Supernatural recs
Jul. 23rd, 2012 04:12 pm![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hazelbiteI've been reading a lot of Supernatural fanfic lately. The pairing is Dean/Castiel and I only watched the show because of it. Yes, I am that kind of fangirl :D And I figure if I'm going to have a time-consuming obsession, I might as well be productive about it!
I don't rec every Destiel fic I read, but when I do, they're quality.All Mostly NC-17 because I love a hot pay off ;)
Now with shiny new word counts!
12 Steps
Author: Gedry
Words: 33,032
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: The 12 Steps tell you to keep it simple, but Dean Winchester has never been good at keeping anything simple. So, with the help and support of the core people in his life he’s giving sobriety his best shot, which even on a good day is a struggle. But as he works at it he makes progress and starts to rediscover himself, and maybe find love with the new guy next door.
Keywords: Another one I read before I started doing the rec things. A realistic (so I hear) take on recovering addict!Dean. Also includes a bit of domesticity!
300 Things
Author: cautionzombies
Words: ~76,500
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean’s life at twenty-four makes him feel like he’s forty—he works two jobs to help pay bills for his house and put his genius little brother through private school, and has spent six years (on and off, let’s be honest) working on his mechanical engineering degree at KU. With so much of his life devoted to his family, Dean has little time in his schedule for class and no time for social interaction. Then, while getting his classes together for the fall, he finds himself in a do-or-die situation: He must take his last literature class now, his spring already filled with those left for his major…except that none of the English classes will fit his schedule.
This is how Dean grovels and begs Dr. Castiel Milton to make a special arrangement for him, and Dr. Milton does.
Keywords: One of the first Destiel fics I ever read and I still go back and re-read it every so often.
A Change of Constellation
Author: ashes
Words: 39,965
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: When Dean wakes up with all the wrong parts in all the right places, his primary concern is figuring out who stole his dick and how to get it back. In the mean time, he may as well try out the new equipment. If only he had ever paid attention in a seventh-grade health class, he could have avoided the complications that came next.
Keywords: Temporary gender-bending and a tiny bit of domesticity.
A Judicious Application of Free Will
Author: Scaramouche
Words: 57,000+
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean lives the simple life in Lawrence, running the family business at Winchester Hardware. When Castiel moves into the neighborhood, they strike up a friendship that has the chance to become something more. But before that can run its course, the secrets of Castiel’s past catch up with them both, and their whole world changes.
Keywords: a proper alternate reality. Can’t say much more without spoiling it but it will make you feel ALL THE THINGS.
A Song of Wind and Wings
Author: triedunture
Words: 10,000
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: The Angelborn have not been seen in Westeros in hundreds of years. Lord Dean Winchester and his brother Ser Sam arrive in Lady Ellen’s Highroad Keep after receiving word that one has been taken captive.
Keywords: A SPN/GoT fusion! I just started reading Game of Thrones so I did not want to miss this one :D
A Wincest Story
Author: trinityofone
Words: ~3,000
Dean/Castiel, Sam/OFC
PG-13
Summary: When he listened to their former angel pronounce his new official human name over and over, first giddy, then reverent—“Cas Winchester, Cas Winchester”—Sam couldn’t shake the feeling that this was somehow going to come back and bite them in the ass.
Keywords: No actual Wincest just domesticity and humorous misunderstandings!
An Exercise In ‘Worthless’
Author: beastofthesky
Words: 26,547
Dean/Castiel (Sam/Gabriel)
R
Summary: “I mean, you’re–” He gestures at Cas, in his neat oxford shirt and nice pants. “–and I’m a high school dropout who tattoos for a living.”
Wherein Dean makes a hefty living as a tattoo artist who owns the space next to Gabriel’s cafe. Sam attends the local university. When Gabe’s cousin comes to live with him while starting grad school at Sam’s university, Dean thinks for sure that all his negative karma’s coming to bite him in the ass because Cas clearly has a thing for Sam. No one would ever choose him over Sam. That’s just logic.
Keywords: Dean with piercings and a collection of tattoos is just so different and perfect. Also, just reading about someone getting a tattoo makes me can’t wait until I’ve saved up enough to get my second one!
And I Will Walk On Water
Author: tracy_loo_who
Words: ~2,900
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: In which Dean discovers that the archangels didn’t finish their job after all, and that demons picked up where they left off.
Keywords: Long, involved, and plotty with a slow building relationship. Also, h/c.
Angelhawke
Author: almaasi
Words: 407,057
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: A Dean/Cas Fantasy-Drama AU, set in a medieval world where two men are separated by a curse: every sunrise and sunset, both are eternally bound to transform into animals. Every night when darkness falls, Dean Winchester becomes a wolf, and his human mind is lost until the dawn. As the sun rises, his lover Castiel becomes a hawk. Their story has been the same for five years - until the day that a young thief named Sam stumbles into their twisted lives. Without even realising it, he becomes a part of their destiny, their paths entwined in prophecy and fate. Together with a few old friends, they set off on a journey to break the curse, but it won’t be easy. To pass the time, Dean and Castiel take turns to recount their past to Sam, narrating the tale of how they met, how they formed their profound bond, and how they found themselves wanting what no man should ever want: the touch of another man.
Keywords: Dean and Castiel’s epic love story, as told to Sam. Warning: LONG but worth it!
Asunder
Author: rageprufrock
Words: 23,817
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Don’t go into Restoration Hardware unless you’re prepared for Cas to pay $500 for a Vulcan deer.
Keyword: AU with Sam/Ruby. Dean invites Cas to the wedding. I think this another one of those “I read it before I started reccing things” fics!
Beyond the Edge and Falling
Authors: annundriel, cautionzombies, obstinatrix, and tiptoe39
Words: ~8,900
NC-17
Dean/Castiel
Summary: Cas is feeling dejected about his increasing humanity. Dean shows him some of the benefits.
One word: Gorgeous :D
Bring It On Home
Author: obstinatrix
Words: 14,871
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Cas is beginning to display emotions. This wouldn’t be so bad, were it not for the fact that the emotions seem to be centring themselves on Dean. Dean is oblivious, of course; Sam, on the other hand, is not. Sam’s never tried his hand at matchmaking before, but it can’t be so hard, right?
Keywords: Funny, quirky, and hot! Also, a really good Castiel!POV :D
But Dust and a Shadow & The Cure and the Poison
Author: akadougal
Words: ?? & 23,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean as a soldier, Castiel as his assigned interpreter. Human/Non-hunter AU. Dean doesn’t know what to do after leaving the Army but Castiel has an offer of another way to serve his country – join an agency determined to track down a massive threat to National Security. A threat his brother is inextricably entwined with.
Keywords: Action/adventure, Dean and Cas as operatives!
Chrysler Almighty
Author: zatnikatel
Words: 5,736
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: All you need to know is it’s a PWP.
One word: Fenestration ;)
Come Carpe Diem, Baby
Author: a_carnal_mink
Words: 9,300
NC-17
Dean/Castiel(Jimmy)
Summary: “I am the only being in all Creation who has cradled your soul in my hands. I know you. I know you are complete. Because I know you completely.”
Keywords: Sweet and hot!
Containing Multitudes
Author: triedunture
Words: 8,700
Dean/Castiel
PG
Summary: Part 1 of the Leaves of Grass series. AU after 6x22.
Keywords: There are four parts to this series (which means the rating gets higher!) I really love fallen!Cas with Dean helping him deal with becoming human. This is a fantastic series! (Parts linked at the end)
Crossing the Sea
Author: thegrrrl2002
Words: 20,828
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: The apocalypse is over, and Dean has Sam back, safe and sound. All should be well with his world, but Dean's still coping with the emotional fallout and feeling more than a little off-balance, Meanwhile, Sam is convinced there's a monster living in Lake Superior but they can't seem to find it, although there's plenty of good pie and fishing trips to be had. Plus there's Castiel, who pops back into Dean's life, and gets way into Dean's personal space. He's dealing with his own issues -- being the new sheriff of heaven isn't turning out quite the way he thought it would.
Keywords: a quiet, happy fic :D
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives
Author: cymbalism219
Words: 15,000
Dean/Cas
NC-17
Summary: After the apocalypse, Dean’s living with Lisa and earning his keep by cooking dinner. Cas likes that Dean can cook. Dean likes Cas’s company. But they could use a little alone time, and Dean has a lot to learn about what the rest of his life really means.
Keywords: Non-AU domesticity is always a treat to find!
Don’t Panic
Author: deans1911
Words: 7,298
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean is a Secret Service agent. Castiel is his ex-KGB handler.
Keywords: I forgot to rec this! I read it a while ago and then had to find it again because I forgot the title. Only two chapters long but that doesn’t matter because the story makes it feel like more! Also has mute!Cas.
Dream As If You’ll Live Forever
Author: Commodoresexual
Words: 5,999
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Cas hasn’t spoken a word to anyone in years and is a drifter who works various odd jobs to finance himself. Dean is a guy with a violent temper who grew up in foster care and has just gotten out of prison for a stupid judgment call. The two cross paths in a pay-by-the-week boarding house run by an eccentric older couple.
Keywords: h/c and backstory!
Excerpts From Carver Edlund’s Magnum Opus
Author: twentysomething
Words: 27,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: “'C’mon, Cas, it’s like we’re Mulder and Scully, this is totally X-Files,” he says expansively, waving a hand around. It makes his tie flap and momentarily obscure the new and distracting belt buckle that just says “LUCKY” in huge, embarrassing reflective script in the early morning light. Castiel just stares blankly at him.
“I don’t know what that means,” Cas replies. Dean sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose under the bright yellow sunglasses.”
Keywords: FBI agent!Dean, anthropologist!Cas solve crimes!
Faith and Deeds
Author: teh-helenables
Words: Long one-shot
Dean/Castiel
G
Summary: The Miltons own a haphazard produce store, and Mary Winchester is their most frequent customer.
Keywords: A sweet AU with Mary-the-matchmaker!
Five times Sam didn’t catch a clue (and the time they finally out and told him)
Author: tfwftw
Words: 5,111
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Sam has no idea Dean and Cas are in a relationship. Dean has no idea that Sam has no idea - has Sam not been paying attention?
Keywords: Oblivious!Sam is hilarious…poor Sam :D
Force of Nature
Author: etcetera-kit
Words: 21,622
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: AU. Dean is a detective with the Lawrence P.D. with a huge crush on Cas, a C.S.I. in the department. Dean, and his partner Rufus, make up the P.S.I.T. - Psychopathological and Sociopathological Investigative Team. A vigilante killer begins posting his executions on YouTube, correcting items that justice has failed. Dean and Rufus are assigned to the case and Cas is their appointed C.S.I. They race against the clock to solve the case as the victims become higher profile, and Rufus dusts off his matchmaking skills.
Keywords: Rufus is a hilarious matchmaker :D
Heart of Glass
Author: omphalos
Words: 17,059
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: He’s the one who was punished, severely, because of his feelings for Dean, but who still gave up everything for him in the end. Surely there should exist between them a better level of comprehension than this.
Keywords: This one hits so many of my buttons: h/c, grace-and-soul-bonding, slowly-becoming-human!Cas. and more! It’s pre-apocalypse too.
Hello Night
Author: almaasi
Words: 11,200
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Demon!Dean/Priest!Cas AU. Castiel summons Dean to the crossroads, and he only wants one thing: him.
Keywords: If you have a thing against Demon!Dean DON’T LET THAT STOP YOU FROM READING THIS. IT’S TOTALLY WORTH IT. Trust me.
House of the Rising Sun
Author: moonlettuce
Words: ~14,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Between the serial killer and his partner, Dean Winchester’s week really can’t get any worse.
Keywords: Cops, h/c, and sweetness! Also, not-in-denial!Dean, yay!
Hummingbirds
Author: strangenessandcharm
Words: 23,700
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Castiel is rendered mute after being taught a painful lesson, but that enables Dean to learn a few lessons of his own while holding onto something important for him. Elsewhere, someone really loves to count…
Keywords: H/C with some gore in the beginning and sweetness at the end :D
In a Twist
Author: annundriel
Words: 2,133
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Castiel buys Dean a little something. Dean likes it. A lot.
Keywords: PORN and panties. Also, sequels!
In the Silence Afterward
By: ibroketuesday
Words: 13,080
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: After Lucifer rises, Dean goes mute.
Keywords: This is the first one that needs a warning: character death. Apocalypse levels of sad, but totally worth it.
It’s Always the End of the World Somewhere
Author: scaramouche
Words: 21,000+
Dean/Castiel +others
NC-17
Summary: The status quo is this: Dean is the popular captain of the football team, and Castiel is the off-kilter nobody who doesn’t so much as breathe the same air as Dean. Then senior year happens and the status quo is shot to smithereens.
Keywords: high-school AU with slowly revealed backstory! Also, prequels/sequels at the end!
Inevitable Homoeroticism in Spanish Romantic Heroes
Author: prosopopeya
Words: 41,701
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean is a grad student studying for his MA in Spanish literature, and he’s pretty content with his sexuality as it is — that is, fairly undefined and also secret. His attraction to Castiel, a professor to the undergrads, doesn’t seem like a big deal until it becomes a very big deal, and Dean scrambles to keep his head above water.
Keywords: College AU with Cas speaking different languages. So… language porn :D?
Jump the Track
Author: lafleurdumal85
Words: ??
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: High school AU. It’s Dean’s senior year at Lawrence High, and he’s already given up on himself. It takes the arrival of the strange, intense, awkward Castiel Delacroix at the school to prove to Dean that maybe his life is worth saving after all.
Keywords: Here, have an excerpt from Castiel texting Dean:
GABRIEL HAS RED SATIN SHEETS ON HIS BED. GOOD GOD, WHAT AM I DOING HERE?
I WOKE UP THIS MORNING TO FIND BLONDE SKANDANAVIAN TWINS MAKING WAFFLES IN THE KITCHEN WEARING ONLY THEIR UNDERWEAR. IT WAS TERRIFYING.
I SUSPECT THAT GABRIEL IS RUNNING SOME KIND OF DEN OF INIQUITY. I HAVE A HORRIBLE FEELING YOU WOULD LIKE IT HERE.
Lay Your Weary Head To Rest
Author: ladyoneill
Artist: brihana25
Words: 35,242
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: In the final battle of Armageddon, Dean is severely injured. As he suffers through pain and multiple surgeries and the possibility of permanent disability, Castiel is granted a reward by Heaven that Dean struggles with understanding, Sam makes a decision that throws Dean for a loop, and a ten year old boy finds out his father is the man he always wished it was, but nothing like he expected. Somehow these four take something very broken and dysfunctional and make it into a family.
Keywords: Hurt/comfort and domesticity! SEQUEL.
My Eyes Are An Ocean
Author: entanglednow
Words: 10,275
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: It’s amazing what you decide you can get away with when you can’t see a damn thing.
Keywords: Blind!Dean where everyone else is more concerned about it than he is.
Of Wizards and Dovah
Author: sofiwick
Words: 13,700
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Set in the world of ‘The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim’. Dean is Dovahkiin - the Dragonborn - said to be destined to kill the dragon Alduin, the World Eater. Castiel is the cute wizard Dean would very much like to have as an ally on his quest.
Keywords: First of all, I know absolutely NOTHING about Skyrim but it’s still a great story without any prior knowledge. Also, potential sequel! I hope so because I would love to read more in this universe
One Thing The Imp Cannot Do
Author: ardeospina
Words: 12,467
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Dean Winchester loves his job. Most of the time. As a devil on your shoulder, he gets to cause all sorts of mischief with his charges. But his current charge is boring, and the angel he’s paired with is the worst one yet. He can’t wait till his next assignment. But when he finally gets a new charge, his new angel partner, Castiel, is quiet, mysterious, and secretive. Dean finds himself drawn to the angel all the same, but will he ever get Castiel to warm up to him? And what’s the big secret Castiel is hiding from Dean?
Keywords: Dean is an adorable shoulder imp trying to bond with his coworker shoulder angel, Castiel. Did I mention it’s adorable?
Our bodies, possessed by light
Author: obstinatrix
Words: ~42,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Purged of all his souls, Castiel is a changed being, stronger than an angel and too powerful for Jimmy’s body to contain. Happily, there’s an archangel’s vessel on hand, and he could use fixing, too. Dean isn’t too happy about the idea of his brother acting as a vessel for Castiel, and Sam can guess why, but it isn’t until Castiel gets inside his head and they learn to share the vessel — and their thoughts — that Sam realises Cas is as in love with Dean as Dean is with him. It’s unfortunate that there’s nothing much to be done about it now, but Castiel will get another vessel soon. The Winchesters will make damn sure of that. In the meantime, it’s up to the three of them to establish their own strange accord, and Dean realises more fully than ever that it’s Castiel, and not his vessel, that he loves.
Keywords: Make sure to read the warnings first but, other than that, it’s a gorgeous fic :D
Outside of Class
Author: blue_fjords
Words: 2,300
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Cas is a young, arrogant professor... Dean’s the student.
One word: PWP!
Play It All Night Long
Author: janie_tangerine
Words: ~43,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: the rom-com-ish one where Dean hosts a late night radio show, Castiel is a regular listener of his who starts calling one day and ends up calling more often than not and Dean finds himself liking it. This, until one day Castiel calls for not exactly petty reasons (just before Dean’s brother Sam is visiting with his girlfriend for spring break) and things get very, very crowdy at his place. He also doesn’t know it’s just the beginning of it. Also features Gabriel, Chuck, Andy, the Roadhouse crew and a huge amount of music quoted. Especially Bob Dylan.
Keywords: A sweet AU! Also, check out the playlist. There are some great songs!
Point Pleasant
Author: chainedtoacomet
Words: 172,577
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean Winchester grew up in the idyllic town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. A terrifying encounter with the supernatural during his childhood shaped his worldview and served as the catalyst for his successful career as a bestselling horror writer. Dean left Point Pleasant at the age of twenty, driven from his hometown by rejection and heartbreak, but thirteen years after abandoning his home and family, Dean finds himself drawn back to the town by the promise of investigating the apparent reemergence of the supernatural creature responsible for Dean’s childhood nightmares.
Once back in Point Pleasant, Dean is confronted not only by the town’s resident monster, the Mothman, but also by his childhood best friend, Castiel Novak. Together, with Bobby Singer—the old drunk who lives on the edge of town—Dean and Castiel uncover the mystery of Point Pleasant’s Mothman in all its terrifying reality. Point Pleasant is a horror story, but aims to show that the ghosts that haunt us are sometimes made of flesh and blood. And sometimes, they lead us home.
Keywords: A different take on Supernatural creatures in an SPN!AU.
Redemption Road
Author: Many!
Words: see individual entries
Dean/Castiel, Sam/OFC
NC-17 overall
Summary: With Castiel having set himself up as the new God, drunk on power and volatile as a nuclear reactor, Dean, Sam, and Bobby find themselves on the run from the jealous, capricious monster wearing the face of their friend. Desperate for protection and wary of his brother’s mental state since Castiel unlocked Sam’s memories of Hell, Dean knows Castiel must be defused before he can wreak further havoc in Heaven or on Earth. Although Bobby advocates for destroying Castiel by whatever means necessary, Dean is convinced the Cas he once knew still remains, buried somewhere beneath the mass of poisonous souls and calling out for help. Determined to save the angel who once rescued him from Hell and redefined his purpose in life, Dean himself must resist the allure of the false deity vying for his obedience, and come to terms with the knowledge, long-suppressed, that his feelings for Castiel run much deeper than brotherhood. It is this bond, and the dubious distinction of the Righteous Man, that will ultimately grant Dean access to where Castiel’s grace languishes in Purgatory. However, what Dean brings back with him is broken, angry, and only half-angel, certainly not the Castiel he remembers—and nor is it the only thing that returns to Earth with them...
Keywords: A truly epic story that will make you feel ALL THE THINGS. Be prepared to do nothing else BUT read this.
Shortskirts ‘Verse
Author: twentysomething
Words: 22,377
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: So, they’re in high school, and then they’re in college, and it’s mostly not about Taylor Swift, except when it is.
Keywords: AU highschool, college, and after! This is the second thing I’ve rec’d by this author as well.
So Glad We Made It
Author: scaramouche
Words: 16,421
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: At twelve years old, Dean makes a friend, who becomes his best friend, who will eventually become the love of his life.
Keywords: A charming and happy story! I love BFF first stories and this is my favorite destiel author :D
Some Kind of Ride
Author: dreamingwriter
Words: ~3,000
Dean/Castiel
PG-13
Summary: Dean is getting married. To Cas. Sam is thrilled.
Keyword: Sweet!
Something Stupid
Author: Zatnikatel
Words: 20,541
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Castiel loses his faith, his mojo and his Dean, and then gets them all back again with the help of a few movie tough guys...
Keywords: Profound bond and Cas quoting movies!
Take Me In
Author: cautionzombies
Words: 26,000
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Dean can’t cope without Sam, so he gets a little angelic assistance to find him.
Keywords: Trueform!Cas plus an adorable OC angel. Also, sequel!
The Ghost of Embers
Author: moorishflower
Words: 38,500
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean Winchester’s life has been one big clusterfuck. He lost his mother to a house fire when he was a child, and he lost his father to an explosive car accident when he was a teen, and, now that he’s a full-grown man, he’s losing his brother to college and to distant, sunny California. Dean, determined not to let his pyrophobia or his anxiety over his absent brother ruin him, and desirous of a change that just might fix everything, makes the rashest move of his adult life: a largely unnecessary, almost entirely unplanned move to New York City. Stuck in the middle of a city that has a reputation for chewing up and spitting out the unprepared, Dean’s anxieties fluctuate between bad and worse…until he starts to get to know his mysterious and antisocial next door neighbor, Castiel. But mystery isn’t always a good thing; Castiel is hiding a secret…a secret that even the cynical Dean Winchester might have trouble believing.
Keywords: A beautiful and bittersweet ghost story. I thought it might be sad but it’s more melancholy with a hopeful ending. Don’t miss it!
The Ghosts of Blackthorn Hall
Author: linoresearch
Words: 95,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: In 1843 Castiel Milton leaves his life of quiet faith and duty to take up employment as tutor to the young ward of one Mr Dean Winchester, at Blackthorn Hall. Set deep among the Yorkshire moors Blackthorn is a place of mysteries – a wild place with an odd history, where faces appear at the windows and mad women laugh in the night. Castiel is drawn to the enigmatic Master of Blackthorn and they form a strong attachment neither of them expected. But there are secrets hidden behind Blackthorns thick stone walls that threaten to destroy their happiness, they are forced to confront the ghosts of their past.
Keywords: Starts off as a Victorian horror story but as the story unfolds, it all starts to make sense. The descriptions really make it feel like you’re there.
I also judge stories by their re-readability, and this one definitely has that!
The Girlfriend Experience
Author: rageprufrock
Words: 15,393
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: While it’s not like Dean hasn’t had a couple of truly regrettable hit-and-runs in his sexual history, this is probably the saddest fucking thing that has ever happened to him.
Keywords: Funny AND hot, two of my favorite things!
The Mirror
Author: cloudyjenn
Words: 24,568
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: When Dean touches a strange mirror, he’s whisked away to one alternate reality after another and it doesn’t take him long to realize the universe is trying to tell him something.
Keywords: The reason I prefer Dean/Cas AUs is because I firmly believe that they have the kind of bond that would radiate out through all universes. This fic is a prefect of example of that!
The (Mostly Accidental) Courtship of Dean Winchester
Author: tuesday
Words: 11,171
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Angelic marriage rites were never intended to go quite like this.
Keywords: Funny semi crack!fic with oblivious!Dean :D
The Precision of The Fall
Author: behindblue_eyes
Words: 36,850
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: They used to be called The Family Winchester. People came from miles around to see their act, knowing their names and faces before the circus even rolled into town. Life was shiny with salt and sawdust, sequins and smiles. Now, all that was left were a few crumpled posters, an empty bunk next to Dean’s, and the leather-gripped knives hidden in the trick pockets of his vest.
Keywords: Such a unique setting! Plus a little bit of mystery backstory and don’t forget to check out the art!
The Violin House
Author: teh_helenables
Words: ??
Dean/Castiel
PG
Summary: The Apple Pie Life is a slow process, but Dean and Cas are getting there—until Cas is called for battle and Dean is forced to wait.
Keywords: I don’t rec a lot of PG but I have a soft spot for domestic!Destiel and this one is perfect :D
The Way the War was Won
By: deans1911
Words: 39,084
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Dean and Cas are buddy cops faking a marriage for the benefits and tax breaks. Except for the part where Dean’s sort of actually in love with his partner and doesn’t realize it yet.
Keywords: It’s got sort-of denial (the funny kind, not the annoying kind) Did I mention it’s funny? And sweet :DWIP but updates regularly! Now complete!
There’s Only One Sure Thing That I Know
Author: blinkiesays
Words: 20,358
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean doesn’t even get halfway through explaining before Bobby starts laughing. When he lets himself think about it for more than five seconds, Dean can almost see Bobby’s point: he’s faced down demons, witches, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, angels, and Satan himself and now he’s been defeated by the God damn Midwest.
One word: Domesticity :D
Thursday’s Child
Author: strangenessandcharm
Words: 114,000
Dean/Castiel, Dean/OFC/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Thursday’s child has far to go.
Keywords: Future!Cas and Dean so they’re both pretty messed up. That doesn’t stop them from trying to heal each other.
Unconditionally Horny and Eternally Sad
Author: wormstaches
Words: 31,714
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: It’s your typical boy-likes-boy story. Boy 1 is sad, Boy 2 is horny. Let’s call Boy 1 Castiel Novak; he’s spent his entire life being left behind by everybody around him. Boy 2 is named Dean Winchester; he just wants Castiel to fall in love with him, and is determined to show Cas he isn’t everybody.
Keywords: The same author as below, I wanted to show a contrast for those who don’t like in-denial!Dean, here is has-his-shit-together!Dean, which is what I love!
Waves
Author: wormstaches
Words: 54,132
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Dean Winchester is the average guy: football, college, kid brother, nice car, girls and beer; his life is black and white, that is until he meets Castiel Collins: pretentious, slutty, sweater-wearing genius, who won’t even take the time to look up at him from his obscure novel while he insults him. And then everything is shades of gray and Dean is drowning.
Keywords: Hipster!Cas is a riot and surprisingly perfect! Also, Idiot-in-denial!Dean. Couldn’t stop reading!
We Became Fans of Collisions
Author: wandersfound
Words: 27,682
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean is the owner of a bookstore and one day, he gets a new customer.
Keywords: I love AUs where Dean and Cas have interesting or different than usual jobs! Has shy!Cas and book lover!Dean.
Where the World Begins
Author: the-ninth-bow
Words: ~49,300
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: In the aftermath of a battle against demons, Castiel rescues an orphan girl, who then forms an attachment to the fallen angel. Dean and Castiel take her into their care, traveling highways and back roads, killing as many demons as they can, while Sam searches for an alternate way to defeat Lucifer. Amidst trying to end the Apocalypse, Dean finds his life a strange combination of broken, crumbling cities and a half-domestic life on the road. In the quiet moments they make for themselves among the chaos, Dean and Castiel become closer not only to each other but to their ward, and Dean finds his life taking a turn in a direction he never thought it’d have a chance to take.
Keywords: A little bit of domesticity during the apocalypse.
White Winter Hymnal
Author: newbluemoon
Words: 23,205
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: AU. Writer!Dean walks into a café late at night on Christmas Eve, looking for inspiration for his next novel. Instead he finds librarian!Cas.
Keywords: Practically a soulmates story! If you like your Destiel sweet and hot with a dash of schmoop then this is for you!
Yellow Moon
Author: coffeeandcheesecake
Words: 11,548
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Castiel Novak hasn’t said a word for three years. The mountains and a beautiful boy might give him a reason to speak.
Keywords: In universe!AU. Very sweet! I wish I could read more about Dean and Cas hunting together.
I don't rec every Destiel fic I read, but when I do, they're quality.
Now with shiny new word counts!
12 Steps
Author: Gedry
Words: 33,032
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: The 12 Steps tell you to keep it simple, but Dean Winchester has never been good at keeping anything simple. So, with the help and support of the core people in his life he’s giving sobriety his best shot, which even on a good day is a struggle. But as he works at it he makes progress and starts to rediscover himself, and maybe find love with the new guy next door.
Keywords: Another one I read before I started doing the rec things. A realistic (so I hear) take on recovering addict!Dean. Also includes a bit of domesticity!
300 Things
Author: cautionzombies
Words: ~76,500
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean’s life at twenty-four makes him feel like he’s forty—he works two jobs to help pay bills for his house and put his genius little brother through private school, and has spent six years (on and off, let’s be honest) working on his mechanical engineering degree at KU. With so much of his life devoted to his family, Dean has little time in his schedule for class and no time for social interaction. Then, while getting his classes together for the fall, he finds himself in a do-or-die situation: He must take his last literature class now, his spring already filled with those left for his major…except that none of the English classes will fit his schedule.
This is how Dean grovels and begs Dr. Castiel Milton to make a special arrangement for him, and Dr. Milton does.
Keywords: One of the first Destiel fics I ever read and I still go back and re-read it every so often.
A Change of Constellation
Author: ashes
Words: 39,965
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: When Dean wakes up with all the wrong parts in all the right places, his primary concern is figuring out who stole his dick and how to get it back. In the mean time, he may as well try out the new equipment. If only he had ever paid attention in a seventh-grade health class, he could have avoided the complications that came next.
Keywords: Temporary gender-bending and a tiny bit of domesticity.
A Judicious Application of Free Will
Author: Scaramouche
Words: 57,000+
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean lives the simple life in Lawrence, running the family business at Winchester Hardware. When Castiel moves into the neighborhood, they strike up a friendship that has the chance to become something more. But before that can run its course, the secrets of Castiel’s past catch up with them both, and their whole world changes.
Keywords: a proper alternate reality. Can’t say much more without spoiling it but it will make you feel ALL THE THINGS.
A Song of Wind and Wings
Author: triedunture
Words: 10,000
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: The Angelborn have not been seen in Westeros in hundreds of years. Lord Dean Winchester and his brother Ser Sam arrive in Lady Ellen’s Highroad Keep after receiving word that one has been taken captive.
Keywords: A SPN/GoT fusion! I just started reading Game of Thrones so I did not want to miss this one :D
A Wincest Story
Author: trinityofone
Words: ~3,000
Dean/Castiel, Sam/OFC
PG-13
Summary: When he listened to their former angel pronounce his new official human name over and over, first giddy, then reverent—“Cas Winchester, Cas Winchester”—Sam couldn’t shake the feeling that this was somehow going to come back and bite them in the ass.
Keywords: No actual Wincest just domesticity and humorous misunderstandings!
An Exercise In ‘Worthless’
Author: beastofthesky
Words: 26,547
Dean/Castiel (Sam/Gabriel)
R
Summary: “I mean, you’re–” He gestures at Cas, in his neat oxford shirt and nice pants. “–and I’m a high school dropout who tattoos for a living.”
Wherein Dean makes a hefty living as a tattoo artist who owns the space next to Gabriel’s cafe. Sam attends the local university. When Gabe’s cousin comes to live with him while starting grad school at Sam’s university, Dean thinks for sure that all his negative karma’s coming to bite him in the ass because Cas clearly has a thing for Sam. No one would ever choose him over Sam. That’s just logic.
Keywords: Dean with piercings and a collection of tattoos is just so different and perfect. Also, just reading about someone getting a tattoo makes me can’t wait until I’ve saved up enough to get my second one!
And I Will Walk On Water
Author: tracy_loo_who
Words: ~2,900
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: In which Dean discovers that the archangels didn’t finish their job after all, and that demons picked up where they left off.
Keywords: Long, involved, and plotty with a slow building relationship. Also, h/c.
Angelhawke
Author: almaasi
Words: 407,057
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: A Dean/Cas Fantasy-Drama AU, set in a medieval world where two men are separated by a curse: every sunrise and sunset, both are eternally bound to transform into animals. Every night when darkness falls, Dean Winchester becomes a wolf, and his human mind is lost until the dawn. As the sun rises, his lover Castiel becomes a hawk. Their story has been the same for five years - until the day that a young thief named Sam stumbles into their twisted lives. Without even realising it, he becomes a part of their destiny, their paths entwined in prophecy and fate. Together with a few old friends, they set off on a journey to break the curse, but it won’t be easy. To pass the time, Dean and Castiel take turns to recount their past to Sam, narrating the tale of how they met, how they formed their profound bond, and how they found themselves wanting what no man should ever want: the touch of another man.
Keywords: Dean and Castiel’s epic love story, as told to Sam. Warning: LONG but worth it!
Asunder
Author: rageprufrock
Words: 23,817
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Don’t go into Restoration Hardware unless you’re prepared for Cas to pay $500 for a Vulcan deer.
Keyword: AU with Sam/Ruby. Dean invites Cas to the wedding. I think this another one of those “I read it before I started reccing things” fics!
Beyond the Edge and Falling
Authors: annundriel, cautionzombies, obstinatrix, and tiptoe39
Words: ~8,900
NC-17
Dean/Castiel
Summary: Cas is feeling dejected about his increasing humanity. Dean shows him some of the benefits.
One word: Gorgeous :D
Bring It On Home
Author: obstinatrix
Words: 14,871
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Cas is beginning to display emotions. This wouldn’t be so bad, were it not for the fact that the emotions seem to be centring themselves on Dean. Dean is oblivious, of course; Sam, on the other hand, is not. Sam’s never tried his hand at matchmaking before, but it can’t be so hard, right?
Keywords: Funny, quirky, and hot! Also, a really good Castiel!POV :D
But Dust and a Shadow & The Cure and the Poison
Author: akadougal
Words: ?? & 23,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean as a soldier, Castiel as his assigned interpreter. Human/Non-hunter AU. Dean doesn’t know what to do after leaving the Army but Castiel has an offer of another way to serve his country – join an agency determined to track down a massive threat to National Security. A threat his brother is inextricably entwined with.
Keywords: Action/adventure, Dean and Cas as operatives!
Chrysler Almighty
Author: zatnikatel
Words: 5,736
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: All you need to know is it’s a PWP.
One word: Fenestration ;)
Come Carpe Diem, Baby
Author: a_carnal_mink
Words: 9,300
NC-17
Dean/Castiel(Jimmy)
Summary: “I am the only being in all Creation who has cradled your soul in my hands. I know you. I know you are complete. Because I know you completely.”
Keywords: Sweet and hot!
Containing Multitudes
Author: triedunture
Words: 8,700
Dean/Castiel
PG
Summary: Part 1 of the Leaves of Grass series. AU after 6x22.
Keywords: There are four parts to this series (which means the rating gets higher!) I really love fallen!Cas with Dean helping him deal with becoming human. This is a fantastic series! (Parts linked at the end)
Crossing the Sea
Author: thegrrrl2002
Words: 20,828
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: The apocalypse is over, and Dean has Sam back, safe and sound. All should be well with his world, but Dean's still coping with the emotional fallout and feeling more than a little off-balance, Meanwhile, Sam is convinced there's a monster living in Lake Superior but they can't seem to find it, although there's plenty of good pie and fishing trips to be had. Plus there's Castiel, who pops back into Dean's life, and gets way into Dean's personal space. He's dealing with his own issues -- being the new sheriff of heaven isn't turning out quite the way he thought it would.
Keywords: a quiet, happy fic :D
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives
Author: cymbalism219
Words: 15,000
Dean/Cas
NC-17
Summary: After the apocalypse, Dean’s living with Lisa and earning his keep by cooking dinner. Cas likes that Dean can cook. Dean likes Cas’s company. But they could use a little alone time, and Dean has a lot to learn about what the rest of his life really means.
Keywords: Non-AU domesticity is always a treat to find!
Don’t Panic
Author: deans1911
Words: 7,298
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean is a Secret Service agent. Castiel is his ex-KGB handler.
Keywords: I forgot to rec this! I read it a while ago and then had to find it again because I forgot the title. Only two chapters long but that doesn’t matter because the story makes it feel like more! Also has mute!Cas.
Dream As If You’ll Live Forever
Author: Commodoresexual
Words: 5,999
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Cas hasn’t spoken a word to anyone in years and is a drifter who works various odd jobs to finance himself. Dean is a guy with a violent temper who grew up in foster care and has just gotten out of prison for a stupid judgment call. The two cross paths in a pay-by-the-week boarding house run by an eccentric older couple.
Keywords: h/c and backstory!
Excerpts From Carver Edlund’s Magnum Opus
Author: twentysomething
Words: 27,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: “'C’mon, Cas, it’s like we’re Mulder and Scully, this is totally X-Files,” he says expansively, waving a hand around. It makes his tie flap and momentarily obscure the new and distracting belt buckle that just says “LUCKY” in huge, embarrassing reflective script in the early morning light. Castiel just stares blankly at him.
“I don’t know what that means,” Cas replies. Dean sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose under the bright yellow sunglasses.”
Keywords: FBI agent!Dean, anthropologist!Cas solve crimes!
Faith and Deeds
Author: teh-helenables
Words: Long one-shot
Dean/Castiel
G
Summary: The Miltons own a haphazard produce store, and Mary Winchester is their most frequent customer.
Keywords: A sweet AU with Mary-the-matchmaker!
Five times Sam didn’t catch a clue (and the time they finally out and told him)
Author: tfwftw
Words: 5,111
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Sam has no idea Dean and Cas are in a relationship. Dean has no idea that Sam has no idea - has Sam not been paying attention?
Keywords: Oblivious!Sam is hilarious…poor Sam :D
Force of Nature
Author: etcetera-kit
Words: 21,622
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: AU. Dean is a detective with the Lawrence P.D. with a huge crush on Cas, a C.S.I. in the department. Dean, and his partner Rufus, make up the P.S.I.T. - Psychopathological and Sociopathological Investigative Team. A vigilante killer begins posting his executions on YouTube, correcting items that justice has failed. Dean and Rufus are assigned to the case and Cas is their appointed C.S.I. They race against the clock to solve the case as the victims become higher profile, and Rufus dusts off his matchmaking skills.
Keywords: Rufus is a hilarious matchmaker :D
Heart of Glass
Author: omphalos
Words: 17,059
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: He’s the one who was punished, severely, because of his feelings for Dean, but who still gave up everything for him in the end. Surely there should exist between them a better level of comprehension than this.
Keywords: This one hits so many of my buttons: h/c, grace-and-soul-bonding, slowly-becoming-human!Cas. and more! It’s pre-apocalypse too.
Hello Night
Author: almaasi
Words: 11,200
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Demon!Dean/Priest!Cas AU. Castiel summons Dean to the crossroads, and he only wants one thing: him.
Keywords: If you have a thing against Demon!Dean DON’T LET THAT STOP YOU FROM READING THIS. IT’S TOTALLY WORTH IT. Trust me.
House of the Rising Sun
Author: moonlettuce
Words: ~14,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Between the serial killer and his partner, Dean Winchester’s week really can’t get any worse.
Keywords: Cops, h/c, and sweetness! Also, not-in-denial!Dean, yay!
Hummingbirds
Author: strangenessandcharm
Words: 23,700
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Castiel is rendered mute after being taught a painful lesson, but that enables Dean to learn a few lessons of his own while holding onto something important for him. Elsewhere, someone really loves to count…
Keywords: H/C with some gore in the beginning and sweetness at the end :D
In a Twist
Author: annundriel
Words: 2,133
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Castiel buys Dean a little something. Dean likes it. A lot.
Keywords: PORN and panties. Also, sequels!
In the Silence Afterward
By: ibroketuesday
Words: 13,080
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: After Lucifer rises, Dean goes mute.
Keywords: This is the first one that needs a warning: character death. Apocalypse levels of sad, but totally worth it.
It’s Always the End of the World Somewhere
Author: scaramouche
Words: 21,000+
Dean/Castiel +others
NC-17
Summary: The status quo is this: Dean is the popular captain of the football team, and Castiel is the off-kilter nobody who doesn’t so much as breathe the same air as Dean. Then senior year happens and the status quo is shot to smithereens.
Keywords: high-school AU with slowly revealed backstory! Also, prequels/sequels at the end!
Inevitable Homoeroticism in Spanish Romantic Heroes
Author: prosopopeya
Words: 41,701
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean is a grad student studying for his MA in Spanish literature, and he’s pretty content with his sexuality as it is — that is, fairly undefined and also secret. His attraction to Castiel, a professor to the undergrads, doesn’t seem like a big deal until it becomes a very big deal, and Dean scrambles to keep his head above water.
Keywords: College AU with Cas speaking different languages. So… language porn :D?
Jump the Track
Author: lafleurdumal85
Words: ??
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: High school AU. It’s Dean’s senior year at Lawrence High, and he’s already given up on himself. It takes the arrival of the strange, intense, awkward Castiel Delacroix at the school to prove to Dean that maybe his life is worth saving after all.
Keywords: Here, have an excerpt from Castiel texting Dean:
GABRIEL HAS RED SATIN SHEETS ON HIS BED. GOOD GOD, WHAT AM I DOING HERE?
I WOKE UP THIS MORNING TO FIND BLONDE SKANDANAVIAN TWINS MAKING WAFFLES IN THE KITCHEN WEARING ONLY THEIR UNDERWEAR. IT WAS TERRIFYING.
I SUSPECT THAT GABRIEL IS RUNNING SOME KIND OF DEN OF INIQUITY. I HAVE A HORRIBLE FEELING YOU WOULD LIKE IT HERE.
Lay Your Weary Head To Rest
Author: ladyoneill
Artist: brihana25
Words: 35,242
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: In the final battle of Armageddon, Dean is severely injured. As he suffers through pain and multiple surgeries and the possibility of permanent disability, Castiel is granted a reward by Heaven that Dean struggles with understanding, Sam makes a decision that throws Dean for a loop, and a ten year old boy finds out his father is the man he always wished it was, but nothing like he expected. Somehow these four take something very broken and dysfunctional and make it into a family.
Keywords: Hurt/comfort and domesticity! SEQUEL.
My Eyes Are An Ocean
Author: entanglednow
Words: 10,275
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: It’s amazing what you decide you can get away with when you can’t see a damn thing.
Keywords: Blind!Dean where everyone else is more concerned about it than he is.
Of Wizards and Dovah
Author: sofiwick
Words: 13,700
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Set in the world of ‘The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim’. Dean is Dovahkiin - the Dragonborn - said to be destined to kill the dragon Alduin, the World Eater. Castiel is the cute wizard Dean would very much like to have as an ally on his quest.
Keywords: First of all, I know absolutely NOTHING about Skyrim but it’s still a great story without any prior knowledge. Also, potential sequel! I hope so because I would love to read more in this universe
One Thing The Imp Cannot Do
Author: ardeospina
Words: 12,467
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Dean Winchester loves his job. Most of the time. As a devil on your shoulder, he gets to cause all sorts of mischief with his charges. But his current charge is boring, and the angel he’s paired with is the worst one yet. He can’t wait till his next assignment. But when he finally gets a new charge, his new angel partner, Castiel, is quiet, mysterious, and secretive. Dean finds himself drawn to the angel all the same, but will he ever get Castiel to warm up to him? And what’s the big secret Castiel is hiding from Dean?
Keywords: Dean is an adorable shoulder imp trying to bond with his coworker shoulder angel, Castiel. Did I mention it’s adorable?
Our bodies, possessed by light
Author: obstinatrix
Words: ~42,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Purged of all his souls, Castiel is a changed being, stronger than an angel and too powerful for Jimmy’s body to contain. Happily, there’s an archangel’s vessel on hand, and he could use fixing, too. Dean isn’t too happy about the idea of his brother acting as a vessel for Castiel, and Sam can guess why, but it isn’t until Castiel gets inside his head and they learn to share the vessel — and their thoughts — that Sam realises Cas is as in love with Dean as Dean is with him. It’s unfortunate that there’s nothing much to be done about it now, but Castiel will get another vessel soon. The Winchesters will make damn sure of that. In the meantime, it’s up to the three of them to establish their own strange accord, and Dean realises more fully than ever that it’s Castiel, and not his vessel, that he loves.
Keywords: Make sure to read the warnings first but, other than that, it’s a gorgeous fic :D
Outside of Class
Author: blue_fjords
Words: 2,300
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Cas is a young, arrogant professor... Dean’s the student.
One word: PWP!
Play It All Night Long
Author: janie_tangerine
Words: ~43,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: the rom-com-ish one where Dean hosts a late night radio show, Castiel is a regular listener of his who starts calling one day and ends up calling more often than not and Dean finds himself liking it. This, until one day Castiel calls for not exactly petty reasons (just before Dean’s brother Sam is visiting with his girlfriend for spring break) and things get very, very crowdy at his place. He also doesn’t know it’s just the beginning of it. Also features Gabriel, Chuck, Andy, the Roadhouse crew and a huge amount of music quoted. Especially Bob Dylan.
Keywords: A sweet AU! Also, check out the playlist. There are some great songs!
Point Pleasant
Author: chainedtoacomet
Words: 172,577
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean Winchester grew up in the idyllic town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. A terrifying encounter with the supernatural during his childhood shaped his worldview and served as the catalyst for his successful career as a bestselling horror writer. Dean left Point Pleasant at the age of twenty, driven from his hometown by rejection and heartbreak, but thirteen years after abandoning his home and family, Dean finds himself drawn back to the town by the promise of investigating the apparent reemergence of the supernatural creature responsible for Dean’s childhood nightmares.
Once back in Point Pleasant, Dean is confronted not only by the town’s resident monster, the Mothman, but also by his childhood best friend, Castiel Novak. Together, with Bobby Singer—the old drunk who lives on the edge of town—Dean and Castiel uncover the mystery of Point Pleasant’s Mothman in all its terrifying reality. Point Pleasant is a horror story, but aims to show that the ghosts that haunt us are sometimes made of flesh and blood. And sometimes, they lead us home.
Keywords: A different take on Supernatural creatures in an SPN!AU.
Redemption Road
Author: Many!
Words: see individual entries
Dean/Castiel, Sam/OFC
NC-17 overall
Summary: With Castiel having set himself up as the new God, drunk on power and volatile as a nuclear reactor, Dean, Sam, and Bobby find themselves on the run from the jealous, capricious monster wearing the face of their friend. Desperate for protection and wary of his brother’s mental state since Castiel unlocked Sam’s memories of Hell, Dean knows Castiel must be defused before he can wreak further havoc in Heaven or on Earth. Although Bobby advocates for destroying Castiel by whatever means necessary, Dean is convinced the Cas he once knew still remains, buried somewhere beneath the mass of poisonous souls and calling out for help. Determined to save the angel who once rescued him from Hell and redefined his purpose in life, Dean himself must resist the allure of the false deity vying for his obedience, and come to terms with the knowledge, long-suppressed, that his feelings for Castiel run much deeper than brotherhood. It is this bond, and the dubious distinction of the Righteous Man, that will ultimately grant Dean access to where Castiel’s grace languishes in Purgatory. However, what Dean brings back with him is broken, angry, and only half-angel, certainly not the Castiel he remembers—and nor is it the only thing that returns to Earth with them...
Keywords: A truly epic story that will make you feel ALL THE THINGS. Be prepared to do nothing else BUT read this.
Shortskirts ‘Verse
Author: twentysomething
Words: 22,377
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: So, they’re in high school, and then they’re in college, and it’s mostly not about Taylor Swift, except when it is.
Keywords: AU highschool, college, and after! This is the second thing I’ve rec’d by this author as well.
So Glad We Made It
Author: scaramouche
Words: 16,421
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: At twelve years old, Dean makes a friend, who becomes his best friend, who will eventually become the love of his life.
Keywords: A charming and happy story! I love BFF first stories and this is my favorite destiel author :D
Some Kind of Ride
Author: dreamingwriter
Words: ~3,000
Dean/Castiel
PG-13
Summary: Dean is getting married. To Cas. Sam is thrilled.
Keyword: Sweet!
Something Stupid
Author: Zatnikatel
Words: 20,541
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Castiel loses his faith, his mojo and his Dean, and then gets them all back again with the help of a few movie tough guys...
Keywords: Profound bond and Cas quoting movies!
Take Me In
Author: cautionzombies
Words: 26,000
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Dean can’t cope without Sam, so he gets a little angelic assistance to find him.
Keywords: Trueform!Cas plus an adorable OC angel. Also, sequel!
The Ghost of Embers
Author: moorishflower
Words: 38,500
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean Winchester’s life has been one big clusterfuck. He lost his mother to a house fire when he was a child, and he lost his father to an explosive car accident when he was a teen, and, now that he’s a full-grown man, he’s losing his brother to college and to distant, sunny California. Dean, determined not to let his pyrophobia or his anxiety over his absent brother ruin him, and desirous of a change that just might fix everything, makes the rashest move of his adult life: a largely unnecessary, almost entirely unplanned move to New York City. Stuck in the middle of a city that has a reputation for chewing up and spitting out the unprepared, Dean’s anxieties fluctuate between bad and worse…until he starts to get to know his mysterious and antisocial next door neighbor, Castiel. But mystery isn’t always a good thing; Castiel is hiding a secret…a secret that even the cynical Dean Winchester might have trouble believing.
Keywords: A beautiful and bittersweet ghost story. I thought it might be sad but it’s more melancholy with a hopeful ending. Don’t miss it!
The Ghosts of Blackthorn Hall
Author: linoresearch
Words: 95,000
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: In 1843 Castiel Milton leaves his life of quiet faith and duty to take up employment as tutor to the young ward of one Mr Dean Winchester, at Blackthorn Hall. Set deep among the Yorkshire moors Blackthorn is a place of mysteries – a wild place with an odd history, where faces appear at the windows and mad women laugh in the night. Castiel is drawn to the enigmatic Master of Blackthorn and they form a strong attachment neither of them expected. But there are secrets hidden behind Blackthorns thick stone walls that threaten to destroy their happiness, they are forced to confront the ghosts of their past.
Keywords: Starts off as a Victorian horror story but as the story unfolds, it all starts to make sense. The descriptions really make it feel like you’re there.
I also judge stories by their re-readability, and this one definitely has that!
The Girlfriend Experience
Author: rageprufrock
Words: 15,393
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: While it’s not like Dean hasn’t had a couple of truly regrettable hit-and-runs in his sexual history, this is probably the saddest fucking thing that has ever happened to him.
Keywords: Funny AND hot, two of my favorite things!
The Mirror
Author: cloudyjenn
Words: 24,568
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: When Dean touches a strange mirror, he’s whisked away to one alternate reality after another and it doesn’t take him long to realize the universe is trying to tell him something.
Keywords: The reason I prefer Dean/Cas AUs is because I firmly believe that they have the kind of bond that would radiate out through all universes. This fic is a prefect of example of that!
The (Mostly Accidental) Courtship of Dean Winchester
Author: tuesday
Words: 11,171
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Angelic marriage rites were never intended to go quite like this.
Keywords: Funny semi crack!fic with oblivious!Dean :D
The Precision of The Fall
Author: behindblue_eyes
Words: 36,850
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: They used to be called The Family Winchester. People came from miles around to see their act, knowing their names and faces before the circus even rolled into town. Life was shiny with salt and sawdust, sequins and smiles. Now, all that was left were a few crumpled posters, an empty bunk next to Dean’s, and the leather-gripped knives hidden in the trick pockets of his vest.
Keywords: Such a unique setting! Plus a little bit of mystery backstory and don’t forget to check out the art!
The Violin House
Author: teh_helenables
Words: ??
Dean/Castiel
PG
Summary: The Apple Pie Life is a slow process, but Dean and Cas are getting there—until Cas is called for battle and Dean is forced to wait.
Keywords: I don’t rec a lot of PG but I have a soft spot for domestic!Destiel and this one is perfect :D
The Way the War was Won
By: deans1911
Words: 39,084
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Dean and Cas are buddy cops faking a marriage for the benefits and tax breaks. Except for the part where Dean’s sort of actually in love with his partner and doesn’t realize it yet.
Keywords: It’s got sort-of denial (the funny kind, not the annoying kind) Did I mention it’s funny? And sweet :D
There’s Only One Sure Thing That I Know
Author: blinkiesays
Words: 20,358
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean doesn’t even get halfway through explaining before Bobby starts laughing. When he lets himself think about it for more than five seconds, Dean can almost see Bobby’s point: he’s faced down demons, witches, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, angels, and Satan himself and now he’s been defeated by the God damn Midwest.
One word: Domesticity :D
Thursday’s Child
Author: strangenessandcharm
Words: 114,000
Dean/Castiel, Dean/OFC/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Thursday’s child has far to go.
Keywords: Future!Cas and Dean so they’re both pretty messed up. That doesn’t stop them from trying to heal each other.
Unconditionally Horny and Eternally Sad
Author: wormstaches
Words: 31,714
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: It’s your typical boy-likes-boy story. Boy 1 is sad, Boy 2 is horny. Let’s call Boy 1 Castiel Novak; he’s spent his entire life being left behind by everybody around him. Boy 2 is named Dean Winchester; he just wants Castiel to fall in love with him, and is determined to show Cas he isn’t everybody.
Keywords: The same author as below, I wanted to show a contrast for those who don’t like in-denial!Dean, here is has-his-shit-together!Dean, which is what I love!
Waves
Author: wormstaches
Words: 54,132
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Dean Winchester is the average guy: football, college, kid brother, nice car, girls and beer; his life is black and white, that is until he meets Castiel Collins: pretentious, slutty, sweater-wearing genius, who won’t even take the time to look up at him from his obscure novel while he insults him. And then everything is shades of gray and Dean is drowning.
Keywords: Hipster!Cas is a riot and surprisingly perfect! Also, Idiot-in-denial!Dean. Couldn’t stop reading!
We Became Fans of Collisions
Author: wandersfound
Words: 27,682
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: Dean is the owner of a bookstore and one day, he gets a new customer.
Keywords: I love AUs where Dean and Cas have interesting or different than usual jobs! Has shy!Cas and book lover!Dean.
Where the World Begins
Author: the-ninth-bow
Words: ~49,300
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: In the aftermath of a battle against demons, Castiel rescues an orphan girl, who then forms an attachment to the fallen angel. Dean and Castiel take her into their care, traveling highways and back roads, killing as many demons as they can, while Sam searches for an alternate way to defeat Lucifer. Amidst trying to end the Apocalypse, Dean finds his life a strange combination of broken, crumbling cities and a half-domestic life on the road. In the quiet moments they make for themselves among the chaos, Dean and Castiel become closer not only to each other but to their ward, and Dean finds his life taking a turn in a direction he never thought it’d have a chance to take.
Keywords: A little bit of domesticity during the apocalypse.
White Winter Hymnal
Author: newbluemoon
Words: 23,205
Dean/Castiel
NC-17
Summary: AU. Writer!Dean walks into a café late at night on Christmas Eve, looking for inspiration for his next novel. Instead he finds librarian!Cas.
Keywords: Practically a soulmates story! If you like your Destiel sweet and hot with a dash of schmoop then this is for you!
Yellow Moon
Author: coffeeandcheesecake
Words: 11,548
Dean/Castiel
R
Summary: Castiel Novak hasn’t said a word for three years. The mountains and a beautiful boy might give him a reason to speak.
Keywords: In universe!AU. Very sweet! I wish I could read more about Dean and Cas hunting together.
