#Fic rec forever!

[carlos-in-glasses]

Yes I DID spend the whole time reading chapter 3 of The Lovely April thinking that @ladytessa74 invented Frog and Toad and also a whole OC backstory for the author who is in fact a real person. Luckily I can now enjoy the stories for myself 😍 (Thank you Tessa!)

Anyway, Tessa knocked it out of the park yet again and I highly, highly recommend The Lovely April generally but especially chapter 3 for anyone processing ~*recent events*~

[kitkatpancakestack]

K's favorite sterek fic recs

This is for my beloved kri @tenisperfection who was so brave to get into tw in 2024 <3 (and also bc I wanted to have all my ultimate faves in one place lol). In no particular order:

Homeland (obligatory self-promotion)

Still by coppersin

My taco sparkles by butyoureyessaidyes

Nearly everything shines by maevewren

This space is for you by matildajones

Separate skins by RurouniHime

Darling, Dearest, Dead by standinginanicedress

Like french vanilla ice cream by GotTheSilver

God was a dog-man by spqr

Crash landers by gyzym

Outrun your ghosts by wangler

Lay your armour down by stilinski

Cozy Forest Retreat! 1bed/1bath by andavs

In the upper story by toraten

The broken radio is playing suicide by decideophobia

A desperate arrangement by mikkimouse

Sparkly pens by mm_coconut

Southpaw series by elisela

Just once by stilinskisparkles

In other words, baby, kiss me by primeroseshows

tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie by magneticwave

I wish I had a river by thepsychicclam

Patience gets us nowhere fast by vendelin

the lovers [murderers] in 9B by ofherlionheart

One thread by RurouniHime

Put down in words by paintedrecs

Enemy lines by qhuinn (tekla)

Beyond the canyon nook by raisesomehale

Pack up; don't stray by the_deep_magic

Hunger for your touch by WhoNatural

Where you still remember dreaming by yodasyoyo

How Derek met his smallest fan by purpleduvet

Hear it in the silence by elisela

Tiny houses by ohmyjetsabel

But, doctor! By stilinskisparkles

In case the daylight never comes by plume_bob

Home by thetypewritergirl

Play crack the sky by wearethecyclones

Windows by dr_girlfriend

[raphaerolo]

This one comes to y'all based on @dontbelasagnax 's fic yellow tulips (go read it)

Phone wallpaper sized versions below cut if you want them 💛

[thighguys]

Phan Fic Recs!!

here's a bunch of my absolute favorites for anyone who needs a distraction from the election <3 i will make a second post with shorter ones as well, this post will just be fics that are over 10k

Inheriting Love by Fictropes (22k)- Dan is a lawyer who executes wills in a small town in the English countryside, and Phil's aunt leaves him a house. One of the cutest fics I've read recently tbh, lots of banter and cows<3

Silver Arrows to the Heart by @evermorepeyton (137k, WIP)- How could i POSSIBLY make a rec list without including this masterpiece??? Dan and Phil are Formula 1 drivers, chaos ensues<3 sooooo much fun (and there are some really beautiful cool women in there too, just as a treat)

dancing on the blades (you set my heart on fire) by kishere (123k)- Dan is an amateur figure skater who scores a spot at the famous Lester training gym, where he meets the legendary Phil Lester and of course they fall in love... this one has sooo many cute fetus moments and wonderful cameos from Kath<3 absolutely love it

Like a Bowl of Oranges by cloej88 (@bitchslapblastoids) (47k)- Phil is a filmmaker looking to amplify queer stories in the media, Dan is a ghostwriter who's been writing a memoir on the side, you can guess what happens next. very VERY fun fic, lots of drama and lovely reflection, as well as the softest scenes between them. love this one (and the author :3)

The Odd Uneven Time by @yikesola (20k)- A 2009 fic from Phil's perspective, falling in love with a boy over the Internet. Absolutely WONDERFUL vibes, so so so cute (and it probably happened in real life ahaha)

Live Incidentally by yikesola (37k)- Phil makes novelty t-shirts and Dan buys them :) really funny, also some great Lester family moments

The Pianist Everyone Is Talking About... Is My Husband by @natigail (25k)- Dan is a famous pianist, Phil plays his songs on the radio, but nobody knows that they're actually married. Lots of chaos ensues, crazy fangirls can feel super represented, and Dan laughs at Phil about it all<3 this fic is so funny lol, highly HIGHLY recommend

Kick Me While I'm Down by jerserker (14k)- Dan and Phil join an adult kickball league! Phil just wants to make friends, and Dan... kicks everyone's asses <3 Really funny competitive Dan, fun times honestly :)

missing the obvious by Fictropes (14k)- Dan plays videogames in an anonymous Discord server at night, and during the day he goes to his boring office job and hooks up with his coworker Phil in bathroom stalls... I wonder how these two things could possibly be connected...

Our House by sierradeux (50k)- Dan is a real estate agent, Phil is a Youtube house flipper, they team up to cohost an HGTV renovation special and fall in love. With the house, obviously. But also with each other <3 this is one of my favorites guys I think it should be required reading for everyone on phannie tumblr

maybe this christmas by blackbirddan (13k)- it's November, im allowed to rec christmas fics now, right??? anyway, this one is HUGE for fans of the Lester and Howell families, just so so so soft and sweet and awesome<3

Strictly Come Dancing but make it GAY by natigail (176k)- i mean this one has a pretty self explanatory title... read for super hot dancer Phil, awkward celebrity Dan, and so so so many beautiful outfit and dance descriptions :3 seriously, I wish I could watch this season irl :( this is for sure in my top 3 fics of all time to be so honest

they grew up so nicely, didn't they? by natigail (15k)- Cornelia pov on meeting the boy Phil brought home, and then throughout the years. SO CUTE!!!!! really big for fans of outsider pov (me)

okie dokie<3 i will be making an under 10k rec list as well, so be on the lookout for that one!

[vinelark]

I've been going through ur fic recs and after binging through "A Meditation On Railroading" and "The Long Way Home", I'm now obsessed with Jason and Tim. Something about hating each other but not really, all the bad blood and hurt and still becoming brothers bc how couldn't they

I wanted to ask if you know any other fics that are about them?

Thanks! :)

i had to make a real effort to keep this (relatively) short or it would just be hundreds of fics long. here is a very incomplete list of old favs and recent reads! i've definitely rec'd some of them already, but i think others are new to my fic rec tag.   you already mentioned a meditation on railroading and the long way home; i’m linking them again here for anyone else who wants them, because they are two of my favs and would kick off this list if you hadn’t already read them.   robin!jason era   Brother Wanted by Vamillepudding one of the most impressive things a story can do, imo, is pull off a really believable kid/teen pov—this does it twice, for both tim and jason, and it’s one of my fav rereads.

Like a Hinge, Like a Wing by @bonesbuckleup i’ll always be reccing this one; it’s one of my favorite slow-burn hurt/comfort fics, and the tim & jason relationship in this context is very sweet + compelling as they deal with some rough edges unique to this story.

1-800-ROBIN by spqr jason volunteers for a mental health hotline, and this leads to bonding with tim. this has some incredibly tender moments and a great robin!jason pov.   red hood!jason era

cake is a four letter word by @sonosvegliato jason just wants to make a loaf of bread. then tim shows up. i love when a writer nails tim in peak Annoying Mode (❤️).

geolocation by @envysparkler i love a good forced-to-work-together oneshot, and this one gets bonus points for the sheer amount of “actions speak louder than words” going on with every single thing jason does.

Tim in a Bottle by @coyote-nebula (wip) angst and humor galore; tim and jason and their giant pile of unresolved issues all get locked in a walk-in freezer together. need i go on?

the trolley problem by @silk-scarlet-ribbons this is—i say with full appreciation—an absolute pangfest. jason is taken by an enemy, and that enemy has kidnapped a "random civilian" (you guessed it: tim) for leverage to get jason to do what they want. (also check out requiem for the forsaken by the same author, which is the fic that finally got my best friend to start caring about robins with me.)

Short-Term Memory Loss (Leads to Long-Term Sibling) by Vamillepudding a bittersweet + hopeful story in which red hood!jason gets temporarily whammed back to robin!jason, and bonds with tim.

Say Uncle by @megaerakles an incredibly fun twist on tim’s fake uncle with layers upon layers of identity shenanigans.

of crime lords and literature by @adelfie a wonderfully angsty, plotty fic in which tim ends up in danger as himself, and—after a very rocky start—jason is somehow the one who rescues him.

unequipped by Valkirin there’s a lot of jason saving tim on this list, and this story is a delightful reversal of that trope. red hood’s in trouble, and tim shows up to bail him out.

For All The Just Alike Birds by @sunflowersandink tim breaks his arm, and jason makes it his problem. featuring some excellent begrudgingly worried jason pov!

alternate universe

clean it like you mean it by @wynterstars (wip) i adore this jason-joins-the-family late AU; the central robin!tim & sort-of-civilian!jason dynamic is so compelling. marked as a wip, but currently leaves off in a very satisfying place!

[klspacecadet]

Klance fic recommendations (except there are some underrated ones too)

in hits order btw

1.

Mature Hearts Don’t Break Around Here by klancekorner

2.

[ABANDONED + UNFINISHED] Mature On Thin Ice by Orphaned_Work

3.

Teen and Up (WTF THERE’S NO YELLOW?) Ignorance Is Bliss by @youareinacomawakeup

4.

Mature Something Just Like This by klancekorner

5.

Mature Love Interest by @iwriteshipsnotsailthem

6.

Explicit Time and Tide by @rangoatemybabynsfw

7.

Teen and Up The Shattering of Altea by @youareinacomawakeup

8.

Mature He Who Fights Monsters by magisterpavus

9.

Mature Live For The Fight (When It's All That You Got) by yuu_chi

10.

Teen and Up The Quiet by @MilkTeaMiku

11.

[basically just porn with plot] Explicit The Boys of Altea Studios by @moe20112233

12.

Teen and Up Galra Instincts by @smolstrawberrychara

13.

Teen and Up My Soul Has Your Claim, My Soul Is In Flames by @tellymauve

14.

Teen and Up The Meaning of Donuts by @katranga

15.

Mature Dear Reader by @heavilycaffeinatedsblog

16.

Mature Rising Star by @bsfordays

17.

Teen and Up One Plus One by @luddlestons

18.

Teen and Up Bend it Like Soulmates by @reader115

19.

Teen and Up Convenience by @noussommeslessquelettes

20.

Teen and Up Of Wolves and Wisps by @vulpes--vulpes

lmk if yall want more ^__^

[thearchercore]

recently read the lestappen lemans teammates fic and i gotta say there's something about charles and max leaving f1 and still feeling like something's off about their lives outside of it just to realize deep down they just miss each other, like that trope just HITS

[verstappentime]

he's twenty-five, and he's right up in charles's face, and he kisses him. he's twenty-six and asleep on charles's mother's couch on christmas.

never strangers at all by borninsideatornado

[the-barefoot-hatter]

"How Can I Love You (Without Breaking Your Heart)" The Struts

for @electricalhuzzah

yeah so your fic put my brain in a chokehold and I heard the perfect song for the drama of the last few chapters (11-14 especially <3) so I hope you like this~!

[occudo]

Don't mind me, just making a fake cover for one of my favorite fic of all time

For those who got introduced to the timgerry ship because of my fanarts-I see you in the tags, you are welcome- let me show you who got me there: @ml-nolan or The_KickIt_Domain and their amazing fic: Hiding in Plain Sight (It is rated explicit, I warned you) It's a sequel to another fic, Love and Nonsense which is also very very good, and if I'm already putting links- they turned it into a full novel(!) Love, Lies, and Cryptids So yeah, thank or blame them for my gooftroop fixation if you want.

[iammissdistress]

Payneland Alive AU fic recs. Part 8

match, candle by Ingi

Rating: Explicit

Words: 19,271

Charles' five minute breaks have never, not once, lasted five minutes. Or: Six places that St Hilarion’s students Charles Rowland and Edwin Payne try to have sex in, with varying results. (Six first times.)

Stay The Night by @e-payne

Rating: Explicit

Words: 21,262

“Okay.” Charles laughs, breathy, and his eyes twinkle when he says, “I’ll be good.” A heat rises below the collar of Edwin’s shirt. Behind the tinted windshield, the waves crash on the shore. (Charles becomes a constant in Edwin's life.)

love’s so strange (so real in the dark) by @tumblerislovetumblerislife

Rating: Explicit

Words: 11,348

To illustrate his point, he gave Charles’ necklace a sharp tug. Charles did not answer the question, because Charles’ eyes were slipping shut and his lips were parting around a pretty gasp, the necklace slackening under Edwin’s finger as Charles followed the motion down – “Charles…” Edwin whispered, and it was not quite a question and not quite a warning. If he were to be brutally honest with himself – something he rarely allowed – it was simply to feel the shape of it in his mouth. “Tell me to stop,” Charles said at last, breaking the charged silence between them. His voice was hoarse. Edwin swallowed with difficulty. Charles’ eyes dipped down, and his ridiculously long lashes accenting the motion, until there could be no doubt that he was staring at Edwin’s mouth. “Tell me to stop, and I will.” Or: In another universe, the doorbell doesn’t ring.

In The Name Of The Law by @thenyoumaykissthebride

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Words: 22,323

DS Charles Rowland is 35, and loves being a copper. He finally found something he was good at after nearly 30 years of achieving nothing. He wants to help people, wants to make a difference and thought he was going to be able to do that in London. But now he's been moved to a new patch, and given a new boss to report to. DI Payne is a genius. At 34, he's the youngest person to make DI in 50 years. He's the best of the best, everyone will tell you that. Unfortunately that'll probably be the second thing they tell you. First they'll tell you he's rude, unapproachable and thinks he's better than everyone else. They might even tell you about the colleagues he's supposedly made cry, and definitely made request a transfer. But he doesn't care if you know that. All he cares about is finding Becky Aspen, before it's too late and she becomes another girl who's death he hasn't been able to solve.

i can keep a secret if you can keep me guessin' by @edwinspaynes

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Words: 4,691

Life is hard for an Oxford student, but coffee makes Edwin's a little bit easier. Especially because Charles, the barista at his local coffee shop, is breathtakingly handsome. And, what's more, Charles seems to take a liking to him, too - Enough to make small pictures in the milk of his daily Cafe au Lait. Will they fall in love in time for the holidays? (Spoiler alert: the answer is yes.)

above all I want you to be warm by @shadowquill17

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Words: 2,996

Charles has a maths test tomorrow morning. Which is why he’s in his boyfriend’s room on a Thursday evening, two days before the holidays, with said boyfriend looking dead fit in his neat but cozy-looking jumper. And Charles should currently be snogging him into oblivion, but what is he doing instead? He’s studying up on functions. In which there is studying, kissing, gifts, and more kissing.

[mahoganyrust]

Jack counterpart

[yinyuedijun]

thank you to quinn @/madaqueue for tagging me in this game <3 used this website to make book covers of fics by some of my favourite authors!

featuring: do not say Home by @seoafin / cannibals by @inthedayswhenlandswerefew / coin toss by @aimfor-theheart / seabird by @m1ckeyb3rry

open tags!

[f-t-e]

I started watching SUPERNATURAL in November 2020. I know, I know. My partner and I had been isolating alone since March. The timing felt right. I went though a wild amount of upheaval and trauma over the next year and SPN was there for me through it all. It was THE show at THE time and it kept me afloat when I needed it the most. Since November 2021 I've written just about 110,000 words of SPN fanfic, a number that seems unbelievable to me, and that too has been a real blessing to my creative life, no matter what haters say. (why didn't I write my own novels in that time? Because I have a hobby, Karen, and I love it.) And I've read about 500000x that much fanfic, which has been the biggest blessing of all. (ETA: oh right, if you want to read my fic, you can find my stuff here, I wrote a fic where Dean reads books. Lots of books.)

I know I'm a nobody in this fandom but I thought on this, our #DestielDay, I would submit my own humble rec list. I've curated this very deliberately: every fic here has just about 4000 hits or less (most under 3000) and all were published in 2020 or after. So, sort of a rec list for some lesser known and newer fics, something you maybe haven't stumbled on yet. Especially thank you to @jewishcharliebradbury, her rec lists gave me a place to start back in the day and I have tried to model the depth and quality they brought to their lists. I tried to link to everyone's tumblr, but if I missed one, let me know.

Most of all, thank you to everyone who has EVER created something for this fandom, from 2005 to 2023. I am so thankful and, honestly, honored to be among your number. You're not supposed to be cringe and say a show saved your life...but SUPERNATURAL saved me, it really did. See y'all when the movie/reboot drops, to quote Ryan Gosling in The Notebook: IT WASN'T OVER, IT STILL ISN'T OVER. And I'm glad.

-----

Finale Fix-It & S15 and Beyond

What The Moon Was Saying by Amiril (@runawaymarbles)

This is hands-down one of the coolest “Dean Rescues Cas from the Empty” fics I have ever read and the concept is brilliantly structured to mirror the literal and metaphorical things Dean needs to give up and let go to get free. Every scenario is very satisfying and they make sense, is there any better feeling? Dean is very open in this, but in a believable way that still has edges. And, oh, the reunion is so good. Plus all the family stuff. Just excellent, exactly what you want in a fic like this: lovely, well-written, smart, fulfilling, all the pieces clicking, the show but better.

Awake and Annoying by skycruise

I love the use and passage of time in this one, it has some real impact, and I love the way Dean gets into the Empty (so smart, fits just right) and what I REALLY love in this one is the way it lets Dean be really clear-eyed and honest about his relationship with Sam, both the strengths and the weaknesses. And the last line, very clever and moving inverse of one of fandom’s favorite things. 

Living the life you chose by allthismusic

THEEEEE post finale Sam Winchester-Outsider-POV this fandom needs. Sam is absolutely awesome in this, the most believable, loving, realistic mix of “I knew all along” and “I had no idea” versions of Sam, landing somewhere I think that’s really true and in character. It fills in and develops so many gaps and silences in what the show let Sam know in the absolute best way. Best Brother Sam is a weakness of mine and he really shines here, there for Dean in the best ways but also coming into his own, I love it so very much. (this author also has a very great 2022 Big Bang fic, hugely recommend that one too.)

your ear to the wound that whispers by EmandFandems (@lazarusemma)

Who doesn’t love a HANDPRINT FIC?!? And boy this is such a good one. It follows Dean and his thoughts on the handprint from the first touch all the way to fixing the finale and it simply buzzes with longing and desire, tenderness and rawness. It’s great insight in lot of ways into Dean’s journey. It’s short but fulfilling and oh that very perfect last line. (this author also has a lot of great Jupernatural content.)  

Somewhere Off in the Dark by magickastiel 

Another awesome fic that traces Dean’s shifting/growing feelings for Cas from when he shows up in his hotel rooms to a HEA fix it after canon. Dean, again, is handled so deftly in this one, his confusion and sorrow at all the times Cas is slipping away from him all the way through the things he won’t let himself know. He feels really true in this one, sharp and tender in the best Dean ways. Also it has an agonizingly romantic end, you love to end up there.

Pins and Feathers by theskywasblue (@buttherewasnogod)

This author has so many freaking good SPN fics, omg it was almost impossible to pick just one to include on this list. Go treat yourself with their entire list because there’s so much good stuff there! But this one, oh I am a sucker for a finale fix-it that lets Dean be this tender. While I LOVE fics where he just jumps right into Cas’s arms (and write them lol) I also feel like this is so true to Dean too: that “maybe I misunderstood, maybe I shouldn’t say anything, maybe he doesn’t still –” And on top of all that, it’s a “they go the beach” fic and it gets the details of it so right, sand in your toes and all. Tender, amazing slow-burn, real, hot, full of heart and longing and everything unspoken and just waiting. Very satisfying!

i loved you first by kalmialatifolia

A set of four short fics that create an entire world of feeling and emotion. These feel like little whispered stories told under the covers, very atmospheric. There’s one very sexy one, a haircutting one (so good) and they’re just intimate. All together a great set and did I mention they’re in the “Cas saves himself” genre which is mmmm an underrated treasure.

no other faith is light enough for this place by anonymous 

A fix-it fic that has a particularly unique and beautiful visual of both how and why Cas comes back. The mechanics behind it are fairly standard but the way this author creates the visual of it, the sheer emotion and force behind it and how it happens, it really stood out to me and stuck with me. It’s Dean being brave enough to really feel and the way that just blossoms – lovely, aching, full-tilt wonderful.

 no proof, one touch by TakeThisWaltz (@watchinghimrakeleaves)

One thing I absolutely cannot get enough of is fic where Cas is hiding out from Dean in heaven. It just hits. And the only thing better is Dean chasing him down and the WAY he does it in this fic, methodically and – well the method (sobs) it is so endearing and OBVIOUS and gives Dean a chance to shout in all the best ways. This one is just real sweet and kind of goofy and if they have to be in heaven, I want them to still be these same two dorks.

Stay by redbrickrose

This is a post S15x18 from Cas’s POV and I think it’s very true to where he would be in the moment of getting yanked out of the Empty: resigned, hesitant about what he has in front of him, still a little in shock. And then. And then. Sweet and simple and Dean gets a chance to say, say, say it. This author has a good post series AU and a lovely little spate of S15 codas, all good. And then wrote this in real-time in the week after 15x18 Despair and right before 15x19 Inherit the Earth aired (could you just sob over the possibilities?!) and then hasn’t wrote anything since and that’s a shame but, like, yeah I get it.

like a one-two punch by Muir_Wolf (@muirmarie)

Don’t you love a short fic that feels like it’s a whole novel? This goes AU after 14x20 Moriah but it is a truly delightful twist on how Chuck could’ve reacted there and it makes Dean sharp as a knife, which is one really resonant image woven through this fic. Great imagery here and so many clever solutions for the lazy plotting of S15, including simply one of my all-time favorites in any fic ever solutions to Cas’s deal (genius) and getting rid of Chuck. Brilliant like a puzzle box yet still full of so much fucking joy.

maybe i like pleasure pain by tothewillofthepeople (@kvothes)

The fact that this was written in October 2023 and is so agonizingly good fills my heart with joy and tells me Destiel will never die lol. Cas, in particular, is great in this – he’s having a hard time adjusting to being in a body and with all the fuzz of the world. I love fics where Cas struggles with coming back from the Empty and this uses a really unique approach to it: Cas facing sensory overload and not knowing how to feel but wanting it all. Lovely, hot, Dean is just right in this too.

Earlier Canon (pre S15)

Proverbs 13:12 by starlingcas (@angelcasendgame)

Many might say I am biased because Renu has beta’ed everything I have written in the SPN fandom and they can read my brain and make everything I write better. But it’s not just that. Renu has done something beautiful and delicate in this fic, which is about Dean and Cas getting trapped in a net together (forced proximity trope, yes please) and weaves a web of its own; pulling you in just as they are pulled together. This is set mostly in early S14 (before fixing the finale in the most heart-healing way) and captures that feeling so well. There’s so much that’s unsaid between them yet still conveyed and Renu absolutely nails that, along with the tender longing that was always there. This is a fic to relish.

you may tire of me (as our december sun is setting) by deludedfantasy

You know how the show just sometimes is like “uh so anyway uh then Cas…uh…left.” and it just doesn’t make one lick of sense? FINALLY FINALLY a fic where Dean says “I’ll go with you,” and then goes because he actually would do that. This is a post Tombstone fic so it is exactly where/when he WOULD go and it is tender and hesitant and aching in just all the ways it would be between the two of them at this time. It’s about needing to keep someone in sight, it’s about having another chance to say something so important, it’s slow and soft and just right for the characters in this place. I could read this one about 100 times.

the anatomy of flightless birds by cowlovely (@dollhousemary)

This fic is basically the way you feel when you get all cozy and snug underneath your favorite blanket. This is a domestic-life-in-the Bunker S9 fic where everyone behaves like they are in character and not just like they have to get Cas off screen because the writers panicked. You’ll just want to curl up in this fic and savor it the way you wrap your fingers around a hot beverage on a very cold day, there’s no better way to describe it.

virtue by JenTheSweetie

I think I’ve read this about 100 times and it still gets me everytime? It’s a five things fic about Dean and Cas hooking up and it’s all you’ve ever wished for. This is set in an amorphous S8 and it is not just agonizingly hot but also romantic and very funny. It feels really in character! Sam is hilarious, Dean is clueless but bowled over and letting himself be swept up, Cas is delighting in every second and smarter than he lets on and it ALL feels fated and lovely and sexy and just splendid. (this author only has 3 SPN fics but they are all so good and if you try sometimes, well you just might find is an absolutely brilliant deconstruction of Dean learning the differences between “needing” and “wanting.”)

Romance at the Motel 6 by shelia_amour 

This fic makes me feel like Stefon from SNL. This fic has everything: Cas and Sam pretending to be married, just the right amount of jealous Dean, Dean randomly pretending to be married to Cas, Dean realizing maybe this isn’t so fake after all, motel vibes, Cas in Dean’s clothes, Cas getting bee slippers. If you are not sold on this already, we are very different people. So good, aches just right. (set in a kind of “whenever” of canon, but I like to put it somewhere in S8.)

que sera sera by Purple_Starflower (@hauntedpearl)

The epitome of how fanfic unfolds for us all the things that COULD happen. You can’t PROVE to me Dean and Cas never snuck off to snuggle and feed Dean’s touch-starvation early in S13. I had to check when I finished because I just couldn’t believe this fic was under 4000 words because it feels so full of touch, longing, the things unspoken, and all the ways Dean was reaching, reaching, reaching. The best kind of ache, and everything by this author is lovely. 

the hard edge that you’re settling for by lesspopped (@trekkiedean)

This is some S10 Demon!Dean that made my stomach hurt and my heart ache and I absolutely loved it and I absolutely hated it and it all felt so REAL with who Demon!Dean was and could have been. There’s a TW for mildly dubious consent in this, but to me, Cas was so agonizingly true to who he was/where he was at this point in canon too. This fic is gloriously, claustrophobically intimate. I say unbearable because as a reader you know that this closeness, this intimacy, is what Dean wants/craves/deserves but can only give himself as a demon and the author does an exquisite job at getting all that across. Hurts so good! 

four of swords by sundryvillians (eurythmix) (@perenial)

Can the world ever have enough post 12x12 fic? The answer is, of course, no. Dean and Cas bake bread and in the soft space of creating something with their own hands, get so close to the words Cas said. It’s about healing and anger and making something just because you are so tired of everything breaking. If that alone isn’t enough to convince you, let me also throw in this is another one of those “possible off-screen moments in canon” that gives them something honest and tender and raw and it feels so very possible. 

Fifteen Prayers From the Faithless by koyas_cat

Short, achy, that sweet sting. A set of prayers for Cas from the beginning to the end, full of all the things Dean doesn’t let himself say outloud and just reflecting the changes in their connection over alllll the years. So good.

[siriuslynettey]

PLATINUM

[The Lost Pater]

We Have To Be More Careful Nowadays

[Chapter 1]

September 12th, 1982

“Sirius, Remus,” came the soft, urgent voice, pulling the two weary men from their brooding thoughts. Their faces, lined with exhaustion from sleepless nights, turned toward the person calling them. It was Albus Dumbledore, his eyes filled with a sadness that matched the gravity of the moment. He moved swiftly, closing the door to his office with a muted click that seemed to echo in the heavy silence.

“It’s time.”

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look of profound sorrow, words failing them in the face of their grim task. Remus’s gaze fell to the tiny bundle nestled against Sirius’s shoulder, the baby, still so very young, barely a year old. Gently, Remus’s hand rested on the infant’s head, feeling the warmth and softness of the child’s uniquely coloured, short hair one last time.

Sirius, with an expression of barely contained grief, leaned closer to the baby’s ear, his breath warm and trembling. “It will be okay,” he promised, his voice steady despite the emotion threatening to overwhelm him. “I won’t let this be the last time we see each other.”

September 1st, 1993

“Phie, c’mon, we must get going, quickly!” Remus Lupin yelled from the kitchen in his tiny home.

Ophelia, the eleven year old girl in the next room, scrunched her face, waking up from her fathers yelling. Today marked her first day as a student at Hogwarts, and her father's inaugural day as a teacher.

“Ophelia, I’m not going to ask again.” Remus began knocking on the girl's door.

“mm…It’s too early.” She replied from behind the door, beginning to stretch herself. After knocking enough times, Remus opened the door in a last effort to awake his daughter.

“You’re not even out of bed?” Her platinum white hair, which contrasted sharply with the dark blue of her bedding layed messily across her face. He brushed her platinum locks out of her face and gently grabbed her arms to lift her up. “You’re not going to have time to pack Ophelia.”

“Packed last night.” She replied, pointing to her suitcase, a clear sign she was indeed her father's daughter.

“Alright well, you still need to eat breakfast and pack your things in the car, so let’s hurry.”

Ophelia finally opened her eyes, not without harshly rubbing them so she could see properly.

“Are you excited for your first day? Remus asked. His voice was always very soft in the morning, knowing his daughter wasn’t fond of mornings.

“I guess…just nervous,” she shrugged. “And what about you? Professor Lupin.” She teased her father, making both of them chuckle.

“I’m a bit nervous too. Remember, we’re both having our first day, it’ll be okay.” She nodded, leaning in for a hug, taking comfort in his words. The stubborn part of her hated that he was usually right. “But, right now it’s time to get ready, we have about an hour, so we have to hurry—no going back to sleep.”

Ophelia stood up as Remus left and stretched her body again. With her bags packed and her carefully picked outfit hanging on the wardrobe, she began to get ready.

Her black cat, Salem, layed on her bed, watching his owner mindlessly walk in circles as she brushed her teeth, trying to wake up. She had just adopted him from the Magical Menagerie a month prior. Remus had promised he would get her a cat for her first year, after declining to give her a sibling.

Meanwhile, Remus was in the kitchen throwing away another egg he had burned after turning his head for what he would call “one second”. Ophelia had just walked out of her room, walking in on Remus pushing his hair back in frustration.

“Toast is fine, dad.” She told him, trying to reassure him in his efforts. Remus gave a breathy chuckle at his daughter.

“I wanted to make you a big breakfast for your big day.” He replied, throwing his tea towel over his shoulder.

“Thank you, but it’s okay. Maybe it’s for the best anyways…I'm so nervous that I don't have a big appetite today, and I’ve been craving some marmalade toast.” She gave him her classy big smile that showed off the gap in her two upper teeth. Over the past couple years, the gap had started to close and Remus noticed it every time, it was a reminder each time she smiled that she was growing up.

“Marmalade toast it is.”

So they both sat and ate their toast. Remus began reviewing their schedule once more. He explained what to expect at King’s Cross Station, how to enter Platform 9¾, and what would happen during the sorting ceremony, trying to recall the details of his own first day. He made a big emphasis on listening to the teacher and not wandering off alone. Though this was his 5th time he’d gone over it this week, Ophelia listened attentively.

“It is always very important that you are always in sight of a Hogwarts staff member, no matter what, you have to promise me that you won’t wander off,” he urged, watching her nod, though he could tell she was growing tired of the repetition.

“I mean it, Phie, it’s not safe to be alone, not this year”

“What’s different about this year?” Ophelia asked, shoving her last piece of toast in her mouth.

“It’s just..the crime rate has been going up…since the seventies…it’s a much different world since I was in school. We have to be more careful nowadays” He stammered over his words. “You promise me you’ll listen? No pushing boundaries, please?”

“Of course I will, dad.” Remus stood, collected their empty plates, and pulled her into a quick hug before placing them in the sink. He usually avoided magic for chores, but with time running short, he used the Scourgify spell to clean up quickly.

“Oh, one more thing I don’t want you outside alone either, so wait for me before you pack your suitcase in the car.” Ophelia gave him a confused look, he was definitely a strict dad, always worrying about where she was, who she was around, but today, she felt he was strangely on edge. “Just a precaution.” He replied in response to her confused look.

Ophelia accepted her father’s strange demand, and went to her room to grab her suitcase.

“Alright Salem, time to go bud.” She grabbed the black cat and started to place him in his travel carrier. Remus had warned her that she would have to get the cat used to the carrier, before her first school day, but everytime she tried, she couldn’t bear to watch the cat meow in the carrier. Today, however, it felt like a real struggle. “Please, Salem, it’s only for today, please.”

Finally, after zipping up the cat carrier, she dragged her bags to the entryway, opening the door to put them on the veranda, while she waited for Remus.

Salem’s fighting began to increase, his little paws hitting the sides of the carrier.

“Okay, okay, you can come out until dad is ready, but then you have to go back in.” The young girl started to unzip the carrier, and before it was even a quarter of a way open, Salem leaped out and ran out the open front door. “Wait! Salem, no!!” Ophelia yelled at the cat who was now taking a leisurely stroll down the drive. Ophelia calmed down as she saw the cat come to a stop next to their car.

“I was trying to be nice Salem, now you’re going back in your crate for being naughty.” Salem started to loudly hiss across the street as she picked him up, which he had never done before. “Well, you shouldn’t have run away.” She replied to the cat.

Salem continued to hiss, still staring off into the distance. Ophelia followed the cat's line of vision to the bushes on the other side of the road. The bushes began to ruffle, despite the stillness of the air.

Suddenly, a large black dog emerged from the bushes. Salem’s hissing began to become more rampant and he began to squirm in Ophelia’s arms. The dog kept intense eye contact with Ophelia, slightly creeping forward, as Ophelia walked backwards. The dog disappeared back into the bushes before it could do anything else.

“Ophelia!” Remus shouted and walked out the front door. She jumped and whipped her head towards her dad

“What?” She yelled out, her fathers calling of her name coming out of nowhere and scaring her.

“I thought I told you to wait for me before you packed your bags.” He stepped closer to his daughter, seeing that her body was frozen in fear. “What happened? Are you okay? Did you see someone?” Panic crept into his voice as he scanned the surroundings.

“I-no-Salem got out and–I didn’t hear you coming–I’m sorry.” Remus softened at his daughter's explanation, feeling bad for scaring her.

“That’s alright, let’s go put Salem in his crate and put our suitcases in the car, then we’ll be on our way.”

They placed Salem in his carrier (much to his dismay) and Remus began putting their suitcases in the boot of the car. Ophelia opened the passenger door with Salem’s carrier in hand. ust then, a brown owl swooped down, landing on the roof of the car with a letter clutched in its beak. Both of them jumped, surprised by the sudden arrival.

“Another welcome letter?” Remus chuckled, not remembering as many greetings before his first year.

“Maybe,” Ophelia carefully grabbed the envelope from the bird's mouth and watched it fly away. “This one doesn't say Hogwarts though.” She said out loud, looking at both sides of the envelope, Remus furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Ophelia,

Hogwarts is a place like no other. Dive in headfirst—learn everything you can, but remember to enjoy yourself too. This is a time for discovering not just spells and potions, but also for making friends who will stick with you for life. Cherish these friendships; they’re one of the most precious things you’ll gain from your time at Hogwarts.

Though, you must choose your friends wisely. Not everyone will have your best interests at heart, so trust your instincts and stick with those who are good and true. Protect the ones who are good.

Stay safe.

And a final note—listen to your dad. He has a lot of experience under his belt. His guidance will be invaluable, so take his advice to heart, even if you don’t always want to agree.

Best of luck.

“What does it say, Phie?” Remus asked, but Ophelia was still engrossed in the letter. “Ophelia, what does it say?” He began to grow impatient and walked over to his daughter, though he wanted to, he used his manners and didn’t grab the letter from the girl's hands.

“I think it’s just another welcoming letter, they must have just forgotten to add their seal.” She handed the piece of parchment to her dad.

As he read, Remus felt his chest tighten, folding the paper back into its envelope with urgency.

“Alright, time to go.” He hurried Ophelia into their car and shut the door behind her. Glancing at the surrounding houses, he quickly made his way to the driver’s seat.

“Is everything okay?” Ophelia asked her dad, observing his more frantic behaviour.

“Yes, all good.” He locked the door and clicked in his seatbelt. “Just excited for our first day, are you ready?” Ophelia accepted his explanation, as he had already seemed very worried for his first day of teaching.

“I guess.” Ophelia shrugged. Remus chuckled and ruffled his daughter's bright white hair affectionately.

“We’re going to have a great year.”

See Next Chapter Here!

[ghost-bxrd]

In a previous post you said you had fic recs for the "Jason returns home" trope aka "presumed dead but it's just Jason having died that one time and they haven't found out he's back yet." Can you share those fic recs?

Hi anon! Of course!!! Here are some fics with this kind of premise 💚 make sure to read the tags first ✨

Money’s worth by @envysparkler

Give me a dream by @envysparkler

Homerun by @iselsis

Surprise visit by flames_dance

Until the levees fail by ellegrine

The dreams in which I’m dying by lockergirl

Barter by greeneyedfirework

Goon of the fucking year by AceOfDivineChlorophyll