Author's Note: This is a drabble I wrote a while ago for fun, and just rediscovered on my computer. I figured it was about time I posted it. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.

Strangers who meet Dean Winchester see a free-spirited rebel with nothing to lose and no interest in gain. They see a hooligan. A scoundrel. A drifter. A bad boy. They see a façade.

Those who know Dean for a while see an ingenious leader with a knack for surviving the impossible and rallying people to pursue brave causes. A man who brings out the best in his allies and the worst in his foes. A hero. A savior. A guide through the nightmare they've been thrown into. They see what he does, and nothing more.

Sam Winchester looks at Dean and sees unmatched courage in the face of unimaginable woe. He sees the constant beacon of security he can always return to when his own ventures become too much. A guardian. A healer. A terrible comedian.

A man who would give everything for nothing, and anything for family. The brother who raised him and who stands by him through it all.

Sam sees who Dean Winchester is.

Strangers who meet Sam Winchester see a kind young man with quite a story to tell, yet one that will never really be told. They see the wisdom is his too-old eyes and they recognize the compassion in his soul. They see someone who will understand them.

Those who know Sam for a while can see he is not actually hiding his story at all. His eyes, if one looks long enough, tell it all. His pain, his anger, his fears, his dreams. His gaze is like an open book and onlookers can easily see the message Sam projects. But they just don't understand it.

Dean Winchester looks at his brother and sees that he wants to be understood. He is the boy who has craved normalcy and belongingness since his earliest years.

The good person who fears the darkness he can sometimes feel inside himself and begs with his eyes for someone to tell him they know his secret and trust in him despite it all.

Dean sees the man he trusts above all others.

Secondary Author's Note: Thanks for reading! I really appreciate feedback, so I would love if you would leave your thoughts in a review. :)