#2018 preview

Title: Stray Cat Strut Author: WinJennster Artist: Pandorana Rating: Mature Pairings: Destiel, Sam/Rowena Wordcount: 21000 Warnings/Tags: Kitty!Dean, Brief Sexual Content, Witches, Spells, Bunker!Fic, Human!Cas, First Time, Love Confessions, Indeterminate Time Frame in Canon Posting: 11/28/2018

Summary:

Armond DuBois is definitely not the world’s greatest witch. He can, however, see souls and read auras

. Armond believes he’d be incredibly powerful if he could just find a familiar - but there’s not an animal that’s been attracted to his power in his over two hundred years on Earth. He finds an incredibly gorgeous soul and decides to transform a human into the perfect familiar, which is how Dean Winchester finds himself a four legged feline.

Sam and Cas are immediately in love with the adorable kitty they find outside the bunker door, and occupy their time planning how to convince Dean - who they believe is off sulking after a botched hunt - to let them keep their cat. Along the way, Dean learns to use a litter box and hears some confessions he maybe wasn’t supposed to hear, all while realizing just how much he loves Castiel.

Now all Dean has to do is convince Cas and Sam their new pet cat is actually him before they do something crazy - like neuter him!

“Hey, so I ran out to the store and got this pet carrier. I don’t know how he’ll be on a car ride. Better safe than sorry, right?” Sam set a dark blue carrier on the table and opened the metal grate.

Oh hell no! Dean yowled at the carrier and backed away, his spine arched. I am not going into the kitty prison! Dean jumped out of the box and hopped off the table. Ignoring Cas and Sam’s surprised shouts, he dashed down the stairs of the library and into the war room, pulling a hard right at the kitchen. He could hear Sam’s clodhoppers hitting the floor behind him as his brother gave chase, but Dean was tiny now, and four legged, so getting away from Sam was easy.

Dean ran into his own room and looked around frantically for a place to hide. He knew what would happen if they took him to the vet - he’d get his balls chopped off! He’d need those things when he eventually regained his humanity and he’d be damned if Sam or Cas thought they were going to violate him that way. The dresser! Just a few inches off the ground, Sam would never look there. Dean squirmed his way underneath just as Sam entered the room.

“Here, kitty kitty,” he cajoled.

No, dummy dummy, Dean thought.

Sam’s feet moved around the room, joined a moment later by a pair of worn blue Nikes. “Did he come in here?” Cas asked.

“I thought so. I’m not sure now,” Sam said.

“Did you look under the dresser?” Cas knelt and his face appeared. “Hello, Zeppelin. Please come out.” Dean hissed in response. “I understand. You needn’t be afraid. It’s just a checkup. Nothing else, I promise.”

“It’s a cat, Cas. They don’t understand -” Cas lifted him off the ground as Dean came out from under the dresser, hoping his trust in Cas wasn’t misplaced. “I’ll be damned.”

Title: Love Leaves Its Abuser Author: Diminuel Artist: Hitori Alouette Rating: Mature Pairings: Dean/Cas (minor past Michael/Cas) Wordcount: 30000 Warnings/Tags: No Major Archive Warnings apply. Tags: Witch Castiel, love spells, mild consent issues, angst, case fic Posting: 11/26/2018

Summary:

Castiel is a witch born with powerful magic. While he is happy to only use it so people think the coffee tastes a bit better than it does and compel them to return to his café, his coven forces him to complete his initiation. They order him to get rid of Dean Winchester, the hunter who stumbled into Cas' café while investigating a freak storm. Cas doesn't want to kill Dean but he also can't disobey the only family he's ever known. So he chooses the least disastrous option: a love spell.

As Cas hung the coat on the rack, letting the domestic magic do its part to dry it up quick, his mind raced through possible explanations. He turned back around to see the man subtlety eying him out of the corner of his eye before he went back to pretending to read the menu.

"I'll be in the kitchen for a moment to check on the generator," Castiel told him, receiving a grunt of approval, then he disappeared.

If the items he wore on himself weren't indication enough, the man had that particular aura about himself that Castiel had been casually warned to look out for before. Tense, rough men, clad in practical clothing, more often than not rather frayed around the edges to their trained eyes, and most of them came with dark swirls of agony and anger. Castiel was sure of it: there was a hunter in his café.

Castiel told himself not to get worked up prematurely. Most hunters didn't have the sight to alert them to witches, not if they were careful. And apart from the little magic he performed just after the power had been knocked out, he had never done anything to alert suspicion. Maybe, Castiel told himself as he kicked the generator into action and the light flickered on dimly in the kitchen, he was just passing through.

"Or maybe he is here to finish the job", Cas pondered, but it was a thought with little weight, something he dismissed right away. The hunter that had killed his parents but spared him 30 years ago was probably long dead. Hunters, as Michael tended to say, didn't have a long shelf life. Aware that he couldn't keep the stranger waiting for too long without causing suspicion, he returned to the main room, pleased to see that the light worked here too without a dash of magic. Doing magic right under a hunter's nose was simply too careless, even if it didn't take more than a flick of his finger to get it done.

The hunter was sitting sprawled on the chair, legs kicked out in front of him, his pose casual and performatively at ease. He held Cas' menu in his hand, waving it a bit and fixing Cas with a cocky smile. Cas had to be on his toes around him, but that didn't stop him from noticing just how attractive the hunter was.

"So are you Cas of Cas' Café?" the stranger asked.

"Yes," he said and the man's lips twitched into a smirk.

"That's not the most imaginative name, is it?" Castiel's eyebrow rose in confusion.

"Cas?"

Title: Speak Low, If You Speak Love Author: chevrolangels Artist: Maiglöckchen Rating: Explicit Pairings: Dean/Cas (Minor Sam/Eileen, Alicia Banes/Charlie Bradbury) Wordcount: 33000 Warnings: None Posting: 11/19/2018

Summary:

Like most terrible things in the world, this is Gabriel's fault.

And maybe Eileen’s, and Sam’s. Fact is, Charlie’s getting married. Which of course Dean would be over the moon about, despite his objection to all things romantic—but this means spending a week with his least favorite person on the planet, his sparring partner in crime, Castiel, both of them united in only one thing—their scorn for love.

So when Gabriel has the bright idea of getting the two anti-lovebirds together, the whole gang is in on the idea. But as the week progresses and things get more and more complicated, they realize that perhaps not all is fair in love and war.

A Much Ado About Nothing AU starring Dean and Cas.

Dean is opposite Castiel, leaning back against the door frame. He looks perfectly at ease, a drink in one hand, the other tucked into his jean pocket.

“My dear lord disdain.”

Castiel crosses his arms, tilting his head to the side.

“Looks like you managed to survive the plane ride over.”

Dean just grins at that, pulling his keys from his pocket.

“Well,” he says, holding out a bottle opener towards him. “Someone had to come and keep your big head in check.”

Castiel twists his lip, but accepts the bottle opener Dean holds out.

“So, Castiel.”

Castiel drops the cap on the counter, rolling his eyes. Dean is the only person he knows who insists on using his full name. He hates it.

“You excited for five days of sacrilege and sin?” Dean asks.

“Thrilled,” Castiel replies, tossing the keychain back to Dean, who catches it, smirking.

“You’re definitely dressed for the weather,” he says. “You know, not a lot of guys could pull off the creepy flasher look, but you’re really working it.”

Castiel takes a swig of beer, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

“And I see you’re alone,” he says dryly. “I almost didn’t recognize you without a girl hanging off your lips.”

“Haven’t you heard, Castiel?” Dean replies effortlessly. “I’ve sworn off love.”

“And men and women everywhere breathed a sigh of relief,” Castiel mutters.

Dean purses his lips, glancing around.

“What about you?” He smirks. “Where’s your plus one?”

“Nonexistent.” Castiel says. “Unlike some people, my life isn’t so empty that I need to fill it with meaningless hookups.”

“Well, let’s hope you keep that mindset, Castiel, so some poor bastard escapes your claws.”

Castiel smiles thinly.

“You really got a mouth on you, Winchester,” he mutters. The corners of Dean’s mouth tighten.

“Better than being a dick,” he retorts.

“Name-calling, Dean?” Castiel crosses his arms. “That’s low, even for you.”

“Something a lumberjack would do?” Dean says scathingly, repeating one of Castiel’s more pathetic attempts at wit on their last encounter, at Max’s birthday, which was supposed to be just dinner and somehow became a raucous party at Gabriel’s. Dean memorably won that one, with the clincher that Castiel should ‘keep rolling his eyes and maybe he’d find a brain back there’.

Castiel clenches his jaw.

“You know, Dean, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy these little chats of ours—”

He grabs his beer, pulling his phone from his pocket.

“But in the interest of saving time, I’m going to leave.”

He turns before Dean can respond, striding towards the rest of the group clustered inside.

Title: About Five Times The Distance Author: cuddlemonsterdean Artist: morla Rating: Explicit Pairings: Dean/Cas (minor Sam/Eileen) Wordcount: 26000 Warnings/Tags: canon level violence, PTSD, neurogenic stutter, alexia, disabled!dean, touch-starved!dean, established relationship, case fic, happy ending Posting: 11/27/2018

Summary:

It's been months since Dean kicked Michael out, but he's still dealing with the mental and physical repercussions, some of which have turned out to be permanent. He’s had to adjust how to deal with hunts and that he likely won’t ever be at 100% again. On the upside, he and Cas are close now in a way that he’d never dared hope for, have made it clear how they feel for each other. Dean's greedy for every bit of affection they share, helplessly wanting more but unsure if Cas wants the same. Dean’s family got him back and he's got them, but they’re all dealing with their own respective issues and hang-ups, and when they - Cas, Dean, Sam, Eileen, and Jack - embark on a case of missing homeless people in San Diego, it all comes bubbling to the surface.

Dean watches with narrowed eyes as Cas folds up his sleeping clothes.

“D-d-don't mix the d-d-dirty stuff in with the c-c-clean.”

“I know how to pack a bag, Dean.”

“Oh yeah? L-l-last time I had-d-d to do the sniff t-t-test with everything-g-g after.”

“That's because you didn't listen to me when I told you what I put where.”

“I had a con-c-c-cussion!”

On the other bed, Sam is packing his own bag, except he's stopped to watch Dean and Cas like they're some sort of bizarre tennis match, his stupid eyebrows almost disappearing into his stupid hairline. He's not saying anything though, so Dean ignores him in favor of more complaining. Which he keeps up all the way to the car, where Jack is already sitting shotgun, rifling through a whole stack of pamphlets. He's been fascinated with them for a while now, actually taking them home with him to build up a collection. Must be Sam's boring nerd influence.

The kid's been having a rough time though, and Dean's not a complete asshole, so he doesn't complain about the pamphlets taking up too much space on Baby's dashboard. He's got lots of other things to complain about anyway. Like how it's too damn hot already, and too bright, and he can't get comfortable. He's still grumbling by the time Sam has guided Baby back onto the highway. He's also taken off his shoes, and his sunglasses, and he fusses and nudges until Cas sighs long-sufferingly and sits up against the opposite door so that Dean can lie between his legs and with his head on Cas' chest.

Dean settles himself in, arms around Cas’ thick waist and cheek mashed against his shirt. Still grumbling under his breath, he tries to will himself to pass out to escape the pounding in his head.

Jack has turned around and is leaning over the front bench, watching them with open amusement. “You weren't kidding about him being a bear. A huggy bear!”

Cas puts a hand on Dean's back but instead of defending his honor he says, with a solemnity that's completely uncalled for, “It's his favorite sleeping position.”

Dean feels his face heat and hides further against Cas' chest, making a mental note to complain about Cas being a traitor later. Sam makes a choking noise from the front, and for a second Dean thinks maybe his brother's delicate sensibilities will come in handy this one time, but then Sam laughs, “I can believe that. He hugs pillows in his sleep.”

“Really?” Jack sounds delighted at that information. And okay, enough is enough. Dean briefly unwinds one of his arms to flip all of them off.

“I h-h-hate you g-g-guys.”

Sam and Jack laugh. Cas tucks Dean's arm back around him and says, like Dean is some petulant child, “Sleep, Dean.”

Title: Under The Midnight Sun Author: Northern Sparrow Artist: delicious-irony Rating: Explicit Pairings: Dean/Cas (minor Sam/Ruby) Wordcount: 130000 Warnings/Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, A/U Within Canon Multiverse, Wingfic, Bisexual Dean, Caretaker Dean, Slow Burn, Romance, Plotty, Action, Minor OCs (friendships only) Posting: 11/28/2018

Summary:

Dean Winchester’s starting his fourteenth season as camp manager of an Alaskan tundra research station. Dean likes his job; fixing the camp trucks, troubleshooting the generators, keeping clueless undergrads from walking into grizzly bears or getting lost in snowstorms — it’s all in a day’s work. It keeps him pretty busy, and this year's busier than usual what with Sam visiting too. So it’s really not any of Dean’s business when some weirdo ornithologist sets up a tent a few miles away, a dark-haired blue-eyed guy who’s doing a “very long-term" study on birds or wings or something, and who never, ever takes off his big lumpy backpack. But then Dean happens to meet him one day out on the tundra and... well, he’s not officially part of camp; he's not Dean’s responsibility; he’s really not Dean’s problem at all, but when a blizzard comes sweeping in, Dean gets worried and goes to check. Thing is, Dean's spent years in the Arctic. He knows all about the midnight sun and the sudden storms, the ice caves and avalanches, the rough-and-ready Haul Road truckers and the even rougher-and-readier wildlife. But even so, what he finds is much more than he bargained for.

Dean fell silent a moment, looking out of Chevy truck cab at the hiker.

This unassuming hiker, who didn't even seem to be wearing proper arctic winter gear, was not only tent-camping somewhere here on the Slope before snowmelt had even started, but had apparently walked over Atigun Pass a month ago. Atigun was the only driveable pass over the Brooks, and the Brooks were gigantic. Atigun was one of the most formidable and icy mountain passes in the entire state of Alaska.

And "a month ago" had still been hard winter. There'd still been a true night then; the sun had still been legitimately setting, for several solid hours each night. Night-time temps would have been twenty below or lower.

Dean said, slowly, "Over Atigun in March? On foot?" The hiker nodded, and Dean had to shake his head in amazement, saying, "You must be one hell of a tough dude."

"I'm really not at all," the man said softly. For a long moment their eyes met, right across Sam.

The blue of his eyes was really quite shockingly intense.

He was really rather attractive.

And his frickin' ability to hold a stare was really pretty unnerving. Dean soon found himself stammering, "Um, anyway, ah, we just pulled over to see if you wanted a ride or something. There's a bit of weather up north, and it's supposed to come down this way later tonight. Not a real blizzard, just some light snow, maybe sleet. Couple inches, maybe an ice crust. Not too bad but it'll be getting cold."

"I'll be all right," the hiker said. "I'm used to the cold. It doesn't bother me. Well...." He hesitated, a doubtful expression crossing his face. "It doesn't bother me much. I'll admit I seem to be losing some of my former... abilities. I have felt the cold sometimes, a little bit, this year."

"Happens to the best of us," said Dean, with a grin. "Things get tougher every year, you know?" As the hiker nodded thoughtfully, Dean scanned the guy's face again, wondering now about his age. Faint crow's-feet at the corners of the eyes and the edges of his mouth.... bit of a life-weary look to the expression in his eyes. Late thirties, or early forties, maybe? Hard to say. (Whatever his age, he wore it well. Quite well.)

Dean added, "Anyway, you got some layers in that backpack of yours?"

There was a short pause.

"I... do," said the hiker slowly. "I do have... a layer. In my pack. Um, one layer."

Sam prodded, "A warm layer?"

"Um.... Yes." Again the odd hesitation. "It's warm, yes, if I... fold it around... or, I mean, extend... well, yes, it's pretty warm."

Title: Feathers and Pitchforks Author: TobytheWise Artist: horrorfemme Rating: Explicit Pairings: Dean/Castiel, (minor Charlie/Dorothy, Bess/Garth) Wordcount: 20500 Warnings/Tags: Alternate Universe, Demon Dean, Angel Castiel, Canon Typical Violence, Sexual Content, Romantic Comedy, Enemies to Lovers Posting: 10/10/2018

Summary:

On their eighteenth birthday, every person is assigned two guardians to help them make the best choices in life, ‘the angel and demon on their shoulder’. For hundreds of years, Dean, a demon, and Castiel, an angel, have been forced to work together - helping their charges through the ups and downs of life. Instead of a blooming friendship, their partnership begins entirely on the wrong foot, causing tension and hatred towards each other. Lifetime after lifetime brings them bickering worse than any old married couple, arguing over the most obscene things, betting on who their charge will pick this time, and of course, obnoxious flirtation that makes all of their charges either uncomfortable or roll their eyes.

Despite not being allowed to pick favorites, their latest charge Charlie, wiggles her way into their hearts, right before making the worst decision of her life.

Dean and Castiel will have to put their differences aside in order to save her, going above and beyond the call of duty. Will they be able to work together for the greater good, finding things out about themselves and each other along the way? Or will this missin end with cliche tragedy?

Within a blink of an eye they’re once again on their perches on Charlie’s shoulders. Dean looks around their surroundings and is surprised to see they’re sitting in a coffee shop. He looks down, noticing Charlie is working on her laptop while periodically glancing up at the cashier.

“He’s cute, isn’t he?” Dean murmurs to Charlie who startles.

“Cheese on a cracker! Stop sneaking up on me like that!”

“Sorry. Kinda comes with the job,” Dean says with a huff of amusement.

Castiel hops off of Charlie’s shoulder and picks up a piece of paper that Dean hadn’t noticed. “How long have you been contemplating this?”

Charlie’s face turns red as she snatches the paper away. “A while?”

“My vote is that you go for it. The barista is a total hottie and he’s got a killer smile.”

Castiel snorts. “Of course you’d vote for that.”

“What was that angel? You wish that someone would think of you as a hottie with a killer smile?”

Cas taps his chin before replying, “I think your vote is gonna get me another point.”

Charlie butts in, “you are both very distracting. Between the fighting and the wings and the frickin’ tail.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I’m sorta shy when it comes to this sorta stuff.”

Dean snaps his fingers causing his tail and horns to no longer be visible. “There’s one thing down. Now onto more pressing matters,” he pauses for dramatic effect. “Ask the cute boy out, Charlie.”

“Wait, are you gay, Dean?” Charlie asks in sudden surprise.

“Nah. Angel over there is gay as they come,” Dean says pointing to Cas. “But I’m bisexual. I play for both teams.”

Castiel clears his throat. Dean glares at him, noticing his wings are gone and pushes down the tiny flicker of disappointment at no longer being able to see them. “Would you care to hear my vote, Charlie?”

“Of course, Cas. Let’s hear you’re big plan because I’m almost positive it’s leaps and bounds better than Dean’s.”

“Rude,” he says under his breath.

“I think you should wait until the lovely lady behind the counter comes out to bus the table across from you. Then you’ll be able to start up a conversation and you can give her your number.” Cas finishes with a look of absolute beaming pride. Dean kinda wants to flick it right off of his pretty face.

“Fuck,” Dean hisses. “I didn’t realize that option was even on the freakin’ table!”

Castiel just gives him a smirk and a shrug. Bastard.

Title: Observe and Report Author: violethaze Artist: ricketyjukeboxer Rating: Explicit Pairings: Dean/Cas Wordcount: 50000 Warnings/Tags: government agent cas, mechanic dean, fake identities, hurt dean, john winchester's A+ parenting, dean in panties Posting: 10/4/2018

Summary:

Recently demoted from his job as a field agent, Castiel is back behind a desk. It’s humiliating to be here with the same coworkers he left behind only a few months ago, but he’s bound and determined to keep his head down, do his job, and prove to his boss that he won’t make the same mistakes twice. Everything is going as planned until he finds himself distracted by one of the people he’s charged with monitoring: Dean Winchester.

Despite the music playing loudly in the background, Cas can hear the tapping of keys. Dean looks down at his fingers when he types, and Cas notes the way his tongue pokes between his teeth as he concentrates. Cas has watched a lot of people via a lot of webcams over the years and, despite the boredom inherent in this part of the job, at least this particular charge is easy on the eyes. Even though he’s only thought it, Cas finds himself furtively looking around at the other cubicles, as if one of them could read his mind. His sexuality is his own business, not relevant to his job or up for discussion. He prides himself on keeping his professional and private lives separate, a task that sounds noble, but is made easier by the fact that he has very little private life to speak of.

His assessment of this gift to his senses changes when Dean begins to whistle along with the music, then bursts into song, both painfully off key. He tugs out one ear bud, but there’s no escaping it completely. Cas doesn’t know the song, but with a few clicks he finds the Youtube playlist and he’s able to identify it as Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin.