Wolvena

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme didn’t react much to Duke’s hand tightening on her jaw before he released it and placed his hand on her chest. She took in his confused frown before he said it didn’t sound like Mika, and like him, she raised her head to listen for voices. She heard Natalia and Cason, then heard Dean screaming at someone. Like Duke, Esme knew that voice as well, and she sighed. As Duke laid back down, Esme propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him, letting her hand slide back to his chest as he told her he needed to check it out but didn’t want her getting wrapped up in anything and possibly getting hit. She tried to tell him she’d be fine if she went with him, but didn’t have in her to do it. “Alright. I’ll hang back on this one.” As Duke pulled himself out of bed, Esme sat up, holding the quilt around her. She watched Duke grab and put his pants on, then walk over and grab his hat from the sink. Esme gave a slight nod to his suggestion of checking on whoever exploded in the lot. “I can do that.” she responded as he returned to her.

When Duke leaned a knee on the bed, leaned over her, and kissed her, Esme caught his face in her hands and kissed him back. “I love you too.” she said, reluctantly letting him go. “Try not to get yourself into too much trouble with whatever is going on in there.” she told him as she put on his boots and exited the RV. Now in the RV alone, Esme sighed softly, hearing that Duke ran into Anna. She sounded like she was pretty upset and crying. Releasing the quilt, she pulled herself out of the bed and walked over to her duffle and the clothes she had laid out to change into earlier. Running a hand through her hair, Esme quickly and carefully got dressed, deciding to just stick with her tank top as a shirt, slipped on her boots, and grabbed her jacket before walking out of the RV. As soon as her boots hit the gravel, Sarah greeted her with a nuzzle to her leg. “Hey, girl.” she told the hound warmly. Esme scratched Sarah’s head, looking around the lot and spotting Natalia and Cason sitting on Natalia’s car. “Come on, you can come with me.” She walked toward the two, her jacket draped over her arm.

She could hear the two talking, and from what she could make out. Natalia had learned the truth about what happened in the barn. They had all left Cason behind. This could turn out to be tricky. Esme didn’t want to intrude on their conversation, but she did want to make sure that Natalia was alright with how upset she seemed. As she continued her way over, she caught sight of the broken window of the Impala and winced, knowing that it was going to fire up Dean if it hadn’t already. Esme stopped a few feet from Natalia’s car and looked at Cason. “Looks like Duke and I missed quite a bit when we left the house earlier.” she sighed softly. Her gaze then went to Natalia, her features softening. “Are you alright, Natalia?” she asked in concern. Esme then carefully took her jacket off her arm and draped it around her own shoulders, pulling it around herself, suddenly feeling the cool night air nipping at her bare shoulders.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

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.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme immediately felt how her words bit Duke after she reciprocated his ‘I love you’ but added to it. She was pretty sure he'd want her to repeat it, but he never pulled away to ask her to say it before she moved to push his jeans off his hips. Esme made a mental note to find a time to tell him again. Not only did she want him to feel how she loved him, but she also wanted him to hear how much she loved him. Even knowing he knew, Esme still felt the need to let him know and wasn’t sure if she could tell him enough. She was also surprised that Duke allowed her to press kisses along his face. She knew how he felt about the action. Esme would have stopped if he wanted her to, but this showed her he was keeping to his promise of trying to let her in, and it made her heart swell. Before she made it back to his lips, it was hard to miss the toothy smile on Duke’s lips from her kissing his eyes and the tip of his nose. That sweetness was for him and him alone.

Esme could feel the urgency in Duke’s kiss as soon as their lips met. When his hands slipped carefully under her hips again to pull her tightly against him, a smile came to her lips behind the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck when he lifted her off the counter and carried her over to his bed.

A little bit later

Esme’s breathing was calming slowly as she laid cuddled up next to Duke, her arm draped over him and her hand resting on his chest while under his quilt. It almost seemed like she was lying there next to him in a dream. She had been in this RV so many times, but she never saw herself being in this position with Duke. Yes, she had grown to love him way back when, but she never thought she’d meet back up with him and be here in his arms or bed. When Duke tilted his head down and brushed her hair with his fingers, she tilted her head up to meet his loving gaze with her own as she brushed her thumb against his chest. A smile came to Esme’s lips when she felt Duke shudder and moved his hand to draw circles on her shoulder, carefully avoiding any scrapes and bruises. His tease caused her to laugh softly while also hearing the car door slam in the nearby lot. Like Duke, she didn’t think anyone would come bursting through the RV door, so she ignored it and focused back on Duke as he teased her with a tired chuckle.

“Trouble am I?” she softly laughed. “ But you already knew that before you brought me to your bed, and you know you wouldn’t have me any other way.” she teased back with a smirk. Esme watched Duke as he turned a bit to lay more on his side and studied her face. Then he brought his hand up, caged her jaw in his hand, and smirked, commenting how she was his. She looked into Duke’s blue eyes. ‘Oh no, I’ve created a monster.’ she jokingly thought. Esme slid her hand up his chest to rest on his cheek and lovingly brushed her thumb along it. “Yes, Bright Eyes. I’m yours, and you're mine. Forever and after.” she told him softly. Esme was close to pulling Duke in closer to her, if that was even possible, when a scream echoed through the lot, followed by the sound of breaking glass, causing her to jump. The loving look in her eyes turned to one of concern. “Which one of us should check that out? Or should we both go?” she asked Duke.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

As Esme laid on the bed, she focused on nothing but her breathing, tuning all other sounds out. She even missed Dean calling her from the bathroom. Esme wished it was raining so she could focus on the sounds of the water hitting the roof of the house, as well as the sounds of thunder. But since it wasn't, she had to focus on her breathing or her heartbeat. It wasn't until Dean came out of the bathroom that she felt his presence and turned her focus to him, but she didn't open her eyes. She heard his sigh and knew he knew her talk with Duke hadn’t gone well. She shook her head softly to Dean’s words as she listened to him walk over to the bed and gently sat on the edge. She was unable to find her words just yet to tell him what happened in the garage with Duke. Dean’s hand touching her cheek and forehead nearly caused her to flinch. Reaching up, Esme took his hand, interlocking her fingers with his and then resting them on her chest. Finally opening her eyes, she looked at Dean, meeting his green gaze with her blue.

“You were right,” she started softly, her tiredness and unwellness showing through her tone. “I should have left him alone. It completely backfired on me.” Esme closed her eyes with a sigh and squeezed his hand. “Duke got frustrated as we talked, and I now realize I channeled that frustration, which made everything worse. What started as a nice and calm conversation turned into me nearly biting his head off because I couldn’t control the frustration that took over.” she told Dean. Opening her eyes, Esme looked at the ceiling, squeezing Dean’s hand again. “I think what made it worse was that he lied to me. He looked straight into my face and lied to me.” She then brought her free hand up from her stomach, wiped it over her face, and shook her head softly. “I’ve never channeled someone's frustration like I did with Duke’s, not even my father's, and you’ve seen how he can get. And now….. I don’t feel that hot.” She fell silent as she looked at the ceiling, a soft sigh leaving her nose as the conversation echoed in her head. ‘He lies to me about me not being the reason he left, and then turns around and tells me he wants to be friends.’ she thought.

‘If he wants to be friends. Why did he leave to get away from me? It doesn’t make any sense.’ Esme continued to think. She also couldn’t understand why she channeled Duke’s frustration so strongly. Maybe it was because her mind was tired from all the research she’d done to help Bobby’s other hunters. Or perhaps she wasn’t getting enough sleep when she thought she was. Whatever it was, channeling someone else's emotions so strongly could get tricky and put her in a position she couldn’t get out of easily. This ability was both a curse and a blessing at times. Esme just wished she had more control over it.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme continued to look past Duke as he spoke, focusing on nothing in particular. She didn’t know why she was standing there. She should have walked into the house after she had said what she wanted to say, but yet she was still standing in front of him. Her jaw tightened at his half-tease, not finding it funny or the right time to be teasing. Esme listened to his second statement, only partly believing she wasn’t putting more tension on them than they already had. She didn’t find it very surprising that Duke would pick up the girls that Dean had been with, and yes, she knew how Dean could be. When Duke pointed at her, she returned her eyes to him, narrowing them a little more. She listened to his words but still shook her head at the fact that he was the only reason she would be leaving. She knew how much Bobby and Dean liked having her around. Not only had she felt it from them, but they had also told her. But she couldn’t stick around any place long if there was a lot of tension hanging in the air. It made her sick and quite challenging to be around.

However, that was something Duke didn’t know since he didn’t know she was an Empath, and she wasn’t sure any of them would ever tell him. That wasn’t something she shared openly with just anyone. In the short time she’d known Duke, she could see how much alike Dean and Duke were and could see why they would butt heads often, but that didn’t make her feel much better. Esme’s eyes dropped to his hand as he raised it. He slowly reached down for her hand as he leaned forward a bit. He just couldn’t help himself. He just had to touch her when he knew she didn’t want to be. She clenched her teeth as her eyes returned to his face as he spoke again. Esme listened, picking up on his lie straight away. He had done it again, lied right to her face, and then dipped his head. He wanted to be friends, but here he was, lying to her face again. She knew the lie was about her, but she didn’t know the full extent of the lie. She could tell he liked her, but nothing more than that since she didn’t concentrate too hard on it, and she was still learning the extent of her empathy.

Esme would never think it was more than that from Duke. She stayed quiet, his begging words rolling around in her mind until he spoke again, watching him glance to his truck and back at her. When he finished, she pulled her hand out of his and took several steps toward the back door. “No.” she started, looking at him. “When you can stop lying to me. Then we can think about being friends. I don’t do well with being lied to, Duke. The sooner you figure that out, the better it’ll be for you. I understand keeping things from me, I can’t be friends with someone who lies to me.” she told him flatly. “Dean keeps things from me, but he doesn’t lie to me. Not after the last time I called him out on it.” Without another word, she turned and walked to the door, opened it, and walked inside without looking back at Duke. Once inside, Esme walked through the kitchen and into the living room, where she left the books on the floor and tidied up the mess she had left in front of Bobby’s desk. Once that was picked up, she headed for the stairs, went up to the guest room, shut the door behind her, walked over, and sat on the bed with a heavy sigh.

Esme laid back on the bed, closing her eyes tightly and running her hands down her face in frustration. Then brought her hands to rest on her stomach, taking slow, deep breaths to calm herself. She hated getting this worked up. It always took her some time to calm herself back down, and it always made her crave a lot of chocolate. It also drained her, making her feel horrible.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme didn’t stop when she heard Duke call to her. She just wanted to get back inside and away from him momentarily. She needed to collect her thoughts and rethink everything, especially why she felt the need to come out here and apologize to Duke. Esme hardly knew him. She had only been around him for 24 hours before he had decided to bolt and stay gone for a month. What was it about this guy that made her feel this way? She had stepped between him and Dean and demanded that they work out the problems between them, and now she felt the need to come out and fix what upset him. What was her empathy picking up about him that she hadn’t caught on to yet? Thinking about it made her head spin and hurt at the same time. Duke’s running footsteps echoed in the distance as she searched her mind for answers. She didn’t hear him skid to a stop next to her. When he grabbed her arm and spun her to face him, she gasped and caught his eye, seeing the worry on his face, but that didn’t stop her from narrowing her eyes at him.

As Duked pulled Esme into a hug, she raised her arms and placed them between them. She didn’t want to hug him, and she didn’t want him hugging her. Pushing against his chest, she tried to push herself away from him but couldn’t. So she kept her face turned away from him until he let her go. She took in his words, not liking them one bit. She couldn’t quite understand what could make him look so horrible at that moment. Esme also couldn’t understand why he cared how she saw him. It wasn’t like there was much between them except for that moment of comfort a month ago. When he pulled away from the hug, she noticed how his hands lingered against her body as if struggling to let her go. When Esme thought Duke was going to let her go, he didn’t. He took hold of her upper arms, held her in front of him, and came down to her level to talk to her. Her eyes remained narrowed as she took in his words and looked into his wide blue eyes. When he finished, Esme shrugged out of his grip and took several steps back from him.

“I can't promise anything.” she said, nearly snapping at him. She took a few more steps back to avoid getting drawn into another hug by him. “I’m not upset because you left, Duke. I get you had to leave after you and Dean sparred.” she told him. The frustration was evident in her tone as she spoke to Duke. “What’s upsetting about you leaving is the way you left. I know it was mostly Dean that caused you to go, but it also made me feel like I was part of the reason to…. I know it shouldn't bother me since we don't know each other that well, but it does.” she admitted, not knowing why. Esme looked past Duke and sighed heavily through her nose. Her hands clenched into fists. “I don't want to be someone that puts tension or stress between you and Dean, and I’m not going to force you to leave your own home. I'm the guest here…. If things go south, you can bet your ass I’ll be the one leaving here.” As Esme spoke, you could feel she meant every word she said. Esme fully planned on leaving if she felt she was a problem between the boys.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme smiled behind the kiss at Duke's reaction to her touch. It was a breath of fresh air, not having to try so hard. She was his, and he was hers. For once, she felt safe enough with Duke to give all of herself to him, not holding anything back. And she hoped that he did, too, or would at least get to that point with her. Yes, there was still that fear deep down he would bolt at some point, but she hoped that if she could show him how much she loved him, he wouldn't feel the need to bolt. Having him bolt now would absolutely crush Esme’s heart. After getting another chance with him, she wasn’t sure she could handle him bolting without her if it came to that. Esme was head over heels in love with the man in her arms, and she wasn’t afraid to admit it. Did it scare her how much she loved him? Yes, it did, but she was tired of being afraid to love again. And she was tired of going through life alone, fearing that everything she loved would disappear from her life forever. She needed Duke just as much as she thought he needed her.

Esme melted into Duke’s arms, and her heartbeat quickened as he pulled her closer. After she kissed him, he traced her jaw with his thumb. Like Duke, the memory of the first time he held her face like this flashed through her mind as clearly as if it happened yesterday. He had downed several glasses of whiskey to get the courage to tell and show her why she should love him, and she turned him down because she was in love with Dean at the time. She felt stupid for not paying closer attention to the sighs that had been so clear before Duke made his move. Esme also never told Dean about it, either. She knew that would cause more trouble than they needed. When Duke took over the pace of the kiss, Esme grinned behind it, taking his cue and deepening her kiss, lettering her love for him flow through the kiss. She knew he was still worried about hurting her, but she would let him know if he ended up hurting her, and she knew he knew that as well. So, when he took a careful step between her legs and guided her back, she brought a hand up to the back of his head.

Esme’s fingers tangled in Duke’s hair when his hands found her thighs, and his lips left hers to trail hungry kisses down her jaw and the side of her neck. She softly moaned as he lifted her gently, setting her on the countertop, and stepped between her legs. Duke’s sweet whisper against her neck made her smile. “Yes, I do know that.” she whispered back with a hum and a shiver from his little kisses. “And I love you.” She opened her eyes as she felt him smile against her neck and tightened his grip on her neck. When he pulled and smiled down at her, she smiled back. “Forever and after, I’m yours.” she whispered before he kissed her again. Esme closed her eyes and matched his kiss as her hands found the waistband of his jeans, lingering there a moment as she gently ran her fingers along his skin before shoving his jeans off his hips. She then wrapped her legs around Duke’s waist and pulled him closer while one hand found his hair again and the other found his cheek. Esme broke the kiss after a moment. Starting with his chin, she trailed sweet kisses up his jawline to his ear, giving it a loving nibble and then kissing it ever so gently. Opening her eyes, she pulled away from his ear, placed kisses on each of his eyes and the tip of his nose, and finally returned to his lips, kissing him deeply and passionately as her thumb stroked his cheek lovingly.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme continued to look up at Duke, seeing how fondly he looked at her. She couldn’t ever remember a time when he looked at her this fondly. It made her heart flutter, put butterflies in her stomach, and melt into his arms. If anyone had ever told her she would end up in Duke’s arms after the breakup of the trio, she would have laughed in their faces and said it was impossible. Especially after she thought she saw him in passing, a while after the breakup. He looked different. His hair was longer, he had more facial hair, and he wore a black cowboy hat instead of his usual white, but she could have sworn it was him. But he completely ignored her when she stopped and called out to him. It took her several days to pull herself back together after seeing him and having him ignore her. It was a day she couldn’t forget, and it stuck out like a sore thumb in her memories. Duke’s voice and wide smile pulled her back to the present, and laughed at his question. “Never.” She couldn’t remember any stab wound keeping him from going out for a beer and having a good time.

The smile on Esme’s lips grew when Duke reacted to the idea of holding her hostage. The look on his face just made her laugh again, knowing he’d be tempted to. Then a light blush came to her cheeks from his next words and wide smile. Esme closed her eyes when Duke tilted his head down, brushed his lips over hers, and nibbled at her bottom lip. It sent her heart fluttering again and almost made her hold her breath. She kept her eyes closed as he pulled back, rested his forehead against hers, and placed a hand on the back of her neck. She smiled and sighed contently at his words. Esme couldn’t see herself growing tired of this either. After feeling alone for so long and now having someone who wanted and loved her, she wouldn’t take it for granted. She had Duke’s whole heart, not part of it, all of it. She didn’t have to fight for his attention or his love. She had both. Esme knew that without having to use her empathy to be sure, and it made her heart feel as if it would burst with how much it overflowed with happiness.

Esme kissed Duke with a light hum when he pressed his lips to her upper lip and matched his smile as he brushed his lips against hers and spoke. Opening her eyes, she looked into his blue eyes with her own, a sparkle within them. “Well, Mr. Hatfield….. This lady thought she knew what she wanted, but now she’s not so sure. A little of both options sounded quite possible, but now this lady’s not sure if she can pull herself from your arms.” she said softly against his lips with a warm smile. Esme gently brushed her nose against Duke’s as her hands slid down his back and came to rest in the back pockets of his jeans. She then nibbled at his bottom lip before closing her eyes and kissing him lovingly.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme could feel the lie coming even before Duke opened his mouth, and apparently, he could tell she knew he was lying before he cut himself off. Plus, she hated it when people lied to her. It rubbed her the wrong way. She would much rather someone keep it from her than lie to her face. His lie about not being upset caused her to narrow her eyes at him slightly. They remained that way even when he shuddered, frowned, and sadly chuckled at her statement of not knowing how to talk to him. She could tell how hard it hit him, but that was how she felt. She didn’t see why she should hide that from him. But when he answered, he spoke about his physical appearance, which wasn’t what she was referring to, and Duke seemed to realize that after he spoke. Esme watched him as he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before talking about him leaving. Yes, she was referring to that, but she didn’t nod when he asked. She just listened to him as he spoke, not really liking how he said he couldn’t explain without getting himself into a world of trouble.

Even after he apologized and said that he didn’t know it would mean so much to her, Esme almost wanted to tell him to try. But something told her that he wouldn’t as he rambled to her. His frustrated growl caught her off guard, and she looked back at him as he stepped back from her. Duke’s following words caused her to knit her eyebrows together. So, that’s how he wanted to play it. Play it like she knew what she should expect from his running. Yeah, maybe she should have, but Dean did leave out a few details. But that didn’t mean Duke had to throw it in her face. Esme sighed, threw up her hands, and turned her back on Duke. “I don’t even know why I felt the need to try.” she said softly and mostly to herself. She came out here to fix what she did, feeling bad for upsetting him, and now he’s deflecting. Why? If that’s what he wanted to do, then fine. She ran a frustrated hand through her hair and sighed heavily through her nose, not realizing she was channeling some of his frustration as she stood in the garage with him.

“You know what? Forget I even came out here.” Esme told Duke. Without another word, she stepped away from him and back towards the back door, hissing after a few steps. “Dammit to hell!” she growled. Her bare foot had come down on a socket wrench that didn’t make it into a toolbox. Bending down, she picked it up, tossed it into a nearby toolbox, and continued on her way with a slight limp in her step. ‘Next time, I’ll just let him pout.’ she thought as she walked through the garage. She was now wondering if they should even go out together tonight. There would definitely be some tension in the air around them after this. The talk with Duke surely didn’t go the way she had planned, and she regretted even running after him to apologize.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme remained quiet as she stood against the counter with her coffee. She could feel the tension in the air and see it in Duke’s shoulders. She also knew he had to be upset with her saying nothing but ‘Hey’ to him since he walked through the door, but honestly, she didn’t know what else to say to him. The way he left didn’t sit well with her, even though she had Dean's warning beforehand. Yes, she was used to people coming and going in her life, but not like how Duke did it. With how Dean spoke about Duke, she knew this would be something she’d have to get used to, but she was starting to think it would be difficult. Esme knew that he probably thought she wasn't happy to see him back, but she was, even though she still hardly knew him. She was glad to see he came back relatively in one piece since she knew he left upset in the middle of the night. Duke's sighed comment about him going alone made it clear that he felt they weren't happy to see him. Esme watched as he went over, grabbed his bag from the chair, and then headed to the back door, only stopping when Dean cleared his throat.

When Dean said they would go out, she saw his uncertain but willing look. She felt the same, but she knew they needed to get out before they both lost their minds, with nothing to look forward to but chores and helping other hunters. Esme watched Dean gather all the information into a pile, write Bobby a note, and set it on top of the stack before scooting his chair back. Her attention was pulled to Duke as he stepped to the back door and spoke to both of them, flinching a bit. She sighed as the door closed behind Duke, seeing how upset Duke was. She looked down into her coffee cup as Dean stated the obvious, then took a drink of her coffee, lowering it as Dean walked over to the sink and turned to her. Holding her cup at chest level, Esme closed her eyes and sighed heavily at Dean’s words. She knew that he didn’t have to tell her, that’s not why she didn’t say much to him. “I know that….” she started, opening her eyes and looking into her cup again. Looking up from her cup, she looked at Dean, clearly struggling to find the right words to say to him.

“I just don’t know how to talk to him after how he left, and then he just randomly shows back up as if nothing happened. I know I shouldn’t be, but I’m still bothered by how he left. Maybe it’s because I feel it was partly my fault. Which I know you’re going to say it wasn’t.” Sighing heavily through her nose, Esme looked at the back door Duke had just gone through. She knew she could either let him stew or go after him, talk to him, and smooth things over. With the type of person she was, she couldn’t just let him go and stew. She had to try to smooth things over. “And you know he’s upset because he thinks we’re not happy he’s back.” she added. “It was written all over his face, as well as how he spoke.” Esme took another drink from her cup and set it on the counter before looking at Dean. “I can’t let this sit. I have to fix it. I’m going to go talk to him.” she told Dean. “I’ll be right back. And don’t worry about my mess in there. I’ll get it when I get back in.”

She then stood on her toes, kissing Dean’s cheek before turning and walking to and out the back door. As she made her way through the garage, she watched where she placed her bare feet so as to not step on anything. She finally caught up to him and called out to him. “Duke?.... Wait!” She closed the gap between them just enough to where she would have to yell over Bobby’s tinkering. “Duke, I’m….. I’m sorry for upsetting you in there.” she started, looking up at him. “First, I was so engrossed in those books and talking notes, it was hard to pull away to give you a proper welcome. Then…..” she stopped herself and sighed heavily. “I don’t quite know how to talk to you now.” she admitted as she looked off to the side, then back to him. Esme almost felt like she needed to sit down and talk to him all over again, but she knew Dean wouldn’t go for that. He’d prefer she not get too comfortable with Duke because he didn’t want Duke to hurt her by his bolting nature.