Yellow Moon by coffeeandcheesecake
Wordcount: 11,548
Rating: M
Summary: Castiel Novak hasn't said a word for three years. The mountains and a beautiful boy might give him a reason to speak.
Considering how short this story is, relative to a lot of other fics out there, it’s impressive how many elements the author manages to bring together in a way that feels natural and not forced. Though the characters are high-school aged (both Dean and Cas are 17), almost none of the action actually takes place at school. Dean’s background is almost exactly like it is in canon, though with a slightly more positive depiction of John Winchester, and soon Cas finds himself caught up in the world of monsters and hunting. That darkness is contrasted with a middle section that beautifully employs the “isolated in a cabin together” trope, and on top of everything else, helps plot out stops on an excellent character journey for Castiel. He’s principled and determined and a stone-cold badass despite his recent introduction to the world of the supernatural, and it’s one of my favourite characterizations of him, especially at such a young age. And Dean-- he fights easily, flirts shamelessly (but backs off quickly when Cas shuts him down), and loves with all his heart. I’m not familiar with the play this story is apparently based on, so for me it was a bit of a whirlwind, never really sure which direction it would go next. But I enjoyed every minute of the reading experience.
