#author: one_more_offbeat_anthem

[deancaspinefest]

HEARTLAND FLYER  |  TEEN AND UP  |  20,017

Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem | Artist: susyrose-fanart 

Ever since he graduated from college and lost his parents, the world has been rushing by Dean Winchester faster than a high-speed train. He’s tabled his dreams of being a published writer to edit others’ work at a press in D.C., and although he keeps trying to finish his manuscript on the side, he’s stuck in a perpetual loop of writer’s block.

And then there’s the issue of his love life.

For the same amount of time that he’s been standing still, he’s been in love with his roommate, Cas Milton. Cas works for Amtrak and spends his time traveling both D.C. and the country, and more often than not, his outlook on the future is more positive than Dean’s. Despite the fact that they devote most of their time to each other, Dean knows the truth: one day, Cas will find the person he’s truly meant to spend his life with, and he’ll ride that train off into the proverbial sunset, leaving Dean behind.

But what if the truth Dean thinks he knows is wrong, and a brighter future is out there, if he’ll only grab hold of it?

Link to fic  |  Link to art 

Pairings: Dean/Cas 

Warnings: Grief and mental illness

Tags: Friends to lovers, Roommates, excessive use of trains as a plot device

#destiel #deancas #destiel fic #destiel art #deancas fic #deancas art #pinefest 2024 #2024 masterpost #masterpost #author: one_more_offbeat_anthem #artist: susyrose-fanart

[deancasbigbang]

summer in the city

Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem

Rating: Teen

Pairings: Dean/Cas

Length: 20057

Warnings: Alcohol usage

Tags: Friends to lovers, Human AU, Bartender Dean, Bookseller Castiel, Karaoke, Night Out, First Kiss, gratuitous use of trains as a plot device

Summary: For Cas, dinner with his best friend Dean should be nothing new. However, something feels different tonight—it’s hotter than hot, and everyone knows that the city never sleeps. When dinner turns into a night out full of twists and turns, train rides and karaoke bars, secrets are revealed and silences are broken. But will those changes remain when the sun rises?

Link to Fic

#dcbb 2023 #masterpost #2023 masterpost #deancas #destiel

[profoundbondfanfic]

The Laundromat

The Laundromat by one_more_offbeat_anthem (@one-more-offbeat-anthem) Rating: Mature Word count: 20k

Cas Milton is really good at managing things. He managed being abandoned as a child and then placed in an abusive home. He managed his adoptive father going to prison when his aunt and godmother finally surfaced. And now, at twenty-five, he’s managing going to college and while working the graveyard shift at Chaney’s 24-Hour Laundromat in the icy town of Leadville, Colorado. Life is manageable until one night a man covered in blood shows up at the laundromat, and instead of calling the police, Cas decides to handle it himself. Except this guy, one Dean Winchester, can’t exactly be handled. Against all odds, he and Cas form an unsteady friendship, and for once, Cas has someone to talk to about everything he’s managing. The only problem? Cas doesn’t really know who Dean is. And as it turns out, he doesn’t really know himself, either.

What would you do if someone covered in blood burst into your place of business? Well, if you’re Cas, sock him in the jaw and help him clean up! From this meet-weird, as the author calls this, Dean immediately takes a liking to Cas and in return, Dean really grows on Cas, as well. You’ll be hooked right from the beginning trying to figure out Dean’s mysterious life and his growing friendship with Cas. There’s also so much fun dialogue between the two, and I also adored that they see the good in each other even through all their self-doubt and self-deprecation. You’ll also truly appreciate their conversations because they can just talk about their lives with each other, and they actually listen to each other because that connection seems to be lacking in both of their lives until they meet each other. If you’re also a fan of Cas and Meg as besties, then you’ll appreciate their friend dynamics.

If you’re looking for an endearing story where we unravel the mysteries of Dean and Cas and are rewarded with Cas not being lonely anymore as he finds his “found family,” then please give The Laundromat a read!

#destiel #fic rec #10k to 30k #the laundromat #writer: one more offbeat anthem #mature #au #strangers to lovers #pining!castiel #pining!dean #abusive family #modern setting #college #supportive!meg #secret identity

[spn-mediabigbang]

East Bound and Down || Explicit || 20,140 Author: @one-more-offbeat-anthem (one_more_offbeat_anthem on ao3) Artist: @ncdover1285 If someone asked you to smuggle contraband beer across state lines for $80,000, would you do it?

This is the question longtime best friends, roommates, and trucking partners Dean Winchester and Cas Milton are trying to answer. When the notorious Enos brothers, Balth and Michael, ask them to drive from their home of Atlanta, Georgia to Texarkana, Texas and back in twenty-eight hours, complete with four hundred cases of illegal Coors beer, Dean and Cas take up the challenge.

But it's not easy, even for seasoned truckers--car chases, longing, and the open road all come with their own challenges, and then a figure from Dean's past reappears, hot on their tails.

Will they make it back to Atlanta in time? Will Dean finally act on his feelings for his best friend? Or are they both going to end up in a jail cell before the day is done?

Source Material: Smokey and the Bandit (1977) Link to fic  Link to art Pairings: Dean/Cas, minor Sam/Jess, past Dean/Amara Warnings: sexual content, period-typical homophobia Tags: Truck drivers Dean and Cas, 1970s, car chases, getting together, first time and second time, friends to lovers, pining, Dean and Cas are southern 

[deancaspinefest]

Heartland Flyer

Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem  | Artist: Susy Rose

Posting on Saturday April 6

Ever since he graduated from college and lost his parents, the world has been rushing by Dean Winchester faster than a high-speed train. He's tabled his dreams of being a published writer to edit others' work at a press in D.C., and although he keeps trying to finish his manuscript on the side, he's stuck in a perpetual loop of writer's block. And then there's the issue of his love life. For the same amount of time that he's been standing still, he's been in love with his roommate, Cas Milton. Cas works for Amtrak and spends his time traveling both D.C. and the country, and more often than not, his outlook on the future is more positive than Dean's. Despite the fact that they devote most of their time to each other, Dean knows the truth: one day, Cas will find the person he's truly meant to spend his life with, and he'll ride that train off into the proverbial sunset, leaving Dean behind. But what if the truth Dean thinks he knows is wrong, and a brighter future is out there, if he'll only grab hold of it?

Keep reading for a sneak preview!

Cas comes home tonight.

Cas comes home /tonight/, and Dean can’t wait. They’ve talked every day, of course they have, but it’s not the same. The apartment feels too big and so empty, and Dean wishes Cas were here to rip open the junk mail and read it in a funny voice or posit, for the thousandth time, that they should get a cat.

(Dean is allergic. Cas claims the place is “one species short.”)

But maybe it’s better that Cas isn’t here, in a way. Usually, Dean is able to handle the way he feels, especially since he’s felt this way since the first night, like Cas would be important and was going to /mean/ something. But as the country has stretched between them, the feeling has started to press into his ribs, painfully, and every time Cas’s name shows up on his phone, he simultaneously scrambles to answer and resists.

He has to get up and go to work.

Dean pulls himself out of bed and stumbles toward the kitchen, where his coffee maker is waiting. He’s used to having breakfast with Cas, sitting on either side of the smooth oak kitchen table; Cas always makes a face at Dean’s mug and makes himself tea instead.

He turns on the coffeemaker (he had the foresight to prep the coffee beans and water the night before, something he always aims to do but doesn’t happen every day) and opens the fridge, inspecting its contents. Tomorrow, they’ll probably have to go to the grocery store; since it’s just been Dean, it’s a little bare. There are still some eggs left, though, so Dean grabs the carton and decides to fry a couple up. He locates a slightly brown banana and cuts it into slices to go on the side while he waits for the coffee to brew.

If Cas were there, they’d listen to the public radio station while they eat, on low volume so they could still talk. Cas says it’s important to stay updated on the news, and Dean doesn’t disagree, but it’s nice to not hear about how everything around the world is going to shit for once.

(continue reading on Ao3 on Saturday April 6)

#destiel #deancas #destiel fic #deancas fic #destiel art #deancas art #pinefest 2024 #pinefest previews #2024 Dean/Cas Pinefest #author: one_more_offbeat_anthem #artist: Plumee (Susy) #Friends to Lovers #And They Were Roommates #Gratuitous Use of Trains as a Plot Device

[deancaspinefest]

Something in the Air  |  Teen and Up  |  50,100 words

Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem Artist: Solstheim

Two months ago, Castiel graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago with a degree in English Literature, and he’s moved on to greener pastures in Boston for graduate school.

Well, sort of.

His best friend Dean had the idea to take a ten-day trip back to Chicago with their friends for one final hurrah before they all start their real, grown-up lives. It’s going to be the perfect week, rife with riding Cas’s beloved “L” train, visiting all their favorite museums, and having a couple of nights at their go-to karaoke bar.

But as Cas is traveling to Chicago, Dean, who arrived a day early, informs him that he’s run into his ex, Abby, and may or may not have told her that he’s in a relationship…with Cas. That lie would already be bad enough if it weren’t for the fact that Dean and Abby’s month-long tryst (that ended with Abby revealing that she already had a boyfriend and dumping Dean) nearly destroyed Dean and Cas’s friendship.

Not to mention, Cas may or may not be in love with Dean.

Link to fic  |  Link to art 

Pairings: Dean/Cas (Past Dean/Abaddon)

Warnings: Mentions of emotional abuse and car crashes, along with some minor violence

Tags: Friends to lovers, road trips, human AU, fake dating

#destiel #deancas #destiel fic #destiel art #deancas fic #deancas art #pinefest 2023 #2023 masterpost #masterpost #author: one_more_offbeat_anthem #Artist: Solstheimart

[deancaspinefest]

Something in the Air

Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem | Artist: Solstheim Posting on Wednesday March 1

Two months ago, Castiel graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago with a degree in English Literature, and he’s moved on to greener pastures in Boston for graduate school. Well, sort of. His best friend Dean had the idea to take a ten-day trip back to Chicago with their friends Jo, Charlie, and Meg for one final hurrah before they all start their real, grown-up lives. It’s going to be the perfect final week, rife with riding Cas’s beloved “L” train, visiting all their favorite museums, and having a couple of final nights at their go-to karaoke bar. But as Cas is riding the train from Boston to Chicago, Dean, who arrived a day early, informs him that he’s run into his ex, Abby, and may or may not have accidentally told her that he’s in a relationship…with Cas. That lie would already be bad enough if it weren’t for the fact that Dean and Abby’s month-long tryst (that ended with Abby revealing that she already had a boyfriend and dumping Dean) nearly destroyed Dean and Cas’s friendship. Not to mention, Cas may or may not be in love with Dean. 

Keep reading for a sneak preview!

Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited rolled into Union Station at about nine-thirty the next morning. Cas had slept intermittently, the rocking of the train doing its best to lull him into slumber. The biggest roadblocks had been the other people on the train, followed by Dean’s text messages. The man himself was supposed to meet Cas at the station, despite the fact that Cas knew Chicago just as well as any of them and could take the Elevated himself to Ravenswood, where the AirBnB was. As a big fan of trains, Cas was also a big fan of the Elevated, or the L, as it was called, and he would be lying if he said that Boston didn’t interest him for graduate school in part because Boston had a Metro and it happened to have color-coded trains–the trains themselves were the color of the lines. So Cas found himself, with his backpack and his blue roller-suitcase, standing by one of the station entrances, waiting for Dean. People pushed past him on either side, going about their own days, aware of him for only a fleeting moment. Cas felt like he was returning home, but everything had been moved an inch to the left. He’d managed, in his four years at UI-Chicago, to make the Windy City small. He’d carved out his place, made up his own traditions in memories, spent hours in the library and even more hours riding the L around with a book in his lap. Moving to Boston over the summer in preparation for beginning his master’s degree in twentieth-century literature (the admissions team had been dazzled by his honors thesis on T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland) had been a good thing, but now, coming back to Chicago, he felt just a bit…off. This is where Dean would laugh and tell him he was being too nostalgic. “You’re being nostalgic, aren’t you?” Dean somehow managed to materialize in front of him, emerging from the crowd, looking the same as he always did.

 [continue reading on Ao3 on Wednesday March 1]

#Destiel Fic #Destiel Art #Destiel Fanworks #DeanCas Fic #DeanCas Art #DeanCas Fanworks #Pinefest Previews #2023 Dean/Cas Pinefest #Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem #Artist: Solstheim #Friends to lovers #road trip #fake dating

[deancasbigbang]

Title: Summer in the City

Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem

Artist: Callion

Rating: Teen

Pairings: Dean/Cas

Length: 20000

Warnings: Drinking

Tags: Human AU, friends to lovers, bookseller Cas, bartender Dean, first kiss, excessive use of trains as a plot device

Posting Date: October 17, 2023

Summary: For Cas, dinner with his best friend Dean should be nothing new. However, something feels different tonight—it’s hotter than hot, and everyone knows that the city never sleeps. When dinner turns into a night out full of twists and turns, train rides and karaoke bars, secrets are revealed and silences are broken. But will those changes remain when the sun rises?

Excerpt: They find a late night shop about five minutes from the karaoke bar. It’s just like every other late night shop Cas has been to in New Oachica, with the bored cashier, yawning from the hour, the slightly overpriced snacks, the coolers crammed with bottled water and sodas and, if you really wanted it, alcohol. Cas has probably had enough of that for one night. They both get bottles of water and then keep walking until they find a bench to sit down at. Dean collapses on the bench, sprawling as always, while Cas manages to sit down normally, although then he gets in a bit of a fight with the screw top of the water bottle, which Dean takes from him and opens on the first go. “Thanks,” Cas says. The water, and the sitting, and the relatively cool night air, manage to make his head stop swimming. Part of him wants to stay out all night now, because hopefully that will stave off whatever head-splitting hangover that he’ll probably have. The other part of him is tired, so tired. But none of him wants to leave Dean. New Oachica is different at night, and it’s not just the crowds of people milling around and the loud music they can hear through bar windows, nor is it the other streets, with sleeping families or college students crammed into apartments. It’s the fact that, at night, Cas can almost pretend that it’s a different place, and he can discover some part of it that is unfamiliar. Sometimes it feels too familiar, like when he was home, in that small prairie town where everyone knew everyone. Of all of the gin joints in the world, that was the one he wanted to leave the most, but he also wanted to stay forever.  That’s how he feels about New Oachica, his new home. Some parts of the city grate at him, too familiar, while others make him feel a bit…free. 

DCBB 2023 Posting Schedule

#dcbb 2023 #fic preview #2023 promo #deancas #destiel

[deancaspinefest]

Who's ready to meet their 2024 Pinefest partners?

Art claims for the eighth annual Dean/Cas Pinefest have officially ended! 34 fics were claimed by 23 artists. Dean and Cas are going to be having big pine-filled feelings for so many pages, you guys.

Posting season will commence on pi(e) day, March 14th, with the posting schedule made available to participants on December 17th. Email introductions will be sent out to each team today -- please bear with us, as this is always a fiddly process.

In the meantime, you can venture under the cut for a full list of this year’s teams. Feel free to reach out to one another right away if you like -- or you can wait to receive the email.

FIC001 | Author: FriendofCarlotta Artist: Aggiedoll

FIC002 | Author: andimeantittosting Artist: Jayjayverse

FIC003 | Author: butterflyslinky Artist: CoyDahlia

FIC004 | Author: Trenchcoat_Paradigm Artist: P3ngu

FIC005 | Author: SamandDean76 Artist: xfancyfranart

FIC006 | Author: golby moon Artist: TwinOne

FIC007 | Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem Artist: Plumee

FIC008 | Author: Arlington Artist: sidewinder

FIC009 | Author: GhoulsnHalos Artist: king-of-moose

FIC010 | Author: LoversAntiquities Artist: Jollyrolls

FIC011 | Author: achwieloustig Artist: Jollyrolls

FIC012 | Author: ixia_ixora Artist: Aggiedoll

FIC013 | Author: casblackfeathers Artist: king-of-moose

FIC014 | Author: tea_or_die Artist: hexentaenzerin

FIC015 | Author: Hectatess Artist: ReverieOfForgotten

FIC016 | Author: mittensmorgul Artist: seidenapfel

FIC017 | [WITHDRAWN PRIOR TO CLAIMS]

FIC018 | Author: allthismusic Artist: eggchef

FIC019 | Author: Salamitsunami1 Artist: dolgoyangi

FIC020 | Author: s7jacket Artist: golby moon

FIC021 | Author: melancholictearz Artist: kireadraws

FIC022 | Author: seidenapfel Artist: Kit Shay

FIC023 | Author: Rex_Writes Artist: Kit Shay

FIC024 | Author: thisisapaige Artist: ReverieOfForgotten

FIC025 | Author: TwinOne Artist: Kit Shay

FIC026 | Author: casloveshisfreckles Artist: Kit Shay

FIC027 | Author: Baileys Artist: sidewinder

FIC028 | Author: sidewinder Artist: caught-a-dragonfly

FIC029 | Author: dothraki_shieldmaiden Artist: NeverSleepUntilFive

FIC030 | Author: kilvmaim Artist: Purgatory-jar

FIC031 | Author: MrBotanyB Artist: BasketcaseBetty

FIC032 | Author: MBQ Artist: girlinthemirrorbluenight

FIC033 | Author: Tossukka Artist: girlinthemirrorbluenight

FIC034 | Author: Fanboi214 Artist: hexentaenzerin

FIC035 | Author: wylf_storm Artist: TwinOne

#dcpf #deancaspinefest #pinefest #pinefest 2024 #mod post #pinefest teams

[deancasbigbang]

Viva Las Vegas

Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem

Artist: Scarlett Dixon

Rating: Teen

Pairings: Dean/Cas, background Sam/Rowena, implied Alastair/Abaddon

Length: 20431

Warnings: Mentions of prison, gambling, and alcohol use

Tags: 1920s au, getting back together, heist, inspired by Ocean's Eleven

Summary: The year is 1924. Prohibition is in full swing, Nevada’s gambling ban is still being enforced, but in a post-war environment, skirts are short and good cheer is abundant.  Unless your name is Dean Winchester. Eight months ago, Dean was put away for racketeering (read: illegal gambling) for working at an underground iteration of closed casino Hotel Nevada, and to make matters worse, his partner (and best friend) Cas Novak broke up with him via a letter halfway through his stint in prison. Back in Las Vegas, Dean’s looking for revenge: he knows that Alastair Cunningham, manager of Hotel Nevada, framed him, and the only solution seems to be doing a heist to rip Alastair off in return.  But there’s a bit of a problem: to make this scheme work, Dean’s going to have to enlist all his closest friends and family…and that includes Cas.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

#dcbb 2022 #masterpost #2022 masterpost #deancas #destiel

[deancaspinefest]

Art claims for the 7th annual Dean/Cas Pinefest have officially ended! 31 artists claimed 39 fics written by 41 authors, and we're gonna smooch in every single one of them 💕

Aw look, they're holding hands about it 😌

Posting season will commence on Valentine's Day Dean and Cas' anniversary, and the posting schedule will be made available to participants on December 12th! Make sure to check in with your Pinefest partner ASAP, and happy pining!

Venture under the cut for a full list of this year's teams.

Author: butterflyslinky Artist: PetraAmia

Author: FriendofCarlotta Artist: xfancyfranart

Author: Taymarpigeon Artist: Kenzie/Dean

Author: NEG85 Artist: Flora Gois

Author: andimeantittosting Artist: Da yuk

Author: electric_dragons Artist: Ephemera

Author: LadyKnightSkye Artist: Ephemera

Author: LoversAntiquities Artist: sidewinder

Author: SomethingBlue42 Artist: Solstheim

Author: bexgowen Artist: PetraAmia

Author: abi cosmos Artist: Aggiedoll

Author: powersuitup Artist: Birdie

Author: allthismusic Artist: lotrspnfangirl

Author: followyourenergy Artist: PetraAmia

Author: WinchesterPooja Artist: _gloomyinks

Author: hisbrokenrainbowwings Artist: galakitty

Author: FollowingButterflies Artist: comfycowboy

Author: TessEtc Artist: girlinthemirrorbluenight

Author: Followsthebees Artist: wigglebox

Author: Rex _Writes & deathbysandblk Artist: Henri

Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem Artist: Solstheim

Author: fallenangelandpie Artist: PallasPerilous

Author: Fanboi214 Artist: imogenbynight

Author: seidenapfel Artist: theheartchoice

Author: Hectatess Artist: Nioell

Author: bsmith0708 Artist: certainwonder

Author: Jean Pilgrim Artist: Alexiescherryslurpy

Author: Desirae Artist: dolgoyangi

Author: thisisapaige Artist: nickelkeep

Author: prosopopeya & marbleflan Artist: Alexiescherryslurpy

Author: dothraki_shieldmaiden Artist: kingdumbass

Author: Carter Artist: Solstheim

Author: MBQ Artist: lotrspnfangirl

Author: Mittens Artist: Alexiescherryslurpy

Author: Kinetic_Passion Artist: lotrspnfangirl

Author: starlingcas Artist: sidewinder

Author: TwinOne! Artist: lotrfangirlspn

Author: Tossukka Artist: Aggiedoll

Author: PetraAmia Artist: Solstheim

#deancas pinefest #dcpf #mod post #i don't actually know for a fact that they smooch in every one of these fics but i'm pretty confident #👀

[deancasbigbang]

Title: Viva Las Vegas

Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem

Artist: Scarlett Dixon

Rating: Teen

Pairings: Dean/Cas, background Alastair/Abaddon, implied Sam/Rowena

Length: 21000

Warnings: Mentions of gambling, prison, and alcohol

Tags: 1920s AU, Getting back together, Heist, Found family, inspired by Ocean's 11, inspired by The Sting

Posting Date: October 6, 2022

Summary: The year is 1924. Prohibition is in full swing, Nevada’s gambling ban is still being enforced, but in a post-war environment, skirts are short and good cheer is abundant.  Unless your name is Dean Winchester. Eight months ago, Dean was put away for racketeering (read: illegal gambling) for working at an underground iteration of closed casino Hotel Nevada, and to make matters worse, his partner (and best friend) Cas Novak broke up with him via a letter halfway through his stint in prison. Back in Las Vegas, Dean’s looking for revenge: he knows that Alastair Cunningham, manager of Hotel Nevada, framed him, and the only solution seems to be doing a heist to rip Alastair off in return.  But there’s a bit of a problem: to make this scheme work, Dean’s going to have to enlist all his closest friends and family…and that includes Cas.

Excerpt: It was near one in the morning when the house finally cleared out, leaving only Bobby and Dean. Sam’s absence was another noticeable thing—even once he’d gotten his fancy law degree and started working, he’d still stayed with them, with Bobby predicting it was to save up until Sam had a girl to impress.  “Okay, we gotta talk,” Bobby said. In the days before Prohibition hit, he would have said this with a drink (although Dean knew Bobby had some moonshine hidden away somewhere).  “About what?” Dean sat down heavily in his chair, the dishes done once again.  “Don’t play dumb, boy. About Cas. And those kids. And your brother.” “What do you want me to say, Bobby?” Dean let out a long sigh. “Everything's down the drain. I get framed by Alastair, and then Sam’s run out of town, Cas leaves me, and Claire and Jack take up jobs they shouldn’t have to do. And there’s nothing I can do about it.” “Sam’ll come back soon, he’s tough. And Jack and Claire are growing up. In fact, Claire is grown up. You gotta let them make their own decisions, even if you don’t like ‘em.” “And Cas?”  Bobby sat down next to Dean. “I don’t think all hope is lost. I saw the way he was lookin’ at you tonight, the same way he always looks at you, like you hung the moon or something.” “Bobby, he hates me!” Dean put his chin in his hands.  “Did he say that?” “Might as well have.” “But he didn’t.” Bobby leaned back in his chair. “I think you’d be surprised, if you let yourself talk to him.” “If.” “You’ll do it soon enough, I know you.” Bobby chuckled. “You never go down without a fight. Don’t let yourself do it this time.” Maybe Bobby was right, but as Dean prepped for bed, it was hard to believe that. He’d had a different vision of how his whole homecoming would go. For starters, someone would have picked him up from the prison, or at least have been there to walk with him, and that someone would have been Cas. Everyone would have begged the night off for a real welcome-home dinner, and chances were, he’d spend the night at Cas’s (or Cas would stay at Bobby’s).  Instead, he was going to bed alone. 

DCBB 2022 Posting Schedule

#dcbb 2022 #fic preview #2022 promo #deancas #destiel

[deancasbigbang]

On Life and Living

Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem

Artist: Ray

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Dean/Castiel, brief Castiel/Mick Davies, implied Rufus/Bobby

Length: 26579

Warnings: Mentions of suicidal ideation and past suicide attempts, car crashes, alcoholism, grief, therapy

Tags: College AU, Friends-to-Lovers, Mutual Pining, Bed-Sharing, Healing, Fluff and Angst, First Kiss, First Time

Summary: On paper, Cas Milton is a disaster. Four years ago, he attempted to take his own life, and his medical record is riddled with hospital stays, therapy appointments, and prescriptions.  But you can't always trust a piece of paper--because off the record, Cas has spent the past four years trying to learn how to live the life he's been given. Now a junior in college, he's aided by his two best friends, Dean and Meg, who he met in a grief support group freshman year, and between first dates, movie nights, conversations with his therapist, and, of course, going to class, it seems like maybe he's starting to get a handle on things.  There's more to his relationship with Dean than meets the eye, though, and a trip to visit Dean's family leads to a kiss and changes everything. Will Cas finally reach out and take something for himself in life, or is he destined to never actually start living?  And will he only make the decision when it might be too late?

Link to Fic & Art

#dcbb 2021 #masterpost #2021 masterpost #deancas #destiel

[deancasbigbang]

Title: On Life and Living

Author: one_more_offbeat_anthem

Artist: Ray

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Dean/Cas, background/implied Bobby/Rufus, brief Cas/Mick

Length: 26000

Warnings: -Mentions of suicide, car accidents, alcoholism, therapy, and death

Tags: Friends to lovers, college AU, first time, love confessions, angst and fluff

Posting Date: October 11, 2021

Summary: On paper, Cas Milton is a disaster. Four years ago, he attempted to take his own life, and his medical record is riddled with hospital stays, therapy appointments, and prescriptions. But you can't always trust a piece of paper--because off the record, Cas has spent the past four years trying to learn how to live the life he's been given. Now a junior in college, he's aided by his two best friends, Dean and Meg, who he met in a grief support group freshman year, and between first dates, movie nights, conversations with his therapist, and, of course, going to class, it seems like maybe he's starting to get a handle on things. There's more to his relationship with Dean than meets the eye, though, and a trip to visit Dean's family leads to a kiss and changes everything. Will Cas finally reach out and take something for himself in life, or is he destined to never actually start living? And will he only make the decision when it might be too late?

Excerpt: “Hey Cas, wanna help me fold the socks?” Dean says from Cas’s bedroom doorway. “I’ve got all the laundry on the couch, so we prolly can’t watch TV until we fold it.”  Cas shakes his head, focused on his textbook.  “Cas.” “Huh?” “Laundry.” Cas finally looks up. “Can’t. Homework.” “Correct me if I’m wrong…” Dean walks in and leans over Cas’s shoulder, “But your paper on this book isn’t due for two weeks.”  Of course, Dean has it all in the calendar. “It’s not. I’m just trying to--” “Cas.” Dean rests his hands on Cas’s shoulders, gentle and reassuring but still firm. “The book will be here tomorrow.” “Right.” Cas swallows and slowly shuts the book. “I’ll let you choose what we watch,” Dean says. “Fine.”  Letting Cas choose benefits Dean too, though, and they embark upon season three of New Girl after the laundry’s all folded and put away (Cas’s drawer’s carefully organized, Dean’s closet one step away from being a natural disaster).  Dean isn’t even bothering to be inches away--he’s got his legs propped in Cas’s lap, completely ignoring the concept of personal space. Cas isn’t quite sure when things got like this, when this became how they spent their evenings, but it was somewhere between Dean joking, "I would say our moms would be friends, but my mom is dead," a few months into their friendship and Dean asking, "Hey, do you want to watch a movie?" two weeks after they moved in together last year. Now the anchor in Cas’s life is this certain familiarity. But there are also troublesome edges, and Cas is dead terrified of them, terrified of losing Dean, of losing himself, of shattering the good stuff that’s come his way since his life changed forever four years ago.  Dean laughs at a joke, and Cas only wants to hold on tighter. 

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