āHe really likes cowboys!āĀ āYes, he does.āĀ
And so do we! Whether set in the Old West or on a contemporary ranch, there is just something about our boys, and cowboy boots that just gets the heart racing. Ya know what they say, Save a Horseā¦Ā
Be sure to also check out our western au tag and our firstĀ Ā Western Destiel rec list as well as our Wild West and CowboyĀ asks.
Most links go to our reviews or submitted rec posts.
I. Contemporary Westerns/Ranch
Blackstrap Molasses by Neonbat [NC-17, 40,000 word count]
Castiel has come back to his small Kansas hometown to work as a veterinarian while he aids in the care of his smallest siblings. An influx of new patients has him a little busy, but when he finds himself making home calls to an old acquaintance from High school his life takes a turn. Dean pulls him into his orbit, and the two must deal with the perceptions of hometown life, bigotry, and self-sabotage if they want a shot at things together.
Broomstick Cowboy by jupiter_jamesĀ [NC-17, 18,000 word count]
Dean Winchester is one of the finest circuit riders of his generation, right after his legendary father. Heās got the life he loves, with the exception of one thing - one person: his biggest sponsor, Castiel Milton. Despite being a ranch owner, Milton is only interested in one thing, and thatās making money, even at the expense of animals past their prime. At least, thatās what Deanās animosity has been lead to believe. However, coming face to face with his misunderstanding makes him reevaluate a lot of things, including his feelings for Castiel.
Fire N Ice by WincestersRaven [NC-17, 71,700 word count]
Dean and Jimmy Novak met a year and a half ago and theyāve been dating for eight months. When he meets Castiel Novak, Jimmyās identical twin, Deanās shocked to say the least. Jimmy never mentioned having a brother, let alone a twin brother. The more he gets to know Cas, the more he finds himself falling hard for the man who has his boyfriendās face, but is different in so many ways.
Authorās note: Dean doesnāt cheat in this fic. There is no three-way with Dean and the twins.
Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy by palominopup (submitted rec) [NC-17, 67,300 word count]
Sam and Dean Winchester are owners of Winchester Farms, a large Quarter Horse ranch. Ā Sam loans their bunkhouse to a writer so he can get some privacy to finish his latest book.
Texas State of Mind by palominopup [NC-17, 69,800 word count]
Dean Winchester was once an award winning country music star, but fame came too early. Now, heās fifteen years sober and owns a ranch in western Texas. Heās happy with his life. He has horses, a nice herd of cattle and so what, if heās alone. He tells his friends that heās happily single. Back when he was touring, men and women threw themselves at him ā but he knew they only wanted him for his fame.
Cas Novak just won his fifth CMA award. He loves singing, but the touring was getting old. Living in a bus nine months out of the year was slowly destroying his creativity. He hasnāt written anything new in over a year. Then he hears an old song on the radio. He vaguely remembers the handsome singer and wondered whatever happened to him. Before he knew it, heād written a new song. The only problem wasā¦it was a duet. A duet that could only be sung with a voice like Winchesterās.After locating the manās ranch, Cas makes a surprise visit. Will he be able to talk Dean into joining him on stage after all these years? Will the two men find what theyāve been looking for all their lives ā someone to share a future with?
II. Historical fics set in the Old West
A Road For Home by hymnaries (submitted rec) [NC-17, 17,880 word count]
Itās been six years since Sheriff Castiel Milton last saw Dean Winchester, three since he left his life in Massachusetts behind for a lonely outpost in New Mexico Territory. In this self-imposed exile, heās at last begun to separate himself from the man he used to be. But after a tragic event causes Dean to reach out to him once more, Castiel not only finds himself confronted with the past he so desperately tried to forget, but also with a newly grown-up Dean who has not so easily buried the feelings that propelled their unconventional relationship into uncharted territory those many years ago. Against the backdrop of the Reconstruction Era West, the two men revisit the events that led to their separation and tentatively explore the possibility of a future together.
Down by the Water by Cas_Wings (submitted rec) [NC-17, 88,400 word count]
When Castiel loses everything dear to him due to a botched river crossing, including his supplies, livestock, covered wagon, and even his wife, he has no where to turn, no way to survive stranded in the middle of his journey. That is, until he meets Dean Winchester, who offers him a life saving deal: In exchange for help on his farm, Dean offers to provide much needed room and board. But how will this decision affect Castiel as he moves through his grief, and discovers feelings he never would have expected? Fighting with injury, pain, grief, and even the threat of death, Dean and Castiel find themselves in the one place they would have never expected: down by the water, struggling to accept their unforeseen love. ((Set in 1853. AU.))
Eldorado Canyon by TerenceFletcher [T, 92,800 word count]
Sam and Dean Winchester are hunters. Finding new supernatural cases, solving mysteries, helping innocents to surviveāthings most ordinary people can barely even imagineāare all part of their daily routine. Life is sometimes easy, sometimes tough, but almost always dangerous. When they get their new appointment in Nevada, they hit the road without thinking twice.
The only thing isāitās the fall of 1861, the Civil War has been ongoing for several months, and the enemy is nearly invincible. In a world without cell phones and cars, the only gear the Winchesters have is their black stagecoach and precious Colt gun. And a weird local preacher who is trying to help them.
A DCBB 2017 fic
Hope on Fire by Ltleflrt (submitted rec) [M/light NC-17, 32,600 word count]
The Civil War ended, but left Castiel weighted down with guilt and shame. In an attempt to start over, he moves West, building a life for himself outside the small mountain town of Purgatory. Five years later a storm blows in, bringing the Winchester brothers and bitter memories along with it.
A DCBB 2014 fic
Hunterās Caress by LtleflrtĀ [NC-17, 161,100 word count]
Castiel Jameson wonāt rest until the outlaw who murdered his brother faces justice, and Dean Winchester is the only man alive who can help him track the villain down. Some say Winchester is a cold-blooded killer himself; others say heād been wronged his whole life. All Castiel knows is that the desire glinting in Deanās green eyes is even more dangerous than he is. Castiel fights to keep his mind on business, but during the long nights on the trail with the dangerously handsome hunter he finds himself dreaming of yielding to Deanās illicit kisses and losing himself in lawless passion.Ā Dean Winchester is about to hang when Castiel saves his neck with his crazy plan. But dying might be better than spending day and night playing nursemaid to such an infuriating city slicker. He appreciates the stubborn detectiveās desire for justice, but heād appreciate Cas a lot more if heād stop being a lawman long enough to just be a man. He certainly has all the right equipment. Dean aches to run his fingers through Castielās dark hair, yearns to know how Castielās golden skin will feel against him. And before the coming of the next dawn, Dean vows to teach him the pleasures and sweet rewards of a Hunterās Caress.
Lost to the Flames by jinxedambitions (submitted rec) [NC-17, 29,700 word count]
Castiel was happy running a mission for omegas where they could live in peace and have power over their lives. When a group of alphas come asking to buy the land, so they can use it for mining, Castiel sends them away. However, they come back and burn the mission to the ground leaving Castiel a broken man.
Sam and Dean are sent after an outlaw leaving a string of dead alphas across the western territories. They track him for months before they realize the outlaw is an omega hunting sadistic alphas. Sam and Dean must decide whether they agree with Castielās mission, whether they should bring him to justice, and whether Deanās found a kindred spirit in the outlaw.
Plain and Tall by destielpasta and mtothedestiel [NC-17, 69,900 word count]
Dean is a Kansas farmer who only wants to work his land and care for his infant daughter. With his wife gone and his brother moving on to a life beyond the homestead, Dean finds himself in need of another pair of hands. Castiel, a lonely drifter freshly arrived in town, may prove the solution to Deanās troubles. Over the course of four seasons, the two men face the everyday challenges of prairie life, and learn to overcome the betrayals of their past to discover a new definition of family.
A DCBB 2016 fic
The Right Side of the Law by elizayeĀ [NC-17, 2,000 word count]
We stand here today, September 14th, 1861, to execute heavenly justice upon Castielāon Castiel for the crimes of murder, fraud, impersonation of a priest, theft, desertion, and public indecency.
Vagabonds by amarillograndeĀ [Nc-17, 87,000 word count]
Dean is a sheriff in a tiny town in Colorado, restless and unsatisfied with his life. Itās not what heās read about in the dime novels since he was little, capturing dangerous outlaws and being the last word of the law. More like tossing the town drunk in a cell to sober up when he gets a little too rowdy. But his chance comes when a thief rolls through their town. Dean pursues the thief, and that puts him right into the path of Emmanuel, a notorious outlaw. When heās captured by the outlaw and his gang to be held for ransom, he starts off on a journey he could have never envisioned, and learns that perhaps thereās more to Emmanuel than meets the eye.
We Dig In Our Heels, As Hard As We Can by AlreadyPainfullyGone (submitted rec) [NC-17, 11,000 word count]
Castiel is a union surgeon fresh from the civil war, Dean is a confederate soldier working as a prostitute in a dangerous town.Ā
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