[h2]Esme[/h2]
Esme had placed the safety on her gun as she stood there. With her hands as shaky as they were, she knew she could easily set off her gun. She didn’t want to shoot herself in the foot or Duke accidentally. As she breathed, the images worked their way back in, and she could hear her mother’s screaming her mother’s desperate cries to her father for both of them to run. She could see her father fighting to save her mother before the Hellhound came for her. As the memory played out, she vaguely heard Duke speak and step up to her. Esme flinched when wrapped his arms around her, pulling her out of the memory, but she didn’t pull away like she normally would have since it wasn’t Dean comforting her. When he pulled her to his chest, and she felt his hand massaging the back of her head, she rested her forehead on his shoulder, as tears rolled down her cheeks. At his words, Esme wrapped her arms around Duke. “Thank you.” she whispered. As they hugged, she could hear Dean’s words ringing in her ears. She could now see why he gave her his warning about Duke.

With how sweet and friendly Duke was, it would be hard not to get attached to him. And even though they didn’t know each other well, he was easy to talk to. She knew she should be careful with how much she shared with him, but it was just so easy. She also knew that it wasn't like herself to spill things she kept locked up and accept a hug from someone she hardly knew. Even if Duke was labeled as a bolter, she couldn't deny the connection she felt. But she wouldn’t say she was attached yet. As Duke hugged her, she could feel her shaking subsiding and her emotions calming. After a moment, Esme sniffled and sighed softly. “Look at us trauma bonding.” she said with a light laugh. If her forehead weren't pressed to Duke's shoulder, Esme would have shaken it. She always laughed at the idea of trauma bonding, thinking it was a load of crap, yet here it was happening to her. Which she never would have guessed would happen to her. Sniffling again, her thoughts went to Dean and how she had invited him to join them out here. She thought about his reaction to seeing her and Duke hugging and what words would be said, especially after his warning before she came out. 

Would he even believe them after they told him that Duke was comforting her after talking about a traumatic event in her life, or would he think Duke was up to something else? There was really no telling for her. She was still trying to figure out how Dean’s mind worked and process his emotions, especially when she had difficulty getting him to open up to her about things. Esme debated whether or not to say something about it, just to lighten the air after such a depressing conversation. She then decided to go with it. “You know? After everything in the kitchen, Dean will probably have a cow if he sees us like this.” she laughed lightly.