Wolvena

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

When Esme told Duke she was fine, she knew he wouldn’t like it. She didn’t really like it, knowing she shouldn’t be with how hard she was hit in the back of the head by a demon in the asylum. But she wondered if it would come into play after a while after she had entirely let herself relax and pushed the day out of her mind. Esme couldn’t let herself think about that. She couldn’t let herself think about the possibility of going to sleep and not waking up in the morning next to Duke. She couldn’t let herself think about how that would affect Duke, or the look on his face. Esme had to keep her thoughts positive, even if it was hard. That was one reason why she brought Duke’s arms around her before telling him she wouldn’t complain about him saving her during their future hunts. Which she knew he knew she would never say back in the day. Esme honestly meant what she said. She wouldn’t complain about him stepping in to save her, even though she didn’t need it, unless he got seriously hurt, which could easily happen with his track record.

When Duke sighed through his nose and pressed his lips to the top of her head from her hug, it made her feel a bit better, especially when he smiled into her hair at her words. It made her smile more into his chest. She could also feel him calming as he took a deep breath against her hair, not knowing she was actually radiating some calm onto him. Esme’s smile faded when Duke’s fingers found the stitches on her head from brushing his fingers through her hair, causing her to wince at the touch and close her eyes as he started to talk. She was nervous he would ask how it happened, and she wasn’t ready to tell him, but when he didn’t and said he wouldn’t go there, Esme silently sighed in relief. She then softly kissed Duke’s chest as a silent thank you for not continuing about her head. The smile returned to her lips when he asked if she needed help making her head look more presentable and that he thought he still remembered how to do a loose braid from their slumber parties. A little laugh escaped her lips as she pulled her head away from Duke’s chest and looked up at him.

“It would surprise me if you didn’t remember how to do that loose braid after how many times I showed you how.” she lightly laughed. But yes, I could use your help if you're offering.” She smiled warmly. A memory flashed quickly through her mind of one of their slumber parties, talking and her showing him how to do a braid with her hair. The memory warmed her heart greatly. She was pulled from it by Duke’s arms tightening around her, trailing his hand to her lower back and rubbing his thumbs gently there. His words, the shrugging of his shoulders, and his laugh caused her to laugh as well. “That sounds like a wonderful idea if you’re really up for it.” she replied with a laugh in her tone. “Something tells me you’d also like to hold me hostage here in the RV and just take care of me.” Which she wouldn’t mind if he did that, she just wanted to do something with him, just the two of them together.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme didn’t pay much attention to the back door opening and closing, signaling Duke had walked into the kitchen. She had gotten too engrossed in the books in front of her and making notes on her notepad. She didn’t even look up when Dean and Duke began talking in the kitchen. She wanted to get this done so she could take a break and stretch her back and legs. Esme already knew she wouldn’t be able to stand by the time she finished. They had gone numb and were slightly starting to ache. She couldn’t feel her feet at all, but she was determined to get through it. When Duke noticed her and spoke to her, she was in the process of jotting something down. “Hey.” she said simply while still jotting down her notes. Esme returned to reading while Dean pulled Duke’s attention back to him. When Duke spoke to her again, she had just turned the page in a couple of books and sighed and rolled her eyes at Duke’s words with a shake of her head. She didn’t have time to answer before Dean chimed in again. It was clear to see that Dean was trying to start something, which made her sigh.

Esme read a little more and made a few more notes before it became too hard for her to concentrate on her task with the back-and-forth between the boys. Sitting up, she grabbed her coffee cup and took a long drink before setting it back beside her. Then, Esme closed the books and pushed them off to the side. She then stretched out her legs with a wince and a muffled groan as she listened to Duke’s suggestion to go out tonight, just the three of them. She couldn't deny that it sounded like a good idea, especially with how long Dean and her had been cooped up in the house. Esme ran her hands up and down her legs as she looked up at Dean in the kitchen. “Whatcha say, Dean?” she asked him. “It’s not a bad idea…. I think we could both use a night out with how long we’ve been cooped up in here, and I know the boredom has to be getting to you.” As Esme started to feel the feeling in her legs come back, she moved her legs and feet a bit to help the process along further. After a moment, she brought her knees up and stretched out her back.

She placed a hand on her knee and twisted her torso to the right, popping her back, then did the left side. Then, she proceeded to pop her neck. “That’s better.” she sighed. She then took to her feet, even though her legs and feet were still a tad tingly. She knew she didn’t have to voice her boredom to Dean since he knew she didn’t like being cooped up, even if she could step outside for some fresh air. It just wasn’t the same as getting away for a while. Bending, she picked up her coffee cup and finished what little was in it. Then, she walked into the kitchen and passed the boys to pour herself another cup. After pouring herself a new cup, she turned and leaned against the counter, cradling the cup in her hands, now taking the time actually to look at both boys, noticing the shape Duke came home in and how he had changed a bit in his appearance. “After all we’ve done to help Bobby around here, I don't think he’d mind if we ran off to have some time for ourselves.” she told Dean. Esme lifted her cup to her lips and took a sip of her coffee without taking her eyes off of Dean.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme had smiled warmer when Duke draped his arm over her shoulders, when they started walking to the RV. She even laughed a bit when Duke said he’d never get used to having Sarah around. She couldn’t blame him. What hunter in their right mind would keep a Hellhound around? She was still surprised with herself for being so comfortable with Sarah around after her bad history with Hellhounds. She often wondered if something was wrong with her, with how relaxed she was. One factor she took into consideration was how she felt everything went still when around Sarah. She couldn’t feel the emotions of anyone around her, and she felt at peace. Esme could even go as far as to say she felt like an average person when Sarah blocked her Empathy. She felt like she could breathe and concentrate on her emotions momentarily. This made her wonder if she was on the verge of going nuclear and if Sarah would be able to bring her back by being there with her. By practically engulfing her with her body, would that bring her back from the edge? The question painfully burned at the back of Esme’s mind.

When she and Duke reached the RV, she could feel him smile behind her when she opened the door and walked in like she owned the place. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been in the RV before or done the same thing all those years ago. As she began to get undressed, she looked at Duke briefly as he did the same, then returned to her own clothes. She barely heard Duke when he told her not to continue without his help. That was partly because she didn’t want him to see just how bruised and cut up she was. She didn’t want him to worry if she was really okay and blame himself for how bad she looked. Esme knew he’d regret not being there to help and protect her. She didn’t want to see that face, and she didn’t want to feel that emotion from him. Then she heard him scold her for not waiting for him, closed the gap between them, took her hands, and lowered them to her side. The action made her sigh apologetically as he brought his hands up to her shoulders. Esme almost stopped Duke when he gripped the collar of her flannel and pushed it off her shoulders.

She looked at his chest as he brought her shirt down her arms, pulled her arms back to pull the shirt from her hands, and tossed the shirt on the couch. She closed her eyes when Duke took the hem of her tank top and nodded to his serious ‘careful”, feeling the frown on his lips and hearing his sigh as he looked at the bruises on her. Esme closed her eyes tighter at his heavy swallow. She wanted to turn from him and hide the bruises as he began pulling her tank top up and slowly raised her arms, but she couldn’t move. All she could do was follow his silent instructions with a slight wince every now and then. At his shuddered breath and words, Esme opened her eyes, still looking at Duke’s chest, and softly shook her head. “You weren't exactly in the best shape to check on anyone this morning.” she said softly. “Please don’t beat yourself up for not checking on me.” Esme didn't resent him for not coming to check on her, even though she would have liked him to, but he was hurt too, and his mind was confused about returning from the dead and needing rest.

Esme fell silent again, letting Duke collect himself, then watched him kneel in front of her to help with her boots. She wanted to tell him he didn’t have to go the whole nine yards helping her, but she couldn’t get her mouth to open. So, when he tapped her foot, she placed her hands on his shoulders for support and lifted her foot, letting him remove her boot, then she lifted her other foot when he tapped it. When he didn’t stand and worked on getting her jeans off, she kept her hands on his shoulders, lifting her legs as he tapped them. As he stood, she let her hands slide off his shoulders and rest at her sides. Esme almost closed her eyes as Duke brushed his fingers around her bruises, but she looked up into his face, not liking what she saw there. When he asked for confirmation of if she was okay, she gave a weak smile and took his hands into hers. “Other than being sore. Yes, I’m okay.” she answered softly. “Don’t ask me how because I’m still trying to figure that out myself.”

Esme raised his hands, brushed the back of his fingers against her lips, and kissed them softly. She then carefully put his arms around her, placed her hand on his chest, and stepped closer to him so he could only focus on her face. “Really, Bright Eyes, I’m okay. A little r and r with you, and I’ll be back at it at your side.” she softly smiled, looking into his blue eyes. “Please don’t beat yourself up over how nasty the bruises and cuts look. They’ll heal in time.” She lifted a hand from his chest, placed it on his cheek, and rubbed it lovingly with her thumb. “I know you must feel that you missed protecting me and that if you’d been there, I wouldn’t be this hurt…. Please don’t. Most of this happened while saving Nat and I had Sarah with me. If you were there, you’d probably look almost as bad.” she told him. In reality, she was half glad Duke hadn’t been there. She never wanted him to see that far gone, but then again, she might have never gone that far if he had been there.

Esme let her hand slip from his cheek and back to his chest for a moment, looking up into his eyes. Then she slipped her arms around him and rested the side of her face against his chest as she hugged him to her with a sigh and a sweet nuzzle. “With us together now, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to protect me, and I won’t complain about it either, I promise.” Esme said, trying to lighten the air but also being truthful. She wouldn't complain if he wanted to protect her, even when she didn’t need it. Esme placed a soft kiss on his chest before nuzzling it again. She was very tempted to use her Empathy to relax him, but she knew it wasn’t right. This was something she needed to talk him through. ‘Please don’t beat yourself up for not being there to protect me.’ she thought as she hugged him.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Before the mischievous smile came to Esme’s lips, she nodded to his suggestion about going to the bar and then laughed lightly at his tease. They did get into a bit of trouble at times, but it was worth it. She also had been happy to see how happy Duke was to have his hat back, even if he did flinch when she placed it on his head. She had never intended to make him flinch from her putting his hat on his head, but the chuckle and the way he ran his fingers along the hat's brim made it so much better. There was hardly ever a time she could remember him going without, and she also knew how he felt about his hat. When he looked down at her and raised his eyebrows at seeing her mischievous smile, she couldn’t help but go along with the thought that went through her mind. Duke’s laugh was music to her ears, especially after seeing him so upset after his and Dean’s conversation. But when he wrapped his arm around his stomach, she hovered her hand over his stomach too. “Yeah, just like the old days.” she said with a laugh.

Esme continued to hover her hands over Duke’s stomach when he stretched back and laughed again, watching his face as he laughed, taking it all in. She then nodded when he said he thought it was too cold for swimming and he’d be shrinking in all the wrong places as he brought a hand in front of his crotch with a worried and teasing look. Now it was Esme's turn to laugh and wrap her arm around her sore stomach. “No, we can’t have that…. I guess we’ll have to save the skinny dipping for when it warms back up.” she said between laughs. “And yes, you almost did, and that was only because…. Well… You play dirty, you ass.” she said, playfully slapping his arm. Esme then moved to his side and started walking again but stopped after a few feet, looking at herself and Duke. “Before we go anywhere, we need to get you a shirt, and I’d like to change out of these clothes.” she told Duke. “And I need to try to hide the mess on the back of my head so I don’t freak anyone out.” Her smile slightly faded as a partial memory came to her mind, reminding her how it happened.

Esme unconsciously raised her hand to gently touch the back of her head, wincing as she touched the spot. Shaking the memory away, she removed her hand from her head, wrapped her arm around Duke, and headed for the RV. That’s where Sarah had taken their bags. “Also, you can thank Sarah for saving your hat.” she told him. “She came out of the barn with it and has had it since.” Esme winced and shivered when she said the word barn. She didn’t want to think about it or anything associated with it after everything. Plus, it was still too early to start thinking back on it anyway. It was still too fresh in her mind. As soon as they reached the RV, Esme grabbed her bag at the base of the steps, walked up the steps, opened the door, and walked in. She dropped her bag on the couch, unzipped it, and pulled out some fresh clothes, laying them on the couch. Zipping up her bag, she tossed her bag on the floor and began the painful process of getting out of her jacket, wincing and hissing as she felt the stitches on her shoulder pull. Just now realizing Bobby and Dean must have done it after she passed out.

After a bit of a struggle, Esme finally got out of her jacket. Folding it in half, she tossed it to the side with a sigh. Closing her eyes, she sighed again and rolled her shoulders a bit. She still had two shirts and pants to remove before putting something clean on. Once she took a slight breather, Esme returned to work, removing her dirty clothes as carefully as possible, wincing and holding hisses back from pulling her stitches and sore muscles. She never liked being this sore. It was a pain to get anything done.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

5 Weeks later

Esme was sleeping peacefully next to Dean, her head on his chest and arm draping over his stomach. The past month had been relatively peaceful. There hadn’t been much to worry about after she got Dean to talk to her and share feelings, even though she had to twist his arm, and the two of them had gotten closer. With nothing to do the past week except answer phones and help Dean and Bobby help other hunters, things were too eventful. It was getting quite dull, actually. Her father, Sassy, and other family hadn’t even contacted her to help with anything they had going on. But she couldn’t complain too much. She had a roof over her head, food in her belly, and she was with Dean. Esme couldn’t ask for much more at that point, even if she was itching to get out and do something because she didn’t know how much longer she could stay in the house. However, it had helped with her and Dean’s relationship, having nothing by time together.

When Dean nuzzled her head and groaned tiredly, Esme’s wake-up process started, but she wasn’t ready to open her eyes yet. She wasn’t even ready to move yet. She was far too comfortable. When Dean tightened his arm around her and brushed his finger through her hair, she snuggled up to him more. Despite the sounds from the garage below them, Esme felt she could sleep a little longer and felt herself trying to drift off again. If it hadn’t been for Dean mumbling into her hair and scooting himself down on the bed, she would have drifted back off. She couldn’t stop the soft smile that came to her lips when he nuzzled her nose and spoke to her under his breath. She also took note of the mischief in his tone and almost laughed with him. It was hard to turn down. As he traced her eyebrows, Esme let her eyes flutter open and looked at him. “I’ll hold you to it.” she said tiredly, smiling warmly. It was at that moment that Esme realized just how strong her feelings for Dean had grown. It was almost scary, but she couldn’t deny it. She really did love him.

An hour later

Esme was sitting on the floor, Indian style, in front of Bobby’s desk, pouring herself over books and cross-referencing to help out one of Bobby’s hunters. At the sound of a truck door slamming outside, she looked up from the books and out the window but couldn’t see much from where she sat. She hadn’t been around long enough to know that it was Duke who had just pulled in and was outside talking to Bobby. When Dean called to her, she looked to the kitchen and nodded, even if he couldn’t see it. “Really? With how you talked about how he runs off, I figured he’d be gone longer.” she called back with a soft sigh. Picking up her coffee cup that sat next to her, she brought it to her lips and took a drink before setting it back down and returning to what she was doing. Esme knew she should probably take a break to stretch and rest her eyes, but she couldn’t get herself to do it, even if her back was starting to ache with the way she was sitting and her legs and feet felt like they were going numb.

Esme found the place she left off, sliding her finger over the page as she read it. Holding her place with her finger, she switched to another book and used her other hand to keep her place as she read through the book. Grabbing the pad of paper and pen on the opposite side of her, she jotted down notes, making them as legible as she could. Then dove right back in to find out more to help the hunter, who had gotten lucky enough to find something to do. She wasn’t a fan of this part of the job, but she knew it was just as important as going out there and hunting. With a sigh, she ran a hand through her hair as she continued to pour herself over the books in front of her silently. Everything around her faded out as she concentrated on the words within the books.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme had watched Duke drop his shoulders after she had made her assessment, but she didn’t like how he answered. She wished he would stop saying he was fine when he clearly wasn’t. That’s why she continued to speak about what she thought happened, and his squint in frustration and words in response confirmed that. “Knowing him, that does sound like something he’d do, but at least you’d be able to get it all out without him interrupting you. Then, as soon as he starts to tell you all the reasons he’s not wrong, you slap the tape back on his mouth.” she said in all seriousness. Esme’s eyes never left Duke’s face as he sadly shook his head and looked over her head before looking back into her eyes. His following words caused her to knit her eyebrows together and shake her head. “Like hell, it’s not my problem. It’s you and be now. We go through things together now, not alone.” she told him sternly. “I do know how this goes, and you both may say it’s fine, but it’s not. It shouldn’t be fine…..” She broke off her words when Duke sighed, cupped her cheeks, and pressed his forehead to hers.

Duke’s words caused her to tear up. Closing her eyes, she nuzzled her forehead against his, staying silent momentarily while his words echoed in her mind. This was the first time he had ever asked her to run away with him, and it hit her hard. It brought a lump into her throat, but she refused to cry in front of Bobby’s house with Duke. She had done enough crying. It was her turn to stay strong for Duke. He had seen her cry enough since he returned to her. She wished the same. Esme wanted to run away from it all, but she knew, just as Duke did, that it would follow them since they were both targets to use against Dean to lure him into a trap. Opening her eyes, she looked into Duke’s, bringing her hands up to rest on the side of his neck, and rubbed her thumbs against his jaw. “In a heartbeat, Bright Eyes.” she told him softly. “I would go with you to the ends of the earth and further…. But you know as well as I do that now is not the time to run off and leave all of them with what’s coming.”

Esme pulled her head back just enough so she could look into his face, a warm, loving smile resting on her lips. “But with both of us wanting to get away, we can go for a walk or a drive into town and get a bite to eat and spend some time together.” She then softly kissed his nose. “That should give us a chance to relax and clear our minds.” She pulled back a little more and noticed Duke’s hat on the porch swing just behind Duke, causing her smile to grow slightly. She looked at Sarah after hearing the leaves and gravel under her paws. After silently getting Sarah’s attention, Esme motioned towards Duke’s hat, and she trotted over to get it. Esme turned her eyes back to Duke, lifting her right hand from his neck and lovingly brushing Duke’s hair away from his face with her fingers. “Will that work until we can find a good time to run off for a while?” she asked sweetly. About that time, Sarah trotted over with Duke’s hat. Without taking her eyes off Duke, Esme took Duke’s hat from Sarah and placed it on Duke’s head with a warm smile.

Her warm smile suddenly became mischievous as she looked into his eyes. “If none of those options strike your fancy, we could always find a spot to do a little skinny dipping.” she said with a twinkle in her eyes. Esme hoped to at least get a little grin out of him from the suggestion. If it didn’t, then she knew she would have to work even harder to get him to really smile. After she said it, she was reminded of a time when Duke had brought it up to her and Dean after a night in a bar in a drunken state. They had found a spot, but Duke was the only one that had stripped down completely.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme had smiled again behind the kiss at the reaction she had gotten from Duke. His gasp and shudder alone made it all the better. She felt Duke wrap his arm around her back and knew where this was about to head, but then she heard Dean clear his throat. When Duke broke the kiss, she matched his sigh as she opened her eyes. She knew that if Dean hadn’t interrupted them, Duke probably would have before it got much further for fear of hurting her. Esme closed her eyes briefly when Duke brushed noses with her before he leaned back and answered Dean. When Duke looked back at her, she met his gaze and let him remove her hands from the back of his head. Esme watched him as he brought her hands to his lips and kissed each of her knuckles. “Alright, I’ll still be here.” she said softly with a smile. She released Duke’s hands as he scooted himself back and stood from the couch. She followed both guys with her eyes until they were out of sight to the basement, sighing softly as she heard the door close behind them. She looked down at the blanket that was still partially over her.

Esme decided to fold it and toss it to the other end of the couch. Then, carefully turning her body, she rested her arm on the back of the couch, rested her chin on her arm, and brought her knees up towards her chest, resting her other arm on her knees. Esme stared out the window, going into thought. She knew that look on Dean’s face. He wanted to talk to Duke and try to fix things between them, which used to result in only scratching the surface and not fixing the root problem of it all, and would also result in a scuffle between them. After everything that’s happened, a scuffle between them was one of the last things they needed, and she hoped one wouldn’t break out without anyone down in the basement to break it up. Sighing heavily through her nose, Esme closed her eyes and tried to keep herself from thinking about the worst that could happen down in the basement, but she failed miserably. Her mind was filled with all the times the guys had gotten into it when she was around. For the most part, it would start out fine, but it would quickly get heated, and then a scuffle would happen.

Back then, she didn’t even try to step in and break it up except for yelling at them to stop and break it up. And when they ignored her, she could only walk away and leave them alone until they were finished. She couldn’t watch until they got it out of their systems. She asked Bobby to help her break them up a few times before fists started flying, and he did step in a few times to stop it. However, he wouldn’t touch a few of them with a ten-foot pole, saying they needed to work through it on their own, which didn’t sit well with her, even though she knew Bobby was right. As those memories played themself out, Esme felt the tears burning her eyes, but she willed them not to show themselves. Moments of the boys walking back into Bobby’s house or a motel room showed themselves to her. She’d make them sit and would patch them up, but she wouldn’t talk to them as she did for several hours after, only glare at them and not let them anywhere near her. It would always piss her off when they let things between them build so much that it resulted in them throwing punches.

Thinking back on it now, she should have let them patch themselves up and locked herself in a separate room for a while a few times, not that it would have changed anything. That probably would have surprised or confused the hell out of them since that would have been entirely out of character for her. The thought was almost funny but not quite funny enough to laugh at. A scuffle or fistfight between brothers or other family members was nothing to laugh at if there was hostility behind it. It was pretty sad. There were a few times she almost left when the boys had gotten into it. Esme had been completely fed up and done with it all, but Bobby talked her out of leaving for the boys' sake. Even though she stayed, she would give them the cold shoulder and the silent treatment for a while. Thinking about it now, she didn’t know if Bobby ever said anything to them about it or not. She surely didn’t. Esme was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of the basement door opening. Opening her eyes, she turned her face away from the window and watched for Duke to come back into the living room.

First, she saw Dean, noticing that he’d been crying, which could be good or bad. She almost narrowed her eyes as she watched Dean walk through, but then her eyes fell on Duke as he came into view. Her eyes instantly went to his face, seeing he’d been crying also. Esme sighed just before he asked her if she wanted to get out of there. She nodded, taking in the bluntness of his tone and the way he wiped his hand down his face. Stretching out her legs, she carefully turned her body and swung her legs off the couch. She slowly took to her feet, standing there momentarily on weak-feeling legs. Esme crossed the room to his side, bringing her hands up to cup his face, using her thumbs to wipe away a few tears she saw as she looked up at him. “You don’t have to hide these from me.” she told him softly. “But yes, let’s get out of here.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him before lowering herself and removing her hands from his face. She moved to Duke’s side, wrapped an arm around his waist, and placed her other hand on his stomach just above his bandage.

Looking at the kitchen and seeing how crowded it was, she decided not to go through to get to the back door and to keep some distance between Duke and Dean. Esme gave Duke a light tug away from the kitchen so they could go out the front door. “Come on, Cowboy. Let’s go this way.” she said warmly. Once he compiled, she walked with him to the front door, opened it, and walked outside with her, where Sarah greeted them with a happy bark. “Hey, girl.” Esme said warmly to the Hellhound, patting her head. Sarah barked softly and whined as she moved in and nuzzled Esme. “I know. You must have heard what went on this morning. Sorry, I worried you, girl.” Esme briefly looked back through the open door, then looked back at Sarah. “You think you could do something for me, girl?” she asked. Sarah barked a reply, and Esme smiled warmly. “Could you run in there and grab the duffles with our clothes, please.” Without a sound, except for her nails on the wood, Sarah trotted into the house, returning moments later with both their duffles hanging from her mouth. “Good girl.” Esme cooed softly.

Once Sarah had cleared the door, Esme closed it and led Duke down the steps after placing her hand back on his stomach. She stopped a few feet away. She closed her eyes and breathed in the cool night air, shivering as the cold finally hit her. Opening her eyes, she turned toward Duke, placed her hands on his hips, and looked up at him, reading his face and emotions. “I want to ask if you’re okay, but clearly, you're not.” she started softly. “Judging by the look on your face, that talk went just like it always has. He barely scratched the surface of the problems and then asked if you two were good.” She sighed through her nose in frustration, noticing Sarah walk past them out of the corner of her eye. “He needs to be tied to a chair, have his mouth taped shut, and made to listen.” she told him. The only ones she could see getting away with doing something like that to Dean were Sam and Mika, but whether they would actually do it was the big question.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme hardly noticed when Duke sat beside her on the couch until he wrapped his arm around her back and held onto her arm. She half expected him to be still standing in the middle of the living room or continuing his walk out the door. So, it surprised her that he actually came and sat beside her after she sat back down. She listened to what he said and softly shook her head as she opened her eyes and dropped her hand from her face. “Even with that. I shouldn’t have demanded that you two work things out. It wasn’t my place. I haven’t been around you with Dean long enough to make such demands.” she said softly, as she felt Duke wedge his hand between her legs and stomach gently, knowing what he was trying to do. Esme tried to straighten up but took a sharp breath through her nose as she did. She couldn’t just yet. Duke’s following words caused her to cut her eyes over to him. Why would her like this stop him from leaving if leaving was what he wanted to do? What did her physical state have to do with anything he did?

The next thing Esme knew, Dean crossed the living room and silently sat on her other side. She turned her head more towards him as he brushed her braid behind her, then leaned down to press his forehead against the side of her face and ask his questions. “I’ll be fine. Just give me a bit.” she said softly, trying to mask the pain in her voice, just before Duke spoke. When Dean lifted his head from hers, Esme nodded silently to Duke with a weak smile on her lips. She was glad he wasn’t going to leave in his state of mind but also wondered why he actually decided to stay. During the brief silence, Esme could feel the looks the boys were giving each other, and she slightly worried something would break out right there with her stuck between them. She mentally relaxed when Dean sighed, leaned back in, and whispered to her, then pressed a gentle kiss to her ear. The sweet action caused Esme to close her eyes and softly nod. “I’m trying.” she whispered, taking a breath and slowly letting it out. She leaned her head against Dean and focused on relaxing, which was proving to be a bit difficult with how strange it felt being sandwiched between the two boys.

She did everything she could to relax, like pushing everything from her mind, including her anger at Dean, Duke leaving while upset, her need to call her father, and that Duke’s hand was still on her stomach, and his arm was still around her with Dean on her other side. She focused on her breathing as well as Deans, finally feeling herself starting to relax. It took a few minutes before she felt relaxed enough to try to straighten herself up again. Lifting her from Dean, she took a breath and straightened herself up, with a few choice words in Gaelic under her breath and a groan. She leaned into Dean, taking another breath and slowly letting it out. “Please, don’t let me get up like that again any time soon.” she whispered to them. “I’m usually pretty good with pain, but god, that was horrible.” She was still hurting quite a bit, but it was slowly becoming more tolerable as she sat there leaning against Dean. After all that, Esme felt she could take a long nap, but she really didn’t want to. “Alright, so what’s next?” she asked.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme saw Duke’s flinch when he turned towards him, making her think he wasn’t expecting her to say anything to him. She watched him, noticing the grass stuck to him, telling her there was a scuffle after she left him and Dean together outside. She watched Duke make his way over to Bobby’s desk and grab a chair, spinning it around before straddling it, then picking a piece of grass from his hair. When he finally answered her, she didn’t quite like his answer. It was too vague, but she could also feel and see how he was feeling. The tension in his shoulder muscles was hard to miss. She sighed silently when Duke said he was going out, which she felt held more than it sounded. “He may seem calm, but that doesn’t mean he is…. You also don’t have to leave, but I can understand why you feel you have to.” she replied. Esme fell silent as she looked at the floor at Duke’s feet. She could feel how upset and frustrated he was over whatever had been said by Dean this morning. She wasn’t one to pry, but she wondered what Dean had said to Duke to stir such strong emotions.

Esme’s eyes lifted from the floor when Duke finished his beer, threw it in the trash can, and then tapped his toes. She lowered her eyes as the room fell silent, getting lost in her thoughts on what was said and what she still needed to do until he nodded and picked a few more pieces of grass from his arm. Esme lifted her chin from her arms when he said he’d be back and suddenly stood without making eye contact with her. She watched him push the chair back to Bobby’s desk. Then, she saw him shudder and crack his neck. She had seen that before from her father, a sign of regret. As he walked toward the kitchen, Esme dropped her arms from the back of the couch and stood up so quickly that her braid almost popped her in the face. Which she instantly regretted. She gasped and groaned as pain shot through her body, doubling her over and causing her to almost fall back onto the couch. But she wanted to stop him. She couldn’t let him leave in this state of emotion. It didn’t matter that she didn’t know him that well. She felt it was partially her fault he felt like this.

“Duke, wait.” Esme said in a pain-filled tone. She lifted her head to look at him, resting her hand on her knees. “I’m sorry…. I stuck my nose somewhere it didn’t belong.” she started. She took some breaths to work herself through the pain. “I just wanted to help, but it seems I just made things worse for you. I’m really sorry.” she told him in an apologetic tone. “You don’t have to leave, Duke…. If anyone should leave, it’s me. I’m the one that kicked this hornet's nest.” She dropped her head to look at the floor, noticing her body was shaking from the intense wave of pain that shot through it. Esme stepped back and sat back down on the couch with a hiss. “If you still want to leave, I can’t and won’t stop you, but I hate to see you leave this way. Especially when I’m part of the cause of it.” she told him, her voice still holding pain. She looked at the floor between her feet as she sat curled in on herself, unable to straighten up because of the ache in her body.

Esme brought a hand up to the left side of her face and sighed softly, closing her eyes. She mentally kicked herself for stirring the pot of tension between Dean and Duke. That was never her intention. ‘I should have never pushed it. Surely not after how upset Dean was about Duke and me hugging. You need to learn to keep your nose out of people's business, Esme. You should have known things would go south with that much tension.’ she thought.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme noticed Duke’s content hum as her hand made it to his hair and then the twitch to catch his hat that wasn’t on his head. It almost made her laugh. If he had been wearing his hat, she would have taken it off herself and placed it on the back of the couch before pulling him close to her. It also amazed her how the simple action of her stroking his hair affected him. She would have to keep it in mind for anything that might come up in the future. However, she wasn’t sure why it amazed her so much. The same action also worked on her a little too well at times, if she was being honest. As she confirmed her love for him, Esme could feel Duke’s happiness rising, which also made her happy, especially when he softly kissed her temple. When Duke chuckled at her cheesy statement, she wasn’t quite expecting it, but she knew it wasn’t out of ridicule. She knew it had to be strange for him to hear it coming from her mouth since she had always been one who guarded her emotions from others, which was a safety precaution for her.

She had always been afraid to let others fully into her heart, especially with what her father had told her over the years. But now, she knew Duke was her soulmate and needed to let him know. She didn’t need to be so guarded with her emotions with him, even though, in the back of her mind, she was afraid he’d bolt at some point. But she wouldn't let herself think about it now that she had him in her arms and she was in his. When he answered her apology, Esme could hear the emotional overload in his tone, and she teared up at his words but softly nodded her head. “Alright.” she whispered as she heard the basement door open. She opened her eyes but couldn’t turn to see who had come out of the basement first, but judging by the footsteps she heard, it was Anna. Esme attention went back to Duke as he pulled his head away from hers, her hands never leaving his head and face. She let him turn her head to face him, a warm smile on her lips as she looked at him before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Esme closed her eyes and kissed him back, humming softly as she did and feeling his thumb brush across her jaw. She lovingly brushed her thumb across his cheek just before Bobby cleared his throat. She broke the kiss with a slight flinch, then turned her head to look at Bobby, watching him in his office, fighting against the laugh and smirk that threatened to show itself at his words. After he walked out the back door, she turned her attention back to Duke, studying his face, causing the smirk to show itself. At Duke's comment and shrug, Esme lightly laughed as Duke pressed another kiss to her lips. She gladly returned as she closed her eyes with another hum. She lovingly brushed her thumb across his cheek, smiling behind the kiss before breaking it, and brushed his nose with hers as she took a breath. “Yes, he’ll live, but he’ll have both our hides if things move past kissing and whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears.” she whispered against his lips with a light laugh before kissing him again. Esme deepened the kiss, her fingers slowly working themselves into Duke’s hair. Esme could easily see things moving past the kissing and whispering.