Negative Space
twoskeletons | PG-13 | Spoilers: Up to 8.03 | No warnings | Gen
It's only when Dean has his blade to another monster's throat, asking that one question over and over, that Benny sees the untold parts of the story come to light.

I love fics that offer an outsider POV on Dean and Cas, and Benny's insight on their relationship here is spot-on. The ( Read more... )

Spell Speaker
sistabro | PG | Spoilers: Up to 7.23 | No warnings
There are things more dangerous than teeth and claws in Purgatory.

This is a wonderfully eerie, atmospheric snippet of the year in Purgatory, and I love the unspoken trust between Dean and Cas that's evident here. This work is actually one of a larger collection of Purgatory ficlets by the same ( Read more... )

Stay
wallmakerrelict | PG-13 | Spoilers: Contains character spoilers for S8 | No warnings

I can't actually say too much about this fic without spoiling people who don't want to be spoiled for next season, but it does a great job of drawing on the finale and what we know of S8 so far to create a believable idea of what might happen in Purgatory. It's also very well- ( Read more... )

Where Your Love Begins
misachan | R | Spoilers: S4 | Warnings: implied Dean/Alastair, graphic depictions of torture, dubcon, attempted non-con, Stockholm Syndrome | Dark!fic
There are much sharper weapons than knives.

Do heed the warnings: this fic is creepy and disturbing and deliciously effed-up, but so compellingly written that I couldn't take my eyes away ( Read more... )

Nightshift
fossarian | PG-13 | Spoilers: Up to 7.23 | No warnings
Dean comes back from Purgatory. Castiel is... getting there.

A powerfully realistic take on how Dean and Cas might struggle adjusting to suddenly finding themselves back in the real world. The feeling of dissonance throughout this is beautifully done; both are profoundly disturbed in their own ( Read more... )

earth begins (sadness not yet intended)
murron | R | Spoilers: Up to 7.17 | Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, torture, gore, mind games | Pre-slash
Cas didn't need to sleep but he hadn't known that for a while.

A delightfully dark and creepy exploration of just exactly what happened to Castiel during his time on the psychiatric ward. The D/C is ( Read more... )

More Than One Drop
yellow_pomelo | PG-13 | Spoilers: S5 | No warnings | Pre-slash
The shower is a good place for deep thought. The only place better is in the rain, standing over two dead bodies.

This is a subtle-yet-powerful fic that provides some lovely exploration of Dean's issues and perception of himself, in particular how he struggles to come to terms with ( Read more... )

Let's just pretend it's still Thursday, shall we? ;)

Not Like Your Gun
fossarian | R | Spoilers: S6 | No warnings given
Castiel crash-lands to earth and finds that problems are the same everywhere.

One of my favourite things about reading fanfiction is when a piece manages to show a character from an angle I hadn't considered before, and that's exactly what ( Read more... )

Respite
proxydialogue | G | Spoilers: S7 | No warnings | Fluff, hurt/comfort
Castiel has brought them here because he knows that Dean is tired.

This fic caught my eye because of its originality; I can honestly say I'm not sure I've ever read anything quite like it. The writing has this almost lyrical quality which lends itself really well to the trippy ( Read more... )

Travelers from Unspoken Lands
fossarian| G | No spoilers | No warnings
Dean has nightmares. Castiel does not.

A lovely snapshot of the in-between times that also provides some wonderful character insight. I love fics where Castiel helps Dean to deal with his nightmares, and the slightly dysfunctional nature of their relationship as it's portrayed here really ( Read more... )