The Dean/Cas Big Bang

The annual Dean/Cas Big Bang, a 20k fic + art challenge. Sign-ups open April 1st. Posting October-November 2026. Complete challenge info at dcbb.fandom.com banner art by BucketofLi

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It's no joke... Sign-ups for the 2026 round of the Dean/Cas Big Bang are now open!

We are proud to share the art for this round made by the talented @bucketofli. We’re honored and thankful to have it spearhead DCBB 2026💚💙

Come be a part of fandom history and join in on the longest running Dean/Cas bang! Authors, artists, and beta readers of all styles and experience levels are welcome! Schedule | Rules | FAQ | Sign-Up (follow the sign-up link)

Make sure to read the wiki thoroughly, even if you're a seasoned participant, as minor changes have been made to the rules and schedule. Come join the fun!

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Get ready... DCBB 2026 sign-ups open to all participants TOMORROW!

Want to get inspired? Check out last year's collection of works here, or all of our archived collections here! Want to get prepared? Read the full wiki for an intro if it's your first time, or for a refresher if you're regular! Minor changes have been made to the rules and schedule, so please give it a thorough readthrough. Have any questions? Contact us at [email protected] and a mod will get back to you as soon as we can.

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Masterlist of past challenges, including archived rounds that were moved from LJ to Ao3:

2010 - thedcbb2010

2011 - thedcbb2011

2012 - thedcbb2012

2013 - thedcbb2013

2014 - thedcbb2014

2015 - thedcbb2015

2016 - thedcbb2016 2017 - dcbb2017 [first year on Ao3] 2018 - dcbb2018 2019 - dcbb2019 2020 - dcbb2020 2021 - dcbb2021 2022 - dcbb2022 2023 - dcbb2023 2024 - dcbb2024 2025 - dcbb2025

Parent collection

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2025 DCBB Masterlist

Posting for the 2025 DCBB is done and dusted!

Thank you so much to the writers, artists, betas, and readers who make this challenge such a delight to run! We love seeing familiar names as you return, and we love welcoming new ones as this fandom continues to remain strong.

Be on the lookout for @deancasreversebang sign-ups opening soon!

In the meantime, here is the link to the 2025 DCBB masterlist.

Thank you for another great year!

~Violethaze, diamond, Aceriee, and saudade

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The Warriors of Night

Author: lotrspnfangirl

Artist: Aceriee

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Castiel/Dean WinchesterJessica Moore/Sam WinchesterRuby/Sam WinchesterEileen Leahy/Sam WinchesterJohn Winchester/Mary Winchesterside canon-compliant relationships

Length: 80000

Warnings: graphic depictions of violence

Tags: implied/referenced suicide, fantasy, dragons, magic, prophecy, angst with happy ending

Summary: When Dean Winchester set out on his journey, he only sought a cure for his dying world. Instead, he found a brother in the forest and a profound whisper threading through his dreams. Twisted between around a prophecy written over a century ago, surviving apocalyptic odds was the easiest part. Learning to trust, in themselves and each other, would cost far more and prove to be their key. Together, they must restore magic to Niitera, or watch her fall a second time. One force remains, A weapon lost To bind or break the fight When all align, Then they shall rise The Warriors of Night.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

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It was all worth the wait

Author: Lerya

Artist: MedicatedManiac

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Dean/Castiel, One sided-Castiel/Michael, Background Sam/Gabriel

Length: 20510

Warnings: N/A

Tags: Angst with a happy ending, slow burn, getting together, explicit sexual content, Good person Lucifer, Good person Michael, Uriels being an asshole.

Summary: Castiel had always looked up to Michael, he was the oldest of them after all. It would take losing him to see what that feeling he had whenever he spent time with the other angel was. Losing his was hard and made Castiel lose his sense of everything around him. That is, until he meets a human who reminds him so much of Michael, to the point that he gets his second chance at a happy ending.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

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Penguin Pebbles

Author: blackhorsedances

Artist: stonelions

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Dean Winchester/Castiel Novak, Sam Winchester/Jessica Moore, Ellen Harvelle/Bobby Singer, Jody Mills/Donna Hanscum, Benny LaFitte/Garth Fitzgerald IV

Length: 23587

Warnings: N/A

Tags: AU/Modern Setting, Chief of Police Dean Winchester, Veterinarian Castiel Novak, Crack Treated Seriously, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Bisexual Castiel Novak

Summary: Dean has been sheriff of Whispering Pines, MO (pop 450) for less than three months, and it's a nice change of pace from the big city. He might actually find the peace he's been looking for, except... There's this guy wearing a suit, a brown overcoat, a RAINBOW helmet, and neon green all-terrain rollerblades. He's being pulled down Main Street by the smallest horse Dean has ever seen, and now he's gotta give up his date with a cup of coffee and a piece of pie to go make sure this idiot isn't in a heap somewhere up by the town cemetery.

Link to Fic | Link to Art (NSFW)

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By Some Miracle

Author: Trenchcoat_Paradigm

Artist: Archie

Rating: Teen

Pairings: N/A

Length: 39139

Warnings: N/A

Tags: Alternate Universe - Neighbours / Fluff / Meet-Cute / Developing Relationship / Friends to Lovers / First Kiss / Light-Hearted / Dog Owner Dean Winchester / Like A Gay Hallmark Movie

Summary: Miracle Zeppelin Winchester was a goddamn stalker! It was bad enough when his dog was trying to get the attention of every passer-by that walked under Dean’s apartment balcony, but now he had developed this weird obsession with the man who lived in the building opposite. His best friend Charlie was no help. She got a kick out of the whole thing and even went as far as filming his dogs “pining” for TikTok. Now the entire internet knows about his canine peeping-tom, including the man who holds Miracles' affections. Dean just wanted the earth to swallow him whole. Thankfully, his neighbour didn’t seem to be mad about the whole thing; in fact, Castiel took it all in his stride. And after the chance run-in at the beach (pun very much intended!) Dean was starting to think that maybe posting that TikTok wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

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Sympathy In The Form Of You

Author: SeraphCas111

Artist: xpurdyglambertx

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Castiel/Dean, Minor Michael/Adam, Minor Dean/LisaBraedan

Length: 35022

Warnings: N/a

Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Based on a Fall Out Boy Song, Emo Castiel, Dean Winchester Has Internalized Homophobia, Pierced And Tattoed Castiel, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Denial of Feelings, Reunions, Love Confessions, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Castiel never expected to see Dean again after all this time, but he can't say he's mad about it when Dean looks this beautiful under a haze of neon lights. No words he's written about Dean over the years could compare. Something about Dean just seems different now, and Cas can't help but want to close the distance, to learn more about the enigma of Dean Winchester. But Castiel has changed as well, his words and appearance gaining edge and confidence, and the walls he's built to protect his soft underbelly have grown tall. Dean's been falling in love with the emo queer kid for as long as he can remember, and he regrets losing touch with him for years after being profoundly bonded, so now he's working to try and get him back. If only it were that simple. Does Cas want to know the person Dean is now?Can they let each other in one more time to try?

Link to Fic | Link to Art

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Bad Habits

Author: Dmarie

Artist: Oftennix

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Dean Winchester/Castiel Novak, Dean Winchester/Benny Lafitte, Castiel Novak/Inias, Dean Winchester/others, Castiel Novak/others

Length: 40080

Warnings: Alcohol use/abuse, drug use/abuse, using drugs/alcohol as a coping mechanism, mentions of past suicidal ideations

Tags: AU - musicians; angst; angst with a happy ending; fluff; explicit sexual content; implied sexual content; mutual pining; friends to enemies to lovers

Summary: Bandmates and long time friends, Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak have been writing, recording and performing music for most of their lives. Both secretly pining over the other, their friendship - and their band - is corrupted by sex, drugs and alcohol.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

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Monsters in Love

Author: Raven_Fuchs

Artist: ImpMakesArt

Rating: Mature

Pairings: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Length: 20948

Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Tags: Law Enforcement AU, Murder Husbands, FBI Agent Castiel, KBI Agent Dean Winchester, FBI Agent Charlie Bradbury

Summary: The first body had a note pinned to it that read:  "Good riddance to bad rubbish.". Then a second body was found with a note in response reading: "Love your work, but you missed a piece of garbage. -A". Thus began a correspondence left on bodies of people who evaded justice and the beginning of what the press dubbed the “Garbage Men” Special agent Castiel Novak is called in to help assist and is partnered with Dean Winchester. It could be that Castiel and Dean have more in common than just the job and a mutual attraction.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

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A Scintilla of Heaven

Author: Baileys

Artist: Wommie

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Dean/Castiel

Length: 27743

Warnings: N/A

Tags: Established relationship, human Castiel, first time, friendship, hurt comfort, dreams and nightmares.

Summary: After his grace is stolen and he falls from Heaven, Cas is drowning in emotion. Haunted by nightmares and overwhelmed by desire for the first time, he’s struggling to make sense of it all. With angels demanding answers, and Cas in need of their protection, Dean blames himself for letting his anger cloud his judgement. But one angel is convinced that no true agent of Heaven would ever choose to live without the divine. As Cas searches for what it means to be human—and what his and Dean's evolving relationship might become—Dean must be willing to risk everything to keep him safe.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

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Children of Heaven, Hell, & Humanity

Author: draechaeli

Artist: Deancebra

Rating: Teen

Pairings: Destiel, Sam/Eileen, Jody/Donna, Claire/Kaia, Garth/Bess, Gabriel/Kali, Jesse/Cesar, Charlie/Gilda, Adina/Daniel (and their humans), Head Angel/Unnamed Demon (S11E3 The Bad Seed), implied Michael/Adam, implied Jesse Turner/Aiden, implied Alfie/OC demon

Length: 216186

Warnings: N/A

Tags: Alternative Universe – Canon Divergent, Canon Typical Violence, Demon Dean Winchester, Temporary Character Death, John Winchester’s A+ Parenting, Everyone Ships It, Found Family, Dean Cooks, Mpreg, Established Relationship

Summary: Picks up directly after my DCBB24 fic Marriage of Heaven, Hell, & Humanity. Sam is on board with Demon!Dean and Dean is back at the Bunker; however, Cas is not with Dean, as he still needs to work with the angels getting everyone on board with the ceasefire with Hell. Will the angels agree to the ceasefire? Will the Mark behave until the ceasefire is signed? Will it even be possible to have a ceasefire once Lucifer gets out of the cage? And will Dean and Cas finally be able to settle down into the apple pie life with 5.5 kids and a dog?

Link to Fic | Link to Art

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Man's Best (Boy)friend

Author: darcydelaney

Artist: Bucketofli

Rating: Teen

Pairings: Dean/Cas

Length: 26600

Warnings: N/A

Tags: Alternate universe (modern setting), meet-cute, dog owners, mental health issues, minimal angst, Dean POV, happy ending

Summary: Dean's been having a rough go of it lately: On top of struggling to process failing at a job he'd thought he was destined for, his apartment building unexpectedly changes their pet-friendly rules, so he's forced to start looking for a new home for himself and his dog, Miracle. At every place he visits, he runs into the same applicant—the handsome, blue-eyed Castiel and his dog, Leroy—and finds himself falling for him more and more with each tour. Suddenly, finding a new place to live and navigating his mental health aren't the only things on Dean's mind.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

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Give Me Just One Night

Author: TheTwistedWillow

Artist: Colorlessjay

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Castiel/Dean, Sam/Eileen (background), mention of past Dean/others, mentions of past Cas/others

Length: 98400

Warnings: Dubious Consent, Canon Typical Violence, Graphic M/F Sexual Content, Graphic Childbirth, Pregnancy Complications, Near Death Experiences, Canon Typical Use of Human Vessels

Tags: Miscommunication, Female Castiel (Temporary), Cas Still Uses He/Him Pronouns, Angel/Human Pregnancy, Dean Wants to be a Dad, Some Angst, Domestic Fluff, Love Confessions, Sam Ships It, Town of Lebanon Ships It

Summary: Cas is firmly placed into the ‘friend zone’ by Dean after his possession. With no home in heaven, nor a consistently reliable one on earth, the rejection is one more torment to bear. To ease the ache of unrequited love, he decides to take a page out of the ‘Dean Winchester Playbook’. There must be something to these ‘one night stands’ that he’s only ever read about. After taking painstaking measures to find a willing partner, Cas doesn’t expect Dean to be the one to sit beside him at the bar, and he most certainly doesn’t expect a proposition…but why not him for once? Dean got scared, okay? He couldn’t tell Cas how he really felt. But Cas going AWOL yet again, especially after a harrowing half-year of trying to save him from Lucifer, sends Dean over the edge. He goes out for a drink (or two, or ten) and meets a young woman who seems vaguely familiar. They talk, they commiserate, and even though his heart isn’t really in it, he offers to sleep with her. What’s the harm? It’s only one night and he doesn’t expect to see her ever again. So why has she just walked into the bunker two weeks after they did ‘the do’?

Link to Fic | Link to Art

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Love in a One-Story Dulex

Author: Desirae

Artist: TwinOne

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Castiel/Dean Winchester Jody Mills/Bobby Singer

Length: 20932

Warnings: n/a

Tags: Mechanic Dean, Translator Cas, Enemies to friends to lovers, Emotional hurt/comfort, Nurturer Dean, Snarky Castiel, ptsd, healing with love and humor, Angst with a happy ending

Summary: When Dean Winchester’s friend and neighbor, Garth, moves out of their duplex, he is not expecting him to be replaced with a cranky, weed-smoking recluse with zero taste in music, but that’s what he gets. But Dean soon realizes there is more behind Castiel’s brooding stare and prickly personality. There is someone worth getting to know. Someone who needs a little TLC, even if he is too stubborn to admit it. Castiel Novak is a survivor. He has survived his parents' tragic death, He has survived being kidnapped and tortured by his own brother, and he has survived living with the constant flow of nightmares that have followed. So Castiel can certainly survive having to live next to an annoyingly cheerful (beautiful) man, with kind green eyes and an unhealthy affinity to classic rock, who is determined to be his new friend. Or, the one where Castiel starts a friends with benefits relationship with his new neighbor, and finally starts to heal his heart.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

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The Wayward House

Author: Inandal

Artist: Psynatural

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Brief mentions of past canon relationships

Length: 83490

Warnings: N/A

Tags: Post-Canon Fix-It, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Angst, Animal Transformation, Squirrel Dean Winchester, Emotionally Repressed Dean Winchester, Slow Burn, Castiel/Dean Winchester First Time Having Sex, Awkward Romance, Happy Ending

Summary: Dean Winchester has survived Hell, Heaven, Purgatory, and approximately twelve different apocalypses. Now, with a little magical backup and more stubbornness than sense, he’s going to rescue Castiel from a mystical, slightly passive-aggressive moving house, with the Empty still lurking around the corner. The only hitch? He’s doing it with whiskers and a fluffy tail. Sure, it’s nuts. But so was everything else that ever got them here.

Link to Fic & Art