Ritchie had no idea what he had done to get himself into Dean's good graces, but there was something strangely sweet about the dragon's protective streak coming out already. Oh, how I wish you could he thought silently to himself, sure that he didn't want to try to explain his situation to him. Instead, he forced on a smile to cover the darker truth, and simply said, "You do seem like the sort of guy I'd want on my side in a fight."
He sipped at his cocktail, and the smile started to be less forced as Dean kept talking. "Oh, that's all it means. Just that you make me laugh, that I'm having fun," he explained gently.
This station seemed like it might be alright after all.