#strive2bhappy

Wow this list was way harder to compile than I thought it would be. Too many to choose from! These are just the ones I couldn’t not include. Also, going through my bookmarks showed me that many of these fics are by my favorite authors in general, so you can’t go wrong exploring all of their fics. Consider these a jumping off point. All on AO3, in no particular order. Happy reading!

And at once I knew I was not magnificent by philomel 18K, pre-series. My gun-to-my-head favorite Wincest fic of all time. Also introduced me to the song Holocene by Bon Iver which I have listened to approximately 1 million times since reading this fic.

Nothing Before You by Sintari: 4K, late seasons first time.    

i wish to melt into you by dollylux: 2K, part of the invisible boy verse, which is  of course a genuine classic, but this fic is incredibly beautiful on its own. Pure romance.

Summer Film Festival of Death by OldToadWoman: 127K, and now for something completely different. Slow burn and hysterically funny.

because you want to die for love by hathfrozen (@hathfrozenmain) 27K, again, everything by this author is incredible, but if you can only read one, read this one. The ultimate heaven fix-it.

no one thing is everything by Canon_Is_Relative: 7K, post 15x19, Jody finds out.

Superposition by @nyxocity: 36K, a love letter to the show and eerily prescient about the show’s finale

Midwinter Montana series by Morgan: 143K, 3 works, intense and worth following through to the end.

The Things We Carry With Us by lovesrain44: 47K, classic s2-era casefic with beautiful wincest feels

Strollers, Strength and Serenity by strive2bhappy: 25K, shamelessly enjoyable domestic mpreg

the thirty-third yard by deadlybride: 11k, deadlybride (aka @zmediaoutlet) is one of the all-time greats. Everything they write is in character and gorgeous. This is just one example among dozens.

Where the Bodies Are Buried by @road-rhythm 8K, a wonderful post-series coda by an author who always offers the unexpected.

Run So Far (That I Am Standing Still) by DickBaggins: 99K. This has Sam/Dean, as well as Sam/Cas, Dean/Cas, and Sam/Dean/Cas. It’s also an AU where Cas is Sam’s therapist. This is an incredibly original story. In a way, it inspired my fic I’m Burning For You. I wish there were more Sam/Dean aus where they have to navigate their feelings in the “real” world.

The Ballad of the Invisible Boy by dollylux

“This is a story of adolescence. This is a love letter for the slow burn, for Led Zeppelin, for the 90s. This is the first of two sets of stories about how Sam and Dean didn’t fall in love. They never had to. It was always there, this desperation between them, like a real, breathing thing. When they came together, it was inevitable. As sure as continents colliding, as the phases of the moon and the life and death of stars. This isn’t a love story, but it’s a story of love.”

Okay I love weecest so much it ain’t even funny. Dollylux’s writing is absolutely poetic, and Sam’s characterization is so gorgeous and perfect. If you love wincest/weecest and you haven’t read this yet, GET ON IT. 

Entwined Branches by strive2bhappy

“In a world where the government keeps a close eye on alphas, betas and omegas -- to the point of making certain everyone with these traits is mated by the time they turn eighteen -- it's no wonder the condition has become rather rare. It is, however, essentially unheard of to be unmated at thirty-three, but Jensen Ackles is an alpha who's good at staying under the radar. That is, until he's not and he's matched -- by bureaucratic decree -- to 18-year-old omega, Jared Padalecki. This is the story of how the two of them find far more than they ever thought they could.”

This is a ABO fic with J2! Omega Jared and Alpha Jensen. This was written for the big bang challenge. The smut is amazing, and so is the writing. Please read the tags and be careful loves! This one has some warnings for dub con and mpreg. 

Best Kept Secret by ashtraythief 

“Jared is lucky when his father picks young businessman Jensen Ackles as his mate. Now he just needs to make sure Jensen never finds out about Jared’s dirty little secret and they can live happily ever after.“

This is another j2 ABO fic with omega!Jared and Alpha!Jensen. Can you sense that I have a preference? This one has super cute protective Jensen. The tag is also for panty!kink and age difference so be careful for that. 

Two-Headed Boy by dollylux 

“Sam's life from sixteen to twenty-two years old. This is a story of the last days of innocence during a sweltering Southern summer when Sam is so in love with his brother, he can barely stand his touch. It's the pain between them through lies, through jealousy, through seeing each other with someone else. Theirs is a story of leaving and Stanford, of Dean feeling lost and Sam nearly losing himself without his brother. It's fire and reunion and a love never lost - ever-present and no longer deniable.”

This is the second part of the invisible boy, and it is just as wonderfully written! Honestly, dollylux has such a gorgeous style of writing, and if you like long fics you are in luck!! Also it is mainly bottom!sam so if you’re a bottom sam fan like moi then you’ll appreciate it!!

Freak Camp: A Monster By Any Other Name by Broseshield, LaviniaLavander, whereupon 

I’m not going to post the author’s summary for this because there’s so many parts, but if you haven’t read this you need to like, yesterday. It’s a long one, but if you love long fics (which I do) you’re in luck! Basically, Sam grows up in a camp for monsters, and Dean is a hunter. It’s just so so so good, and the writing is AMAZING. 

Douglas County by awabubbles 

“Prison AU. Dean Winchester is a new correctional officer at Douglas County Youth Services where he meets Sam Wesson, a fifteen year old inmate who's been charged with arson and the death of his parents. Dean finds himself increasingly protective of the young inmate, but as his personal life gets more complicated, Dean has to find out exactly how far he'll go to keep Sam by his side.“

So I read this SO long ago, but I found out that there was recently a podfic available, so I’m currently listening so that before bed. The podfic is lovely, and so is this fic! awabubbles is not only an AMAZING artist, they are an extremely talented author! It has bad boy, protective!Dean and sassy!Sam. It’s 78k words, so another nice, long one. Go show this author some love because this is one of my all time favs!

The Night that Almost Happened by soulmatecest 

“Six years ago, Jared Padalecki almost had the best night of his life with his brother’s best friend — and long time crush—, Jensen Ackles. Or that was until Jensen ruined everything arguing that he couldn’t get involved with his best friend’s little brother, unintentionally breaking Jared’s heart and his will to stick around after being rejected.

Jared uprooted and moved to New York, vowing to never cross paths with Jensen again. Sadly, his efforts go to hell when Jeff and Adrianne’s wedding invitation arrives attached with a big problem: Jensen is his brother’s best man.

After not being able to completely get over Jensen in the past years, Jared decides that if erasing Jensen from his life didn’t help him forget, then maybe sleeping with him during his brother’s wedding will bring him some sort of closure. But getting someone in bed after ignoring them for six years is no piece of cake, especially when Jared realizes that Jensen has been waiting a long time to see him and this time he’s not letting Jared run away.”

This J2 AU fic is SO cute. It has Jealous!Jensen and Shy!Jared. Top!Jensen and Bottom!Jared too. It’s just adorable, and its 62k, which makes it even better!

Breathe Again by Fatebegins 

Jared is an omega Were arranged to marry Alpha Jensen. With an abusive Alpha father and a need to protect his mother, Jared agrees to the marriage even though he hates all alphas and is hiding a very huge secret-- Jared is the masked crusader who is spiriting away omegas from their arranged matches and causing political uproar. As his own marriage progresses, Jared comes to love his husband but continues his crusade but what will happen if Jensen finds out the truth?

This fic is super cute. It’s ABO, 70k, and Jensen is so loving and adorable! Jared is pretty badass omega, and their relationship is so super cute. Fatebegins is exactly my brand of j2 - alpha jensen and omega jared is my shit. Check out ALL of fatebegin’s fics.

Not Alone by Miss_Lv

Everyone has a mate and during his or her prime years instinct helped them seek them out. Jensen spent his years searching lazily at first but by then end desperate. Now he's nearly thirty and about to be legally proclaimed 'Widowed Before Mating' Because after nearly fifteen years of hunting for his mate without success, it's clear that he or she has died. Jensen doesn't want to be bitter about it he just wants his mate, because somewhere in him, he knows he is still out there.

Once again, Alpha Jensen and omega Jared. Danneel also makes an appearance in this fic, which is alays a bonus! The relationship between the boys is so cute, and the writing is awesome. IT’s 9k, so a shorter one, but still so good!

Maybe This Time by BewareTheIdes15 

There are worse things than being a freshman stuck in the senior dorm. Having three awesomely hot roommates, one of whom can't stand you? Well, that's a whole different ballgame.

This has protective, punk Jensen, and his freshman roommate, Jared. There is so much sexual tension before the boys finaly get together, its delicious. I love the characterization in this one! 

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