In the 1970s, Dean Milligan, a background actor, dies in a huge fire that blazes an expensive Hollywood set. Dean, having only worked as an extra, holds no space in the local news.
35 years later, Dean Winchester is lucky to have everything he could wish for: fame, money, stardom, and a great life where nothing remains a dream. While filming for a movie at an abandoned set, Dean starts to experience flashbacks of himself from another lifeâmemories of someone he couldnât possibly be. As he uncovers the reality behind the visions, Dean stumbles upon the impossible truth: he was violently murdered in his past lifeâand worseâhe was not alone. The same crime took someone else that nightâCas Shurley, a Hollywood star whom Dean Milligan had loved dearly. Realising that his reincarnation might have happened for a reason, Dean goes investigating his and Casâs death. Thankfully, he has Castiel Novak, Casâs handsome-yet-nerdy doppelgänger to help him with it.
Inspired by the Shah Rukh Khan movie:Â Om Shanti Om
Link to fic |Â Link to artÂ
Pairings: Dean/Cas, past Dean/Lee, past Dean/Lisa, mentioned Cas/Mick, minor Cas/April, minor John/Mary, mentioned Charlie/Dorothy, mentioned Benny/Garth
Warnings:Â Graphic depictions of violence, temporary major character death, homophobia, ableist language, parasocial relationships, murder
Tags: Reincarnation AU, 70s Hollywood, soulmates, Actor Dean, Actor Cas
Congratulations to all of the incredible authors and artists who took part in the tenth round of the Dean/Cas Pinefest!
This year, 19 teams gifted the Dean/Cas fandom a wildly impressive 974,977 words of pine-filled fic, and 71 gorgeous works of art!
Once again we've been absolutely floored by the depth of creative talent weâve been spoiled with in this fandom, and we're so glad to see that love for Dean and Castiel is still going strong all these years after the show ended đđ
Speaking of which... we're still aboard this ship with the rest of you, and we'll be back for round eleven later this year! Make sure to follow us here on Tumblr so you don't miss the official announcement!
This year we've also been running the Evergreen Mini-Challenge in celebration of a whole decade of Pinefest, and you still have a few more days to fill as many Evergreen Mini-Challenge prompts as you'd like! Participation is open to absolutely everyone, whether you completed the main challenge or not, and you don't need to register to take part. Just head over here to see the details & tag us in your posts!
We'll share one last roundup of Evergreen fills on Wednesday April 8th, when we'll also award the 10th Anniversary Milestone Badges we teased back before this round began. Do these badges have any real value? No! But they're fun, so we hope you'll like them anyway đ˛
As always, we'll be sharing all of this year's masterposts again in the coming days and weeks, but in the meantime youâll find links to every entry from the 2026 round under the cut or in the collection on Ao3!
Make sure to let the authors and artists know how much you enjoyed their creations with a like, kudos, or best of all, a reblog, rec, or comment!
Happy pining, everyone!
Enjoy the Silence
Written by LoversAntiquities with art by sidewinder
NotoriousÂ
Written by FriendofCarlotta with art by seidenapfel
Leave a Light OnÂ
Written by chaoticdean with art by entropic_saudade
Sleeping HungerÂ
Written by MatchaMilkshake with art by imogenbynight
Cats are Angels with whiskers
Written by Summer_Love_24 with art by Bucketofli
Sail Free
Written by Florianniss with art by Solstheimart
angel wing grooming 101
Written by mistyfeathers with art by blueeyesblueties
Crimes of the Heart
Written by one_more_offbeat_anthem with art by echo-is-bones
The Family Business Job
Written by mittensmorgul with art by hectatess
Score, Spin, and Triple Axel
Written by seidenapfel with art by golby-moon
a long way to go
Written by stayawake with art by TwinOne
The Better Part of Valour
Written by andimeantittosting with art by szlez
Effigy
Written by imogenbynight with art by saudade
To Keep From DrowningâŚ
Written by BunheadKitKat19 with art by Solstheim
so you say you want a deathbed scene
Written by goldandtherust with art by @onowey
Statistically ImprobableÂ
Written by Tossukka with art by HectatessÂ
No Good Deed (Goes Unpunished)
Written by golby-moon with art by bucketofli
I Swear On Castielâs Name
Written by June Sirius with art by daffodilsonaprettystring
King of the WorldÂ
Written by Maxine with art by girlinthemirrorbluenight
And once youâre all caught up on this yearâs Pinefest creations, there are 894 works of art and 279 fics (totaling over 10.5 million words!) to be found in the previous nine Pinefest rounds!
Now that everyone has had some time to catch up (or start catching up) on all the excellent Pinefest fics and artworks, as well as the creations shared as part of the Evergreen Mini-Challenge, it's time to award this year's participants with their 10th Anniversary Evergreen Milestone badges!
Do these badges have any real value? Probably not, but who doesnât like a lil badge graphic for bragging rights? Take them, slap 'em on your blog or on your fic/art post, print them and eat* them... it's up to you!
(*maybe don't do this... printed badges contain very little nutritional content and might actually be toxic depending on which ink and paper you use.)
Without further ado, congratulations to everyone who took part this year, and bonus congratulations to everyone who earned a badge! You'll find them under the cut â¤ď¸
The Hyperion badge is awarded to the author who submitted the longest fic, the artist who submitted the most art for any single fic.
This badge goes to:
Author: @mittensmorgul who wrote a whopping 182,630 for The Family Business Job
Artist(s): @golby-moon and @bucketofli, who both made seven pieces of art for Score, Spin, and Triple Axel and No Good Deed (Goes Unpunished) respectively.
The Seedling badge is awarded to all participants who completed the challenge for the first time in the 2026 round! Congratulations to all of these new Pinefest creators -- we loved having you in the challenge!
This badge goes to blueyesblueties, BucketofLi, echo.is.bones, saudade, MatchaMilkshake, mistyfeathers, chaoticdean, JuneSirius, Alina Summer, duckchips19, Florianniss, and goldandtherust!
The Bristlecone badge is awarded to long-time Pinefest participants who have completed five or more rounds of the challenge! We love seeing what you come up with every year đ
This badge goes to girlinthemirrorbluenight, Hectatess, imogenbynight, seidenapfel, sidewinder, Tossukka, TwinOne, Mittenwraith, FriendofCarlotta, LoversAntiquities, andimeantittosting, and one_more_offbeat_anthem!
The Greenwood badge is awarded to authors and artists who returned to the challenge in 2026 after a year or more away! It was so great to have you back, and we hope to see you again next time.
This badge goes to stayawake and Solstheim!
The Sugarpine badge goes to artists who created four or more artworks for any one fic, and authors who wrote over 40,000 words in the 2026 round! These authors and artists doubled (or more than doubled!) the required minimums, and we loved seeing their work!
The Ponderosa badge goes to the participant who completed the most Evergreen Mini-Challenge prompts over the course of the challenge, and was handily won by @friendofcarlotta, who wrote a whole 31k fic to fill every single prompt.
The Pinecone badge goes to any fic or artwork that contains or refers to a literal pine tree... or part of one.
This badge goes to golbygloom for no good deed (goes unpunished), to imogenbynight for effigy, to mittenwraith for the family business job, to chaoticdean for leave a light on, to loversantiquities for enjoy the silence!
And last but not least, the Pineapple badge goes to any fic or artwork that contains or refers to a pineapple, because we thought that should count for something.
This badge goes to Maxine, for King of the World!
We hope you all enjoy these little badges, and make sure to read, share, and comment on everyone's Pinefest fics and artworks! See you at the next round đđđ˛
Summary: While trying to get Cas back from the Empty, Dean finds Cas in another dark realm insteadâone which its inhabitants euphemistically call âThe Upside Down.â
Monsters, psychic kids with âevil bloodâ inside them, an eldritch being who tries to groom children into being vessels, heroes targeted by a clueless and misguided government, the existence of multiple worlds, monologuing villains, the needle drops for the apocalypse, the confession of love forced by an otherworldly entity that is then awkwardly addressed by the confessorâs best friendâŚ
For all the ways this universe is strange and vastly different from his own, itâs also not at all.
It looks like Cas and Dean have work to do.
I remember when people were ignoring that Obama was bombing Libya. They even cheer for it. A polite president would just make you people sleep on multiple genocides and wars.
My art for this year's @deancaspinefest for the fic King of the World by Maxine. If you want drama and love that spans eras, check out this awesome fic based on the movie Om Shanti Om. It was such a blast drawing the boys in these 70s styles. I'm slowly making my way through every decade with them haha.
In the 1970s, Dean Milligan, a background actor, dies in a huge fire that blazes an expensive Hollywood set. Dean, having only worked as an extra, holds no space in the local news.
35 years later, Dean Winchester is lucky to have everything he could wish for: fame, money, stardom, and a great life where nothing remains a dream. While filming for a movie at an abandoned set, Dean starts to experience flashbacks of himself from another lifeâmemories of someone he couldnât possibly be. As he uncovers the reality behind the visions, Dean stumbles upon the impossible truth: he was violently murdered in his past lifeâand worseâhe was not alone. The same crime took another life that nightâCas Shurley, a Hollywood star whom Dean Milligan had loved dearly. Realising that his reincarnation might have happened for a reason, Dean goes investigating his and Casâs death. Thankfully, he has Castiel Novak, Casâs handsome-yet-nerdy doppelgänger to help him with it.
Inspired by the Shah Rukh Khan movie: Om Shanti Om
Keep reading for a sneak preview!
Casâs polished shoes reflect the glimmering lights around them as he steps out of the limo, with his usual wide-but-shy smile brightening his entire face. His dark hair is almost purposefully mussed, and his sharp black tuxedo is paired with a blue cummerbund which brings out the colour of his eyes, with a pocket square to match.
He turns around and helps April outâsheâs in a sleek black dress, an embellished blue silken wrap covering her shoulders. The wrap is the exact colour of Casâs cummerbund, as though reminding the world that she and Cas are one. The jewels at her ears, wrists, and neck glimmer as Cas twirls her, smile widening when she giggles. April takes the wrap off, revealing rhinestone straps, and proceeds to drape it around Cas, much to the delight of everyone around them. Cas accepts the offering graciously. They link arms as they begin to walk the carpet, waving at the hooting, cheering crowd.
If Dean could pause time to live this moment forever, he would. He canât believe his luckâthe fact that heâs so close to Cas after loving him from afar for so long. Thereâs so much he wants to say, so many questions he wants to askâthings heâs only spoken of to Cas in his dreams, that he cannot possibly say out loud.
But then Cas turns away and Dean falls quiet, limp as he watches the interlinked arms and Cas moving on⌠until he feels a tug at his wrist. For a moment, Dean isnât quite sure what happened, but then thereâs yet another tug, stronger than before and he stumbles, hobbling out of reach of the bouncer. His braceletâthe lucky charm that Adam gave him, is entangled in one of the embellishments on the wrap that had been draped around Cas.
Dean tries to call out to alert Cas, but his throat doesnât work and he canât seem to undo the knot. There are irate yells behind him as he fumbles around trying desperately to free himself from the unaware couple before him, until one of the bouncers in the front finally alerts them of Dean.
Cas turns around, amusement on his features as he realises what is going on. Dean is shaking too hard trying to undo the knot but Cas gently pushes his hand away. Deanâs skin tingles at Casâs touch and he stands there, frozen, while Casâ eyes squint as he works to separate them. Cas is so close to him againâDean thinks heâs going to pass out then and there. Finally, the knot comes undone and Cas winks at Deanâthe sexiest wink ever, and Dean canât even respond as he continues being lost in those blue eyes. As Cas pats Dean on the shoulder and walks away, Dean is grateful to have the bouncers lead him back to his spot because his knees are too weak and his heart is going too fast.
God, heâs in love. Heâs so in love.
This fic is some of the most fun Iâve had. Canât wait to share it with everyone, and the incredible art to go with it! Also! Check out that amazing banner!
The time for public claims has arrived!
We have a few wonderful art pieces with prompts still available, now open to those who have not registered for this year's DCRB!
Go here to view the remaining gallery of art and prompts available. Make sure to read the rules and schedule, then please register first before you make your claim!
I was so lucky to claim my friend Maxine's fic as one of my DCBB arts this year! You're in for a heart wrenching treat <3
I had done a simple illustrated GIF for a fic once before, but I got to practice some more while doing art for Maxine's fic, where Dean's vice is Angel's Envy, a real whiskey with an iconic angel wing brand on the front. To show how Dean is drowning in his grief when he relapses, I shoved him in a bottle of Angel's Envy and painted two different fluttering wing sets on their own layers to toggle on/off, and painted the alcohol level going down as its own layer, toggling them off and exporting the image after each change to slowly reveal Dean. In the end, I had 19 frames exported into Canva, and I set the time for each frame and exported the final product as a GIF.
I did two versions of Cas in the hospital, one with his turban bandage:
And one with his smaller bandage, and the stubble on the side of his scalp slightly grown out as he starts to recover more:
There's a GIF'd transition form of these two images I made that you can see in Maxine's fic -- the file was too big for Tumblr, and if I try to resize, it converts the file to a JPEG which defeats the purpose.
Lastly, I did some flowers: a forget me not spray for the banner to use as angel's wings, another I did off a reference that I belatedly realized were not in fact forget me nots but they were still pretty, an illustration of each flower mentioned in the fic as being part of Cas' garden (violet, lupin, butter-yellow hydrangeas, marigolds, a red rose) that I combined to look like the garden was growing throughout the fic, and one for the final chapter header (a datura flower, aka Devil's Trumpet).
Please leave a comment here or on Ao3 if you enjoyed, and please go read @maxine1703's fic and give it all the love it deserves! Grab your tissues, you're in for a gorgeous, heart-wrenching, but ultimately hopeful and happy fic!
Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, missing minor person, presumed dead, minor character death, traumatic brain injury, disability, suicidal ideation, medical details, mental illness (schizophrenia, PTSD, panic attacks), alcoholism, ableism
Tags: Alternate universe, angst with a happy ending, established Destiel, missing persons, hurt/comfort, grief, heartbreak, hurt Cas, selective mutism, addiction
Summary: A month after Jack goes missing, Dean and Cas are in a huge fight. That night, Cas walks out of their home and vanishes without a trace. Dean spends the year searching for his husband and son, only for Cas to turn up suddenly one night, gravely injured. As Dean cares for Cas, he ends up discovering parts of Casâs past that he never knew existed, leading him to question everything about his husband and the life they built together.
IT IS DONNEEEE. Please leave the awesome, amazing, talented @entropic-saudade lots and lots and lots of praise because the art is seriously so amazing. They truly knocked it out of the park! What beautiful pieces! Thank youuuu, saudade, you're the best.
Debuting with a whopping 0.0 rating on Goodreads, and nonexistent on the New York Times Bestsellers List, the @deancashorrorfest publishing house presents...
DARK INSPIRATIONS by saudade
Cover design and illustrations by @zissie
Editor credits: @maxine1703, @feargach
Rating: Explicit
Wordcount: ~34k
Major Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions of Violence, (Implied) Major Character Death
Tags and other content warnings:
Dark Academia, Possession (Ghostly, Demonic, Angelic), Aftermath of Possession, Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors, Blood and Violence, Injury, Animal Death, Manipulation, Gaslighting, Dubious Consent, Vomiting, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Canonical Sexual Abuse (Bela Talbot), Implied/Referenced Cannibalism, Self-Worth Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Family Issues, Dean Winchester Cries During Sex
Summary:
Be careful who your muses are...
Dean Winchester put a lot on the line when he decided to quit working in his father's auto shop and pursue a degree in creative writing: his familyâs respect, his future, money, time. If he doesnât impress his advisor with a solid thesis idea soon, heâs screwed. It doesnât help that heâs outperformed by his cliquey peers from more privileged backgrounds.
When one of said peers invites him to an underground workshop, he discovers that the secret to their success lies not in their own merit, but in the entities they summon to work through them. Invoking the muses is a tradition going back to the Ancient Greeks, they argue. Dean is skeptical, but after his first night of offering himself up as a medium, heâs hooked. He lets himself be subject to various influences, each darker than the one before, reveling in the work they make together. Thereâs no going backânot even when a particularly bloodthirsty demon named Alastair latches onto him, wanting to be his personal mentor.
Until one night, when Dean becomes host to something no one in the group has ever been possessed by before: an angel of the Lord, who warns them to stop before they lose themselves to muses much worse than Alastair.
Pairings: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury/Stevie (background), Sam Winchester/Jessica Moore (background)
Length: 36857
Warnings: n/a
Tags: coffee shop AU, ASMR YouTube Channel, shoe shining, Castiel Owns a Coffee Shop, charlie meddles, Dean is a former tailor, Minor Character Death, Grief and Loss, Explicit Sexual Content, Mutual Pining
Summary: Dean Winchester thought he was doing the right thing by moving to Vermont to help his aging grandfather at his tailor shop. But after Henry passes and leaves nearly everything to John, Dean is at loose ends. A fellow shop owner on the small town square takes a chance on Dean and thatâs how he comes to work beside Castiel, who looks at him like heâs somebody special and DeanâŚisnât really sure what to do with that. With Castielâs encouragement and a whole lot of meddling from their friend Charlie, Dean comes to realize that his old fashioned skills arenât as useless as he thought and may even lead to online fame.
Pairings: Chuck Shurley/Naomi, John Winchester/Kate Milligan, Sam Winchester/Jessica Moore, Weems/Nicky Mermaid, Brief Dean Winchester/OMC
Length: 27000
Warnings: Major Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence
Other Content Warnings: Ableism, Homophobia, Recreational Drug Use, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Vomiting, Mentions of Animal Feces, Theft, Arson, Police Brutality, Smoking, Strong Language
Tags: Alternate Universe, Inspired by Dinner in America (2020), Punk Dean Winchester, Singer Dean Winchester, Secret Identity, Neurodivergent Coded Characters, Family Issues, Delayed Coming of Age, Happy Ending
Summary: Dean Winchester is on the run from the cops after a series of petty crimes. While looking for a place to hide, he catches the eye of his former junior college classmate, the socially awkward Castiel Shurley, and asks to crash at the Shurleysâ house.
Unbeknownst to Cas, Dean is the face behind John Q. Publicâthe anonymous frontman of a local punk bandâwith whom he has been sending suggestive photographs and love poems for the last few years under a pseudonym.
But secret identities are the least of their worries when the police are closing in, the bandâs next show is drawing near, and the Shurleys refuse to let Cas fly the coop. They grow close as they rail against the expectations that stifle them both, teaching each other what it means to be a real punk rocker.
I had the privilege to work with the lovely @dustyl and also simultaneously read the sweetest, most feel-good piece of writing I could have laid my hands on. Please do go find the fic here and leave all the kudos and comments for this talented author:
The Measure of Us
Summary:
Dean Winchester thought he was doing the right thing by moving to Vermont to help his aging grandfather at his tailor shop. But after Henry passes and leaves nearly everything to John, Dean is at loose ends. A fellow shop owner on the small town square takes a chance on Dean and thatâs how he comes to work beside Castiel, who looks at him like heâs somebody special and DeanâŚisnât really sure what to do with that. With Castielâs encouragement and a whole lot of meddling from their friend Charlie, Dean comes to realize that his old fashioned skills arenât as useless as he thought and may even lead to online fame.
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: no archive warnings apply
Art pieces (along with mild spoilers) are under the cut. AO3 post for the art can be found here.
I made all of these on my iPad using Procreate and it was such a good, fun experience! I feel like Procreate alone made my art better than it really is.
This is the piece I made for the banner. The story starts off in fall, and the whole warm, cozy vibe really drew me in. I loved how comforting the fic was, and decided to go with a warm colour theme for the banner to reflect that.
For the two art pieces, I chose a scene with Dean fixing Cas's wing, and another where Dean and Cas watch Dean's grandfather's tailor shop while standing at the window of Cas's coffee shop.
Last, but not the least, the divider!
And that's that! Please don't forget to check out the fic and leave lots of praise.
Tags: Daredevil AU, Enemies to Lovers, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Minor Character Death, Legal Drama, Crime Drama
Summary:
After being blinded as a boy in an act of heroism, Castiel Novak was left with some extra-sensory abilities â abilities which make his lawyer-by-day, vigilante-by-night lifestyle not just possible, but necessary. Known as âthe Devil of Hellâs Kitchenâ to some, and an avenging angel by others, Castiel has worked hard to balance his two lives while keeping his identity a secret. Sending the criminal kingpin of New York Cityâs underbelly to prison without killing anyone or blowing his cover was no small feat, but he did â because he believes in God, and he believes in the justice system.Â
But when another vigilante enters the scene, taking justice into his own hands and threatening to upend everything heâs worked for, Castiel struggles to keep the faith. Even more so when the Kingpin is released from prison and rigs the justice system to his own favor, all but raising the war flag against vigilantes and superheroes.Â
As it turns out, he and âThe Punisher,â Dean Winchester, may have more in common than Cas would like to admit. Over time, they pull apart and come together to work through their hatred and seemingly clashing ideologies to bring the Kingpin down.
Link to Fic || Link to Art
Notes:
For the @cdrcrossoverbang! Thank you so much to the mods for everything you do, and for granting me a little extra time to get this done. I cut a lot (so be on the lookout for possible future time stamps!), but would've had to cut so much load-bearing material if I'd tried to post on the 16th as originally planned. And to think I scrapped my original crossover fic because I thought it would be too long...
Thank you so much to @twinone1221 for claiming my fic and delivering such spot-on, tonally perfect art, I love your Dean <3 It was a pleasure working with you again!
Thank you also to my friend Gwenwifar for being my Marvel-blind beta, it really helped make sure I wasn't dropping too much detail that needed more explanation. Thank you also for everyone in my server for cheering me on and to @maxine1703 for keeping me company while I wrote. <3 ILY all!
Now, an info-dumpy note on why Daredevil, and on all the Marvel stuff packed inside this baby:
The fic is split into three parts, each representing a part in Cas and Dean's (and then both of their) lives.
Part One briefly glosses over Daredevil S1, and closely adapts S2, while also keeping elements from all of the other Netflix Marvel series (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Iron Fist, --- with Meg Masters, Jake Talley, and Kevin Tran taking the titular characters' places respectively) in the background.
Part Two loosely adapts Punisher S1 & S2, with mentions of the events of The Defenders tv series in the background, which continues into Part Three, which picks up where Daredevil left off, incorporating Daredevil S3, Matt Murdock's entry into the MCU via Spider-Man and She-Hulk, and finally adapting Daredevil: Born Again.
That is a whopping total of 8 TV shows and one movie feeding into this fic, plus background mention of The Avengers (2012) and The Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. I also took inspiration from Michael Clark Duncan as Fisk in the 2003 Daredevil movie when deciding to use Uriel, and there are also several mentions of comic book runs, including The Devil in Cell Block D, and one of the Punisher's scenes where he tells off his fanboys.
Now why the hell did I do that to myself?
Because I'm not ashamed to admit it, I'm one of those cringy Marvel/MCU nerds. Do I think every Marvel movie is a masterpiece? Hell to the fuck no. I haven't been interested by most of the material coming out of this current phase of the MCU since Endgame. I haven't even caught up on the latest shows or movies. But when news about Daredevil: Born Again dropped? I was hyped. And Frank and Matt's dynamics in the season that came out were just sooooo good that I couldn't help but think how great it would be if someone were to Destiel-ify it. And then I realized that that someone probably had to be me.
Anyway. All that to say is that if you're intrigued by some of the plotlines, maybe give Daredevil a watch. Or if you ever have any questions (about the fic or MCU in general), feel free to ask me. And even if you're not a Marvel fan, if you ever give anything a chance, please let it be Daredevil (TV). The quality is unmatched.
And that's a wrap on the first Destiel Angst Bang! Congratulations to all the writers and artists, and many thanks to the moderators, @butterflslinky, @malicmalic and @valandrawrites!
Below the cut, you can find links to all the works produced for the Bang. Announcements about the future of the Bang will be made soon.
Milton's Rest, written by @friendofcarlotta with art by @adromelke (50K, E)
Romance writer Dean Winchester is in the throes of writerâs block, and a stay at a California cottage is supposed to help. But when he meets a striking stranger and literally talks him off a cliff, writing is suddenly the last thing on his mind. Castiel Milton is enigmatic, melancholy, and everything Dean never knew he wanted. Dean finds himself falling hard and fast, so when Castiel offers him a chance to spend more time together at the Milton family home in Maine, Dean doesnât hesitate. But he finds more than he bargained for at the remote mansion: the shadow of Castielâs dead wife, and Castielâs troubled sister Anna, who holds the key to more than one dark secret about the Miltonsâ past.
Take Me Out to the Pacific, written by @seidenapfel with art by @szlez (13K, E)
With an archangel confined in his head, Dean takes the only sensible step: Splash. Buried alive at the bottom of the Pacific, he will be doomed, but the world will be saved.
As he seals his fate, Dean starts to talk, to pray. Even though Cas won't be able to hear him, it helps Dean calm himself. For the first time, he pours out his heart, when, all of the sudden, Cas answers.
All too aware of Cas' secret deal with the Shadow, Dean knows that if he ever is to be rescued, it will be Cas' death sentence.
Of Truth and Fear, written by @baileys101 with art by @daffodilsonaprettystring (27K, T)
When the attack dog spell leaves Castiel gravely ill, Dean and Sam are at odds. But as Cas worsens, they reach a drastic decisionâto strip Castiel of his poisoned grace. Although the cure saves him, without angelic grace, Cas can no longer suppress his feelings for Dean. Overwhelmed, he makes the heartbreaking choice to leaveâfor good.
Feeling angry and rejected, Dean lets Castiel go. But when Crowley sets his sights on him, Dean must confront his fears. Determined to bring Cas home, he must lay everything on the line and prove just how much Castiel means to him.
The Silence Remains, written by @verobatto with art by @szlez (5K, E)
Castiel and Dean finally have their retirement at the beach, both enjoying the sand between their toes. Even Castiel starts to show Dean his feelings and Dean can't believe how perfect everything is. Although, maybe, it's too perfect to be realâŚ
Driving Sideways, written by @valandrawrites with art by @witchy-worm (39K, E)
At 22, Dean Winchester is hunting alone while his dad chases the demon that tore their family apart. When he stumbles into a nest of vampires, Dean becomes their next meal. Outnumbered and cornered, heâll have to fight to survive.
Or
Dr. Castiel Novakâs research is falling apart until a young man with signs of a violent psychotic break arrives at the ER. As Castiel treats his patientâs break from reality, he realizes this man may be the only person he can trust.
Pretty Boy, written by @crowleysmistress with art by @seidenapfel (32K, E)
Dean is a male model who meets Castiel an acclaimed and serious photographer on a shoot. Castiel is impressed with Dean's work ethic and they begin to collaborate more frequently as a new contract pairs them up. Bad communication skill, belief that the other is in a relationship and anger as a default leads to violent incidents between them, even as they progress more and more romantically. Eventually trapping them in a cycle of DV that in the end Dean will have to determine if he can leave behind.
The Divine Grip, written by @t-angel210 with art by @verobatto (6K, T)
After a brush with Michael leaves team free will shaken, Dean asks Castiel for the ultimate favor. He can't keep "Yes" from leaving his lips, so he says yes to Cas. Also Sam is generally unbothered.
When a Butterfly Flaps Its Wings, written by @avonlady42 with art by @seidenapfel (25K, E)
Deanâs grief takes over after losing Charlie to Elden Styne. He canât accept that sheâs just gone, so he decides to make a deal with Rowena to bring her back. Unfortunately, he has to reset the past more than once because things keep going wrong. Dean doesnât know what it will take to keep things from becoming so screwed up. How many times does he have to change the past before he finally gets to have everything he ever wanted?
Happy & Sad (at the same time), written by @queer-dancing-fandom-nerd with art by @gree3art (6K, G)
They may be in the middle of a fight against God himself and the umpteenth end of the world, but Deanâs holding on hope that maybe once this fight is over, theyâll actually be done for good, however impossible it once seemed. For now, theyâre in the calm before the storm, and Cas is finally home for good. If anyone deserves to be celebrated, Dean knows itâs that sonofabitch, so he decides to keep up with the holiday kicks and throw Castiel an impromptu birthday party. What could go wrong?
Hell Beckons to Hell, written by @maxine1703 with art by @onowey (19K, M)
Dean survives the rebar but is left to deal with a life of disability and chronic pain. The only upside to all of this is that Cas is alive, albeit humanâall thanks to Jack. When a mysterious murder has them to jump back into hunting, bringing them face-to-face with a familiar enemy from the past, Dean is forced to confront his feelings for Cas. Cas, on the other hand, has to come to terms with his humanity and the fact that Dean may never truly reciprocate what Cas feels for him.
leave me drowning, written by @from-my-dark-and-twisted-mind with art by @twinone1221 (76K, M)
With his mate Cas and pup Jack, Dean Winchester had a perfect life.
Or so he thought until he came home one random Tuesday to find Jack in the care of a sitter and Cas missing. After enduring the pain of Casâs disappearance, an overzealous detective, CPS and financial struggles, Dean thought things couldnât get any worse until he receives a phone call that rips that final frayed remnant of rug right out from under his feet.
Now reunited can they work through the fear, anger and betrayal and become the happy family they once were?
Red and Black, written by @junesirius with art by @onowey (25K, M)
Aren't we all, a monster, in a way?
Some crawl out, some hide deep; some drink red, some bleed black.
In the pure, relentless monsterland, that's all they have -- being monsters themselves.
Died as a vampire and woke up in Purgatory with fangs, Dean has to crawl his way out the ugly way. And Castiel, in order to reach him, has to do something far, far worse -- to himself.
If the World Has to End, I'm Glad to Have You By My Side, written by @imaginaryprotagonist with art by @sinkat-arts (20K, E)
Relegated as a conspiracy nutjob, John Winchester ignored the naysayers and built an underground bunker in preparation for the spread of a deadly virus he knew was coming. When the first few cases are reported, John flees to California to retrieve Sam, who didnât believe his dad either, leaving Dean behind to hold down the fort. After months without contact with his family and the world descended into chaos, Dean ends up saving the life of a man trying to break into his home to seek refuge. Castiel is a doctor who has been on the run since witnessing the violent behavior of those infected. The two men form a bond, finding comfort in each other as they hide away from the end of the world.
can't find my way (home), written by @queerdeans with art by @stonelions (96K, M)
Sam and Dean give Chuck the final showdown that he wants. But once Samâs gun goes off and Dean is lying on the pavement with a bullet in his head, Chuck is disappointed. In frustration, he disappears, leaving them alone at last.
Castiel is pulled from the Empty and thrown back onto Earth with Dean, only Chuckâs final, sick joke is that he hasnât made their reunion easy. Cas is stuck sixteen years in the past with 25-year-old Dean, John, and no way of getting back to where he belongs.
Meanwhile, back in 2020, Dean awakes in the hospital with no memories of who he is or his past.
Promises End, written by @blackhorsedances with art by @sinkat-arts (18K, E)
âI really donât know what youâre talking about,â he says in that deep rumble. âI donât know any Crowley. I donât know about a gig, and I donât know whether youâre âthe right guyâ or not, because I really have no idea who you are.â
See, now those air quotes are just cute, but the man that's doing them is emphatically not cute. Since Novak has put down the glass and is looking directly at Dean, Dean can see that heâs gorgeous. Above his eyes, thereâs a tousled mop of hair that looks like perma-bedhead or passionate fingers, and either way, mmm. He has a knife-edge nose and cheeks that could cut glass. His lips look dry, but soft, pillowy. He has a defined shadowânot yet scruffâfrom well trimmed sideburns down his jaw and over his upper lip. And of course, the eyes.
Those eyes are looking at Dean as though they can see into his soul. Dean counts his heartbeat one, two, three, four, then Novakâthe fuckerâmoistens those dry pink lips with the tip of his tongue. Deanâs legs devolve to primal goo, and he clutches the bar to keep his body upright. The rest of him, hmm: sanity, good sense, ability to talk, theyâre all arm-in-arm and have left the building.
