Hey! Checking in with the angst division. You know me, so these are mostly (not all, but mostly!) of the troubled-boy-meets-troubled-boy-and-the-two-of-them-make-good-together variety. I know I have more relevant recs in my bookmarks, but I'll have to look through them later when I'm not juggling my laptop and lunch-making. Happy reading!

Coffeeshops & Prescription Drugs (http://archiveofourown.org/works/760445/chapters/1422837) by castielanderson (WIP) - "Dean Winchester is a drifter, living out of the back of his car and struggling with addiction. Castiel Milton has just been released from the hospital, and is having trouble adjusting back to his old, lonely life. When Dean gets a job writing for a newspaper in Chicago under the pseudonym, D.J. Smith, Castiel becomes one of his biggest fans - and even more once they finally meet. But it’s not that simple. The relationship they build is formed on false assumptions and insecurities, their own self-destructive behaviors threatening to tear them apart."

Free To Be You And Me (http://archiveofourown.org/works/682649/chapters/1252443) by Mishaoverlord (WIP) - "Coffee Shop!AU and University!AU rolled into one. Castiel Novak is the introverted English Literature major at the University of Kansas. Dean Winchester is the elusive cool guy who happens to work in Castiel's favourite coffee shop. This is how they meet, and this is how Anna and Crowley play cupid."

Lying in the Embers (http://archiveofourown.org/works/765827) by Scarlett_Rogue - "Dean quit hunting two years ago and opened a small coffee shop called The Roadhouse, with every intention of living a normal life. That is, until a man stumbles into his shop, injured and broken, with nowhere else to go. Dean wants to believe he's just a normal dude, but the evidence is stacking up against him."
(This is a sweet little short thing if you can accept the idea of Dean giving up hunting and starting a coffee shop.)

The Jagged Edge (http://archiveofourown.org/works/718212) by geckoholic - "Alternative Reality, non-supernatural. After a dishonorable discharge from the military, Casey Milton starts a new life as a coffee-shop owner in a small town in rural California. He quickly develops a crush on Dean, photography teacher at the local High School and one of his regulars. A few pictures of the shop for a leaflet kick off an avalanche when Dean's jealous and controlling boyfriend interprets an affair into them."
(I read this a looong time ago and can't remember what it was like, but it's still in my bookmarks, so it must be good!)

you're the closest to heaven that i'll ever be (http://archiveofourown.org/works/547101/chapters/973979) by mamageek - "Undergrad Dean Winchester is feeling pretty comfortable with his life. He's in his last semester of college, is starting to fill out grad school applications, and has a comfortable enough job at the campus coffee shop. He's not looking to date anyone, but when an eccentric guy in a trenchcoat comes into the shop during Dean's shift one day, he suddenly finds himself oddly distracted."
(Same with this one.)

of inverted crosses (http://archiveofourown.org/works/646767/chapters/1175318) by thatchickinthecathat - "Starbucks goes on strike and Dean needs caffeine. There’s a little cafe nearby. Pastel-goth!Castiel, office-worker!Dean."
(I read this purely for the novelty and hilarity of Castiel as a pastel goth.)

See No Evil (http://archiveofourown.org/works/339788/chapters/549890) by Susangel & zeppx - "Human AU, Dean's life is about as normal as can be, he has his job and his brother and is perfectly happy. Then Cas, a blind pianist, enters his life and everything gets turned upside down."
(This last one isn't technically a coffee shop AU, but I had to rec this because they meet in a coffee shop, and this is a really good story.)

You are awesome. *o* /adds shit to my bookmarks

(By the way, dude. Dude. Dude. I found a fic where... Dean is Iron Man and Cas is Pepper. (http://between-hours.livejournal.com/1173.html) Have fun.)

Oh my god. Ohhhhhhh my god. YOU FOUND ONE.
/cackles at the morning sun and dances around naked to AC/DC while wearing Iron Man mask

Thank you so much. I am going to read this later today.

BTW, "Free To Be You And Me" is no longer a WIP. =)

Oh my gosh, it updated! Hooray! Thanks for the heads up. I'd go and edit the comment, but apparently I'm not allowed to edit Livejournal comments after a while.

If you are the author, please allow me to hugtackle you violently. I absolutely love this story. Actually, even if you aren't the author, please allow me to hugtackle you violently anyway. I'm in a hugtackling mood today.

Unfortunately I am not the author. I'd just finished reading it when I went looking through these recs. But I will gladly accept your hugtackle anyway. =)

Title: White Winter Hymnal (http://newbluefic.livejournal.com/4775.html)
Author: newbluemoon
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 23,205
Summary: AU. Writer!Dean walks into a café late at night on Christmas Eve, looking for inspiration for his next novel. Instead he finds librarian!Cas.

Thank you very much! I've read that one before, but I'm glad you reminded me of it! /goes to reread it

I looked through my bookmarks and this is the only coffeeshop AU that turned up, which is weird, but I'll keep posting comments here when I find more!

An Exercise In "Worthless" (http://archiveofourown.org/works/535676) by beastofthesky - ""I mean, you’re–” He gestures at Cas, in his neat oxford shirt and nice pants. “–and I’m a high school dropout who tattoos for a living.”
Wherein Dean makes a hefty living as a tattoo artist who owns the space next to Gabriel's cafe. Sam attends the local university. When Gabe's cousin comes to live with him while starting grad school at Sam's university, Dean thinks for sure that all his negative karma's coming to bite him in the ass because Cas clearly has a thing for Sam. No one would ever choose him over Sam. That's just logic."

Wow! That story was awesome! Thanks for suggesting it!

It really is, isn't it? I read it in one sitting, basked in feels for an entire afternoon, and now I'm reading it slowly again to savour the feeling. I'm glad you enjoyed it too!

If you're interested, the author wrote a few more ficlets (http://basiacat.tumblr.com/AEiWficlets) set in this verse! :)

That's one great story. The author wrote a few more ficlets (http://basiacat.tumblr.com/AEiWficlets) set in this 'verse, if you're interested.

I know! I read them all (in addition to the main fic) in one sitting, and then spent the rest of the evening feeling like I ate an entire box of cookies by myself. /sobs