#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*~

[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!

[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

[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 ^__^

[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

[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.

[mahoganyrust]

Jack counterpart

[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.

[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

[ashanimus]

Vee and Hunter had not started off on a very good foot.

He had recognized her immediately and done his best to avoid her. She had pretended that she didn't know who he was and that had been just fine with him. They had spent weeks like that, tip-toeing around the truth like it didn't exist, until one of them had finally flinched.

Fanart for the always incredible @polyhexian's fic Empty Water Heater!

[kindlingkeen]

hi! do you have any recs for your favourite portrayals of Talia in fics? I just reread Choices and now I'm in the mood for some more well-written Talia

Few things make my heart go as soft as rereads, anon, thanks so much. 💙 I went through my bookmarks, and here are a few I love (some of these are locked to archive members only):

Drink Your Tea by Lysical. One of my all-time favorites.

people die (love does not) by JHSC. This is a comfort read that I come back to again and again.

Let the Night be Dark for All of Me by GavotteAndGigue. The premise of this fic is super unique and interesting.

make a wish (or two) by someplacewarm. I don't like to pick favorites, but if I was going to for Talia portrayals, this might be it.

Reviews Are In by Here_we_go. Part of the Bargain Bin series, this short installment might be the only one with Talia. You'll probably need to read previous parts to understand this one, but it's well worth it bc the series is fantastic, and I adore Talia as she's written here.

Nests and Cages by LanternWisp, Lysical. This is a series (the whole of which is amazing) - different installments feature varying degrees of Talia. I especially like Temporality (it hurts sooo good).

The Incredibly Reluctant Re-Establishment of Family (A Live Blog with Jason Todd) by southby. Another series, the entirety of which is wonderful and hilarious, but I think this is the only installment with Talia on-page for any length of time.

butcherbird, fly away home by e_va. Talia's on-page presence is pretty limited here, but her influence on the story is huge. Another of my all-time favorite fics.

I wish I had more recommendations on this topic. Unfortunately, it seems like the majority of fics cast Talia as a backdrop villain to the Bruce & Jay dynamic (she manipulated Jason, turned him against Tim, etc.), which is so disappointing.

Image credit: Red Hood: Lost Days

[louislittletomlintum]

No Surprises by louislittletomlintum

wordcount: 22k rating: explicit office au // friends to lovers // louis + harry

“I smoke socially, sometimes. Depends who I’m with,” Harry shrugged, taking another puff. Louis watched his soft little lips wrap around it and purse just slightly on the inhale. It wasn’t the first time he considered if Harry was perfectly made just to torment him.  “Hm. I won’t send you to jail for now, then. On crimes of fibbing,” Louis decided benevolently. He was about to open his mouth to spout off some other shite before he saw Harry had a bit of a pensive look in his features despite how his eyes were a little glassy. “Lou,” he began, and god Louis loved that he’d earned that little nickname off of him. “Can I ask you summat?” Harry added, tapping the ash of the cigarette in the tray before taking another puff. “You just did,” Louis smiled because Harry walked right into that one. “But I’ll give you another,”  “How did you know you were queer?” 

or; an office au where louis is a loveable brat and harry is working himself out

[hellfiredemon]

My final piece for the @steddiebang for @starryskeyes's warm and wonderful fic! Chapter 2 is live!

kiss my wounds but not forever

Eddie Munson narrowly survives his act of heroism in the upside down, but he's far from free. He's a person of interest. A wanted man. So no, he can't go home to his uncle's single wide trailer while he heals. Instead, he ends up where nobody would ever think to look for him: Steve Harrington's house.

Chel's story is adorable and heartwarming and I'm so glad I got to collab with them :) Their main is on Twitter, go give them some love there and in the comments!

[orchideous-nox]

Please please pleeeaasseee give me fic recs for the girls (and I don't mean where they are side ships for the boys), specifically Dorlene and Pandalily, I'll even take some Nobleflower or Marylily

[nartml]

what are your top 3 or 5 favorite naruto x sasuke fanfics? i'd love to get some recommendations!! i've been looking for something new to read but i feel like i always end up re-reading kizuna hikari lol

Rereading Kizuna Hikari is actually the realest thing I've ever heard. Matter of fact, I'm rereading it right now. For the twentieth time. So I totally get it.

Now, I'll be honest that in terms of characterization, no fics do it like the kizunaverse. None. At the very least, I haven't read a single one with such a staggeringly good grasp on every single character, it's insane.

I'd accuse @sasubaeuchithot of secretly being Kishimoto, but I fear that even he wouldn't be as consistently flawless in sasuke and naruto's portrayal, considering how botched the ending and sequel were. (top kh glazer check)

But enough. Let's see.

Every single fic by @kinomiakai is a certified banger. I find their characterization magnificent as well, their modern AUs are unparalleleddddd.

The way they write Sasuke and Naruto is totally believable, even though they obviously aren't 100% in character, which is normal; characters will always be different in AUs, they have lived considerably different lives.

Their only fic that I haven't read is a current WIP, "Two is a Crowd", which is canon-divergent.

Personally waiting for it to be completed, because I've started wayyy too many WIPs and my heart won't take another one.

"Heaven is a place on earth with you" by zephyrous (amorphia) was a lovely two-shot from Sakura's POV, watching sns through the years. I'm personally a sucker for such fics and I remember this one hit the spot.

Check out "i like his eyes", "i hope the encore lasts forever" and "here's to us (here's to love)" by moviekidd826, they were beyond lovely!

"The sun is too bright, it hurts." by waywardfacegarden, can't recommend it enough, I was obsessed when I first read it. I'm a sucker for fics like that.

Lastly, "Lost and Found" by MadeNew is a fic I had read in one sitting. Check out some of their other fics as well, they have quite a few!

I haven't read sns in quite some time, even though they occupy at least 20% of my brain, so I'm probably not the best person to ask for recommendations.

These are only a few of the fics I've bookmarked, but it's been so long since I've read most of them! I remember loving these fics endlessly, which I can't so safely say for my other sns bookmarks.

A lot of rereads are due, I suppose!

Hope you read these and love them like I have, I'd love to know your thoughts on them if you wouldn't mind that sort of thing!

Hopefully I didn't recommend fics that you've already read.

Thanks a lot for the Ask, have a great day!