"Come here. Go to sleep."
Joe opens his arms to his little brother who then leans against him and closes his eyes. The two boys cuddle in silence, unaware that both Sam and Dean are watching them in their rear-view mirrors.
They don't say a word. They just keep watching, losing themselves in the familiar moment and feeling.
Dean smiles to himself. He can't recall exactly how many times he's done the same for Sam when they were kids. How many times, on this very backseat, he held his little brother in his arms to keep him warm and safe while he slept. Stroked his hair to comfort and relax him. He can still hear Sam's little sigh of relief when he would sink into his arms and hide his face in Dean's shirt.
Being a big brother can be the best damn job in the world. He could almost cry.
God, sometimes he wishes it could still be that easy to get Sammy to sleep. He wishes they could still both fit in the backseat and sleep through the night, Sam against him, protected from this world of nightmares. Just for a few hours.
Sam can't keep his eyes off the two young brothers. He watches little Ryan and feels like watching a younger version on himself. He certainly knows how good it feels to be embraced by the warmth and the comforting arms of his big brother. He can still hear Dean's teenage voice whispering to him, "There. Go to sleep now, Sammy."
He felt so safe. So loved. He knew nightmares would be kept at bay. Because when Dean held him this tight, everything was better.
Sam smiles faintly. He wonders if the two boys will grow up like them. Unhealthily codependent and loving each other too damn much.
Maybe. Maybe not.
For now, they're just kids. A protective teenager holding his sleeping little brother against him. In the backseat of the Impala, where they used to do the same.
Sam gazes at Dean, pretty sure he saw them too in his own mirror.
Sensing Sam's stare on him, Dean looks back at him, still smiling.
They keep looking and smiling at each other for a few seconds. In silence.
Then, just like that, Dean's eyes go back to the road.
The moment is gone.
But Sam didn't miss what his big brother's eyes were silently telling him.
"Yeah, I remember too.
And yeah... I love you too."