[h3] Dean [/h3]

Dean looked down at Esme expectantly, but not pushy as he let her collect her thoughts. He had worked on his patience, a lot. He didn’t feel the need to hold her so close to his chest anymore. They had made long strides in the past month, and he was happy about that. He couldn’t help the scoff that left his chest when she said ‘he shows back up as if nothing happened’.

“Yeah, he tends to do that. I probably should have included that in the warning label.” Dean muttered, placing his hands on his hips as he grappled with the idea of a mopey Duke all night. Maybe he could get him drunk, hook him up with some random girl, and he would be better. Duke’s problem wasn’t anything other than Dean not being exactly ready to clean his boots for him, just because he stepped back into the house. Dean was tired. He was tired of worrying about one of a very small group of people he couldn’t cut out of his life if he tried.

“He’s upset because he thinks I’m not happy to see him. He does this every other time he leaves. You don’t have to fix him, Esme. He’s a big boy. But if you will lose sleep at night, which I feel like you will…go talk to him.” Dean sighed, shaking his head, “Just…never mind. Go. If anything, it will put him in a better mood when we go out.”

As Esme kissed his cheek, he leaned into her briefly, before dropping his hand and rolling his eyes. He needed a shower, and he needed to prepare himself for Duke’s first night back…

[h3] Duke [/h3]
Duke was already most of the way to the RV when Esme’s voice called his name. He frowned, but didn’t turn around at first, until she was close enough that he knew he couldn’t ignore her. He closed his eyes tightly, huffing through his nose. Of course she followed him. Of course the trouble was going to start up again and he had just walked through the door.

“Esme…” Duke warned, but as he turned to look at her, her blue eyes took him off guard and he shut his mouth, sighing as he placed his hands on his hips and scuffed his boot on the gravel below him. When she began to apologize, he shook his head, though he was lying through his teeth.

“You didn’t upset me. I’m not upset. I just…”, he started, only to press his lips together again. It’s not like he could lie to her. She could obviously read every expression on his face and he wasn’t good at hiding any of them, anyway. Poker wasn’t his game for a reason. Duke simply nodded at her words, but tilted his head when she cut herself off, genuinely curious what she was going to say. But it didn’t take long for her to say something that completely crushed him.

‘I don’t quite know how to talk to you now.’

Duke shuddered, and frowned, a sad chuckle breaking from his chest as he looked down at the ground and tightened his grip on his bag, “I’m the same person I was when I left. Little banged up. A little more muscle, but it’s still me. I don’t…”

He shook his head, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he sighed, “This is about me leavin’ after I said I wasn’t, isn’t it? I don’t even know where to start explainin’ that in a way that won’t get me in a world of trouble. But I…I’m sorry? I didn’t know it would mean so much to you.”

Duke realized that he had just rambled to this girl. No flirtations. No winks or flashing the blue eyes. Just rambled and he instantly regretted it. So he sighed, unable to stop the frustrated growl that left his throat as he shook his head, stepping back from her a few steps.

“But hey. Dean warned ya…right?”