dcbb 2018 – Page 3 – Karate, SPN Demonic Octopus Guardian

deancasbigbang:

Title: Out of Ash, Shift and Save Me in the Night
Author: cymamoremocha
Artist: oh-cassie
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Dean/Cas
Wordcount: 24000
Warnings/Tags: Graphic Depiction of Violence, Dean Winchester/Castiel, Dean Winchester POV, Sam Winchester, Bobby Singer, canon divergent, season 4, memory loss, slow burn, AU
Posting: 10/25/2018

Summary:

Dean returns from Hell with an axe to grind. But he finds out pretty quickly just how damaging Hell trauma can be. Left humiliated and in a weakened state, Dean’s big plans to save the world are put on hold, as he now needs his brother to help glue his brain back together. And who is his mysterious rescuer? Is it the same person he dreams about at night but never actually met? Why can’t he remember?

The clicking slowed and stopped, like it forgot. Just like him.

Dean was in the shit this time, because apparently not only did he leave Sammy behind somewhere, he also fucked up the car somehow? He felt his heart beating so loud and so fast, it almost drowned out the persistent ringing in his ears he just noticed was there. Everything was too slowly coming back, and he didn’t comprehend it as a bad thing he couldn’t see Dad properly, like looking through the wrong end of a dirty telescope.

But he was still right there in the passenger seat, looking at him and not breathing in the way only ghosts and nightmares do. Dean finally remembers he has hands, and holds them up as he speaks, almost on autopilot.

“M’ sorry, Dad.”

“No, Dean,” is the reply he gets, much rougher and somehow at the same time gentler than Dad’s voice. Much more patient, anyway.

“M’ sorry, Dad.”

“You were in an accident.” Well that explains why he was in the car, but Dean only blinks. A reflex.

A pause where he probably could have said something. Was he dead?

“You don’t seem to have been seriously injured, but your mental awareness is still taking some time to recover. I’ve already called Sam, he’s on his way.” calm as anything.

Why was this news not affecting him? What’s wrong with him? Where’s Sam?

“You’re not Dad.”

“No, Dean.” A patient reply, but Dean doesn’t think to ask who, how, or why. There’s just an itch coming through that pegs this deep timbre inside him as the word familiar, and he can feel the heat of something radiating from the passenger seat and through him, settling to pulse like a second heartbeat in the space just above his right ear.

“But I know you.”

“Sometimes, yes.”

Dean doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry at that, so he turns his gaze away from his flexing fingers to look at the now sharpening outlines of the figure next to him. His already shaky peripherals waver and darken what must be the middle of the day, down to a single focal point: blue.

He remembers hearing lightning strike, but he never saw any. He must have dreamt about it. But who dreams about getting struck by lightning? His left arm tingles.

“Do you know where you are?”

Dean blinks heavily again and refocuses his gaze on what he now knows is the cassette deck, with Zeppelin side 1 ready to go. The radiator was still steaming and hissing weakly.

“The car?” like he still isn’t sure.

The not-stranger still doesn’t move, doesn’t shift his weight or anything, and Dean doesn’t know if that was the right answer or not. He feels tears erupt from his eyes and fall into his wringing hands, and he suddenly doesn’t want to see anymore.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” he asks, patient, but Dean can’t stop his tears.

“I’m sorry Dad, I was just-“

“DEAN!”

deancasbigbang:

Title: Roommate Wanted
Author: supernatural9917
Artist: Busy Squirrel
Rating: Explicit
Pairings: Dean/Cas, past Dean/Carmen, non-explicit Dean/others and Cas/others, minor Charlie/Dorothy, minor Sam/Jess
Wordcount: 20000
Warnings/Tags: they were roommates, Dean thinks he’s straight
Posting: 10/26/2018

Summary:

Dean Winchester moved to Pontiac, Illinois six months ago when his girlfriend Carmen got a new job. Unfortunately for Dean, Carmen then left him for her boss, so he needs to find a roommate ASAP. Castiel Novak needs to move out of his brother’s house before his niece is born, and when he finds Dean’s ad on Craigslist, it seems like the perfect solution for both of them. So what if Dean is ridiculously gorgeous? Castiel can keep his crush under control. So what if Castiel is gay? Totally straight Dean isn’t at all affected by seeing him hook up with dudes. They’re just a couple of completely platonic roommates.

Well… that’s what they think, anyway…

Roommate wanted: 2 bed 1 bath apt on west side of Pontiac. $400/month including bills for furnished room, access to half the space in the rest of the apartment, and a reserved spot in the parking lot. I’m a dude in my late 20s, I like cars and pie. No slobs or pets.

‘Wow, Dean, that’s a really appealing ad. I can’t imagine why nobody has responded yet,’ Charlie said with a sarcastic eyeroll. ‘You sound so friendly and welcoming. You do realise that you need a roommate if you want to keep this place?’

‘I know, I know,’ Dean sighed. ‘I just thought I’d moved past the part of my life where I’d need a random roommate.’ Charlie rubbed his shoulder in sympathy. ‘I definitely didn’t think I’d be stuck in a town where I barely know anybody because my stupid ex-girlfriend dumped me for her boss.’

‘Hey, Carmen’s loss, man. I’m glad you moved here.’

‘Thanks Charles,’ Dean replied, wrapping her in a hug. ‘Too bad you don’t want to move in.’

‘Yeah, sorry. Too bad I don’t have a second room so you could move in with me. That would kinda rule.’

‘Nah, we’d end up fighting over the same girl and it would get ugly.’

‘Oh Winchester, like you’d stand a chance against me.’ Dean wasn’t able to get his argument in because just then his inbox pinged. ‘Ooh, look, somebody replied!’

Hello, I saw your advertisement for a roommate on Craigslist and would like to have a look at the apartment. I’m also a ‘dude’ in my late 20s, no pets and not a slob. Can I please make an appointment ASAP? My phone number is 555-0918. Sincerely, Castiel Novak

‘What the hell kind of name is Castiel?’ Dean laughed.

‘Who knows? Text him, maybe he can come by tonight and your problem will be solved!’

‘Doesn’t that come off as a bit desperate?’ The inbox pinged again.

Hello again, apologies for bothering you again so soon, but I just wanted to stress that when I said ASAP I really meant it. I’m currently living with my brother and his wife, and they need the room for their new baby. My SIL is due in a week and is planning a home birth, so I’d really rather get out of here before the place is covered in placenta. Thanks. -Castiel

Dean and Charlie looked at each other and dissolved into a fit of laughter. ‘OK, I’m definitely calling this guy right now,’ Dean said when he’d gotten his breath back. ‘He sounds hilarious.’

deancasbigbang:

Title: From You The Flowers Grow
Author: winkingwinchesters
Artist: lowkeyguru
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Dean/Cas
Wordcount: 20000
Warnings/Tags: canon divergent, cas-centric, creature!cas, canon-typical violence/gore, slow burn, original characters
Posting: 10/29/2018

Summary:

Castiel has spent the last six years building a life for himself in the backwoods of West Virginia. He has friends, dogs, even goats to look after along with a nursery (the plant kind, not the child kind). After a long-lost family member arrives in town, Castiel’s Angelic nature is revealed, and now he has the gossiping townspeople, an overly curious hunter, and his tumultuous past to contend with.

The drive starts out silent. Not quite peaceful, as there is an armed hunter in Castiel’s passenger seat, but at least it is quiet. As they officially leave Bubbling Springs, the hunter speaks.

“You know, I can’t say I’ve ever heard the name Castiel before,” he says. “Is that a family name or…?”

“No,” Castiel says, keeping his eyes fixed on the road. He stops his hands from tightening on the steering wheel.

“Your friends didn’t seem to know it,” the hunter says. Castiel glances at him. He doesn’t look like he’s trying to goad him; it’s more like curiosity. Castiel almost finds that more annoying.

“I can only assume you are not Detective Hetfield of the West Virginia State Police,” he says.
“Is that the same as keeping a false identity for years?” the hunter asks.

Castiel doesn’t answer. He could tell this hunter that it was meant to be protection, not only his but everyone else’s, or that Steve Fischer is a better version of himself, one that hasn’t killed anyone in loyalty to the wrong cause. It doesn’t matter. If the hunter finds him worth hunting, he’s welcome to shoot him right now. It won’t do anything but waste a bullet.

They reach the gas station before the hunter can choose another part of Castiel to prod at. Castiel waits as he gathers all the coins from the glove box, roughly three dollars worth, and opens the door. He looks over when the hunter still hasn’t gotten out.

“I’m Dean,” the hunter says.

Castiel stares at him until he looks away and then says, “I can’t say I’ve heard the name Dean before.”

Dean rolls his eyes as he gets out. “Thanks for the ride. And for ganking the psycho murder bitch. And the quarters”

Castiel doesn’t respond. Dean shuts the door. Castiel waits until he’s gotten to the phone to drive away.

Mostly because the truck refuses to shift out of park.

deancasbigbang:

Title: Compatible
Author: mugglerock, Anyrei
Artist: Knowmefirst
Rating: Explicit
Pairings: Dean Winchester/Castiel (minor: Castiel/Inias, Dean Winchester/Unseen OFC)
Wordcount: 102000
Warnings/Tags: Canon Typical Violence, Self-Harm, Suicidal Ideation, Hurt/Comfort, Case Fic, Pretend Relationship, Canon Compliant Through S13E6, Thinly Veiled Excuses to Makeout, Our Own Fucked Up Version of the Little Mermaid, Dean Approves Cuz Dean Loves Disney
Posting: 10/31/2018

Summary:

Compatible – capable of existing or living together in harmony.

It was the reason why Castiel and Inias were chosen for each other prior to Castiel’s assignment to save the Righteous Man from Perdition. But after so many years on Earth, first-hand experiences with emotions and the nuances of humanity, Castiel has come to terms with the fact that he isn’t the angel he used to be. However, it isn’t until a traumatic event upending his world that he finally starts to question what love really means.

And surprisingly, it isn’t at the hands of his Aisaroel (the angel he was bonded to), but that of a certain hunter.

Practically dropping himself onto the swing on the terrace, Dean dialed his brother and counted out the rings before he answered. If he answered after one ring and gave the code word, he was in danger. If he answered after two and brought up a random movie, that meant he was getting laid or in the process of sealing the deal. They always picked up after three rings to indicate free and clear.

Like clockwork, Sammy picked up on the third ring.

“Hey, Dean, how’s Cas?” Sam asked, the worry in his voice was prominent.

“Aside from suddenly being human again?” Dean sighed and shook his head. “I dunno, man. He seems okay, other than his grace is, as he put it, ‘behind frosted glass.’ Were you able to find anything?”

“Not much with the resources I have. Most of the books I need are back at the bunker. Did you ask Cas if that could happen after a separation?”

“Yeah. He said there are no accounts of what’s happening to him. On the rare occasion that there were bond separations, the angel who took the hit was back to himself after a couple of hours.”

“Weird,” Sam replied thoughtfully. “You think it could be because his grace was still… I don’t know… damaged from that spell Metatron used?”

“Maybe.” Dean let out a sigh of frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. “I mean, as long as it doesn’t kill him… I’m not as worried. And he’s, uh… he’s been smiling more, so I’m counting that as a win.”

He could practically hear Sam smiling through the phone. “That’s good to hear, after everything. He seemed pretty down.” There was a beat and a deep sigh. “But I’ll continue to look into it. I’ll call you as soon as I find anything.”

“Thanks, Sammy.” Dean hesitated for a moment. He wanted to tell his brother what was going on, on the personal front, but he wasn’t entirely comfortable saying the words out loud. “Uh… If I…” With a shake of the head he stopped himself. “Nevermind. Just let me know what you find and I’ll keep you updated on what we find here.”

“You know you can talk to me, right? If you’ve got something on your mind? I know this isn’t easy for you.”

Dean sighed, playing with a loose string on the hem of his shirt. There was a brief moment in which he contemplated playing dumb, but he really was getting too old for this shit. So Dean just bit the bullet. “I think I have a thing for Cas. And that’s just all kinds of fucked up.”

There was silence on the other line, so much so Dean had to pull the cell away to see if maybe the call was dropped. That was when Sam softly replied, “It’s not fucked up, Dean, but I’m glad you’re finally realizing it. Took you long enough.”

“What do you mean?” Dean had only just realized he had a weird crush on his best friend. Dean was already more than confused – especially having to add a pseudo sexual identity crisis to all of his complex feelings – so Sam’s know-it-all comment wasn’t helping.

deancasbigbang:

Title: Growing Pain
Author: darkheartinthesky
Artist: Ddff0111
Rating: Teen
Pairings: Dean/Castiel
Wordcount: 26000
Warnings/Tags: Spoilers through Season 11, No Major Archive Warnings Apply, mentions of bodily fluids/functions, Human Castiel, Light Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sam Winchester’s POV, Oblivious Sam
Posting: 10/29/2018

Summary:

After Castiel is de-aged into a baby by a witch, Sam notices something… odd about Dean. He’s never seen Dean like this before; so gentle, so caring, so worried. And it makes him think, and reflect, on Dean and Castiel’s relationship.

There’s got to be something he’s missing, something he doesn’t understand, but he just can’t quite put his finger on it.

It was never ending. There was always something Cas needed. It made Sam think about Dean. Dean took care of him like this while he was still just a child himself.

Sam turned the water off. Thinking about all that Dean did for him as a child made his stomach twist into hot, heavy knots. He turned the light off before he left the bathroom and quietly padded back to bed, desperate to catch even just another half hour more of sleep. But he stopped briefly and stared at the crib. He hadn’t heard Cas cry at all since before bed.

The crib was empty.

Panic blossomed in Sam’s chest, ready to rip at his throat, but it died down in an instant when he turned to scream at Dean and saw—

Saw Dean on his back, mouth open and snoring obnoxiously, and Cas on his chest. Dean had one arm wrapped loosely over Cas, securing him in place, and Cas slowly rose and fell with Dean’s breathing. Cas had two fingers stuck into his mouth. His hair was sticking up in all directions, like he’d been given an electric shock. He looked the most peaceful he’d been since this whole fiasco started.

Probably more peaceful than Sam had ever seen him, actually.

After taking the image in, Sam sighed and smiled. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand, and making sure the flash was off, snapped a couple of photos for blackmail later; but he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that they were adorable like that.

Sam crawled back under the covers of his bed and faced Dean and Cas. He was never going to let Dean live this down.

deancasbigbang:

Title: Green Corners
Author: rustling-pages
Artist: harplesscastiel
Rating: Teen
Pairings: Dean/Cas (past Dean/Lisa)
Wordcount: 75000
Warnings/Tags: Threat of Main Character Death, Elemental Magic AU, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Platonic Bedsharing, Grief and Hurt/Comfort, Familiars, Gardening with Magic, Myth Arc
Posting: 11/1/2018

Summary:

After the death of his son, there is nothing left for Dean other than his garden market. His days are tough, the nights are tougher, but at least there’s a reason to get up in the morning. And with the new boom on do-it-yourself garden magic, his business is going okay.

Amidst the passing of time, there is only one thing that distracts him from functioning like a normal human being: Diagonally across the street, in the display window of that traditional Herb and Potion shop, plants are dying in masses.

Storming in to confront the owner goes differently than he imagined, though. Castiel Novak may be the kind of guy who wears old-fashioned mage robes and keeps his shop in sweltering heat, but he’s also a talented herbalist, the kindest soul Dean has ever met, and utterly beautiful.

Not that Dean is ready for anything other than friendship.

(Not that Cas doesn’t get sick a bit too often.)

He opens a door and for a moment, Dean is almost blinded by the sudden intensity of green light after the dimness of the shop.

It’s a greenhouse.

Smaller than Deans’ more commercial collection of glass buildings, and indefinitely more art-nouveau, but definitely a well-maintained greenhouse.

“Step through, please.”

Dean is spurred back into action and stumbles the rest of the way inside, while Castiel carefully closes the door behind them. “To keep the bees out of the shop,” he explains with a fond twinkle in his eyes, as they follow one of them buzzing pleasantly past them.

Dean finds his voice long enough to say, “You have bees in a greenhouse.”

“They live in the garden, but I like to let them in occasionally.”

The pleasant humid warmth is a far cry from the bone-dry heat of the shop, but it does explain the fire. Dean’s best guess is a sort of hypocaust under the terra cotta floor.

The amount of plants in here is bordering on too many, but much like within the shop, it’s a well-maintained crowdedness. Row upon row of plants are anchored into pulley mechanisms, to easily select which flower bed one works on.

To call this greenhouse elegant would be an understatement.

“Shit, I’m such a douche. You’re a herbalist.”

“I am.”

But, “What’s with the plants in the display?”

Castiel looks down on the small pot he’s still carrying, and the sadness sitting in the crinkles of his eyes grows more pronounced.

“They’re the ones I can’t save.” And suddenly, Dean feels very small. “I do my best, but as you know, sometimes there is no cure and they waste away. My abilities allow me to feel which plants are beyond my help, even before they begin showing their disease.”

Dean nods numbly.

“So you put them into the window.”

“Yes. I figure the least I can do for them is make sure they are appreciated by someone other than me, if only for a short time.”

He smiles at the little Umbrian basil, and now that Dean knows the full story, he understands it’s the loving goodbye of a parent who needs to ease the passing. He feels almost sick, suddenly, thrown back to a hospital room and watching Lisa hold Ben’s hand as his heart stops beating.

“That’s…” He gulps down memories, pulls himself back into this healthy green world. “I’m honestly such an asshole.”

And Castiel lays a hand on Dean’s upper arm and very earnestly says, “You’re clearly very passionate about plants, Dean. I could never fault anyone for caring too much.”

And it just figures that the one guy Dean chooses to take out his own problems on is one of the kindest people he has ever met. And also has the most gorgeous eyes Dean has ever seen.

“What minerals are you putting into your soil?”, he asks to distract them both from whatever moment they just shared.

deancasbigbang:

Title: Take Care of You
Author: WaywardAF67
Artist: Pimentogirl
Rating: Explicit
Pairings: Dean/Castiel Sam/Original Female Character
Wordcount: 37000
Warnings/Tags: Canon Divergent, Fluff, Soulmates, retired hunters, smut, masturbation, vacation, feelings discovery
Posting: 11/2/2018

Summary:

After their first attempt at closing the gates of Hell failed, Sam and Dean moved on. With Kevin gone, all hope seemed to be lost, until Rowena found a spell that locked up Hell for good. Along the way, they met a feisty witch name Kori. Sam was instantly smitten.

Cas was called back to Heaven, leaving Dean wondering what life could be now that Hell was locked up tight. Though he isn’t gone long, Cas returns from Heaven both human and in search of his soulmate. Dean is shocked to learn soulmates even exist.

With the idea of retirement sounding more appealing, Dean decides to test the waters by planning a vacation. The four pack their bags, deciding to spend a well earned and long overdue relaxing week at the lake. It’s the rest Dean has always dreamed of, so why isn’t it as easy as he imagined?

Dean struggles with Cas’ decisions and ultimately makes a few choices of his own. Never ones to let destiny decide their fate Team Free Will take matters into their own hands. They seize the future they all deserve even if it’s not the future they ever saw coming.

Dean felt like a little kid walking down the dock. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been swimming in fresh open water. He teased Cas about needing floaties, but was not-so-secretly worried that his friend might really need them. Cas being human for one day had already been stressful for Dean. He imagined as long as the former angel was around, Dean would spend most of his time fussing over him. Cas had a tendency to say he knew how to do things, when he did not, in fact, know how to do them. He was too worried about burdening Sam or Dean to open up about the things he couldn’t do. Pretending to know how to make oatmeal and burning it was one thing, a lesson learned. But jumping into a lake without knowing how to stay afloat and risking his life was something completely different.

“Dean, I already told you, I know how to swim,” Cas assured him once they were halfway down the dock.

Dean froze, causing Cas to sidestep to avoid running into him. “I thought you couldn’t read minds?”
“I can’t,” Cas laughed. “I just know you well enough to know you are worrying unnecessarily.” Cad beamed at him before dropping his towel and popping open the lid of the sunscreen, pouring a generous amount in his palm.

“Fine, drown for all I care.” Dean gave Cas a cheeky wink before dropping his towel and running the remainder of the dock, cannonballing into the water once he reached the edge.

Cas laughed out loud at Dean’s antics. He rubbed the cream carelessly across his body and face. He was giggling before he shot down the dock, jumping in just close enough to make sure he splashed Dean in the face.

Dean coughed and spit out the water that got in his mouth from Cas’ version of a cannonball. He was thoroughly grossed out and plotting his revenge when he noticed Cas hadn’t surfaced. He instantly started to panic, thinking Cas really didn’t know how to swim. He was frantically looking around, but the water was too murky to see through.

He felt something wrap around his ankle and before he had time to figure out what was happening, he was pulled under. Fear clenched around his heart as he remembered the ghost from the haunted lake so many years before.

Of fucking course! We would have to vacation at a haunted lake. I’m never going to escape this shit. I just want a normal fucking life.

Dean hadn’t been pulled under very far, and only moments passed before broke the surface. Dean was slightly disoriented, but when he heard chuckling to his left, it dawned on him Cas was what pulled him under. He was so relieved that the lake wasn’t haunted and holding Cas hostage, that he actually laughed along with Cas.
He was still laughing when he paddled his way towards Cas, feral look in his eyes. Cas was going to pay.

deancasbigbang:

Title: Rescue Mission for Two
Author: Pherryt
Artist: Dogsled
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Destiel
Wordcount: 50000
Warnings/Tags: Fantasy au, soulmate au, creature fic, dragon!cas, brief non graphic torture scenes, first kiss, stubborn!cas, self sacrificing characters, bedsharing, hurt/comfort
Posting: 11/2/2018

Summary:

Castiel thinks he’s the last of his kind and doomed to live a life alone. He’s hiding in plain sight, as a human soldier in Angels Outfit, fighting alongside other companies – including Lord Winchesters renowned cavalry, the Silver Hooves – when his soul mark unbelievably flares to life.

Either he’s not the only Dragon to survive the war, or he’s bonded with a human. Before he can figure out which of his fellow soldiers it could be, he’s sent across into enemy territory on a rescue mission.

Lord Winchester’s eldest has been captured and last rumored to be in Alistair’s hands. Castiel can’t say no, but the clock is ticking and if he doesn’t find his soul mate, he will die.

The skirmish covered a fair amount of ground, so it took a bit of traveling to escape the prying eyes of anything on two legs. He took it at a light jog to leave the area more quickly and when, finally under the sparse cover of young trees, Castiel looked for a good spot before he took his pack off.

Amazingly, he found one nearly straight off, and with no one in sight, he wasted no time in stripping his clothes and stashing them in the bole of a tree. Now naked, Castiel picked the pack back up and shifted the makeshift strap around that Balthazar had helped him design. He slipped his arms through the straps, the pack sagging low against his back. Not ideal for a human but…

Within seconds, he’d shifted, his human body melting swiftly down into the compact version of his true form. Castiel took a few moments to stretch his legs, his blue black scales nearly invisible in the darkness, but his eyes glowing ethereally. His tail swished across the leaf strewn ground and he flexed the toes on all four feet, getting used to once more being himself again. He sighed in relief at the stretch of wings on his back.

He didn’t generally mind being human. But the one thing he truly missed was being able to fly, unfettered, free of worry, as high and as long as he wanted.

But that was no longer the world he lived in. Short, stolen flights were all that he could manage most times. It was one of the reasons he volunteered so often for the ‘suicidal’ missions. Sentries were literally not prepared for non-human intrusions, and Castiel could be very silent.

He snapped his wings back down to lay flush against his back and started running, the pack bouncing lightly, but not too awkwardly in the space between his wings. When he emerged from the young wood on the side closest to the Tenebrim camp, Castiel spread his wings and leapt, taking to the air.

The wind rushing past his face and ruffling through his feathers caused exultation to soar through him. He kept his mouth shut, however, smothering the happy sounds he wanted to make at feeling at home again.

The sky was littered with stars and for a few moments, he let his memories drift to happier times and just enjoyed the flight.

Soon enough – too soon – he got down to business, focusing forward and speeding through the air, his wings flapping swiftly as he climbed higher. He only wished he could have asked for something of Dean’s to aid his search. One sniff would have made a big difference.

Well, no use crying over things that couldn’t be helped.

First thing was first. Make his way over to the Tenebrim camp and ascertain if Dean was still there or not.

deancasbigbang:

Title: Show me your secrets and I’ll show you madness
Author: Nera Solani
Artist: Correlia
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Dean/Castiel (hinted Sam/Eileen)
Wordcount: 30000
Warnings/Tags: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Canon typical violence, blood and gore, Post season 13, case fic, Greek mythology, illusions and hallucinations, temporary major character deaths (in illusions), hurt/comfort, angst and fluff, grace sex
Posting: 10/19/2018

Summary:

Are you afraid of the dark? No?

If you ever find a door that leads nowhere, don’t go in.

Four teenagers make the mistake of doing so anyway and don’t come back out. Which is how Dean, Sam and Castiel find themselves investigating a case that leads them right into an ancient Greek myth about a labyrinth housing a monster. But the monster isn’t the only thing lurking in this dark place; the walls are breathing, watching, waiting… Being separated in a giant maze that isn’t attached to our reality isn’t how any of them had envisioned this case would go.

What is real? What is an illusion? Is that blood? What was that shadow?

In every corner awaits a new nightmare, each one worse than the other. The three men need to save the missing teenagers and find a way out — if they can find each other, and live through the terrors the maze shows them. But none of that is easy when you’re being confronted with your worst memories and fears. Especially when you have to lose the love of your life over and over again…

Well? Are you afraid of the dark? Maybe you should be.

The first corridor seemed almost endless. They walked straight ahead, their flashlights lighting the way. The stone of the floor and walls was cold, smooth and seemingly made from one single piece. Dean almost thought this damn corridor might just go on and on forever, but then it led them into a bigger room. As they stepped out of the narrow passage, they found themselves in a giant dome made of the same stone. Right in front of them was the labyrinth with mile-high walls of solid stone, towering above them like buildings. For some reason it wasn’t dark anymore. The dim light didn’t seem to have a source, but it was enough to light the way sufficiently, so they switched off their flashlights and packed them away. The entrance to the huge maze was impossible to overlook: a wide gap between the high walls. As they stepped closer, Sam noticed the same poem that was carved into the door, written in the stone. Like a warning. A dark promise. It made his skin crawl.

They followed the faint footprints in the low light, each of them constantly on edge. All of a sudden, Dean noticed something on the walls. Scratches, some of them filled with a dark, thick liquid that gave off a rotten smell. When he wrinkled his nose, Cas answered the unspoken question, “It’s rotten blood. Probably from a previous victim considering how old it is.”

Walking slower now, they kept looking at the walls, increasingly disturbed by what they saw. The massive stone walls were covered in increasingly deep scratches accompanied by more and more blood. At some point, the scratches started to form words in capital letters.

NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS

FLEE

GO AWAY

HELP

LEAVE ME ALONE

KILL ME

They looked on in horror as they saw scratches that marked days someone had been trapped there, and that horror morphed into dread when they came across a spot that looked like someone had tried to scratch a hole through the wall. Of course the person hadn’t gotten far, but the shallow notch was drenched in rotten blood. Right below, on the floor, lay a fingernail, coated in dark red.

“Looks like someone tried to dig their way out with their bare hands,” Sam noted.

Dean looked at the messages on the walls, which were even more concerning to him, “Yeah… looks promising…”

They didn’t stay to examine the scene any closer, but as they continued to follow the teenagers’ footprints, they didn’t get very far. The trail ended in a wall. Literally. The trail of footprints led into a wall.

“The hell…?” Dean mumbled.

Castiel looked around nervously. He had a bad feeling about this place. A really bad feeling.

deancasbigbang:

Title: (Fits Like) a g(Love)
Author: PaperAnn
Artist: Foxymoley
Rating: Explicit
Pairings: Dean/Cas
Wordcount: 42000
Warnings/Tags: Romantic Comedy, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Dean/Alpha Castiel, Fake Dating, Mutual Pining, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Smut
Posting: 10/22/2018

Summary:

For the last five years, Dean has been great at avoiding his family. For five years, he’s been able to feed them the lie he’s found an alpha, making damn sure they steer clear of something as archaic as match-matching. He refuses to be sold off like livestock!

Dean’s luck has run out: Sam is graduating Law School and everyone (Dean means everyone) is heading to Palo Alto to celebrate. The only person Dean can turn to for help is his best friend, Cas—and thank God, he actually agrees. When Dean began bullshitting his parents, well, Cas was (and still is) the inspiration behind Dean’s ‘make-believe alpha.’

It becomes clear pretty quick…there isn’t much pretending in their performance. What else starts sinking in, is that he and Cas kinda act like a mated couple already. But the one thing that surprises Dean the most: he might not be alone in his big-giant-stupid crush. Maybe the feeling is mutual.

Maybe he and Cas have a chance. If they can make it through the visit alive—fighting the insane awkwardness, unbearable sexual tension, ridiculous booze-fueled clubbing (thanks, Sammy!), and meeting the family—just maybe…they can be real.

“Fuuuuuuck—” The pained groan reverberated oddly because it bounced against bare skin. Dean paused, that was really friggin weird, he’d basically blow a raspberry in the form of a curse against—

Cas’ stomach?

Wonderful. Just…wonderful.

The alpha squirmed under the vibration and that’s when Dean realized (ignoring his throbbing headache, dehydration and slight nausea) Cas must be ticklish. He felt like complete garbage, maybe he could cheer himself up by messing with the alpha…

“G’morning, babe,” he greeted, making sure his lips and his breath were aimed just so they’d rumble along Cas’ sensitive flank.

When Cas wiggled, Dean snickered and he would have apologized for waking him, taunting him, if said wiggling hadn’t revealed they were both buck-ass naked.

Then they had bigger problems. The sheets moved downwards from Cas’ attempt to shimmy away from Dean’s annoyances, almost costing him his modesty, before he snatched up the sheet and covered himself.

The alpha swatted him in the face, admonishing, “Dean! Stop that!”

While Dean’s face flushed scarlet and, yeah, maybe his stomach churned with inappropriate incoming desire (hello, look where he was!) on top of it all: Dean felt bold—he’d made Cas squirm.

Slowly, trying to process what was happening and fish for any info Cas may remember from their night at the club, he rolled around to face him. Dean shamelessly decided he was comfortable where he was, continuing to use the alpha as a headrest.

“Ticklish, huh?” The glare answered Dean’s question, and he couldn’t help teasing him, “Your abs would make for a better mattress than a pillow. Firm.”

Cas reached out and smacked him again. “Then why are you still down there?”

“Because I’m under your skin, and nothing gets under your skin,” Dean announced triumphantly, but added with less confidence, “So, uh. Any idea why we’re naked?”

There was a heavy silence where Cas shook his head and admitted, “I…do not remember much of last night. What’s the last clear memory of yours?”

Dean had to pause, to think, and not jump to any conclusions.

After all, this was pretty normal, waking up in bed together. Twice before, they’d been naked, too. Except…they’d remembered those times. They had reasons: skinny dipping and hot weather. Last night was hot, right?

The problem was lately he and Cas had been getting hotter in a different sense, and it had the potential to change the reasons for losing their clothes, too.