Full of Surprises

Who: Joey and Ash
When: evening
Where: dinner, then Ash's
Warning: NSFW

Ash was kind of disappointed, 'cause it was honest-to-god too fucking cold to ride his bike. He'd been hoping to take Joey out for one last spin of the season, and then the skies had opened up and dumped snow all over them. He was lucky the roads were clear at all. Unfortunately, that meant he didn't have transportation -- as he hadn't quite found an old clunker yet to roll around in when the weather was shit -- so when he showed up at Tourville to pick Joey up? It was in a cab. Which he was going to insist on keeping and paying for. It wasn't his style to let a woman drive him around. Rubbing his hands together as he hopped out of the cab, he headed into the building and to her door. He ran a hand over his hair and down the thin line of beard to make sure it was all in order before he knocked. They'd had to delay this dinner a day so he could catch up on some work, but he'd still been looking forward to it.

Joey was thankful that the roads were clear now, and that she could safely leave her apartment. After making sure the coffee shop was taken care of, she returned home, showered and changed for her dinner with Ash, and then fed her dog. She was pulling on her jacket when there came the knock at the door. She didn't know why, but she felt a bit of relief. Maybe a part of her thought he would change his mind and not show up at all. Pulling open the door, she smiled when she saw him, and then grabbed her keys from the small table. "Hey, you're right on time. Ready to go?" She hadn't really been thinking about transportation, but she was pretty sure he wouldn't be on his bike. And she was more than willing to drive if need be.

"I am nothing if not punctual," he said with a little crooked grin, moving out of the way so that she could come out of her place. He hadn't dressed up, per se, but everything on him was clean and didn't have holes or stains, so that was pretty good. And he was shaved and everything. It wasn't a date, it was dinner and possibly talking about things they both found terribly unpleasant, but he could look presentable anyway. Once she was all locked up, Ash escorted her out of the building and gestured to the cab that was idling at the curb. "Your chariot awaits, m'lady. Complete with pine tree-shaped air freshener."

Joey hadn't dressed up either, opting for a comfortable pair of jeans, blue shirt and her army jacket. It was cold out, but she still couldn't bring herself to pulling her winter coat out of the closet. "I didn't think you would have your bike," Joey said with a grin. "She's probably been put to bed for the winter. I don't mind driving, Ash." She jiggled her keys and motioned to her car, parked across the lot. "Or if you're one of those men who don't like being driven around by a woman, then I don't mind letting you drive." It seemed silly to have him pay for transportation when she had a car and a full tank of gas.

"Me? One of those men, surely not," he scoffed in a tone that clearly indicated that he was one of those men. He considered the offer, and reminded himself that if they got too drunk or something crazy, they could always call for a cab later and leave her car. Marquette was a safe enough town, when it came down to petty crime. "Sure, I'll drive, lemme just tell him to fuck off," Ash said finally with a little grin, nodding toward the cab before he half-jogged off that way to pay the man and send him on his way.

Grinning, Joey watched him head off to the cab. She was pretty sure that if Joey hadn't suggested Ash driving her car, he would have insisted on the cab, but that was okay. When he returned, she handed him her keys and motioned for him to follow her to her car. "Don't worry, if things get a little out of hand with the alcohol, we can call him back," she promised with a smile. "Are you in the mood for some greasy food? Because I am. It feels like forever since I've had wings or a burger."

Ash tossed the car keys up into the air after she handed them over, and caught them again effortlessly, heading to her vehicle with her. "Wings and burgers are a definite go," he said with a chuckle, pausing on the passenger side to open the door for her. It was a small gesture, as he didn't stay to close it, but instead headed around to the right side of the car. There was always something fun about driving other people's cars. Which was something he did all the time, but it was a small pleasure. "I know just the place," he said as he climbed in behind the wheel and fired the engine up. He probably should've brought some gloves, but oh well.

She got into her car and shut the door, pulling on her seatbelt as he started up the car. "How have things been?" Joey asked, once they were on their way. "You weren't trapped in your garage on Monday, were you?" She had spent most of her day stuck at the shop, though she'd had company. It was a frustrating thing, not being able to go home when she wanted to.

"I live right above it, so not technically, no," Ash told her, flashing a grin out at the street. He drove carefully -- by his standards, anyway -- as they were still kind of treacherous if one was going too fast. "But I kinda get stir-crazy if I have to stay in, y'know? Don't like it. How 'bout you? Were you lucky and at home or what?"

"Being forced to do something is never any fun," Joey agreed with a nod. "But you're lucky, that you live right above your place of employment. I was stuck at the coffee shop for quite awhile. And with absolutely no customers? I got a lot of work done." She laughed and stretched her legs out as much as she could. "I had a fire place and coffee, so I guess it wasn't so bad. I think I would have preferred to be home, but what can you do? I chose to move here, so I've got to accept the bad along with the good... and I think the winter is definitely going to be bad."

"Ah well, coulda been worse," Ash agreed with a chuckle. Of all the places to be stuck, somewhere with food would be toward the top of his list. He'd been lucky enough to have some Chinese and pizza leftovers in his apartment. "No question it'll be a bad season, though. Got your car winterized just in time." He patted the steering wheel and came to a stop. Taking a turn, he continued, "Though I guess it could be summer right on the equator, that's the most miserable I've ever been, I'd rather be buried in snow."

Joey grinned when he patted her steering wheel. "My car is eternally grateful." She wasn't a fan of winter, but sometimes you had to put up with unpleasantness. "I love the heat, myself. Not the sweltering kind, where you can barely breathe when you take a step outside... but there's nothing like the sun beating on your skin." She missed summer already, and coming from South Africa to Marquette, Michigan... it was quite a change. "That's the nice thing about being on your own, though, isn't it? No obligations or responsibilities. Being able to up and leave whenever you want... whenever the season changes."

Ash glanced over at Joey for a second before he slowed down to pull into the parking lot of the bar and grill place he'd picked out for them. "Wouldn't have it any other way," he said, and at least most of him meant that. Really, he knew better than to think that he could live in any other sort of life. 'Settling down' wasn't in his vocabulary. "You plannin' on hittin' the road anytime soon, then?" he asked casually, because he really couldn't not, after a statement like that. He kind of wanted to sit around in the car for a minute and smoke a cigarette, but he didn't want to torture her. Ash cut the engine and looked over at her.

She looked back at him with a small smile. "I don't know. Maybe? There are reasons I'm drawn to different places... generally I don't leave until I feel that next destination start to call out to me, as strange as I know that sounds. I don't scare easily, so places like Marquette aren't going to frighten me off." She unbuckled her seat belt, still watching him. "What about you?"

"Doesn't sound strange at all. ... plenty of monsters to fight," he said with a grin that contained no real humor whatsoever. "Lots of balancing to do. This is prob'ly my last stop, babydoll." If there was anywhere in the world he was most likely to actually get the release of dying? And take some bad shit down with him in a blaze of glory? Marquette was it. Ash unbuckled, popped his door open, and climbed out, breathing in a nice deep, edged lungful of the cold air. He tucked Joey's keys away and waited for her to get out.

That wasn't exactly the answer she had been expecting to hear, but she supposed she shouldn't be taken aback by it. Some angels couldn't handle what they did, or were. And karma was the worst. Worse, she thought, than what she had to do. Though she thought he would probably disagree. Joey got out of the car and shut her door before walking around to him. "You really think this is your last stop?" Joey asked, eyes searching his. "Somehow I doubt you're talking about getting married, settling down and growing old here."

He had to laugh at that mental picture. The whole thing really didn't seem to bother him; Ash had more or less given up his hold on the will to live quite a few years ago. He was just determined to make his dead worthwhile, if it was going to come. Either taking something big down with him, or having one hell of a good time. "With the way things have gone in this shithole since I got here? Yeah, probably the end of the line. But c'mon, we got burgers waitin' on us," he said, offering her his arm like a gentleman and everything.

"It's not just here," Joey said, slipping her arm through his to walk with him up to the building. "Sadly, there's a lot of shitholes. From possible death to burgers." Joey flashed him a smile. "I have a feeling our conversations are going to be incredibly uplifting."

"What else are we around for?" Ash posed with a charming smile as he held the door open for them and ushered her inside. He breathed the smell of warmth and cooking meat in deep and let out a sigh. Passive deathwish or no, there were still parts of life that he could really appreciate, and food wasn't ever going to lose it's appeal. He settled into the booth across from Joey as they were seated and started perusing the menu.

"Touche." Joey sat and picked up her own menu, though she was pretty sure what she was going to order. She was starving for french fries and dying for a beer. Arching an eyebrow, she looked up at Ash from her menu, a tiny smile playing on her lips. "Do you think they have greasy meat and fried food in heaven?"

Ash glanced up at her, one pierced eyebrow slightly arched. It of course wasn't a serious question, and didn't warrant his usual disbelief. "I think that's probably all they ever feed you, if you want it," he said with a soft chuckle, flipping the menu over to see what brands of beer they had. "I imagine heaven's got one fucker of a huge buffet. In between all the beer and sex, a'course." Because things had to have their priorities.

"What does is say about me that you've just described my ideal version of heaven?" Joey sighed before smiling and setting down her menu. "Can I ask you something? Do you ever think about what your life would have been like if you had been born something completely different?" Everyone did, didn't they? But she imagined angels, at times, thought about it more often than others. She knew she thought about it every single day.

He had to grin at her for the first question, though it faded out at the second. He looked over the food one more time, decided on steak, and put his menu aside as well. "Do I ever? Yes. I used to do it a lot more than I do now, but that just comes with age, I think," he said, looking over the table at her. "Way I see it now, you get dealt a hand, and you gotta just do the best you can with it, and not think too much about other people's hands. Doesn't do you much good, can't switch out. ... but if you could pick, what would you switch for?" He was curious.

"I don't know. Actually," Joey said with a small shake of her head. "I do know. I think I would opt for being completely human. One hundred percent vanilla. I could get a real job, find a man, have a baby or two and die in my sleep at the young age of ninety." She released a breath and smiled. "As it is, I'm not normal. Men aren't really my priority and children aren't on the agenda. And I'm fine with it, even though I wish I could change it sometimes." She leaned back against her chair, studying him. "What about you? Are you doing the best you can with it? Or would you change things too?"

"Grass is always greener, love, I'm sure if you had that kinda life, you'd be wishing for adventure and excitement and not to be tied down," he said genuinely. But with a smile, because that was just the sort of sad way of human nature. Or non-human nature, apparently. "Me?" he sat back and considered the question, really considered it. "At this point? I don't think I'd know any other way to live. And I just ... I know I've done enough good in my time -- plenty of bad, don't get me wrong, but good too -- that it's probably been worthwhile. And better me than someone else with this job, yeah? So ... I think I'm doing the best I can with it, and I'd leave the normal lives to those who really deserve them."

"Hmm." She rested her elbow on the table and set her chin in her palm as she studied him. "You're right. I would probably start craving something else if I hadn't been born what I am. At this point, I think I would just like to be able to argue with someone without worrying about what damage I could inflict if they pushed the right buttons. You seem sort of resigned," Joey told him. "Almost like you're a defeated man. Can you even remember when you enjoyed being what you are?"

A defeated man. That was what he felt like a lot of the time, but that didn't mean that Ash enjoyed having it pointed out to him. He didn't want to seem that way. He wanted to seem like the rock he should be. "It was quite a few years back," he answered Joey's question with a faint smile. He was ready for a beer now. "Back before it really sunk in hard that people don't learn the lessons you try to teach them. Do you enjoy it?" he asked, watching her expression.

"Most people don't want to learn the lessons you try and teach them. They want to justify their mistakes and ignore the consequences." At his question, her gaze snapped to his and she tilted her head curiously. "Could anyone enjoy what I do?" The twisted, sick ones could, but Joey had never considered herself either of those things. "I've never enjoyed it. It's just... what I am. It's a part of me. I can't cut it out of my being, Ash, as much as I wish I could." She looked away, her eyes searching for the waitress. She needed a drink. "If I were renewal, or grace or something... good, then I would enjoy it."

She was defensive. Which was understandable, and possibly a good sign. Ash didn't say that he hadn't meant it that way, because he more or less had. "My father enjoyed it," he said after a moment, eyes having drifted down to the table. With the wonderful timing they always had, their waitress showed up at that moment, to take their drink and food orders. He gave it, asking for a shot of whiskey. Which was definitely stronger than a beer, but he felt like he needed it at the moment. He had plenty of beer at the house, and he'd be careful to make sure he made it there.

Joey stared at him as the waitress approached, but she managed to tear her eyes away long enough to order a beer and a burger. After she disappeared, Joey shifted her attention back to Ash. "I assume that's why you haven't spoken to him in so long." She knew being an Angel of Wrath was her calling, but she had never found enjoyment out of it. She couldn't fathom finding any spark of happiness in decimating cities and villages. Causing death and destruction. "Not everyone enjoys losing their temper." It was a simple fact, and she was sure he would understand what she meant by that.

He did, perfectly, and felt that stab of guilt for how he'd initially reacted again. He just had his reasons, even if they weren't completely logical and rational. "One of the reasons," he answered her assumption, looking up at her again. "I suppose that could make you more likely to want a vanilla mortal life." He just couldn't see any merit in it. Destruction of that magnitude. Unless Wrathers existed for the sole purpose of population control. Which was a job he wouldn't want to have. "But you're not what you are called to do," he said, hoping she'd take his meaning from it.

"No, I'm not." She smiled faintly at him, relieved when the waitress returned with their drinks. She pulled her beer toward her and took a quick sip from the bottle. It was cold and felt wonderful as it wet her dry throat. Setting the bottle down on the table, she shrugged one shoulder. "I'm judged by what I am all the time. Your reaction wasn't the first time that had ever happened to me," Joey said, though she was sure he would know that. "I've had lovers, friends... people I've trusted and opened up to... walk away from me the minute they discover my true nature. It disgusts them, or frightens them, or maybe both. I got used to it, although I have to admit it's in those moments when the door shuts behind them that I wish I were a vanilla mortal. But, I'm not. So... like you said, you've got to deal with the hand your dealt. And I am."

Ash was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry for how I reacted. It wasn't fair, and I'm old enough to know better," he said, and it was honest and sincere. It didn't matter if it happened to her all the time. That was more of a reason to hold his own feelings in check in circumstances like that. He swallowed half of the amber liquid in his glass and set it down again, restlessly turning it around and around with his fingers. "None of us can help what we are, only what we do with it," he murmured, almost to himself.

"You don't have to apologize for it," Joey told him. Wrapping her fingers around her beer bottle, she gave him a small smile. "And you're right. Everyone makes their own decisions, regardless of what they are. Though I'm not going to lie and say it's totally okay that you left me high and not very dry." She winked at him and took another sip of her beer. "I have a feeling we would have had an incredibly interesting evening."

He chuckled faintly and tipped back the rest of his booze. "We were already having an incredibly interesting evening, it was all uphill from there," he agreed, glancing at her and then away again. He hadn't had another night like it since. It felt like a long time ago, even though it probably wasn't. "I apologize for that, then. The abandonment in your time of need." He almost offered to make it up to her, but wasn't sure if that was appropriate given their conversation. Which meant that what she thought actually mattered, which was probably odd.

"You're forgiven," Joey said with a mock sigh before she smiled. She would much rather keep the conversation light-hearted when there was alcohol involved. She would much rather flirt, and laugh that evening then get into deep, depressing conversation. "I'm positive you can make it up to me some other time."

That got him quirking an eyebrow. "Is that so?" he asked, a little smirk playing with his lips. That was either a tease or a promise, he wasn't quite sure which. Either one was welcome, honestly. "I suppose I need to be ready whenever you say it's time, then, huh?" He twirled his glass around a bit more and then motioned for the waitress when he caught a glimpse of her. He ordered a beer, deciding to lay off the hard liquor for the moment.

Joey grinned and nodded. "I suppose you do. Stay alert," she told him. "You never know when I'm going to throw myself at you." She leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. "If only to get you naked enough to check out your back." He had been able to feel the telltale angelic signs from her scars, and she wanted to know what his were like.

"All you gotta do for that is ask," Ash told her with a chuckle. A beer was set in front of him and he took a pull off of it. "Though throwin' yourself at me is a good enough tactic. I'll take it." He knew why she would want to see, and hoped it wouldn't be too disappointing. He'd always thought it a little odd he'd been born with birthmarks instead of scars. Scars seemed to fit him much better. But he had built up enough of a collection, he supposed.

"I hadn't really found the right time to ask," Joey pointed out with a look. "You left on Halloween, you were too drunk at Babylon, and I don't think asking you to take off your shirt while you were changing my oil would have been the best time either. What do yours look like?"

He laughed a bit. Yeah, their timing together hadn't quite hit that vibing point again yet. "No, no, see ... changing oil shirtless is the perfect time. If you're into that whole dirty mechanic thing," he said, amused. A surprising amount of women were. Hell, he'd shown his back to Nic in the shop. A bit different, but still. "They're birthmarks. Kinda just dark brown long oval-shapes between the shoulderblades. With tattoos all around them. Not quite as cool as scars." He flashed her a bit of a grin.

"I think I made it pretty clear I had a weakness for greasemonkeys," Joey reminded him with a sly smile before she lifted her bottle to her lips again. Birthmarks. She wished she had birthmarks. Her scars were a bitch to explain if a guy actually asked about them. Dorian, thankfully, hadn't. "Nothing is as cool as scars, but birthmarks are much more discreet. You can't begin to imagine the excuses I've come up with over the years."

"Oh I can imagine," Ash said with a chuckle, relaxing back into his side of the booth. He sucked a bit off of his own beer, already contemplating how he was going to get her home with him, or vice versa. She was what she was, and she didn't enjoy it. But he enjoyed her company, she was sexy as all hell, and they seemed to be easing into something more comfortable now. "I have plenty of scars that aren't wing-related I've had to try and explain. 'Demon claws' don't really fly in the mundane world. I generally blame them on motorcycle accidents."

"You could say Demon Claws, just to see what the reaction is," Joey said, smiling at the thought. "Talk about a conversation starter. Motorcycle accidents work too. I usually opt for shoulder surgery... car accident... something easy and simple that doesn't get a lot of follow up questions. I don't think I would have ever guessed angel if I saw your birthmarks. You've got so many tattoos, would I have even been able to make them out?"

"They're kinda ... centerpieces to my back," he explained, giving her a sheepish smile. "I was young. I've never covered them completely, more drawn attention to them than anything." Back when he was proud of what he was, it was his silent way of saluting his place in the universe, without having to tell people directly. Ash shrugged a shoulder and sipped some more on his beer. Where the hell was their food? Now he was wanting to know what type and color her wings were. To see them, touch them ... he'd had one lover who was another angel, years and years prior, and the idea of bedding Joey was bringing back quite a few fond memories.

"You'll have to show me then. I have to say I'm intrigued. Sort of a I'll show you mine if you show me yours type deal, only you've already seen mine so..." She looked up at as their food arrived and the scent of her burger had her stomach growling. "Have you ever shown anyone what they look like?" Joey asked once their waitress disappeared again. "Your wings?"

Ah, steak. Yes sir. Ash sat up straight and unwrapped his utensils, ready to dig the fuck in. "Once or twice, other angels," he answered her, pulling from his beer again before he cut off the first piece. It smelled delicious, and tasted even better. And would slow the warmth he felt from the whiskey earlier. "They're not much to look at now, though. One of 'em's fucked, I don't take 'em out much." He made an appreciative grunt and cut off another chunk of meat to chew on.

Joey poured some ketchup over her fries, curious as to what his wings looked like now. She wondered if he would ever show her. "What happened?" She didn't know if he would want to tell her. An angel's wings were... a huge part of who they were. She knew she would probably be devastated if something happened to one of her wings. But Ash seemed like he was open to, well, being open with her that night, so she figured she could ask.

"A bad tangle with an Oni," he said, not minding telling her. She was one of the few people who'd know what he was talking about, most likely. Ash took the war seriously. Probably more seriously than he took his initial calling as an angel. It didn't sound like it bothered him too much, but that was a well-practiced casual tone. "It's useless. I've pretty much been grounded since then." Which brought him back to the night they'd gone up to Sugarloaf and looked at all of it, but he neatly tucked that aside mentally.

She arched an eyebrow at that admission. She had run into an Oni or two in her time, but had thankfully walked away unscathed. Still, she couldn't imagine not being able to fly. "There's nothing that can fix it?" Joey asked with a small frown. "Magic or... something?" What was the point of your wings if you couldn't use them. "Did you at least kill the Oni?"

Ash gave her an incredulous look that he couldn't help for a second. "Of course I killed it," he said. He'd been delirious with pain and rage when he'd done it, but he'd made sure it got dead. "But no. Nothing to fix it as far as I know. That was ... I dunno, ten years ago now?" Not that he'd hunted around for any magic to fix it. It was just another scar, and it made him more likely to actually be brought down, which ... was still going to be a relief, he thought.

"Of course you did," Joey said with a soft, amused chuckle as she bit into a french fry. She shouldn't have doubted him, clearly. Demons were the one creature Joey had no qualms about destroying. Thankfully she hadn't encountered any of them recently. "I'm sorry about your wing," she told him. "Would you still show me them sometime?" She was curious as to the kind of wings Ash had. She certainly wasn't picturing him with white feathers and an illuminating glow. Hell, a part of her mind was picturing wings covered in tats.

"Depends on what you've got to offer back," he said with a tiny smirk and another sip of beer. They weren't something he much liked to show off, after all. He much preferred to leave the peep show at the body he'd built that actually functioned like it was supposed to. Everything else could stay in her imagination. It was a vulnerability, even as a war-wound. "Bet you're all the white and fluffy type, hey?" he assessed, winking at her and forking another bit of meat into his mouth. "Like a kitten. Mmm."

Joey arched an eyebrow and smirked briefly before taking another pull from her beer bottle. She set it down and lifted her hamburger bun to pick off the pickle. "I've got plenty to offer, thank you very much. You ought to know that by now." She still wanted to see his wings, though she was thinking it might take a lot more persuading to get him to agree. "Close. They're more feathery than fluffy, and they're not white." She shrugged one shoulder and replaced her hamburger bun. "They're crimson colored."

He did indeed know she had plenty to offer, it was just nice to hear her say so in that sort of way. "Ooo," he said with a little laugh. Red feathered wings. Blood red, no less. It suited, he supposed. "I must say, they sound tantalizing already." Ash chuckled and drank a bit more beer. He was almost ready for another one. "Mine're black. Feathered. Just to take some of the mystery out of it." And he already saw this coming down to a 'you show me your's, I'll show you mine' sort of situation. But that didn't mean he couldn't try to be convincing.

"Hmm. Black, feathered wings." She studied him before nodding. "It fits." Just as she was sure he thought hers fit what she was. Funny things about wings, they suited every angel in their own way. Joey smiled. He was right in his assessment that this would become a 'tit for tat' kind of deal. She wasn't self conscious about her wings, and she was willing to show them to him if it meant being able to see his. "You've got me even more intrigued now. I would be willing to part with the remaining mystery if it meant being able to see them."

"But if you got to see them, there wouldn't be a mystery left," he pointed out. "At least for you. We'll just have to see what specifically you decide to try and tempt me with." He wasn't even really sure what would get him to bust the bad boys out, it was more or less just fun to tease. Really, he kind of didn't want to show her his brokenness. But it couldn't be put that way, exactly. He finished off his beer and set it at the edge of the table, motioning at the waitress for another.

"I can find mystery in other aspects of my life," Joey assured him. She would never push him to show her his wings if he wasn't comfortable with it. She was pretty adept at using her imagination. She ordered another beer along with Ash once the waitress came back around. She was going to have a nice little buzz going on when they left. It was probably a good thing he was driving, even if it was her car. "Do you have any other family?" Joey asked once they were alone again. "Other than your dad?"

So it was the fun Personal Twenty Questions portion of the evening. Ash could deal. Well enough, anyway. He shook his head as he took a swallow of the fresh beer and ate a bit more food. "Nope," he said. "Lost mom early, didn't ever have any siblings. If I've got aunts and uncles and shit, I don't know about them." He shrugged one shoulder and looked across the table at her, one eyebrow arched. "You?" Tit for tat, after all.

"Yes. My mother." She took a bite of her burger, not really up for getting into the details. She was pretty sure he wasn't interested anyway. At least not in that aspect of her life. When you started getting into the personal things, that's when it started getting complicated. And she really wasn't ready for complicated. She liked things easy and simple. No strings. "So you've seen my place," Joey said casually, taking another bite of her french fries. "When do I get to see yours?"

That? Sounded strangely like an invitation to take her home. And he had no doubt that Joey knew exactly what it sounded strangely like. He didn't pry further as she deflected the question he'd thrown back at her. It wasn't something he'd want done to him, so he returned the favor. "Whenever your heart desires," he told her in all honesty. If that was tonight, awesome. If not? He could wait. Ash gave her a grin to hopefully make it a bit more tempting to say tonight, however.

"Oh yeah?" She grinned and lifted both eyebrows in surprise. "Good to know. I suppose you can show me it tonight, after we're finished eating. I'm sure you were going to invite me up for a drink anyway, right?" Everything about Ash was a mystery, it seemed. Even his apartment above his shop. She had an indescribable curiosity to see the place where he lived. If she couldn't see his wings, it was maybe the second best thing. Maybe.

He reminded himself that an apartment-visit didn't necessarily mean sex, as he'd found out more than once over the years, but a man could still hope. "That was the plan, if you seemed keen," he admitted with a chuckle, swigging from his beer again. He was feeling pretty relaxed now, good in general. "I warn you now, though, it's a bit ... messy. Might offend your delicate sensibilities, but I never claimed to be any kinda housekeeper."

Joey nodded. "I'm keen," she told him, picking up her fresh beer. "I don't care about mess. You're a man. I sort of expect it," she teased. "And for future reference, I have no delicate sensibilities. I can take a mess, believe me." She didn't know if the night would end up with sex either, but she would never shut the door on the possibility. She was a bit more wary this go around, given the last time they had nearly gotten naked together, but things were feeling more relaxed now and her Wrather status didn't seem to bother him as much as it had before.

"We'll see, as I can make a mess of unprecendented proportions," he told her with a crooked grin. He'd found out long ago that a woman's definition of 'mess' was far different than a man's. But they would see. Maybe she really wouldn't care, and there would be rough necking and clothing-shedding as soon as they got through the door. He had to admit, he'd felt a bit blue-balled by their last real encounter himself, even if he'd been the one having to walk away. There hadn't really been any release since then. "But all right then, it's another date. An after-date."

"I believe you," Joey said with a small laugh. She honestly didn't care about a messy apartment. As long as she had a place to sit, or lay down, or fuck, she was good. "I don't have many after-dates, so I'm looking forward to seeing if it's as fun as a pre-after date." She had a feeling it would be. At least with Ash.

"Even more," he said, and clinked his beer against her's before tipping it up to down the rest. And that would be it, so he could get her home. To his home, even. Where there was plenty of beer to keep them both there. More or less done with his food, Ash pushed the plate aside and leaned back comfortably in the booth, fishing around for his smokes to light one up. "I'd imagine you could be booked up in all kindsa dates if you wanted to be," he commented, just off-handedly. She was incredibly attractive, after all.

"I imagine I could be," Joey agreed with a grin. She leaned back with her beer, more or less finished with her half eaten burger. "And who knows? Maybe I am." She really didn't think talking about her 'love life' - if you could call it that - was the best topic of conversation at the moment. Joey shot him a teasing look. "You're lucky I was able to fit you in tonight."

Ash chuckled. "Indeed, who knows," he said, looking at her in a narrow-eyed smirky kind of way through his cigarette smoke. Really, who did know, maybe he had been penciled in. It wasn't something that really bothered him; he'd never been the type to be possessive, seeing as how all the actual 'relationships' he'd had one could count on a single hand. That was possibly missing a couple of fingers. He preferred it that way; it was easier. "But I do feel lucky, so I can go along with that."

Joey eyed him, her smile flirtatious as she lifted her beer to take another sip. "Excellent. We'll see if your luck lasts the rest of the evening." She wasn't the possessive type either, and rarely defined relationships the way most people would. She was happy living in the moment and seeing where things went. But she never jumped into anything with high expectations. She liked doing things on her own terms, no one else's. She set her beer down and reached into her bag for her wallet. "I don't know about you, but I'm pretty eager to see this infamous, messy apartment."

The malest part of his brain heard 'I'm pretty eager to get in your pants, prrrow', and Ash grinned. There simply wasn't a way not to get a little excited with that sort of implication on the table. He sat up and forward, pulling his own wallet out. "I dunno what you think you're doin' with that," he said, nodding to her's. "But I got this. The fee to get into my infamous messy apartment is you let me pay for dinner."

She would have protested his paying for her dinner, but she knew if she did they would sit there and argue back and forth for awhile, and that would just delay getting him home. "Fair enough," Joey said with a shrug, slipping her wallet back into her purse. She gave him a smile and picked up her beer again. "I've got to say, I'm starting to build up some pretty high expectations for this visit."

Ash tossed down enough money to cover the food and drinks and a generous tip, and grinned across at Joey. "A man can only hope not to disappoint," he said, though he had every confidence that he wouldn't. He kind of knew already what flavor she liked, and he would be more than happy to give her as much of a taste as she wanted. He slid out of the booth and stood, offering her a hand. "Got plenty of that back at the house. You get a free one with the tour even," he said, nodding at her beer.

"A dinner fee and free beer?" Joey sighed and set her beer down on the table before reaching out and taking his hand to let him help her slide out of the booth. "Damn, with all of this trouble, you better have a really messy apartment." She reached down to grab her purse once she was on her feet and then walked with him to the door and her car.

"Oh honey, I'll mess it up real good for you," Ash murmured to her as they headed out of the building. It took every bit of willpower he had not to give her ass a good grab, but he managed. It was always better to let it build, on both sides. He unlocked the car on her side and jogged around to slip behind the wheel again. After he cracked the window and lit another cigarette, they were off.

Joey couldn't help but grin as she got into her car and settled back as he began to drive. He was smoking, damn him. But she managed to resist... okay, no she didn't. What the hell. She was having a good time and working on a nice, pleasant buzz. Smoking wasn't going to hurt. Sighing, she reached over to take the cigarette from his lips, bringing it to her own to take one slow, long drag. It was heaven and hell all at once and she nearly wept at how wonderful it felt to inhale the nicotine again. Just one puff, that was all she needed. She offered it back to him as she rolled her own window down to exhale the smoke out.

He'd really had to take his eyes off the road long enough to watch her do that. Because a woman that just helped herself to what she wanted was beyond sexy, in his opinion. He took his cigarette back to take another drag himself, then offered it back in her direction with a raised eyebrow. He knew she'd 'quit', but if she was going to indulge, who was he to stop her. He made the turn that would lead to the shop and his oh-so-messy-and-promising apartment.

She glanced over when she noticed him offering her the cigarette again. "You're a really bad influence," she said before taking it again and placing it between her lips. "I never used to go around on motorcycles, or drink, or smoke until you walked into my life." Joey sighed and exhaled a slow, steady stream of smoke before grinning at him. "I'm a big fan of corruption, so you won't hear me complain."

Ash laughed a bit. "Somehow, lady, I don't buy that for a second," he said, tossing a grin back over at her. "I think you had a hellion in you long before I ever showed up." Oh yeah, she knew what she was doing. He'd seen her in that little devil-outfit, after all. Something he kind of wished that he could see again. Yum. Thankful that the shop was nearby, he pulled into the drive and put the car in park again. If things went well, it wouldn't move again until much much later.

"I've never been anything but an angel," Joey said, snickering at the silliness of the joke. When they parked, she shot him a grin before she pushed open the door to get out. Once she did, she got rid of the cigarette before she was tempted to finish the whole thing off. Joey pushed her hair behind her ears and walked over to join Ash. "You know, my mother warned me about boys like you. Sadly, I'm a sucker for a man with tattoos."

He hooked an arm around her waist from the side and pulled her in close. "Your mother just never had as much fun as you're gonna have," he practically purred into her ear. "I'll show you what boys like me do to little angel girls." It didn't take a whole lot to get him to be bold, and Joey had already passed the line a long time ago. Holding on to her that way, he escorted her around the side of the big cinderblock building, heading for the metal stairs in the back that led up to his apartment. He let go enough to clang up them with her, and fished his keys out of one pocket.

Joey was torn between amusement and arousal, though the latter seemed to be winning out. He was certainly sexy, and she would have been lying if she tried to deny just hearing him talk got her blood pumping. She wondered if it were truly possible to equally enjoy the company of two very different men at the same time. Well, not at the same time. That was a completely different fantasy. Joey allowed him to lead her up the stairs to his apartment. "While I've still got a coherent, responsible part of my brain actually working, you really should put some salt down on your steps before it gets really icy," Joey said, looking down at the metal stairs. She grinned and lifted her gaze back up to his face. "Believe me, you'll thank me later."

"Yes ma'am," he said, giving her a crooked and rakish grin that defied all sensible advice. She was right of course, but salting his steps was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. Ash snagged her hand and pulled her into the apartment, which was wonderfully warmer than the air outside. That was probably the best thing about it. It was a loft-style deal, without a designated bedroom. Just a wide open space more or less that was partly carpeted and had a corner-kitchen on the linoleum part of it. Ash's furniture was sparse and dirty, obviously second-hand. Not that he cared; since he moved so much, he had to pick up new essentials everywhere he went, and the cheaper, the better. There was a boxspring and mattress in one far corner, with rumpled sheets more piled on it than anything else. A lamp on the floor was next to it, and an ashtray. There was most of a chair facing the foot of the bed that had once been nice, but was missing it's legs now. A ragged couch more in the middle of the room, and a small TV on a stand. The kitchen had no table, but a chair and a TV tray. And dirty dishes in the sink. On the wall with the bed was a door that led to the bathroom, a towel laying half in-half out of it. Everywhere were beer bottles -- some also used as ash trays if he was too lazy to go get the real one -- and dirty clothes. There wasn't a lot of trash besides that, but the place definitely had Bachelor written all over it, and he had the windows open enough when he wasn't up there that it didn't quite reek. "Home sweet home," he sighed with a chuckle, and started shedding his coat.

Joey stepped inside and immediately began to look around. She pulled her jacket off as she began to walk away from Ash, stepping farther into the apartment, her gaze drifting over the bed, the tv tray, the small kitchen. She set her jacket on the back of his, er, kitchen chair before she turned to look at him, a bright, amused smile on her face. "Wow. All you're missing is a large neon sign over the bed that says 'bachelor pad'," Joey told him. She was sure most of the women he had brought back here in the past knew from the instant they stepped inside that they definitely wouldn't be staying any longer than Ash wanted them to. No kitchen table, one chair, beer bottles... she was positive she could open up the fridge and find moldy cheese and more beer. No real food. Yeah, he probably brought women here for one purpose, and then it was goodbye.

Instead of putting it somewhere coats belonged, Ash just dropped his by the door, and went about pulling his boots off to join it. He balanced on one leg and tugged one off, then the other. He lost an inch or two that way, but it didn't really matter at the moment. "Y'think I should get one?" he asked in the meantime, grinning back at her. "I hear they're all the rage in Europe." He walked by her to the fridge and opened it up, revealing that yes, it was mostly filled with beer. Ash more or less ate on a 'whatever I pick up or have delivered' basis. He pulled two bottles out and twisted the caps off, offering one to her. "Messy enough for you?" he asked, and dropped her a wink.

"It definitely passes the messy test," Joey said, reaching out for the beer her offered her. "I'm having this overwhelming urge to start cleaning up. That's why you brought me up here, isn't it? Free maid service." She grinned and took a sip of beer, turning to glance around again. She would have sat but... she wasn't sure there was any good place to sit. "Most bachelor pads are designed to draw the woman in and seduce her with fancy leather sofas and a bed with a headboard." As messy as it was, the apartment suited Ash. And that wasn't a bad thing. "I think your place is more like a..." She paused thoughtfully. "... non-conformist bachelor pad designed to get women to hit the road after you've given the boxspring a workout."

"I bought you dinner, it wasn't free," he reminded her with a cheeky grin. He took a sip off of his beer and looked around the place again. He supposed he could straighten up some, maybe ... vacuum or something. He didn't even own a vacuum, aside from the shop-vacs downstairs. "I like to think I draw 'em in with my wit and charm more than my couch," he observed sagely, and chuckled. "But that could be why that boxpring ain't had a workout in a while." He made his way over to the couch, tossed some dirty laundry off of it, and kind of brushed the crumbs of with his hand before he gestured that she could sit if she felt it was safe.

"Ah, dinner in exchange for doing your dishes. I think that sounds like an even trade." Joey followed him and sat down on the couch after he'd cleared a spot away for her. She wasn't surprised his place was a mess. From their conversation earlier, she was pretty convinced Ash really didn't care about insignificant things like cleaning his apartment. She wondered if he cared about significant things anymore. "Well, your wit and charm got me here... maybe you should bypass the couch and go straight for the boxspring from now on," she suggested with a grin.

"Shoulda said so before we sat down," Ash told her, sucking down some more beer. He glanced over at the bed. He only slept there half the time, the other half on the couch they were sitting in, or uncomfortably passed out on his half-chair. But since she was there and talking about it, he wondered if he shouldn't clean up a little. Try to scare up some fresh sheets. Maybe there were some in the closet in the bathroom? "Really, I kinda really didn't expect company at all," he told her, earnest this time, looking back over at her. "I would've picked up some." The bottles, at least, as they kinda screamed Alcoholic all over the place like they were.

"Ash," Joey said with a small smile, "I really don't care about how messy your place is. And you certainly don't have to clean up for me. We won't call this place messy," she decided as she looked around. "Let's call it rustic. That has a different feel to it, doesn't?" Joey leaned over to set her beer bottle on the ground in front of the couch. She would have to try and remember which one was hers. She really didn't want to take a drink and get old cigarette ash. She stood and reached down to pull her t-shirt up and over her head. Her hair fell back to her shoulders once it was out of the way, and she turned to look at Ash. "I'm assuming you brought me here because you wanted to see my wings, right?" She knew damn well why she was there, but it would be fun to pretend otherwise for awhile.

"I just don't want to make you sit in a toxic wasteland ..." he was saying. And then she was taking her shirt off, which wasn't quite expected, and made him lose his train of thought. Ash had stopped being a randy teenager decades upon decades ago, but there was just always something about the revealing of breasts -- even in a bra, and even if it wasn't the first time -- that demanded adoration. So she got the reaction she likely wanted, which was a heartbeat or two of blatant staring. His eyes ticked back up to her's and he grinned faintly. "That's it exactly," he said, and tipped the beer bottle back once more, looking expectant.

She had expected the staring, but it didn't bother her. He had seen her breasts before. Right before he ditched her. But that was nearly here nor there at the moment. She dropped her shirt on the couch beside him before she reached behind her and unhooked her bra to slide off of her arms. She didn't need to take it off to show off her wings, but she figured it would add an extra something to the 'show'. "Do you really want to see them?" Joey asked, arching an eyebrow at him. "Or would you rather I keep undressing?"

Oh hell no, went through his mind in a flash. She was going to make him choose? Not fair. Foul play. But he grinned anyway, because it was a brilliant tease. Now that she had part of her ... acoutrements out in the open. It didn't help that he vividly remembered how those beauties felt pressed against his chest, and the way they'd been kissing. "Are those my only two options, or can I say both?" he asked, honestly wanting to know. Because he didn't think anything would be quite so gorgeous as her naked with her wings out.

"Ah, the secret multiple choice number three," Joey said with a nod. She dropped her bra on top of her t-shirt before working to undo the button and zipper of her jeans. She kept her eyes on his face as she pushed them down over her hips and stepped out of the denim, absently kicking them to the side. She left her black panties on, since she wasn't going to get completely naked until he was shedding some clothes too. She took a quick breath and realized that she really hadn't shown many people her wings before. She felt more self conscious about showing them to Ash than she was getting naked in front of him. Joey stepped back and brushed her hair behind her ears. "I haven't shown many people..." Before she could talk herself out of it, they were out, lifting above her shoulders, just like she had described... feathery and blood red.

Ash watched her every move, more captivated by the way she held herself than anything. Even the sexy little black panties. He stayed put for a moment and just looked at them, what he could see over her shoulders. She looked savage like that, primal. Just her and what she was. It was arousing in a way he wouldn't have expected. "Beautiful," he murmured, mostly to himself. After a second he put his bottle down and stood, moving in close to her. He looked into her eyes for a moment. For some reason, what Mourning Star had told him drifted through his mind. The gist that every being had a purpose and a place, and the balance had to be kept. Ash reached up, not breaking eye-contact, and lightly ran his thumbs along her collarbones, just a feather-touch, barely there. They moved back over her shoulders and lingered. "May I touch?" he murmured to her.

She watched him stand and step close her, her breath catching when he reached out to touch her. Her body responded, as she knew it would, but she wasn't embarrassed by it. She liked having someone look at her this way and not cringe, or back up in fright. Or run screaming. He had called her beautiful, and strangely enough, she felt it too. When he asked if he could touch them, Joey nodded with a small smile. "Yes... I want you to." And she found she really did. No one had ever touched her wings before other than herself and Joey was sure it would be a completely different experience if someone else did. Especially someone like Ash, who could relate to her and maybe understand her better than others would.

The older angel could count on one hand the number of people who he'd allowed to touch his wings, and they had been a full lifetime ago. So he knew what it meant to do it, and knew how he'd want his touched. He didn't put her on the spot by walking around behind her, he just half-stepped in even closer, so that their bodies were barely touching, and slid his hands down over her shoulders. He reached the top of her wing base on either side, and moved his hands out and upward, along the impossibly strong feathered muscle that built their structure. That touch was firmer, almost like a massage. The whole time, he looked at her face, watched her expression.

Joey hadn't realized she was holding her breath until he started to actually touch her. It felt different, having his hands on her than it did when she had touched them herself. She released a shaky breath, her eyes locked onto his face. The touch made her shiver, in a good way, and she couldn't help but wonder why she'd never had anyone touch her this way before. Probably because no one stuck around long enough for her to give them the opportunity. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides before she brought them up to rest at his waist. A small smile curved at her lips as her eyes closed. It felt wonderful, like some kind of sensual massage she could lose herself completely in. And being able to touch him, even if it was simple physical contact, seemed to heighten the experience for her.

She looked as though she enjoyed it, and it didn't surprise him in the least. Ash made it to the tip of her wing, not minding the reach, and dropped his hands back to the beginning, adding in downward strokes as he went this time. Her feathers were luxurious and soft, and he had to admit that he loved the color. And their shape. And everything about them, really. He got a mental picture of holding on to them as he fucked her from behind, and held onto it. Who knew, it might actually be a possibility now. After another full round of stroking, he paused to reach back behind him and grab his shirt. He pulled it up over his head and off, revealing scars and tattoos and nipple-rings again, and pushed a tiny bit on her shoulders to encourage her to lean on him as he picked up touching her wings again. "They're flawless," he murmured, eyes moving to skate over them.

She was definitely enjoying it, which was a pleasant surprise, since she wasn't sure she would ever get enjoyment out of her wings, other than flying with them. Her heart was pounding in her chest by the time he finished and released her long enough to pull off his shirt. Her eyes opened and she looked at him, scars, tattoos, nipple rings and all. God, he was sexy. She tried to focus on that, even as he began to touch her again. "So are you," Joey said before reaching out to touch him. Her hands slid over his chest, her fingers brushing the nipple rings before they drifted lower to his jeans. She worked on getting his belt loosened and his jeans unbuttoned, her eyes watching his face the entire time.

Ash chuckled deep in his chest. "Not quite," he rumbled. Flawless, he would never be. Not even close. He didn't disagree with her undoing his jeans, however. He was completely okay with that. His hands reached the tips of her wings again, and came back down. Ash cupped one at the back of her neck and pulled her forward the short distance between them, a bit abruptly, as though he couldn't wait for it any longer. Which was pretty close to the truth. He kissed her, much harder and hungrier than he'd been touching her thusfar. Even with the beer and the cigarette, she tasted heavenly.

Oh, but he was. Even with the scars and the tiny imperfections... to her he was damn near perfect. She matched the hunger in his kiss with an intensity of her own, brought upon by the feeling of his his hands moving over his wings, the way his body felt beneath her fingertips. She slipped her arms around him, her palms flattening and smoothing over his back, up to where she knew his own wings would have been if he'd shown them to her. Joey pressed against him, her tongue slipping past his lips to conquer and possess. He tasted like beer and cigarettes too, which was oddly intoxicating. Her nails raked down his back and over his backside to continue pushing his jeans down his hips. There was nothing quite like skin on skin contact, and she was desperate to feel that with him.

Most of the time, with most women, Ash did the majority of the touching. It was something that a lot of women didn't feel that they had to do, or weren't inclined to, or they only touched the mechanical bits or whatever. So to have Joey's hands all over him that way ... it was nice. A bit more than nice. He let her tongue in and lashed at it with his own. A tongue ring, that was another bit of metal he needed to have again. The thought was fleeting, as he moved his legs a bit further apart to let his jeans and boxers slide all the way down. He was half-hard just kissing her, and pressed his hips into her's to feel her soft warmth. The hand that was still behind her neck moved to fist in her hair. Not to hold her in in particular position, but to ease into the roughness a bit more. His other hand dropped to her hip and squeezed, then snapped the elastic on the panties she still had on.

Joey couldn't imagine ever being with a man and not touching him. The feel of their skin, their muscles, the small ridges, tiny dips, and the rough exterior against the softness of her own hands? There was absolutely no way Joey could keep her hands to herself, even if she tried. Joey moaned deep in her throat as she kissed him, her tongue dueling with his for possession. With her fingers pressed into his flesh, Joey moved her hands down to his hips and around to the front of his thighs. At the feeling of his hand at her panties, Joey found herself grinning briefly against his mouth before she nipped sharply at his lower lip. The fingers in her hair told her that she didn't need to be gentle with him, and with the desire heating her blood right now, she was thankful for it. Her fingers sought purchase, and when they wrapped around him and stroked, she was surprised to feel... Joey pulled back and looked down to see the barbell piercing. And her arousal seemed to heighten, the wetness between her legs much more prominent than before. "You," she said with a pleased smirk as her fingers brushed over it, "are just full of surprises."

Ash's eyes cracked open as she broke the kiss, partially confused at first. He often forgot he had the metal through his junk, it had been so long. But once she touched it directly, he grinned. He wasn't surprised that she dug it, honestly. "I do my best," he told her. He hardened even further in her hand, skin savoring the soft warmth wrapped around it. All the rushing blood mixed with beer was giving him a very nice buzz, and he'd definitely liked the promises in the nip she gave his lip. He appreciated a woman who was into more than just the vanilla candles-and-jazz type of sex. Just to see what she would do, he used his grip in her hair to pull her head to the side some, so he could get at her neck, with kisses and nips and getting a real taste of her skin. His fingers slipped under the fabric of her panties and slid around to explore her pert little backside.

Releasing a sharp breath, Joey's eyes fell shut at the feeling of his mouth on her neck. Every nip of his teeth sent fire directly between her legs. She explored him with her fingers, brushing up and down his erection, pausing every time she hit the piercing because... damn, it was sexy. Her free hand came up to the nape of his neck, her fingers pushing into his hair and gripping the strands tightly. Her wings seemed to tense and expand with every shaky breath she took, as if they were responding on their own accord. She needed to pause, to catch her breath and well, put them away before they went any further, but it was bloody hard to just stop and try to focus. She didn't want to stop. Joey stepped forward until her hips were pressed against his, his erection hot and hard against her stomach. Her fingers tightened around him, stroking upward in short, jerky movements. She had never had sex with another angel before - that she knew of - and for some reason, just the knowledge that Ash was like her seemed to heighten the entire experience. She had no expectations of him, no desire for candles and vanilla sex. That wasn't who she was, and it definitely wasn't who Ash was.

Ash's breathing was getting a bit heavier and more jerky. She knew what she was doing, and it felt amazing. Somewhere in the back of his brain, he was glad that he wasn't completely trashed, and could still feel everything. His hand left her ass and moved north, callouses rubbing up her back to feel one of those beautiful wings again. He gripped the base of it and squeezed, loving how it was connected to her. Perfection attached to the perfection of a fierce creature. He bit into the big muscles of her neck harder, and sucked, intending to leave a mark on her even if it wasn't all the way conscious. He pushed his hips against her even more firmly, craving every bit of contact he could get, wanting her grip to be even harder, quicker. He just didn't have enough hands. Ash let go of her hair, pulling back to claim her mouth roughly again, and reached between them to put his hand over her sex. He could feel that she was wet through her panties, and it inspired a rush of even stronger lust in him. He bit her lip, middle finger pressing up firmly as a soft grunt escaped him.

She couldn't keep the noises that began to escape her lips at bay any longer... not when he was ravishing her with his mouth that way. Not when he was touching her, invoking something inside of her she hadn't quite felt before. It was almost painful, how badly she was wanting him right now. Joey's fingers gripped and pulled at the strands of his hair, her head falling back to give him better access to her throat. She gasped, completely unconcerned with any marks he might leave on her. A part of her wanted them. Sexy little reminders of everything that had happened tonight. When he kissed her again, Joey moaned into his mouth, completely ready for it. Her strokes quickened, turning a bit rougher as passion finally overwhelmed her. Her hips jerked against his hand, craving the contact. Even through the silky material, it wasn't enough. She released his hair to slip her fingers into her panties at her hip, pushing them down her thighs impatiently. Her teeth dug into his lower lip before she tore her mouth away and began to nip at his jaw, down to his neck and shoulder.

A delicious bolt of pain shot down straight into his groin from the bite on his lip. Then a few smaller ones followed as she started nipping him other places. Ash drew in a ragged breath and rubbed his hand against her harder, before he moved his hand to help her tug her panties down. It was indescribably hot, the build up to them tearing into each other. Because that was the only way to describe it, he could tell already. His heart was pounding steadily, and he could feel her own pulse in her hand, she was gripping him so tightly. He shifted, stepping out of his jeans and kicking them off to the side, before he grabbed her wrist and pulled it off of him. He let go of her wing and bent his knees a little to wrap his arm around her hips. He picked her up easily, lifting her out of her underwear on the floor, and started carrying her toward the bed.

Joey wrapped her arms around him when he picked her up, her lips pressed against his neck before she lifted her head to crush her mouth to his again. She wanted this... felt almost desperate for it, like she might beg if he were to suddenly decide to deny her. And wasn't just tonight, it was a build up of every time she had spoken to him, residual passion leftover from Halloween night. Joey didn't know was the morning would bring, and she didn't really care. All she wanted was to enjoy every second of this, all night if she could. "My wings," she murmured, her lips a breath away from his as they moved to his bed. It was strangely exciting having them out during the entire experience with Ash, but she certainly didn't want them getting in the way.

It wasn't a long walk, and that was probably good. He hardly noticed the clinking noises as he walked through a few stray beer bottles and kicked them aside. "Leave 'em," he murmured roughly back, voice deeper and uneven with Want. He wanted her wings out, wanted to be able to see and touch them, to watch the way they reacted with the rest of her body. There were positions that didn't require her back, and he planned to use them. He put her feet on the bed and let her stand, the added height putting his face at her chest-level. Which was just awesome, and something he immediately took advantage of, reaching up to squeeze one of her breasts tightly and guide it to his mouth. He sucked hard, eyes ticking up to her face for a second, as his free hand roamed over her hips and thighs.

Her hands gripped his shoulders for balance when he set her on his bed. It was an incredibly arousing thing, to know he wanted her to keep her wings out. A tiny part of her felt self-conscious about it, but her arousal far outweighed any insecurities she might have felt. He knew what she was - had accepted it. At least to the point where he had no doubts about sleeping with her anymore. Joey watched him until his mouth covered her breast and suddenly she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. It was just too much. Her head fell back upon her neck, hair falling down her back as her hands shoved themselves into his hair to hold him firmly to her chest. "Oh god..." She gasped and then groaned as the heat between her legs grew nearly unbearable for her. She was quite literally aching for him by this point. She nearly begged, but coherency and Joey were not the best of friends at that moment. She didn't want him to stop, even as she tugged at his hair.

Seeing as how that went over well, Ash kept doing it, sucking on her nipple hard enough that he was sure she would feel it tomorrow. A nice little reminder. While he had her body so there and available for touching, his hand slipped between her legs again, fingers seeking out that wet heat. Just the feel of it made him groan, and he released her breast to look up at her face -- or what he could see of it from there -- as he pushed one thick well-calloused finger up into her. She felt more than ready for him, and he wasn't going to make her wait much longer. He just wanted to draw it out a little bit more. She just looked so good, he had to soak it in.

The tiniest sliver of pain shot through her from his mouth on her nipple, but god, did it feel good. It was a delicious, sort of wicked sensation, one that she most definitely was not ashamed of feeling. Joey's hips jerked at the initial contact of his hand between her legs, and then her nails dug into his scalp as he pushed a finger inside of her. Goddamn, how was she supposed to breathe when he did things like that to her? A mattress wasn't exactly the most stable thing, and with her knees suddenly weak, Joey clung to him - the best she could with his face against her breast anyway - so that she wouldn't fall over. Joey looked down at him to catch his gaze, rocking her hips against his hand. With every shuddered breath, Joey could feel her body rising to the peak already and she was positive it wasn't going to take much more for her to shatter completely.

The thing was, he couldn't decide what he wanted to do to her first. The whole night already had been painfully arousing, and now that he was on the brink of taking her, there were too many ways to do it in, but not enough lasting power. Ash reminded himself that first time didn't mean only time. When she looked down into his eyes, the matter was decided for him. Somewhere he could keep eye contact, it had to be. He moved his finger within her for another moment, enjoying the sensation that was about to be unbearably good elsewhere, then withdrew. He lifted her up again, a hand on each hip, and put her back down on solid ground, taking the opportunity to grin and kiss her briefly. It was hungry, but he couldn't get too caught up in it. There were other things to get to. Ash sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned back on one hand, patting the mattress at the side of his hip with the other in invitation. She was ready to get off, he was more than willing to let her do her thing.

She tried not to pout when he withdrew his finger, but her disappointment was quickly forgotten when he set her on the floor in front of him and kissed her. It was a drugging sort of kiss and she took the opportunity to run her hands down his chest again, her fingers brushing over his pierced nipples. She had the urge to lean down and tug one between her teeth, but there was really no time for that because he was suddenly sitting down on the edge of his bed and she couldn't help but grin before joining him. Only she didn't sit beside him. Instead she straddled his lap, her arms sliding around his neck, her hips pressing firmly against his and she leaned in to crush her mouth against his.

That had been what he wanted anyway, so Ash was good with that. It brought back echoes of Halloween, when they'd been on her couch. Granted, it hadn't been that long ago, considering, but it felt like it for some reason. In any case, it felt good, and he kissed her back with abandon. His erection throbbed, caught between their bodies, and he rocked his hips up a bit to rub against her. The hand he wasn't leaning on landed on her hip and squeezed tightly as his teeth scraped over her lips. He wanted them puffy and tender when he was done with them. With a grunt deep in his chest, Ash rocked against her again, loving every second of everything.

She was pretty sure her lips would be swollen by the time they finished tonight. She could already feel how tender they were every time they kissed, but for some reason it just added so pleasurably to everything else she was feeling. Joey rolled her hips against him, caught up in the way his erection felt pressed against her. Her hands finally slid down his chest, brushing his nipples again before she reached down to grip him in one hand and guide him into her. She had never been with a man who had a piercing down there before, so there was also that bit of anticipation of what it would feel like. That, coupled with her wings spread out strong and high behind her, Joey felt like she was in some kind of surreal situation. Some kind of fantasy she had never dreamt could be real. She was completely overwhelmed by him, surrounded in passion and heat. She couldn't think anymore... she just wanted to feel.

Once she touched him to make their union complete, it couldn't come any sooner for Ash. The second things felt lined up right, he pushed up into her, to the hilt in one smooth thrust. Thinking was definitely no longer on the agenda. It was hard not to just grab her hips and take over control, but he managed somehow. There was something mind-blowingly sexy about a woman having her way on him, he'd always thought so. Instead he just doubled his passion in kissing her, if it was possible, biting and licking in equal measure. She felt incredible wrapped around him, and he was sure she looked even better, in all her winged glory.

Joey was definitely intent on having her way with him. And on him. She rocked her hips against his quickly, gasping against his mouth between tiny nips and bites at his lips. Joey smoothed her palms over his chest, her fingers pressing into his hot flesh. Maybe there would be another time where she would be able to slow things down to where she could explore every inch of his body. She was sure there were tattoos and scars she hadn't seen yet... hadn't touched or licked. But as of right now, Joey was simply focused on riding the crest building rapidly inside of her. There was an intense urgency to her movements and she could only pray that he could keep up with her.

Ash was right there with her, moving against her body as much as he could from his position. Pleasure coursed through him with every beat of his heart. He kept his face in close to her's, but his breath was coming in gasps now, and that required a free mouth, so he kept from kissing her. Just nips in response to her's and hot breath. The pressure was starting to build already, and he could tell it was going to be explosive when it came. He was quite good at holding off, however, and wasn't too worried the timing wouldn't be right or anything. His eyes cracked open briefly, to take in her face.

Her hands moved up his body to his shoulders, nails digging into the flesh there before she cupped his face, her lips hovering near his, though not quite kissing him. She was trembling, body straining against his as the pulsing sensations built rapidly inside of her. She managed to open her heavy eyes to look at him, taking in the unconventionally handsome features. Her fingers brushed over his jaw and then back so his hair. As badly as she wanted to continue watching him, the tightly wound coil of control inside of her began to unravel, and the throbbing between her legs grew to an almost unbearable peak. Joey began to rock against Ash harder, her soft gasps turning into sharp cries until she finally felt everything inside of her tense and seemingly shatter. Her hips jerked against his as she clung to him, his name a broken moan on her lips.

He kept thrusting through her orgasm as best he could, wanting to prolong the sensation for her for as long as he could. He stared hazily at her face, her wings, everything of her that he could see, drinking it in. It made holding his own off that much harder, but he did. He didn't want to go with her this time, it was her moment to be savored. It was absolutely breathtaking. When she seemed done, and the only thing he could feel going on was twitchy aftershocks, Ash leaned in to kiss her, slow and deep. His body could wait, he'd always believed that the man's pleasure came second. It wasn't ever done until the woman was completely satisfied. His hand slid away from where it had been, moving around to her back and up to rub at the space between her wings lightly.

Joey was reveling in the tiny aftershocks that coursed through her body. She massaged her thumbs over his jaw, returning his kiss with equal passion. She shivered when he touched the skin between her wings, her body clenching around him instinctively. She had felt so much anticipation up to the point, and she hadn't been disappointed. Even now she couldn't quite grasp how good he felt buried inside of her. Joey broke from the kiss to breathe in, her nose sliding against his in a more affectionate gesture before she sought his mouth with hers again. She wasn't quite done with him yet, and she was already craving more.

There was something about having his face touched that way that was getting to him. Not that he wanted her to stop, it was just ... strange-feeling. Then she rubbed noses with him and the kissing ... something in his chest twisted oddly. He tried to refocus, getting lost in kissing her. He sat up a bit more, bringing the arm around that had been supporting him to cup the side of her face in much the way she was doing his. Some part of the back of his mind told him that if he was smart, he would flip her over, smack her ass, and do her from behind. But something in him was too caught up in this feeling of intimacy, of face-time. His thumb stroked over her cheekbone as he kissed her, not switching them up yet.

She pulled back from the urgency she had felt moments before, taking the time then to simply enjoy their position, the feeling of his hand on her face, and his mouth pressed against hers. Intimacy like this never scared her, simply because she already knew where the lines were drawn, especially with a man like Ash. She was feeling pretty damn good at that moment, satisfied but not yet sated. Her fingers moved back, brushing over his ears and into his hair again. She didn't pull this time, or tug. Instead she slid her fingers through the strands slowly, her lips never once leaving his. They were definitely tender now, but she wasn't bothered by it. She didn't think she could stop kissing him even if she wanted to.

He let himself feel it, as there was nothing else for him to do that wasn't pulling back completely. Ash had lived long enough to know himself very well, and to know that emotions were temporary things at best. His best option was to just let it enhance things, then understand himself later. He took some more time just to kiss Joey, getting to know her mouth and the feel of her face without that rushed feeling, though his groin was still throbbing impatiently. Holding on to her to take her with him, he fell back so that he was laying on the bed, not breaking the lip-contact. He ran his hands down her sides and ended up gripping her hips to hold her where she was. The angle was much better for him to control the pace, and he started thrusting up into her, slowly.

Joey felt her body pulse around him when he moved back onto his bed and she held onto him, expecting things to shift back into an urgent and needy sort of pace. But Ash began to push into her slowly, taking her a bit by surprise, but it certainly wasn't a bad thing. It was something to be savored, and enjoyed, and she definitely wasn't going to complain about it. She let him set the pace and rolled her hips down upon him every time he pushed up. Her elbows rested on the mattress on either side of his face, and she stayed bent over him so that she could kiss him while they moved against one another. Her wings fluttered a bit and she had nearly forgotten they were even there. Bringing one hand in, Joey cupped Ash's face as she rested her cheek against his, taking the brief moment away from his mouth to breathe in.

Ash's eyes rolled closed as he let that tension build back up at the pace it wanted to go. Which was slow at first, so he went with that. She felt wonderful laying on his chest; he could feel her heart through her breasts, against his. And her moving with him just made everything better. He got a leg up on the edge of the bed behind her for more leverage, and started to thrust harder and deeper, but still slow. Gods, he was gonna sleep for ages after this, it had been a long damn time since sex had been this good. He turned his head a bit to catch her earlobe between his teeth and suck on it some, wanting to make sure she enjoyed what was left of the process too. It didn't take long for his instinct to take over, and Ash started to move faster. He had to let her ear go to breathe, and it was harsh and quick.

Her breath caught when his teeth sucked at her earlobe, the sensitive tingling sensations flowing into the heat between her legs and causing her to shiver. It felt as if every nerve ending was acutely aware of him at that moment. It bordered on pain, but it was certainly the sweetest kind. She listened to his breathing at her ear, closed her eyes and allowed herself to give him the reins, her body eagerly accepting every movement inside of her. She turned her head to press her lips against his neck, her breasts crushed against his chest and her thighs clenching tightly on either side of his hips. Joey felt herself peaking again and all she was helpless to do anything but succumb to it. She cried out against his neck before she placed her hands on either side of her face and lifted herself. She didn't go too far, but propped herself up just enough that she had leverage to rock back against him harder, meeting him thrust for thrust. Joey's eyes, heavy and clouded, fell to his face, and she tried to watch him even as her orgasm ripped through her again.

If he had to pinpoint it, it was the cry that did it, that knocked control completely out of his hands. He'd always been a fan of vocal women, it meant he was doing something right. Ash grunted as his hips moved even faster, lower half nearly arched up off the bed. The sound of their two bodies meeting wasn't too bad, either, he had to say. He felt her tighten up around him, and he was a goner, that one grunt turning into many that escalated almost to growls as he gripped her hips hard. His last couple of pumps were shaky and it was his turn to cry out, though it was much lower pitched. Intense ecstasy washed over him and he pushed as deeply into her as he would go, spine shuddering a few times. Ash's eyes rolled back and he gave one or two more shivery delicious pushes before he relaxed back into the mattress, panting lightly. "Fucking hell," he hardly murmured, and it sounded relieved.

Joey had been completely enthralled by the way his body pumped into hers, and the noises that escaped his lips. It was a fascinating thing, watching Ash unravel that way. All she could do was hang on for the ride and enjoy the way it heightened the aftershocks in her own body when he climaxed. He was absolutely gorgeous. Joey groaned softly when he finally settled and she shifted herself down to sprawl across his upper body with their bodies still joined. She buried her face against his neck again and was captured by the smell of sweat and sex. More so by the feeling of his heart pounding against his chest. She was still panting softly, trying to cool her blood, and was finally was able to put her wings away. That had been a completely new, intense experience for her, having them out where he could see and touch them during, but they would really just get in the way once she slipped off of him to lay down on her back. And now that she was relaxed, she could feel his piercing inside of her, which prompted a tiny smile as she clenched around him again. It felt like this particular encounter had been a build up of an attraction through several other encounters, and Ash certainly hadn't disappointed... he had met and went beyond her expectations.

Once her wings were back in, Ash draped an arm across her back,and there wasn't much strength left in it. His breathing was slowly gaining it's normal rhythm back, and he could feel that both their hearts were slowing down. He felt like he could drop right off to sleep, but that was kinda rude. So instead he lay there with her, not minding being used as a mattress at all, and looked up at the ceiling past her shoulder. Rarely was a one-nighter so satisfying, and he kinda hoped this wasn't going to be a singular event. Fucked up circumstances or no, he thought he could go in for more of that any time she wanted it. He smirked faintly as he felt her clench on him. "Like that, huh?" he rumbled lazily, referring to the metal in his johnson. It was usually a crowd pleaser, even if some women were freaked out initially.

"Yeah, I like it," Joey replied with a tiny smirk. She pressed a kiss against his throat before she slid off of him and rolled onto her back. She was cooling down and feeling pretty damn good. Her hands rubbed over her face before lifting her arms over her head to stretch lazily. "It definitely added something new to the entire experience." He wasn't the first man with tattoos and piercings that she'd had sex with, but he was the first with a piercing in his penis. She had liked it, almost as much as she had liked exposing her wings.

Ash let her roll. Not that he had any inclination to keep her from getting comfortable. He felt too lazy to try, even if he'd wanted to. He let his head roll to look at her, and he grinned a bit. "Good," he murmured, just admiring her profile, then letting his gaze wander lower. He chuckled quietly and reached over with one hand to lightly pinch her nipple between his knuckles. He'd left a hickey over it. That had to be tender. "Want another beer? A smoke?" he offered.

Joey grinned even as her hand instinctively batted his away from her sore nipple. "I should probably say no to both," she said before managing to find the strength to push herself up. She ran her hands through her hair and then looked down at him, contemplating his offer. Finally she shrugged and reached over to tug gently at one of his nipple piercings. "Okay, what the hell... maybe just a cigarette before I go." One more cigarette didn't mean she was going to run out to the gas station and buy a carton. All she would need is some coffee in the morning and she'd be okay.

Go? Oh. Right, go. Ash's abs flexed as he sat up and stood, padding over to where his jacket had been abandoned. He picked it up and started going through pockets. "You're welcome to crash here if you want to," he said, casually enough, back to her as he located his smokes and lighter. Ash pulled two free of the pack and stuck them both in his mouth to light them up, then headed back to her to offer one out. "I got water too, if you want some of that," he added, since she didn't want a beer.

"You mean your sink works?" Joey teased, taking the cigarette he offered her and slipping it between her lips to inhale. Christ, when was the last time she'd had a cigarette after sex? It had been months. And it was heavenly. She glanced around the apartment again, more to keep her eyes on anything but him. Exhaling a steady stream of smoke, she leaned back on one hand as she debated his offer to stay over. She hadn't minded when Dorian had slept over, because it had been her place, her bed... her comfort zone. This was so not her comfort zone. If she stayed, she would have to deal with getting up early and trying to sneak out, even though she knew she probably wouldn't have to sneak. Or worse, she and Ash would wake up and he would be eager to get her out of his place. Neither idea sounded very appealing to her. And yet, a part of her really didn't want to go anywhere. Messy apartment or not, she was comfortable at the moment. "I wouldn't mind staying," Joey began slowly, her gaze ticking to his face. "As long as that's not going to be weird for you in the morning."

If she'd been almost anyone else; if he didn't know her at all, if he'd wanted it to be only a one-time-deal, Ash would've hurried her along. But they were of the same ilk, the two of them, he enjoyed her company, and he respected her. And she'd touched his face. Just because they'd finally released that sexual tension didn't change those facts. He chuckled and gave her a faint smile. "If I didn't want you to stay as long as you wanted to, morning included, I wouldn't offer," he told her, more or less knowing what she really meant. No, he liked her; her presence wouldn't bother him in the morning. Tucking his own cigarette between his lips, he walked into the bathroom and flicked on the light, kicking the door only halfway shut as he took a leak. "Mi casa es su casa, ladybird, make yourself at home," he called over the sound.

Joey watched him disappear into the bathroom before she shook her head and stifled the laughter by taking another small drag off her cigarette. She looked around again before turning on the mattress to flop onto her stomach. She hadn't really acknowledged it to herself, but she intended to stay, since he didn't seem to mind it. She liked him too, and enjoyed his company, even after consummating... whatever it was. Joey smoked her cigarette and wondered how long it would take to count the empty beer bottles. "If I made myself at home, I would probably start cleaning," Joey called to him. She had the itch to get up and at least wash his dishes, but she managed to resist.

Was there anything better than a good lay, a good piss, and a good cigarette? All in a row? Ash would be hard-pressed to think of something. He finished off his business, washed his hands with the smoke still tucked between his lips, and left the bathroom. The sight of her comfortable on his bed like that made him grin. "No cleaning after a workout like that, young lady, you'll strain somethin'," he informed her in a chiding tone. He went to the fridge to get another beer for himself, and pulled a bottled water out as well. Yes, he drank it bottled. He'd been in too many places that had tap water that you really didn't want to drink. He brought both back to the bed and sat down next to her, freeing up one hand to run down the curve of her spine and up over her ass. He made an appreciative grunt and shook his head. "You need to rest and recoup," he said, offering her the water.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't want to hurt myself," Joey agreed, smiling at him as he wandered to the kitchen. She allowed herself to check him out properly now that she could without being distracted. And there was the heat in her stomach again as her eyes wandered over the tattoos, the piercings and muscles. Did he have to be so damn sexy? Joey quickly looked up from his stomach to his face when he returned with her water. She smiled around her cigarette when he sat down and touched her, not minding it at all. His hands were calloused and rough and felt wonderful on her skin. She took the water he offered and then eyed him for a moment, wondering if she could ask to see his wings. Maybe he would show her. And then again maybe he wouldn't. She didn't want to risk damaging the light mood. "Rest and recoup... you're probably right. What made you want to get that piercing, anyway? I have to say I'm intrigued."

Ash twisted the cap off of the beer and took a sip, chuckling in his throat as he did so. It wasn't the first time he'd had that question. "Mmm, curiosity, mostly," he said after he swallowed, looking at her. "I'll be honest and admit I was goin' through a time when I thought I was the baddest-ass of all badasses, and wanted to see if I could do it. There's a difference between slayin' demons and letting someone put a needle through your dick, y'know?" He pulled some pillows from where they were and propped them against the back wall that served as a head board, scooting back and getting comfortable where he could still drink his beer. Ash stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankle, not seeming to mind the continued nudity at all. "Wasn't a big deal, really. It hurt like a bitch, but it healed fine, and the ladies seemed to like it, so I kept it in," he said, giving her a little grin.

She didn't know many men personally who would think they were badass enough to get a piercing in their penis. Just the thought of pain to their nether regions tended to make them shudder and grimace with imaginary pain. "You are officially the most badass of all the badasses I know," Joey declared with a laugh. She rolled over and sat up, leaning over the bed to drop her half finished cigarette into one of the empty beer bottles there. Straightening and twisting off the cap of her water, she took a drink, letting her eyes wander over his lap before they drifted up to his face. "I loved piercings when I was younger. I had a lot of them myself, but it drove my mom crazy. Almost as much as all the jerky boyfriends, drinking and motorcycles. I wanted to think I was badass, but I really, really wasn't." She lifted her wrist to show him the tattoo there. "I cried like a baby when I got this, and that pretty much put an end to my tough girl act." She hadn't really remembered ever getting the tattoo on the inside of her thigh, so she couldn't say whether or not she'd cried then. "Now I've quit smoking - more or less, I own a coffee shop, drive a reliable, safe car and try to meet nice, decent guys. Pretty sad, right?"

He'd noticed her tattoo before, of course, but hadn't really looked at it ever, so he caught her wrist as she held it up to do that. It was just a design, but the work on it was definitely solid. "I got over that phase," he told her in the meantime. "Thinking I was the most badass. You get cocky, then get your ass handed to you a couple of times, it'll bring you down a notch." Ash let her arm go and smirked at her a touch. "See, I knew you'd had a wild youth. ... don't seem like you're tryin' too hard to meet nice, decent guys, though." At least not with the position she was in now. He decidedly did not fall into that category. "You should keep the nose ring, though," he added on, tapping the side of his. "It suits you."

"I figured if I was going to keep any of my piercings from my youth, it would be that one." She smiled a touch when he checked out her wrist tattoo. "I've met a couple nice guys in this town so far, thank you very much. And I've been lucky enough to avoid involving myself with the assholes." It was her roundabout way of telling him he was one of the nice guys, even though she knew he wouldn't believe it. She was aware of how he probably saw himself, but she was removed enough from him to be able to see the things he didn't. Joey pulled her wrist back and motioned toward him. "Can I see your back?"

Ash leveled blue eyes at her, still smirking slightly. Maybe she didn't count sleeping with as 'involving herself'. Because he was one of the assholes. But it didn't bear arguing about, certainly not at the moment. He sucked down a bit more beer and sat up straight. Putting the bottle down, he rolled himself over and shifted down so that he was laying on his stomach. Tucking one arm up under his cheek, he relaxed a bit. His back was even more tat-covered than the front, in what seemed like a random conglomeration of different cultural symbols, parts of maps, languages that weren't his. Sometimes he wondered if he even remembered them all. And right in the middle were his birthmarks, long and oval-shaped and unnaturally mirrored.

Joey set her bottle of water to the side before shifting up the bed to be able to study his back better. It was the first time she had really been able to see it, since every shirtless Ash encounter she'd experienced so far had been primarily a front view. The tattoos definitely belonged to someone who had seen a lot in his lifetime. Joey pulled her lip between her teeth briefly before she reached down to brush her fingers over the oval-shaped birthmarks. There were tattoos around them, and if she hadn't been looking specifically for them, she might have never noticed they weren't part of his ink. "Do you think you'll get anymore?" she asked, her thumb brushing the birthmark gently. Damn, she wanted to see his wings. They were a bigger part of him than his tattoos were, and maybe it was just an evening things out thing, since she had showed him hers. And had left them out while they'd had sex, which she was pretty sure she wouldn't have done had she not been caught up in the moment.

The muscle under her fingers jumped slightly at the touch. His wing-markers were sensitive, as he had always thought all other angels' were. He knew what she was really focused on, and hoped that she wouldn't ask. Because he'd say no again, and it might be weird. He wasn't ready for that yet, it was a soft underbelly that he protected pretty fiercely. He'd let Nic touch them, yes, but that was to prove something to her, and she couldn't see them they way that Joey could. "Probably," he said from his reclined position. "I've got more room on my legs." He didn't want to cover anything up, however, that wasn't how he did things. His skin was an autobiography, and the older he got, the more he thought the past needed to be remembered, deep down. "Think your mom would kick me outta her house and then lecture you?" he asked in a light tone, half-grinning.

She liked the way his muscles moved under her fingertips and she slid them down, over the other designs, trying to imagine where he had been when he got them, and why. Every tattoo had a story. Some were definitely more interesting than others. And she wanted to know his, though she resisted actually asking him. One night of sex did not mean they had to open up to one another. Her palm smoothed down to his lower back, resting there as she smiled. "Actually, yes, I'm positive she would. You're the epitome of the 'bad boys' I used to date when I was still living at home. Minus the drugs and occasional abuse. She didn't really care what they were like as people though. She's more about judging people on their appearance than anything else." Which was probably why Joey left as soon as she could and had not really visited all that often afterward. Even if she still did miss her mom on occasion.

He liked it, the being touched. He always had, and in his more reflective moments had figured out that it probably came from his childhood -- didn't everything? -- wherein he hadn't been touched that often. Not affectionately, anyway. His mother had passed when he was very young, and his dad really hadn't been the hugs-and-hair-ruffles type. He'd been more the ear-boxing-when-Ash-talked-back type. Not abusive, just stern, and more focused on his duty than his son. But no good ever came from that line of thought, so Ash closed the door on it. It had been too long to dwell. He was who he was, and that was that. "Those're the kinda guys I make lose control on their bikes and end up losing half their skin," he murmured, eyes closing. Abusers, they stuck out to his radar like a sore thumb.

She wondered what it was like to be an angel of karma. She could understand why he felt burnt out - like this would be his last stop. She hadn't gotten to that point in her life yet and it scared her a little bit because she didn't know what that meant exactly. Joey ran her fingers back up, tracing parts of his tattoos with her fingertips. "Then I'm sure they're getting most of what they deserve," Joey said. "But I think every woman goes through that phase... wanting the one person who's absolutely wrong for her in every possible way. Eventually they grow out of it. Well, most of them do." She wondered if she had. She liked to think she had. No time to dwell on that. "Can you speak any other languages?" She had different languages tattooed on his back, which made her curious.

Ash made a soft acknowledging grunt at what she said. What was kind of fucked up was that he'd been that guy to some women. The absolute worst, wrong in every way. Not necessarily on purpose, and he'd never raised a hand to a woman, but ... there'd been times that he'd ignored wedding rings. He did hope that Joey wasn't still in that phase, though. This kind of thing, he could do. Anything more? It was questionable. "I spoke Spanish and Portuguese for a while," he answered her question. "Years and years ago, when I was in South America. I'm sure I still know some, but when you stop usin' it, y'know ... kinda leaks out of your brain. You?" As he was sure she was a world-traveler herself. He just wasn't going to think about why.

"A little bit of this and that," Joey said. "Spending a lot of time in different places, you pick up a few words, or phrases. I've got a bit of Italian still floating around in my head. Japanese had been the most fun I ever had learning another language though. I spoke some Portuguese during my time in South American too. But you're right, when you don't use it on a consistent basis, it's hard to remember properly." And she realized she was talking an awful lot. This was the part where they laid there and basked in the afterglow. And then she would get up and get dressed and go home to her apartment. Not where she talked him to death. Or to sleep. Joey slid her hand back up his back one last time before she laid down beside him on her back. She turned her head to smile at him. "I enjoyed myself tonight, so thanks for that." She didn't mean just the sex, but she imagined he knew that.

He rolled so that he was on his side, and tucked and arm up under the pillow he was laying on. She looked beautiful like that, just in the lamplight, sated and smiling. "Yeah, me too," he told her with a little smile, and it was absolutely sincere. And covered more than great sex, because it did. He had a brief wonder if cuddling up to her would seem odd. But he would probably do it in his sleep anyway, and who didn't like to be held at night? So he put an arm around her ribs and pulled her in closer, turning his face a bit to breathe her hair in. She still smelled wonderful. Ash pulled the rumpled blanket up over them and let a breath out. "Help yourself to the shower or anythin' you want in the morning," he murmured sleepily.

Joey didn't resist when he pulled her to him. If she had wanted her own space, she would declined his offer to stay. She smiled softly when she realized he was smelling her hair. Some men constantly surprised her. She pressed against him and closed her eyes, nodding when he spoke. "I will. Thanks..." She wasn't sure if she would take him up on the offer to shower here, but one never knew. She supposed it all depended on how quickly she was ready to leave once the sun came up. Joey relaxed, shutting off the parts of her brain that tended to overthink things sometimes, and finally let sleep beckon.