WARNING: Direct spoilers for 11x04 "Baby".

Author's Note: This is a super tiny story exploring an important moment from 11x04 "Baby", because I simply HAD to talk about it. ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.

"G'night, jerk."

Two words.

Two unimpressive words pushed together to form the most simplistic kind of a sentence imaginable.

It's just two little words.

Then again, it's not the words themselves that matter. It's the way that Sam hesitates ever-so-slightly when he says them; the fact that, despite his smile, his tone carries an underlying nervousness because he hasn't said that last word in a long time. At least not in a context like this one, and definitely not meaning it the way he does in this moment.

Dean is caught off guard and can't help but to pause before responding. He isn't surprised by what Sam has just said, but by why he said it.

Dean can see in Sam's eyes the subtle flash of an awareness of other things the younger man has said in recent years. Words that were shaped into sentences so striking that they did just that- struck Dean straight to his core. But the words Sam said just now were different, and better, and meant to bandage holes those other statements may have left behind.

It startles Dean to realize that Sam hasn't figured out those wounds are long gone already; they were healed by actions that spoke louder than any words ever could. Still, he isn't about to argue because he's done enough of that to have inflicted verbal damage of his own.

Instead, Dean looks away before turning back with a smirk firmly in place. And when he meets his little brother's hopeful gaze, he confidently replies with another set of two little words.

"G'night, bitch."

Secondary Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please do leave feedback if you can. It's always wonderful. ;)