[Things will get rough, because they must get rougher to get better; Dean doesn't exactly believe this, but he believes in the sense of it. He believes why people say it: it's a way to get them through, to tell themselves it's all worth it. The truth is that sometimes it isn't worth it.

But sometimes it is. Dean's slow smile bursts back to full wattage at Stiles' words, not the least because finally there's another person that can appreciate that statement. Felix never really gets it when Dean geeks out over anything that is now commonplace for him, because he didn't grow up with Star Trek; now the hunter grins because effing Starfleet is awesome, almost as awesome as the man Stiles is unknowingly referring to now.]

God, right? I'll see if I can get him to take a few minutes off from helping run the goddamn Enterprise to talk. You'll love him. Entire repertoire of eyerolls. [Felix was around here somewhere, he knows, but he knows how the Barge works; Dean will get to talk to him at will, but his end of the connection may already have cut for the day.

And that just leaves Sam. The hunter wrinkles his nose.] "Each other?" I'm the big brother here. I do the taking care, he does the research and stays the hell outta the way.

[Dean missed him so much, like a lung or an arm, and now he razzes on him with the kind of assumed, profound fondness that only family that is also one another's best friend can claim. That doesn't mean he doesn't have room for other friends, though:] I meant it. You'll figure it out. Okay? If I had to be tied to someone, I'd be okay with it being you.