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Angsty SPN recs
So I take it whoever did the bigbang scheduling decided Friday was for angst? And since that was the theme, I decided to add another non-bigbang story that fit the theme to this rec set as well.
To help those readers who want to know exactly how many boxes of tissues they might need to have handy when reading these stories, I actually rated them on an angst scale from 1 to 10. (It's not my fault some of these stories are off the scale!)
Between miles and a stone's throw by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif)
arlad (Jared/Jensen). Angst level: 4. A long J2 epic, with shifting POVs, tracing Jensen's slow breakup with Danneel at the beginning of season 5 to Jared and Jensen finally getting together long after the show ends, with lots of complications along the way. Roughly the first half of the story is Jensen's POV, then it shifts to Jared's. I'm not sure if I liked that or not; I think I wanted to see more of Jensen's internal transformation, though I actually liked the Jared sections better, especially the part about his indie film. During the time they're apart he falls for a paramedic who's so well-drawn I actually was rooting for him and Jared to end up together at one point.
Going to California by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rustyryan and sevenarchangels. (Gen) Angst level: about 5. Dean thinks they're going to California for a case, but Sam wants to go to Palo Alto for a completely different reason. A painful but well-told tale of Dean's response to learning about Sam's college plans. I wanted a little more emotional closure in the ending, but otherwise I enjoyed this.
The Ghost of Somebody by His Side byrunedgirl. (Sam/Dean) This is Wincest with the angstometer cranked up to 11. Sam is 18 and has a semi-accidental sexual encounter with his brother; Dean's response convinces him that he has committed an unforgiveable sin, so he runs away to Stanford. Dean, in the meantime, blames himself for molesting his brother. Dean and Sam actually have somewhat realistic responses to the incest in this story, which makes the emotional heart of it rather gripping, albeit angsty. Strangely enough, though, the other people who find out about what happened (e.g. Jess, Bobby, and Sam's college therapist) are bizarrely supportive of Sam and Dean's relationship. I enjoyed it quite a bit while reading it, but thinking back on it those other character responses seem damned odd to me.
To the Waters and the Wild byroxymissrose. (Sam/Dean, angst level 100. Yes, 100 on a 10 point scale, and there is a character death. Be warned). If this story doesn't make you cry, you have a heart made of stone. It's an AU set 3 years after Dean went to hell. Sam never forgets that his brother is in hell, but he's founded his own Crime Scene Cleaning company, and he's living his life as best he can without Dean, despite the repeated blandishments of an amazing cast of demons, demigods and other mythological beings constantly trying to persuade him to live up to his destiny. But finally an African trickster makes him an offer he can't refuse: a way to get Dean out of hell. But the path back from hell is far, far harder than it looks and may require sacrifices Sam isn't willing to make. Despite all the angst and heartbreak, this is a really beautiful story, with terrific original characters and a really unique take on Dean's stay in hell.
Learning to Breathe byjassy3399. Angst level: 4. Dean rejects Sam's advances when Sam is 15, because he's terrified his own desires have fucked Sam up on a profound level. Sam, though, is devastated by the rejection and runs away to become a master thief. (A really kickass, competent master thief who I could read another whole series about, because DAYUM). Seven years later visions start to draw Sam closer to his family, but the emotional scars run deep on both sides. I loved this a LOT (especially Sam Master Thief, as you might have gathered), though I thought the ending was a little abrupt and left a lot of issues unresolved. Still, I put this story last because it's definitely the least angsty, and most fun, of this whole set of recs, in case you needed a palate cleanser.
To help those readers who want to know exactly how many boxes of tissues they might need to have handy when reading these stories, I actually rated them on an angst scale from 1 to 10. (It's not my fault some of these stories are off the scale!)
Between miles and a stone's throw by
arlad (Jared/Jensen). Angst level: 4. A long J2 epic, with shifting POVs, tracing Jensen's slow breakup with Danneel at the beginning of season 5 to Jared and Jensen finally getting together long after the show ends, with lots of complications along the way. Roughly the first half of the story is Jensen's POV, then it shifts to Jared's. I'm not sure if I liked that or not; I think I wanted to see more of Jensen's internal transformation, though I actually liked the Jared sections better, especially the part about his indie film. During the time they're apart he falls for a paramedic who's so well-drawn I actually was rooting for him and Jared to end up together at one point.Going to California by
rustyryan and sevenarchangels. (Gen) Angst level: about 5. Dean thinks they're going to California for a case, but Sam wants to go to Palo Alto for a completely different reason. A painful but well-told tale of Dean's response to learning about Sam's college plans. I wanted a little more emotional closure in the ending, but otherwise I enjoyed this.The Ghost of Somebody by His Side by
runedgirl. (Sam/Dean) This is Wincest with the angstometer cranked up to 11. Sam is 18 and has a semi-accidental sexual encounter with his brother; Dean's response convinces him that he has committed an unforgiveable sin, so he runs away to Stanford. Dean, in the meantime, blames himself for molesting his brother. Dean and Sam actually have somewhat realistic responses to the incest in this story, which makes the emotional heart of it rather gripping, albeit angsty. Strangely enough, though, the other people who find out about what happened (e.g. Jess, Bobby, and Sam's college therapist) are bizarrely supportive of Sam and Dean's relationship. I enjoyed it quite a bit while reading it, but thinking back on it those other character responses seem damned odd to me.To the Waters and the Wild by
roxymissrose. (Sam/Dean, angst level 100. Yes, 100 on a 10 point scale, and there is a character death. Be warned). If this story doesn't make you cry, you have a heart made of stone. It's an AU set 3 years after Dean went to hell. Sam never forgets that his brother is in hell, but he's founded his own Crime Scene Cleaning company, and he's living his life as best he can without Dean, despite the repeated blandishments of an amazing cast of demons, demigods and other mythological beings constantly trying to persuade him to live up to his destiny. But finally an African trickster makes him an offer he can't refuse: a way to get Dean out of hell. But the path back from hell is far, far harder than it looks and may require sacrifices Sam isn't willing to make. Despite all the angst and heartbreak, this is a really beautiful story, with terrific original characters and a really unique take on Dean's stay in hell.Learning to Breathe by
jassy3399. Angst level: 4. Dean rejects Sam's advances when Sam is 15, because he's terrified his own desires have fucked Sam up on a profound level. Sam, though, is devastated by the rejection and runs away to become a master thief. (A really kickass, competent master thief who I could read another whole series about, because DAYUM). Seven years later visions start to draw Sam closer to his family, but the emotional scars run deep on both sides. I loved this a LOT (especially Sam Master Thief, as you might have gathered), though I thought the ending was a little abrupt and left a lot of issues unresolved. Still, I put this story last because it's definitely the least angsty, and most fun, of this whole set of recs, in case you needed a palate cleanser.