As Esme grabbed his hand and brought it down, holding it against her chest, Dean opened his eyes a bit wider with worry. He watched her face, keeping his eyes on hers as she opened her eyes and looked at him, her words causing him to sigh. Of course something had gone wrong with Duke. Dean tightened his own grip on her hand and he was tempted to bring the other one up to stroke her hair, or something that would help relax her. She seemed genuinely upset, tired and she was pale.

Dean couldn’t help the narrowing of his eyes as she continued to speak, rummaging around in his head to find a reason that either Esme or Duke would be frustrated enough to cause this sort of damage. Sure, she was aggravated at him and sure Duke was irritated at them for not welcoming him home with hugs and celebration. But it wasn’t quite so deep, or at least Dean didn’t think so.

And then Duke lied? That wasn’t all that much of a surprise, but it had affected Esme in an obviously negative way. And from the sounds of what had happened afterward, there was something about Duke that made Esme a sponge for his feelings, and possibly made him a sponge for hers. The thought of there being some sort of psychic weird connection between them caused Dean’s stomach to cramp with anxiety, but he pushed it down and covered that with a sigh as much as he could. He didn’t need Esme feeling any of his worry, on top of all this that she was already dealing with.

“Okay. So…maybe Duke just feels a little different when he has emotions. I mean, the kid’s not exactly an open book. He carries a lot of his emotions internally until he explodes. Even when he explodes, he just runs off to handle it. He doesn’t let people in. Maybe…maybe with your channeling stuff, he did it on accident.” Dean explained, trying to rationalize it all to himself. He scanned over Esme’s face and sighed once again, “Maybe he’s a little more hurt than we gave him credit for…or-or maybe something happened while he’s gone. It might not even have anything to do with you, is what I’m saying.”

Dean brushed his thumb over the back of Esme’s hand, and he leaned over on the bed, bringing himself rather close to her face, so he could talk a bit lower, “You wanna talk about the conversation? What was said that would have made things so tense between you guys?”

Esme took in Dean, sighing and squeezing her hand as she started to speak about how talking to Duke didn’t go well. She could also feel how his emotions changed as she continued speaking, but they were nothing compared to what she had already felt before entering the room. Esme could feel him trying to push them down, especially when she brought up channeling Duke’s frustration, making her half regret bringing it up, but Dean needed to hear it all. She didn’t want to keep any of this from him. However, she did wish he could understand what it felt like and why it affected her so much. When she was done and Dean began talking, she turned her head to look at him. Wishing she could believe everything that was falling off his lips, everything he was trying to rationalize to himself, but she couldn’t. Yes, Duke’s emotions were strong, just like Dean, but she felt like there was something else to them. Dean’s words about it might not even have anything to do with her rang in her mind, and it caused her to sigh, knowing that it was, and she shook her head when he was done.

She watched him lean over on the bed, bringing his face close to hers, and asked her if she wanted to talk about what was said. Honestly, she didn’t want to talk about it, but she knew Dean would worry about it if she didn’t talk about at least a little of it. She sighed heavily through her nose and focused on Dean’s face. “He told me he wasn't upset about us giving him a warm greeting. That was a lie, but I understand why he’d lie about that.” she told Dean. “But the lie that slapped me in the face was him telling me his leaving had nothing to do with me, but it did, Dean.” Esme turned her gaze from him and back to the ceiling. “The moment I went out to talk to him, he felt off. Like it bothered him that I stopped him to talk, and then it got worse as we got into the part about him leaving.” She sighed heavily again, suddenly feeling like a child running to a parent and complaining about another kid hurting their feelings. But now that she had started, she felt like she had to give a few more details to Dean.

“Then, when I headed back to the door and told him to forget everything, he followed me and stopped me. After seeing I was frustrated, he tried to smooth things over by telling me he wanted to be friends and talk things out later. That made my head spin. I’m part of the reason he left, but he wants to be friends.” She purposely left out the part of Duke saying he couldn’t explain things to her without making himself look horrible, not knowing how Dean would take it or react to it. “But whatever. I don’t want to think about it anymore. I just want to get rid of the lingering frustration and start feeling better.” she said softly. Esme turned her gaze back to Dean’s face, looking into his eyes. “And I don’t want you worrying anymore about how pale I must be.” She gave him a tired smile and lovingly squeezed his hand as she brought it up and kissed it.

Dean listened intently, half expecting that Duke might have lashed out at Esme. But it seemed that he was relatively calm, even if his internal emotions were a mess around her. When she said that she could feel Duke lying about not leaving ‘because’ of her, Dean frowned, and he glanced away from her face for a few seconds as she turned her gaze up to the ceiling. Duke was quick to try and not impose himself on people, or to let THEM get attached to HIM, but Duke normally didn’t just run because he had a nice moment with someone. He didn’t seem particularly upset when Dean had walked away from him the night that he left. He seemed chill…almost too calm.

As she continued, Dean turned his eyes back to her face. He could see how upset she seemed about the whole situation. Duke wasn’t the lying type, unless he was trying to protect someone. He was actually pretty brutally honest most of the time. He could hurt your feelings with a smile, and mean every word of it, only to apologize later. He and Dean were alike in that fact.

Her eyes coming back to his as she said she didn’t want to think about it anymore caused Dean to smile softly, softening his expression to watch her eyes, “Alright. Well…”

Dean paused, as Esme, like always, turned her worry to his mental state. He scoffed, and relaxed his arm, just letting her kiss his hand. He sighed, keeping the smile on his lips, “Alright. I won’t worry about how pale you look if you don’t worry about any of this stuff. Duke runs off. He does it for a million different reasons and I’m pretty sure that even if it has a tiny…little bit to do with you, it’s not all because of you. Something got into his head.”

He paused, and pressed his lips tightly together, before leaning down and kissing Esme’s forehead. He had an idea, “How about this…You catch your breath, and you get comfortable. I’ll go get you some of that chocolate you like so much, and after a little rest, I’ll take you out tonight. How does that sound?”

A little bit later

Dean stepped into the kitchen, bag of goods in hand, and Duke was sitting at the kitchen table. Dean raised his eyebrow as Duke toyed with the top of a beer bottle, and seemed a little spaced out.

“You good Bub?” Dean asked, not an ounce of frustration in his voice. He was just checking on his baby brother’s mental state. Duke didn’t speak for a moment, and then he turned and gave Dean the fakest smile he had ever seen.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“You sure? I mean, you’ve been pouting since you got back, and after talking to Esme, I’m still confused, man.” Dean checked on him further, while unpacking the grocery bag. Duke glanced up and held out a hand, as if Dean should have been able to read his mind.

“How am I supposed to be around you guys, if she doesn’t want to be my friend?” Duke asked, and it was then that Dean could tell Duke was a little tipsy…in the afternoon. It was odd and a little extreme that Duke would be so upset about all of this. Esme being a little agitated and not wanting to open herself up to Duke because he lied was something that would blow over eventually. Even Dean knew that. “And I can’t talk to her about it…she doesn’t even want to talk to me.”

“That’s not true. You just hurt her feelings, is all. Man, I can’t make her talk to you. I wouldn’t, even if I could. Whatever reason you had for leaving…she can read you like a book. You left because of her.” Dean told him plainly, and Duke raised his eyes up, slightly drunk blue eyes searching Dean’s face for clarification. So, Dean continued, “You need to tell her the truth.”

“No no no. The truth is a world of trouble. You wouldn’t understand.”

“You like her a lot.” Dean admitted, and Duke scoffed, but Dean continued. “You got attached to her pretty quick, because you guys talked and it scared you. God forbid you let yourself feel anything, man. If you tell her, she’ll get it. Esme’s good like that. She’ll get it.”

“And if it’s more complicated than that?” Duke asked, tapping his beer bottle on the table.

“Then uncomplicate it, and talk to her.”

Esme’s eyes never left Dean’s face as she brought his hand up and kissed the back of it. She took in his smile and sigh at her words. As he spoke, she took in his words and softly nodded. “Okay, I’ll do my best not to worry about it.” she replied softly as he paused. It was hard not to continue thinking about it even when she didn’t want to think about it anymore, but since she couldn’t read Duke’s mind. She couldn’t help but wonder a little bit about what it was about her that made him leave. She wasn’t used to people running away from her unless they knew what she was. Duke had no idea that she was an Empath. No one had told him, and with how things were going, she still wasn’t sure she would. But she would keep her word to Dean and push it to the back of her mind. Esme watched as he pressed his lips tightly together before bending down and kissing her forehead, which made her close her eyes briefly with a soft smile. Dean’s suggestion caused her to smile even more as she looked up into his face. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.” she said warmly.

Getting some rest and time to collect herself and then going out with Dean sounded like something they both needed, but she couldn’t help but feel a little bad about ruining their earlier plans. But after everything that had happened since Duke got home, she couldn’t see herself having much of a good time with the tension hanging around them and trying to avoid Duke. Esme didn’t want to see or talk to Duke right now, with everything still so fresh in her mind.


After getting comfortable on the bed, Esme passed out almost immediately, falling into a peaceful and deep sleep. She never heard Dean leave the room or leave to go to the store to get her some chocolate. Which just went to show how much the whole situation drained her. By the time she woke, Dean had returned and was talking to Duke in the kitchen. Esme laid in the bed, stretched and yawned, hearing the muffled voices of Dean and Duke traveling up the stairs and through the bedroom door. Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair. She didn’t want to leave the comfort of the room, but she knew she couldn’t hide herself away in there forever. She would have to leave it eventually and have to face Duke. Laying there a little longer, snuggling a pillow, she thought about staying there once again. Finally, she forced herself to sit up, put the pillow back in place, and took to her feet. Esme walked over and grabbed a pair of socks from her duffle and her boots. Then, she glanced in the small mirror and wiped the sleep from her eyes, seeing she was still a little pale but had some color returning to her cheeks.

Walking back to the bed, she sat on the edge and put them on. Once that was done, she stood and walked to the door, hesitantly placed her hand on the handle, and opened it. Walking out the door, she pulled it mostly closed behind her. Esme walked to the stairs and slowly descended them, listening as the boy's voices got clearer the closer she got to the kitchen. Her stomach also knotted the closer she got. Esme kept her footsteps soft, not wanting to alert them to her being awake, then stopped and hung back out of sight, listening to their conversation. Coming in on it at the point where Duke said he couldn’t get her to talk to him. She remained as quiet as possible as Dean explained things to Duke and told him he needed to tell her the truth. Dean was trying to get Duke to come clean with her. She couldn’t stop the small smile that made it to her lips. ‘Leave it to Dean to try and fix things and protect my emotions.’ she thought. But Duke didn’t seem to be so willing to, thinking it would cause trouble, sighing inwardly as she continued to listen.

Her eyes widened when she heard Dean admit that Duke liked her and had already gotten attached to her because they talked. ‘Did he really get scared because we talked and he felt something?’ she thought. Esme continued to listen as Dean told Duke he needed to talk to her and that she’d get it because she’s good like that. She smiled a little more as Duke asked what if it was more complicated, and Dean told him to uncomplicate it and talk to her. She shook her head. Leave it to Dean to try and force someone to uncomplicate things. Just as she got up the nerve to walk into the kitchen, Bobby moved at his desk. She had entirely missed he was there. Esme nearly jumped out of her skin and squeaked in surprise. She snapped her head towards Bobby, giving him a look that said, ‘Have you been there the whole time?’ only to receive a shrug of his shoulders and then gestured for her to go into the kitchen. Nodding her head, she took a couple of deep breaths to slow her racing heart a bit, then stepped into the kitchen with the boys.

After walking into the kitchen, Esme sat at the table on the opposite side of Duke, still not quite able to look at him just yet. She stared at the top of the table, crossing her arms over her stomach. She felt a tad awkward sitting in the kitchen with Duke after hearing what she did. Esme didn’t even know what to say as she sat there until one thing came to mind. It could easily be directed towards both of them. “Thank you for letting me sleep. I feel a little better than I did.”

Duke shook his head at Dean’s words and he threw his hands up, “And it gets me into a world of trouble.”

“Why would it…” Dean started to ask, but he was interrupted by Esme’s squeak from out of nowhere. He didn’t know how long she had been listening, but he hoped she had heard everything from Duke. It was the first step in getting her and Duke on the right foot, and resolve this tension. But he was curious what Duke meant by ‘a world of trouble’.

Duke glanced up, seeing Esme step into the kitchen, and he sighed, “Well that’s great…”

He lowered his eyes to the table, watching out of the top corners of his eyes as Esme came to sit opposite him at the table. He almost laughed out loud as she broke her silence and said that she felt better after getting some sleep.

“You seemed like you needed it. Hold on.” Dean broke his own quiet, stepping away from the table to the grocery bags on the counter. He pulled the chocolate he had picked up for her, and turned handing it to her as if the awkward conversation had never happened, but Duke seemed quieter than he should have been. Dean returned to his place next to Duke, and he clamped a hand down on Duke’s shoulder, urging him to speak up.

“Um…I guess I owe you an apology.” Duke spoke up finally, his voice soft and awkward as Dean reached a hand up to pull the back of Duke’s hat down, showing more of his face and ruffled blonde hair. Duke sighed, “You didn’t do nothin’ wrong to make me leave. You showin’ up didn’t make me leave.”

Duke’s cheeks and nose were red, and Dean could really see it in the light, now that his hat wasn’t covering his face. He was pretty out there with whatever he had been drinking, and the sight caused Dean to scrunch his nose a bit with worry, as he took a seat next to him.

“I didn’t like the reaction Dean had when he came out in the yard.” Duke murmured, looking back down at the table and drawing little nervous circles on the wood with his fingers, “And I couldn’t stay away from you, after we talked. You were like…rattlin’ around in my brain. Your voice. All that stuff…”

Dean narrowed his eyes, but what he was feeling wasn’t jealousy as much as concern for Duke, and what he might say while a little drunk. But Duke hiccuped and continued, causing Dean to sigh.

“I didn’t want to be too forward. So, I just decided it was easier to…well…leave you alone. I shouldn’t even be talkin’ to you, now.” Duke pressed his hands against the table to stand up, but Dean reached a hand out, pressing him down by his shoulder.

“Stop stop stop. So, you lied about the reason you left…you said it wasn’t because of her, right?” Dean asked, helping Duke reason through things. Duke nodded.

“Yeah. Because it wasn’t really. It was mostly me.”

“And you really like her…” Dean urged Duke, but Duke’s eyes suddenly widened a bit, and he looked at Esme’s face, and then to Dean’s as if he was legitimately in trouble. Duke’s insides twisted and he was sure that Dean was alluding to what Duke could only assume was a crush on Esme, considering his inability to get her out of his head. But Dean continued, and Duke softened his expression with a nod. “You want to be her friend…”

“Y-yeah. Yeah…that’s all it is. I just didn’t know that was somethin’ that might be possible. Listen, I’m a little drunk, and I don’t wanna say nothin’ that will make me look any worse than I already look. I don’t wanna cross any lines.”

After Esme broke the silence in the kitchen, she could feel the laugh that Duke held back. She clenched her fists a little as she continued to stare at the tabletop. What was so funny about her being the first to break the silence? And was this really the time to laugh? She turned her eyes up to Dean as she spoke and watched him walk over to the grocery bags and pull out the chocolate he told her he’d get for her. She gave Dean a small smile of thanks as she took the chocolate from him. As he returned to Duke’s side, Esme opened the chocolate, broke off a small piece, and placed it in her mouth. Sighing silently when Duke started to talk, she set the rest of the chocolate on the table and slowly looked up to look at Duke. She almost narrowed her eyes as he spoke until Dean pulled the back of Duke’s hat down, and she saw Duke's face more clearly. His red cheeks and nose were a clear sign he’d been drinking, and he seemed pretty out there. ‘He’s drunk. This could turn out good or bad.’ she thought as she looked at Duke.

She kept quiet as Duke continued, being well aware of the emotions coming from both boys in front of her. She did her best not to let what she felt get the better of her, which could easily happen if she wasn’t careful. The more Duke talked, the more Esme began to understand where Duke was coming from. In a short time, he had developed feelings for her, which scared him. She looked at the table, partly blaming her empathy for what he felt for her. Something about it drew people in like flies to honey, even when she wasn’t using it. Some time ago, something similar happened, but the guy turned into a stalker, and she had to scare the hell out of him to get him to leave her alone. When Duke moved to get up from the table, Esme’s eyes returned to Duke and watched Dean stop him before speaking. Her eyes shifted between them as they spoke, taking in their words. She could now see that it was mostly on Duke why he left, but it still hurt. When Dean helped Duke come clean by saying that he really liked her and wanted to be her friend, she lifted a single eyebrow.

Esme saw Duke’s eyes widen as he looked between her and Dean. She focused more on Duke and his emotions, feeling how he felt he was in trouble. With the way things were going, to anyone else, it would sound like Duke had a crush on her, but she knew better being an Empath. This felt like more than a crush coming from Duke, which could make things extremely difficult if Dean ever found out. Esme continued to focus on Duke as he responded to Dean’s help. She stayed silent, letting what she heard and felt sink in a little more before she finally spoke softly. “Trust me, you’d know if you crossed any lines, and I would say you’re more than a little drunk.” She looked down at the chocolate on the table, broke off another small piece, placed it in her mouth, and leaned back in the chair with her arms crossed over her stomach, thinking about her following words. “Friendship could be a possibility, but….” She looked up and met his eyes with her own, a seriousness taking over her features. “You have to promise me you’ll be honest with me. No more lies.” she told him.

“If you can’t do that, a friendship will never work between us.” With him being drunk, she wasn’t sure how well she was getting through to him or how much he would even remember when he sobered up. Esme hated being lied to. She had been lied to enough by her family, and now that she was spending most of her days here, she didn’t want to be lied to by anyone here. She wanted one place where she could fully trust the people she was around. Esme held Duke’s gaze momentarily before dropping her gaze to the chocolate on the table again and silently sighed. “Once you’ve sobered up, we can talk more.”

Duke was a little surprised when Esme was willing to talk to him, and hadn’t left the table, considering their meeting outside. When she told him that he would know if he crossed a boundary with her, he nodded but then tilted his head with a confused scowl when she mentioned that he was drunk. He was probably drunk, but he didn’t want to admit it. Plus, he would just blame Bobby’s top shelf ‘who knows how long it’s been open’ whiskey.

He watched every move she made as she took a bite of chocolate, and continued with her terms. He nodded, turning his eyes down to the table briefly, but when he lifted his eyes, she was staring straight at them. Duke swallowed heavily, and he opened his mouth to speak, before closing it. But then he found his words, “I might need clarification on that. I gotta know where that line is between keepin’ something to myself and lying, for you…”

Duke adjusted in his seat and he tapped his fingers on the table in front of him before nodding, with a smirk, “I’ll get back to you on that.”

“Alright then. Was that so hard?” Dean asked just as a knock at the door jarred both Duke and Dean. Dean glanced over to the kitchen door, and he turned back to Duke. Duke narrowed his eyes in confusion, “Who would be knockin’ on the kitchen door?”

Duke stood up, stumbling just a bit and walked to the kitchen door, before turning to give Dean a look that said ‘you could have told me’. He opened the glass door and leaned in the doorway, failing to block the view of the person standing there. She was a much shorter girl, her long brown hair was pulled up in a messy bun and she looked honestly devastated. She wore one of Duke’s flannels, and jeans, and the second Duke opened the door, she seemed confused, hurt and angry all wrapped in one.

“There she is…” Dean muttered, as the girl began to speak.

“So, you just run off…just like that and now you’re back? You didn’t call. Duke what’s going on?” The girl whimpered, scanning Duke’s face frantically. Duke sighed, and reached his hand out, grabbing for her wrist.

“Not here. Let’s go outside, alright?”

“I’ve tried to call you for weeks, Duke. Weeks…” She continued, as Duke pushed her out of the doorway and into the garage. Dean stood from his place at the table, and he stepped over to the kitchen window, gently raising it to be as sneaky as he could. “I mean, I knew that you did this, the whole disappearing act. But you had changed. My dad has even called you.”

“I just needed to get away from Sioux Falls for a bit, Rachel. I don’t know any other way to explain it, than that.” Duke explained as best he could.

Dean leaned down, dipping his head so he could whisper to Esme, “That…is Rachel. She’s what we call ‘Duke’s big one’. Off again. On again for about two years. Things kinda worked with them until about a month ago.”

“So, I just get thrown away, when you decide to leave?” Rachel asked a bit louder, and Duke said nothing, standing there with his arms crossed and his eyes on the ground at her feet, “You’re all beat up again. You said…that you would eventually tell me about your life. You would let me in. Where is that Duke, now?”

“I can’t do this right now.” Duke grumbled, turning away from Rachel, who instantly followed him, grabbing his wrist. “Rachel…”

“I’ll stay the night and take care of you. But you can’t run off before we can talk.” Rachel whispered, as Duke smirked, his eyes glassy from being a bit drunk.

“You’re pissed at me and you want to take care of me?”

“I love you. So, of course…” Rachel almost whispered, stepping up to Duke’s chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and she leaned up on her toes, pressing a sweet kiss to his lips. Duke, in his alcohol induced lapse of judgement a mile long, kissed her back. He stepped backward as she continued to kiss him, walking back toward the RV.

“Okay. So that was awkward…but this is what they do. They’ll be running around here like nothing happened, in the morning. Rachel is the only girl Duke has ever ‘dated’ for more than a hook up.” Dean chimed in, grabbing a chair and pulling it closer to Esme. He placed his elbow on the top of the table, and then placed his head on his fist, close to Esme’s face. “So, how are you feeling about the dynamic in the house, now? Did I help…like at all with this situation?”

Esme watched Duke as he took in her words in his drunken state and how he swallowed heavily as she looked into his eyes. She watched as he searched for his words to her terms. Her eyes narrowed slightly at his answer. She didn’t think it was that hard to figure out what she meant, but then again, he was drunk. There was still no telling how much of what she was saying was getting through to him. Her eyes were then pulled from Duke to Dean as he spoke. She sighed softly and opened her mouth to respond, but the knock at the kitchen door caused her to jump and close her mouth. Esme followed Dean’s gaze to the door. She wasn’t used to anyone knocking on the kitchen door. Her eyes returned to Duke as he spoke. Then, she watched as he got up from his chair and stumbled a bit. Her eyes followed him as he walked to the door and then looked back at Dean with a look. It was apparent Duke knew the person at the door and apparently wasn’t ready or didn’t want to talk to them. When Duke opened the door, Esme’s eyes fell on the girl standing there.

Esme’s eyebrows raised slightly as she took in the girl at the door that Duke failed to block from view. Not only could she see the emotions on the girl's face, but she could feel it seeping through the open door and couldn’t help but feel a little bit for her. Esme’s eyes shifted to Dean briefly as he spoke before returning to the girl at the door. She sat in silence as she heard the exchange of words between the girl and Duke. Clearly, this girl had it bad for Duke and was devastated by how he left. She started to feel like she had a front-row seat to a soap opera as she continued to listen as Duke pushed the girl out into the garage. When Dean stood, Esme’s eyes went to him, and she watched as he walked over to the window and gently opened it to continue to listen in on the conversation. She softly shook her head with a slight smile on her lips. “You’re as bad as a teenage girl at a sleepover.” she whispered to him. Esme fell silent once again as their voices came through the open window. She felt sorry for this girl, even though she didn’t know her.

Her eyes fell to the table as the conversation continued but then returned to Dean when he came over, leaned down, and dipped his head to her. Esme nodded her head at his words. ‘Worked until about a month ago? That’s when I met him, and he left the same night.’ she thought. Before she could think about it much more, the conversation in the garage continued, and her eyes returned to the table. Esme closed her eyes as she listened to Rachel talk to Duke, feeling slightly awkward overhearing the conversation between the two. Esme couldn’t blame the girl for being hurt. She would be, too, if she were in her shoes. Hearing Rachel say that Duke told her he would let her in caused Esme to tense a bit in sadness for her. From the short time she had known Duke, she could tell he didn’t let others in that easily, and if he said he would let someone in, it wasn’t guaranteed. Duke’s response upset her a bit. The girl deserved an answer better than ‘I can’t do this right now.’ The rest of the conversation caused Esme to sigh silently and shake her head a bit.

Duke was trying to avoid Rachel, and she was practically throwing herself at him and, in his drunk state, gave into her. When Dean spoke, Esme didn’t immediately open her eyes as she listened. She wasn’t so sure the two would be walking around like nothing happened. Something told her that Duke may regret his actions in the morning. After opening her eyes, she looked up and met his green eyes after he pulled a chair closer to her. “Awkward is one word for it.” she replied as he placed his elbow on the table. She watched him as he put his head on his fist close to her face. Dean’s following words brought a warm smile to her lips, and she nodded. “The dynamic feels better than it did. So, I would say yes, you did help.” She leaned in just enough for the tip of her nose to touch his. “Thank you.” she breathed, then tilted her head slightly to kiss his lips sweetly.

Dean was so thankful to see Esme smile, considering the tension that had just left the lot and disappeared into the RV. He was a bit afraid that between Duke being drunk and Rachel showing up, Esme’s mood would have soured further. But it didn’t seem so, as she stayed close to him. The dynamic did seem at least civil, he had to agree with her. It was all he could ask for, after Duke had run off and come back in such an odd mood.

“Well I’m glad.” Dean barely breathed, nuzzling her nose with his. When she thanked him, he raised his eyebrows in a bit of surprise, but her lips on his shut up any witty remark he was planning to say. He breathed out softly through his nose, bringing his free hand up to brush her hair back from the side of her face as he smiled into the soft kiss.

“So, I know you just woke up from a nap but um…” Dean pecked her lips a few times and his smile turned mischievous, “But I think I could potentially give you a good reason to walk back up those stairs with me. I can think of a few reasons, actually…”

Dean smiled brightly, and he kissed her passionately for a moment, before standing and dragging her with him toward the stairs.

——————-------------



The Next Morning

Duke shook awake with a small shudder, realizing that the source was a tuft of hair blowing in the wind from his small fan, right against his bare collarbone. He groaned, moving his hand down from above his head to brush the hair away. His head was pounding, and he had no idea who was in bed with him but as he opened his eyes, he let out another groan.

He had avoided Rachel for a reason. He didn’t know how to leave her, but he didn’t know how to stay with her either. She was a sweet girl, and she deserved better than anything he could offer, but she was crazy about him. She nuzzled into his chest, as he mulled over an exit strategy and Duke sighed, carefully lifting her arm from him.

“I’ll be right back.” He whispered against the side of her face, pressing a soft kiss there as he carefully scooted out from under her, and then rolled off the bed. He quickly picked up his pants, slipping them over his legs and buttoned them, snatching his phone from the small table he had apparently thrown everything onto the night before. He exited the RV in a fog, his head hazy from a hangover as he stumbled down the stairs barefoot and closed the distance to the kitchen door. As he opened it, he didn’t look up, simply walked over to the kitchen counter, bending over it and sent Dean a text.

SOS. I need you to come get Rachel. I don’t want to tell her to leave. Please. I owe you one.



Duke placed the ‘friends and family’ phone back on the wall, and he tore the piece of paper he had been writing on from the pad on Bobby’s desk. With a loud cackle, he stood quickly from the chair and practically danced across the living room floor to where Esme was sitting on the couch.

“You’ll never believe who I just got off the phone with.” Duke beamed, his smile bright and his blue eyes twinkling in the dim lighting of the living room. He flopped down on the couch beside her, and draped his legs over hers, tilting his hat onto the back of his head as he waved the paper in her face. “So, one of Bobby’s swanky friends needs us to pick up something for her. She said she’s sending a picture over. She didn’t say why she needs it, but I don’t care because guess where it is?!”

Dean stepped into the living room, and he just stood against the wall with his eyebrows raised in suspicion, “What’s got you so keyed up?”

“We’re going to a party, brother! Rich people everywhere. Money. Like real money. Tuxedos. Dresses. Jewels. Champagne and those little finger foods you love? Don’t that sound amazing?! I can steam the black hat. We can get all dolled up and all we gotta do is steal one tiny…little…necklace.” Duke practically screamed at Duke, his wide smile causing Dean’s lips to turn up in a smile of his own as he rolled his eyes.

“And what’s so special about the necklace?” Dean asked, popping a piece of candy in his mouth as he frowned curiously at Duke. Duke shrugged his shoulders.

“Don’t know. Didn’t ask. We get the necklace and we get to party. That’s all I got.”

“When?”

“Tonight.” Duke beamed again, looking back over at Esme. “You up for a party?”

Esme smiled behind the sweet kiss, knowing she shut up any witty remark he was planning to say to her thank you. She also knew he had to be a bit surprised to see her smile after all the tension between Duke and Rachel. Honestly, she was, too, but it helped that she was sitting so close to Dean while it all happened. He acted like a buffer. When Dean brushed her hair back from the side of her face and smiled into the soft kiss, she softly breathed out through her nose. The actions soothed her mind, made her relax, and melt into him. There was just something about his touch and the way he kissed her that made her relax and forget most things that were bothering her. Dean’s next words and his smile turning mischievous made Esme raise her eyebrows a bit, but then her smile turned into a smirk. “Oh, can you now?” she asked playfully, the smirk still on her lips. “I think I can think of a few reasons as well.” She took in Dean’s bright smile as she spoke and then matched his kiss when he kissed her. She didn’t think she would ever tire of him kissing her so passionately.

When he broke the kiss and stood, she looked up at him with a warm smile on her lips, then followed his lead. Grabbing her chocolate from the table, she let Dean drag her toward the stairs and up them.


Esme sat on the couch reading one of Bobby’s old books she had been wanting to look at while Duke took a call. When Duke cackled loudly, she looked up from the book and watched as he danced across the living room and over to where she sat. She looked up at him as he beamed, his smile bright and his eyes twinkling, causing her to smile slightly. As Duke sat next to her, she shut the book and sat it on the arm of the couch before Duke draped his legs over hers. He waved a piece of paper in her face as she turned to him. She opened her mouth to answer, but Dean interrupted her as he stepped into the living room and spoke to Duke. Esme draped her arms over Duke's legs and smiled more at how excited he was. She listened as he explained things to Dean, her head tilting to the side as he mentioned having to get a necklace. “What’s so special about the necklace?” she asked in unison with Dean as she looked at Duke curiously. She frowned a bit when Duke said he didn’t ask about the necklace's importance. Esme felt that was important to ask even if whoever he was talking to didn’t want to get that information to them.

Esme was pulled from her thoughts when Duke asked her if she was up for a party. “Don’t you think you should have asked about the importance of the necklace?” she asked him first and paused momentarily. “Yeah, I’m always up for a good party, but I don’t have a dress for a party like that. Yes, I own a couple of dresses that I only wear for certain things, but they aren’t fancy enough for that kind of party.” She looked away from Duke to Dean, trying to read him on how he felt about going to this party for a necklace they knew nothing about. “Whatcha say, Dean? You up for it?” she asked with a light smile. “If you are, we’ll have to do a little shopping before tonight. I’ll even let you two help me pick out the dress.” she smiled warmly. As much as she disliked wearing dresses, she would for a case if it called for it. She also couldn’t deny it gave her a reason to see them in suits, which they looked good in.

Duke tilted his head to the side as Esme asked if he thought he should ask more questions about the necklace and he ran a hand over his mouth, thinking it over, but he paused as she agreed that she was up for a party. She was going to go out…with him. He had done plenty of groveling and keeping his hands to himself over the past couple of weeks. Taking her out for the night, dancing and drinking and having fun was almost his consolation prize for being ‘good’.

“Well. I can call the old lady back, ask her what the necklace is, if she’ll tell me. Then we can get you somethin’ to wear.” Duke chimed in as Esme turned to Dean. He also turned his eyes up to Dean, giving him his best puppy eyes from under his hat and Dean sighed.

“I have to wear a tuxedo?” Dean asked, popping another piece of candy into his mouth as Duke nodded at him, a mischievous smile on his lips. “And you’re good with wearing a dress?”

Dean’s eyes turned down to Esme’s face and raised his eyebrows, making sure she was a hundred percent okay with dressing up and going out. After a few moments of glancing between Duke and Esme, not able to deny Duke’s excitement, Dean shrugged.

“How hard can it be to steal one necklace? Did she say where it would be?”

“Locked glass case with an alarm. Ten seconds, and either one of us can have that thing in our pocket and ready to go.” Duke quickly explained, holding his hand out to emphasize his confidence. Dean shrugged again.

“Alright then. Let’s go shopping. But, I’m gonna drink and I definitely want some of those finger foods. No questions…” Dean grumbled, stepping away from the wall. He walked over to Esme, placing his hand on Duke’s shin to lean down and peck her on the lips quickly. “I’m gonna go shower and get dressed. Then we can haul ass out of here. Don’t forget your wire kit?”

He pointed a finger at Duke and Duke tipped his hat, “Gotcha brother.”

As Dean stepped away and toward the stairs, Duke leaned in close to Esme with a bright smile, “So, if I’m helpin’ you pick out a dress, I vote for somethin’ that’s gonna make your eyes pop. They’re awfully pretty not to use against the old men at the party. There’s no tellin’ what they got in their pockets.”

Esme didn’t answer Duke’s comment about calling the woman back and asking about the necklace. If she had not mentioned what was so important about it, she probably wouldn’t tell him if he called her back. But she did wish he had asked while on the phone with the woman, nonetheless. When Dean answered her with questions, she nodded to his first and then gave him a knowing look at his second. “You know how I feel about wearing dresses, but if that means I get to see you in a tuxedo, I can deal.” she answered with a grin. Esme watched as Dean glanced between herself and Duke and finally gave in to going to the party. She smiled, leaned back into the couch to look at both boys without any trouble, and listened as the two talked, taking it all in. She nodded as Duke quickly explained, but she forced on his words ‘either one of us,’ which meant she would likely be the distraction in this. ‘Lucky me.’ she thought. Which meant she was going to have to put on a smile and deal with a drunk man possibly groping her while Dean and Duke took care of business.

Esme’s attention was pulled to Dean as he grumbled a reply to Duke, causing her to smile. Of course, he would drink, and she knew he wouldn’t be kept away from the finger foods. She watched Dean as he walked over to her, placed his hand on Duke’s shin, and leaned down to kiss her. Esme leaned up and quickly kissed him back and smiled with a nod. “Alright.” She watched Dean step away and toward the stairs before looking at Duke as he leaned in close to her with a bright smile. “Pfft, of course, you’d say that.” she said, giving him a friendly little shove. “So, I’m assuming my role in this is to be a distraction while you and Dean get the necklace?” she questioned. “Walk and dance around the main area so most eyes are on me and have the men drooling over me and possibly get my own little trinkets out of the deal?” she added with a grin.


Esme walked into the dress shop with the boys in tow. There were dresses of every color for every occasion on racks and hanging throughout the shop. It would have been overwhelming if she hadn’t been in a shop like this before. Walking further in, she started looking at a few dresses, almost scrunching her nose at the thought of wearing a few of them. Finding a dress for such a fancy occasion would be more challenging than she thought. Moments later, she was approached by a slightly older woman with a bright smile. “Welcome in. Is there something specific I can help you find?” the woman asked kindly. Esme pulled her eyes away from the dresses she was looking at and looked at the woman with a warm and friendly smile. “Thank you. I’m looking for a dress for tonight’s party. I know I’m cutting it close, but you know how things can get in a busy life. I could have sent one of these two, but there’s no telling what they would have brought back.” she said in a friendly manner and light laugh. “Oh, yes, ma’am. We’ve had a few other ladies come in looking for dresses for the same party today.” the woman said with a light laugh in return as she glanced at the boys.

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you some dresses I think will look amazing on you.” Esme nodded, her smile still on her lips, and followed the woman near the back of the store, where they were met by two more women closer to Esme’s age. The older woman stopped and turned to face Esme, looking her over thoughtfully. “I think reds, teal, purples, and gold would look really nice on you and make your eyes pop.” the woman started, getting nods from the other two. “For style, I think something that shows off your curves, low cut but not too low cut, off the shoulder or strapless, and something silky with a little lace. I’ll pull a few dresses, and you can tell me which styles you like.” she smiled. The older woman leaned in close to Esme and whispered into her ear. “When I get through with you, and these two see you in the dress, they’ll be drooling over you.” Esme couldn’t help but laugh at her words. There was really only one guy she wanted to have drool over her wearing one of these dresses, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t want to see Duke’s reaction.

“Alright, I trust your opinion.” she told the woman. The three women gathered a few dresses in the styles and colors the older woman mentioned and returned to show Esme after they placed her in front of a mirror. They held each one in front of her, giving her time to look it over before switching to another. “I’m leaning more towards the off the shoulder one with the low back and lace detail.” she told the women. She then turned to the boys and smiled warmly at them. “What do you guys think?”

Duke laughed quietly when Esme actually teased him back. It was all he wanted, for the moment. He just wanted to know that he was part of her life, enough that she felt comfortable around him. She could joke with him. She could tell him anything. She could ask him…to do…anything.

When she asked if her job was basically to have men drooling over her, Duke’s smile faded just a bit but then he returned it to his face to cover the jealousy that his own intrusive thoughts were causing. He shrugged his shoulders, “You get your own trinkets and if any of those men lay hands on you, I’ll break their hands and whisk you away, the second I get back.”

His voice was serious, despite the smile on his face as he watched Esme’s eyes.



Dean and Duke walked into the dress shop behind Esme, almost as if they were holding hands, they were walking so close. Dean seemed particularly uncomfortable, whereas Duke looked around the room and he tilted his head back, taking in all the glitz and glamor of the dresses and the random racks of jewelry that were obviously way out of most of the town’s price range. Luckily for them, Bobby had managed to talk the old lady out of enough money to get both the boys Tuxedos and to practically pay for any dress that Esme wanted.

As Esme talked to the nice lady at the shop, Dean shifted on his feet and he placed his hands in his pockets, frowning at the way the women talked about the boys. Duke just smiled brightly, “I told her she should go with blue…or maybe purple. Her eyes. Look at her eyes.”

Dean nudged Duke with a slight pang of jealousy, wishing that he had thought to make some sort of suggestion. Duke just paid more attention to those sorts of things, where Dean was happy to see Esme in anything. She would know what looked good on her.

As the woman led Esme away, both boys followed like twins, and as if he belonged there, Duke stepped away from Dean just as they arrived in the dressing area. Duke tossed himself on the couch, and a pretty blond brought him a glass of wine, asking if he wanted anything else, “No beautiful. I think this will do me just fine. You goin’ to the party tonight?”

“No. Why? Do you need a date?” She asked him, blushing. And Duke tilted his hat back on his head as he picked up the wine glass with a dazzling smile.

“Maybe I’ll get back to you on that…” He flirted, winking at her as she walked away from him, gossiping with another girl excitedly. Duke turned his eyes up to Dean who was just staring down at him with a look of disbelief.

“Really?”

“What? Free booze and pretty girls. Lighten up a bit, brother. C’mon!” Duke beamed at him, before slapping Dean’s thigh, and patting the couch beside him.

As Esme turned to them, showing them the dresses she had chosen to try on. Duke raised his eyebrows as he thought of her body in each choice, and he was speechless for a moment, mulling it over. He elbowed Dean and Dean opened his mouth, before frowning in thought.

“I think…you’ll be very distracting in that dress.” Dean stuttered out, blushing red in his cheeks. Duke laughed and he pointed, as Dean was handed a glass of wine.

“Plenty distracting…forget your boyfriend kind of distracting…” Duke chimed in, taking his bottom lip between his teeth. Dean glanced over at him with a look that told him to shut up, but he simply smiled brightly, “But these ladies seem to know what they’re talkin’ about. I’m sure you clean up real nice.”

Before Esme turned to ask the boys their opinions on the dresses she liked, she had secretly watched them in the mirror, seeing how uncomfortable Dean seemed and how perfectly comfortable Duke seemed. Of course, Duke would be comfortable, was getting free booze, and there were pretty girls. She almost laughed as she watched them. It still got her how different the two were from one another, but still alike in some ways. One way they were similar was how fiercely protective they were of her, which could be sweet and annoying at the same time, but she wouldn’t change that about them. After turning and asking them their opinions, Esme watched them both, taking in Duke raising his eyebrows and seeming speechless before elbowing Dean. Focusing on Dean as he opened his mouth, she smiled as Dean stuttered out his answer and blushed. It was pretty damn cute. “But hopefully not too distracting.” she replied warmly to him with a grin. Her attention went to Duke as he laughed and answered in his usual flare. She saw the look Dean gave him. Esme playfully narrowed her eyes at Duke, lightly shook her head, and softly laughed. “You have no idea how nice I clean up, Cowboy.” she joked with a grin.

“You, on the other hand…. I guess we’ll just have to see.” Esme continued to joke with a smile. She then turned back to the three women with a warm smile. “Let’s start with these first.” she said, pointing to a few dresses. They nodded and led her back to the dressing room after one woman got her shoe size and a pair of heels. Seconds later, two of the three women came out and waited. Once alone in the dressing room, Esme proceeded to get undressed behind the curtain, starting with her boots and socks. Once undressed, Esme chose to go with the silky teal strapless number. It had silver detailing on the bodice and a little more throughout the dress. The front was just low enough to be a bit dangerous, and the back was open to mid-back and laced, similar to a corset and a mid-thigh slit. Once she slipped into the dress, she held the front in place while she slipped her feet into the heels. They felt a bit strange since he hadn't had to wear a pair in a while. Stepping out from behind the curtain, the woman who stayed behind smiled. “Let me help you with the back.” she said warmly.

Esme turned with a “Thank you”, bringing all her hair to her right shoulder as she held the front of the dress in place. Esme looked in the mirror as the woman laced and tied the back of the dress. She felt a little exposed but couldn't deny it was a lovely dress. “This color looks so lovely on you.” the woman said as she finished. “This is a lovely color.” Esme said with a smile. “Why don't you go out to the bigger mirror so you can have a better look and so the two gentlemen can see how gorgeous you look.” the woman suggested with another smile. Esme laughed a little and nodded her head before responding. “Okay, but I'm a little afraid their eyes will pop out of their heads.” Gathering up the bottom of the dress as the woman laughed with her, Esme walked out of the dressing room and to the large mirror. “You look stunning.” the older woman told her as she walked over to her, smiling softly. Once in front of the mirror, Esme smiled back, released the bottom of the dress, and looked at the dress from all angles as the older woman adjusted parts of the dress.

It hugged her in all the right places, but she thought it would bring her more attention than what she actually wanted. There was also the thought of one false move, and she’d fall out the top, and she could scarcely breathe. “What do you think of this one?” the woman asked, looking over Esme’s shoulder into the mirror at her. “It’s lovely.” Esme replied warmly. “It’s definitely a maybe.” “Maybe is good.” the woman smiled. “But you want to see the others before you decide.” “Yes.” Esme nodded with a smile. “I understand.” the woman replied. After gathering the dress up, Esme returned to the dressing room, but not before flashing the boys a warm smile. Esme went in and out of the dressing room a few more times, looking for that one dress that felt right. The last dress she came out in was a velvet royal purple, off-the-shoulder number with a slight plunge in the front, and the back was open to mid-back. It hugged every inch of her and slightly fanned out at her knees. She was liking this one more and more the longer she looked at it. Esme turned to the three women to tell them that this was the one she wanted but stopped herself when she saw another dress just out of sight of the boys.

Esme stared at the dress momentarily before smiling and looking at the older woman. “Could I try that one?” she asked, gesturing towards it. The women turned and looked to where Esme had gestured. “Yes, ma’am. Of course…. I didn’t think to show you that one because most of the women in town don’t like that one.” the woman told her. “Really? I think it’s a gorgeous dress.” Esme replied. With a genuine, warm smile, the woman sent one of the other women to retrieve the dress Esme had pointed out. Esme watched as the woman went to get the dress, then turned and faced her when she got to it. “This one, right?” “Yes, that’s the one.” Esme smiled. When the woman returned, Esme walked back to the dressing room with her and immediately changed out of the dress and into the new one she had found. She stood in front of the smaller mirror and looked at it on herself with a smile. “This is the one.” she told the woman. “Are you sure? You don’t want to look in the bigger mirror.” she questioned. “I’m sure this is the one.” Esme said matter of factly.

“I think your gentlemen friends will be disappointed they missed you in this one.” the woman smiled. “Perhaps, but they’ll get one heck of a surprise tonight.” Esme grinned. The woman laughed as Esme took one last look at the dress before changing out of it and back into her clothes. Once changed, she came out from behind the curtain, handed the dress and heels to the woman, and walked out with her and over to the boys. “I found the one I want. I’m ready when you two are.” she grinned. She then looked over at Duke. “I hope you didn’t drink too much. We don’t need you sloshed before the party has even started.” she joked. Esme then took Dean’s hand and walked with him up to the front of the store.

Duke pressed his lips together as Esme teased him, taking it as an absolute flirtation. He pursed his lips and tilted his head back, before breaking into a wide smile, “Well, we’ll have to see, now won’t we.”, he quipped back at her with a wink, but as she turned her back to him, he quickly turned to Dean and slapped his thigh as Dean was handed a glass of wine, “You have to help me. Please.”

“I have to help you what? Flirt with my girlfriend?” Dean grumbled, taking a drink of the wine. He glanced down at his glass with a frown, snarling his nose just a bit and then turned his eyes back to Duke.

“I need you to help me clean up. You’re all clean cut and…you. I can’t look all messy and thrown together in a tuxedo, man. We’re gonna be there with…all this.” Duke whispered to Dean, waving his arms around to gesture to the dresses and the expensive jewelry all around them. Dean scoffed, shaking his head and Duke slapped his leg again, almost making him spill his wine, “Please?!”

“Alright, alright. I’ll…what do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know. Make my hair look good under my hat, you know…trim up my face. That stuff. Stuff Esme would expect you to do.” Duke responded frantically, as a woman took his empty glass from his hand and replaced it with a full one.

“Esme doesn’t expect anything from me. She knows me better than that. I put on the tux. I flatten my hair to the best of my abilities and I go with it. With your hat on, no one is going to see your hair anyway. But it wouldn’t kill you not to wear a hat tonight.” Dean shrugged his shoulders as Esme stepped out of the dressing room in the first dress she decided to check out. Dean turned his eyes to look at her, raising both his eyebrows as he sat up a bit straighter. His eyes scanned over the front of the dress, noticing that it was a bit precarious and might…gather some attention. Not that Dean minded.

“She looks uncomfortable.” Duke spoke up, even though he couldn’t deny that she looked gorgeous in the dress. She didn’t seem happy, or like she could really breathe at all. He scrunched his nose and he shook his head, glancing over at Dean who was just staring at her. “She needs to be able to make it through the night, right?”

“Shut up. Just…let her decide.” Dean muttered, taking a drink of his wine as he tore his eyes away from Esme, just as she walked back to the dressing room with the women dressing her. Duke waved as Esme flashed them a smile before heading back in, following the wave with a thumbs up that teetered side to side, as if he was telling her that it was a ‘maybe’, like he had a choice.

After a few more times of Dean and Duke discussing each dress that came out of the dressing room, with Duke giving his very Emperor like opinions, the boys were practically tangled up on the couch, girls on either side and Dean nursing a plate of finger foods. The girl draped over Duke’s lap happened to stand up, just before Esme came out from behind the curtain, and Duke stood up, reaching for her before Dean could rid himself of his plate. As soon as Dean sat the plate down, he came to her other side, grabbing for her hand before Duke could.

Duke huffed, but when Esme commented on his drinking habits, Duke smiled brightly, “I was real good. I only had three glasses. So, I will be plenty ready to drink up at the party.”

“Alright. Let’s get you paid and squared away, so we can get Mr. wine and Hors d’oeuvres cleaned up and dressed. Bobby texted and said he picked up our tuxes from the cleaners.” Dean shot Duke a look and Duke frowned in confusion.

“I don’t have a tux.”

“And we don’t ask questions when Bobby picks things up for us. He said it would fit. So, it will fit.” Dean rolled his eyes and pulled Esme toward the front to pay for her things.

On the way there, Duke lingered back, running his fingers over some of the more expensive jewelry the shop didn’t even bother to put behind glass. Pinching one of the jewels between his fingers, he was a bit surprised that the stones were real. As Dean pulled Bobby’s card from his wallet and paid, Duke brushed his fingers over a few of the necklaces until he found one that he thought would go really well with Esme’s eyes. With a small pop, he removed it from the rack, and slipped it into the sleeve of his jacket, grabbing a matching bracelet that sat underneath it.

“Duke. C’mon…” Dean patted the counter behind him, and Duke tipped his cowboy hat at the lady behind the counter who gave him a polite smile, and he followed Dean and Esme out of the shop.



Duke grumbled through his tightly pressed lips as Dean seemed to be doing surgery on his beard. Dean suddenly pulled back from him, “If you don’t shut up, I’ll shave it off. Do you want me to fix it or not?”

“Don’t shave it. You said you were just gonna shave my neck.” Duke stared up at him with puppy eyes as she sat in a kitchen chair, wearing a blue mechanics tarp over his bare chest, and Dean did his best to trim his beard. Dean had already taken care of his long blonde hair, trimming up to where it feathered out close to the sides of his ears, and cleanly fell against his forehead, as best as could be done. Dean had even taken the time to wet his hair and fold it back from the side of his head.

“Tilt your head back.” Dean ordered placing the scissors between his teeth as he pulled the electric clippers and began trimming Duke’s bears around his neck. Then Dean grumbled, his words muffled by the scissors in his mouth, “You know, if you groomed more, maybe you wouldn’t have to clean up like this for events.”

“And what good would that do me? I live in an RV. I’m covered in blood more than I’m not. I don’t got much of a reason to ‘stay groomed’. Just hurry up so I can get dressed.” Duke groaned, rolling his eyes as Dean placed a palm on the top of his head to hold him still. He tilted Duke’s head back a bit more and sighed, holding him firm, “I just don’t want to potentially end up on that dance floor with Esme and look like some guy that’s kidnappin’ her…”

“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Dean teased him, shaking his head. “No one’s gonna be looking at you. Alright. You’re done. Go get dressed. I’ll help you with your tie.”

“I’ll have Bobby help me with my tie. I’ve had you too close for comfort long enough.” Duke joked, shoving at Dean’s shoulder as he stood from the chair and dropped the tarp from his chest. He flexed his chest muscles a bit and walked into the living room to retrieve his tuxedo bag from the railing of the stairs.

After a bit, Bobby stood in front of Duke, tugging at the sides of his bowtie with a proud look on his face, as if he was sending his little boy off to prom. Once he was satisfied, he clapped both his hands against Duke’s shoulders and turned him to stand in front of the long mirror he had leaned against the stair railing, “I think you look pretty damn good. Look at yourself.”

“I feel naked.” Duke complained, scrunching his nose as he stared at himself in the mirror. Dean stepped around Bobby’s desk, and he stood next to Duke, straightening his own bowtie as Bobby stepped away. Suddenly, a pristine black cowboy hat with a satin ribbon sat atop Duke’s head, and Dean rolled his eyes as Bobby covered all his hard work on Duke’s hair with the hat. Duke glanced up and pressed the hat further onto his head, adjusting the sides to his preferences, “Where did you get this?”

“A friend. Had it nice and pressed, just like you like, oil pressed…not water. It looks just as expensive as that tuxedo you’re in, and suddenly? You’re a rich oil tycoon from Dallas.” Bobby teased Duke, patting his back.

“Would you look at that…” Duke straightened his jacket, and then tipped his hat at himself in the mirror as Dean rolled his eyes, and he walked around to the edge of the bottom step, looking up at the bedroom door at the top.

“You good up there? We’re all dressed down here! If you don’t hurry up, Duke’s gonna start making out with himself in the mirror!”

As she came out, Esme didn’t pay too much attention to the girls on the couch with the boys; her focus was on Dean, so much so that she missed Duke reaching for her as Dean sat down his plate, stepped up to her, and took her hand. At Duke’s reply to her comment about him drinking, she gave a small laugh. “Only three? Well, that’s a relief.” she teased. Her attention went back to Dean as he spoke about getting her things paid for and that Bobby had picked up their tuxes from the cleaners. She nodded as Duke spoke up about not having a tux and couldn’t help but grin at Dean’s answer. “Dean’s right. You don’t ask questions about the things Bobby picks up.” she said with a light smile, then followed Dean as he pulled her with him. As they walked to the front, she noticed how Duke lingered behind. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew what he was up to, but she said nothing about it, not wanting to draw attention to him and getting all of them kicked out of the store without what they came for. So, Esme turned her attention back to the lady behind the counter as Dean paid for her things.

Once everything was paid for, Esme took Dean’s hand, interlocking her fingers with his, then turned to Duke with Dean, who was still running his fingers over the more expensive jewelry. “Yeah, Duke. We’re in a time crunch here.” she commented after Dean spoke to Duke. She watched Duke tip his hat to the woman behind the counter before joining them. “Thank you for all your help.” she told the woman warmly, then walked out of the store with Dean.


While Dean and Duke were downstairs getting ready, Esme was up in the guest room, getting herself ready for the night. She had hung her dress on the bathroom door with her heels underneath it after working a little magic on it to add her personal touch. After cleaning up and drying her hair, she went to work fixing herself up. She put a wave in her hair and pulled it slightly back into a half-up style, then went to work on her makeup: a little eyeliner, mascara, brown eyeshadow, blush, and a nude color on her lips. After a bit of tweaking her hair and makeup, she removed her towel and hung it on the shower, grabbed her dress off the hanger, then her heels, and walked over to the bed. Setting her heels at the foot of the bed, she unzipped the dress and stepped into it. She felt lucky the zipper was on the side and not the back. Pulling the dress on, she zipped it up and adjusted the top and the small sleeves that draped over her upper arms. Sitting on the bed, she put on her heels, stood up, and then walked to the large mirror Bobby had brought up for her.

Esme stood in front of the mirror and smiled. “Damn, I look good.” she told herself. She turned slightly, watching the color shift of the dress, which she felt was one of the best features of the dress. The dress was an off-the-shoulder style and hugged her body. Its color was a mix of purple and teal that shifted in the light and had a golden trim along the top. For an added embellishment, Esme added an opal charm to the center of the bodice. As she fidgeted with the dress, she could hear the boys and Bobby talking downstairs, telling her they were nearly ready. Her suspicions were confirmed when Dean called up to her, asking how she was, telling her they were dressed, and then commenting about Duke. Esme laughed at the thought. “I’m good!” she called back to Dean. “I’ll be down in a minute!” Giving one final adjustment, she grabbed a small purple wristlet, slid it on her wrist, and walked to the door. Taking a breath, she opened the door and walked out, pulling the door mostly closed behind her, and walked to the stairs, smiling as she saw Dean in his tux. He looked absolutely gorgeous.

Gathering the bottom of the dress in her left hand and placing her right on the banister, Esme slowly descended the stairs, not taking her eyes off Dean. She wouldn’t admit it to the boys or Bobby, but she had to admit to herself that she felt like a princess walking down the stairs to her prince. She also half wished that her father and Sassy could see her right now so that she could see the looks on their faces. Esme could hear what Sassy would say ringing in her mind. She’d tell her she looked stunning and to flaunt what she had but be careful while doing it. Her father, on the other hand, would have complained that it would draw too much unwanted attention and tell her she wasn’t going anywhere unless she found a different dress that wasn’t so tight. Thinking about it made her laugh inwardly. Esme stopped on the bottom step of the stairs so she could look Dean in the eyes and smiled warmly. “Don’t you look handsome.” she said just as warmly as her smile. Reaching a hand up, she smoothed a bit of stray hair in place and pecked his lips before turning to look at Duke.

Esme looked him over before smiling at him. “Well, look at you, Mr. Oil Tycoon.” she told him. “I have to say, you clean up rather nicely, Cowboy.” Dean had done a great job helping Duke clean himself up for the party. In fact, Duke almost looked like a different guy to her, and she had to admit he looked really good, just as handsome as Dean. “Something tells me you’re going to have all the women falling all over you.” she smiled. Esme turned to Dean with the same smile. “As will you.” She then leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I’ll try not to get too jealous.” She laughed softly and kissed his cheek before pulling away and gently wiping away the lipstick from his cheek with her thumb. “Alright, are you two ready to go?” She then looked over at Bobby, and her smile grew. “Bobby, you look like a proud father sending his kids off to prom.” she laughed warmly. “You also look like you want to take a picture to remember the moment.” she half teased.

Dean tapped his foot nervously on the bottom step, waiting for Esme to call back to him and hopefully confirm that she was coming down. He was more than excited to see Esme in her dress, as he wasn’t 100% sure which one she had decided on. What he did know, was she would look gorgeous no matter what, and the thought made his heart flutter as she finally called down to him that she would be down soon. Dean glanced over at the clock on the wall and then he turned his eyes back to Duke briefly, watching him adjust his hat in the mirror…over and over, as if it was going to change with a few centimeters of shift.

As he was watching Duke, he caught the sound of the door opening at the top of the stairs, and his eyes darted toward it, standing a bit straighter at the bottom of the old creaky wood stairs. He shifted his shoulders nervously when Esme walked out and his heart leapt into his throat. His mouth dropped slightly open as it went completely dry and he forced it closed after a couple of seconds, swallowing hard at how absolutely gorgeous she looked.

“Um…hi.” Dean muttered quietly, his voice hoarse as she descended the stairs and finally stood in front of him. Her compliment only made him blush, on top of his overwhelm, his gaze turning almost dopey as she reached up and fixed his hair. He knew he had some really strong feelings for Esme, but standing in front of him…looking like this…he would chop off his right hand and give it to her in gift wrap, if she asked him to. “Um…thanks. I showered…”, he muttered awkwardly.

As she turned and talked to Duke, Dean let his breath he was holding out in a huff and he straightened his jacket awkwardly, until Esme came back to him, complimenting him again. He honestly didn’t know how she could say anything about him looking good, in that dress. He was swimming as she teased him, and then leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“I um…I don’t think you have to worry about me lookin’ at anyone.” He drawled out in almost a whisper as she wiped the lipstick from his cheek and broke him from his haze by asking if they were ready to go. Dean cleared his throat and he nervously fixed his sleeves, fidgeting with the cuff links before nodding, “I’m ready when you guys are…”



Duke turned back and forth in the mirror, staring at himself all the way from the top of his cowboy hat, down to his boots that were nice and shiny and black and definitely matched the vibe of the evening. He brought his arms up in front of the mirror and smiled at the diamond cuff links in the shape of Texas, which was his home state. It was a little reminder of Bobby’s love for him, bringing tiny reminders of Duke’s background up…at least the happier parts.

Duke rolled his eyes as Dean called up to Esme, accusing him of being full of himself in the mirror. He was just surprised…that’s all. When the door upstairs opened, Duke glanced toward the ceiling, but he leaned into the mirror and adjusted his hat again, wanting it to look perfect when Esme came downstairs. For whatever reason, he wanted to look just as good for her as Dean did. Maybe he would get a dance or two out of it. When he heard her make it to the bottom of the stairs, he turned and he furrowed his eyebrows seeing the unfamiliar dress. All the colors of the dress were a mixture of his suggestions, which caused his heart to swim around in his chest, catching his breath in his throat as his mouth fell open and he instantly became fixated on her.

He barely even noticed that Bobby had placed a hand on the back of his neck, trying to keep him from gawking, “Wow…”

“Don’t gawk…remember?” Bobby whispered in his ear. But when Esme turned to him and she smiled, Duke’s arms went numb. Her compliments only made the blood rushing through his ears a bit louder, and it took him a moment…and a tight squeeze of Bobby’s hands for him to think of anything to say.

“I think I told you so, didn’t I?” He teased, managing to bring his signature wide smile onto his face, now less obscured by his hair. His brain tumbled around the idea that women would be falling all over him.

‘The only one I wanna dance with is you’

Before his lips could utter the words, and ruin the moment, Duke pressed his lips tightly together and he shifted his shoulders, almost glad that Esme turned back to Dean and gave him a moment to collect himself. Bobby chuckled and shook his head at Duke, causing Duke to shoot him a glare.

“Sorry. Having it bad is a bit of an understatement here, don’t you think?”

“You shut your mouth.” Duke grumbled at Bobby, elbowing him gently to push him away. Duke straightened up and he did his best to loosen his shoulders, bringing some of his careless swagger back into them as Esme asked if they were ready to go. He tipped his hat at her, but Bobby straightened up and rocked onto his toes a bit.

“I’m not gonna lie, seein’ you guys like this is nice. All three gettin’ along. It’s an in and out case. No one should be bleedin’ tonight. I feel a bit like you’re off to the prom.” Bobby teased back to Esme, before stepping toward her, placing a soft kiss to her forehead, “And you’re gonna be the prettiest girl in the room…count on that.”

At the mention of a photo, Bobby raised a finger and he nodded, “I think that’s a great idea! I like to keep them around the desk and all that.”

“Really? Prom photos?” Dean complained, but Duke took the opportunity, as Bobby pulled his camera from a drawer of his desk. He took a few steps forward, and wrapped an arm around Esme’s waist, his heart racing a bit at the touch, but he pulled her into his side and nodded to Dean. Dean grumbled a bit, but he stepped over and wrapped his arms around Esme, one of his hands under Duke’s awkwardly.

“Now, everyone smile. Sandwich her in there…” Bobby chuckled, before taking a few photos, with the boys both seeming to compete over where to put their hands. Bobby tilted his head and then he shook it, setting his camera on the desk. “Alright. Get out of here. Dean has my card. And you guys be careful…no drinkin’ and drivin’. You call ahead.”

“Wait…” Duke muttered, looking up at Dean with his head tilted. He and Dean communicated silently for a moment, and finally, Dean released Esme and let Duke pull her around the corner toward the kitchen. Duke rummaged through his jacket pocket, and he pulled the necklace he had stolen earlier in the day, along with the bracelet, “My contribution. I think, not like you need the help, they’ll bring out those pretty blue eyes. Don’t ask where I got them…I got sticky fingers. But, I couldn’t help think of you when I saw them…”

Esme couldn’t help but keep a smile on her face at Dean’s awkwardness. Seeing this side of Dean was something she didn’t see very often, and she thought it was cute. Since she had never worn anything this fancy around Dean, it was also the reaction she was going for when she chose this dress. When Dean answered her by telling her he didn’t think she would have to worry about him looking at anyone, she had to admit to herself she was glad to hear it, even if she was teasing him. As she watched Dean and his nervousness, she smiled a bit more and slightly started to wonder if this dress was the best choice after all. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be too big of a distraction for him, so he could get the job done. Then there was Duke. Esme could tell he was fighting with himself to keep his emotions in check but was holding himself together well. Nervousness was a big one for him, but he kept his signature smile on his face, still teased her, and kept his careless swagger. Esme still wondered how Duke could always stay so positive at times that she knew were hard for him. She’d have to ask him his secret sometime.

When Bobby replied to her tease with a tease, Esme couldn’t help but smile brighter and blush when he kissed her forehead and told her she’d be the prettiest girl there. “I don’t know about that, but thank you, Bobby.” she said warmly. She laughed a little at his reaction and reply to her photo suggestion, then a little more at Dean’s complaining. “Oh, come on, Dean. Don’t be a stick in the mud. You’ll be glad we have them later.” she told him before Duke came up on her other side and wrapped his arm around her waist. Esme adjusted her footing as Duke pulled her closer to him so she didn’t trip off the step she was on. When Dean stepped over and put his arms around her, she released the part of her dress she was holding and draped her arms over the boy's shoulders while they seemed to compete on where to place their hands, almost making her laugh, even if it was a bit awkward. At Bobby’s request, Esme gave her best smile as Bobby took the photos. When Bobby had gotten what he wanted, she relaxed even though both boys still had a hold of her.

Bobby’s next words made her smile softly at him. “We’ll be careful.” she told him warmly. Duke’s muttered ‘Wait’ caused her to look at him and watch the silent communication between him and Dean. When Dean released her, she removed her arm from his shoulders and rested at her side as Duke pulled her off the step and around the corner. Once around the corner, Esme removed her arm from Duke’s shoulder and watched him rummaging through his jacket pocket. Her eyes immediately fell on the necklace and bracelet he pulled out. They were beautiful. Lifting a hand, she placed her fingers on the stone of the pendant, and then Esme’s eyes went to Duke’s face as he spoke, bringing a warm smile to her lips again and blushing a bit. “You’re too sweet. They’re beautiful.” she said warmly, looking at the jewelry again. She didn’t have to ask where he got them. She was pretty sure she already knew where. “Could you help me put them on?” she asked, looking up at him. Without waiting for an answer, she removed her fingers from the pendant and turned around, holding her hair out of the way so he could put the necklace on her.

Duke waited for a silent and slightly fearful moment as Esme brought her hand up and touched the pendant. He glanced toward her hand and then back up at her face and he released a small huff of excitement when she said that the jewelry was beautiful, without an ounce of judgment in her voice. As if he could possibly look at her in a better light, suddenly, her enabling of his habits just made him love her more.

Her asking if he would put them on, again with no questions, caused Duke’s face to break into a wide smile and he nodded quickly, his hands shaking a bit as he unhooked the necklace and draped his hands over Esme’s shoulders. He brought his face close to the side of hers, his breath moving a few tiny strands of hair near her ear as he pulled the necklace around her neck and redid the clasp in the back. He brushed it forward over the side of her neck, until it rested against her chest and he stepped back, picking up her hand to spin her around to face him.

“You look like a dream, ma’am.” He drawled as he took in the way the necklace brought out her eyes, so simply but elegant enough to match the dress. It was as if he had read the universe with some sort of superpower. He lifted her hand and holding her hand with two of his fingers, he unclasped the bracelet and then wrapped it around her wrist, clasping it back together before straightening it, and brushing his fingers down to hold her fingertips. “I’m tellin’ you right now. You’ll be able to sweet talk your way into anything you want, tonight. I mean it. Ain’t another woman in that place that can match up to how gorgeous you look.”

Suddenly, other than the flutter in his heart if he made the mistake of looking too deep in her eyes, Duke felt confident. He was going to be on one of her arms. He was Dean’s equal, as long as they were working. And tonight? He was going to make the best of it.



“My lord. That old lady said nothin’ about this bein’ a castle. You sure you’ll be able to find what we’re lookin’ for?” Duke asked Dean as he stepped out of the car and Dean opened Esme’s door for her, holding his hand out. The valet stepped up to Duke and offered him an umbrella to protect him from the sprinkle of rain that was beginning to fall around them, but Duke scrunched his nose and brushed the young man off, causing the man to step away from him in confusion.

Dean helped Esme out of the car, wrapping her arm around his and then he stepped up to Duke and nodded up to the parapet on the side of the mansion, “If I had to guess, it’ll be up there. Shouldn’t be too hard to ask around, if they’re for sale, right?”

“They’re not for sale, though.” Duke muttered, reaching for Esme’s hand. He wrapped it around his arm and the three of them began walking across the gravel of the circle lot, as the valet took their car away. Dean shrugged his shoulders, and he waved a hand out in front of him.

“Then you find out where it is. You’re the sweet talker of the group. You’re the one who looks the most out of place, but also the wealthiest. Make it seem like you want it to be for sale, for your wife…or mistress. Ask a woman.” Dean suggested and Duke tilted his head with his lips pressed together, as if Dean has a point. “Then you let me know, and I’ll take care of it.”

“You’ll take care of it? Jewelry is my thing. I can get it.”

“No. Because between the two of us, who has the better track record with alarms? Hm? You distract the rich folks. Keep Esme close, and I’ll grab it. In and out. We’ll be mingling before they even know it’s missing.” Dean whispered quickly as they stepped up to the door of the mansion. Duke nodded to the man at the door, dropping the name ‘Singer’, and the man simply nodded, ushering them inside.

“Fine. I’ll hit up the bar and see who I can sweet talk for information. You and Esme mingle and act normal. Oh! Masks!” Duke beamed, as a butler held out a tray of masks to the three of them. Duke ran his fingers across several, before landing on a gun metal, relatively simple mask that he couldn’t resist. He pushed his hat forward on his head, and tied the mask against the back of his hair, before readjusting his hat and the mask against his face.

Dean grabbed his own and turned to Duke, who rolled his eyes. Dean pulled away from Esme for just a second, as he let Duke tie his mask on, patting his shoulders roughly when he was finished. Yet another penguin suited man came up to the three of them, and reached a hand out, offering it to Esme with a smile, “Miss. You look lovely tonight. Are you here with anyone?”

Before Esme could answer, Dean stepped back over to her, wrapping his arm around hers with a sheepish smile, “She’s with us.”

At the word ‘us’, the man placed a hand on his chest and he glanced between Duke and Dean, then to Esme before walking away, which caused Dean to square his shoulders with pride. He then turned to Duke, “Go work your magic, Ace.”

“Gotcha.” Duke answered back with a nod. He leaned in close to Esme’s ear and he smiled, “I’ll be back before you know I’m gone, Sweet Pea.”

With a quick kiss to her cheek, Duke stepped away, weaving his way through the crowd. Without skipping a beat, he grabbed the hand of the wealthiest looking woman in the room, and spun her around, before bringing her close to his chest. As she made eye contact with him, she lost her breath and Dean chuckled, leaning his own head down to Esme, “Well, this is already going well. He’s a pro. And you…you’re the most beautiful woman in this room. I would like to buy you a drink, if you’ll have me. Though I have to say, you’re looking like new money. My father would never approve.”

As Dean teased her, drew himself close enough to brush noses with her, drawing attention from a few of the people in the large stairwell entrance.

Esme knew that not saying anything about Duke’s sticky fingers was just enabling his habits, but who was she to judge when she also had sticky fingers occasionally? But that was mostly out of necessity, not a want or a gift for someone. In this life, even with credit card scams, getting the things you needed was sometimes tricky. She also knew that Dean had sticky fingers. She helped with the act a few times. So she really had no room to judge Duke with his sticky fingers when getting the necklace and bracelet for her. Before she turned around for him to put the necklace on her, Esme saw Duke’s wide smile and quick nod. She looked down a bit as Duke’s hands draped over her shoulders, then looked to the side as Duke brought his face close to the side of hers, holding back a shiver as his breath moved some strands of her hair near her ear. After he redid the clap, brushed the necklace forward, and stepped back, Esme released her hold on her hair just as he took her hand and spun her around to face him. She couldn’t help but smile warmly at his words as she looked at him.

“Thank you.” was all she managed to say as she watched how he looked at her. Despite not knowing what dress she had chosen, he did a good job picking out a necklace that matched her dress, almost as if something had told him to pick it and its matching bracelet. Esme’s eyes left Duke’s face and to her hand. Watching as he lifted it, held it with two fingers, and placed the bracelet on her wrist. Her eyes then went back up to his face as he spoke, a smile and a blush coming to her face before she averted her gaze and shook her head softly. “Now you're just being sweet.” she said softly. As much as she liked the dress, she still felt a little awkward in it and wasn’t too sure she’d be the prettiest there, as Bobby and Duke had said. But it was sweet of them both to say so. However, she wasn’t going to let the slightly awkward feeling ruin her fun tonight.


As they pulled up to the mansion, Esme looked out the window, her eyes widening slightly at its sheer size. Yes, she expected the place to be big, but not this big. Duke had said nothing about how big the pace was going to be, and neither did the old woman he spoke to due to his comment as he got out of the car. When Dean opened her door and offered his hand, she took it before swinging her legs out of the car. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as Dean helped her out, wrapped her arm around his, and stepped up to Duke. Her eyes went to the parapet as the two spoke, and she nodded silently. Esme’s eyes came back to Duke as he took her hand and wrapped it around his arm. As the three of them walked across the gravel circle lot, her mind began to wander, but she could still hear the boys' conversation. She was pulled back in at the mention of wife or mistress and laughed at herself. With Duke dresses like this, he did look like he’d have a mistress. Esme almost said something at the light bickering, but they had reached the door.

After Duke dropped the name ‘Singer,’ she walked inside with the boys, her mind wandering again. Even though she thought it was sweet that Dean told Duke to keep her close, she didn’t like that it slightly sounded like she couldn’t take care of herself. She was sure she could have gotten the necklace herself if the two weren’t keen to finish the job themselves. But something else told her that both boys wanted her to have a good time tonight and not have to worry about getting the necklace. If that was what they wanted, she’d give it to them. Esme opened her mouth to say something, but a butler approached them with a tray of masks, causing her to close her mouth and look over the masks. She ran her hand over a couple before deciding on a purple and gold one. After they had all chosen their masks and the butler walked away, Esme placed hers on her face and pulled its black silk ribbon to the back of her head. “However we get it done, just make sure you're both careful and smart about it.” she told them softly, tying the ribbon against the back of her hair.

Esme had just turned to face the boys when a male guest in a nice suite walked up to her and spoke. Before she could even open her mouth to reply, Dean had quickly stepped back up to her and took her arm, answering for her with a sheepish smile. The look on the man's face was priceless as he looked between Dean and Duke before looking back at her. She had to hold back the smile that threatened to show itself before the man walked away. Esme let her smile show as she saw and felt the pride in Dean. As Dean turned to Duke, so did she. When Duke leaned in and whispered in her ear, she smiled a little bit more, then blushed lightly when he kissed her cheek and called her Sweet Pea. “Good luck, not that you need it.” she said as Duke stepped away. Esme watched Duke weave through the crowd and quickly found a woman to work his magic on. She laughed with Dean as the woman lost her breath as soon as she made eye contact with Duke. When Dean leaned his head down and spoke to her, she nodded to the first part of what he said before looking at him.

Esme’s cheeks flushed at Dean’s words, which were mostly covered by her mask. Esme smiled sweetly and looked into Dean’s eyes when he brushed his nose against hers. She could feel eyes on them, but she didn't care. She elegantly brought a hand up to her chest and looked at him almost seductively. “You flatter me, sir.” she said elegantly. “You’re looking good enough to eat.” Esme slowly leaned in, brushing her lips against his ear as she smiled. “I’d love to take you up on your drink offer, but I don’t think my boyfriend would approve.” she whispered against his ear. “However, he has no idea that I’m here…. So, what do you say we have a little fun?”