An Unexpected Halloween

Who: Dorian and Joey
Where: Joey's Apartment
When: Around sunset and onwards
Warning: NSFW

By the time Dorian was leaving to pick up Joey, he was starting to notice that the little tricks of light that had been happening all day were beginning to make a more concrete appearance. All day he'd think there was something there, just out of the corner of his eye, but as soon as he turned, it was gone. He'd been able to pass it off as an overactive imagination brought out by the holiday, but now he was positive it was more than that. It gave him goosebumps each time, shocked since he'd never possessed an ability to see beyond the norm. As he knocked on Joey's door, he wondered if she'd seen anything herself, or if she'd think he was crazy for mentioning it.

Joey in fact had been seeing things. She spent a lot of the morning and afternoon at the cafe, cleaning and catching up on paperwork. She occasionally caught sight of someone walking by the front windows, but when she would actually look no one would be there. She let herself be spooked a bit by the fact that it was Halloween, but by the time she left, she was convinced there was more to it than just a trick of the light and the atmosphere of it being Halloween.

Ambrosius sat outside the shower while she'd washed her hair, whining deep in his throat and occasionally growling. It unnerved Joey since every time she glanced around the curtain, nothing was there. It was when she was changing in her bedroom and glanced out the window that she saw the first ghost... spirit? Joey didn't quite know. It was a young girl, looking quite lost as she roamed the parking lot. When the girl glanced up toward Joey's window, Joey knew for a fact then that the girl wasn't alive.

Joey was debating what to do about it when she heard the knock at the door. It startled her and she released a soft shriek as her dog went barking from the bedroom toward the front. Dorian. And she was only partly dressed. "Shit," she muttered, turning and quickly grabbing a tie to pull her hair up out of her face. Silly that she would be afraid of a spirit. She was an Angel of Wrath for god's sakes. And she didn't scare easily. Joey grabbed a t-shirt and tugged it on while hurrying through the apartment to open the door for Dorian. "Hey," Joey greeted, clearly out of breath. "Come in... I'm running just a few minutes behind." She shooed Ambrosius away, who seemed keen on sniffing out Dorian.

"It's okay," Dorian said, distracted temporarily be the person that was wondering down the middle of the road. He was sure he hadn't seen him a few seconds ago, but now he was there, walking aimlessly. "You see that guy?" Dorian asked, pointing before he turned to Joey. He smiled, stepping in the door. "You're fine," he said, not minding her attire at all. In fact, he liked girls far better when they were casual. His attention shifted down to the dog as the dog sniffed him out and he offered his hand to pet him. "What's his name?" he asked.

"Ambrosius," Joey said, mildly distracted by the man Dorian pointed to. "Yes, I see him..." Joey shut the door and cleared her throat. "I've actually seen a lot of strange people today. Okay, not a lot.. a couple." Dorian was well versed in the supernatural, so she didn't feel like she had to keep her thoughts to herself regarding the spirits. "I think they're ghosts. Which, in this town, wouldn't surprise me."

"I just wanted to make sure that you saw him too. Cause I don't usually see ghosts," Dorian said, taking a look around her house. "Looks like it might be an interesting night. They've all been outside, right?" He hadn't come across any that had actually entered his house or Nevermore, at least not yet, but they seemed to be getting more concrete suddenly. It was nice to have Joey as a sanity check, that was for sure. There weren't many people he could just talk to ghosts about.

"As far as I know. I haven't seen any in here, or at my shop. Really, all day I thought I saw things, but I was convincing myself it was nothing. My own paranoia, perhaps. But those things started to take more er, human shape as the day progressed. I saw one in the parking lot right before you got here." Joey sat down at her couch to pull on her shoes. Ambrosius seemed bored with Dorian already, and he padded away to flop down on his pillow by the television with a huff. Joey glanced at Dorian and stood again once both shoes were on. "What do you think it is?"

"Yeah, same here. Thought I was seeing things, since I couldn't see anything when I looked straight at 'em, but now... I honestly think they're ghosts. Or spirits. But I could be wrong. I think the bigger question is 'why'? I'm sure the 'why now' is because it's Halloween, but we've gotten through previous ones without being haunted." He was assuming so, otherwise he was sure he would have heard of it by now. He was also assuming it was only happening in Marquette. Thus far, crazy things only went down there, so why should this be any different.

"Have you been through previous Halloweens where the town has been attacked by... well, everything that's been attacking it?" Joey shrugged into her jacket. "Halloween is the day that the veil between the living and the dead is supposedly lifted. Maybe this year more spirits are willing to cross over to the other side for a night. The question is, are they peaceful?"

"I haven't been here for any other Halloween, but surely someone would have mentioned it if this is a yearly occurance," Dorian said. Of course, that was based on logic that didn't seem to be happening in Marquette. Nothing out of the ordinary was publicized, even when everyone knew it had gone down. "I guess we'll have to wait and see, right?" he said. "Good night not to wander around alone, that's for sure."

He had a point. She didn't think she would be out on her own, even if she was positive she could handle it. And she was thinking maybe people in Marquette were well versed in the crazy stuff happening that this might not throw them too much. She hadn't heard any police sirens yet, so that was always a good sign. "Well..." She placed her hands on her hips and glanced around. "We can stay here if you want? I have some frozen pizzas and a few movies to my name. Ambrosius might feel like a third wheel, but I think he would get over it eventually."

Dorian pretended to think about that, but it wasn't all that hard a decision. There was either her house, where she lived alone, or his, where his brothers could wander in at any moment. If Ambrosius was their only intruder, then he thought staying put would definitely be a better option. "Staying here is fine," Dorian smiled, good for either if she really wanted to get out. "We can still order take out Chinese if you're in the mood for that, but I'll never turn down pizza." He was a guy, after all.

She returned his smile easily and toed off her shoes. "Take off your jacket," she suggested, motioning toward the mounted coat rack next to the door. Joey headed back toward the kitchen, hearing the jingle of Ambrosius's tags as he hefted himself up from his pillow to follow her. "Do you want a beer or something to drink?" She didn't mind staying at her place. Hopefully they wouldn't get any ghostly visitors. She was just a tad bit nervous about being in her apartment alone with him, but not because she was afraid of him. Joey shook it off, scolding herself for acting like a seventeen year old girl. They were going to watch a scary movie, enjoy themselves and have fun. That was the plan.

"If you're having one, beer's fine," Dorian called as he shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the hook. He didn't want to be drinking if she wasn't, but otherwise a beer sounded good. Slipping off his shoes, he followed her into the kitchen, looking around as he went. A girl's home always seemed cleaner than a guy's, at least in his experience. Joey's was no different. "So how've you been?" he asked, leaning on the counter. "I got sidetracked by the ghosts wandering down the street and didn't ask." She'd obviously made it past the full moon in one piece, which was always good to know. Even if she didn't, it wouldn't bother him. He'd moved past the need to lower the number of werewolves in town.

She was definitely having a beer. Given the state of things, and the fact that spirits were wandering around Marquette, she felt she could probably use one. Joey reached into the fridge and pulled out two bottles, handing one to Dorian before she tugged open the fridge to grab one of the sausage pizzas. "I've been okay. This isn't the first town I've lived in that has harbored strange things. I'm not quite used to them happening so close to one another, though." She set the box on top of the stove and reached over to pre-heat the oven before popping the top from her beer and facing him. "How about you? I don't see any visible injuries, so that's a relief."

Dorian took the beer from her, opening it to have a sip while she spoke. Like her, he thought this was definitely a good time to have one, even if he wasn't all that worried about the ghosts outside... yet. If they started wandering inside, or becoming violent, that would be a different issue. "I'm okay. No worrisome bites, or anything like that," Dorian said with a little smile. "So where else have you lived that you experienced something like this?" he asked. "I ran across things from time to time in New Orleans, but I have to say, this seems pretty large scale compared to anything I've seen so far."

That was definitely good to here. She had a feeling he probably wouldn't be there if he had just suffered a werewolf bite. Setting her beer down, Joey got to cutting open the pizza box and preparing for it to go into the oven. "I've lived all over the place. Some places were pretty quiet and normal. Others? Not so much. A lot goes in New York City, but people rarely notice it. I think a lot of people view it as normal. I've lived in Greece for awhile, and Russia. Every country seems to have a supernatural hotspot, I think. But I'm one of those people that when I hear of something strange happening somewhere, I feel the need to go and check it out. Which, admittedly, is why I'm in Marquette at the moment."

She had lived a lot of places, Dorian noted, but he supposed that was possible if she jumped around a lot and didn't stay long. Dorian had visited a lot of places, though never log enough to say he'd lived there. He knew what she was talking about though, as someone who was staying in Marquette for the very reason that others might be running from it. "I'm the same way," he grinned. "I hear of something strange happening, and I wanna go see it for myself. Word of mouth never does the truth justice on that sort of thing." Mostly because half the population didn't believe in what they were seeing. "Ever been somewhere that had as much going on at once as Marquette?"

South America, she nearly answered, but kept that to herself. The tiny village where the voodoo demonic witchcraft - or whatever the hell it was - had been going on was no longer there, thanks to Joey. "Honestly? No. Marquette has surprisingly been the only place I've ever been too that has been this consistent with the supernatural incidents. Is that what brought you to Marquette?" Joey asked. "Hearing about these things?"

"Pretty much," Dorian nodded. "Except maybe in a backwards fashion. I just kind of felt drawn here, and then once I was here, I started to notice everything going on and the potential. Once it really started up, it was the reason that I stayed." He knew that was the opposite of what most people would think. As a new guy, he could have picked up and left easier than some of the others, new business or not, but all the action gave Dorian a reason to camp out instead.

"So you stayed out of pure interest? Eager to see what happened next?" Joey asked, grinning as her oven beeped, indicating it was ready for pizza. She slid the pizza into the oven and went to pick up her beer again. "I think it says a lot about people, the ones who decide to stay and ride it out, and the ones who pick up and leave. I wonder how many people in town right now are trying to find a logical explanation for a bunch of ghosts floating around town, even after what they've seen previously."

"I like this kind of thing," Dorian laughed, shrugging as he took a sip of his beer. "Maybe that makes me the wrong kind of thrill seeker, but how often can you say you saw ghosts cross the veil on Halloween night? It's all about being at the right place at the right time, and Marquette's been the right place too often for me to leave." Yeah, there were people that would say he was insane, but he figured since Joey had been drawn to Marquette by the same sort of thing, she probably wouldn't kick him out for it. "I'd think the ones who were going to pick up and leave might've already left. The ones that stay and refuse to see what's going on are in denial way beyond explanation. This is the kind of thing that should make news, so we'll have to see if anything turns up, or if everyone continues pretending it didn't happen."

"I don't think it makes you the wrong kind of thrill seeker... as creepy as it is, I think it's kind of exciting to see it myself, as long as I'm not fending them off from trying to kill me. I wonder how something like this couldn't make the news. Unless everyone thinks it's some kind of hoax, but a hoax of this magnitude? How can you rationalize it?" Joey shook her head before grinning. "It's nice to meet someone who doesn't mind the abnormal every now and then. I've known people who would rather hide inside and pretend these things don't exist rather than accepting it, exploring it, and trying to make sense of it."

"I know what you mean. There aren't a lot of people out there who believe in the supernatural, and of those that do, most don't want to be caught up in the middle of it," Dorian said, then took another sip of his beer. "I like to see what happens, and if this keeps up, then it's gonna be hard to ignore. It seemed to get worse around sunset, so how much you wanna bet that there are gonna be some scared trick or treaters out there?" Dorian asked, wondering what they'd see if they went to the window now. "Then again, some people might mistake them for having awesome ghost costumes, so who knows?"

"Some people like to take the simplest explanation and run with it, even if it doesn't make any sense." Though she did feel bad for the people who would have a ghostly encounter and not know how to explain it. "So what would you be doing tonight? If we hadn't made plans? Would you be hiding away inside? Or would you be out ghost hunting?" She knew plenty of people when she was younger who would go out on Halloween and play in cemeteries or abandoned houses, just to spook themselves and others.

"You know, before ghosts started appearing, I'd probably have called a friend and gone out for a drink or something," Dorian said, thinking he probably would have called Aiden. "But with the whole ghost thing, I'd probably have ended up down in a cemetery, at least for a while, just to check things out. It sounds childish, but if it was that or sitting at home, I'd take the graveyard." Not that he would be hunting, but just watching to see what happened. He had the feeling they could do that from her window, though, since there seemed to be some just wandering down the street. "What about you?"

"Probably the same," Joey admitted. "I mean, if no ghosts? Sadly I would probably be at work until closing. Halloween tends to be a busy night, with people out and about. Add in some ghosts? I think I would have to dredge up some courage and get my butt outside to see what's going on. How often does the veil between the living and the dead get completely taken away? I guess I should be completely freaked out, but it's kind of exciting."

"That's part of why I like you," Dorian said, smiling over at her. It was true. She wasn't hiding under the covers and she wasn't calling him a complete nut. She not only believed in the same sort of things that he did, but she was willing to look into it and be excited about it. "So are you still okay with watching a movie, or would you rather be out wandering around the graveyard?" he asked. It was a hard call for him, but he was actually thinking he was more interested in her than the ghosts.

Joey smiled at Dorian before she took another drink from her beer bottle. It was nice to have found someone she had a lot in common with, especially with the things they had in common. "If you're up for graveyard visiting, I wouldn't be opposed to going with you," Joey admitted. "Although I'm pretty open to watching a terrible horror flick and eating too much pizza with you too." As long as she was in his company, she was sure she would have a good time. She had every other time they had spoken after all.

"Maybe we can do both," he grinned. "Start with the movie while we eat pizza and see where that takes us." He wasn't sure he wanted to take off to the graveyard yet, but he wouldn't be opposed to it later. After all, this wasn't the sort of thing that ended at the stroke of midnight. He was willing to bet they had until dawn at least. "What've you got in the way of horror movies?" he asked, taking another sip of his beer. If she didn't have anything, there'd always be something on television.

"Sounds like a plan." And since there was still fifteen minutes left in baking the pizza, Joey motioned for Dorian to follow her back into the small living room. There weren't many non-date dates she went on where ghost hunting was a possibility. It was definitely different. "I have quite a few. Depends though, on what kind of horror you're after. I have a couple slasher flicks, and a couple scary, er, ghost movies." She flashed him a smile and pulled open the tv stand's cabinet. Her movie collection wasn't vast, given she up and moved quite a bit, but she had enough that there was some variety. "Which do you prefer? Cheap scares or blood and gore?"

"Let's go for one of the ghost movies," Dorian said, coming to look at the collection with her. "Since it fits the theme and all. That way, if we do go ghost hunting, we'll know what to expect." Now he was obviously teasing, since he didn't think that there was a ghost movie out there that really captured actual ghosts. But it was fun in theory, which is what he was after. If this was a date, which he'd un-explicitly intended for it to be, then it was definitely out of the ordinary. He couldn't have planned for ghosts if he wanted to.

Joey grinned and reached into the cabinet to pull out two movies. Poltergeist and Amityville. "You pick," she said. "Although Poltergeist is PG-13 movie fun, and Amityville might be more like, demonic possession, but they're both good for a scare or two. Hopefully it won't be like a beacon calling those spirits into the apartment." Ambrosius whined in his throat before flopping down on his pillow again. "Though you don't seem like the type who scares easily."

That was probably the understatement of the century, since Dorian was rarely scared at all. It took a life or death situation to get him there, not a movie, but that didn't stop him from enjoying them. "I say Poltergeist. That way we only have to worry about the spirits and not the apartment attacking us as well," he grinned. Spirits, he could deal with. Possessed houses, not so much.

"Luckily," Joey said, placing her beer down on the floor to pop open the dvd case. "I don't think this apartment building was built over a cemetery, so we should be okay!" Not that it mattered much in Marquette where your residence was. She popped it into the player before grabbing her beer and standing up. "I think this is the first Halloween I spent with someone else who wasn't an employee of mine. It's nice not having to work for once."

Dorian's line of thinking was about the same as her own, that it didn't take a haunted cemetary to stir things up in Marquette. It did just fine on it's own. "Glad I could drag you away from work then," Dorian said as he took a seat on the couch, his beer in hand. "Have you always worked in a coffee shop? Or is this a try for something different?" He wondered how someone her age could have had more than one business of her own to start up, but then the same question could be turned on him. Seeing as how his start up capital had come from illegal use of telekinesis in gambling, he didn't see a reason to question her.

Joey walked over to the couch to sit down next to him, pulling one leg up underneath her as she got comfortable. "I've worked in a lot of different places... I like trying new things," Joey explained. "I started a coffee shop in New York, but that didn't last very long after my interest dwindled in the city. I moved around a bit after that, but decided to try my hand at being my own boss again when I decided to move here." Her capital came from a variety of sources that she had accrued over the years. It wasn't getting the money that was the problem, it was keeping it, and making a profit to be able to repay it. "It's something I enjoy, and something I'm good at. For some reason people feel the need to spend five bucks on 'designer' coffee, you know? Who am I to refuse them?" Joey grinned before taking another sip of beer. "There's a lot of benefits to being your own boss, as I'm sure you know. It's stressful sometimes, but if you know what you're doing, it's not so bad."

"I don't know if I know what I'm doing, but I totally get the advantages of being your own boss," Dorian laughed. He might be doing it the wrong way, but it worked for him and that was what mattered. "You're good at what you do, so it works. I'm sure you'll make enough off me alone to keep the store open," he teased. She really did make good coffee, and her cheesecake was worth stomping through the snow over.

"Aw." Joey laughed. "That's sweet... although I have a bad habit of handing over free coffee to my friends, so I'm not so sure I can depend on your money to keep me afloat. I'm kind of hoping the winter is bad enough people want something hot to drink, but not too bad that they don't want to go out into the weather to get it." She leaned over to set her beer on the coffee table. "Though talking about my business aspirations isn't the most exciting thing. Especially with the spirit world roaming around outside. Marquette has definitely exceeded my expectations for it... it precedes what I've heard before I came here."

"Did you hear a lot before you came here?" Dorian asked. "I'm sure it's going to turn into a breeding ground for hunters if this keeps up. Though I don't know that there's anything hunters can do about ghosts. It's more likely that we'll have all kinds of 'ghost hunters' and stuff like that." What he was really concerned about, though, was attracting the attention of the sort where Marquette was made a target for natural disaster. He thought back to the little angel that had stayed with them at the end of the summer and how she might have handled all the craziness that was going on in Marquette. They were lucky she'd left town or there might not have been a town left.

"I heard rumblings here and there from people I know who are immersed in these things." It helped that she was immersed in them as well, although she tended to get involved a bit more deeply than some people preferred. "When there's more supernatural activity happening in one place than others, it gets noticed. You can read the paper, and watch the news, and pick up on the little things, even if the news doesn't exactly understand it. Marquette seemed to have been getting steadily worse over the past couple months. I finally decided to come check it out for myself." And to see how close Marquette was coming to spilling over into other cities and towns, and if she needed to do something about it. "I think hunters have already started pouring in, to be honest. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing."

"If it helps maintain a balance, maybe it's okay," Dorian said thoughtfully. Even if he did a bit of hunting himself, he didn't like hunters. They were all loose cannons, as far as he was concerned, which made it hard to trust them. Their rules were constantly changing, and he had Aiden there as a perfect example. "It's the kind of thing that I think we'll just have to wait and watch, you know?" That's what he was doing at this point, and now that the ghosts had come out to play, that would make the whole thing a lot more interesting.

"Sure. I totally believe in maintaining a balance. Sometimes you have to think about the greater good, you know?" Joey lived by that rule. It was the only way to get through what she did sometimes. "You can't always let your emotions dictate your actions. I think when you do that, you run the risk of getting needlessly hurt. Or watching others get hurt. Not everyone agrees with that mentality," Joey admitted. "But I think it's the only way to survive sometimes."

Hearing that from Joey was the closest Dorian had come to finding anyone who thought along the same lines as him. The only difference was that he excluded himself from the equation, always believing that it didn't matter what the greater good was if it saved his own hide. He wondered if she thought the same, though he couldn't see her fearing her own existence might tip the balance the wrong way. "I think in a place like Marquette, the hard part is figuring out who the greater good is," Dorian said with a little laugh. "If we wake up tomorrow and there are still ghosts out on the streets, how do you handle something like that?" He was speaking theoretically, of course.

"If you're a good judge of character, it shouldn't be too hard," Joey replied with a smile. "And I think if you're aware of the possibility of what's lurking out there, you look at everyone you meet with a different eye than you would if you were oblivious. If we wake up tomorrow and there are still ghosts? I'm not entirely sure." That was a good question. What was she suppose to do? "I guess the smart thing to do would be to try and figure out why they're here and how to return them to the other side. Or, you can throw caution to the wind, accept the end might be near, and live like there might not be a tomorrow." She shrugged a shoulder and reached out for her beer. "What would you do?"

"If they're still there tomorrow?" Dorian said, briefly thinking it over. "Well, I'd make sure the shop is open and prepare to answer questions I don't have answers to. And I'd start looking for answers because I don't believe in end of the world scenarios. Even if the veil was permanently lifted, it wouldn't mean Armageddon." The dead didn't always become a ghost or a spirit. Most passed on to the other side... or somewhere. Or nowhere. It wasn't for Dorian to know. What he did know was that they didn't all become ghosts or spirits, which meant all those crowding Marquette could be helped on their way. "I'd like to say I always live like there's no tomorrow, but that's not really true. We all have our hang-ups, right? Mine tends to be I'm more reserved than I like," Dorian laughed. "What about you?"

"It doesn't mean Armageddon, unless other supernatural creatures decide to follow the spirit world's lead and make themselves known more blatantly than they do. What's to stop vampires, or werewolves or even demons from stepping out and trying to take over?" She considered his question, smiling a touch as she did so. "We all have our hang-ups, yes. Although I don't think I've ever been that reserved. I tend to go with what the moment brings me. I've seen enough, and I know enough, to know that life isn't worth living unless you take some risks... some chances. I think if we're faced with the spirit world crossing over permanently, then it's not going to stop there. Things could very well escalate out of control. I don't want to be standing there at the possible end thinking that I missed opportunities." She paused and glanced at Dorian. "I don't know if I'm making any sense at all."

Dorian wasn't sure that he thought everyone becoming aware was a bad thing. For one, it would make people much more able to take care of themselves. Then again, if vampires were publicly trying to take over, they could have a crisis on their hands. Especially if it turned out to be the Renfields. It wasn't something to put too much thought in, though, until it actually started happening. "You're making sense," Dorian smiled. "I'd like to live my life in such a way, and I'm trying, but as the prior king of things not said or done, it takes some work." He could laugh at himself, though he knew he'd fucked up enough for a lifetime. Changing his ways wasn't exactly easy, but it could be worth it. The oven beeped then and he looked towards the kitchen. "If you'll grab the pizza, I'll get the napkins, plates, and would you like another beer?" he asked, having finished his first off.

Joey had always lived by the rule to say what she thought, and do as she wanted. It didn't always work out for her, but she knew when the time came, she could safely say she didn't have any regrets. At least she hoped not. Pushing herself up from the couch, she grabbed her nearly empty beer bottle. "Another beer sounds great. You're awfully hospitable for this being my apartment," Joey teased. "I think I like it."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't planning on your having to wait on me," Dorian grinned. "It'd make more sense at my house, sure, but since you're providing the pizza and beer, I can at least help out." He almost said that his mother taught him well, but it was a saying that didn't apply in the least. His mother taught him a lot of things, but manners were not one of them. "Don't tell me you'd prefer one of those guys that sits on the couch and orders a woman around?"

"I prefer guys that know how to take care of themselves," Joey explained, wandering into the kitchen and grabbing an oven mitt. "If I actually decide to be something to them? It's not going to be their mother." She was a pretty independent woman. Even if she found herself in a relationship, which was rare, she wasn't going to spend it taking care of the guy. She had herself to take care of. "When's the last time you were in a relationship?" Joey asked before pausing and shooting him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry if that's too nosy."

Seeing as how Dorian had never really had a mother taking care of him, he'd learned to take care of himself a long time ago. He didn't expect things to be handed to him, and everything he got these days, he got for himself. Her question caught him off guard though, and he looked up with slightly wide eyes, a fresh bottle in each hand. "It's not too nosy; I just don't know that I have a good answer," he said, mind scrambling to come up with something. "How would you define a relationship?"

She grinned at his reaction to her question and looked away long enough to open the oven and grab the pizza to set atop of the stove. The look on his face told her that it had probably been awhile for him, relationship wise. "I don't necessarily need a good answer. Just an honest one." Pulling the oven mitt from her hand, she reached out for her fresh bottle of beer. "I'm not sure how I would define a relationship. You could say mutual friendship with the benefits of sex? Or you could define it as a loving, committed connection... with the benefits of monogamus sex. I think some people might view it differently."

Now he really wished he had a good answer because the honest one really sucked. "By that definition, I've never been in a relationship," Dorian admitted with a little cringe. "Either I'm too honest about what I believe, or I never get to that level of trust, or something. The attempts I make usually get stuck at the mutual friendship stage, and I'm not all that fond of sex without a connection, so..." Dorian shrugged. That was his life. And it sucked. But he didn't want to whine about it anymore, so the best he could do was move on, try again, and maybe something would go right eventually.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Joey told him. She reached into one of the drawers to pull out the pizza cutter. "Some people can't handle honesty, you know? And you can't force yourself to trust someone. Why force it if it's not there? That just adds to your list of mistakes and regrets, and sometimes it's just not worth it." She didn't know many men who preferred sex with a connection, however, so she found she had to respect him for that. She wasn't sure she needed a connection for physical fulfillment. If she waited for a connection to come along, more than likely she would still be a virgin. Lord help her. "I would give you some wise advice on women, but I really don't have any," Joey admitted with a small grin before cutting the pizza quickly.

"I wasn't expecting any," Dorian chuckled. "And really, I've found that the advice only applies to a handful of women, not them all, so I try to just go with what feels right." There had been a time when he didn't care about any of it, where he'd been happy to party and fall in bed with whomever and it didn't matter the next day. Sometime since college, he'd developed a desire to have something more than that, but it just didn't work out. "I'm at that point in my life where I'm done with regrets. It felt right at the time, and I can't take the knowledge I gain later to look back and think I was wrong. It's better to take the lesson and make the best of it. Like, the connection between two people? I've realized it doesn't have to be written in stone before I make a move. I just have to be willing to take a chance."

"Sounds you don't need any advice," Joey said. "You seem to know exactly what you want, and exactly what you're looking for. I don't meet many guys like that." Grabbing a spatula, she managed to get two pieces of pizza on both plates before finally handing one over to him. "If you go with what feels right to you, then you're probably not going to deal with many regrets. And if it doesn't work out? Then you take the life lesson, accept and move on to the next, right?" Joey picked up her own plate and smiled at him. "Ready for a creepy haunted house movie?"

And here Dorian had been thinking he was the most indecisive person alive. At least someone thought differently. He felt like his life was always changing in rather dramatic ways and all he could do was keep up with the ride. "Ready," he said, taking the plate of pizza from her, beers in his other hand as they headed back towards the living room. "So what about you?" he asked, figuring he had a right to be nosy if she was. "When's the last time you were in a relationship?"

"I've had boyfriends, but I wouldn't say they were real relationships. I'm not sure I have the ability to do a real relationship, with as much as I find myself wanting to up and leave after awhile." She didn't mind him asking, since she didn't mind admitting the truth. She set her plate down on the table and twisted off the lid from her bottle. "The last time I was in anything remotely close to a relationship was about... five years ago?" Having sex was completely different, in her mind. Which reminded her that she hadn't had it in awhile. She'd come close with Ash but... yeah, that hadn't worked out.

"Would you be open for trying?" Dorian asked with a little smile. "Even with a guy with a very poor track record?" He wasn't sure he was capable of maintaining a relationship either, but he knew he was physically attracted to Joey, that they had a lot in common, and that she was just as likely to up and skip town as he was. She was honest, but just as unpredictable. He just wasn't sure if she was interested, just as he wasn't sure if this felt like a date or not. He didn't think dates should be quite so comfortable, but it'd been a while since he'd been on one.

"I don't generally close myself to any possibility," Joey said. She just tried not to let herself get too attached. It was too hard to decimate a city or town knowing someone she cared about lived there. Her temper didn't always understand, or take that into consideration when it boiled over. She leaned back against the couch and returned his smile. "And I think everyone deserves a chance, even those with poor track records." She took another long drink of her beer before setting it on the table next to her plate and shooting him brighter smile. "Why, do you want to fix me up with someone?" she asked, clearly teasing.

"I was thinking of this guy I know, he runs a supernatural bookshop," Dorian grinned, teasing back now. "Something tells me ya'll would get along. Plus, you're hot, and he'd be crazy not to notice." It was something he'd noticed initially, but Dorian wasn't interested in girls just based on their looks. Jules was also hot and she scared the shit out of him. A person's personality was far more important, and he knew that was a large part of what he found so attractive about Joey.

"Oh! Well, if he likes hot, attractive women, then I am so the right woman for him," Joey exclaimed, though she was struggling not to laugh. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. As long as I know he's not just using me for my creamy cheesecake." She was definitely attracted to Dorian, both physically and mentally, although she didn't place any expectations on him, or whatever it was they decided to do, or be. She had lived long enough, and had dealt with enough disappointments, to know better.

"Oh, never," Dorian said. "Though I think he might be a tad upset if that meant he had to stay away from your cheesecake, cause that shit is good," he laughed, then took a bite of pizza, which was also good. But not as good as Joey's cheesecake. Dorian realized that if this was a date, it wasn't the least bit romantic, and he was hoping that was okay. He was enjoying himself and the time spent with her, which was much more important to him than cheesy romance. Besides, romance on Halloween seemed a bit weird.

Joey chuckled and picked up her own pizza. She wasn't looking for romance when it came to dating. Had never looked for it, or expected it. That didn't mean she had never experienced it before. It just had never been part of her pre-requisites for a relationship. "Don't worry. I think as long as he's a decent kisser, I'd be willing to keep serving him cheesecake." She shot him an amused look before taking a small bite of her pizza.

Dorian looked relieved for show, sure enough of himself to know that that wouldn't be a problem. "I'll make sure to keep that in mind when my mouth's not stuffed with pizza," Dorian smiled, taking a sip of his beer. While he hated passing up an opportunity to kiss her, first kisses should never be made in the middle of a meal. And he was fairly certain there'd be other opportunities, especially now that he'd stopped referring to himself in third person.

She might have started laughing if she wasn't busy chewing. She held her napkin up to her lips and shook her head, trying not to smile before she picked up the remote to push play on the movie. After swallowing, she grabbed her beer. "Definitely appreciated." It was certainly one of the more relaxing "first dates" she had ever had. No pressure, no expectations and no anxiety. And no worries that he would see the scars on her back and know what she was, since she was fairly certain Dorian was not an angel like Ash had been.

By the end of the movie, the pizza was gone and Dorian had had more than a few beers. He was feeling good though, comfortable on the couch with Joey, his arm around her as she leaned against him. At some point they'd shifted, neither shying away from the contact, and Dorian was content to go with it. One thing he wasn't going to do was over-think the situation. "Every time I watch this movie, I wonder if I should follow their lead and put the television outside," he said as the end credits began to roll.

"I would say only if you start to see more static on the screen than usual... and your kitchen chairs stack themselves up on their own. Every time I watch that movie, I'm turned off from eating steak for a very long time," she admitted, pulling away from Dorian to grab the remote and turn off the DVD player. there were two empty plates on her table and quite a few empty beer bottles. Which meant she was having a really nice time. She hadn't been to nervous about the evening to begin with, but after a couple of drinks, Joey found herself really feeling mellow. And good. "I enjoyed the sequel, though I wasn't a big fan of the third movie." She set the remote back down and started to grab some of the empty bottles to throw away. "I will have to check under my bed tonight for any wayward clowns."

"And the second movie turned me off from tequila," Dorian laughed softly. The attack of the giant tequila worm was ridiculous, but it didn't encourage him to take shots either. "The third just proved that too many mirrors is always a bad thing. Neither compared to the original, but I thought they were fun. I think there's a whole generation of us that were scarred for life by that clown though. I wouldn't mind checking for you," he grinned. Sitting up a bit as she did, he slid his arm around her waist and spoke softly, close to her ear. "You in a hurry to clean up?" he teased.

"I don't think anything could turn me off from tequila," Joey said with a laugh. She smiled at Dorian, thinking it would be quite nice to have him checking under her bed and the closets for her. And then maybe pushing him back onto her bed. Which was a completely out of place thought that had no business being there at the moment. When he slipped his arm around her waist, she released the bottles back onto the table and shifted a bit to face him. Definitely not the right time to start cleaning up. "Not in too much of a hurry," she replied, comfortable with how close he was currently. She noted, as she had during the movie, that he smelled rather nice too.

"I thought you might be running away from me," he smiled before kissing her. It was just that simple, his lips on hers before thinking too much about it. She was there, close to him, and he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. As soon as he did so, he realized just how long it'd been since he kissed a girl and how much he'd been missing out. Thoughts of checking under her bed were quickly morphing into thoughts of doing other things on her bed, which he decided he really needed to stay away from because... screw it. Why shouldn't he let his mind go there? Though, of course, here was nicer, since it was real.

Joey returned his kiss eagerly, and happily, her hand coming up to slide through his hair. She always adored first kisses... that sense of anticipation and excitement. Wondering what it would feel like, if it would make her toes curl and spark some hidden, unbridled passion within her. Sometimes they did and sometimes they fell flat and disappointing. This was definitely not disappointing. And it seemed so incredibly simple to ease into. Everything with Dorian so far had been comfortable and easy... Joey knew there was no reason why this shouldn't follow that route. Not that the kiss was completely comfortable. It did enough to her that she could feel her body flush with heat. Despite claiming that he hadn't had a relationship ever... and that he had reservations from time to time, he definitely knew what he was doing.

Saying that he hadn't been in a relationship might have been misleading, since he had definitely been with women. It had been a while, but this wasn't the sort of thing he forgot over time. He could remember the first kiss he'd shared with every girl he'd been interested in, since all of them were different, just as Joey was. Kissing her made his heart begin to race, his body warm as if the heat had been turned up suddenly. Her fingers in his hair sent tingles down his spine and he deepened the kiss, the hand on her back pulling her closer. There was no reason to rush, but there was no reason to stop either.

She wasn't inclined to stop anytime soon, unless she needed oxygen of course. Which at the moment, she didn't. Joey shifted a bit closer to him, though she realized this was why she rarely started kissing men on her couch. It was an awkward angle, and she wasn't sure it would be wise to push him back and straddle him to make it easier. She had done that with Ash, after all, and that had gone downhill once the clothes started being shed. Not that that necessarily meant things with Dorian would follow the same path. It felt like there was no comparison between the two situations. There was less desperation in the kiss she was sharing with Dorian and she was content with simply enjoying and savoring the sensations coursing through her body. Beyond the faint taste of beer, she could taste him. It was intoxicating and wonderful and she was in no hurry to pull away.

There was no reason to follow the same path when Dorian had something else in mind. The couch was never going to be a perfect place to make out, but he was always willing to make the best of it for the time being. Shifting just slightly, he lowered her back, leaning over her with one arm braced beneath her. The other hand moved to her waist, rubbing gently as he continued the kiss. The couch was definitely too small, but that really wasn't a good enough excuse for him to stop. She was so soft beneath him, the warmth of her body only encouraging his own temperature to rise. His hand slid just under her shirt, a natural progression as he searched for more contact, but he did nothing more quite yet, half expecting her to slap his hand away.

Admittedly, her heart began to pound even harder in her chest when he shifted her back against the couch. There was no way in hell she was going to resist it though, because everything was feeling far too good to stop now. Even with the couch being small, Joey was a petite woman, so she snuggled quite happily against the cushions, her hands slipping up around his waist. Her leg wrapped around the back of his in a subconscious effort to keep him close. When Joey felt his hand slip under her shirt, she instinctively arched against him. She was letting her body make her decisions at the moment, but she also recognized that they were both adults. If he wanted to touch her, she wasn't going to stop him. She wanted him to touch her. Joey nipped playfully at his lower lip before one hand came up from his waist to cup the nape of his neck and draw him into another kiss.

Drunken college girls had nothing on Joey. In fact, none of the girls that followed in the few years after did either. She moved with confidence that only encouraged Dorian, his body pressing full against her as her leg wrapped around him. And his hand really saw no reason to stop as he smiled into the kiss. It slid up beneath her shirt, his fingers tracing long the bottom of her bra before moving his palm over it, squeezing her breast. At this rate she'd be able to feel his arousal, but he didn't let that bother him. Instead, he continued to kiss her, happily exploring the skin beneath her shirt until he decided that touching wasn't enough. He wanted to see her, and so he tugged her shirt up, breaking the kiss only long enough to pull it over her head.

She had long since forgotten about... well, pretty much everything. The movie, the ghosts outside, the "first date"-ness of it all. Her brain was pleasantly fuzzy and distracted by nothing but Dorian. She could feel her chest hitch when his hand began to move and heat pooled between her legs the instant his fingers touched her bare skin. Joey could absolutely feel that Dorian was just as turned on as she was, which made the friction between her thighs even more pleasurable. God, it felt good. When he pulled back from her mouth, Joey opened her eyes questioningly, wondering why he was stopping. There should be no stopping. But then he was pulling her shirt up and she lifted her arms above her head to help him get it off. Joey shrugged it off before reaching for his shirt to pull off. It was only fair, wasn't it?

This was generally what Dorian would have considered moving too fast for a first date, but that was the part of his brain that attempted to be conservative and constrained. It was also the part that was completely shut off by a libido that had seen far less action than Dorian would have preferred. So, no, going slow was not an option, so long as both of them were happy with the arrangement. Since Joey was taking his shirt off as well, he figured the feeling was mutual, skin on skin building more heat between them. He kissed her again, lips dropping down to her neck as his fingers tugged her bra straps off her shoulders, his palm cupping her bare breast as he pressed against her. If this was supposed to be moving towards stopping, Dorian hadn't gotten the message, as the feel of her in his hand only got him more riled up.

Joey found herself wondering how a first kiss had suddenly shifted into both of them being shirtless with his hand on her breast. Not that she was complaining. Not in the slightest. The comfortable easiness that she had felt when he first touched her was quickly melting into desperate arousal that kept her craving more. Joey gasped into his mouth when he pressed against her and she couldn't help but push back, wanting more friction than the small couch would allow. His chest was solid and smooth and she couldn't keep her hands from gliding down the smooth planes, feeling the muscles and heated skin. He had looked really good with clothes on that she would have been lying if she'd said she never thought about what his body looked like without them. It definitely exceeded her wildest fantasies, that was for sure. Yes, she had done quite a bit of daydreaming during slow hours at the shop. Joey's hands moved down his waist and around to the small of his back until her fingers trailed along the waistband of his jeans. With the way he kissed her, and touched her, it seemed like she hadn't been the only one craving physical contact for some time.

The little voice in his head was definitely struggling with whether or not a first date should lead to the bedroom, or if he should just go with his instinct and tell the little voice to fuck off. Joey seemed like the kind of woman that would speak up if she wasn't happy, and her hands were currently moving along a trail that showed she was rather pleased with this position, otherwise she'd be pushing him away. Deciding he'd had enough of her bra, he reached behind her and unclasped it, kissing her again as he pulled it off. That was much, much better, even if his jeans were now tighter than he liked. Thinking of what he could do to her took off in ten different directions, though none compared to having her there and now. It had been to long since he'd touched a woman and his hands couldn't seem to get enough, rubbing up her back, over her hair and down her chest. The couch now proved to be too small for what he wanted, but he wasn't willing to stop with the threat of common sense coming back in the moment between.

Joey was internally debating herself over whether or not to stop him long enough to lead him down the hall to her bedroom. A bed was roomier, and much more comfortable, and she had condoms there, a box of which, sadly, had never been opened since she got there. However, it was hard to think at all with his hands roaming over her body that way. She adored his hands. They weren't as calloused as Ash's had been, but they were rough in all the right spots. Joey tore her mouth away from his and began to brush her lips against his jaw and back to his ear. Her fingernails scraped lightly along his waist to his stomach, her fingers finding the button of his jeans. Breathless, Joey tugged it open and then bit gently at his earlobe, thinking that if he was going to have second thoughts about this, then he better have them now and stop her before she got her hand inside to touch where she had been dying to touch since he kissed her.

Dorian had nothing against couches, but when it came to fooling around, they just didn't seem to like him. He was too tall to lay on one by himself, let alone with a girl, so when she popped the button on his jeans he finally decided this needed to move somewhere else. The floor, the bedroom, the kitchen table... he didn't care where, so long as there was more room to touch her. "Should we move this... somewhere... else?" he asked between breaths, the feel of her nails on his skin going straight to his groin. He'd thought about her before this moment, fantasized at home in bed, but never really thought he would actually get a chance. Given one, he hated to make requests, but he also knew how uncomfortable they would be if they actually tried to stay where they were. At least, in their current position, that was. Dorian could think of a few others that would work just find on a couch...

It took a second for Joey to digest his question, since she was terribly overheated and turned on and everything at that moment was all about touching. She opened her eyes and pulled back from the kisses she had been peppering along his throat, smiling a bit breathlessly once her eyes met his. Somewhere else... he had a point. The couch wasn't the most spacious, and it wasn't the most comfortable for two people, unless they shifted around a bit. But there was also the fact that she really didn't want an audience in the form of her dog who was currently asleep, though she doubted that would last long once the rest of their clothes were disposed of. "Probably a wise idea," she managed. Joey leaned in to kiss him hard on the lips before she pushed lightly and managed to slip out from underneath him, her hand grabbing his to lead him to her bedroom. Her heart was pounding in anticipation, and she sent up a weak prayer that nothing halted the experience the way it had with Ash. She really didn't want to deal with that situation again for a very long time.

Dorian followed behind her, watching her form, the curve of her waist as it came down to her hips. He'd never realized how hot a girl in jeans and only jeans could be, though he knew his first priority would be to get them off her. If there was any indication that she was an angel, Dorian didn't notice it, always expecting some form of tattoo, rather than a scar. Having a number of scars himself, they meant little, only that they'd both led an exciting life. With the bed before them, he caught her by the waist, then reached around her to unfasten her jeans. His lips moved from her shoulder to her neck as he lowered the zipper, teeth scraping gently as he pressed against her from behind. In the few seconds he'd had to catch his breath, it was gone again, heart pounding as he realized this had no reason to stop.

He didn't say anything about the scars on her back, which was a god send. She didn't want to have to get into that, although she knew she could just say a motorcycle accident, or back surgery or... something. Dorian wasn't an angel, so she was convinced he wasn't as in tune with those things as Ash had been. A part of her was thankful that night with Ash had ended in disaster, otherwise she wasn't sure she would be doing this right now. Joey closed her eyes and allowed her head to fall back against his shoulder while his lips moved over her skin. This sort of thing wasn't suppose to feel this good before they were completely undressed, was it? The feel of him pressing against her from behind sent little shivers of pleasure down her spine and Joey was fairly certain she wouldn't be able to stop now, even if she knew deep down that she should. Thankfully there was no voice of reason chattering away in her head. She liked him, she enjoyed his company, and god help her, she wanted him completely naked in her bed. Joey turned around to face him once her jeans were unzipped. She pressed her lips against his chest, her tongue flicking out to taste his skin while her hands unzipped his own jeans and her hands slipped inside to push them down his hips. If she didn't have him inside of her soon, Joey was fairly certain she was going to explode. Or at least start begging.

There would be no need for begging, since Dorian fully intended on giving her what she wanted. The second she had his pants down, he was ridding her of the rest of her clothing, his eyes drinking in every inch of her skin he could see. He was hard and ready, and-- fuck, he should be asking for a condom-- all he could think of was being inside her. Pushing her back against the bed, Dorian kissed her, his hand sliding up her thigh and onto her hip. His cock moved between her legs and he could feel how wet she was, and how awesome would it be if she was on the pill and they could screw protection because, fuck, he just wanted her now. "Condom?" he asked, wishing he had one on him, but after going so long without getting laid, he'd just stopped carrying them. Furthermore, he hadn't been expecting things to go this far tonight, which left him annoyingly unprepared.

Her fingers raked through his hair when his mouth found hers again. His body was hot and hard over hers and all she really wanted to do was wrap herself around him give in with wild abandon. His voice prompted her to open her eyes. Condom? Oh! Right. Dammit. Why had she gone off the pill again? It wasn't as if she had gone years without sex or something. Licking her lips, Joey shifted underneath him to roll half onto her side and grab the drawer of her night stand. She fumbled for a few seconds in a desperate attempt to get the box open. Finally she pulled back and tore open the pack herself before handing it over to him. She was more than ready for him, almost embarrasingly so, and she knew if she tried to put the damn thing on him herself, she might fumble a bit more with trembling hands. If this... thing, whatever it was, went anywhere, she would definitely have to pay a visit to a doctor and get back on birth control. Because she was not a fan of breaking for a condom.

Dorian wasn't all that much a fan himself, but he was even less a fan of what could happen without one. It was something he could deal with, though, if it meant having her, cause there was no way he could stop otherwise. He couldn't remember ever wanting someone so badly. When she handed him the condom, he felt like he was fumbling around with it, even if it only took him seconds to put it on. And then he could go back to what they were doing, which really took no thought at all. From that point on, it was instinct, his body pressing against hers, into hers, as he wrapped her leg over his hip. A move to the bed had been the right decision, as it gave him leverage, the ability to move against her without it being a balancing act. There was no starting slow by that point as they were both more than ready. He had to remind himself to watch for her cues, to feel out where she was, otherwise he'd rush to the end frighteningly fast. He wanted this to last, but more than that, he wanted to feel her climax before he finished himself.

A moan escaped her lips when he pushed into her, and she arched her hips to his, pulling him in deep as he wrapped her leg around him. God, it had been a long time. She had to gasp to draw some oxygen into her lungs before reaching up to pull him back down to her so she could kiss him again. She felt overheated and overwhelmed by her body's response to him, but it was something she embraced completely. Her free hand slid up his arm, over his shoulder and down his back. She didn't want to stop touching him. Every inch she felt was hard and perfect in all the right places. But then again, she had known he would be. Joey nipped at Dorian's lips and tightened her leg around his hip. Their encounters thus far had always been so light and mellow, that she had wondered what this would be like. This? Was definitely not light and mellow... and she loved it. Joey had always adored the unexpected.

He loved the way she touched him, as if she couldn't get enough or was putting his body to memory. He knew the feeling, and when his hands were too busy to touch her, his eyes moved over her instead. The way her breasts rose and fell with each breath, how her body trembled when he pushed inside of her, Dorian drank up the vision she provided. His hand slid over her belly, always amazed at how a woman could be both hard and soft, up to her breasts, then behind her neck as he met her kiss. With her leg wrapped around him, Dorian shifted, gaining the leverage to move just a bit harder, just a tiny bit faster, the increased friction just enough to make his toes curl, bringing him closer to the edge. Whatever this was between them, it was good, he decided. Better than anything he could have imagined, even if he didn't have a name for it.

It was definitely good. She was so used to tolerable, or passable, when it came to most of her sexual experiences but this? Was definitely good... more than good. She lifted her hips to meet every thrust, allowed her fingertips to press into his heated skin and parted her lips to kiss him harder before oxygen became a factor and she had to pull away. "Dorian," she breathed, her eyes closing as her body spiraled toward the completion. Both legs were wrapped around his waist now and her hands smoothed over his shoulders and back. The slight increase in pressure and pace soared through her, and try as she might, Joey couldn't stifle the soft cries that began to escape her lips. She hadn't planned for this to happen so soon, but she knew no matter what happened, she wasn't going to regret it.

Dorian shuddered when she breathed his name, the passion in her voice moving through him like an electric current. He couldn't recall a girl ever saying his name like that, in the heat of the moment, and he instantly decided it was the best thing he'd ever heard a girl say in bed. It was definitely the biggest turn on, though he didn't need much at the rate they were going. Her soft cries brought him higher, and when she finally began to clench around him, he was lost completely. His hips jerked as he came, his body as tense as it could be before he began to unwind. He moaned softly without realizing it, and then he was kissing her again, less frantic, but with no less passion. While this was usually when things became awkward and uncomfortable, he couldn't imagine then being so with Joey. Everything else had been easy, almost natural, and so he hoped the afterglow would follow suit.

Joey's fingers dug into his back when she felt him tense, and she arched against him, a low moan slipping past her lips. She kept her eyes closed until her body began to come back down, the sharp intensity dulling into a soft throbbing sensations throughout her. She felt his lips on hers and Joey brought her hands up to rake her fingers through his hair, playing with the soft strands as she kissed him back. Reluctantly she loosened her legs around his waist and lowered her feet to her mattress. That had been a bit... unexpected. And unplanned, for sure. There were no doubts and insecure thoughts afterward, like so many women might experience. Joey had always done what she wanted, had always stopped what she didn't. And she had wanted Dorian. Joey opened her eyes, pulling away from his mouth with a small smile. She felt... wonderful. Satisfied, sated... it had been a long time since she'd done that. And she hadn't realized how badly she had needed it.

There wasn't much that could bring Dorian down from his high, as he was fairly certain that this was the best bad idea he'd ever had. Reason had nothing to do with desire, so he was going to continue ignoring it. He'd wanted Joey, and he'd gotten exactly that. As she unwrapped her legs from around him, Dorian slipped out of her with a soft moan, one hand sliding from her waist to her thigh then up again. God, she was nice to touch. He smiled back as she pulled away from the kiss, then slowly rolled to his feet. Again he remembered why he hated condoms, discretely removing it before stepping towards the bathroom. "Can I get you anything?" he asked, eyes raking over her nude form.

Joey shook her head and lifted her arms over her heard, stretching a bit like a cat before she relaxed and smile. "No, I think I'm okay. Thanks, though." More than okay, actually. At the moment she was simply enjoying watching him walk around. It was almost criminal how good looking he was. And he had such nicely sculpted arms... Joey forced her thoughts back to something more appropriate. No use in getting all hot and bothered again. Unless he intended to stay the night, then she fully planned on putting the dirty thoughts to use. Joey sat up and pushed her disheveled hair from her face. She wasn't entirely sure what his plans were, though she assumed he would let her know if he had to leave or not.

Stretching was a good idea, and Dorian did so as he re-entered the bedroom. Though he wasn't used to wandering around naked in front of women, he wasn't body shy either. And the way her eyes moved over him was a nice little confidence boost. Briefly, he wondered where that other tattoo was, though it hadn't been something he was looking for earlier. At this point, all of his ink was exposed. "I hope you didn't have your heart set on visiting a graveyard," Dorian teased, coming back to sit on the bed with her.

"Something tells me wandering about a haunted graveyard right now would ruin the afterglow." She chuckled and scooted over when he came to sit down with her. There was definitely no reason for Dorian to be body shy. Not in Joey's opinion anyway. She liked that he seemed comfortable in his own skin, and she felt like she could outwardly admire it without embarrassing him. She didn't feel the need to cover up just yet either. They had just had sex - she saw no reason to be self conscious now. Joey reached out when he sat next to her, running her fingers over the tattoo on his bicep. "Ambigram," she murmured, tracing the letters with her fingertip before she pulled her hand away. "What made you decide to get them?"

"I'm pretty sure you're right," he chuckled, not at all interested in ghosts at this point. If it was really something to be interested in, they'd be there tomorrow. Sure, that would be more concerning, but watching dead people in the graveyard didn't compare to laying around with her. Dorian smiled to himself as she traced over the tattoo that read 'regret' one way and 'nothing' the other. His other arm read 'cursed' and 'blessed'. "You know how I was out of town? It was kind of a journey of self discovery. A much delayed one," he said with a little laugh. "I'd spent the last few years trying to be what I thought I should be, or what I needed to be, and I finally got to that point where I just wanted to be me. I got them as reminders." While he didn't think he could ever forget, he liked them.

"Those are the best kind of tattoos," Joey said, leaning back so she could see the solar eclipse on his back shoulder better. "The ones that mean something significant. Self discovery is definitely cause for that. Sometimes you go on these journeys, and you deal with all of these personal issues, and you're not sure where the light at the end of the tunnel is. It's both rejuvenating and frustrating at the same time when you realize you just need to shed other people's perceptions of you and pull off the mask to be who you really are. Regardless," she added, reaching out to touch the tattoo, "of what people might think of you. My thought was always, if they can't handle it, then that's their loss."

"It's easy when meeting new people. It's harder when family's involved," Dorian said, thinking of how Mathias and Caleb had taken to his return. They seemed farther apart than they ever had been and they were living in the same damn town. He couldn't make them understand him, though, just as there was little he could do to get into their brains as well. "There's always the temptation to fall back on old habits, which is what I'm trying to stay away from," he smiled, then made a show of looking over her body. "I remember you saying you had ink somewhere I couldn't see," he grinned. "Can't be covered at this point, can it?"

"Resisting certain temptations is definitely a testament to how strong a person is," Joey said, leaning back on her hands. "Sometimes family can't understand us, no matter how hard we try. It's a sad fact, I know. It's tough when a stranger can accept you for who you are easier than your family can." Joey smiled when he mentioned her tattoo. "It's not covered, but I don't think it was something you would have noticed unless you were looking closely..." She sighed before laughing and bending her leg at the knee. There was a small halo with red wings on the inside of her thigh... far too high to be seen if she wore even the shortest shorts. Really, only her lovers who liked to perform oral sex generally caught sight of it. "Kind of embarrassing. And I wish I could say I got it during a self discovery. But it was really only after a vodka centered discovery."

Dorian smiled, his hand moving in so his thumb could brush over the tattoo. He would have noticed it eventually, but he'd been a bit too distracted earlier to give her a thorough once over. "Not every tattoo comes with self discovery," he said. "The solar eclipse on my shoulder definitely didn't." In fact, it had been something else before and he'd had it colored in. He was much happier with it in it's later state, a decision that hadn't been made while drunk. "Do you mind if I stay?" he asked, his hand moving even higher up her thigh. If she wasn't going to kick him out, then he was in no hurry to get dressed, and touching her a bit more would be acceptable. He figured he should know, though, before starting something up again.

"True." She watched his hand slide up her thigh, instinctively parting her legs a bit for him to touch her easier. She was pleased when he asked if he could stay. She had wanted him to, but some men were weird about sleeping over after sex. Hell, sometimes she was weird about sleeping over after sex. She reached out to slip her hand over the nape of his neck and pull him to her. "I think I would like it if you stayed," Joey said before closing her mouth over his. This was definitely her favorite way to spend Halloween.