SPN Fic Rec

[vanja]

This was my very first fic rec list. There are certain fics that are considered ship gospels in the fandom, and these are my gospels. I will be updating this over time, but for now, these are my favorites and if you haven’t read them, you’re missing out.

Wincest

• ❤❤❤ The Incestuous Courtship of The Antichrist’s Bride - NC-17, 48,000 words, crack-horror, post Lucifer AU - Summary: Sam is trying to become the Antichrist in order to save the world. He has a small army of angels and demons, he has an adoring cult, he has a work of prophecy by Jack Kerouac, and he has Dean. Things are going pretty well until he accidentally signs Dean up as his Beloved Consort, a role that requires sex with the Antichrist on an altar. And that’s when things stop going pretty well. Also, the soundtrack to the Apocalypse sucks. My note: I laughed until I cried, I’m not even kidding. The humor is priceless, the characters are immaculate and the sex is just… fucking h o t. The entire story is totally epic. (LiveJournal)
• ❤❤ In Medias Res - NC-17, 38,486 words, post-hell AU - Summary: Dean wakes a day after dying with no memories of Hell, and no idea what has happened. His only clues are a catatonic Sam, and whatever his brother was doing when they were separated. My note: This a beautiful, heartbreaking love story with remarkable original side characters and breathtaking imagery. Lots of hurt!Sam and caring!Dean. Gorgeous. (AO3)
• ❤❤ One Going On Eternity And Counting - NC-17, 24,942 words, dub-con/non-con - Summary: Some boundaries were never meant to be crossed … My note: This is totally canon compliant with the exception of the porn, of course :D I’ve read this many times over the years and it’s hands down, one of the best portrayals of the brother relationship, wonderfully realistic and heartbreaking at the same time. If you haven’t read it yet, you’re missing out. (AO3)
• ❤ And Other Poison Devils - NC-17, 10,976 words, fuck-or-die/dub-con - Summary: Sam steps in again, buries his face in Dean’s neck and grabs at his back, his ass, torso hot and sweaty against Dean’s. Dean tries to catch his breath, fighting every urge to jump away from Sam; has to save his brother, and there’s only one way, one way and Dean has to fucking let it happen. My note: So yeah, ordinarily not a fan of the fuck-or-die scenarios, but this one was just wow. Really, really hot with lots of angst and regret, and lots of confused, guilty Dean. (AO3)
• ❤❤❤ The Last Outpost Of All That Is - R, 59,037 words, post world end AU - Summary:The world begins with the interruption of a sleep. Which is why wakefulness is the only proof of existence. And why the world is fragmented and cannot achieve fullness. And why it constantly seeks to reconstruct fullness. In vain, because the discontinuous will never pass over into the continuous. Mathematics tells us that, last outpost of all that is. – Roberto Calasso, Ka My note: This is my Wincest gospel, the single greatest Wincest fic I’ve ever read. Gekizetsu has it posted on AO3 now so head on over there cause it needs all the kudos in the world. (AO3)
• ❤❤ Stranger Than Fiction - NC-17, 50,500 words, meta comedy-drama - Summary:Dean can’t stop wondering why people would write gay porn about him and Sam. Research takes him to interesting places; re-reading novels for subtext, visiting message boards, and a really freaky place called LiveJournal. What he discovers is a sick fascination with fanfiction, more about gay sex than he ever wanted to know, and an even deeper obsession with understanding why people write this stuff. Meanwhile, they’re hunting a mysterious monster that takes the form of a person’s truest love to kill them slowly, the lines between fanfiction and reality are starting to break down, and they still have to stop Lilith and save the world. My note: God bless nyxocity, she is one of my favorite authors and this is one of my favorite fics she’s ever written. The combination of humor and feels and smexy times, it’s beautifully done. (LiveJournal)
• ❤ Skin Like Fear- NC-17, 18,762 words, season 7 AU - Summary: It’s not that Dean doesn’t get that Sam doesn’t want to talk about whatever Hell did to him; Dean practically wrote the book on that particular brand of avoidance. Except that Sam doesn’t do this. Dean is supposed to clam up and Sam is supposed to pry and bleat about how “communication is good for the soul” or some shit. Sam is supposed to cry on his shoulder and Dean is supposed to stoically hold him and let him get it out, maybe shedding a manful tear or two in solidarity. Here’s the thing: Sam comes back from Hell with a bubble of space around him. He doesn’t want to be touched, especially by Dean, and he won’t explain. He won’t talk about Hell at all, and Dean’s going crazy. It’s going to take a strange case (and a little magic) in Michigan to break the floodgates, but when Dean finally learns the truth, he might wish that he hadn’t… My note: There’s quite a few non-con elements in this story but they’re mainly related to Sam’s memories of Lucifer and the cage. Even without all the feels and the angst, this would’ve made a damn good case file fic, so it’s an excellent combo of everything good. (AO3)
• ❤❤❤ The Partisan NC-17, 38,638 words, post 9.10 AU Summary: Sam returns to the bunker and Dean before he’s ready; still, he tries to keep it professional. He fails. My note: This is one of those stories where the summary seems so insufficient until you start reading and realize that a summary would be impossible to write. It’s saturated with thick, cloying sadness and heartbreak, Sam and Dean clashing at every turn, decades of history and old resentments coming up between them, showing again and again how inevitable the damage done had been all along. It picks apart all those misunderstandings, both of them raw and stripped of their defenses, fumbling to move on separately and together. This story broke my heart more than once, but it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read. (AO3)
• ❤❤ Come Spring - R, 8,726 words, curtain fic AU - Summary: Objectively, he can see that his brother isn’t beautiful. Not like this, stretched out like some humanoid starfish, his hair in his eyes and his mouth a drawbridge open to sleep. No, Sam looks like a naked frat boy who passed out in his little brother’s bed, legs knotted in Spiderman sheets and feet almost touching the floor. He looks oversized, too big for the everyday world they’ve wound up in; but then, he’s always been too much for Dean. My note:This is a beautiful little story and one of my all time favorites. The writing is just so lovely. (AO3)
• ❤❤ It’s The Blueprint Of Your Life - NC-17, 38,400 words, Red Sky at Morning AU - Summary: Sam jerks awake in the middle of the night and everything goes to hell. Well, not literally, though Dean is staring down the barrel of less than a year before his deal comes due. In the midst of dealing (or not dealing) with his impending death, a killer ghost ship, and Bela showing up out of the blue, Dean also has to figure out what’s going on in Sam’s head to make him so twitchy, why he’s suddenly breezing through this case while writing endless notes in a notebook he won’t let Dean see. Damn it, Dean thinks, This is gonna take a lot of chickflick moments. My note: My favorite thing about this fic is probably the originality of it. Also, it’s written so well that you have no clue what’s going on and for a while you’re just as confused as Dean is, which is so awesome, because rarely ever do I find a fic where I can’t figure out the entire plot within the first two paragraphs. Highly recommended. (AO3)
• ❤ Monumentally Stupid - NC-17, 5,800 words, hurt!Sam & first time - Summary: Sam’s hurt both hands, so Dean has to shave him. Having Dean that close to him, focused with that little concentrating frown, breath warm on his face, Dean’s competent hands tilting his head and angling him exactly the way he wants him – well, Sam’s not doing too well right now pretending he’s not attracted to his brother. And he’s only wearing boxers, Dean’s bound to notice. Dean’s going to have him all figured out. My note: This short little story is just so hot and so sweet, and Sam is so fucking adorable in it, I have no words. (LiveJournal)
• ❤ The Truth In A Lie - NC-17, 62,264 words, case!file & firs time - Summary: Sam and Dean pretend to be gay lovers while they hunt a monster on a bus tour of Nova Scotia. My Note: This was a really neat, intricate fic. The case was well set up, and I can honestly say that I had no clue who the bad guy was until close to the end, which is always a plus. The romance is sort of in the background with lots of angst and confusion and comedy and I really liked the whole thing. (AO3)
• ❤❤ Becomes A Monster - NC-17, 35,800 words, canon divergence with past Dean/Benny warnings & violence and blood!kink - Summary: Sam’s “normal” life dissolves when his brother mysteriously returns from the dead. But when Dean came back, Benny the vampire wasn’t the only thing that came back with him. Now Sam is in a race against time to save his brother. This is one race that Sam refuses to lose. My note: This was scary and bloody and hot as hell. Definitely rough sex and voyeurism (Benny) warnings. (LiveJournal)

J2

• ❤❤❤ The Play Nice Proviso - NC-17, 70,000 words, non-AU - Summary: When Jensen Ackles first met Jared Padalecki, it was most definitely not love at first sight. It wasn’t even like at first sight. In fact, Jensen hated him, and he had a few good reasons as to why. So what if his new co-star was oblivious to his one-sided warfare? Jensen could deal. Apart from when he couldn’t. So when it came down to picking between Padalecki and his peace of mind, the choice seemed clear. Except for the fact that The Network had his balls in a vice, leaving him stuck with Supernatural, stuck with his idiot co-star, and worst of all, stuck with a ‘Play Nice’ Proviso added to his contract. Well, he could play nice. He would play so nice that the world was going to think that he and Jared Padalecki were the bestest friends in the history of best friends. It was unfortunate then that no one had ever told Jensen what happened when an immovable object met an irresistible force; no one had ever thought to mention that there was a thin line between hate and love; and nothing, absolutely nothing, could have possibly prepared him for Playing Nice with Jared Padalecki. My note: This is hands down my all time favorite. I have a weakness for the non-au fics anyway but this one just hits all my buttons. It’s absolutely awesome. (LiveJournal)
• ❤ The Courtship of Jensen’s Co-Star - NC-17, 112,000 words, non-AU - Summary:Somewhere in the time between a handshake and a hug, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki went from being reel-life brothers to real-life best friends, and complete strangers to cosmic soul mates, no rhyme or reason to it that either of them could ever see. Jared was everything Jensen was not: friendly, funny, and full of life; one in six-point-whatever billion the Earth’s population currently stood at. Life was awesome. Work was amazing. Everything was fine until Jared kissed Jensen. Everything was peachy until Jensen fell in love. With desperate times unexpectedly calling for desperate measures, Jensen called Chad Michael Murray for relationship advice – because being in love led to temporary insanity obviously – so it really didn’t surprise him that he couldn’t seem to win when it came to wooing Jared. Still, Pisces must’ve been in a really good place in the night sky or something because suddenly, right smack dab in the middle of the miserable courtship of his co-star, Jensen discovered that maybe loving Jared was all he needed to do to win his heart. And luckily for Jensen, loving Jared was also the one thing he did best. My note: Another of my favorite non-AU’s with lots and LOTS of feels. (LiveJournal)
• ❤❤ Character Bleed - NC-17, 12,483 words, non-AU - Summary: Jared doesn’t think there’s anything wrong about him having a bit of a crush on Dean Winchester. My note:All right, this is a collection of 4 stories and it’s so freaking hot, I mean, I LOVED the idea from the beginning but it’s so well done, especially when it inches into Wincest. Just a hot, hot little read, highly recommended. (AO3)
• ❤❤ Angel In Blue - NC-17, 36,982 words, Angel Eyes AU - Summary: Officer Ackles is a hardened city cop who finds himself in the worst situation, staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. When Jared rescues the officer, Jensen owes Jared his life… or perhaps, it’s the other way around. My note: This was heartbreaking and beautiful and the happy ending truly strikes you as a miracle it is. Rarely ever do you find an AU version of Jensen so close to the real thing. There are references to death and abuse so be warned. (AO3)
• ❤❤ Just One Breath - NC-17, 56,000 words, non-AU & hurt!Jensen - Summary:Following a horrific event during filming, Jensen’s life hangs in the balance and Jared discovers what is truly important. My note: This is an awesome slow build fic where Jared is absolutely clueless and adorable. Also, there are a few bonuses in the rest of the verse, like Jensen’s POV fics, and a bunch of short stories leading up to this one. Lots of caring, protective Jared. (LiveJournal)
• ❤❤ Have You Seen Him Whom My Soul Loves - NC-17, 42,500 words, priest!Jensen AU & lots of self harm/blasphemy - Summary: Matthew 26:41—"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.“ My note:This hurt a lot. I mean even the porny bits, which were so fucking hot, just made everything hurt even more. Totally loaded with guilt and self-harm triggers and hurt!Jensen. I loved it but it’ll take me a while to get over it. Not for the weak. (LiveJournal)
• ❤ Into the Light of the Dark Black Night - NC-17, 31,829 words, future fic AU & winged!Jensen - Summary: In the twenty-second century, Chicago still stands as the Second City, but much of it has crumbled under the weight of a changed world. Failed industries and a changing climate have led to ruin, and half the city—and Earth—is not what was once promised: a strong, sustainable future. Jared has been consumed with knowing all he could about the Black Falcon for years, and is fascinated by the winged creature that once stood as the city’s saving grace. On a stormy night, Jared is spared from death by who he swears is the Black Falcon, and is spurred to track him down. There’s more to the Falcon’s story, and Jared finds himself in greater trouble than a tragic car wreck. Jared’s modern fairytale unravels on a dark and dirty backdrop, but there’s still a damsel in distress and a hero who will need saving. My note: Awesome Dark Knight undertones with an addition of mutated human beings and futuristic Chicago. Also, it totally hit all my buttons on the wing!kink scale. (AO3)
• ❤ Escort!AU Series - NC-17, 43,431 words, dom/sub AU - Summary: Jared may be one of the most renowned Doms at the escort service, but he has needs nobody would suspect, least of all his roommate. My note: This is basically just a lot of really, really hot porn. That said, I usually don’t read dom/sub fic because it doesn’t do much for me, but this was REALLY fucking hot until the end when it gets really sweet so it’s definitely a must read. (AO3)
• ❤❤ Stars Fall In - NC-17, 30,790 words, underage AU & emotional/physical abuse - Summary: Growing up next door to each other in Calvary, Tennessee, Jared has known Jensen practically their entire lives. He knows almost everything there is to know about Jensen, harbors all of Jensen’s secrets. And that’s why Jared is hellbent on getting Jensen out of there, before it’s too late. My note: Get some tissues. Like a lot of fucking tissues. And if you have a weak stomach just skip this all together because it fucking hurts. It was worth it, to get to the ending, but this fucking story broke me. (AO3)
• ❤❤❤ Who Watches Over Me? - NC-17, 96,591 words, bodyguard AU - Summary:Jensen Ackles is an ex-Navy SEAL turned civilian bodyguard with a mysterious past. Jared Padalecki is a flamboyant Hollywood star known for his action movies who’s been receiving death threats. The case sounds like Jensen’s idea of a nightmare, and he takes it on against his better judgment. Jared drags him to clubs and parties and award ceremonies without any care for how difficult he’s making Jensen’s job, and to his complete lack of surprise, they hate each other. But when hate changes into passion, it begins to reveal something deeper between them, and Jensen realizes he’s in over his head. Can he still do his job and keep Jared safe? Or will he fall prey to his greatest fear and fail someone… again? My note: Another gem by nyxocity and one of the first J2 AU’s I’ve ever read so I have a bit of a soft spot for it. Either way, it’s a long slow build fic and like everything of nyxocity’s, immaculately written. Highly recommended. (AO3)
• ❤❤ A Handful Of Rain - NC-17, 33,000 words, addict!Jensen/counselor!Jared AU - Summary: Life on the streets had taught Jensen that everything came with a price. Family was a word that meant the people who kicked you out, religion was nothing more than a free meal, and salvation something that he could buy for ten bucks a hit down on the bad side of town. Scoring had become his full-time job, and finding a safe place to sleep was what he did in his time off. It was only a matter of time until this life caught up with him. Now, strung out and with no where else to go, Jensen finds himself following his feet to a place he never thought he would go–to the home of a stranger who can unfailingly see past Jensen’s mistakes, and who can see right through to the good that is still left within him. The challenge is getting Jensen to see it as well. My note: Ok, so I found this somewhat unpleasant, mainly because I’m a recovering addict myself. But that definitely says something about the way this was written. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who hasn’t been clean for a while and is very sensitive to triggers. All that aside, it’s very sweet and angsty and I liked it A LOT. (LiveJournal)
• ❤❤ The Drowned Land - NC-17, 29,218 words, AU - Summary: Jared washes ashore on a remote Caribbean island after a devastating shipwreck. The only person he can find to help him is a brusque, misanthropic natural historian who declares he only wants solitude, but whose eyes say something else altogether. My note: I just love Jensen in this, I literally fell in love with his grumpy ass all over again. And the sex is surprisingly hot and sweet. (LiveJournal)

Sastiel

• ❤❤❤ The Other Guardian - PG, 323,550 words, mild AU & canon divergence - Summary: Castiel had expected to be able to feel it—had expected Sam’s hand to be warm with hellfire, with a taint two decades old. But it was cool to the touch, just a human hand. My note: THIS is THE Sastiel gospel, the single most beautiful and breathtaking fic I’ve read in all my years of reading fic. I am certain that I will never again find another fan fic that will affect me like this one did. The build up is so wonderful, so heartbreaking, I’ve lost weeks rereading it so I don’t miss even the smallest detail. A small warning: if you’re a Dean girl, this might now be for you, the story is Sam x Cas centric. I could just gush and go on forever but go read it, please, you will not regret it. (AO3)
• ❤❤ Out Where the Shivers Won’t Find You - NC-17, 16,000 words, AU post 5x22 - Summary: After Castiel rescues Sam from Hell, he sets him up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere to recuperate and to give his soul time to heal from the damage it suffered in the cage. When Sam experiences violent, frightening flashbacks to his time with Lucifer, Cas offers a solution, but neither one of them anticipates the way their tentative friendship will change. My note: Feels. Just lots and lots of feels, embarrased Sam and confused Cas and just SO MANY FEELS. (LiveJournal)
• ❤❤ Crushing - NC-17, 11,135 words, hurt/comfort - Summary: Castiel falls. He’s expecting to maybe be reborn or simply lose his Grace, but is granted neither and nearly dies after he crashes to Earth. After another fight Dean and Sam separate for a while. It’s Sam who finds Castiel broken, bleeding, and dying in a meadow in the middle of nowhere. He saves him. And then some. My note: Ok, the hurt/comfort here is absolutely lovely, I mean it’s so heartbreaking. Then, just when you think there’s gonna be all this fluff and angst, there’s hot, HOT smut and idk, I really loved this. (AO3)
• ❤ Between the Stitches - NC-17, 17,356 words, superhero!Cas/reporter!Sam AU - Summary: Even though Sam really loves the guy, being the damsel in distress all the time sucks. My note: This totally has a shitload Clark Kent/Louis Lane/Superman AU vibes. It was such a cute, cute story, funny in all the right places and hot and heavy in just the right ways. A light read, definitely, and one of my go-tos on a rainy day. (LiveJournal)
• ❤❤ Here We Still Remain - NC-17, 24,693 words, violence & self-harm - Summary: With Lucifer tormenting his dreams, Sam fears sleep so much he sees only one way to get any rest at all. It’s not pretty, but it does the job, and Sam is nothing if not pragmatic. Dean doesn’t need to know, but then, he doesn’t seem to care anyway. As Sam slowly crumbles under the weight of exhaustion, guilt, and his brother’s mistrust, it’s Castiel who unexpectedly reaches out to him - but the solution the angel offers might well be worse than the problem. My note: Ah, I remember the sex being so awkward and still really hot, lots of hurt!Sam which is a weakness of mine. All in all, a really believable scenario which I’m totally a fan of. (LiveJournal)
• ❤❤❤ A Closer Walk With Thee - NC-17, 29,269 words, angel!Sam AU & married!kink - Summary: Post season 8 AU. Following the completion of the Trials, Sam’s left with a broken body and even more broken soul - he hasn’t seen Castiel in two months and he very well may be on the verge of death, fearing each breath is his last. Only Heaven has a reward for Sam, one that he could never have imagined even in his wildest dreams. My note: All right, this is Kirby’s fic so you know what that means. Lots and lots of porny goodness, lots of fluff and TONS of feels. Absolutely gorgeous. Read it. (AO3)
• ❤❤ Climbing Up The Walls - NC-17, 16,823 words, sex pollen - Summary: On a routine hunt, Sam is bitten by a sex demon. The venom’s effects are almost immediate when it’s delivered by bite and not kiss. They’re immediate and devastating. My note: So I’m not super crazy about sex pollen fics but I REALLY liked this one. Especially since in the second chapter, we look at the events from Castiel’s POV. I’ve read it a few times and it never gets old so definitely read it, you won’t regret it. (AO3)
• ❤❤❤ Light Up The Sky - PG, 20,100 words, hurt/comfort & angst - Summary: The first time Castiel came to him, it was a night with no stars. Six times Castiel found Sam in the darkness. My note: Another lovely story by the author of The Other Guardian. Absolutely breathtaking, like everything by red_river and highly, highly recommended. (AO3)
• ❤❤ I Was Afraid When I Met You - R, 44,444 words, college AU/ace!cas - Summary: Sam, a second year pre-Law student at Stanford, meets a strange but interesting guy at ‘Party Man’ Gabriel’s house party, and decides he wants to get to know him more. Castiel is a Media & Film studies major whose passion for movies is nearly overwhelming. They’re an unlikely pair with an unlikely relationship. After revealing something he’s kept hidden from Sam, Castiel has a deep fear of rejection but Sam is determined to make it work. My note: OMG THIS was so SWEET! I spent so much time cringing and blushing and giggling. Sam was so cute and clueless and Cas was adorable and idk, read it. (AO3)
• ❤ Sam and Cas’s Big Gay Angel Romance - PG-13, 7,040 words, humor/angst - Summary: Cas wants Sam. He consults an expert in the area of love. Awkward conversation! Intentions! Slow dancing! Oh my! My note: This was short and really cute. Just a quick, light read that made me smile, (LiveJournal)
• ❤❤ I Have Stood Here Once Before - R, 48,000 words, AU - Summary: Centuries into the future, the world has ended. Neither Heaven or Hell have come out victorious as the last human soul is wiped from the war-savaged Earth. In a fit of desperate rebellion, Castiel goes back to the start, back to November 2nd, 2005 to prove once and for all that people make their own destinies. Only fate’s a fickle bitch when you try to pull one over on her and Castiel finds himself in a time in which Sam Winchester is a far cry from the hardened hunter of his memory. Already plagued by waking visions, Sam finds himself left with this mysterious angel as his only ally. Forming a delicate, somewhat awkward friendship, Sam and Castiel set out to find the Colt and to stop Azazel from freeing Lilith and starting the Apocalypse. Dodging Heaven, Hell and two over-protective Winchesters, the alliance formed through necessity slowly becomes something not even Sam could have seen coming. Everything comes to head, in a graveyard in Wyoming where Dean, Sam, John and Castiel make their final stand. My note: This was totally an epic idea and I have a big weakness for AU’s that are based on some sort of a canon divergence. There’s a lot of tension because you don’t know how things will turn out and the ending is sort of bitter-sweet so be warned. (LiveJournal)

Mishalecki

• ❤❤❤ Love, Apparent - R, 70,040 words, collegeAU - Summary: Based loosely on the movie Son In Law, Jared is a shy college freshman busted out of his shell by eccentric long-time student Misha Collins. During a series of mishaps, disaster, secrets and confusion that include gayy chicken, compulsive stealing and loose morals, together they grow and fumble their way into love with the help of Jensen, Mike, Tom and more. My note: This fic was just a wild ride from the beginning to end. I totally fell in love with all the characters in this fic, especially Misha who is in equal parts frustrating and endearing, as much as the real thing :D (AO3)

Sadreel

• ❤❤ To Want And To Need - NC-17, 71,190 words, s9 canon divergence - Summary: "I have no idea what’s happening between us, but I like it and I’d like to keep it.” My Note:Ok, this is an ace!Gadreel fic, very well done. It’s hard finding this pairing in the first place but to find such a detailed fic was literally a treasure. (AO3)