#dothraki_shieldmaiden

begin again | Explicit | 58,674

Author: dothraki_shieldmaiden Artist: witchy-worm

After an explosive fight with his wife, Castiel Novak finds himself divorced and unemployed at thirty-four years old. Reduced to living with his cousin, Gabriel, he runs into the last person he expected to see: his ex-roommate and best friend, Dean Winchester. In a fit of generosity, Dean makes an offer to Castiel: move out of Gabriel’s house and into his. At least until Castiel gets back on his feet. Living with Dean is easy, and almost immediately, Castiel and Dean fall back into their old friendship. And living with Dean awakens other feelings in Castiel, ones that he once thought impossible (doesn’t everyone appreciate the aesthetic qualities of their roommates?). But the specter of one disastrous night in college hangs over them both, making it impossible for them to truly reflect on their friendship–and maybe making it impossible for them to move forward into anything real.

Link to Fic | Art Link

Pairings: Dean/Cas (Cas/Daphne, Cas/Mick, Cas/Meg, Dean/Jamie, Dean/Benny)

While I have watched SPN a few times over the years (watching and rewatching as new seasons came out), I did not join the fandom until this year – this is (at the age of ‘older than most’) my first fandom, and I fucking love it here. Due to not being part of a fandom previously, I had also never read fanfiction until this year; and to say that I fell headfirst into the ocean of Destiel fic is an understatement.  I wanted to track my progress – I wanted to understand what I was capable of accomplishing in (less than) a year.  

While I can’t scream this from the rafters anywhere but here – I’m proud as hell of the number of fics and the total amount of fic I’ve consumed this year.  Of all the amazing authors I have found, followed, and screamed over – of all the stories (of the same two idiots) I have devoured and begged for more on, I know there are so many more stories to read and so many more authors to find.  

The 2021 Numbers:

I read a total of 222 Fics

Totaling over 11.3 Million words

I have learned that:

I tend to prefer AU’s (as evidenced below)

I love an author that can bring Dean to life WELL (he’s a tricky one, but I’m so Dean-coded, I get upset when authors don’t get him right, or over-do his issues – he has enough already!)

I like LONG stories over short one-shots (this doesn’t surprise me at all, as a high/epic fantasy reader)

I can get behind anything except A/B/O….I tried, but it’s just not for me. (I’ll try anything once...)

I am a Top!Cas truther, but have found a couple of instances where Top!Dean has cracked my top fics list…(I have no problem with Switch!fics)

Explicit or Fluff, either works, as long as it works with the story that’s being told

I’ve never cried reading a physical book (and I read A LOT) - but fics have made me cry/sob more often than I care to admit to…

I tried to start off by reading all the “big ones” – the ones that I had heard about all over the place (T&S, 4LW, 91W etc.), I’m sure there are so many more that qualify here (the mermaid fic, the hockey fic, the baseball fic, etc.) which I have also read – but I want them all, so please – please let me know your favourites.  What are the MUST READS?  There is no definitive list, everyone has different favourites, and it’s so hard to parse out what needs to go on the list to read.  I often found myself falling down small rabbit holes, which was fine with me (and often lead to me finding fics I’d never heard of, and some of them were spectacular).  

So, as a NEW fic reader, and a FIRST year of reading fic, wading through the LARGEST single pairing on AO3, here are some of my favourite stories/authors etc. (in absolutely no order, because I can’t possibly!) – but these are the ones I would generally tell everyone they need to put on their Must Read Lists (linked):

Domination and Submission: A Love Story (Series) – Anyrei/Queerwerewolf

The Inexhaustible Silence of Houses – Askance (doomcountry)

Talk (Series) – Bendingsignpost

Control – Dothraki_shieldmaiden

To Build a Home – intothesilentland

Ninety-One Whiskey (Series) – komodobits

Under the Midnight Sun – NorthernSparrow

Cursed Metaphors (Series) – Sobsicles

Out of the Deep – riseofthefallenone

Fire and Ice – Castielslostwings

That’s only 10…of 222…Choosing only 10 was no easy feat.  I have fallen in love with so many of these authors, not to mention a ton that aren’t mentioned here.  Thank you to all fic writers for making 2021 tolerable! For a year (well, the second year really), where I could not partake in any of my favourite hobbies/activities due to COVID related nonsense, I’m glad that I was able to find a new obsession to keep me interested and excited every day. Further, thank you to the fandom for being a new and exciting place to check in on daily, for being a space where we can love these two silly boys with reckless abandon in every way possible.

begin again

Author: dothraki_shieldmaiden | Artist: PetraAmia

Posting on Saturday April 5

After an explosive fight with his wife, Castiel Novak finds himself divorced and unemployed at thirty-four years old. Reduced to living with his cousin, Gabriel, he runs into the last person he expected to see: his ex-roommate and best friend, Dean Winchester. In a fit of generosity, Dean makes an offer to Castiel: move out of Gabriel's house and into his. At least until he gets back on his feet. Living with Dean is easy, and almost immediately, Castiel and Dean fall back into their old friendship. And living with Dean awakens other feelings in Castiel, ones that he once thought impossible (doesn't everyone appreciate the aesthetic qualities of their roommates?). But the specter of one disastrous night in college hangs over them both, making it impossible for them to truly reflect on their friendship--and maybe making it impossible for them to move forward into anything real.

Keep reading for a sneak preview!

many the miles   |  Explicit  |  61,220 words

Author: dothraki_shieldmaiden Artist: cheelow

After Dean's little brother moves to Stanford, leaving him behind in their hometown of Lawrence, Kansas, Dean feels untethered. The obvious solution is to go on semi-regular trips to see Sam. The problem is that the drive to Stanford is long, and Dean's not quite as young as he used to be. Pushing through isn't really an option.

Enter The Carriage House, an Airbnb located halfway between Lawrence and Palo Alto. The price is right and the location is perfect. There's just one snag, and that comes in the form of Castiel Novak, the owner of The Carriage House. Castiel is smart, funny, and one of the hottest guys Dean's ever seen. Unfortunately, he's taken.

Nevertheless, Dean and Castiel embark on a friendship that spans the miles between them. As their friendship deepens, Dean realizes that Cas is everything he wants, but the persistent question nags him: what if he's not everything Cas wants?

Link to fic  |  Link to art

Pairings: Dean Winchester/Castiel, Sam Winchester/Jessica Moore, Castiel/Lucifer, Charlie Bradbury/Dorothy Baum

exile | Rated: E | Word Count: 60, 574

Author: dothraki_shieldmaiden | Artist: cheelow

Dean Winchester’s life used to be perfect. He spent his days hunting the supernatural beasts of the world with his brother, Sam, and his boyfriend, Cas Novak. Then his brother quit hunting to set up the Men of Letters bunker and Cas decided that he had better things to do, and Dean’s perfect life shattered.

Two years later, Dean moves from hunt to hunt and tries not to remember everything he’s lost. It’s not a great existence, but he’s managing. At least, that’s what he thinks. Then he takes a job at a resort in South Carolina, where he sees a familiar face. Forced to fake a relationship with Cas in order to work the case, Dean has to battle his own emotions as well as suspicious employees, and a growing threat from within the resort. Something evil is there, and it might not wait until Dean and Cas figure out their feelings for each other before it acts.

Link to fic | Link to art

Pairings: Dean Winchester/Castiel (Sam Winchester/Eileen Leahy)

Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence, one scene of dub-con kissing (not between Dean and Cas)

what stays (and what fades away) | Rating: E | Word count: 64,421

Author: dothraki_shieldmaiden | Artist: skeletonsinzeeclost

Fic Summary: 

Cas Novak’s life is perfect. He has a job that he loves and friends who support him. Most importantly, he has his husband, Dean Winchester, and his two adopted children, Claire and Jack. With them, nothing could ever go wrong.

That is, until he starts having flashes of a life that isn’t his and meets someone who shares his husband’s face but not his personality, someone who insists that he’s someone, something, different altogether. Cas’ life shatters when he’s dragged into a world that he doesn’t belong to and doesn’t understand.

Dean Winchester’s life was already shattered when he lost Castiel.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

Tags and warnings under the cut!