Always I want to be with you and make believe with you and live in harmony harmony, oh love.
I recently made a friend who told me she was interested in reading fic but did not know how to get started. Upon inquiring, she informed me that her pairing of choice would be Sassy. Because I genuinely believe that if you go to the end of a rainbow, you will find Sam and Castiel riding a unicorn together with daisies in their hair, I decided to use this as an excuse to make my next reclist Sasstastic.
I tried to focus on H/C fics, as that is what the friend above-mentioned said she was into, but there is also a pretty good helping of crack. Because, well. You know. Sassy reasons.
That said, I am a pretty casual reader of this pairing, so if there is a fic or fanart you think of as a classic of the pairing or essential to any fan, or if you know of a writer who consistently puts out great Sassy, please drop a comment!!
FANFIC
After the End by ratherastory (Sam/Castiel, NC-17, 4,850 words)
Summary: Castiel knew Dean was sending him to die, knew he was being used as bait, but he was tired, watching Dean be so cold and tired and broken left Castiel feeling just so tired and he didn't care. He was pretty sure he welcomed death by then. He didn't expect to walk out of there, but he did. Limping, maybe, bleeding certainly, but he did. He also didn't expect to live long enough to see God return to Earth and deal with his wayward child, to see Lucifer finally defeated and for peace to return to the Earth. But, yeah, he did and Castiel finds himself there for the event and for the aftermath when Sam Winchester, once his friend, wakes up from his long, sleeping nightmare, addicted to demon blood and begging for Cas to tell him that Dean isn't dead, even if he's sure he remembers seeing him die while he watched, helpless, from behind his eyes. Castiel doesn't want the burden of caring for Sam, of watching over him while he comes down and withdraws from demon blood and screams and cries, but he has it. And maybe sometimes he just yells at Sam because how can this not be his fault and how can he have not found the strength to have stopped Lucifer from killing Dean and maybe he just wants to walk out while Sam is feverish and sweating in the little burned out wreck that they've made their home.
But Sam is still his friend and Castiel has never had that many good, true friends.
Why I rec: I just recently rewatched The End for Croatoan Day and was less interested in 2014!Cas than I usually am. I wish I'd read this fic just a few days earlier, because this has made me completely reconsider the "oh haha, Cas is a hippie" spin on that Cas and really consider how fucking tragic it is that that character has become what he has in that verse. The Castiel voice in this story is what really captured me as a reader, but it also features a surprisingly strong and inspiring post-Lucifer!Sam, and I love that these two were able to come together to begin to heal each other. Lovely-dare I say hopeful?-look at this bleak AU the show gave.
Alas, FML by laulan (Sam/Castiel, PG-13, 3,338 words)
Summary: Essentially, Castiel tries to woo Sam with outdated modes of courtship.
Why I rec: When Sassy first exploded onto the scene, I was really excited. I'd kind of always thought it should be a thing and was confused as to why it wasn't. But then it suddenly was a thing and it was…really weird, actually. I think the pairing has evolved to be a little more serious business as it's become more established, and I'm glad, because I think there's a lot of rich, interesting interaction to think through. But I will always have a fondness in my heart for the month when Sam/Castiel was just rainbows and unicorns and general insanity, and this story is one of the ones that so perfectly captured that moment.
Better to Light a Candle by laurificus (Sam/Castiel, PG, ~2,500 words)
Summary: Outside isn't something Cas particularly likes yet. Too overwhelming, too many things he can't control, too much that might be a threat when he's powerless to protect himself. Only reason he's not in the safety of the bunker is that he needs the light, wants to see the sky. Now, though, he looks at Sam, interest in his eyes.
Why I rec: This is just a really sweet, fast little read. I love the quiet, unassuming nature of the stories produced by the spnspringfling, and this story show perfectly why this is a pairing where the characters really can just *be good for each other*. Also, honestly? My favorite thing in Sassy fic is Castiel being really overcome by how much more Sam is than he was made to expect and Sam not really believing that he can be more than an abomination in Cas's eyes. Those are just things I really like, okay!?!?
Christmas Dreams by lies-unfurl (Sam/Castiel, PG-13, 17,500 words)
Summary: Ever since coming back human from Purgatory, Castiel has been in a depressive fugue. Sam takes it upon himself to cheer him up, but his plans get somewhat sidetracked when he, Dean, and Castiel are sent on a hunt for Bigfoot.
Why I rec: This was not the Christmas schmoop I was expecting!! But I was really super taken with Sam in this fic and his incredible thoughtfulness and generosity. Castiel was a sad little bug pretty much throughout, but Sam wanting so bad to find creative ways to show him that being a human isn't so bad was really goddamn sweet, both as a marker of what a great friend Sam is and as their relationship evolved into romance. I love what finally does it and how it shakes out. This story just genuinely left me feeling satisfied.
Bonus!: Look how fucking precious this art pro-kira did for this story is. *___*
Comment Fic by wanttobeatree (Sam/Castiel, PG, ~1,000 words)
Summary: Castiel attempts to win oversized stuffed animals at a county fair in order to win Sam's heart.
Why I rec: This fic is so absurd and Sam's headspace is so hilariously both aware of the weirdness and casually accustomed to it that it is endlessly charming.
Flowers Don't Grow Here by portraitofafool (Sam/Castiel, PG-13, ~3,000 words)
Summary: Sam is buckling under the mental strain of dealing with the trauma he experienced in Hell. Castiel does what he can to help.
Why I rec: This fic is so painful and quietly heartbreaking. A truly beautiful and subdued exploration of Sam's Hell baggage (which I love to see explored in fic, especially in Sassy fic, since Castiel's easy fix in canon has always left me a little let down) and what happens when there really is no happy ending except to love and be loved and let that be enough while it can. I won't lie, this story left me both wanting to cry and with a hopeful, watery smile at the same time. Really powerful for such a short story.
I'd marry your cat just to get in the family by wanttobeatree (Sam/Castiel, PG-13, 1,225 words)
Summary: Dean gives Castiel all his lame pick-up lines and Castiel keeps trying to use them on Sam.
Why I rec: Another one of the cracky fics playing on Castiel's confusion re: human social interaction that I am so, so fond of. This one has one line in particular that makes me crack up every time, because it is so very Castiel that I can hear him saying it to Sam in an attempt to woo him so clearly. I think I've read it 1,000 times it's still funny.
Out Where the Shivers Won't Find You by discreetmath (Sam/Castiel, NC-17, 16,000 words)
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. AU after 5x22.
Why I rec: Nothing makes me happier when I am reading fics in a theme for one of these rec lists and I discover a new favorite. This is my new favorite Sassy fic, bar none, it is perfect. The idea is great-I confess I have a weakness for post-5x22 fics that veer off canon and explore different ways that could have gone, because I just think that moment is so ripe with possibility and canon only showed us one way things may have gone, not the way (if that makes any sense). It carries the trauma Sam experiences in Hell out in a way that is realistic and emotionally compelling as well as a great bonding experience for the characters. The relationship drives everything here and by the time I reached the ending, I felt not just happy with it but like the Boys all had a happiness that was genuine and earned (which is hard to pull off, lbr, it's hard to believe anyone can come out on the other side of Supernatural happy). Cannot recommend enough!
Bonus!: This story has GORGEOUS ART by the ever talented angelicfoodcake that fits the story perfectly in addition to being generally pleasing to look at.
Please, Please Me by Cassandra-leeds (Sam/Castiel, NC-17, 7,500 words)
Summary: Set AU-ishly somewhere in Season 4 (no demon blood addictions, Jimmy is gone). Castiel's vessel has started to develop basic needs. His libido seems to think it's a fifteen year old's. Sam helps him control it.
Why I rec: Sometimes, a PWP will come along that is so blazingly hot and so true to the characters that it can make something that is usually not a turn on ridiculously hot and perfect for the situation the fic has created. That is this story 100%. I'm not usually one for orgasm denial, but, whoa. The dynamic created between Sam and Cas is actually really on point and SO HOT.
Bonus!: I listened to the podfic of this by the lovely eosrose. I highly recommend it! Not only is her reading wonderful as always, but this is also, erm…a story you might want to have your hands free for. ;)
FANART
A Tree Swinging by sagetan (Sam/Castiel, PG-13)
Summary: Sam is turning into a tree. Castiel is concerned.
Why I rec: sagetan does really cool, often creepy art, and I love love love how striking this art is. Sam's hand and Castiel's unflinching want for the touch despite it is really touching to me.
Bonus!: This artist does a lot of really fantastic Sassy art, which you can find in her Sassy tag. Another personal favorite of mine is this one, done for the prompt, "Cas makes Sam a sandwich because from what he learnt from the internet that's how one shows affection to a male". I laughed for five minutes when I read that prompt, and another five when I saw the art
I Have Stood Here Once Before by artstiel (Sam/Castiel, PG for art)
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.
Why I rec: This art is so gorgeous. I love the setting, the bold lines and colors. It's the kind of art set that stays with you forever.
What a Beautiful Sassy You Are by ordinaryink (Sam/Castiel, G)
Summary: "Sassy is the pea green boat of SPN fandom, sailing serenely between the warships in the sea of slash."
Why I rec: As a child, I was obsessed with The Owl and the Pussycat (my sister and I were pretty sure there was nothing as funny as "oh pussy, oh pussy, my beautiful pussy, what a beautiful pussy you are" because we were pretty much the worst children). It is no secret that ordinaryink did some of my favorite art in this fandom. So this piece is too precious for this world. ♥
FANVIDS
Fudge You by Deirdre_c (Sam/Castiel, implied past or unrequited Sam/Dean)
Summary: Is Sam going to be Castiel's girl?
Why I rec: No one does crack vids like Dei does crack vids. I die laughing every time I watch this.
Are You Gonna Be My? by mwmheps (Sam/Castiel)
Summary: Is Sam going to be Castiel's girl?
I tried to focus on H/C fics, as that is what the friend above-mentioned said she was into, but there is also a pretty good helping of crack. Because, well. You know. Sassy reasons.
That said, I am a pretty casual reader of this pairing, so if there is a fic or fanart you think of as a classic of the pairing or essential to any fan, or if you know of a writer who consistently puts out great Sassy, please drop a comment!!
FANFIC
After the End by ratherastory (Sam/Castiel, NC-17, 4,850 words)
Summary: Castiel knew Dean was sending him to die, knew he was being used as bait, but he was tired, watching Dean be so cold and tired and broken left Castiel feeling just so tired and he didn't care. He was pretty sure he welcomed death by then. He didn't expect to walk out of there, but he did. Limping, maybe, bleeding certainly, but he did. He also didn't expect to live long enough to see God return to Earth and deal with his wayward child, to see Lucifer finally defeated and for peace to return to the Earth. But, yeah, he did and Castiel finds himself there for the event and for the aftermath when Sam Winchester, once his friend, wakes up from his long, sleeping nightmare, addicted to demon blood and begging for Cas to tell him that Dean isn't dead, even if he's sure he remembers seeing him die while he watched, helpless, from behind his eyes. Castiel doesn't want the burden of caring for Sam, of watching over him while he comes down and withdraws from demon blood and screams and cries, but he has it. And maybe sometimes he just yells at Sam because how can this not be his fault and how can he have not found the strength to have stopped Lucifer from killing Dean and maybe he just wants to walk out while Sam is feverish and sweating in the little burned out wreck that they've made their home.
But Sam is still his friend and Castiel has never had that many good, true friends.
Why I rec: I just recently rewatched The End for Croatoan Day and was less interested in 2014!Cas than I usually am. I wish I'd read this fic just a few days earlier, because this has made me completely reconsider the "oh haha, Cas is a hippie" spin on that Cas and really consider how fucking tragic it is that that character has become what he has in that verse. The Castiel voice in this story is what really captured me as a reader, but it also features a surprisingly strong and inspiring post-Lucifer!Sam, and I love that these two were able to come together to begin to heal each other. Lovely-dare I say hopeful?-look at this bleak AU the show gave.
Alas, FML by laulan (Sam/Castiel, PG-13, 3,338 words)
Summary: Essentially, Castiel tries to woo Sam with outdated modes of courtship.
Why I rec: When Sassy first exploded onto the scene, I was really excited. I'd kind of always thought it should be a thing and was confused as to why it wasn't. But then it suddenly was a thing and it was…really weird, actually. I think the pairing has evolved to be a little more serious business as it's become more established, and I'm glad, because I think there's a lot of rich, interesting interaction to think through. But I will always have a fondness in my heart for the month when Sam/Castiel was just rainbows and unicorns and general insanity, and this story is one of the ones that so perfectly captured that moment.
Better to Light a Candle by laurificus (Sam/Castiel, PG, ~2,500 words)
Summary: Outside isn't something Cas particularly likes yet. Too overwhelming, too many things he can't control, too much that might be a threat when he's powerless to protect himself. Only reason he's not in the safety of the bunker is that he needs the light, wants to see the sky. Now, though, he looks at Sam, interest in his eyes.
Why I rec: This is just a really sweet, fast little read. I love the quiet, unassuming nature of the stories produced by the spnspringfling, and this story show perfectly why this is a pairing where the characters really can just *be good for each other*. Also, honestly? My favorite thing in Sassy fic is Castiel being really overcome by how much more Sam is than he was made to expect and Sam not really believing that he can be more than an abomination in Cas's eyes. Those are just things I really like, okay!?!?
Christmas Dreams by lies-unfurl (Sam/Castiel, PG-13, 17,500 words)
Summary: Ever since coming back human from Purgatory, Castiel has been in a depressive fugue. Sam takes it upon himself to cheer him up, but his plans get somewhat sidetracked when he, Dean, and Castiel are sent on a hunt for Bigfoot.
Why I rec: This was not the Christmas schmoop I was expecting!! But I was really super taken with Sam in this fic and his incredible thoughtfulness and generosity. Castiel was a sad little bug pretty much throughout, but Sam wanting so bad to find creative ways to show him that being a human isn't so bad was really goddamn sweet, both as a marker of what a great friend Sam is and as their relationship evolved into romance. I love what finally does it and how it shakes out. This story just genuinely left me feeling satisfied.
Bonus!: Look how fucking precious this art pro-kira did for this story is. *___*
Comment Fic by wanttobeatree (Sam/Castiel, PG, ~1,000 words)
Summary: Castiel attempts to win oversized stuffed animals at a county fair in order to win Sam's heart.
Why I rec: This fic is so absurd and Sam's headspace is so hilariously both aware of the weirdness and casually accustomed to it that it is endlessly charming.
Flowers Don't Grow Here by portraitofafool (Sam/Castiel, PG-13, ~3,000 words)
Summary: Sam is buckling under the mental strain of dealing with the trauma he experienced in Hell. Castiel does what he can to help.
Why I rec: This fic is so painful and quietly heartbreaking. A truly beautiful and subdued exploration of Sam's Hell baggage (which I love to see explored in fic, especially in Sassy fic, since Castiel's easy fix in canon has always left me a little let down) and what happens when there really is no happy ending except to love and be loved and let that be enough while it can. I won't lie, this story left me both wanting to cry and with a hopeful, watery smile at the same time. Really powerful for such a short story.
I'd marry your cat just to get in the family by wanttobeatree (Sam/Castiel, PG-13, 1,225 words)
Summary: Dean gives Castiel all his lame pick-up lines and Castiel keeps trying to use them on Sam.
Why I rec: Another one of the cracky fics playing on Castiel's confusion re: human social interaction that I am so, so fond of. This one has one line in particular that makes me crack up every time, because it is so very Castiel that I can hear him saying it to Sam in an attempt to woo him so clearly. I think I've read it 1,000 times it's still funny.
Out Where the Shivers Won't Find You by discreetmath (Sam/Castiel, NC-17, 16,000 words)
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. AU after 5x22.
Why I rec: Nothing makes me happier when I am reading fics in a theme for one of these rec lists and I discover a new favorite. This is my new favorite Sassy fic, bar none, it is perfect. The idea is great-I confess I have a weakness for post-5x22 fics that veer off canon and explore different ways that could have gone, because I just think that moment is so ripe with possibility and canon only showed us one way things may have gone, not the way (if that makes any sense). It carries the trauma Sam experiences in Hell out in a way that is realistic and emotionally compelling as well as a great bonding experience for the characters. The relationship drives everything here and by the time I reached the ending, I felt not just happy with it but like the Boys all had a happiness that was genuine and earned (which is hard to pull off, lbr, it's hard to believe anyone can come out on the other side of Supernatural happy). Cannot recommend enough!
Bonus!: This story has GORGEOUS ART by the ever talented angelicfoodcake that fits the story perfectly in addition to being generally pleasing to look at.
Please, Please Me by Cassandra-leeds (Sam/Castiel, NC-17, 7,500 words)
Summary: Set AU-ishly somewhere in Season 4 (no demon blood addictions, Jimmy is gone). Castiel's vessel has started to develop basic needs. His libido seems to think it's a fifteen year old's. Sam helps him control it.
Why I rec: Sometimes, a PWP will come along that is so blazingly hot and so true to the characters that it can make something that is usually not a turn on ridiculously hot and perfect for the situation the fic has created. That is this story 100%. I'm not usually one for orgasm denial, but, whoa. The dynamic created between Sam and Cas is actually really on point and SO HOT.
Bonus!: I listened to the podfic of this by the lovely eosrose. I highly recommend it! Not only is her reading wonderful as always, but this is also, erm…a story you might want to have your hands free for. ;)
FANART
A Tree Swinging by sagetan (Sam/Castiel, PG-13)
Summary: Sam is turning into a tree. Castiel is concerned.
Why I rec: sagetan does really cool, often creepy art, and I love love love how striking this art is. Sam's hand and Castiel's unflinching want for the touch despite it is really touching to me.
Bonus!: This artist does a lot of really fantastic Sassy art, which you can find in her Sassy tag. Another personal favorite of mine is this one, done for the prompt, "Cas makes Sam a sandwich because from what he learnt from the internet that's how one shows affection to a male". I laughed for five minutes when I read that prompt, and another five when I saw the art
I Have Stood Here Once Before by artstiel (Sam/Castiel, PG for art)
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.
Why I rec: This art is so gorgeous. I love the setting, the bold lines and colors. It's the kind of art set that stays with you forever.
What a Beautiful Sassy You Are by ordinaryink (Sam/Castiel, G)
Summary: "Sassy is the pea green boat of SPN fandom, sailing serenely between the warships in the sea of slash."
Why I rec: As a child, I was obsessed with The Owl and the Pussycat (my sister and I were pretty sure there was nothing as funny as "oh pussy, oh pussy, my beautiful pussy, what a beautiful pussy you are" because we were pretty much the worst children). It is no secret that ordinaryink did some of my favorite art in this fandom. So this piece is too precious for this world. ♥
FANVIDS
Fudge You by Deirdre_c (Sam/Castiel, implied past or unrequited Sam/Dean)
Summary: Is Sam going to be Castiel's girl?
Why I rec: No one does crack vids like Dei does crack vids. I die laughing every time I watch this.
Are You Gonna Be My? by mwmheps (Sam/Castiel)
Summary: Is Sam going to be Castiel's girl?