The more he understands how his brother works, the less Sam realises he knows.

Dean, for all of his easy smiles and smart mouth, is an enigma; revealing himself only in glimpses, small moments unmasked. When his tongue slips, some abandoned dream might find its voice; as hell approaches, hidden fears can be buried no more. Desires unfulfilled, buried and hidden, only break the surface when the supernatural peels his layers away.

Each piece of his brother is a small treasure, Sam finds, and as Dean’s last year draws nearer to its terrible finish, he comes to value every one.