Married couple Dean and Cas who play on the same club during the regular season but represent rival countries at the World Cup. The media goes wild for it, and there are a bunch of cheesy World-Cup themed rivalry commercials (all dragging out the from lovingly married to rivals concept). Dean and Cas go along with it because they’re super competitive but also find it hilarious, and really start playing into it even jokingly at home.
Alternately,
Dean and Cas who have always been rivals on different World Cup teams and their respective clubs until one day Cas gets traded to Dean’s regular team. Cue all the rivals-to-friends-to-lovers tropes!!
Find Our Way by youaresunlight [ @puppycastiel on tumblr]
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 25,800
Summary: Castiel is playing in his first NHL season when he meets Dean, a model who has just broken into the industry. He goes home with Dean, because it’s easy, and they keep hooking up, because it makes sense. They’re two, busy people who travel all the time, and it’s not like he’s looking for anything serious – until he does and he wants it with Dean, who’s become his best friend and the love of his life. Life, however, is no fairy tale, and when Dean starts dating for real, Cas lets him go because he loves him. He comes to terms with his broken heart, resigned to however much time he’ll need to mend it, but then Dean is left at the altar at his own wedding and asks if Cas will come with him on his honeymoon.
There’s nothing like a good slow burn/pining fic to occupy your time with. This was such an awesome balance of both. The story opens with rookie hockey player Cas bumping (literally) into a young, bright eyed model Dean. They both have something to celebrate on the night of their meeting so they decide to celebrate together and things just get better from there.
Despite the angst that comes with pining, this fic also featured a lot of domesticity and fluff which helped ease the rocky road Dean and Castiel experience along the way. And while some slow burn fics end with the two of them getting together, this one continued on, showing what their relationship was like even years after they’d been together.
Despite the misunderstandings between Dean and Castiel, their communication and relationship throughout was incredibly endearing and soft as were all their experiences together. That being said I feel like this fic has so many fun and timeless tropes from long distance to fake married, clothes sharing, a meet cute and battling hard times together despite how hard that may be. Find Our Way was a well rounded, enjoyable read, and I’m still smiling because of it, even days later.
Guest review by lemonsorbae
Dean/Cas Pinefest 2018 fic
Fanworks inspired by this fanfic at destielfanworks (other fanworks by title)
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rated G, destiel, sports!au, featuring the real life statement made by athlete case keenum
Reporters are shouting his name, voices drowned out by the arena’s din. The aftermath of their win is chaos. Cas’s final play is still replaying on the screen. Against all odds, the Angels have won the playoffs.
“Novak, this has got to be the best moment of your life,” one of them prompts.
Cas shakes his head. In a moment of perfect clarity, he looks out into the stands. “Best moment of my life is giving myself to Jesus Christ. Number two is marrying my husband.” He finally spots Dean, wearing his jersey and smiling proudly. “This is number three.”
Sweet Surender, Sweet Forgiveness by profound-boning
Rating: Mature
Word Count: 23983
Summery: "You couldn't handle it all."Dean’s eyebrows pinch together. “Is that a challenge?”Cas smirks. “A month, then.”“Six months. And then I’ll publish your biography.”
I really loved this story. I’m a little obsessed with the fake/pretend relationship trope, and I’ve probably read every destiel story out there that uses it, but this one managed to use a dynamic I hadn’t seen before. The situation felt different, and Dean’s job and background were interesting and something I hadn’t seen a lot. This also featured Polish Cas, which I loved, because for some reason Cas speaking different languages really gets me. I highly suggest that you read this immediately.
If you liked this fic, go check out the author on AO3 and give them kudos/kind comments!
For All You Young Hockey Players Out There, Pay Attention by thursdayfallenangel
Summary: Dean Winchester knows two things about hockey, two things his dad made sure he knew. One, hockey is a guy’s sport, and two, hockey is family. Hockey meant Sam and Bobby and Benny and Victor and Gabriel and hell, his entire team. So when Victor gets traded, Russian-star-turned-new-teammate Castiel Krushnic becomes a threat. As much as Dean hates him for that, the longer he sticks around, the more he begins to threaten that first rule too. Dean’s been taught his whole life that those who play hockey should not be captivated by deep accented voices and the way a guy handles his stick, so how the hell is he supposed to justify what he’s starting to think about Cas? All Dean wanted at the beginning of the season was to win, and now all he wants to do is figure out how he feels about Cas and how to deal with it without ruining his career and tearing his family apart.
Comments: 10/10. This is awesome. So awesome. Dean starts off hating Cas because he's a stoic, straightforward asshole. But then Dean finds himself liking Cas and hating himself for it. The internal homophobia and self loathing torments him until they start dating. A lot of homophobia in this fic, cuz hockey. I love the team camaraderie depicted in this fic, and I love how much they love each other and how they show it in little ways. I can tell how much the author loves hockey, and I mean loves. The best thing in fics is when you can tell it’s something the author is really passionate about.
@destielharlequinchallenge
prompt: “No More Sweet Surrender” by Caitlin Crews
pairings: destiel, background sam/eileen, past sam/ruby
word count: 24k
tags: no warnings apply, celebrity au, enemies to lovers, fake relationship, psychiatrist dean, actor cas, meddling ketch, minor character death, past drug abuse and abusive relationship, mutual pining, love confessions
ao3
huge thanks to @adoringjensen for her cheerleading and support
“Look, I’m not saying Nowak is absolutely without a doubt an aggressive brute. I’ve said several times that I don’t know him personally. But his story, his reputation, it’s all there. Immigrant kid learns to fight and gets a silver medal for it: we rewarded his desire to beat other guys up, and now he’s a household name with posters for his movies all over town. Putting men like that on pedestals is caveman worship.”
“And that’s the title of your book, Dr. Winchester?”
“Yes ma’am. The text includes my scholarly research on domestic partner violence and other forms of violence we see as a result of idolizing, well, Neanderthals.”
The clip ends and reverts back to the smiling, plastic faces of the hosts.
“There you have it folks! If you’re just tuning in, that was a clip of yesterday’s interview with Dr. Dean Winchester, a psychiatrist whose book is compelling and will make you question everything you know about hero worship. Mari, what’s your take—”
“What a disgusting display. Honestly, you’d think he gets off on emasculating other men. Can’t imagine why.”
Castiel rolls his eyes at Ketch’s complaints. Complaints about everything, really, but mostly about The Interview. Ketch literally won’t shut up about it. He hasn’t mentioned anything else since Cas came out of his bedroom at half past ten yesterday morning. Ketch’s spare key is meant to be for emergencies only, but whatever; Cas is long since used to Ketch dropping by whenever he feels like it, exclusively for managerial purposes of course. Can’t have your client off doing something you haven’t personally approved and scheduled, after all.
“We need to get out in front of this.” Ketch is typing madly on his phone, thumbs flying. “You’re going to have to do something.”
“I know, Ketch.” Cas sighs wearily. “But another interview immediately after his would be—”
“Yes, tacky, yes,” Ketch interrupts. “Not quite an interview, then. Just a brief chat with the press.”
“A brief chat?”
“Yes, that’s a good idea, Castiel. Let someone catch you outside and ask you about it.”
Cas rubs his temple. “And what, pray tell, is my response to these claims?”
Ketch’s fingers pause. He looks at Cas who is still lying across the plush couch in the living room, one eyebrow raised and unamused.
“That they are ridiculous, obviously. That you are decidedly not a Neanderthal, regardless of what sniveling psychiatrists think of you. And of course you can use that to plug Amazing Grace’s charity event coming up next weekend. Neanderthals don’t dote on orphans, do they?”
“Certainly not.” Cas nods, even though Ketch is already turned away from him, focused on his cell phone again. Sighing, Cas resigns himself to whatever scheme Ketch will brew up for him.
Ketch has been managing Cas’s career for years now. Even before he’d starred in his first major film and was slowly working his way into the acting scene with small roles on TV, Ketch was there for Cas. It’s hard to imagine where he’d be without Ketch’s brains and ability to schmooze anyone, to dig up any and all information he needs, and to get his way. Ketch is a mental powerhouse like Cas is a physical one.
And Ketch had determined—apparently through sheer force of will and probably calling in a few favors—which café was Dr. Winchester’s favorite and arranged for his driver Gadreel to drop Cas off there that very afternoon.
It’s cutesy, with a whimsical name and decór to match. Cas wonders idly what will happen after the press (who Ketch has no doubt alerted about this little outing) find it. He steps inside anyway, shrugging off his denim jacket and pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head. The end of March had brought warmer temperatures to Los Angeles, spring blossoming everywhere you look.
And right in the middle of it all is Dean. He’s seated at a table by the far windows, a steaming mug and a book in front of him. He’s… kind of cute, actually. Cuter than he’d looked on television anyway, which Cas knows to partially be the fault of the unforgiving lights and the clothes and makeup and hairstyle recommended for him. Gone is the tweed jacket, cream button down, and brown slacks. In their place are stylish black shoes, dark jeans, and a light pink button down with the sleeves rolled up. His hair is not that slicked up mess from yesterday, but rather a soft fluff at the top of his head and it’s a darker brown than it had appeared on TV. And there’s some stubble on his jaw, like Dean has been avoiding a razor for the past two days. As he makes his way over, Cas is utterly unashamed to think that this look much better suits the doctor.
“I’m thinking it’s kind of weird to read one’s own book, so this is likely something else. ‘How to Score a Date with a Neanderthal’ perhaps?”
If he’d startled Dean, the other man doesn’t show it. He blinks, taking in the fact that Cas is now standing in front of him at a perfectly average coffee shop just outside of L.A.—and is not just a face on a screen—remaining perfectly calm.
“Oh please,” Dean finally says, looking up at Cas with an unamused expression. “Like it’s hard.”
Cas drapes his jacket over the quaint fake-distressed chair across from Dean. Cute though he might be, Dean Winchester is still a douchebag and Cas needs to remember that. “Harder than writing bullshit about someone you’ve never met. That is, obviously, quite easy.”
“For your information,” Dean starts, closing his book with a snapping sound. “I have not once pretended like I was writing about you with personal experience. I’ve said numerous times that we’ve never met and, frankly, I avoided writing anything about you that wasn’t an actual fact based on what you or your management has said to the public. Family information is easy to get from newspapers, medical and police documents, you name it. Everything was legal. All I did was draw connections between my research and people like you.” Dean takes a sip from his mug. Smug bastard.
“People like me,” Cas repeats. “You don’t know any people like me, sweetheart.”
Cas is a catcher in the MLB and when asked in an interview how he won his husband over he winks and says ‘well, he saw me in my baseball pants and it was done’
