Hiding Amaranth

2026 SUBMISSION TIME HAS ARRIVED - THE TROPE COLLECTION IS AFTER YOUR FICS!

The Destiel Trope Collection is a SELF-REC collection for destiel fanfic full of tropes. Every year the list is voted for by you and the highest voted gets listed for the 31 days of May. If you have any questions, please ask!

Below (the readmore) is a list of the tropes that will be included in this year’s collection (all voted by you peeps!).

SUBMIT YOUR FICS HERE

WHAT CAN YOU SEND?

Completed fic? YES

Work In Progress? YES (if currently being updated)

Old fics? YES

New fics? YES

Fics written specifically for this collection? YES

Short fics? YES (over 1k words)

Long fics? YES (no max word count)

10 fics? YES

1 fic? YES

WHAT CAN’T YOU SEND?

A fic that wasn’t written by you - if you co-authored it, then that’s fine as long as you have permission of your co-author to submit it

A fic shorter than 1,000 words. Due to a popular result on the feedback form, the minimum word count is 1k.

The same fic several times in several tropes. A single fic is only allowed in one list, so, if it fits in several, pick the best one, or draw straws (up to you).

See the full rules and submission guidelines here.

SCHEDULE

2nd January 2026 - Submissions open

25th April 2026 - Submissions close

1st May 2026 - Day 1 of the Trope Collection Posts

1st June 2026 - Masterpost goes up

QUESTIONS?

Send a message or IM to @destieltropecollection!

THE LIST ↴ (below)

“Long Live the King” 

Author: bexgowen / @motherofdragonflies Artist: Jess / @artinventor

Rating: Mature Archive warnings: None Length:  40,275 words Tags:  Alternate Universe - Royalty, King Dean Winchester, Bodyguard Castiel, Friends to Lovers Relationships: Dean/Castiel, Lydia (Slice Girls)/Dean Winchester

Summary:  

Every little girl (and probably a few little boys) went through a phase where they dreamed of waking up one morning to discover they were a long-lost princess (or prince) and were whisked away to a castle where they lived happily ever after for the rest of their lives. Dean Winchester never dreamed he was a long lost prince, yet that didn’t stop a member of the royal family from knocking on his door one morning.

Or: After the death of his father, Dean becomes the King of Eraja. Only his best friend and bodyguard Castiel knows Dean’s reluctance to fulfil his royal duties, including producing an heir to continue on the family line. But Castiel has a few secrets of his own…

Hey everyone! This is my contribution to the Destiel Reverse Bang!

Here is my contribution for the Destiel AU Reverse Bang.

I made this piece last year in august. Thank you for claiming it, @carry-on-my-waywardshadowhunter. It was a pleasure to work with you! Your enthusiasm and positive energy were infecting!

Click on the Banner below to follow the link to the wonderful fic

Thanks @friendofcarlotta to manage all the questions (and delays) for the @destielaureversebbbang. Thank you for your patience and friendliness.

Here's one last picture from the story. You like a bit of Angst? Then go for it!

“The Death You Chose” 

Author: carryonmywaywardshadowhunter / @carry-on-my-waywardshadowhunter Artist: @mitrielle

Rating: Explicit Archive warnings: Graphic depictions of violence Length:  18,000 words Tags:  Dragon!Castiel, Hunter!Dean, AU-Shapeshifters, Angst With A Happy Ending Relationships: Dean/Castiel

Summary:  When Sam is kidnapped by the dreaded dragon shifters, Dean doesn’t hesitate to go after him. It doesn't take long for him to learn everything is not what it seems, especially when he comes face to face with a dragon shifter that's nothing like he expected. When everything he thought he knew turns out to be a lie, when the devils that he knows raise worse hell than a stranger, what choice does he have?

“A Maze of Memories” 

Author: @hectatess Artist: Omint / @acochleola

Rating: Mature Archive warnings: None Length:  14,506 words Tags:  Double Identities, mention of fatal illness, Mention of abuse, John Winchester’s A+ parenting, Recovered Memories Relationships: Dean/Castiel, Gabriel/Sam

Summary:  

Dean kept having nightmares about falling long ends and he sometimes would wake up, calling out a word neither him or Sam recognised or knew what it meant. So, in a desperate attempt to find answers, he contacted a witch…

Castiel was missing his best friends and kept hoping they would end their missions soon, so they could talk again. In the meantime he would watch over the two souls he was assigned. The two True Vessels for Michael and Lucifer. But why did they look so familiar?

It all starts unraveling when Castiel answers a summoning…

A Maze Of Memories

For the @destielaureversebb , I was lucky enough to snag the art piece that was submitted by the talented @acochleola . My muse was tickled pink that we could revisit the universe I had created a while back, where Sam and Dean are… well. You just read the story and find out!

Ти ждеш іще народження для себе, // You are still waiting to be born а смерть ввійшла у тебе вже давно // but death entered you long ago

Translation:

I Have No Mouth, But I Must Scream

My second art for @destielaureversebb was claimed by the amazing @darcydelaney who came up with a gripping story full of angst and heartbreak.

Thank you @darcydelaney for picking my art and writing a true gem of a fic. Possessed Dean POV are just another level! KUDOS!

Many thanks to the mods for running this event!

Now everyone run and read the fic!

“I Have No Mouth, But I Must Scream” 

Author: @darcydelaney Artist: @szlez

Rating: Mature Archive warnings: None Length:  24,308 words Tags:  Priest Castiel, Possessed Dean, Alternating POV, Hurt/comfort, Angst with a hopeful ending Relationships: Dean/Castiel

Summary:  Having expelled more than his fair share of demons, Father Castiel Novak is something of an exorcism expert—or at least he was before his recent excommunication. After receiving a desperate plea from Sam Winchester for help exorcising a demon from his older brother, Dean, Castiel travels to their home on Pruitt Island to offer assistance. While there, he’ll have to figure out not only how to save Dean, but how to navigate his unexpected, growing feelings for the man, and whether Dean’s reciprocation is genuine—or being orchestrated by what’s inside him.

“Match Made in Fanfic” 

Author: Avonlady / @avonlady42 Artist: @adromelke

Rating: Explicit Archive warnings: None Length: 27,165 words Tags:  Two person love triangle; fanfic bang within a fanfic bang; mutual pining; explicit sexual content; Dean and Castiel are a couple of dumbasses Relationships: Dean/Castiel

Summary:  Dean and Castiel have been roommates for 5 years and they have both been secretly in love with each other for almost as long, but their feelings aren’t the only secret they keep from each other. Dean writes fanfic and Castiel draws fanart for their favorite TV show, Hunters. When their online personas end up working together on a new bang, they message back and forth and begin to develop feelings for one another. When they have both come to the conclusion that they can’t be with the one person they each want in real life, they decide to meet in person and see if their online chemistry will hold up in reality. Little did they know that they would end up with so much more than they could have hoped for.

“How to Muse a Guy in 10 Ways” 

Author: NiksFics / @niks-fics Artist: @zybynarx

Rating: Explicit Archive warnings: None Length: 38,973 words Tags:  Musician Castiel, Muse Dean, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Relationships: Dean/Castiel

Summary:  

Dean Winchester loves inspiring the creative output of mankind. Sure, being an entry-level muse mostly means guiding kindergarteners' imaginations and coaxing burnt-out artists back toward their work, but that’s fine. He’s sure he’ll get promoted eventually.

Castiel Novak breathed music his whole life — until an accident stole what had once felt effortless. Now he’s skirting around a piano he still loves and pretending that the quiet, careful world he’s constructed for himself is enough.

And it is — until Dean shows up, bringing with him bad jokes, unexpected kindness, and the unsettling sense that something in Castiel is being gently, deliberately nudged awake.

This was the first artwork I did for the @destielaureversebb event this year! It was a story idea/concept I had for so many years but originally from a different fandom. I realized it was never going to get written (especially since I moved on from the fandom) and so I figured I would throw it out in the world and hope someone got inspired by the drawing/idea.

I got the AMAZING opportunity and luck to work once again with @niks-fics on this project! And Y'ALL it is so incredible and everything I could have wanted for this story idea I had so many years ago! I can never thank her enough for choosing this story and to work with me again. 🥹❤️

Please do yourself a favor and check out the story! There is a 2nd art piece done that's a little on the spoiler side, so it's under the "read more" so look at your own risk! 😝

A Crack in Everything (that's how the light gets in)

Destiel AU Reverse Big Bang

Written by the WONDERFULLY AMAZING @tanis-in-a-trenchcoat

Art by me, @onowey

And beta read by the magnificent @banshee1013

Find the story here and GO FUCKING READ THE MAGNIFICENT BEAST!!! I DARE YOU!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!

I mean.....please.....you'd benefit from witnessing our brain baby...you can feel the love in the art and the story, this was such a wonderful collab

My (first) contribution to this year's @destielaureversebb was with the wonderful @akaalaisabel who turned my little blue comic up there into an ***incredible*** horror / western / love story that you are NOT gonna want to miss.

Seriously. The vibes, the world building, the characterization... all immaculate. Run, don't walk, and read today.