Wolvena

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme Stirling

Esme watched Duke intently as he took in what she had told him. She knew he was no stranger to knowing Empaths existed, but she didn’t know how he’d react knowing he’d been around one without knowing it and it was someone he knew. To say she was worried about how he’d take it was an understatement, but when he pouted his lip and nodded his head, some of that worry faded. It actually surprised her with how well he seemed to take the news. Of course, she knew he need some time to think it over more and let it sink in more, but she couldn’t have been anymore relieved to not have him freak out on her, especially when they were in a bath together. She released a silent sigh as she watched him and took in his next words, a small smile brightening up her face as she saw the realization hit him.

“Yes, I was aware the whole time.” she said in a soft tone. She could still remember the time Duke and spent with her and Dean, and just how strong his emotions were when all three of them were together. It even came to a point where she tried not to be too affectionate towards Dean when Duke was around them, as to not stir up his emotions too much more than they already were. Then she had to find a way to tell Dean why she was being a bit standoffish without letting him on to how Duke felt about her, which wasn’t easy. “Awkward?” she questioned with a laugh as she dropped her head slightly and shook it gently. “Yes, it was, but there was more to it than that.” she said, lifting her head to look at him once again. “I had to fight to keep my own emotions in check when your jealousy rose. You felt it so strongly, it nearly took me over at times. That’s why I would suddenly say I needed to do something or walk off without a word.” she admitted to him with a small laugh.

When Duke picked up the cloth, wet it, and brushed it over her head, she was about to lean her head back slightly when he tightened his arm around her and smirked. The smile she had on her lips grew as she looked at him and he spoke, then she nodded, not being able to disagree with him and to show she remembered. She tilted her head back slightly when he squeezed the cloth over her head before sliding it over her head, then looked at him when he said he didn’t see this was any different. “I remember the time in Flagstaff vividly. I was the only one out of all of us that was sure you wouldn’t turn. Dean thought I was crazy with how adamant I was. You don’t know how much it bothered me to have to chain you up that night.” she finished with a heavy sigh. Esme fell silent for a moment, her gaze shifting from his a moment as if she was thinking about something.

She shifted her gaze back to his, her smile fading only a little as she looked at him. “Does it really not bother you to know what I am and what I can do?” she asked him, her tone growing serious. “I know you’ve heard about Empaths and what they are capable of.”

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme Stirling

Before Esme used her emotion projection on Duke, she had listened to his comment back to her about what she said, giving a small laugh of her own. The way she saw it, though, he didn’t really have to be there with her. That was his choice. It wasn’t as if she had twisted his arm to make him stay in the room with her or give her a bath and then join her in it, even if she was grateful he was there to help her. Duke was also right about them being naked at the same time was a whole other ball game for them. But it also showed, at least to her, that there was still a connection between them after all the time apart and even after how things had been left when she decided to leave. That day still stuck out like a sore thumb in her mind, and she regretted it every day. She had gotten the chance to apologize to Dean about it, but she still needed to apologize to Duke. She just needed to find the right time and place to do so.

She had watched as he glanced down at her hand on his chest before meeting her gaze again. It was hard not to notice the breath he took, the softening of his gaze as he stared at her, and how his signature smile wanted to stay on his face, seeing it in the corners of his eyes and mouth. The soft smile she had slightly faded at his words, knowing how he felt seeing her beaten up and in a weakened state. It had even affected him back then, but now stress was added because of a new element they hadn’t had before. “I know.” she whispered. When he smiled brightly and rolled his eyes at her teasing by using his old favorite expression, her smile returned as she looked at him and held back a laugh from his eye roll.

Esme kept her hand on Duke’s chest as she used her emotion projection to calm him. She saw his smile slightly fade as soon as he began to calm, knowing it had to be from how quickly he felt himself calming since he had probably never experienced such a quick calming effect. After she felt his heart rate slow beneath her hand, she stopped the projection, and her assumption soon presented itself. She couldn’t help but smile as a light blush came to her cheeks. “On purpose, meaning trying to keep your heart from jumping out of your chest?...... Then yes, it was on purpose.” she replied, taking his furrowed brow and the way he looked at her. Her warm smile then faded into one of nervousness, even though he said he wasn’t running anywhere. She looked down at her hand still resting on Duke’s chest. Her thoughts drifting to when she came clean to Dean about what she was, and how he hadn’t taken it all that well. In fact, he had actually scared her with the way he reacted to the news.

Her hand on his chest went into a loose fist before she pulled herself from her thoughts and sighed heavily through her nose. At that moment, she half wanted to pull away and put her back to him, even though she knew Duke differed from Dean and handled things differently than he did. “You’re right…… I am different from everyone.” she half muttered. She fell silent for a moment as she searched for her words, then looked up from her hand, but not enough to look into Duke’s face, not being able to right then. “I was able to calm you because…… I can manipulate the emotions of others…… I also know the emotions of anyone near me. That’s how I knew how you felt about me before you said anything.” She finally lifted her head to meet his gaze after a small bit of silence. “I’m an…… Empath.” Esme watched him, letting her words sink in, waiting to feel any new emotion come off of him and waiting for him to say something.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme Stirling

As Esme lay in the tub with her eyes closed, she smiled at the first part of what Duke said, then it faded at the last part. She knew how bad it could have been if he hadn’t had shown up when he did, and she was grateful he showed up. “I can’t disagree with you there.” she said in almost a whisper. Her mind drifted back to her being tied to the chair and being tortured by the demon, causing her eyebrows to knit together and her body to tense up. If Duke hadn’t shown up when he did, the only way they could have gotten out of the situation was if she had gone nuclear as she did before. A heavy sigh escaped her nose at the thought of going nuclear again. In the shape she was in, she would have been out cold soon after, and out for a few days. She shook the thought from her mind before it could get the better of her and began to relax again.

When she heard his frustrated sigh, she was about to open her eyes before she heard him say he’d be back, to which she gave a small nod. She could hear his footsteps as he walked away from the tub and to the door of the bathroom, then listened as he kicked off his boots. As she heard him unbuckle his belt, she opened her eyes and looked at the bathroom door to see him opening his jeans, causing her eyebrows to raise. “What are you…… You’re not….” she started softly, then trailed off, not being able to finish her sentences as he took off his pants and boxers. Hellfire! He is! she thought to herself. This is unexpected. We’ve never been naked in the same room. Let alone in a bath together. she continued to think. Her eyes had shot up to his face as he shook out his shoulders, and feeling his nerves grow stronger. I would have never thought he would get in with me to help. she thought.

Every incident that she could remember of them being naked was an accident, then they would quickly cover up with a laugh before either could see much of the other. This was definitely a new moment between them, one that really stirred up the nerves. As Duke stepped back up to the bath and placed a hand on her upper back, she found herself holding her breath as he asked her to lean up. She couldn’t stop the soft smile coming to her lips as he used her nickname as she leaned forward with his help, wincing a bit at her sore stomach muscles. As Duke stepped into the bath, she slowly let out the breath she was holding while being aware of his every move as he lowered himself into the water. When his legs were placed on either side of her, she could feel her nerves rising more, since she half expected him to curl up behind her.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on keeping her breath even and not letting her nerves take control of her, which wasn’t easy with Duke’s nervousness rising. As he sighed and pulled her back against his chest, she opened her eyes and nodded her head softly. That’s easier said than done. she thought to herself. Esme looked at the ceiling as he wet her hair with the cloth and pulled her head back against his shoulder. It was then she felt his heart hammering against her back from his nervousness. It felt as if he could have a heart attack at any moment. Before she could think more about it, he spoke again, and it caused her to laugh, as she knew it was completely true. “Don’t I know it. I remember how you were then.” she laughed. After he put the shampoo in her hair, her eyes closed as he massaged the shampoo into her hair and scalp after leaning her forward a bit.

One eyebrow went up when he chuckled again and said he was a calm and respectful gentleman now, followed by a smirk. “Psh….. I can agree with being a respectful gentleman, but you are far from calm right now.” she said with a laugh in her tone as she opened her eyes. Carefully shifting to one side, Esme carefully adjusted herself to where she was just about laying at an angle to look at him, a warm smile resting on her lips. “You’re going to have a heart attack if you don’t calm yourself.” she told him. Yes, her nerves were heightened as well and her heart was beating fast, but nowhere near as fast as his. As she lay there, she scanned his face, then brought up a hand to lie gently on his chest, still feeling his heart hammer against it. “Your heart feels like it could jump out of your chest at any moment.” As she spoke, she looked down at her hand on his chest a moment, then looked back up into his eyes.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen him so nervous around her, but then again, they had never been like this together. She inwardly smiled at the thought of his nervousness being caused by her, and his fear of crossing any boundaries with her or scaring her. He was one person who scared her the least out of all those she knew. Pulling herself back from her thoughts, she held his gaze and softly sighed. “You need to breathe, Bright Eyes.” she spoke softly. “We don’t need you popping a blood vessel or worse.” she added, throwing a little tease to lighten things. Taking in a calm breath, she did a soft projection of calm emotion to him. It would be just enough to get the job done, but not enough to drain her of what energy she had. As she held his gaze and projected the emotion, Esme realized that this was the first time she had done a projection of emotion on him. It also felt different from all the other times she had to project emotion to someone.

She couldn’t quite put her finger on why it felt so different and it confused her greatly. Maybe it was because, deep down, she knew she caused his nervousness and was the one who could remedy it. She could calm the nervousness that bubbled up in him that was caused by her and the moment they were sharing. She also knew that with her projecting calm to him, he could pick up on how quickly his nervousness faded. Which at some point could lead to her finally telling him she was an Empath. It was something she was a little nervous about confessing to him after all this time.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme Stirling

Esme’s head dropped to look at the floor as Duke spoke about their time in Salado. Bringing a hand up and closing her eyes, she placed it on the uninjured side of her face and shook her head, not remembering that part of the night. “Oh, god.” she whispered. It was hard to picture herself in a state such as that. It made her cringe at the thought of her even acting like that. At his teasing, she opened her eyes and looked up from her hand to him as he came back into the room, not missing the rippling of his muscles as he shook out his arms. Blinking quickly, she looked up at his face as he walked over to her. “Of course I.” she grinned. “I always was before that and I still am.” she laughed. Being a hunter, you needed to be strong, otherwise, things could go south fast. She had trained long and hard and still did, to build up the strength she needed to face almost anything that she would come across in this life as not to fall prey to them. She never wanted to become someone that everyone thought they needed to save.

When Duke reached out and wrapped his arms around her, she went slightly tense and cursed herself for doing so. After he pulled her to her feet and tight against his chest, she placed her hands on his biceps as he held her and looked up into his face, meeting his gaze as he spoke. “I don’t remember any of that.” she laughed. Which was true. She could remember everything up to the point of where they carried her out and put her in the car, then everything else just went blank. But him taking care of her while Dean went out to get what they needed was definitely him. As he walked backward and pulled her along with him, she carefully walked along with him as to not pop the stitches in her thigh, wincing a bit as she went. Once in the bathroom, she put her weight on her good leg as his hands went to her hips. Esme could feel his emotions changing as if he was afraid, then felt his nervousness as he hooked his fingers into her underwear and pulled them down until they hit the floor.

Her eyebrows went up in surprise and couldn’t stop herself from tensing up as she looked at him, not expecting him to pull them off without some type of warning or even asking if it was alright. It explained his nervousness to some extent. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen her naked before, but he had normally asked before removing an article of clothing from her. When he held her again, she carefully stepped out of her underwear and slid them to the side with a small wince before settling back on her good leg again. A small smile came to her lips at his apology and him calling her love. Then she gently shook her head as she looked down a bit. “It’s alright. I’d rather things be personal than…….” she lost her train of thought momentarily and swallowed hard as he flicked her bra open. “Than hitting my head on any of the porcelain in here.” she finished. As he lifted the strap over the stitches on her shoulder, she lifted her hands from his arms so he could slide the bra straps off her arms.

“Besides, we both know this isn’t our first rodeo. Even if I was a bit…… More out of it during those times.” she said with a small smile and laugh to calm herself and him. Once the bra left her arms, she rested them against his chest before she looked back up at Duke to scan his face, finding it hard to miss his nervous smile as he tossed her bra onto the floor. It was hard to stop the smile that crept onto her lips at his next words and laughed a little. “In this life, you have to heal fast.” she joked. “You also know it’s always been hard to keep me down. It also helps when you have someone to help take care of yourself.” she added before he released her waist and brushed her cheek with his fingertips. She closed her eyes for a moment at the action, then met his gaze again, noticing his stare as she became lost in his eyes once again. When he shook himself from his stare, she blinked and looked down at her hands as he took them in his, then looked back up at him.

A warm smile rested on her lips at his sweetness, happy he hadn’t lost that side of himself. At his request to get in and relax, Esme nodded her head softly, held his hands tighter, and moved closer to the bath with his help. “I think I can manage that.” she said warmly. With Duke’s help, she stepped into the bath and lowered herself to sit in the water. Once in, she leaned back and sunk into the water as she let go of his hands, resting her hands on her stomach with a sigh of contentment. The water felt wonderful and it was already working to relax her tired and stiff body, her eyes slowly closed as the water relaxed her more and more. “Thank you again for getting us out of there and patching me up, Bright Eyes.” she whispered after a bit, a soft smile resting on her lips.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme Stirling

Esme saw Duke's brow furrow when she told him she knew he loved her before he confessed to her. Yes, he had been very careful about the way he looked at her around Dean, and the way he touched her, and the glances that would have given him away. Being an Empath, she could feel just how strong his feelings were for her back then. Duke being unaware that she knew was no surprise to her. She and Dean had never told Duke she was an Empath. They had wanted to but were never quite sure how he would have taken it. Dean had said nothing out of respect for Esme and knew she was the one that wanted to tell him when she felt it was the right time. But the right time never presented its self in her eyes before the three of them went their separate ways and lost contact with one another. She often wondered if it had been a good or bad thing she never told him.

When Duke turned his hand over and wrapped his fingers around hers, she tensed ever so slightly as she had continued to talk. Before Esme closed her eyes, she had even felt his emotions change before she saw his eyebrows raise when she told him she had been afraid of losing him that day. To be honest, she was terrified of losing him that day and had become much harder that day to hide it. She could still feel the burn in her chest and the ache in her stomach that day brought on whenever the memory came flooding back into her mind. Something else she never admitted to either of them was, she loved them both. She loved them both with every fiber of her being, and at the time, the only family she had because her father and she were on the outs. So, of course, she was terrified of losing him as he laid there bleeding from the stab wound in his abdomen. She still considered Duke and Dean her family and the only family she had now, but wasn’t sure if they still saw her the same way after everything.

To be even more honest with herself, being back around both stirred things up she had pushed down after she had left. She still loved both of them, and it was fully clear to her now that nothing would change that, and she was almost sure she felt a spark of something from Duke. When he spoke and smirked, Esme could feel the smirk as she sat there with her eyes still closed, but couldn’t return it, it hurt too much to. When Duke leaned forward and pressed his forehead against her gently, she tensed a bit more, but couldn’t pull back. As he continued to speak, she closed her eyes tighter as she listened, a sigh escaping her nose. Yes, it was in the past. Yes, he put her on the spot that day, and yes, it had made her act a bit differently around him afterward. But it never changed how she felt about him, it just made things slightly awkward. When he said he was there now, she had to wonder for how long.

She had just barely caught him tell Dean and Mika he would stick around for a couple of days. Just what was a couple of days to him now after all this time apart? She gave a slight nod of her head in response, though, and it made her happy he was. Even though she was timid of his touch, she felt more at ease with him there, like she didn’t have to worry about certain things as much. Not to mention, it would be highly awkward if Cason were there instead of Duke tending to her injuries. Duke, tilting his head and carefully kissing the tip of Esme’s nose, pulled her from her small train of thought, and caused her breath to catch as her eyes flew open. It wasn’t something she was expecting in such a tense moment between them, but that didn’t stop the small smile coming to her lips at his words. “O...Okay.” she replied, a little softer than she intended. “If I share, you have to share too.” Pulling her head back and tilted it up slightly, unintentionally brushed her nose against his as she did so.

She froze after she had pulled away and averted her gaze from him. “S...Sorry.” she whispered. Looking down, she noticed her hand was still in his, with his fingers still wrapped around hers. She couldn’t help but noticed how small her hand looked and felt within his, and how he held it within his. Taking a small breath in to clear her thoughts and collect herself, she looked back up at Duke, giving him a look that said she was ready for him to stitch her up, just like she used to. She turned her gaze once again, slowly pulled her hand from his, and prepared herself.

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After Duke had stitched her up, he left her side and headed into the bathroom to draw her a bath. As she sat on the bed waiting and collecting herself once again, she would occasionally look towards the bathroom to watch Duke. When not watching him, her mind would drift back to times of their past together before he confessed his love for her. One came to mind that made her look back to the bathroom at Duke and laugh softly to herself. “Do you remember that haunting the three of us went to check out at a bed-and-breakfast in Salado?” she asked, a smile playing on her lips. “Everything about that case was strange and ended up going sideways for a bit. I still don’t know how we got the job done and got out of there with only minor scrapes and bruises.” She dropped her head and shook it softly at the memory before looking at him again.

“Then we went back to our room to get cleaned up and changed before going out for a drink. I ended up getting drunk off my ass and I think I pissed a few people off, too. The two of you had to carry me out of there. Everything after that is a bit of a blur.” she laughed. “I’m still wondering if I truly did get drunk because I don’t remember drinking that much, or did I get roofied by some Asshat and was lucky you two were there?”

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme Stirling

Esme’s gaze lifted back to Duke's when she felt his emotion suddenly change, but before she could react to it, he was smiling again. Though she knew what she felt in that moment from Duke, guilt, and fear. Did he blame himself for her being in the warehouse and fear she could have died if he hadn’t shown up when he did? Before she could answer the question in her mind, he had answered her question about being like old times and laughed. She couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped her, knowing that she had opened the door for that comment from him and it was true. “True.” she said simply, with a laugh in her tone. With his bright smile and shining eyes on hers, she couldn’t help but smile back. Even as he brushed his thumb across her cheek, her smile remained. When he stood, she let her hand slid from his arm and rest on her lap as she watched him remove his hat and toss it on the dresser.

When he turned back to face her, and bent down, asking her to raise her good arm, she felt nervousness creeping in as she lifted her arm and he helped as he removed her shirt. It was all she could do not to suddenly flinch or tense up from his touch, even at how gentle he was being. The memory from a few years ago trying to creep into her tired mind at that moment, but she forced it back like she always did and spoke to herself. This is Duke. You can trust him. What happened that night won’t happen with him. He’s never done anything to hurt you. Her little pep talk to herself helped her calm her nerves a bit and helped her stay relaxed as Duke freed her arm from her shirt. With her arm free, she worked with the bottom of her shirt to make things easier in getting it over her head. After he snaked her shirt over her head, she readied herself for him to peel it from the stab wound on her other shoulder.

Esme gritted her teeth and hissed a bit as Duke slowly peeled the shirt from the stab wound. When it came loose, she looked over at him, seeing that he had also been gritting his teeth as if he was feeling her pain. When he pulled the shirt from her wrist, she also sighed, giving a small nod at his words. She knew the worst part was still to come, and she was preparing herself for it. “Not too bad, and don’t I know it.” she replied as he moved to the bandana. She watched as he gently picked at the knot he had made, then looked at him as he spoke, nodding her head softly. It was a night she had tried to forget, but it was one that constantly stuck around in her mind. She closed her eyes and sighed as she continued to listen, trying not to feel as the bandana came free from her leg. “I remember it.” she said softly. “It’s one of those memories that’s hard to forget.” She kept her eyes closed as she felt him move to the blood-soaked shirt that covered the stab wound on her thigh.

She moved her good hand to the mattress, gripping the blanket on the bed as he continued to talk about that day. As he spoke, she wondered what had prompted him to bring it up. Was it because of the state she was in? Or did he just feel the need to confess? With those questions burning in her mind and the memory coming back to her, she didn’t feel Duke pull the t-shirt free from her thigh and then place it back to stop the bleeding that started again. She could hear Duke’s words playing in her head as if he had said them yesterday, and could also hear her own words, as well as see the state he had been in. She fought the lump that was working its way into her throat and the tears that threatened to fill her eyes. Opening her eyes with a soft sigh, she looked at Duke, her eyes softening more than they ever had towards him and becoming glassy with tears threatening to fill them. The memory still hit her hard after all the time that had passed. She had thought she was going to lose him that day.

She released the covers on the bed, then moved her hand to rest on his, and squeezing it gently as her other hand came up to hold on to her wire necklace again, out of habit. She sighed through her nose as her gaze dropped a bit. “I know….. I know why you said what you did.” she whispered. “I even came to realize how you felt about me, even before you confessed that day.” She lifted her gaze to meet his once again, her grip on his hand tightening a little more. “I also have a confession for that day.” she told him. “Seeing you in that state scared the hell out of me, and hearing you talk like you were going to die scared me even more. I know I didn’t show it, because you know I could never let you or Dean see that in me.” She closed her eyes again, the memory playing out once more behind her eyes. “I felt you were giving up, and I was going to lose you. I couldn’t bear thinking about losing a member of my family, that’s why I was so hard on you.” she confessed.

2003

Esme stood looking at Duke sitting on the floor of the storm cellar, a machete in one hand and her other hand in a fist. Her eyes scanning over his injuries and falling on his stab wound on his abdomen. “Hellfire!” she muttered to herself. As he began talking, she gripped the machete tighter. “Don’t you….” she trailed off when he told her to shut up. She knew where he was going with his words, and she didn’t want to hear it. She had slightly turned away from him as he spoke, her grip tightened even more at his words. Her eyes closed, and she shook her head. She whirled around to face him when he finished, then knelt down in front of him, despite her own injuries. “Don’t you dare give up on me, Duke Hatfield.” she told him sternly.

She stood back up, turning slightly so she could see Duke and the cellar door. “You and I are going to get out of this. It may not be in one piece, but it will be alive.” Setting down her machete near Duke, she pulled off her jacket and then her overshirt. Kneeling at Dukes side, she pressed her overshirt to his wound and placed his hands on top of it. Putting her jacket back on, she looked back up into his face. “I don’t want to hear any more about one of us not making it out of here, alright?” She looked back at the cellar door, her jaw clenching as she did so. “We’re going to get out of here together and alive, even if I have to take on all those bloodsuckers myself.”

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme Stirling

As Esme sat in the truck, she watched the interaction between Duke and Mika. A slight smile came to her lips as she watched Duke hug Mika and spin her around before setting her back on the ground. Being in the truck and starting to zone out, she heard little of what they said between them. She knew Duke must have mentioned something about her because Mika glanced at the truck and at her. Esme saw the worry on her face before her and Duke looked up at Dean as he came out of the room, and the small smile she had faded. She knew that Mika’s worry was about Dean and how he would react to the state she was in. It made her sigh heavily as she watched the three interact outside the truck. After she saw Duke and Dean hug, she sighed once again and turned her head to stare at the dash of the truck.

Even though she was zoning out, the feelings and thoughts she had pushed down about Mika were starting to bubble to the surface again. Esme knew Dean would be worried about the state she was in. It was only natural with the history they had. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily again, hoping that with Duke there, it would help ease things a bit. Duke had already offered to patch and clean her up, which should relieve some of the worry Mika felt about Dean wanting to take care of her. Though it made her wonder yet again, why in the hell she promised Dean she would stick around after the total fiasco with Cupid and the tension it brought with it between her and Mika. Then again, it was always hard to say no to him when he pleaded with her, and not to mention him saying he didn’t want to lose her again. Closing her eyes tighter, she brought a hand up and carefully felt around her chest for the necklace she always wore.

When she didn’t feel it, she moved her hand up more, finally feeling it on her neck. The demons had pulled it to lie on her back, so it was out of the way. Fiddling with it, she pulled it back to the front and held onto the charm made of wire. It was the necklace Dean had made and given her all those years ago. Even though they weren’t together anymore and wouldn’t be again, it brought her comfort in times like these. Duke pulled from her thoughts and self-comforting when he opened the door, causing her to jump and her eyes fly open. When Duke leaned over her and unbuckled her seatbelt, she relaxed a bit and stayed still as he put a hand under her legs and around her lower back, then into his arms. At Duke’s words, she smiled softy and relaxed into his arms and chest, still holding onto the charm of the necklace. “I know we are.” she replied as he smiled down at her.

Esme’s eyes then went to Dean as he came into view, holding the room key and a note. When Dean looked at her, she could see the worry on his face as he looked at her appearance. She tried to give him a look that said, “I’ll be alright. Don’t look so worried.” before he shook his head and ran to open the door to her and Duke’s room. As Duke carried her to their room, she couldn’t help but wonder where Cason was. She figured he would have been the first to the truck when they pulled into the parking lot, not Mika. Which made her think he’d gone off somewhere to possibly think, get her car, or he let his guilt over what happened to her get the better of him and went to handle things. There was really no telling with him. She came out of her thoughts as Duke stepped over the threshold with her and spoke to Dean and Mika. She turned her head to take in the room, then noticed the single bed in the room as Duke carried her over to it.

She knew that once she was feeling a little better, he’d more than likely have a joke or flirty remark to throw at her about it. Esme winced slightly when Duke carefully lowered her to the mattress. It was then she let go of the necklace so she could steady herself as she sat there. When he cradled her face in his hands, she looked up and met his gaze, knowing this was his way of making sure she heard what he said. A smile came to her lips as she listened to him. He hadn’t changed a bit from what she could tell. He would always ask before he did something that could make her uncomfortable, and it was clear he never wanted to do that. Even though he’d flirt with her, he had always been respectful to her and it was just one of the things she loved about him. She then lifted a hand and placed it on his arm, a smile still resting on her lips. “Yes, that’s okay…... You and I both know it’d be a job if I tried to take care of all this on my own.”

She trusted him and it’s not like this would be the first time he’s seen her partially dressed or even naked. Most of those times were all because of bad timing on his part, but some were because he had to help Dean patch her up. Still holding his gaze, she gave his arm a small squeeze. “A bath afterward sounds heavenly.” she added, her smile growing a bit. Even if the water didn’t get too hot, it would be nice to just sit and relax in the bath, which was something she hadn’t done in some time. Esme then dropped her gaze from his, a smirk coming to her lips followed by a light laugh. “It’s almost like old times, isn’t it?” she questioned, her tone warm.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme Stirling

Duke’s flinch to Esme’s voice breaking the silence didn’t go unnoticed to her. It was clear to her that she had pulled him from deep thought and from a possible memory. When he furrowed his brow at her fading smile, it took her a little by surprise, not expecting it to affect him in such a way. It was a serious question in her mind and the way it made her feel stole her smile, and she wasn’t sure he would even answer the question. She watched Duke as he shrugged his shoulders and looked back at the road before giving a short answer, making her think that was all he was going to say until he glanced back at her. She watched and listened to him intently as he spoke about seeing signs everywhere that led to fate, this caused her eyebrows to raise in interest as he continued. As he spoke about the husky and its demeanor, and how it reminded him of her because it looked like a wolf, her soft smile returned at the thought of the husky making him think of her.

She was going to say something in response but stopped herself as she took in his actions, seeing that he was encouraging himself to keep speaking. So she remained quiet as to not stop him and only nodded, her smile growing a bit more as he began to speak once again. Esme took what he said and how the next sign presented itself to him, her smile fading a bit as he said he realized he didn’t want to go alone even though it would have been a blast and has been obsessed since he was a kid. Then he turned to her once again, smiling and tilting his head to the side, the action and his next words got her, causing her to tear up as she remembered them talking about it. When Duke turned his attention back to the road, she looked away, bringing a hand up to quickly wipe away the tears that had escaped her eye as she heard the little scoff escape his chest.

It was saddening to hear that he had gotten so close to fulfilling the dream but didn’t because signs of fate got in the way that made him not want to go alone. Yet it was sweet hearing him say that it was their little pipe dream adventure, and it warmed her heart that he had remembered that it was their dream. Closing her eyes briefly, she wiped away a few more tears that rolled down her cheek. Esme looked out the window with a small sniffle, watching the motel come into view. As the truck dove over the lip of the pavement, she winced a little from the slight jolt it gave the truck, then watched as Dean’s Impala came into view as Duke parked next to it. As she turned her head back slightly, she wiped away a few more tears that worked themselves free from her eye. She remained quiet, not knowing what to say after hearing Duke talk about not going through with the trip.

Esme just barely noticing Mika run out of her room towards the truck. When Mika’s form registered with her, she watched as she waited for Duke to leave the truck and throw her arms around him in a hug, almost bowling him over. It was almost strange seeing this side of Mika even though Esme knew she had a softer side.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme Stirling

When Duke met Esme’s gaze, she held it, her smile growing along with his when she used his nickname. His smile was still contagious after all this time. With her head still rested on his shoulder, she listened as he spoke and he looked up at his truck. She nodded softly to his words, being able to relate to what he had been doing all this time. She had been trying to stay out of it for the most part, but she still had her unfinished business and couldn’t fully pull out of the hunter’s life until she took care of it. At his statement and chuckle, a soft laugh escaped her as if she were being called out as he adjusted his grip and opened the truck door. She had missed him, she couldn’t lie to herself about that. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed him until now. She had missed his laugh, his smile, the warmth in his tone when he spoke to her, and those beautiful blue eyes that always smiled and had a sparkle in them.

“Of course I missed you.” Esme said softly as he swung the door open more and sat her in the seat. “I hope y…….” She trailed off when he brought a hand up and brushed her hair from her face and smoothed it behind her ears before gently running his fingers over the bruise over her eye. The softness from the simple action caused her breath to catch and her gaze to drop, then lifted her gaze back to his as he spoke. “Sounds good.” she replied as she returned his smile. As he stared at her and scanned her eyes, she once again became lost in his eyes until he pulled back from her. She quickly blinked her eyes and slowly released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as he pulled the seatbelt across her body and clicked it into place, then put moved the strap behind her to keep it from hurting her injured shoulder, a smile coming to her lips as he did. “Thank you.” she said warmly.

After he shut the door, she watched him as he made his way around the truck, opened the door, and got in. After starting the truck and pulling out of the parking lot, Esme looked out the windshield of Duke’s truck, her mind becoming a tangled mess of thoughts and memories. She was still having trouble wrapping her head around the fact that Duke was actually there and had been the one to pull her and Cason out of the demon situation. Not to mention, she had met back up with Dean not that long ago after hearing he was alive. Two people she cared about most had come back into her life only days apart from each other. There was no way someone could plan for this to happen. It made her head spin. Closing her eyes and loosely crossing her arms over her stomach, she took a couple of deep breaths in through her nose, slowly letting them leave her mouth to clear her thoughts.

Leaning her head back, Esme opened her eyes and tilted her head to the side to look at Duke as he drove them to the motel. There was so much she wanted to ask him she hardly knew what to ask him first as she sat there looking at him. Then it came to her, a question that had been burning in her mind for a while after she had lost contact with him. She almost felt bad for asking, but she truly wanted to know. The smile that had been on her lips faded as she looked over at Duke, the question burning in her mind. “You said you were trying not to go back down this road.” she started softly. She fell silent for a moment, trying to find her words. “Were you……” A sigh escaped her nose as she paused again and closed her eyes. “Were you able to stay out long enough to……” She paused once more and opened her eyes to look at him again. “To fulfill that dream you told me about?” She really hoped he had or was at least close to fulfilling it.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme Stirling

When Cason cut the ropes from Esme’s wrists, she carefully lifted them from the chair and rubbed them with her hands as she brought them close to her. She was about to say something to Cason to answer him about pulling the knife from her leg when she saw Duke turn and look at her with raised eyebrows. She couldn’t stop the small smile that came to her lips as she saw him realize he knew her, and watched him as he bolted over and stood next to her. With some effort, she lifted her chin from Cason’s hand to look up at Duke as he spoke. A small laugh escaped her at his first few words. “It has been forever.” she agreed. She had to admit it surprised her he was here and was the one that helped them with the demons. The last she heard, he had up and fallen out of touch with everyone. When she saw his eyes go to the knife in her thigh, she knew he was going to want to take over even before he shoved Cason out of the way.

A smile came to her lips at him calling her Babydoll, just like it did back then. She could never keep from smiling at the nickname he’d given her. “That we have.” she replied as her gaze followed him. As her head dropped to look at him, her hair fell over the right side of her face, covering her swollen eye and cheek. Esme watched as he settled in front of her and pulled a bandana from his pocket. When he looked up and met eyes with her, she held his gaze as he took his hat off and placed it on the ground, then couldn’t help but smile and lightly laugh as he did at his words. “Beautiful?” she softly questioned with a laugh in her tone. She knew she looked rough and far from beautiful at that moment from having her face bashed against her car and punched. Though she knew he was trying to distract her from him maneuvering the bandana under her leg.

“I know I look….. Awful. You can say it, it won’t hurt my feelings.” she smiled as he brought the ends of the bandana up on her thigh. When Duke brought up a case in Vegas, she gave a small laugh, closed her eye, and shook her head softly. “How could I forget? That definitely turned into something we weren’t expecting.” she said as she opened her eye and met his gaze again. She was going to say more when he asked her to look at him and they were going to play the game they played while he removed the bullet she took for him. “Alright.” she said with a nod, holding his gaze. After all this time, it was still so easy to get lost in his blue eyes and have everything drowned out around her. She carefully adjusted herself in the chair and waited for Duke to start the game, his sigh showing he was about to start. As he spoke the colors, she repeated, feeling the bandana get tighter as each color left their mouths.

When Duke said “Pink.” and pulled the bandana tight, Esme took in a sharp breath. Her head dropped a bit as a groan left her lips, then breathed deeply through the pain to collect herself. As she lifted her head back up, she saw Duke removing his shirt and watched as he brought it down to her thigh, then grab the knife. At his words, her gaze lifted from the knife and back to his as his hand came to her cheek to cradle it. She had just taken a deep breath and held it when he pulled the knife from her thigh, another groan leaving her as it left her thigh. She didn’t release the breath until she heard the knife hit the ground and Duke spoke once again. “Still as smooth as ever.” she said softly as Duke tied his shirt around her thigh. She tilted her head to the side for a moment to collect herself. Her gaze followed him once again when he stood and slid his arm under her legs carefully, then lifted her head as he wrapped his other arm around her back.

Esme carefully leaned over the chair arm with a wince and picked his hat up off the floor before Duke picked her up, causing her to wince again. She would have protested against being carried but knew she wouldn’t have been able to walk out on her own. So, she did the only thing she could do, relax into his arms as he cradled her to his chest while walking to the door. She was about to rest her head against him when she heard Cason call out to Duke on where they were going. She looked up as Duke answered and was going to say something as well, but by the time she worked up the energy to make her voice heard, Cason disappeared from the room. Sighing heavily, she placed Duke’s hat on his head with a warm smile, then rested her head against him as he carried her out of the room. It was almost funny how it felt like no time had passed between them, even if it had been years.

She didn’t feel any tension like she had when meeting back up with Dean. It was nothing but calm, even with the state she was in. Just like he used to, he swooped in and help her with her injuries as if they were nothing and this made her smile grow. Tilting her back to look at him once more. She had to wonder if he had kept up with anything involving the Winchesters. Esme decided against asking, knowing it would all come to light soon when they all met up. “So, Bright Eyes.” she started in a soft and warm tone. “Where have you been all this time? You just…... Kinda dropped off the map. I’ve been thinking the worst.” While waiting for his answer, she took in the features of his face, noticing how much more defined they had become over the years. It was also hard not to notice how more muscular he’d become while being carried in his arms. They were way more defined they were the last time he had to carry her when she couldn’t walk out of a situation they had gotten into.