Note: I'm Canadian and this particular holiday really doesn't mean a thing to me, but it means something to the Winchester Brothers, so I wrote a fic. Enjoy!

"This is stupid."

"No, it's not."

"Yeah it is, we have more important things we could be doing."

"There are always more important things to be doing, that doesn't mean we can't take a break every now and again. You're the one who taught me that."

"Ha! And since when did you start listening to me?"

"Since right now."

Dean rolled his eyes at his little brother's cheeky smile.

The two boys were seated on the hood of a classic car – one that Dean would have considered half-decent if its presence didn't remind him that the Impala was still out of commission - in the middle of a field, waiting for fireworks. Sam had assured the older hunter that they were facing the proper direction to see the firework show that would be going on at the park, which was located on the opposite side of the tree line they were currently staring at.

"This is stupid." He muttered for what must have been the fifth time.

"Shut-up and eat your damn burger." Sam ordered.

"Eat your own burger." Dean replied petulantly.

His little brother rolled his eyes, releasing an exasperated sigh as he shook his head, long hair swinging back and forth in front of his face.

Dean knew that he was being an ass, but the entire situation was just moronic.

They had better things to do.

There were monsters to be hunted, cases to be solved, and an Impala to be repaired. But instead of doing their jobs, the two hunters were just sitting and waiting for some lame light show. Dean glanced over to his right at Sam, his mood brightening momentarily at the lanky, shaggy-headed young man; that all changed at the sight of the still-healing scratches and slowly fading bruises on the kid's face, and the dark smudges beneath his eyes, as well as Sam's overall posture that screamed absolute defeat. Dean grimaced at the sight. He hadn't been paying as much attention to his little brother as he normally did, with everything that had been going on - especially the all-consuming last words of his father that had been dominating Dean's mind - he had failed to notice the exhausted state of his kid.

Things had been heavy the last several weeks. Dean had felt like he was being suffocated by the misery and Sam must have to, ever since Dad... Well anyways, the boys deserved a breather. And Sam was right, Dean had been the one was always harassing him to make time between jobs for fun. It figured that the brat wouldn't bother to learn that lesson until having fun was pretty much the last damn thing the older boy wanted to do. But Sam deserved a break, and he seemed pretty excited for the fireworks, so Dean would try not to be entirely miserable. Honestly, he'd mostly agreed to join his brother on this particular escapade because when Sam showed up in the shop that evening Dean had been bracing himself for the therapy-session from hell, and when all his little brother wanted was to update him on the new parts coming for the Impala and ask him to come to fireworks, Dean had been so relieved he'd agreed on the spot. He knew Sam was itching to talk, and though the kid had given Dean his face thus far, he knew eventually his little brother would force the issue.

Because Sam loved a good chick-flick session. But Dean was going to avoid any conversation having to do with their father at all costs. And thankfully he knew that Sam wouldn't tarnish the firework display by trying to rip all the ugly emotions out from where they were buried inside Dean by way of his gullet.

He hoped.

He took another large bite of his burger and watched as Sam's hazel eyes scanned the sky, while he eagerly awaited what was to come.

"You know you have seen fireworks before, right?" Dean joked, not understanding exactly what had the kid so pumped.

"Yeah, I know, but it's been awhile." He replied.

"They happen every year." Dean pointed out, trying not to sound as cynical as he was tempted to.

"I know." Sam stated simply.

They sat in silence, the younger man's gaze never wavering from the sky as Dean finished his meal, his mind turning all the while.

"Didn't you see them last year?" He questioned.

Sam shook his head to indicate the negative.

"Seriously? They didn't have fireworks at Stanford?"

"They had them."

Dean didn't often bring up the time his brother spent at school, knowing it was a bit of a sore spot for both boys. But he always listened when Sam would speak about things that had happened while he was off living the college-life, eager to learn about what the kid had been up to during those years, but never wanting to pry.

Except for now, apparently.

"So, you never went to see any? Not once while you were there?"

"No." Sam answered easily.

"No way, I don't believe it. There must have been parties with fireworks and free booze and hot girls every July 4th."

"There were. I just never went to any."

"Never, not one?" Dean asked.

Sure, Sam could be a total buzz kill, but Dean knew how the kid loved this particular holiday and he couldn't imagine that he wouldn't bother celebrating it when the opportunity was so nicely presented.

"Not one."

Dean frowned at the new information. Sam was practically giddy to see the fireworks that were supposed to be appearing tonight, and yet he hadn't bothered to put in the effort to see them once over the past few years.

Dean didn't get it.

"Jess tried to drag me once." Sam confessed softly.

Dean perked up at that. His brother rarely spoke of Jessica, and even though now he was able to mention her without tearing up, it was still a sensitive wound that had yet to fully-heal. Eventually, it would heal enough that it would stop seeping – Dean hoped - but he knew the scar left behind would be ever-lasting.

"Yeah?" He encouraged, wondering if there was more to the story.

"Yeah." Sam sighed, his stare distant as he seemed to lose himself in his memories.

"Why didn't you go?" Dean inquired, treading carefully – Sam hadn't pushed him about Dad yet, it would hardly be fair for Dean to push his little brother.

The younger boy shrugged, ducking his head in that shy, childish way that always took Dean back about a decade to when Sammy had been a little shrimp.

"I bet you were too busy doing the homework you got from all those summer courses you took." He guessed, knowing from the smirk on his little brother's face that he was at least partially correct.

"Yeah, I took summer courses." Sam admitted.

"Dork." Dean chuckled, glad that he still knew his kid as well as he always thought he had.

"And I had homework, but that's not why I never went to the parties or the fireworks or any of that stuff."

"Well than why?" Dean wondered in genuine curiosity.

Sam shrugged, looking away, refusing to meet the questioning green stare.

"You just weren't in the mood? Did the 4th of July always come during your time of the month Samantha?" The older boy joked, a sly grin on his face.

Sam rolled his eyes, like Dean knew he would, but still neglected to offer a response.

"Oh, come on man! You dragged me all the way out here and made me sit and stare into the dark for the past hour, the least you can do is tell me why you didn't go see fireworks while you were at school." Dean declared.

It may have seemed like a pretty insignificant matter, but he didn't like not knowing things about his little brother – even the simple things, because often they could be the most important.

Sam released a put-upon sigh before finally glancing Dean's way, his face an embarrassed shade of red as he spoke.

"It was our holiday, you know? It just didn't feel right celebrating it without you."

Dean didn't know what answer he had been expecting, but that sure as hell was not it.

He found his throat closing up as he fought to keep emotions from overwhelming him. He looked aimlessly around the field as he struggled to gain some self-control.

This kid.

This damn kid.

How did he do that?

How did he always have the ability to make the hunter's heart clench with one simple statement?

How did he always manage to pull Dean's emotions to the surface so easily, even after the elder Winchester had spent the past several weeks burying them deep inside himself.

He casually cleared his throat before speaking.

"Well you could have celebrated it. It would have been okay with me." He assured.

"I know." Sam shrugged. "But it wouldn't have been the same."

"But dude, it's like your favourite holiday." Dean pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's not because of the parties, or even because of the fireworks."

Dean glanced at Sam, his eyebrows raised. What was he talking about? The little dork loved fireworks. His brother met his gaze, trapping his attention with those soulful puppy dog eyes before speaking.

"It's always been my favourite holiday because it's our holiday, Dean. Every year we always spent the day together, finding something fun to do. It's always been my favourite holiday because you always made it special. And without you around it just... it didn't mean as much. It didn't mean anything really. It just made me miss you" Sam confessed, his voice oozing sincerity as he focused on the man at his side.

The older boy had always marvelled at his kid brother's ability to wear his heart on his sleeve and let his feelings just poor out.

Dean had never been able to do that.

He wasn't able to tell Sam that he had tried his best to avoid every 4th of July that they spent apart, and that if he wasn't able to forget about the day, he would find a hunt to throw himself into as a distraction, or find a bar where he could drown out the memories playing on a loop in his head.

Dean wasn't able to tell his kid that every year on this particular holiday, he had missed him like crazy. That he hadn't been unable to spend the day with anyone else, because they weren't his little brother. That he hadn't celebrated the 4th of July without him. Not once.

He wasn't able to tell Sam the fact that he missed his big brother every year on this holiday just as much as Dean had missed him, meant everything to the older boy.

He wasn't able to tell Sam all that, all the thoughts in his head and feelings in his heart, because he wasn't like Sam.

He didn't have his kind of strength.

"Missed you too, Sammy." He declared gruffly, patting his brother's bony knee and not failing to notice the warm smile that spread across the young man's face or the fact that he didn't bother correcting the nickname.

Dean's simple comment didn't seem to be enough, but it was all he could trust myself to manage without totally cracking up, and it seemed to be all that his little brother needed to hear. Dean pulled his gaze away from the watery hazel orbs that were trying to suck him even deeper into the chick-flick moment they had created.

"You sure we're in the right spot?" He asked, looking to the sky and sending the lanky man next to him a curious glance.

"Yup." Sam rasped, clearing his throat as he discretely rubbed his eyes.

"Whatever you say, college boy." Dean quipped, smirking at the exasperated huff that came from his little brother.

They sat for a few more moments in comfortable silence, and just as Dean was about to triple check that his brother was sure they were in the proper location, there was an explosion of both light and sound. Dean watched as the night sky was lit with a multitude of colours, one barely having time to fade away before another took its place. Fireworks were just as captivating as Dean had remembered, but they weren't the sight that he recalled most clearly about their past 4th of July celebrations.

Dean looked to his right, seeing the younger man's face glowing brighter than the sky.

That was the sight he remembered most clearly.

Dean leaned back against the windshield and observed the gleeful state of his little brother.

Sam had always been enamoured by fireworks, from the first time he saw them he had always stared in amazement, as though the explosions of colour were some inexplicable form of magic. A look of awe never failed to dawn on the kid's face every 4th of July. And for one brief moment of the year, Sam would be filled with a childish sense of wonder and excitement. For that one moment he wasn't weighed down by expectations, fears, or worries. For that one brief moment he would look like the care-free, joyful, young boy Dean had always wanted him to be.

And that was why 4th of July had always been Dean's favourite holiday.

He let his body relax as he enjoyed the moment. Sure, their problems hadn't faded away as swiftly as the sparks falling from the sky, but in that exact moment, life was good.

His little brother was safe and happy and by his side.

Sammy and him were a team again.

And even though they may had officially become orphans, they were not alone.

They still had each other.

And that was all either of them had ever needed in order to make it through.