
I am the story-teller. And this is the Book of Chuck.
---
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) by sparky77
Rated PG, 4000 words.
"No!" Castiel says. "No, this isn't right. Why am I here?"
"Maybe this is just a dream," she suggests as she goes back to typing.
"No. Angels don't dream."
"Then I guess this is real. Fill out the form or leave. I have work to do."
---
♠ Bodies from the Tracks by pigeonswerver
Rated R, masterpost, 29800 words. Goes AU after 5x21.
“Where are we going to start?” Castiel asked him as Dean threw his bag into the back seat. “Do we have a direction we should be heading in? Or are we just going to guess?”
Dean shut the car door and turned to look at him. “Well, Sam’s gonna say yes, right?” Castiel nodded hesitantly and Dean shrugged as he continued. “So we’ll go to Detroit. That’s probably where he’s gonna do it.”
---
Circumference by thenyxie
Rated NC-17, 3900 words.
It begins the moment Castiel sees him, awareness blurring, dividing, merging as Castiel’s consciousnesses overlaps Dean’s.
Castiel experiences it just as Dean does. He sees everything through Dean’s eyes; it is the way after all.
---
♠ Contrapasso by takadainmate
Rated R, nine parts, 59000 words. Seriously, seriously creepy. Plotty and creepy. In a very good way.
"So what are we doing here?"
Cas broke eye contact then, looking over Dean's shoulder towards the bridge.
"This town," he said in a low voice. "It doesn't exist."
---
Every Day In Every Way by liadan14
Rated R, 3400 words.
"I've never wanted before," Castiel says.
"Wanted what?" Dean asks.
"Everything," Castiel says. His voice is hoarse and deep as always. Dean shivers. "I want to make you bend, like the trees in the wind. I want you to snap like a twig and I want to take you and make you obey me. I want…" he trails off, runs a hand down Dean's cheek, stares into Dean's shocked face. "I want," he says. "And someday, maybe I'll take."
---
♠ Everything That Matters by enigmatic_blue
Rated NC-17, masterpost, 29000 words.
He hadn’t prayed in years—not since the other angels had decamped. Cas didn’t think he had any faith left these days, but as the last bit of life left him, his lips moved in a silent prayer. “Oh, God, I would give anything to change this.”
---
Equinox by luchia13
Rated R, two parts, 12000 words.
"What's the date?"
Dean glares at the guy. "Are you on drugs?"
"No," the guy answers, completely unfazed by the question in a way that makes Dean think he gets asked a lot. "The date?"
He grabs onto his can of Coke a little tighter than before, because you can never trust a guy who can't keep track of time. Never know what else they can't keep track of. "June 16th."
The man nods, and even though he's looking at Dean, he can tell the guy's not really seeing what's in front of him. "And the year?"
Dean glares at him. "You are on drugs, you liar!"
The guy frowns at him. "Dean. Please."
"Fine. It's 1987, you crackhead," Dean snaps.
The man nods. "Thank you. I'll see you in…" He hesitates, until his eyes hit the stupid machine again. "1992. June 16th."
---
Fragments by uselessplayback
Rated PG, 11200 words.
The car ran out of gas in somewhere in Utah and the only reason Dean knew the location was because he remembered passing the turnoff for Salt Lake City sometime after he'd navigated his way around the Beast of the Earth and before he'd found a lake full of wormwood.
Nothing was recognizable anymore but he remembered this because the car was the last thing he thought he'd lose, or maybe it was the last thing he'd thought he'd hold onto, but it had failed him in the middle of nowhere. He'd thought about finding a gas station. Maybe somewhere there was a final stronghold of humanity holding onto a couple of gallons of fuel that he could get with some degree of normalcy, but he found that he couldn't kid himself at that point.
---
In Constant Contradiction by catoasapun
Rated PG-13, 5800 words; for the fabulous Dean/Castiel interaction.
“Well,” Dean says, turning back to the sink, “that was fun.”
Sam scoffs, shifting slightly on the bed. He winces, moving the bottle and pressing a hand to the large red spot it leaves on his face.
“Sure. If sitting through another one of Castiel’s lectures is your idea of fun. You know he blames me every time you fuck up?”
“Yeah, well. I am an asset. I can do no wrong.”
“Dude?” Sam starts, his reflection smirking in amusement from the mirror, “You’re Heaven’s bitch.”
---
♠ In This Life by anonymous
Rated NC-17, two parts, 13200 words.
Dean was so far out of his element he might as well have been on Mars.
It wasn't that he'd never been to a gay bar before; hunting took them to all kinds of unexpected places. But he'd never gone to one with the express intent of helping anyone - let alone a six thousand year old virginal former angel of the Lord - pick up a guy. He didn't even know where to start.
---
In Touch by maskedfangirl
Rated NC-17, 3600 words. Set after "Abandon All Hope".
It absolutely blindsided him.
---
Mi Casa by entangled_now and the sequel Su Casa by alchemyalice
Rated PG-13, 1300 and 2300 words.
Dean goes very still.
He can feel it now, a heavy, cold itch. He takes a slow breath and clenches his teeth. There's something inside his head, something that doesn't belong there.
What the hell.
*I'm sorry, Dean, I did not intend this.*
Dean exhales roughly. Castiel's voice is familiar even inside his own mind.
---
No Words by mariana_oconnor
Not rated by the author, 1100 words.
“What’s it like?” he asks, seconds later, without even really having followed where his train of thought was leading him.
“What is what like?” the angel responds, looking over at him. There’s a furrow on his forehead that Dean takes to mean that Castiel’s hating this situation just as much as he is.
“Heaven, paradise, up there… what’s it like?”
---
♠ Right of Conquest by luchia13
Rated NC-17, two parts, 14400 words; for the unexpected weight and impact and the ingenuity of this.
Castiel is standing in Chuck’s kitchen, waiting to die, when Lucifer appears.
---
The Syntax of Things by dotfic
Rated R, 23000 words.
The car stopped, the dust cleared, and Dean lowered the shotgun, recognizing the figure in the passenger seat. "Wait," he said, moving forward a step. "Wait, that's..."
"Hey!" The driver opened the door, got out, and started to run towards the porch. "Guys, I could use some help here."
"Chuck?" Sam lowered his gun.
"You know him?" Bobby looked skeptical.
"Hi Sam, Dean." Chuck lifted a hand, looking more haggard than when they'd first met him. His beard was thicker and his hooded sweatshirt had a big rip in one sleeve. He pointed at the car. "Got some trouble, here, guys. It's Castiel."
---
That Whole John Connor Thing by waldorph
Rated PG-13, 2300 words.
It went bad. And then worse. And then epically bad.
And then it got a bit better, because people started finding them, and there was a base of operations, and maybe things had gotten so bad that they just couldn't get worse.
---
The Weight of Change by tiptoe39
Rated R, 3900 words.
In subsequent days and weeks, fighting was foreplay. They'd face down demons and monsters of every shade, and Castiel would have the gleam of death in his eye. It made Dean ache for him. This guy, this angel, who could smite a creature with a single look, wanted him in his bed. He got hard just considering the concept. He was fucking an angel. Not just an angel. A goddamn badass warrior angel.
Just, lately, he didn't seem so very angelic anymore.
---
This Story Was Brought To You By Our Sponsors by Annie D
Rated R, 29000 words.
"I am not Castiel," the boy says. Solemnly, simply.
"This is Daniel," Anna says.
"What?" Dean scowls. But the eyes are Castiel's, Dean would know them anywhere, none of the other angels had ever—
They're green. The eyes are green. And there are freckles along his nose.
Pieces fall into place, and suddenly it's like he's looking at an old photograph of himself, only ten hundred million times worse.
"Holy shit," he says.
Daniel nods. "I am an abomination. So yes, holy shit."
---
Thursday's Child by strangeandcharm
Rated NC-17. 114000 words. (Note the warnings.)
Castiel knows the precise moment when Dean succeeds in his mission.
He knows despite the fact he's currently grappling with a Croat in a room that used to be a canteen before it was torn to shreds by hungry refugees. He knows because when Dean finally, blessedly fulfils his goal and kills Lucifer, Castiel can feel Lucifer die. Lucifer is the last angel on the planet besides him and when he vanishes it's as though somebody's cut Castiel's last, faint connection to the celestial realms, leaving him fully human and totally and utterly helpless.
The knife that slips into his side mere seconds later only reinforces the feeling, and he's on the floor and breathing what he thinks is his last breath before he even has time to wonder whether Dean is alive or dead.
---
What You Need by xela_fic
Rated NC-17, 3900 words.
Castiel had been Chosen. He'd received his instructions from On High.
"Save Dean from Hell."
That had been easy and straight forward. But once he'd accomplished that, he received another.
"Be what Dean needs."
Castiel had no idea what that meant. He still doesn't.
---
♠ Wherever I Go (I End Up Somewhere I've Already Been) by bauble
Not rated by the author, masterpost, 30000 words.
Dean wakes up to the familiar creak of the mattress bending underneath another person’s weight.
"You're late," Dean says sourly, not even needing to look. Instead, he eyes the digital display of his bedside clock until the numbers come into focus. "By an hour and seven minutes."
"I'm sorry," Cas says, voice low and rough. "I had some final business to attend to."
"Whatever," Dean grunts. He's still drunk, but now has a splitting headache on top of it. "Like I care."
All Along by quiddative
Rated PG-13, 5300 words.
"Hey, Sammy," Dean had said as he flopped down on the couch beside Sam. "You know what's really awesome?" His breath reeked of pure scotch.
Sam only raised an eyebrow. "What is, Dean?"
"Phones." Dean replied, as if that explained everything.
"What about them?"
Dean flipped open his cellphone. The neon blue screen was blinding. "You can talk to anyone you want even if you're thousands of miles away."
"Uh-huh."
"That's why," said Dean as he, to Sam's horror, began scrolling down his contact list, "I'm gonna call... "
He never got to finish his sentence because he was already dialing a number and before Sam even realized what was happening, his brother had pressed the little button with the symbol of the green phone on it. That was Mistake Number Two; not stopping Dean when he had the chance.
---
♠ As Easy as Pie by devilsduplicity
Rated R, 5000 words.
One day, Dean woke up gay.
Pay attention now, because this is important to the plot.
Dean knew this intrinsically because when he opened his eyes, the low opacity of bright red font was flashing in front of everything he looked at.
WOKE UP GAY, it said in big, bold lettering.
---
Date Night by seraphwings
Rated PG-13, 5000 words.
He ordered them both a beer as they sat at the table. Castiel was looking over the menu curiously, having already argued the fact that he didn't need to eat, but apparently accepting that dinner was a necessary part of "the date ritual" and therefor he'd shut up, make nice, and eat. Just, no red meat. They ended up deciding on lasagna (Dean) and fettucini alfredo (Castiel), settling back as the waitress left to wait for the food.
"So, uh." Dean fiddled with the cloth napkin, his hands ever fidgety as he tried to think of something appropriate to fill the silence with. This was why he preferred quick pick-ups: less talk, more grind. Chat, sex, and go.
He frowned a little, looking up at Castiel sitting there staring back at him.
This was different.
---
Fourth Wall Series by entangled_now
Rated NC-17, fifteen parts, around 50k words (?). Also Sam/Lucifer.
"So, did you find out anything about the possible lizard monster yet?"
"No!" Sam says, a little too quickly and a little too loudly, and, Jesus, he slams his laptop shut so fast it's a wonder it doesn't crack in half and explode.
Dean raises an eyebrow at him.
"Were you looking at porn?"
Sam visibly winces.
"I wasn't looking at porn," he protests, and yeah, that's his guilty face alright, only this one's a little bit more disturbed than it usually is.
---
If On a Winter's Night a Fangirl by trinityofone
Rated R, 12300 words; for-- everything. *smish*
"Chuck!" she said, grabbing at his arm. "What if this is like a vision? Maybe this is how you're supposed to write what's happening now that Zachariah's hacked your brain!"
"This?" Chuck's voice rose to an alarming pitch. "You think this is part of the gospel?" He took a deep breath and seemed to force himself to calm down. "This is porn," he said, gesturing at the screen as one might indicate an unseemly and possibly vomitous mess, "not prophecy."
Becky huffed. "God, Chuck, you can be so narrow-minded. There's an easy way to find out—give Dean a call."
"I'm not calling Dean and asking him if he's having improbably located ritualistic gay sex with Cas!" Chuck squeaked. He looked scandalized.
"Well, then I'll do it." Becky thrust out her hand. "Give me your phone."
Chuck balked.
---
It's A Badass Afterlife by janie_tangerine
Rated R, 6100 words.
Ash hasn’t even had time to process the news that apparently there just was some huge change in Heaven’s management, when that management walks into his bar.
---
♠ Operation Jealousy by Annie D
Rated R, 1200 words; for bitchy!Sam and his great ideas.
Dean figures it's just Sam throwing a tantrum when he suddenly stands up and shouts, "That's the last straw!" before grabbing his laptop and stomping out the door.
Castiel looks to Dean for an explanation. "Why is Sam upset?"
"Beats me," Dean says with a shrug. He goes back to teaching Cas how to knot his tie.
---
♠ Party Like It's 1999 by dachinchilla
Rated PG-13, 5100 words; for the funny (and really clever) use of pop lyrics.
“From the tip of my toes,” Castiel says, staring harder as though willing them to understand when he’s the one talking in near-nonsensical circles, “Running through my veins.”
“What the hell?” Dean snorts. “No offense, Cas, but you sound weirder than usual, and that’s saying a lot.”
---
♠ She Taught Every Angel to Rearrange the Sky by luchia13
Rated PG-13, 5400 words; especially for Ellen.
Last call had come and gone. Castiel hadn’t.
---
Qui Custos Es Mei by vichan
Rated PG-13, 8400 words; for the Bobby POV.
Sam showed up on his doorstep in the middle of the night with an angel in tow and his barely conscious brother wrapped up in the angel's arms.
---
Something About Toads by pyrebi
Rated PG-13, 3200 words.
So it starts with this toad, okay? This fat ugly little toad, mottled green and brown, and Sam nearly stepping on it. Two inches to the left and it would've been an ex-toad. It was just sitting there, next to the car, puffing in and out with its rapid little toad breaths. Normally, this is the sort of thing that Dean would've noted-assessed-forgotten, except this fucking toad ends up being important to the story.
---
Spilt Milk by sparky77
Rated PG, 4000 words.
Knocking over a glass of milk does not equal starting the apocalypse. Sam knows this. Metaphors are awesome, but this is definitely a case of them being carried too far.
He also knows that there is no sane way that a story about him knocking over a glass of milk can have anything to do with the reason why he is currently kissing an angel.
Except it does.
And he really, really hopes he has time to explain himself before he gets smote.
---
The Curious Case of Wee Baby Cas Things by tracy_loo_who
Rated PG, 4600 words.
Sam says, "Dude, there are baby elephants in the middle of the road."
"And you're supposed to be the smart one," Dean deadpans as he brings the Impala to a stop a few yards away from the elephants.
---
The Dead Dean Clause by vichan
Rated PG-13, 4900 words; especially for the sobriety test.
Then Castiel came into the picture, and every discussion suddenly became much easier for Dean to come out on top in.
Step One: Dean affixes his very sincere 'don't you dare let me down now' look on Castiel, which Dean has practiced to perfection.
Step Two: Castiel looks back at Dean with the familiar 'I shall forever be perplexed by this mortal' expression, then voices his agreement.
Step Three: Sam seems to value Castiel's opinion, so Sam's shoulders slouch just a bit in a way that screams 'damn, I guess you're right' and he sways over to Dean's side.
Thus, with this new arrangement, Dean's word becomes law - with only one exception, which Dean has dubbed the 'Dead Dean Clause.' The Dead Dean Clause only comes into effect when Sam convinces Castiel - or Castiel convinces himself - that the course of action they're discussing would likely result in Dean being dead.
---
♠ The (Mostly Accidental) Courtship of Dean Winchester by everysecondtuesday
Rated R, 11000 words.
For future reference, if you were an angel who wanted to court a human, Dean was pretty sure you ought to let said human know sometime soon after slapping the initial engagement hand-print on their soul, if not earlier—not after completing step 180 out of 200 (fucking seriously?) and showing up naked in their motel bed in the middle of the night after ignoring their three previous attempted summonings.
---
This Is Just One Version Of The Way It Could Go by zelda-zee
Rated PG-13, 8500 words; for the hilarious weirdness of it.
Let's get this out of the way right at the start: Dean says yes to Michael.
Sure, he hems and he haws and he procrastinates right up until the last second. He curses the Heavens and God and all the angels (oh, you better believe he curses the angels), he weeps bitter tears like Jesus in Gethsemane, he cries "Why me?" and many colorful and profane variations of "Remove this cup from me, oh Lord."
At least he does until he realizes what he's doing, and then he shuts the fuck up.
---
This Story Needs More Power Ballads by pyrebi
Rated PG-13, 3000 words.
Sam's life sucks. No really. *No, really.* And it's because of Dean and Castiel.
---
Three's A Crowd by strangeandcharm
Rated R, 25500 words; for the unique perspective.
Okay, so, you're a ghost. And you're in love with Dean Winchester, but he doesn't know you exist. Awkward, right? But not nearly as awkward as it gets when the man you love is rescued from Hell by an angel and you realize that they're destined to end up together. So you find yourself caught in a love triangle between a ghost, a human and an angel, and you're the only one who even knows it's even happening. Frankly, it's driving you nuts...
---
♠ Top 40 Nightmare by elementalv
Rated PG-13, 8300 words.
Dean comes to the end of You Light Up My Life and decides two things: one, he just sang a goddamn pop ballad from the seventies, so his life is officially over; and two, he’ll have to kill Sam, who just stood there staring while Dean sang his heart out to him and didn’t do a damn thing to stop it.
---
♠ White Blank Page by liadan14
Rated PG-13, 2800 words; for the surprising and credible insights.
Here are a few things Chuck knows that his readers don’t.
---
♠ Your Apple Pie Suburban Hell Happily Ever After by everysecondtuesday
Rated PG-13, 7700 words.
"Heaven," Castiel declared moodily, eyeing Dean's burger like he was about to break a commandment and commandeer it for himself, "is bullshit."
♠ 12 Steps by gedry
Rated NC-17, masterpost, 33000 words; for the raw realism in this.
Dean cracks open his eyes and sees a lady wearing a suit in the doorway. Not a nurse then, they wear uniforms. “Lady, Mr. Winchester is my dad and I’m sleeping here. What do you want?” he grunts
“It’s time for group,” she says, and her voice leaves no reason for him to doubt her meaning.
“No fucking way,” he snaps back, and rolls over until his back is to the door.
“Dean, look—” She says it like he’s a willing participant in this conversation. “You can either come to group or not. But if you stay in bed you’re just going to be here longer. You can’t leave until you finish your psychiatric evaluation.”
Dean chuckles until the pain in his chest makes him stop. “Honey, if you think a psych eval is going to help me get out of here then you haven’t worked here very long.”
---
And Yet, By Heaven by liadan14
Rated R, two parts, 11900 words.
Dean never really expected to end up here.
He’s worked more than a few part-time jobs in his life, and sure, some of them involved paper-pushing, but *this*.
---
Asunder by rageprufrock
Rated NC-17, 23500 words.
It's going to be a shitty wedding with shitty people and a shitty atmosphere and Dean feels shitty about going.
But first Jo, and then Ellen, and then Bobby had called in quick succession and informed him — in order — that they had ordered his ass a plane ticket, called him a rental car from the airport, and that he was showing up or so God help him.
---
Below Skyscrapers by aesc
Rated R, four parts, 32400 words.
"Castiel, this is Detective Winchester," Bobby's saying, voice rough and real. It's a distraction, although a brief one, the angel glancing at him before studying Dean again with that same silent intensity. "He'll be on the Circle Murders too."
The angel's face, Castiel's face, doesn't say what he thinks of that, but Dean's pretty sure his does. He turns to Bobby, ten thousand protests crowding his throat and every one fighting to be the first one through, and Bobby's hand comes up forbiddingly. There's a glare for him behind the sunglasses, Dean knows, and he also knows enough to keep his mouth shut.
---
♠ Kite Songs by ladytelemachus
Rated PG, 9100 words.
Anna once told Cas, ‘you may be a genius, but you’re still a child.’
Occasionally, Cas worries that she may be right. The thought crosses his mind, for instance, when he’s creeping around the second floor of the Lawrence branch of Barnes and Noble, methodically removing copies of The Eponymous Hero from the Recommended section, the Fiction section, and the garish Bestsellers section, and scattering them in the least appropriate places.
---
Play It All Night Long by janie_tangerine
Rated NC-17, six parts, 43000 words.
Anna always used to tell him that when the highlight of your day is a radio program where they actually take calls from the public, you should at least call them once.
Castiel always shrugged and said she was being foolish, and something in his chest clenches as he recalls those conversations. He eyes his telephone for a second and then finally the familiar music of the program’s signature tune starts, at one AM sharp.
---
The Request by cloudyjenn
Rated PG-13, nine parts, 36000 words.
He's been waiting for thousands of years and Castiel still hasn't been assigned a human. It's getting embarrassing.
Creature of Habit by trinityofone
Rated PG-13, 5500 words.
Dean has known Castiel for not quite two years, has been seeing him on a day-to-day basis for less than half that time. From the day they met, Castiel has certainly displayed his share of odd habits—popping up out of nowhere; lacking any conception of personal space; that staring thing—but Dean mostly chalked those up to Cas being an angel. Angels aren't human; you can't apply the same rules to them. Forgetting that could be a very dangerous thing.
And it isn't that Dean's forgotten. It's that Castiel—slipping and sliding toward humanity, losing his grace—doesn't fit into easy categories anymore. Dean can look at Castiel and logically know "angel," but at the same time he can't help glancing over at the guy, the friend in the seat next to him, and thinking, Jesus fuck, could he stop doing that?
---
Good Things Do Happen by trinityofone
Rated PG, two parts, 11000 words. *happy sigh*
The truth of it is, Sam cannot think of a single better thing that Dean could have asked for; nevertheless, he feels his brother may have seriously underestimated the weirdness factor.
---
Named by McLachlan
Rated R, fourteen parts, 95000 words; for all those never-saw-that-one-coming twists.
Jesus Christ is dead. Somehow, that isn't the worst part of Dean's week.
---
The First Year by cloudyjenn
Rated PG-13, 7300 words.
Dean purposely argued on behalf of getting a broken down building because he wanted to fix it. He wanted to work himself into his house the way he worked himself into the Impala. Sam made no objections and so after getting the electricity and water turned on, they moved in. They had practically nothing in the way of furniture and Dean knew it would take a long time to fix up each room, but he didn't care. Just the thought that they had the time now made everything okay.
The house was technically Sam's second choice. There'd been another place about a mile down the road with a cozy little breakfast nook Sam really liked, but it only had two bedrooms. When Dean pointed out this problem, Sam just nodded and told the real estate agent that they'd take the other place.
---
♠ There's Only One Sure Thing That I Know by blinkiesays
Rated NC-17, masterpost, 20400 words.
He's headed towards Pennsylvania on I-70, just passed the turn-off where state highway 35 splits off South towards Eaton, when Castiel calls and says, "I seem to be incapable of leaving Ohio."
Dean jerks the car onto the next exit ramp, barrels across the overpass at breakneck speed, and swerves back onto 70 headed West. He guns it the 10 miles it takes him to reach the border and the "Welcome To Indiana: Crossroads Of America" sign, only to find himself inexplicably back where he started, just past the exit to Eaton, Ohio.
"Fuck," Dean says, hitting the steering wheel with the palms of both hands.
"Yes," Castiel says from the passenger seat.
---
Veteran by liadan14
Rated PG-13, 7500 words.
"Things in heaven are in serious need of reshuffling," Gabriel says. "[...] Castiel here would be very much in the way. Radicals would turn him into a hero and conservatives would turn him into a scapegoat. We can't have that."
"So you're kicking him out."
"That's a bit strong," Raphael objects. "We're giving him a leave of absence. Just for a while. Until things have cooled off. A few decades."
If Dean were chewing, he would have choked.
He wonders how it is Cas isn't even blushing in front of Raphael, but decides not to worry about it. "So, basically you're asking if Cas can come hang out with us for a while," he says. A while. A few decades. Dean's not sure whether the feeling in his stomach is fear or elation.
♠ Bring It On Home by obstinatrix
Rated NC-17, two parts, 14800 words.
Castiel still wasn't clear on why the magazine was, as Sam had asserted, 'typical, Dean; absolutely fucking typical of you. And completely useless.' [...]
Dean had defended himself against Sam's accusations with regard to the publication - "What are you talking about, man? There's all kinds of crap in there about Relationships and Self Pleasure and shit. Says so right on the cover." He brandished the article in Sam's face, just to be clear.
Sam had appeared unconvinced. "Dean, it's for women. It's not going to help Cas deal with his Rising Angel problem."
"Yeah, well, it's got 100 Ways To Please Your Man In Bed, right? I'm sure he can work from that. Right, Cas?"
---
Catch by someblazingstar
Rated NC-17, 2500 words.
"It's not my intention to do anything that you don't want, Dean," he says, all stern and straight-faced as always.
"Don't," Dean says, and his voice is so hoarse, a raw thing in his throat, aching like the rest of him.
"Don't what?"Cas asks, and if it were anyone else, Dean would be sure he was fucking with him, drawing things out to be an asshole. It's Cas, though, and the thought of the things he could do scares the crap out of Dean when he does ever stop and think it over, but one thing Cas never has done is toy with him.
He has to close his eyes before he can speak. "Don't make me ask for it, Cas. Please, not that," he says.
---
Cravings by tiptoe39
Rated NC-17, 1200 words.
"I want to understand," he says lamely. As though he's not feeling it all through his body. As though his usually pale skin isn't flushed and his hands aren't shaking.
Dean's looking for an escape route. "You do?" he says. "What, cravings?"
Then Castiel says something even more embarrassing than cravings. He says, "Desire."
---
♠ Dean Doesn't Listen To Eurhythmics by Annie D
Rated NC-17, 1900 words.
This was nowhere near as close as Cas would come to him sometimes, but it was one thing to have a stare-off while upright and fully-clothed, and another thing to be doing it while horizontal and under the same set of blankets. The less-than-a-foot of distance between them was way too small.
---
Except Thou Bless Me by architeutis
Rated NC-17, 10500 words. (Note the warnings.)
Castiel let out a long breath through his nose and was silent for several seconds, while the Impala devoured asphalt. "What is this about, Dean?"
Dean gritted his teeth, clenched his hands on the wheel. "I just told you. I tell you again and again and you — do you just ignore everything I say that you don't like? I'm out. I'm not doing this anymore. I'm done being jerked around, I don't have ... I can't do what you want. Leave me alone."
"I'm not going to ask you for anything you don't have to give," Castiel said gravely. Dean thumped the steering wheel with the heel of his palm.
"How can you not get this?" He knew he was shouting. "I don't give a shit how easy the job is! It's not about the job! It's about your fucking war and it's about you expecting me to be up and walking around like I'm still an entire human being! Now either follow through or fuck off!"
---
♠ Fallen by entangled_now
Rated NC-17, 2600 words.
There are hands on his waist, but they're stronger than they should be, and the quick clench of fingers is hard enough to tell Dean that he's not dreaming-
He's not dreaming.
He shoves at the sheets, at the warm edge of Castiel's bare chest, shoulders smacking the headboard into the wall with a bang.
"Jesus, Cas, what are you doing? What the fuck are you doing?" He doesn't understand, not one little bit, because if this is a joke it's a cruel one.
---
♠ Mortal Engines by strangeandcharm
Rated NC-17, 5500 words.
“He’s good with engines,” Bobby had said. “Never known anyone figure out what makes ’em tick so fast in my life. Or what doesn’t make ’em tick, as the case may be. He’s been up to his elbows in oil for a week now and even though he’d never admit it, I’d say he’s as happy as a pig in shit.”
Sam had looked skeptical. Dean had laughed. But now Dean stops dead, staring, and he realizes Bobby was right.
---
Nonnegotiable Affections by trinityofone
Rated NC-17, 1900 words.
"I think a celebration is in order," Dean says.
He's grinning. Since Cas came back, he hasn't really stopped. "What are you thinking of?" Sam asks warily.
"Well." Dean moistens his lips. "I think it's time we make Cas a man."
---
Wings and Bathtubs by eggblue
Rated NC-17, 2200 words.
The last time he'd seen Cas, the angel had talked something cryptic and did his disappearing act. That was weeks ago. Maybe angels were like imaginary friends: If he stopped thinking about Cas, maybe Cas would stop appearing.
Only that wasn't as easy as it sounded.
So when Dean goes to take a shower, he's not thinking about anything but getting undressed and under the water as soon as possible.
A Rain of Feathers and A Single Feather by Lacey McBain
Rated NC-17, 8700 words & rated PG-13, 5300 words.
Dean felt something sharp jab his foot, and he stepped back, thinking of broken glass and tetanus shots, but it was only a feather. A long black feather, its quill poking his flesh.
Dean practically threw himself across the room, pulling the heavy curtains open to let light leak into the room. What Dean had thought was a hazy pattern of brown and white carpet was a scattering of feathers strewn over the floor. Some black, some white, a very few that shone with an almost golden tone in the weak sunlight.
"Oh, God," Dean said, feeling as if someone had thrown a glass of ice-water in his face. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried desperately to remember if the Bible said anything specific about the punishment for messing with an angel.
---
Conservation of Space by entangled_now
Rated NC-17, 2200 words.
So, succubus, Dean's night just gets better and better.
---
♠ Enchantment by thegrrrl2002
Rated PG-13, 2000 words.
"It's a trap," Cas said.
"What kind of trap?" Dean shone his flashlight along the symbols. He didn't recognize any of them.
"I don't know." Cas was staring intently at Dean.
Dean didn't really care what kind of trap it was. Dropping his gun, he strode toward Cas, slid a hand around the back of Cas's neck and kissed him.
---
Simply Irresistible by FayJay
Rated R, 4400 words.
"More coffee, honey?" says the waitress as he drenches his pancakes in maple syrup, and that's about as unremarkable as you can get, right? He smiles at her, and if she blushes and dimples at him like a woman half her age, well, that's business as usual if you're Dean Winchester. He doesn't think anything of it.
It's when she dives forward and tries to lick maple syrup off his thumb, and has to be removed by her shocked-looking husband, that Dean gets the first faint inkling that there may be something weird going on.
---
You Give Yourself Away by hugglewolf
Rated R, 20000 words.
And that was how they learned – and Sam wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing – that apparently Castiel's latest talent wasn't gender or age biased. The manager was a sixty five year old woman, with a tight perm and blond highlights and so much makeup that Sam was pretty sure her facial expressions lasted for hours.
She also had the brightest shade of lipstick he'd ever seen, and it was currently all over Castiel's cheek, neck and collar.
Her fingernail marks were all over Dean's face, but Sam had held the office door shut from the outside while Dean hurried Cas into a room. Once the angel was out of sight, the woman seemed to calm down a little. She flopped into a chair, and looked around dazedly.
Sam slipped away before she questioned why he was holding the door shut.
By the time he reached the room, Castiel was passed out on a bed, and Dean was slumped in a chair. "Cock-blocking," he complained. "Hard fucking work. Who knew?"
A Hole In The World by bauble
Rated PG-13, 6600 words. Seriously, seriously heartbreaking.
"Dean--" Castiel gasps, putting a hand on Dean's shoulder and expecting it to burn. But there is nothing but the same warm flesh underneath his fingertips, and Castiel can feel his heart begin to lift in a foolish hope, a hope that he could not articulate before now: that Dean is not gone, not the true vessel of Michael--
"Castiel." It is Dean's voice, but it is not him.
---
♠ Come Down Off Your Throne by fairywearsbootz
Rated R, masterpost, 27000 words; for stealing my breath and breaking my heart.
The clouds outside break up and cold silvery moonlight floods the room. He blinks for a second, blinded by the sudden luminance, and because for a moment, a heartbeat– but then he looks again, and really, the figure standing there, it‘s–
It‘s Cas. [...]
Every bit like Cas, except that Cas died on the floor of a run-down warehouse in Detroit three years ago.
---
One By One: Objects Defined by haruslex
Rated R, 6000 words.
With the Grace of Heaven to measure out his days, Castiel’s time on earth had raced. Just flashes, images, moments, startling in clarity but so small. That time has become keystone, it hold him stable as much as it marks the beginning of his downwards arch. And now the days are longer, stretching to match millennia. The clock radios of nameless hotels trace the minutes and hours that strive for symmetry with time measured in the lives of stars.
They spend most of their time driving.
---
♠ Over the Hills and Far Away by seraphwings
Rated R, 5700 words.
Might be nice to vanish.
He does the closest thing he can, and drives.
---
Scissile by elliptic-eye
Rated R, 3300 words; for the way things don't fall into place.
There's a sound like the beating of wings and a smell of ozone. In the next moment, Castiel breathes in deeply, a clean, unlabored breath.
"Cas, you back?" Dean grasps his shoulders. "Oh, thank God."
He's being such a frigging chick.
Castiel breathes evenly for a few seconds more, no longer limp against Dean's chest, then opens his eyes. It's the same fathomless, slightly curious look he always wears, like waking up to Dean clutching his body like a child who's lost his first pet is of no consequence whatsoever. Snowflakes land on his face. "Hello, Dean," he says.
And Dean kisses him.
---
World Enough And Time by moonlettuce
Rated R, 224 words.
Dean doesn't have time for slow and drawn-out, not anymore.
---
♠ Venn Diagram by Annie D
Rated R, 3400 words.
“No, come on, it looks like it’s summer outside,” Dean insists, trying to pull Castiel up by his arm. Castiel is a deadweight, so Dean lets him go with an irritated growl. “Fine, you want to sleep in? Go ahead.” He’s off the bed, padding barefoot out of the room.
Castiel falls asleep again. He jerks awake when Dean barges back into the room, face red.
“Cas! What the fuck is going on?” he demands. “Where’s Sam and Bobby? What happened to the house?”
I'll be adding more recs from time to time. Irregularly, though. My delicious account is (usually) more up to date.
And because I'm lazy, I'm not changing the running (McKay/Sheppard kind of) system:
This collection of recs is sorted by category. The one I chose for a fic should already tell you a lot about the reasons I like it. Because all the fics on this list are very well-written and with great characterization I'm going to mention it here and get it out of the way. The individual recs include only short, more specific comments (like rec'd for...), or quotes, which are indicated by italics. Call me lazy (again), but I'd hate to spoil anyone with too much detail.
Updates:
08/2010 (new recs, including some rearranging and a new category: Complete AU)
11/2010 (new recs)
Most recent additions are marked with ♠.
Categories
Hurt/Comfort and Angst :: Humor and Crack :: Complete AU :: Happymaking!
Guh! :: [Insert Plot Device Here] Made Them Do It :: Hurts So Good
Hurt/Comfort and Angst
A Long Year by uselessplayback
Rated PG-13, 9700 words.; for the weird mixture of angst and humor. (The good weird.)
"Think of it as a game," Lucifer says idly. "You keep him alive for a year and he will stay that way. I won't interfere."
The vessel Lucifer occupies is a handsome man radiating culture and elegance. His clothes are impeccably tailored and Castiel suspects that he has ordered them specifically, choosing garments that appeal to his vanity, the way he has clearly chosen his vessel.
"And if I don't?" Castiel asks because there is always a catch. With demons and with his own kind—especially with his own kind—there is always a catch.
"Then I will have you," Lucifer says simply.
---
♠ Across the Universe by weirdwednesday
Rated NC-17, 8300 words.
As the third week nears its end Castiel asks what he’s been wondering for some time now.
"Will you drive on forever? Run forever?"
---
A Yellow Wood by trinityofone
Rated PG, 4000 words; for fallen!Cas, who is more than just Castiel without wings.
It was supposed to be easier, now, like this. It wasn’t.
---
And I Will Walk On Water by tracy_loo_who
Rated NC-17, 122000 words. Goes AU after the season four finale. (Note the warnings.)
Dean had spent the past three months thinking the archangels had killed Castiel, and now he found himself almost wishing he'd been right.
---
Anything Worth Dying For by waldorph
Rated NC-17, 30100 words.
It was still a mess, and half of the entire population of the Earth was gone. There was mourning, and people to grieve. But it did happen that the world was made new again; decimation and rubble vanishing, the hole in the ozone repaired, global warming reversed. It was as though God figured that after the Apocalypse, humanity would have enough to deal with. And yet the urge to write has not left my hand, years later. I am compelled to tell the story, which is all right. My job was easy, comparatively.
I am the story-teller. And this is the Book of Chuck.
---
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) by sparky77
Rated PG, 4000 words.
"No!" Castiel says. "No, this isn't right. Why am I here?"
"Maybe this is just a dream," she suggests as she goes back to typing.
"No. Angels don't dream."
"Then I guess this is real. Fill out the form or leave. I have work to do."
---
♠ Bodies from the Tracks by pigeonswerver
Rated R, masterpost, 29800 words. Goes AU after 5x21.
“Where are we going to start?” Castiel asked him as Dean threw his bag into the back seat. “Do we have a direction we should be heading in? Or are we just going to guess?”
Dean shut the car door and turned to look at him. “Well, Sam’s gonna say yes, right?” Castiel nodded hesitantly and Dean shrugged as he continued. “So we’ll go to Detroit. That’s probably where he’s gonna do it.”
---
Circumference by thenyxie
Rated NC-17, 3900 words.
It begins the moment Castiel sees him, awareness blurring, dividing, merging as Castiel’s consciousnesses overlaps Dean’s.
Castiel experiences it just as Dean does. He sees everything through Dean’s eyes; it is the way after all.
---
♠ Contrapasso by takadainmate
Rated R, nine parts, 59000 words. Seriously, seriously creepy. Plotty and creepy. In a very good way.
"So what are we doing here?"
Cas broke eye contact then, looking over Dean's shoulder towards the bridge.
"This town," he said in a low voice. "It doesn't exist."
---
Every Day In Every Way by liadan14
Rated R, 3400 words.
"I've never wanted before," Castiel says.
"Wanted what?" Dean asks.
"Everything," Castiel says. His voice is hoarse and deep as always. Dean shivers. "I want to make you bend, like the trees in the wind. I want you to snap like a twig and I want to take you and make you obey me. I want…" he trails off, runs a hand down Dean's cheek, stares into Dean's shocked face. "I want," he says. "And someday, maybe I'll take."
---
♠ Everything That Matters by enigmatic_blue
Rated NC-17, masterpost, 29000 words.
He hadn’t prayed in years—not since the other angels had decamped. Cas didn’t think he had any faith left these days, but as the last bit of life left him, his lips moved in a silent prayer. “Oh, God, I would give anything to change this.”
---
Equinox by luchia13
Rated R, two parts, 12000 words.
"What's the date?"
Dean glares at the guy. "Are you on drugs?"
"No," the guy answers, completely unfazed by the question in a way that makes Dean think he gets asked a lot. "The date?"
He grabs onto his can of Coke a little tighter than before, because you can never trust a guy who can't keep track of time. Never know what else they can't keep track of. "June 16th."
The man nods, and even though he's looking at Dean, he can tell the guy's not really seeing what's in front of him. "And the year?"
Dean glares at him. "You are on drugs, you liar!"
The guy frowns at him. "Dean. Please."
"Fine. It's 1987, you crackhead," Dean snaps.
The man nods. "Thank you. I'll see you in…" He hesitates, until his eyes hit the stupid machine again. "1992. June 16th."
---
Fragments by uselessplayback
Rated PG, 11200 words.
The car ran out of gas in somewhere in Utah and the only reason Dean knew the location was because he remembered passing the turnoff for Salt Lake City sometime after he'd navigated his way around the Beast of the Earth and before he'd found a lake full of wormwood.
Nothing was recognizable anymore but he remembered this because the car was the last thing he thought he'd lose, or maybe it was the last thing he'd thought he'd hold onto, but it had failed him in the middle of nowhere. He'd thought about finding a gas station. Maybe somewhere there was a final stronghold of humanity holding onto a couple of gallons of fuel that he could get with some degree of normalcy, but he found that he couldn't kid himself at that point.
---
In Constant Contradiction by catoasapun
Rated PG-13, 5800 words; for the fabulous Dean/Castiel interaction.
“Well,” Dean says, turning back to the sink, “that was fun.”
Sam scoffs, shifting slightly on the bed. He winces, moving the bottle and pressing a hand to the large red spot it leaves on his face.
“Sure. If sitting through another one of Castiel’s lectures is your idea of fun. You know he blames me every time you fuck up?”
“Yeah, well. I am an asset. I can do no wrong.”
“Dude?” Sam starts, his reflection smirking in amusement from the mirror, “You’re Heaven’s bitch.”
---
♠ In This Life by anonymous
Rated NC-17, two parts, 13200 words.
Dean was so far out of his element he might as well have been on Mars.
It wasn't that he'd never been to a gay bar before; hunting took them to all kinds of unexpected places. But he'd never gone to one with the express intent of helping anyone - let alone a six thousand year old virginal former angel of the Lord - pick up a guy. He didn't even know where to start.
---
In Touch by maskedfangirl
Rated NC-17, 3600 words. Set after "Abandon All Hope".
It absolutely blindsided him.
---
Mi Casa by entangled_now and the sequel Su Casa by alchemyalice
Rated PG-13, 1300 and 2300 words.
Dean goes very still.
He can feel it now, a heavy, cold itch. He takes a slow breath and clenches his teeth. There's something inside his head, something that doesn't belong there.
What the hell.
*I'm sorry, Dean, I did not intend this.*
Dean exhales roughly. Castiel's voice is familiar even inside his own mind.
---
No Words by mariana_oconnor
Not rated by the author, 1100 words.
“What’s it like?” he asks, seconds later, without even really having followed where his train of thought was leading him.
“What is what like?” the angel responds, looking over at him. There’s a furrow on his forehead that Dean takes to mean that Castiel’s hating this situation just as much as he is.
“Heaven, paradise, up there… what’s it like?”
---
♠ Right of Conquest by luchia13
Rated NC-17, two parts, 14400 words; for the unexpected weight and impact and the ingenuity of this.
Castiel is standing in Chuck’s kitchen, waiting to die, when Lucifer appears.
---
The Syntax of Things by dotfic
Rated R, 23000 words.
The car stopped, the dust cleared, and Dean lowered the shotgun, recognizing the figure in the passenger seat. "Wait," he said, moving forward a step. "Wait, that's..."
"Hey!" The driver opened the door, got out, and started to run towards the porch. "Guys, I could use some help here."
"Chuck?" Sam lowered his gun.
"You know him?" Bobby looked skeptical.
"Hi Sam, Dean." Chuck lifted a hand, looking more haggard than when they'd first met him. His beard was thicker and his hooded sweatshirt had a big rip in one sleeve. He pointed at the car. "Got some trouble, here, guys. It's Castiel."
---
That Whole John Connor Thing by waldorph
Rated PG-13, 2300 words.
It went bad. And then worse. And then epically bad.
And then it got a bit better, because people started finding them, and there was a base of operations, and maybe things had gotten so bad that they just couldn't get worse.
---
The Weight of Change by tiptoe39
Rated R, 3900 words.
In subsequent days and weeks, fighting was foreplay. They'd face down demons and monsters of every shade, and Castiel would have the gleam of death in his eye. It made Dean ache for him. This guy, this angel, who could smite a creature with a single look, wanted him in his bed. He got hard just considering the concept. He was fucking an angel. Not just an angel. A goddamn badass warrior angel.
Just, lately, he didn't seem so very angelic anymore.
---
This Story Was Brought To You By Our Sponsors by Annie D
Rated R, 29000 words.
"I am not Castiel," the boy says. Solemnly, simply.
"This is Daniel," Anna says.
"What?" Dean scowls. But the eyes are Castiel's, Dean would know them anywhere, none of the other angels had ever—
They're green. The eyes are green. And there are freckles along his nose.
Pieces fall into place, and suddenly it's like he's looking at an old photograph of himself, only ten hundred million times worse.
"Holy shit," he says.
Daniel nods. "I am an abomination. So yes, holy shit."
---
Thursday's Child by strangeandcharm
Rated NC-17. 114000 words. (Note the warnings.)
Castiel knows the precise moment when Dean succeeds in his mission.
He knows despite the fact he's currently grappling with a Croat in a room that used to be a canteen before it was torn to shreds by hungry refugees. He knows because when Dean finally, blessedly fulfils his goal and kills Lucifer, Castiel can feel Lucifer die. Lucifer is the last angel on the planet besides him and when he vanishes it's as though somebody's cut Castiel's last, faint connection to the celestial realms, leaving him fully human and totally and utterly helpless.
The knife that slips into his side mere seconds later only reinforces the feeling, and he's on the floor and breathing what he thinks is his last breath before he even has time to wonder whether Dean is alive or dead.
---
What You Need by xela_fic
Rated NC-17, 3900 words.
Castiel had been Chosen. He'd received his instructions from On High.
"Save Dean from Hell."
That had been easy and straight forward. But once he'd accomplished that, he received another.
"Be what Dean needs."
Castiel had no idea what that meant. He still doesn't.
---
♠ Wherever I Go (I End Up Somewhere I've Already Been) by bauble
Not rated by the author, masterpost, 30000 words.
Dean wakes up to the familiar creak of the mattress bending underneath another person’s weight.
"You're late," Dean says sourly, not even needing to look. Instead, he eyes the digital display of his bedside clock until the numbers come into focus. "By an hour and seven minutes."
"I'm sorry," Cas says, voice low and rough. "I had some final business to attend to."
"Whatever," Dean grunts. He's still drunk, but now has a splitting headache on top of it. "Like I care."
Humor and Crack
All Along by quiddative
Rated PG-13, 5300 words.
"Hey, Sammy," Dean had said as he flopped down on the couch beside Sam. "You know what's really awesome?" His breath reeked of pure scotch.
Sam only raised an eyebrow. "What is, Dean?"
"Phones." Dean replied, as if that explained everything.
"What about them?"
Dean flipped open his cellphone. The neon blue screen was blinding. "You can talk to anyone you want even if you're thousands of miles away."
"Uh-huh."
"That's why," said Dean as he, to Sam's horror, began scrolling down his contact list, "I'm gonna call... "
He never got to finish his sentence because he was already dialing a number and before Sam even realized what was happening, his brother had pressed the little button with the symbol of the green phone on it. That was Mistake Number Two; not stopping Dean when he had the chance.
---
♠ As Easy as Pie by devilsduplicity
Rated R, 5000 words.
One day, Dean woke up gay.
Pay attention now, because this is important to the plot.
Dean knew this intrinsically because when he opened his eyes, the low opacity of bright red font was flashing in front of everything he looked at.
WOKE UP GAY, it said in big, bold lettering.
---
Date Night by seraphwings
Rated PG-13, 5000 words.
He ordered them both a beer as they sat at the table. Castiel was looking over the menu curiously, having already argued the fact that he didn't need to eat, but apparently accepting that dinner was a necessary part of "the date ritual" and therefor he'd shut up, make nice, and eat. Just, no red meat. They ended up deciding on lasagna (Dean) and fettucini alfredo (Castiel), settling back as the waitress left to wait for the food.
"So, uh." Dean fiddled with the cloth napkin, his hands ever fidgety as he tried to think of something appropriate to fill the silence with. This was why he preferred quick pick-ups: less talk, more grind. Chat, sex, and go.
He frowned a little, looking up at Castiel sitting there staring back at him.
This was different.
---
Fourth Wall Series by entangled_now
Rated NC-17, fifteen parts, around 50k words (?). Also Sam/Lucifer.
"So, did you find out anything about the possible lizard monster yet?"
"No!" Sam says, a little too quickly and a little too loudly, and, Jesus, he slams his laptop shut so fast it's a wonder it doesn't crack in half and explode.
Dean raises an eyebrow at him.
"Were you looking at porn?"
Sam visibly winces.
"I wasn't looking at porn," he protests, and yeah, that's his guilty face alright, only this one's a little bit more disturbed than it usually is.
---
If On a Winter's Night a Fangirl by trinityofone
Rated R, 12300 words; for-- everything. *smish*
"Chuck!" she said, grabbing at his arm. "What if this is like a vision? Maybe this is how you're supposed to write what's happening now that Zachariah's hacked your brain!"
"This?" Chuck's voice rose to an alarming pitch. "You think this is part of the gospel?" He took a deep breath and seemed to force himself to calm down. "This is porn," he said, gesturing at the screen as one might indicate an unseemly and possibly vomitous mess, "not prophecy."
Becky huffed. "God, Chuck, you can be so narrow-minded. There's an easy way to find out—give Dean a call."
"I'm not calling Dean and asking him if he's having improbably located ritualistic gay sex with Cas!" Chuck squeaked. He looked scandalized.
"Well, then I'll do it." Becky thrust out her hand. "Give me your phone."
Chuck balked.
---
It's A Badass Afterlife by janie_tangerine
Rated R, 6100 words.
Ash hasn’t even had time to process the news that apparently there just was some huge change in Heaven’s management, when that management walks into his bar.
---
♠ Operation Jealousy by Annie D
Rated R, 1200 words; for bitchy!Sam and his great ideas.
Dean figures it's just Sam throwing a tantrum when he suddenly stands up and shouts, "That's the last straw!" before grabbing his laptop and stomping out the door.
Castiel looks to Dean for an explanation. "Why is Sam upset?"
"Beats me," Dean says with a shrug. He goes back to teaching Cas how to knot his tie.
---
♠ Party Like It's 1999 by dachinchilla
Rated PG-13, 5100 words; for the funny (and really clever) use of pop lyrics.
“From the tip of my toes,” Castiel says, staring harder as though willing them to understand when he’s the one talking in near-nonsensical circles, “Running through my veins.”
“What the hell?” Dean snorts. “No offense, Cas, but you sound weirder than usual, and that’s saying a lot.”
---
♠ She Taught Every Angel to Rearrange the Sky by luchia13
Rated PG-13, 5400 words; especially for Ellen.
Last call had come and gone. Castiel hadn’t.
---
Qui Custos Es Mei by vichan
Rated PG-13, 8400 words; for the Bobby POV.
Sam showed up on his doorstep in the middle of the night with an angel in tow and his barely conscious brother wrapped up in the angel's arms.
---
Something About Toads by pyrebi
Rated PG-13, 3200 words.
So it starts with this toad, okay? This fat ugly little toad, mottled green and brown, and Sam nearly stepping on it. Two inches to the left and it would've been an ex-toad. It was just sitting there, next to the car, puffing in and out with its rapid little toad breaths. Normally, this is the sort of thing that Dean would've noted-assessed-forgotten, except this fucking toad ends up being important to the story.
---
Spilt Milk by sparky77
Rated PG, 4000 words.
Knocking over a glass of milk does not equal starting the apocalypse. Sam knows this. Metaphors are awesome, but this is definitely a case of them being carried too far.
He also knows that there is no sane way that a story about him knocking over a glass of milk can have anything to do with the reason why he is currently kissing an angel.
Except it does.
And he really, really hopes he has time to explain himself before he gets smote.
---
The Curious Case of Wee Baby Cas Things by tracy_loo_who
Rated PG, 4600 words.
Sam says, "Dude, there are baby elephants in the middle of the road."
"And you're supposed to be the smart one," Dean deadpans as he brings the Impala to a stop a few yards away from the elephants.
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The Dead Dean Clause by vichan
Rated PG-13, 4900 words; especially for the sobriety test.
Then Castiel came into the picture, and every discussion suddenly became much easier for Dean to come out on top in.
Step One: Dean affixes his very sincere 'don't you dare let me down now' look on Castiel, which Dean has practiced to perfection.
Step Two: Castiel looks back at Dean with the familiar 'I shall forever be perplexed by this mortal' expression, then voices his agreement.
Step Three: Sam seems to value Castiel's opinion, so Sam's shoulders slouch just a bit in a way that screams 'damn, I guess you're right' and he sways over to Dean's side.
Thus, with this new arrangement, Dean's word becomes law - with only one exception, which Dean has dubbed the 'Dead Dean Clause.' The Dead Dean Clause only comes into effect when Sam convinces Castiel - or Castiel convinces himself - that the course of action they're discussing would likely result in Dean being dead.
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♠ The (Mostly Accidental) Courtship of Dean Winchester by everysecondtuesday
Rated R, 11000 words.
For future reference, if you were an angel who wanted to court a human, Dean was pretty sure you ought to let said human know sometime soon after slapping the initial engagement hand-print on their soul, if not earlier—not after completing step 180 out of 200 (fucking seriously?) and showing up naked in their motel bed in the middle of the night after ignoring their three previous attempted summonings.
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This Is Just One Version Of The Way It Could Go by zelda-zee
Rated PG-13, 8500 words; for the hilarious weirdness of it.
Let's get this out of the way right at the start: Dean says yes to Michael.
Sure, he hems and he haws and he procrastinates right up until the last second. He curses the Heavens and God and all the angels (oh, you better believe he curses the angels), he weeps bitter tears like Jesus in Gethsemane, he cries "Why me?" and many colorful and profane variations of "Remove this cup from me, oh Lord."
At least he does until he realizes what he's doing, and then he shuts the fuck up.
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This Story Needs More Power Ballads by pyrebi
Rated PG-13, 3000 words.
Sam's life sucks. No really. *No, really.* And it's because of Dean and Castiel.
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Three's A Crowd by strangeandcharm
Rated R, 25500 words; for the unique perspective.
Okay, so, you're a ghost. And you're in love with Dean Winchester, but he doesn't know you exist. Awkward, right? But not nearly as awkward as it gets when the man you love is rescued from Hell by an angel and you realize that they're destined to end up together. So you find yourself caught in a love triangle between a ghost, a human and an angel, and you're the only one who even knows it's even happening. Frankly, it's driving you nuts...
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♠ Top 40 Nightmare by elementalv
Rated PG-13, 8300 words.
Dean comes to the end of You Light Up My Life and decides two things: one, he just sang a goddamn pop ballad from the seventies, so his life is officially over; and two, he’ll have to kill Sam, who just stood there staring while Dean sang his heart out to him and didn’t do a damn thing to stop it.
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♠ White Blank Page by liadan14
Rated PG-13, 2800 words; for the surprising and credible insights.
Here are a few things Chuck knows that his readers don’t.
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♠ Your Apple Pie Suburban Hell Happily Ever After by everysecondtuesday
Rated PG-13, 7700 words.
"Heaven," Castiel declared moodily, eyeing Dean's burger like he was about to break a commandment and commandeer it for himself, "is bullshit."
Complete AU
♠ 12 Steps by gedry
Rated NC-17, masterpost, 33000 words; for the raw realism in this.
Dean cracks open his eyes and sees a lady wearing a suit in the doorway. Not a nurse then, they wear uniforms. “Lady, Mr. Winchester is my dad and I’m sleeping here. What do you want?” he grunts
“It’s time for group,” she says, and her voice leaves no reason for him to doubt her meaning.
“No fucking way,” he snaps back, and rolls over until his back is to the door.
“Dean, look—” She says it like he’s a willing participant in this conversation. “You can either come to group or not. But if you stay in bed you’re just going to be here longer. You can’t leave until you finish your psychiatric evaluation.”
Dean chuckles until the pain in his chest makes him stop. “Honey, if you think a psych eval is going to help me get out of here then you haven’t worked here very long.”
---
And Yet, By Heaven by liadan14
Rated R, two parts, 11900 words.
Dean never really expected to end up here.
He’s worked more than a few part-time jobs in his life, and sure, some of them involved paper-pushing, but *this*.
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Asunder by rageprufrock
Rated NC-17, 23500 words.
It's going to be a shitty wedding with shitty people and a shitty atmosphere and Dean feels shitty about going.
But first Jo, and then Ellen, and then Bobby had called in quick succession and informed him — in order — that they had ordered his ass a plane ticket, called him a rental car from the airport, and that he was showing up or so God help him.
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Below Skyscrapers by aesc
Rated R, four parts, 32400 words.
"Castiel, this is Detective Winchester," Bobby's saying, voice rough and real. It's a distraction, although a brief one, the angel glancing at him before studying Dean again with that same silent intensity. "He'll be on the Circle Murders too."
The angel's face, Castiel's face, doesn't say what he thinks of that, but Dean's pretty sure his does. He turns to Bobby, ten thousand protests crowding his throat and every one fighting to be the first one through, and Bobby's hand comes up forbiddingly. There's a glare for him behind the sunglasses, Dean knows, and he also knows enough to keep his mouth shut.
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♠ Kite Songs by ladytelemachus
Rated PG, 9100 words.
Anna once told Cas, ‘you may be a genius, but you’re still a child.’
Occasionally, Cas worries that she may be right. The thought crosses his mind, for instance, when he’s creeping around the second floor of the Lawrence branch of Barnes and Noble, methodically removing copies of The Eponymous Hero from the Recommended section, the Fiction section, and the garish Bestsellers section, and scattering them in the least appropriate places.
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Play It All Night Long by janie_tangerine
Rated NC-17, six parts, 43000 words.
Anna always used to tell him that when the highlight of your day is a radio program where they actually take calls from the public, you should at least call them once.
Castiel always shrugged and said she was being foolish, and something in his chest clenches as he recalls those conversations. He eyes his telephone for a second and then finally the familiar music of the program’s signature tune starts, at one AM sharp.
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The Request by cloudyjenn
Rated PG-13, nine parts, 36000 words.
He's been waiting for thousands of years and Castiel still hasn't been assigned a human. It's getting embarrassing.
Happymaking!
Creature of Habit by trinityofone
Rated PG-13, 5500 words.
Dean has known Castiel for not quite two years, has been seeing him on a day-to-day basis for less than half that time. From the day they met, Castiel has certainly displayed his share of odd habits—popping up out of nowhere; lacking any conception of personal space; that staring thing—but Dean mostly chalked those up to Cas being an angel. Angels aren't human; you can't apply the same rules to them. Forgetting that could be a very dangerous thing.
And it isn't that Dean's forgotten. It's that Castiel—slipping and sliding toward humanity, losing his grace—doesn't fit into easy categories anymore. Dean can look at Castiel and logically know "angel," but at the same time he can't help glancing over at the guy, the friend in the seat next to him, and thinking, Jesus fuck, could he stop doing that?
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Good Things Do Happen by trinityofone
Rated PG, two parts, 11000 words. *happy sigh*
The truth of it is, Sam cannot think of a single better thing that Dean could have asked for; nevertheless, he feels his brother may have seriously underestimated the weirdness factor.
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Named by McLachlan
Rated R, fourteen parts, 95000 words; for all those never-saw-that-one-coming twists.
Jesus Christ is dead. Somehow, that isn't the worst part of Dean's week.
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The First Year by cloudyjenn
Rated PG-13, 7300 words.
Dean purposely argued on behalf of getting a broken down building because he wanted to fix it. He wanted to work himself into his house the way he worked himself into the Impala. Sam made no objections and so after getting the electricity and water turned on, they moved in. They had practically nothing in the way of furniture and Dean knew it would take a long time to fix up each room, but he didn't care. Just the thought that they had the time now made everything okay.
The house was technically Sam's second choice. There'd been another place about a mile down the road with a cozy little breakfast nook Sam really liked, but it only had two bedrooms. When Dean pointed out this problem, Sam just nodded and told the real estate agent that they'd take the other place.
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♠ There's Only One Sure Thing That I Know by blinkiesays
Rated NC-17, masterpost, 20400 words.
He's headed towards Pennsylvania on I-70, just passed the turn-off where state highway 35 splits off South towards Eaton, when Castiel calls and says, "I seem to be incapable of leaving Ohio."
Dean jerks the car onto the next exit ramp, barrels across the overpass at breakneck speed, and swerves back onto 70 headed West. He guns it the 10 miles it takes him to reach the border and the "Welcome To Indiana: Crossroads Of America" sign, only to find himself inexplicably back where he started, just past the exit to Eaton, Ohio.
"Fuck," Dean says, hitting the steering wheel with the palms of both hands.
"Yes," Castiel says from the passenger seat.
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Veteran by liadan14
Rated PG-13, 7500 words.
"Things in heaven are in serious need of reshuffling," Gabriel says. "[...] Castiel here would be very much in the way. Radicals would turn him into a hero and conservatives would turn him into a scapegoat. We can't have that."
"So you're kicking him out."
"That's a bit strong," Raphael objects. "We're giving him a leave of absence. Just for a while. Until things have cooled off. A few decades."
If Dean were chewing, he would have choked.
He wonders how it is Cas isn't even blushing in front of Raphael, but decides not to worry about it. "So, basically you're asking if Cas can come hang out with us for a while," he says. A while. A few decades. Dean's not sure whether the feeling in his stomach is fear or elation.
Guh!
♠ Bring It On Home by obstinatrix
Rated NC-17, two parts, 14800 words.
Castiel still wasn't clear on why the magazine was, as Sam had asserted, 'typical, Dean; absolutely fucking typical of you. And completely useless.' [...]
Dean had defended himself against Sam's accusations with regard to the publication - "What are you talking about, man? There's all kinds of crap in there about Relationships and Self Pleasure and shit. Says so right on the cover." He brandished the article in Sam's face, just to be clear.
Sam had appeared unconvinced. "Dean, it's for women. It's not going to help Cas deal with his Rising Angel problem."
"Yeah, well, it's got 100 Ways To Please Your Man In Bed, right? I'm sure he can work from that. Right, Cas?"
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Catch by someblazingstar
Rated NC-17, 2500 words.
"It's not my intention to do anything that you don't want, Dean," he says, all stern and straight-faced as always.
"Don't," Dean says, and his voice is so hoarse, a raw thing in his throat, aching like the rest of him.
"Don't what?"Cas asks, and if it were anyone else, Dean would be sure he was fucking with him, drawing things out to be an asshole. It's Cas, though, and the thought of the things he could do scares the crap out of Dean when he does ever stop and think it over, but one thing Cas never has done is toy with him.
He has to close his eyes before he can speak. "Don't make me ask for it, Cas. Please, not that," he says.
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Cravings by tiptoe39
Rated NC-17, 1200 words.
"I want to understand," he says lamely. As though he's not feeling it all through his body. As though his usually pale skin isn't flushed and his hands aren't shaking.
Dean's looking for an escape route. "You do?" he says. "What, cravings?"
Then Castiel says something even more embarrassing than cravings. He says, "Desire."
---
♠ Dean Doesn't Listen To Eurhythmics by Annie D
Rated NC-17, 1900 words.
This was nowhere near as close as Cas would come to him sometimes, but it was one thing to have a stare-off while upright and fully-clothed, and another thing to be doing it while horizontal and under the same set of blankets. The less-than-a-foot of distance between them was way too small.
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Except Thou Bless Me by architeutis
Rated NC-17, 10500 words. (Note the warnings.)
Castiel let out a long breath through his nose and was silent for several seconds, while the Impala devoured asphalt. "What is this about, Dean?"
Dean gritted his teeth, clenched his hands on the wheel. "I just told you. I tell you again and again and you — do you just ignore everything I say that you don't like? I'm out. I'm not doing this anymore. I'm done being jerked around, I don't have ... I can't do what you want. Leave me alone."
"I'm not going to ask you for anything you don't have to give," Castiel said gravely. Dean thumped the steering wheel with the heel of his palm.
"How can you not get this?" He knew he was shouting. "I don't give a shit how easy the job is! It's not about the job! It's about your fucking war and it's about you expecting me to be up and walking around like I'm still an entire human being! Now either follow through or fuck off!"
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♠ Fallen by entangled_now
Rated NC-17, 2600 words.
There are hands on his waist, but they're stronger than they should be, and the quick clench of fingers is hard enough to tell Dean that he's not dreaming-
He's not dreaming.
He shoves at the sheets, at the warm edge of Castiel's bare chest, shoulders smacking the headboard into the wall with a bang.
"Jesus, Cas, what are you doing? What the fuck are you doing?" He doesn't understand, not one little bit, because if this is a joke it's a cruel one.
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♠ Mortal Engines by strangeandcharm
Rated NC-17, 5500 words.
“He’s good with engines,” Bobby had said. “Never known anyone figure out what makes ’em tick so fast in my life. Or what doesn’t make ’em tick, as the case may be. He’s been up to his elbows in oil for a week now and even though he’d never admit it, I’d say he’s as happy as a pig in shit.”
Sam had looked skeptical. Dean had laughed. But now Dean stops dead, staring, and he realizes Bobby was right.
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Nonnegotiable Affections by trinityofone
Rated NC-17, 1900 words.
"I think a celebration is in order," Dean says.
He's grinning. Since Cas came back, he hasn't really stopped. "What are you thinking of?" Sam asks warily.
"Well." Dean moistens his lips. "I think it's time we make Cas a man."
---
Wings and Bathtubs by eggblue
Rated NC-17, 2200 words.
The last time he'd seen Cas, the angel had talked something cryptic and did his disappearing act. That was weeks ago. Maybe angels were like imaginary friends: If he stopped thinking about Cas, maybe Cas would stop appearing.
Only that wasn't as easy as it sounded.
So when Dean goes to take a shower, he's not thinking about anything but getting undressed and under the water as soon as possible.
[Insert Plot Device Here] Made Them Do It
A Rain of Feathers and A Single Feather by Lacey McBain
Rated NC-17, 8700 words & rated PG-13, 5300 words.
Dean felt something sharp jab his foot, and he stepped back, thinking of broken glass and tetanus shots, but it was only a feather. A long black feather, its quill poking his flesh.
Dean practically threw himself across the room, pulling the heavy curtains open to let light leak into the room. What Dean had thought was a hazy pattern of brown and white carpet was a scattering of feathers strewn over the floor. Some black, some white, a very few that shone with an almost golden tone in the weak sunlight.
"Oh, God," Dean said, feeling as if someone had thrown a glass of ice-water in his face. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried desperately to remember if the Bible said anything specific about the punishment for messing with an angel.
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Conservation of Space by entangled_now
Rated NC-17, 2200 words.
So, succubus, Dean's night just gets better and better.
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♠ Enchantment by thegrrrl2002
Rated PG-13, 2000 words.
"It's a trap," Cas said.
"What kind of trap?" Dean shone his flashlight along the symbols. He didn't recognize any of them.
"I don't know." Cas was staring intently at Dean.
Dean didn't really care what kind of trap it was. Dropping his gun, he strode toward Cas, slid a hand around the back of Cas's neck and kissed him.
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Simply Irresistible by FayJay
Rated R, 4400 words.
"More coffee, honey?" says the waitress as he drenches his pancakes in maple syrup, and that's about as unremarkable as you can get, right? He smiles at her, and if she blushes and dimples at him like a woman half her age, well, that's business as usual if you're Dean Winchester. He doesn't think anything of it.
It's when she dives forward and tries to lick maple syrup off his thumb, and has to be removed by her shocked-looking husband, that Dean gets the first faint inkling that there may be something weird going on.
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You Give Yourself Away by hugglewolf
Rated R, 20000 words.
And that was how they learned – and Sam wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing – that apparently Castiel's latest talent wasn't gender or age biased. The manager was a sixty five year old woman, with a tight perm and blond highlights and so much makeup that Sam was pretty sure her facial expressions lasted for hours.
She also had the brightest shade of lipstick he'd ever seen, and it was currently all over Castiel's cheek, neck and collar.
Her fingernail marks were all over Dean's face, but Sam had held the office door shut from the outside while Dean hurried Cas into a room. Once the angel was out of sight, the woman seemed to calm down a little. She flopped into a chair, and looked around dazedly.
Sam slipped away before she questioned why he was holding the door shut.
By the time he reached the room, Castiel was passed out on a bed, and Dean was slumped in a chair. "Cock-blocking," he complained. "Hard fucking work. Who knew?"
Hurts So Good
A Hole In The World by bauble
Rated PG-13, 6600 words. Seriously, seriously heartbreaking.
"Dean--" Castiel gasps, putting a hand on Dean's shoulder and expecting it to burn. But there is nothing but the same warm flesh underneath his fingertips, and Castiel can feel his heart begin to lift in a foolish hope, a hope that he could not articulate before now: that Dean is not gone, not the true vessel of Michael--
"Castiel." It is Dean's voice, but it is not him.
---
♠ Come Down Off Your Throne by fairywearsbootz
Rated R, masterpost, 27000 words; for stealing my breath and breaking my heart.
The clouds outside break up and cold silvery moonlight floods the room. He blinks for a second, blinded by the sudden luminance, and because for a moment, a heartbeat– but then he looks again, and really, the figure standing there, it‘s–
It‘s Cas. [...]
Every bit like Cas, except that Cas died on the floor of a run-down warehouse in Detroit three years ago.
---
One By One: Objects Defined by haruslex
Rated R, 6000 words.
With the Grace of Heaven to measure out his days, Castiel’s time on earth had raced. Just flashes, images, moments, startling in clarity but so small. That time has become keystone, it hold him stable as much as it marks the beginning of his downwards arch. And now the days are longer, stretching to match millennia. The clock radios of nameless hotels trace the minutes and hours that strive for symmetry with time measured in the lives of stars.
They spend most of their time driving.
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♠ Over the Hills and Far Away by seraphwings
Rated R, 5700 words.
Might be nice to vanish.
He does the closest thing he can, and drives.
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Scissile by elliptic-eye
Rated R, 3300 words; for the way things don't fall into place.
There's a sound like the beating of wings and a smell of ozone. In the next moment, Castiel breathes in deeply, a clean, unlabored breath.
"Cas, you back?" Dean grasps his shoulders. "Oh, thank God."
He's being such a frigging chick.
Castiel breathes evenly for a few seconds more, no longer limp against Dean's chest, then opens his eyes. It's the same fathomless, slightly curious look he always wears, like waking up to Dean clutching his body like a child who's lost his first pet is of no consequence whatsoever. Snowflakes land on his face. "Hello, Dean," he says.
And Dean kisses him.
---
World Enough And Time by moonlettuce
Rated R, 224 words.
Dean doesn't have time for slow and drawn-out, not anymore.
---
♠ Venn Diagram by Annie D
Rated R, 3400 words.
“No, come on, it looks like it’s summer outside,” Dean insists, trying to pull Castiel up by his arm. Castiel is a deadweight, so Dean lets him go with an irritated growl. “Fine, you want to sleep in? Go ahead.” He’s off the bed, padding barefoot out of the room.
Castiel falls asleep again. He jerks awake when Dean barges back into the room, face red.
“Cas! What the fuck is going on?” he demands. “Where’s Sam and Bobby? What happened to the house?”
I'll be adding more recs from time to time. Irregularly, though. My delicious account is (usually) more up to date.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-26 01:06 pm (UTC)