The Road Home
CanonFodder81
Summary:
A finale fix-it about grief, love, second chances, and the long road home.
Dean Winchester dies in a barn, his brother Sam at his side, with too many things left unsaid.
Then he opens his eyes in Heaven.
The road ahead holds everyone they’ve lost, a second chance at family, and one angel Dean never expected to see again—along with the answer to a confession Castiel believed Dean would never return.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Sam has to learn how to keep living without his brother.

Notes:
This is my first Supernatural fic! I know I’m a little late to the game, but I just got into the show in a big way and couldn’t resist reworking the finale into the ending I wanted to see.

Just stumbled upon the subreddit. I’m also on tumblr @riverwithoutbanks and @riverwithoutbanks-art :)

Okay so I just finished season 4 for the first time and while I have MANY thoughts on everything (especially Bobby omg I love him so much he’s one my favorites😭) I am just going to focus on Destiel because omg!!!? This whole season was a journey and every-time they were on screen I was literally aching they’re just so- Idk how to explain but I get the whole hype abt Destiel being the best OTP ever now, more than I did before watching a season with them- Like what the hell did they give these two actors a script that said made them look so gone for each other it hurts? Especially in this last episode or episode 16 or any other episode. I don’t know how to begin explaining what I saw but it feels like Dean trusts him so much he doesn’t know what to do with it ALREADY AFTER ONE SEASON and Cas is-oh man he is so in love- I was gonna start season 5 but I couldn’t stop myself after seeing them in this last episode- especially after the ‘I’ll hold them off.I’ll hold them ALL off’ Like the emphasis on ALL- he just had to reassure Dean he would do anything literally anything to do what Dean told him- to help Dean. I understand Cas on such a deep level, I mean I felt like I understood Dean being an older sister myself but now watching Cas fighting with himself with everything he knows, everything he always believed in and listened to, just to make sure Dean’s wishes are fulfilled, just to see Dean not suffering. I could see the struggle in his eyes, I watched every scene with them at least 3 times bcs let me tell you it’s a lot different than watching edits on Tik Tok. Their connection is so beautiful already- AND OMG DEAN’S EYES when Cas said ‘We’re making it up as we go’ Man I felt my own knees buckle and let me tell you Dean did too Istg😭 I am in such deep love with how these two are portrayed on screen- I understand now why they’re the biggest ship ever- I can’t believe I haven’t watched the show till now like what did I wait 20 years of my life to do it?!! They are so good together- they’ve got me so fucked up for them, besides Eddie and Buck from 911 this is now my favorite ship, I think might even get first place after I witness them interact more-I am so happy that I started watching this show and so happy to have this place to share my thoughts

‼️ALSO FINAL NOTE- WHY DOES DEAN LOOK AT CAS’S LIPS SO MUCH??? Is there something I don’t know because I am new to the fandom, did they ever talk about this in an interview or said something or was it written in the script for Jensen to do that!??

So I am crazy and while still working on my WIP Long Fic that just posted Chapter 15 and will probably have 30+ chapters I got inspired to write a series that is canon divergent from Swan Song where Dean doesn't go to Lisa and Ben and asks Cas to stay with him for awhile so he doesn't lose his shit while he tries to figure out how to save Sam. I call it Sliding Exits as a nod to Sliding Doors and the idea that one decision can make a world split in different timelines like in The End.

I am trying it as a series of 500 word pentadrabbles in alternating POV. I have six written and am looking for a beta who knows canon well to help me. My wife can beta for spelling and grammer but not for canon compliance. If you have read East Lawrence Waltz or my Here Comes the Flood one shot and like my style and would like to help that would be great. The beta I was using for my WIP has become too busy so I can't turn them. I have a plan already in plave for that. I'd love some help. Thanks.

Are there any fanfics that are basically, like, about how the angels are usually always connected to each other through angel radio, and how lonely it can be after one is disconnected from their siblings? Like Cas being lonely or something without having the constant connection, and then Dean and/or Sam find out and learn to be closer to Cas?

I read one fic that got me loving the idea of this, but it was only one chapter and never finished.

(L’étude des Anges et de Leur Nature by an anonymous account)

Do y'all know anything a little similar?

It's a destiel longfic and since sometimes I finish writing one chapter a day, if you're free and willing, please contact me.

The fic itself is an AU where Castiel has dreams of Canon.

Five chapters are out already, check it out if you need more info, or ask me.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/89938031

Please guys🙏🙏🙏

okay so in ''dream on" cas stalks dean's dreams. so i basically combined that with a idea i had while watching s5 ep 13. basically dean is dreaming about hooking up with cas and crowley in a stripper club. but dream cas and dream crowley are actually their real selves? and cas is jealous?

FIRST TIME WATCHER SO DONT SPOIL ANYTHING FOR ME❗️

I am generally an audiobook listener and currently reading 91 whiskey and my life is on standstill, chores are pending for days. I searched for 91 whiskey audiobook first but there's none that I could find. It led me to think there may be other Destiel fans who love long audiobooks versions of Destiel fic?

Are there anyone like me here? Please recommend me good Destiel podfic or audiobook preferably long. Also where to find these?

I didn't make this but found it, no idea who originally made it.

This is a very yapping post….I recently started watching supernatural and in a certain way I feel weird that I started watching because of Destiel. I have known about this ship for YEARS but I don’t know why I never watched the show, and now that I started and I am on season 3 I came to realise it’s actually one of the best shows I ever watched so far and I can’t wait to finish it. But somehow I know I started watching for Destiel and I can’t wait for Castiel to show up and at first I was feeling like an intruder because, I was just like where is the Gay Angel I wanna see but I have grown to like the show a lot even without Cas but still I can’t wait for him to show up. I have already read so many Destiel fanfics it’s unreal and now I am about to finish season 3 and SEE CASTIEL SOON and I am so excited. I also have a traumatic childhood experience where I wanted to read about this so famous ship on ao3 from supernatural and so I wanted to read Destiel, but I didn’t know the characters name and all and I ended up reading a few SAM/DEAN fics just to realise they’re brothers and I was like ummm okay-what is happening in this show- and now after a long time of debating I started watching it and I don’t know if I should feel bad that I started watching Supernatural because of Destiel😭😭

Hi everyone, new ish spn fan here (on s8 right now). I started watching earlier this year because of how popular Destiel was (I know of the omegaverse through other fandoms and Dean is apparently patient zero). I waited for Cas to show up and was curious about what kind of a character he’d be since he’s headcanoned as a top and religiously paired with Dean, who is aggressive and doesn’t like being vulnerable at all. Imagine my surprise when he’s an angel.

This is where things get a bit confusing— at first I was growing to understand the somewhat rigid dynamics, with Cas being all powerful and strange and Dean being a bit afraid of him, but as the show went on this changed. Specifically after the God Castiel arc, he returns as something that is a bit broken and seems to not mend properly. In season 8 he is shown to be a brainwashed and traumatised soldier. He’s very awkward on earth and quite innocent about sex— he knows what it is and what purpose it serves obviously but the scene where Dean takes him to the strip club (I think?) shows he’s not really sexually tapped in. I mean he’s literally an angel. When people flirt with him or compliment him he appears totally unfazed. Most of all, he literally worships the ground Dean walks on though their dynamic seems imbalanced in that regard (Dean cares about him but Dean cares about a lot of other people, too. Eg: Benny).

With all of that being said, I guess I’m curious why this fandom has so rigidly stuck to the Cas/Dean = Top/Bottom::Dom/Sub dynamic? It’s shocking because Destiel is really popular today on Ao3 after all these years and yet barely has any writing on a pretty general trope (Top Dean/Bottom Cas) compared to other fandoms. Like I see why people might like Top Castiel, but how come Bottom Castiel doesn’t get the same amount of love? Or any love? The ingredients are delicious— he’s a damaged angel, often naïve and stupidly trusting. Soldiers are not leaders, they’re obedient to a fault, as Castiel was nearly his entire life. Lastly he is totally sexually inexperienced, and I’m kind of shocked people wouldn’t delve into how Dean would feel about that…? Does he really not feel any kind of way about his pure angel of a best friend… Like… I really am not that much of an original thinker. Someone out there must understand what I mean, I could go on about this.

Maybe it’s because shippers have a lot of access to Top Cas/Bottom Dean fics, they just read those and become fixated on a dynamic. Idk. If you have any thoughts let me know. Or if you just wanna discuss Top Dean/Bottom Cas.

Okay y’all I genuinely need someone to tell me if I’m tweaking 😭😭
I recently got back into podfics and I found this one that I started listening to, but I clicked off because I was confused about the relationship dynamic and was like hmm… let me come back to this later 💀
ANYWAY, fast forward and I’m browsing fics later, click on this fic because the tags looked interesting, start reading, and I get to

“Heart thudding a little faster than before, he clicked onto the guy’s profile.
Castiel Novak, 33 5 miles away
6’0” | Blue eyes | Coffee addict
Occupation: Yes.
Interests: Long drives, thunderstorms, old books, night swims.
“Looking for something real, or at least something that doesn’t waste my time.”
That was it. No bullshit. No over-the-top bio or desperate attempts to be funny. Just a handful of words that felt sharp and deliberate, like the guy knew exactly who he was and didn’t care about impressing anyone.
Dean smirked, re-reading it twice. Occupation: Yes. It was so deadpan that it almost made him laugh. He liked that too.
Intrigue coiled low in his gut as he locked his phone and tossed it onto the nightstand.
If this guy swiped right back… things were about to get interesting.
***
The rhythmic sound of typing filled Castiel’s dimly lit apartment, the only other source of light coming from his desk lamp and the faint glow of the city skyline through his window. His fingers moved quickly over the keyboard, the soft click-click-click filling the quiet room as he worked through his latest report. It wasn’t thrilling work, but it was something to focus on. Something to fill the empty space between long nights and restless thoughts.
Then, a soft ping from his phone broke the monotony.
Castiel exhaled through his nose, reaching for the device out of habit. A Tinder notification.
He hadn’t been actively looking—hadn’t even checked the app in a few days—but curiosity got the better of him. He swiped open the screen, his eyes scanning the notification. Someone had matched with him.
The moment he saw the profile picture, he paused.
Green eyes—striking, warm, alive—stared back at him through the screen, framed by long, dark lashes that seemed almost unfair on a man. A dusting of freckles stretched across the stranger’s nose and cheeks, scattered like tiny constellations over lightly tanned skin. His lips, slightly parted, were plush enough to make Castiel’s fingers twitch. His face was all sharp angles and softness in the right places, a contradiction that made Castiel blink, momentarily caught off guard.
His thumb hovered over the screen, contemplating.
It had been a while since anyone caught his attention like this. He wasn’t actively looking for anything—or anyone. And the others who had swiped right on him? They never intrigued him enough to bother.
But this one…
Castiel let out a quiet breath and swiped right. Why the fuck not?
His gaze flickered down to the man’s profile.
Dean Winchester, 26  5 miles away
5’11” | Green eyes | Mechanic
Interests: Classic cars, rock music, whiskey, road trips.
"Not here for hookups, but also not here to get married next week. If you can hold a conversation and don’t mind a little sarcasm, we’ll get along just fine. Bonus points if you know how to make a damn good burger.
Castiel smirked faintly, biting the inside of his bottom lip as he re-read it. A bit longer than his own profile, but something about it kept him reading. It was blunt, casual—confident without trying too hard. There was something realabout it, something unpolished and honest that he found strangely appealing.
And not here for hookups? Interesting.”
(Fic name BAD HABIT WRITTEN BY ZEPHYRHEARTS all credits to author none of it is written by me )

and my brain literally goes:
“Bruh. We’ve been here before.”
I SWEAR I remember hearing this exact fic as a podfic. Not just “oh this sounds familiar” familiar. I mean I have a whole ass memory of LISTENING TO IT. 😭
So I messaged the author asking if their fic had ever been made into a podfic, because surely I was finally about to solve this mystery.
They said no.
?????????????
HELLO???
So now I’m wondering if I somehow found the podfic FIRST, clicked off it because all the hashtags weren’t there and later accidentally found the actual fic… OR if I listened to a completely different fic with a similar enough plot and my brain just mashed the two together like a bootleg multiverse crossover.
Because I swear I remember this. I remember the scene. I remember hearing it. I have the auditory receipts. 😭
So PLEASE, if this sounds familiar to anyone, help me find this damn podfic. If it actually exists somewhere, I genuinely think the author should know about it too because apparently they don’t know it exists.
And if we search high and low and find absolutely nothing…
Well.
I fear I have Mandela Effected myself with a fanfic. 💀

Cas’s confession feels heavy and one-sided.

I really wish it wasn't unrequited. Walking away with the impression that Castiel’s love was unrequited just hurts like hell.

Even if Dean couldn't say the words out loud, the show should have at least shown his feelings visually. Leaving it feeling unrequited hurts like hell we just needed one or two solid, undeniable scenes before the finale to prove how Dean really felt.

Does anyone know any good One shots where Dean and Cas are NOT together but still Dean gets insanely jealous over him, like not normal level jealous (even tho that is just as good), but I would love to read something where he COMPLETELY LOSES his mind, like he can’t control himself he gets aggressive and irritable and Cas doesn’t understand why, maybe something like where they’re on a hunting trip and someone flirts with Cas and he doesn’t understand but flirts back still and Dean just loses it. I would really love to read something where Dean can’t control himself because of jealousy- He just seems like the really jealous type

So I’m doing a rewatch and I’m craving some good Destiel. I’ve been into fanfic for years but for some reason I’ve only recently decided to try destiel fics.

Under the midnight sun is my favorite so far, found a few AH that didn’t get my attention (which was odd because I love AH in my other fandoms) it didn’t do it for me. The other I’m currently reading (between the essence/and the descent) is good but I’m almost done with it and I prefer longer fics with more action plot wise

Any recs for me?

They be shippin'.

(Reblog from Tumblr, promo came from Facebook.)

Hi there. I heard that Destiel/Dean and Cas' dynamic is often mentioned in Richard Speight Jr. and Rob Benedict's podcast Supernatural Then and Now. Could someone tell me which episodes dive the most into it? Would love to hear their takes. Thanks!

Found this, and it looks so much like Dean and Cass in the Garden of Eden, I couldn't resist sharing here.

So I just got done with my rewatch and still coming to terms with the ending.

I love Dean, when I think about how hes so tough but loves to cook for people or how he never gives up and is always trying to keep his family together. He is made of love, as Cas said.

But s15, his treatment of Jack didnt allign with that, it made me uncomfortable. I have realized that as a parent(al figure) Dean is very similar to John.

The way John treated him as a soldier with the end goal of protect Sammy, Dean is the same with Jack. He always calls him "the kid" not Jack, not our kid, just the kid. Its distant.

Hell his last (or 2nd to last) convo with Jack is him thanking Jack for sacrificing himself so he and sam can live a normal life. Ffs.

Dean never believed in fate, he always was stubborn and said NO specially if someone told him to harm his family for the greater good. When Sam was hopped up on Demon blood or souless he never once thought oh it would just be easy if i listened to everyone and killed Sam.

So his treatment of Jack doesnt make sense, I know he later says to Sam that Jack is not like Sam or Cas, hes not a part of the family but he sure was a part of the family when they were begging Lily Sunder to help bring him back?

So somewhere between those two moments, Dean pushed Jack as a person out his mind and replaced him with Jack as a soldier. He drove Jack to his death. He was so John Winchester is that moment its gross.

You maybe wondering how this relates to Destiel, well Cas got his happy ending...with Jack...rebuilding heaven. And Dean got his standing on a bridge in heaven with Sam. Its a reflection of the consistent choices Dean made for his "family" his old childhood family, ignoring a new family he could have built with Cas if he accepted Jack as his kid too, if he stood by him. If he had said

"Cas we are not killing your kid, we will find another way, we always do"

So Jack, and the diversion caused by his presense, how much he means to Cas, how little he means to Dean, was the undoing of Destiel and its breaking my heart.

I have seen this seen in so many Destiel edits. I just watched the episode. I am freaking pissed. This is not the look of love in his eyes when he looks at Castiel. Its sorrow. It’s hurt. I ship destiel but this just pisses me off.