How have you Really been?

Who: Ash and Joey
When: Late afternoon
Where: Motor Masters

She had waited a couple days before deciding to go visit Ash. She figured it was probably best that way, since he had been pretty wasted the last time they had run into one another. Still, she sort of worried about him, especially with the ghostly visitors and the current state of, well, the world. Frankly, she just wanted to make sure he was still alive. So after work she got a fresh coffee and just for the hell of it, some cheesecake, before getting into her car and driving to Ash's garage. She was hoping that he was there, and working, and at least she had the excuse of needing snow tires put on her car. If he wasn't, well, she could probably track him down somehow. Pulling up to his shop, she saw that he was at least open. Turning off the engine, she got out of the car, coffee and bag in hand, and headed into the open garage, her eyes searching for him, or maybe at least his legs sticking out from underneath one of the cars.

Ash was home -- as much as the shop was his home -- but he wasn't in the immediate vicinity. He'd actually spent the bulk of the day in the closet-office, keeping himself occupied with taking care of paperwork. It was something he actually did only once in a blue moon, and therefore there was a lot to do. Sometimes he marveled to himself on how he kept a legitimate business running at all. With decent timing, he came through the door that separated the shop proper from the lobby, a few papers held in his hands, a vague frown on his face. He'd gotten halfway to the bathroom when he caught Joey out of the corner of his eye and startled just a little. "Whoa ... hey there, gorgeous, didn't hear you come in," he said with a faint chuckle and a sheepish grin. Hell, he needed to focus better.

Her eyes shifted to him the minute he appeared. He was living and didn't appear to be visibly wounded or injured, or intoxicated, so that was even better. When he finally noticed her, she grinned and stepped further into the garage, holding up the coffee cup in her hand. "I'm pretty stealthy, so that's not surprising. I brought you some coffee. Oh! And some cheesecake." She held the bag up with her other hand before nodding behind her to where her car was parked out front. "And a car in need of an oil change and maybe some winter tires... if you've got the time."

The surprise was evident on his face for .2 seconds before it faded into the background again. She'd shown up on his doorstep with coffee and cheesecake and work for him, after he'd been a drunky mess on her the last time they'd talked. It was ... he didn't know what it was, but he could appreciate it. "Sure, yeah. Always got time to make sure a lady's safe," he said after a beat of hesitation. He found a relatively clean spot to put down his paperwork and came closer, glancing down to the treats in her hands before back up at her face. She looked far too nice for his comfort. "Lemme shift some shit around and pull it in," he said, holding a hand out for her keys.

"Thanks." Smiling with gratitude, Joey held up her keys that were hanging off of her pinky for him to take. At least he seemed willing. Between the night that he'd found out she was a Wrather, and the night in Babylon, she wasn't entirely sure he would react favorably to her being around. At least while he was sober. "You look like you've kept busy here."

Ash plucked the keys off of her finger, resisting the (strong) urge to actually touch her when he did. He knew the Pathetic would be very obvious, and so much of it stemmed from Eury's disappearance and really just how isolated he felt. It wouldn't be so bad if the connections he kept making didn't keep fucking up. And if he wasn't still terribly attracted to Joey, despite what she was born into. "It's work, but I take what I can get," he said. He snagged another set of keys from the workbench and hopped into the car in the first bay to pull it out and pull her's in. "How've things been going?" he asked once the switch was made.

"Pretty well," she said, once he had pulled her car in and had joined her again. She could tell things were still 'off' when it came to Ash, but she didn't want to jump into that particular topic just yet. "The shop has been getting busier now that the shock of realizing spirits are real has begun to wear off. More people are starting to feel like they can leave their houses again. How have things been for you?" She wanted to know if he had been able to find his friend... and if maybe he had come to accept that she was a Wrather. Even if he didn't want her in a physical way any longer, she was still attracted to him on some strange level, and she still felt that need to make sure he was taken care of.

"Yeah, seems like some crazies crawled out from under the rocks along with 'em, though. Had a guy yesterday tell me on the street that I had to try and exorcise every spirit I saw or I was going to join 'em in limbo hell or some shit," he said with a faint chuckle, dropping down one knee to move the arms of the lift under her car frame. Might as well do the oil change first. He did the same on the other side, maybe sort of just a little stalling on the question. "They've been. Hired a girl from the high school to help around the shop. She's got a mouth that'd put a sailor to shame, so that's been pretty entertaining," he said, giving a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Joey rolled her eyes. "Exorcism... I told a friend of mine that this biblical apocalypse nonsense could be debunked in a minute if anyone bothered to pick up a Bible and see what it actually says about Armageddon. You're going to have a lot of the crazies preaching... and a lot of them preying, especially on the people who are scared. It's the perfect opportunity to scam them into giving up everything they have. I've seen it before." Way too many times. Joey watched as he worked on her car, admiring it in a subtle way. At the mention of a high school hire, she looked away from him to glance around the shop. "Aren't high school students the best? I've got one working for me too. He's probably the complete opposite of yours... I think I would die of shock if I ever heard a curse word fall from his mouth. You don't see many women willing to get dirty under the hood of a car." 'They've been' wasn't really an answer, but things were strange enough without Joey poking at him to spill his guts... especially when she was sure part of the issue was her.

"She's got the tough girl thing going for her," Ash said with a little smirk. "Name's Nic, if you ever run into her. She's a good kid." He pulled the little lever thing that raised the car up off the ground, and for a couple of minutes there was too much noise to talk. Which gave him a bit of time to look over at her. He had to wonder if his reaction had hurt her, or if it was something she'd run into before. And if he could possibly explain it. Once the car was high enough above his head, he stopped it, and pulled the contraption over that held the old oil. "Happens every time there's a disaster, every time there's a pandemic, every time the government gives somebody else rights," he said, picking the first line of conversation back up as he positioned the funnel drum and reached up to get her oil filter. His arm flexed with effort, but it came loose, and her old fluid started to drain out. "It's all the end of the world. But it hasn't been yet, so. Fuck those numbnuts."

"Nic, I'll have to remember that." She was watching him again, her eyes on his arms and... yeah, there went the admiring again. Which was silly and she forced herself to stop. She was... maybe dating someone else. Dorian. Maybe. Though as far as she knew, it was a no strings attached deal. They enjoyed each other's company... which she was certain was all either of them was looking for. Which meant she could still appreciate the male form in a really nice pair of jeans. "The end of the world is going to be a lot more swift than some ghosts... that's my theory. When it's coming, people will know." Joey walked over to set his coffee and cheesecake down. She turned back toward him and crossed her arms. "So how have you really been? You weren't in a good way the last time I saw you."

He wiped his hand on his jeans, nodding a bit at what he said. He'd always envisioned pure chaos, lots of things going wrong at once. But never that he would live to see it. Hell, he still might not be. Those cursed wolves had given him a run for his money. There wasn't anything for him to do mechanically for the moment, so he moved to a toolbox to dig around for some stuff, putting his back to her. Damn insistent woman. "I've been about that way. Not in a good one. But who is, right?" he said halfway over his shoulder as he rummaged. He didn't want to talk about it, he couldn't man up and just swallow it down if he talked about it. He'd never understood why women could not let things go. "How've you really been?"

"I don't know, some people are," Joey replied with a small shrug. She slipped her hands into the pockets of her denim jacket. He was avoiding, and that was fine. She knew it was easier to withdrawal than to talk things through. Sometimes she did it herself. But she could understand him in a way others might not, even if he didn't want to admit it. Wrather or not, she was an angel, as was he. They saw things, experienced things and lost things more people never would. Damn stubborn man. "I've been fine. Keeping myself busy as much as I can." She paused, watching his back since it was the part of him turned toward her. Joey wouldn't push, but she also didn't want to stand around and make chit chat if he really wanted her to leave. "I can go if you need me too. I don't want to bother you when you're trying to work."

Ash looked around at that, one eyebrow lifted a bit. "No," he said, sounding mildly surprised, like he wasn't sure what gave her that idea. "No, I like the company, actually ... " He trailed off and paused. Something probably had to be said. Something genuine and not while he was three sheets to the wind, even though that always made saying things easier. Though if it was taken badly, it would be an awkward time until her oil and tires were done. A wrench loosely in hand, he ambled back over closer to her. "Sorry, it's just ... not the easiest shit to talk about," he said, meeting her eyes. "I don't mean to be a dick. It's not you."

"It might not be the easiest stuff to talk about, but that only means you might feel a little better getting it off your chest," Joey said. "If you don't want to talk about it, I understand. I don't want to push you to talk about something you're uncomfortable with. But... I'm a good listener, should you ever decide the weight gets too heavy." Joey wandered over to her car, taking a look at what he had already done. "Maybe it would just be easier to get a motorcycle for the winter... what do you think?"

He paused for a beat and thought. No, he still didn't want to get into it. It was too complicated -- on his internal end, anyway -- and painful, so ... no thanks. He took a detour to grab a fresh oil filter and then followed her under her vehicle. The oil had just about run out of it. "Easier maintenance, maybe, but riskier," he said. "Besides the temperature, you don't have the weight of a car to slow your skid on ice. And no metal buffer if somebody slides into you." Which didn't exactly stop him from riding in the winter, but hey. He could look out for her. He moved the oil drum out of the way and reached up to screw the new filter into place. "You got any days off this week?" he asked, watching what he was doing.

"I guess that's true," Joey said with a small pout before grinning. "I guess I was hoping you would encourage me so that I could use it as justification for buying a bike. You let me down, Ash." She sighed dramatically before watching him change the oil filter. Maybe if she watched closely enough, she could do it on her own next time. She didn't mind getting a bit grimy and messy. Then again, she could just see herself screwing up her car trying to change something as simple as the filter so it was probably best to leave it to Ash. At his question, Joey arched an eyebrow curiously before thinking about her upcoming schedule. "I've got Wednesday off, and pretty much every night until Friday. Why?"

"Oh hell, I strongly encourage you to buy a bike," he said with a bit of a laugh. "Fuck, I'd go along for that, just to live vicariously. I just don't recommend that you ride it until everything stays thawed out." He got the filter secured and ran his fingers along a couple of key places to check for leaks, then stepped back and looked at her. "Just wondered if you'd want to catch a beer with me sometime. Maybe dinner." Maybe more, if she wanted anything of the kind. But they'd have to talk first, and so far the vibe wasn't really right for it. He didn't like the timing. He moved out from under the car and lightly touched her arm to get her to do the same, before he flipped the lever to bring it back down.

Joey laughed. "Okay, I guess that makes sense... though if I bought a bike now, I would want to ride it, even with the snow and ice. So maybe I'll wait for spring and just con you into taking me for another ride on yours sometime." She pushed herself up with him and tried not to show the surprise on her face at his suggestion. Beer, or maybe dinner. There was a world of difference there. Joey debated briefly, wondering if she should accept or not. It felt silly not too, since she did enjoy his company, and she felt like the air needed to be cleared between them at some point. And again, as far as she knew, she and Dorian weren't exclusive, and for her to start taking that into consideration now would mean that she was assuming it was something more than it probably was. "I think I would like that," she said finally with a smile. "Beer, or maybe dinner."

Ash couldn't help but smile back at her as she accepted his vague offer. At least she was willing to give him another shot that far. "Or maybe dinner and then a beer," he said, smile broadening a bit into a crooked grin. He would just have to not get shitty drunk in front of her again. Not on a date, anyway. He was pretty good about that. Or had been, in the past. It didn't fix everything, by far, but it was something to look forward to. He moved around her now-on-the-ground-again car, pulling bottles of oil off the shelves to fill it up again, and proceeded to start to do just that. "I think I could be conned for another ride," he added, glancing over at her again. "You might have to bring cheesecake again, though."

"Or beer during dinner," Joey pointed out. She wasn't a big fan of going out for a fancy dinner with a guy, as she'd told Dorian before. She really just preferred a burger and, yes, a beer, now and then. Thankfully Ash didn't seem like the fancy dinner kind of guy either. Joey smiled, rocking back on the heels of her shoes. "More cheesecake? I think I could swing that, though I refuse to be blamed when you start developing a cheesecake-inflated tummy. Does Wednesday night work for you?"

"Do you doubt my studly metabolism?" he said with a laugh, tossing the empty oil bottle and cracking open the next one. Really, Ash could eat whatever the hell he wanted -- and did -- and not gain a pound for it. He lived pretty hard, though, and worked out regularly, so he supposed that made sense. "Beer during dinner on Wednesday, I think I could do. And weather permitting, there might be a bike ride in it for you if you play your cards right," he said, giving her a crooked grin. He hoped it got that far, honestly. He wanted to talk to her, while he wasn't fucking around with her car at the same time. "When should I pick you up?"

"I don't doubt a thing," Joey responded with a grin. "But I know the power of my cheesecake, and even those most immune to calories and fat find themselves affected by my cheesecake's deliciousness. Or something." Honestly, she doubted that in Ash's case. He was pretty fit. She probably wouldn't have been able to fatten him up even if she shoved cheesecake continually down his throat. But even so, she was looking forward to Wednesday. It would give them a chance to talk about certain things that needed to be discussed. Now wasn't the most appropriate time, after all. "You can pick me up anytime... how about seven?"

"It's a date then," he said, though it was lightly toned. Maybe it wasn't really a date, but only a date in that turn-of-phrase type of way. Whatever, it probably didn't warrant trying to define it. It was dinner and talking. He checked her oil dipstick once more before capping it off. "I've got the tires in the back, and what's next is the noisy part, if you wanna chill in the office or something," he told her, nodding toward the door to the lobby. "Help yourself to filing paperwork or whatever strikes your fancy. Won't take but a few minutes more."

Joey took 'date' as a turn of phrase rather than an actual date. She saw it as having dinner and a conversation with someone who was very much like her. She almost wanted to watch him do her tires, since she didn't care much about noise. But then again, it might be weird for him to have her eyes on him the whole time, so she nodded. "I can wait in your office, that's fine. Though suggesting I file your paperwork opens up the possibility of you having everything color coded by the time I finish." She headed for the door and shot him a smile. "Don't say I didn't warn you. If you end up being organized and tidy in there because of me, it's entirely your own fault."

Ash laughed a bit, walking backwards toward the back door of the shop to fetch the tires outside. He did it without looking, but avoided every obstacle in his way. He just knew the place that well. "I would owe you my firstborn or something if you did that. Granted, I'd fuck it up within a week, but still," he joked, then turned to disappear outside for a moment. This was definitely an unexpected development, but he'd take it. Maybe some good would actually come from it. Maybe.

"I would rather take a free oil change," Joey shot back before disappearing into his office. It did need just a little bit of tidying, so she did that, making sure not to really touch any of the important stuff. She knew some people's version of organized was being unorganized, and she didn't want to mess up his system. He was talking to her, which was a good sign. And hopefully when they went out for dinner, he would be willing to discuss more significant things. The sooner they got things out in the open, the better. Once he saw she had no intention of decimating Marquette. At the moment anyway... it wasn't like she wanted to. Sitting down in his chair, Joey sighed and waited.

True to his word, changing out her tires didn't take long for Ash. He loitered in the shop, writing up a ticket with vastly reduced charges for all the work. It basically just came down to reduced tires and the oil, the total leaving off labor entirely. Not that it had been hard. Picking up the coffee she'd brought and taking a few long sips, he snagged the cheesecake box and headed inside. "All done," he said as he stepped halfway into the tiny office. He wasn't going to crowd her, though he couldn't help but notice how glossy her hair was, even under the bad lighting in the office. Her smell stood out, too.

"That was quick," Joey said, smiling as she stood from his chair. "Thanks for getting to it so soon. It's nice that I'll be able to thank my winter safety on you this season." She walked to the door and paused since he was standing there. She didn't want to brush by him and make him uncomfortable. She reached into the purse on her shoulder to get her wallet out. "I hope the coffee's not too cold. I should have brought it in a warmer or something. How much do I owe you?"

"Eh, cold coffee's my bread and butter," he said, stepping out of her way so she could come out. He sipped from the cup a little more and held the work ticket out for her to look at. "No problem though, anytime you need anything done, you get moved to the front of the bus." That and most everything else he had in-shop were long-term projects, not oil changes. Anything he could get done while a customer waited, he tried to go ahead and do. Slipping past her without touching, he set the cheesecake down on his desk and chuckled over it being neater than it had been previously.

She smiled and took the ticket from him. "I appreciate that. I didn't touch any of your files," she told him, noting his chuckle. "You do need to dust though." She opened her wallet to pull out enough cash to take care of the ticket. She noticed he didn't charge her labor, but she doubted arguing with him over it would amount to anything. "Maybe your Nic has a bit of OCD in her to keep you nice and tidy?"

Ash accepted the cash without ceremony, folding it without even counting it and tucking the wad in his pocket. He did his money much like he did his files. Her last question made him grin a little. "Doubtful, but who knows? I might show her this place finally and she could blow a gasket. No pun intended." He chuckled and took another swallow of coffee before putting it down. He gestured for her to head back into the shop so he could see her out, assuming she'd be wanting to head on now.

Joey laughed and shook her head. "Clever. Be careful if she does. A woman who doesn't like a mess can be terrifying at times." She walked out into the shop to check out her new tires. They looked, well, like tires! Ones that would hopefully make it through a Marquette winter. Joey turned back to Ash and held out her hand to get her keys back. "I appreciate this. If there's anything I can do for you non-coffee related, let me know."

The other angel handed over her keys, giving her a smile and nod. "Already got you goin' to dinner with me, so don't worry about it," he said, and dropped a quick little wink. Fundamentally depressed or no, it was in his nature to flirt. It just came with the territory. "No big deal, anytime. Drive safe, they say it's gonna snow again tomorrow. I'll see you Wednesday."

"Fair enough." She took her keys and returned his smile before heading to her car. "I'll see you Wednesday. If it's suppose to snow tomorrow, keep the bike in, okay? See you on Wednesday." Joey waved her hand, her keys jingling loudly before she got into her car to head back to her own shop. That hadn't been so bad. Hopefully Wednesday prove to be just as easy.