Winter Holiday Fics

My fic sweet spots for this trope: wholesomeness. I go fuckin nuts over towns giving out free hot chocolate during a tree lighting ceremony. Banner artwork above by the glorious @midnightsilver​. To find their other brilliant snowglobed SPN characters, click here.
For epubs of rec'd fanfic from livejournal or dreamwidth, here
Last updated 1/1/2022. Let's get started! 🤗
Category: Gen
Spirit of Winter's Chill by Jedi Sapphire (AO3). Rated G, genfic, 8k words. Summary: Sam and Dean are hunting Jack Frost. There's one important piece of information they don't have.
ao3.org/works/5342843
my thoughts: This fic is less about Christmas and more about the legend of Jack Frost, the Queen of Winter, and how the power of brotherly love triumphs. It's such a fantastic, wholesome casefic. And yay hypothermic!Sam. And amnesiac!Dean! I can never get enough of hypothermic Sam. A parallel amnesia case fic is The Teind on All Hallows' Eve (by the same author) to this one features fae/fairies and it's equally awesome!

Sammyverse: 8 Nights of Jessakkuh by shangrilada (LJ). Rated PG-13, Sam/Jessica as well as hardgen Sam & Dean, 15k. Summary: Jessakkuh (it's a pun!) is an 8-part fic posted over Hanukkah 2011. It's a Sammyverse story in which Jess is Jewish and Dean comes to Stanford to spend Hanukkah with her and Sam. They get snowed in. Sam has a cold and Jess has a secret.
shangrilada.livejournal.com/15450.html
my thoughts: For reference, for the entire Sammyverse masterpost is shangrilada.livejournal.com/7345.html. I can't tell you how much I love this author's friggin epic series of cuddly asthmatic!Sam and Dean. The cuddles are equally adorable with Jess in the mix, and the three of them being all loving and supportive. Awww. Warning tho: perhaps to overcompensate for what a softie he is especially when it comes to Sammy, Dean says ‘fuck' every other word and it's hilarious.

Winchester Christmas by Sam_Eller. PG-13, Gen, 11k words. Summary: Sam and Dean struggle through another difficult holiday, both trying to make the other happy in every way they are able.
ao3.org/works/21968959
my thoughts: Lovely soft & pure hurt/comfort for Sam & Dean as kids. Fever+chill cuddles & forehead kissies yesssssss.

Category: Unrelated Sam/Dean
A Monster By Any Other Name: Part Two by Brosedshield, LaviniaLavender (AO3). Rated NC-17, unrelated Dean/Sam, 389k words. Summary: Sam was prepared for anything Dean wanted him to do – except become a real.
ao3.org/works/205344
my thoughts: This fic is included in my top favorite all-time fics ever and in that list I describe why I love the whole series/story, but now let's talk about its one Christmas chapter: OH MY GOD CHAPTER 25!!!! OH MY GOD!!! lol. Every Christmas I give this chapter a read. It genuinely impresses upon you the goodness and lovely intent of our society's yuletide festivities. I fall in love with Christmas with Sam every time I read this chapter.

Category: Sam/Dean
It's the True Meaning of Christmas Sam Winchester by dimeliora (AO3). Rated NC-17, Sam/Dean, 8k words. Summary: What are the holidays without curses and family?
ao3.org/works/686634
my thoughts: This is the one where Sam and Dean get stuck inside a snowglobe and the lovely crackling fireplace will only work if they share the bed. I can't get over how hilarious and adorable this fic was. Genuinely entertaining and full of the type of tongue-in-cheek self-awareness from fic authors that I love. I gotta credit @midnightsilver for recommending this fic to me. Hit the nail on the head, I loved it!!!

leonidaslion's Bright Lights of Disturbia (AO3). Rated NC-17, Dean/Sam, 373k words. Summary: Not all of our scars are worn on the outside...
ao3.org/works/181007
my thoughts: This is kinda one of the older and more famous epics that exists in the wincest camp. It has its own fanlore page, even! I won't equivocate: this fic was difficult to read, it's in my wincest noncon rec list. There was a lot of Dean whump then a lot of strange+dysfunctional developments like Dean's mind+body withering away under Sam's lust (really bad unequal power dynamics). Starting around chapter 49 though, after a long time apart, it's around Christmas that Sam+Dean reconcile. It was the kind of functional sweetness I generally love in my fic, and the town's holiday festivities served as a heart-warming backdrop to it. I don't intend to reread this entire story, but every Christmas I read starting around chapter 49 😊

Category: J2
Operation: Mistletoe by dimpleforyourthoughts. Rated NC-17, Jensen/Jared, 40k words. Summary: FBI Agent Jensen Ackles is a damn good agent, but his devil-may-care attitude, gut instinct, and sheer dumb luck have finally run out. With his job and reputation on the line, Jensen is assigned to a new partner: the overzealous and overachieving Agent Jared Padalecki. Their mission: Infiltrate a ring of drug dealers hiding out in Suburbia in the midst of the Holiday season.The only catch? They have to pretend to be head-over-heels in love with each other.
ao3.org/works/5553827
my thoughts: Okay, I actually adore Law Enforcement AUs, whether it's Sam+Dean or Jensen+Jared, just the mystery and thrill of solving crimes together with some actual authority & resources, having a network of coworkers to banter with, etc. is just kind of an amazing atmosphere to get lost in. Also dimpleforyourthoughts is a fantastic author that brings their stories to life so well. This fic is also in my undercover couple fic reclist and my mundane fic reclist