#!johnmary

Thanks to the latest news about the SPN spinoff The Winchesters being produced by Jensen and Daneel Ackles, fandom went through another batshit high intensity day and emerged on another side stronger than ever. If you missed the news, see this post and this post by @whyissupernaturaltrending​ for a quick update.

In canon, Mary’s death and John’s “hard love” parenting left unforgettable marks on young Sam and Dean. Here’s some pointers how you can find relevant fics on our blog. 

I. On our Tags Page you can find following tags about the Winchesters. Please note that these tags host both, canon (SU) and AU fics

#!johnmary - fics where both John and Mary are alive

#John - fics where John but not Mary has an important role

#John finds out - fics where John finds out that Dean likes boys

#Mary - fics where Mary is alive but not John

#weechesters - fics with large chunks devoted to Dean and Sam's childhood

II. Small rec list based on these tags to get you started. See the tags and summaries for additional info about positive or negative portrayal of parents.

Canon Verse

a turn of the earth by mishcollin

like moses and batman and james dean by saltyfeathers

Best Friends Without Benefits by lizbobjones

The Best Years of Our Lives, My Ass by ireallyhatecornnuts

Equinox by luchia13

Good Things Do Happen by trinityofone

How (thanks to Gabriel) Dean and Castiel (accidentally) raised each other (and Sam) by vera

The Soul Piece by cloudyjenn

Modern AU

A Place Where Nothing Moves by imogenbynight

A [T]ypical Romcom by masked

And This, Your Living Kiss by opal_bullets

Angel’s Wild by riseofthefallenone

Chasing Cars by ratherbehere

Cursed Or Not by ltleflrt

Empty Spaces by schmerzerling

Fortunate Son by atheclena

The Laundromat ‘Verse by ozonecologne

Passing Ships by quiettewandering

Red-Blooded Blues by sysrae

Should’ve Just Asked by scaramouche

Somewhere I have never traveled by museaway

On the Line by JessJesstheBest [ @saywhatjessie on tumblr]  Rating: T  Word Count: 23,000  Summary: “Well, can I scam you?” Dean’s spoon was frozen, forgotten, halfway between his bowl and his mouth. “Did you just ask if you could scam me?” “Yes.” The guy said, cool as anything. “Can I scam you?” Or the one where Cas is a scam caller and Dean just keeps intercepting his calls.

I remember seeing the tumblr post with this prompt on my dash now and then, usually with ‘imagine your OTP’ comment attached to it. It was always fun to think about how the author would spin this scenario into a shippy fic. Well, now I don’t have to imagine it anymore! Here it is, a lighthearted fic about hard working scam call operator Cas and his (un)lucky target Dean. Fear not, Cas is not trying too hard to swindle Dean out of his money and Dean is more than happy to banter with the snarky owner of a gravely voice. Given a chance, that is. Or two. Or three. Not that he’s hoping to hear again from Cas. What starts as a tong in cheek challenge, slowly turns into a tentative friendship which is fully supported but kindly teased by Dean’s extended family and friends. This fic is brimming with heartfelt conversations and positive vibes, which, to be honest,  we all could use more in our lives. Treat yourself and read it! 

A DCBB 2019 fic

Fanworks inspired by this fanfic at destielfanworks

If you enjoyed the fic, please drop by the archive (AO3) and let the author know with your comments and/or kudos! And if you found our recs useful, let us know by Liking and/or Reblogging our posts! <3

Suggested further reading (links go to our reviews or rec lists)

Good One’s Gonna Be by remmyme - a canon verse fic about Dean and Cas getting to know each other thangs to wrong number call;

Astrolabe by reluctantabandon and winter_of_our_discontent - college AU fic about Dean and Cas communicating via hand written messages;

Dean/Cas Social Media rec list - title says it all!

and don't miss our Anonymity/Internet and Long Distance tags!

Cinderwings by bendingsignpost [ @bendingsignpost on tumblr] Rating: M Word Count: 182,000 Summary: Under the cover of a masquerade ball, Castiel has five nights to recover the key to his people's freedom. The world has changed greatly in the six centuries since their banishment into the void, but the task isn't impossible. Unfortunately for Castiel, this is going to involve talking to people - especially the Knight Prince who has taken an interest in Castiel and his "costume" wings.(Destiel Cinderella AU)

You have no idea how excited I am to rec this fic! We all know that rich world building, suspenseful plot, unique cultural misunderstandings and oodles of yummy destiel feels is more than enough for a great fic. But there’s also so much more. Angel Castiel trying to understand human body language and how to use it for his own agenda is amusing in and of itself. But when you add to it Castiel’s struggle to restrict his wing language from oblivious humans and the very tactile Prince Dean, you get a true winner among wing fic. On top of all that, this story is told with very eloquent prose. Many times I had to pause and savor a particularly lovely turn of phrase or linger over a sentence with so many emotions packed in just couple of words.

The fic is tagged as a Cinderella AU and, indeed, it borrows some of the most iconic moments from that famous fairy tale -  secret identities, a royal palace and extensive dancing, the importance of midnight, the lost not-a-slipper-thingy that is essential to track down the mysterious guest the prince has fallen in love with. But these are only building blocks in a cleverly subverted fairy tale fusion laden with canon parallels. The fic itself is an action packed, character driven story about deception and the sacrifices Cas and Dean are ready to make for their families. This is so not a story about a sweet natured orphan being noticed by a prince. Quite the opposite, Castiel is a seraph on a mission and his strategist and tactician skills are on full display here. He knows his target and that his time is limited, now, if only Prince Dean would stop being so distracting and wouldn’t make Cas to question his loyalties. The amount of destiel flirting -- er, I mean Dean flirting and Cas trying to make sense of human facial expressions-- in this fic is to die for. Also, I had the pleasure of reading one of the longest, sweetest and still very plot relevant kissing scenes ever in this fic. There’s so much I could say about this story, but I’ll save you time and just tell you to read it immediately. Your day or weekend will be better for it!

Fanworks inspired by this fanfic at destielfanworks (other fanworks by title)

If you enjoyed the fic, please drop by the archive (AO3) and let the author know with your comments and/or kudos!

Suggested further reading (links go to our reviews)

Not Part of the Plan by scaramouche [ @no-gorms on tumblr] -  read this super epic fic for intricate political plot, arranged marriage shenanigans, culture clashes, betrayals and separations,  but most of all, for Dean and Cas falling in love and fighting for it despite every expectation posed on them, and winging it as they go. If you have already read NPOTP, be sure not to miss recently posted timestamps.  

True as It Can Be by whelvenwings [ @whelvenwings on tumblr] - read it for a contemporary take on classic fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast, for Dean trying to understand creature Cas and for an amazing twist on the classical curse.

find more fics about strategist Cas on this ask and fics that highlight Cas’ otherness on this ask. We also have a wing!fic tag! 

somewhere I have never travelled by museaway Rating: M Word Count: 53,300 Summary: Driving home from work at his family's shop, Dean is hit by a man driving a Prius. Though Castiel is initially rude, he offers dinner as part of his apology, and Dean is drawn to him the more they talk. Since Castiel is raw from a divorce with a teenage daughter, Dean doesn’t expect the relationship to go anywhere and is surprised when Castiel quickly becomes a fixture in his life. But while Castiel seems eager to build a life with him, Dean is hung up on his past and family obligations.

Here’s a quiet meet cute that is not very cute at first but, hey, that has never stopped Dean and Cas from falling in love. And so they do. It’s not very often when a fic feels like a real life story to me, but this one does. The author masterfully weaves an understated love story about two adult men. There’s no rush but also no hesitation. Both of them have their share of relationship woes yet they don’t let the baggage to weigh them down. The naturally evolving relationship may lack youthful excitement but it makes up for it with honest communication and sincerity. There’s also plenty of low level, simmering just under your skin, angst, especially in the last third of the fic. The emotional wringer of Dean and Cas’ disagreement cuts very deeply exactly because both of them contributed to it equally. This is a wonderful love story for all destiel readers, but, I believe, it will particularly resonate with more mature fans who will be able to appreciate catharsis of the reunion so much more.

A DCBB 2017 fic

Similar ask from destiel-is-love-cockles-is-life

Hey! I really tried searching the tags and the search engine and i did find ‘John finds out’ but often John is portrayed as either a homophobe or not accepting of Dean’s sexuality. It’s also highschool-AU often, which i’m not a fan of. I really want to find a fic wherein John does accept it, so far i only found one called back from the dead, which i liked a lot! I was hoping you (or your followers?) knew some fics! Thanks in advance :)

Here we have collected some fics where John is not physically abusive and he isn’t homophobic. YMMV on emotional abuse, though we generally tried to focus on those where he may be rough around the edges, but is generally a positive figure.

Accidental First Date (submitted rec)

The Best Years of Our Lives, My Ass (cameo)

By the Dark of the Moon

Chasing Cars

The Dance of Inanna (cameo) SU

Fairy Verse (cameo)

Faith and Deeds (unofficially recced here)

Fake It Till You Make It (submitted rec)

Family Business (cameo)

Good Things Do Happen SU 

How (Thanks to Gabriel) Dean and Castiel (Accidentally) Raised Each Other (And Sam) SU

Hysterical (submitted rec)

Imperfect Proposals 

It’s Always the End of the World Somewhere(cameo)

I’ve Come To Be The Stranger That You Keep SU (unofficially recced here) 

Kind Of A Forever Deal(cameo)

The Laundromat ‘Verse (in flashbacks) 

Lipstick (submitted rec)

Lost Souls

Not Part of the Plan (cameo at first, more present in later parts)

Our Small World 

Player 2 Is Ready (very supportive of Dean’s coming out)

Point Pleasant

Porcelain

Put on Your Dancing Shoes (unofficially recced here)

Ready to Fall (submitted rec)

Small Town Charmer (unofficially recced here)

Something Unexpected

Sweaters & Cigarettes  

Too Much TV Will Rot Your Brain  (unofficially recced here)SU

Tradition Can Go Screw Itself (submitted rec)

What Is Bred in the Bone 

Where Overreaction Meets Sam Winchester And They Live Happily Ever After (unofficially recced here)

Here are some “meet the family” fics. We were originally aiming for more lighthearted ones (leaving out angsty ones that pop up on tags like john finds out or abusive family) but where it was still a formal meeting (as opposed to meeting in passing kind of stuff). However, the angsty ones creeped their way in! So we’ve added an asterisk next to the fun/lighthearted ones.

Cas meeting Dean’s family:

300 Things

A [T]ypical Romcom

*Accidental First Date (submitted rec)

Breeding Angels (submitted rec)

*Chasing Cars

Chili Peppers ‘Verse

Family Business

Into Your Hideaway 

*Kind Of A Forever Deal

Mulder and Scully (submitted rec)

Not Part of the Plan

*Pie in the Sky

*Player 2 Is Ready 

*Put on Your Dancing Shoes (unofficially recced here)

*Ready to Fall (submitted rec)

Red-Blooded Blues

Slice of Heaven

Something Unexpected  

*The Story of Autumn And Me 

Unwritten 

The Way to a Man’s Heart Is Through Chlamydia

What I Take With Me

Where Overreaction Meets Sam Winchester And They Live Happily Ever After (unofficially recced here)

Wicked Ways (submitted rec)

other tags to check out: !johnmary, john finds out, weechesters

Dean meeting Cas’ family:

*Appoggiatura

Bump and Run 

*Dr. Sexy PhD.

Easy Now, With My Heart (submitted rec)

Get Knocked Down, Get Back Up (submitted rec - in epilogue)

Gravity vs Velocity

*In Three Days: A Memoir by Castiel Shurley

Into Your Hideaway 

Living Right Is In the Trying

Looking For A Run-In

Past Present 

*Peace and Good Luck To All Men 

*Plus One

Say A Prayer And Light A Candle

Time of My Life (submitted rec)

Yare

other tags to check out: angel!family, bigbro!gabriel, god

Meeting both families:

Angel’s Wild

(Dis) Affection

Future Plans and Other Dumb Ideas (submitted rec)

I think you’d like Good Things Do Happen. :)

Some kind of recs (take place in heaven but Dean and Cas are there too): These Are Not Real Problems and this fic (spoilers).

For those interested:

Too Much TV Will Rot Your Brain [T, 7,300 word count]