harder than it looks

Who: Dodge and Evelyn
Where: A diner and Evelyn's place
When: late evening

Dodge had looked everywhere. He'd been back to Maddy's place, to most of the major street kid hang outs, and even digging through the park for her but with no luck. She wasn't anywhere. Dodge had sent his boys off, much to their dismay but after a moment hesitation, they realized that he wasn't out to get in another fight, just to get out of his head. He'd walked, slowly and really without direction, trying to flex his hurt hand to make sure it didn't cramp up.

Dodge didn't even know where he was when he looked up and found himself at Evie's place. There was a slight hesitation before he rang the bell, asking for her with his fedora pulled down lopsided to hide the bruising when the door was answered. Evie wasn't home from work yet, but Dodge declined to wait inside. He took up a perch on the stoop, sitting with his chin in his hands, looking very much unlike himself.

Normally Evelyn got out of the cab a block or so down from her place, but not today. Or any day in the foreseeable future, for that matter. Today the cab pulled up directly in front of the boarding house’s door, because even walking her all-too-familiar block made her antsy. It was only when she was stepping out of the cab that she noticed the fedora perching on the stoop, and Evelyn bit back a sigh as she approached, ready to give Dodge a talking to about his constant popping up… but that lecture fell away and frowned dawned as she quickly noticed that he was very un-put together. His clothes were wrinkled for one thing. Unremarkable for a street kid, but extremely unusual for Dodge. And that got her to look closer, and she noticed the shiner there. “What’s wrong?” she asked, stopping only a foot or two from his perch.

He'd been lost in thought when the cab pulled up and when Evie spoke to him he barely looked at her. "Bad day," he told her, voice lacking the typical joyful tone. "Glad you're home safe," Dodge said, standing and moving past her, instantly regretting waiting for her. His head was all over the place, to the point where he could barely see straight. "I should go."

Evelyn glanced up at the building's entrance, briefly debating whether walking up to her place and letting Dodge go. She wasn't too prone to get into others' business, and she never felt she was too great at that stuff anyway. He probably needed to be alone -- hell, he'd hardly looked at her. But... he really didn't look too well, and why the hell sit on her stoop if he wanted to be alone? There was the briefest of sighs as Evelyn tore her eyes away from the entrance and caught up with Dodge. "Dodge, what happened?" She glanced over at him, falling into step beside him.

The answer didn't come right away. In fact he'd walked a few steps with her before answering. "I lost her," it was all he said, but he also stopped short, as if whatever had just pushed him off the stoop died instantly.

Evelyn was confused, and her furrowed brow showed that clearly, "Lost who?" Because, yeah, she really had no idea there.

Dodge looked at her, his face echoing her confused look, as if it didn't make sense that she didn't understand. After a moment though he launched into his explanation. "The friend who I helped out in the tunnels? She's gone, or well, not where she's supposed to be. Or anywhere else for that matter. There was this run-in, with this lady, and she was worried about getting shoved back in the orphanage, and now she's missing." The words were nothing like the normal tease or cool from Dodge. Instead they were tumbled, almost rambling, and choking on the last word.

Yeah, she was worried. She had never seen him like this, and she thought she had seen him upset Monday. She frowned, unsure what to say. She didn't really know the situation at all -- much less enough to say 'it'll be okay'. Although, with as upset as he was, she wished she could tell him that -- she lied so often for her own sake, at the very least she should've been able to do it for someone else. Instead, Evelyn reached out, keeping her gaze on him, and touched his arm lightly at the elbow -- she wasn't so great with the hugs outside of family. "I'm sorry." Funnily, it was a phrase Evelyn often rebuked or brushed off when from others, but right now it was the only thing that seemed right.

"Not your fault, you didn't do anything," Dodge told her, not wanting to be pitied but he needed a friend. If it wasn't Maddy who'd gone missing it would be her he'd turn to, not Evie. He looked away from her.

It was a response she herself had uttered often, and Evelyn let her hand fall away after another moment. His turning away gave her an even better look at the bruise under the eye, and she watched Dodge intently, frown still set on her face. It was a frown of worry, and concern, and some lingering confusion. HShe had gotten the explanation, yeah, but that didn't mean she got the Big Picture. There was still a lot she didn't know other than a friend Dodge cared about was missing: enough to understand his anguish there, but not enough to piece together the story. And Evelyn was torn between asking him questions, trying to piece the whole thing together, trying to understand better and maybe help him pick up on something he missed... or just trying to 'be there'. She didn't think she was really good at just 'being there', even though she could try. ...But it just seemed her family and friends had always had a leg up there. But she did think she'd be pretty good with trying to figure things out - thinking things through, piecing together the puzzles... that was her forte, and how Evelyn figured she could help most... but it seemed people hardly appreciated that help when they were as down as Dodge was at the moment. ...Which, again, brought her back to not knowing what to do.

She glanced around for a bench or something, because whatever she did she figured it'd be a good idea to get him to sit down. He really seemed to be going on autopilot in his movements, and Evelyn really really wasn't trusting that autopilot with the state he was in. It was the kind of distress that took a sharp mind and sent it wandering blind into the street or a dark alley or into some other trouble. Looking down the street Evelyn recalled that the diner she had taken him to last week wasn't too far, and she glanced back up at him, "Dodge, have you eaten?"

He hadn't noticed her hand on his arm until she pulled it away. It hurt because he should have jumped on that, he should have been excited that she was reaching out to him, not the other way around, but he completely missed it. "Have I what?" Asking about if he'd eaten hadn't been what he'd been expecting, so the question didn't process right away. "No," he said once it registered. "Not today. It's okay though, I'm fine." He pulled the fedora off his head briefly running his hand through his hair and then setting it back down again.

Evelyn's frown deepened a bit at his response. It was evening already and Dodge hadn't eaten at all? She wasn't naive: she knew life was tough on the streets, especially in winter. Hell, she had grown up with a home and parents and could still remember times when her family could barely manage a meal a day... so she could only assume some street kids hoped they could be so lucky. And beneath the ratty fedora and usually wrinkle-free vests and princely airs the fact remained that Dodge was a street kid. But Dodge had also turned into a friend, one who was hurting enough -- physically and emotionally -- and one who was owed a burger anyways.

She shoved her hands into her pockets and after a couple steps down the sidewalk stopped faced Dodge, nodded up the street, "Come on, that diner is just up around the corner here." She paused a moment, hesitancy visible for a second before she picked her next words, "And I think you should sit down and get that burger before you try figuring anything else out."

Dodge knew full well that him sitting down and getting a burger meant she was buying him dinner. It was fair enough, she did owe him, but still he wasn't sure if this was part of their deal or her charity. He really didn't want charity right now. Before answering he looked back the other way, not that it was directly his way home, but all roads eventually led home so it would have worked just fine. Eventually he gave in and followed after her, not because of the rumbling in his stomach that hadn't been there all day, but because he honestly didn't want to be alone right now.

Evelyn kept an eye on Dodge out of the corner of the eye while the other part of her attention skittishly checked out her surroundings. She wasn't comfortable here, not with walking down the side walk with the sun already setting and Dodge clearly too out of sorts to keep tab on things. Of course, the street was far more populated than the one on Sunday... but that did nothing for her. However, Evelyn kept that discomfort tightly to herself for the plain fact that the worry annoyed her and also for Dodge's sake. The block was long, and they still had time before reaching the diner, and she wasn't sure if walking in silence was the way to go or not. "When, where did you last see your friend?" she asked softly, figuring if he preferred silence he could always just not answer.

She was right, he was completely out of it. Although given his show earlier this afternoon, if someone jumped out at them he'd probably run headlong into the fight, he just wouldn't be able to see it coming. "Huh?" Dodge missed the comment again, slow to answer, but finally giving her one. "Couple days ago now I guess. At her place." Too long. He hadn't seen her in too long.

She silently considered his answer for a second. "And did she say anything? About who she'd seen recently? Or about heading anywhere?" Not that she thought Dodge hadn't considered that. But sometimes people missed things, especially when they were upset, she knew she did. Sometimes having somebody there to guide the questions along helped... and, sometimes, it only proved annoying. But asking those questions, calmly trying to lead to some answer, was the thing Evelyn felt the most comfortable doing here.

"Just the opposite really. She had that weird run-in with the lady at the church and she was worried about getting dumped back in the orphanage. She was gonna lay low, just hang out at home for a while. I was on guard, keeping a listen out in case something came up, or someone came looking for her." That was where he'd gone wrong. Someone had found her and he'd not heard it coming. Maybe Roy was right, maybe he wasn't as in charge as Dodge wanted to believe he was. Obviously upset he ran a hand over his face.

"'The church'?" Evelyn repeated, unsure whether the questions were helping or hurting as Dodge became more upset. But, sticking onto a method most familiar to her, she kept on regardless, "And she wasn't at the orphanage?" Since, as far as Dodge told her, the only person his friend mentioned being worried about had wanted to put her in the orphanage. So if that person had found her, it made sense to Evelyn to check out the orphanage.

There was a little relaxing of the shoulders as she saw them near the end of the block -- the diner was just around the corner. "Or how about the church? I mean, if your friend met that lady she was worried about there then she probably would've avoided it, but maybe you could get a lead on the woman? Somebody might've seen or known who your friend was talking to?" Of course, seeing how his friend was most likely a street kid, a whole slew of unpleasant options were available. But Dodge was upset enough already, so Evelyn tried focusing on the most hopeful one. And the only things she had to work with from Dodge's telling were the orphanage and the church.

"Orphanage or not, I can't just walk up there an ask. Anyone I send in there, doesn't come out." Dodge hated that, that he couldn't just walk up to the nuns and ask, but not being eighteen meant they could still make him part of the system. "I tried the church and no one saw anything. DG wouldn't give me enough about the lady before it happened so it could be anyone who goes there regularly."

"DG?" The name sounded pretty familiar, and she thought she was putting a face -- or image, really -- to the name. "Was she-- I think -- she's the girl who would stand on fire hydrants near the grocer's?" After high school, Evelyn's knowledge of the street kids became rather limited other than Dodge and his gang stopping by the grocer's she worked at. But that some people just didn't blend into the background, and that girl had been one of them.

Dodge couldn't help but chuckle at Maddy's antics a little. "That's her," he said nodding. "She's something else." And missing.

She felt a little bit relieved at the chuckle, although the overall worry didn't wouldn't go away. And, at the moment, there was some despair of her own, because she wanted to do something. No, that wasn't right, she wanted to come up with the solution, not just do something. She wanted to happen upon or help him get to the answer that would solve everything. And anything less for her was just... well, pretty much failure. Unfortunately, she couldn't come up with a solution, or even another question that might lead to one.

They reached the diner, and she walked towards to open the door -- left handed, of course. There were plenty of seats available in the diner, and she turned towards Dodge, "Your pick."

He slipped inside the diner, eyes squinting at the bright light, and then wincing in pain at his swollen face not enjoying that motion. The booth he picked was in the back, out of the way and far different from the last one they'd sat in where all the world could see they were out together. After unceremoniously dropping into the seat, he propped his face up in his hands, not caring that the bruised hand was out there for the world to see. It hurt like hell, worse than his ribs or his face, and hiding it was just making him miserable.

There was an awkward silence for a moment as Evelyn's eyes flicked to the hand, and then flicked back up to the bruise below his eye, taking in whatever other small injuries lay in-between. She wondered if maybe it would've been better to bring him inside -- at least to the common room -- of the boarding house... she actually had a first aid kit there for once. And this past week she had gotten fairly decent as using it. She felt a bit at a loss here, not quite sure what to do in this situation -- she had little experience taking care of others. Being the youngest of five meant, to her fortunate chagrin, that she was the one taken care of.

"I'll be right back," she murmured, getting up and walking away from the booth. When she returned, it was with a bag of ice she requested from the waitress. "Here," she slid back into the booth, indicating for Dodge to put his hand on the table for her to put the ice on it. "What happened?" Because his earlier explanation, although explaining his distress, hadn't quite explained the bruising.

Dodge only half nodded when she left, barely looking up. He'd really truly screwed this up, he'd lost Maddy, hurt himself bad, and went toe to toe with a sick guy, which meant he might soon get sick too. When she came back he put his hand on the table as she told him, although when she put the ice on it, he twisted his around a little, catching her hand in his and holding on to it. "Got in a fight. I was trying to find her and he just...didn't get it. Challenged me." And I really wanted someone to beat me up because I'm tired of doing it myself.

She didn't pull her hand away, despite her instinct to. although a little bit of worry flared up at recalling Dodge's admission Monday. But his current state was more important than that right now. "Challenged you?" she echoed, brow furrowed in confusion.

"I was looking for her, and he told me that he didn't have her, told me I thought I was in charge, that it was going to get me killed." Dodge looked away again, holding on to her hand tighter despite the fact that it made him wince more. "I didn't, I just...I was..." He couldn't say anything else.

His explanation only served to confuse her more, although she wasn't certain whether to pester him further on the issue. And if she did, she was at a lost whether it would be better for him to comment on why he thought the guy would have DG if she was worried about a lady, or to comment on him getting himself killed. Or maybe neither was the best option, and her questioning him was only making things worse. She wished she was better at this, or that her mom was here... Whether they be family or not, it seemed her mom could take anyone in any state and make them feel better. When the waitress appeared, Evelyn again fought the awkward urge to pull her hand away and ordered a burger and three waters.

She tried to think of something to change the subject -- worried she was only salting the wounds, she could do that sometimes -- but in the end any subject-change seemed callous. "Why did you think he had her?"

"'Cause I talked to him beforehand, when she first told me about the lady. He kept saying we should move her, which I told him was a bad idea. But he doesn't listen. He just ignores me on purpose or something." Dodge sighed, propping up his chin in his other hand.

To Evelyn, hiding out or moving seemed like a smart idea if somebody you didn't want to find you came looking, but she managed to catch herself before she said that. She could do that, lecture out her concern instead of showing it properly. But Dodge was already so unlike himself that she feared doing something to... break him or something. So she kept quiet, and when the waitress arrived with the waters Evelyn pulled her hand away to dip some napkins in the third glass and dab at hisknuckles.

He didn't like that she'd pulled her hand back, but at least she'd done it to take care of him. That caught him off guard a little, someone taking care of him. Not since it was just him and Patrick did anyone take care of him. "Thanks," he mumbled halfheartedly, a little embarrassed.

"It's fine," she murmured, keeping her focus on her work. Awkward though she felt she was at it, Evelyn was still better at giving aid than accepting it. She wished she had band-aids or the like -- she didn't keep them in her purse. But! She did have painkillers. After she finished her dabbing, she moved her hand to her purse and pulled out a small bag and shook a couple of aspirin out. Constantly opening and closing the bottle had gotten annoying. "Here you go."

Dodge glanced up, surprised to see her handing over the pain medication, but he took it anyway. "You don't have to Evie..." he started looking pained for new reasons. "I don't need you to pity me." Just the smell of the food made his stomach turn over from hunger. He reached for the burger, devouring it in less bites than seemed possible.

"You need the pain medication, and you need food," her reply was matter-of-fact as she popped out two pills for herself and pushed the bag back into her purse. "And I'm worried. I haven't thought if some part of it is pity or not and it doesn't matter either way: it won't change the fact that I worried." She popped the pills into her mouth and followed them with a sip of water. When she continued, the almost clinical tone was broken only by some hesitation in her pause, "And... you were there for me." And he had helped, not that she been especially willing to let him.

He reached out for her hand again, holding it between both of his. "I'm always here for you Evie, no matter what you need." Dodge squeezed her hand a little, tracing the lines in her palm. "I screwed up this time though Evie, and I hate that I brought it on you. I just didn't know where else to go."

"What about your guys?" The tone was gentle and, again, slightly confused. She wasn't sure if something happened there, that he couldn't depend on them anymore. "And... I can be your friend." Distantly, she mused how that was the second time today she'd said something to that effect. She wasn't sure if she was unwittingly agreeing to him randomly stopping by or not. And she could guess that wasn't what he wanted to here... which was all the more why he needed to hear it, even if gently. But it was true -- she could be his friend, and it was more than she had considering herself to be before.

"It's not the same. I can't really turn to them for this," Dodge explained. Because he couldn't. He was there leader, and although he knew they'd still be behind him, showing this sort of weakness wasn't an option. He didn't comment on being just friends. Dodge was feeling better, especially now with food in his stomach, and he was starting to get a little of himself back. He'd convince her eventually that he wasn't just a kid.

"Oh," she didn't pull her hand away just yet, but after a moment she reached for the menu, taking her hand back. Nodding the waitress over, Evelyn ordered more food: two milkshakes, a burger, extra side of fries, large slice of pie for afterwards... it was clearly more than she could eat, but that was the idea. She had seen how quickly Dodge had chowed down his burger after all. He didn't want her pity, yes; but she didn't see anything she could really ignore (not when she said she was his friend) in how hungry he had obviously been. When the waitress left, Evelyn turned her attention back to him. Some questions about Dodge's fight and the missing girl entered her mind... but the subject had been changed. And Evelyn didn't think she should change it back. "I got a promotion."

He still didn't like her pulling away but he understood it. Just like he understood her ordering more food. Dodge stayed silent, not wanting to accuse her of being nice, writing it off as just not being used to it. "A promotion? Lucky Amelia." Dodge did his best to keep that friendly air, the fun loving guy who smiled a lot, although the smile didn't reach his eyes. "What have they got you doing now?" Talking about her was interesting and distracting. Plus she'd started the conversation down this road and he could work with that.

"Concierge," there was only the slightest of frowns at 'Amelia'; Evelyn wasn't proud of the double-life lying thing, and it especially bothered her having others find out... even though Dodge seemed accepting of it. It reminded her of seeing Lily which, argh, was whole other complication she wasn't sure how to deal with. "I'm still figuring out the hang of things. But I got some helpful advice today and I like it a lot better than waitressing; and not just because it pays better."

"Sounds fancy Amelia," he told her. Nodding at the waitress when the rest of the food arrived, he tried to smile but that hurt a little too, especially now that the skin was pulling tight from the swelling. "You're getting in deep over there Evie."

"I help picky rich people find exotic restaurants and spent this morning hunting down a show for this lady who was very upset about no 'decent opera' being in town." Now that the food had arrived, she peeled off her gloves and hat and set them down by her purse, and pushed the extra side of fries towards the table center before grabbing one of her own plate. "I'm not arranging deals for the DiGiovanni; there's a ton of people working at the Drake who don't get mixed up in that stuff. And I've got nothing they could use." Well... except for the account, especially if the money was mob-related.

"They always find something to use people for." Dodge knew that. He'd been a target of the families briefly, right after he'd used their fear and greed to dispose of Patrick. Lately they'd backed off, but he was still just a street kid. The king of the street kids yes, but still a street kid. He thought he couldn't really be of worth of the mob families but that hadn't stopped them from trying. "You're beautiful and smart. That could be useful Evie." He took her hand again, rubbing his thumb along the smooth skin of her thumb. "I know no one else knows you're working there, so it falls to me to tell you. Be careful princess."

Evelyn knew she was pretty, but she wasn't the prettiest. There were girls who were simply drop-dead movie-glamorous gorgeous. "Beautiful girls aren't hard to find at the Drake," she pointed out. She even suspected some girls, maybe herself included, were largely hired for that reason alone. But she didn't bother to say the same about smart people. Though she wondered if it was her pride getting the best of her, it seemed to her that the hotel staff had a scarcity there. "But," she withdrew her hand to munch on another fry - her other wrist was shot, still, "I am being careful." She didn't mention that she figured she dealt more with the Family waitressing than she did as a concierge. As a waitress she walked in an coded conversations during private dinners... codes the rest of the staff seemed not to get, but
Evelyn had figured out quickly enough.

Dodge didn't push it, just nodding slowly, while snagging another fry from the plate. He trusted her to be careful, Evie always was. "I'm here if you need something." Hopefully the offer would go over better with Evie than it had with Pepper.

Evelyn nodded, not refusing but aware she wouldn't act on it. She didn't say anything though, only bit into her burger. She wasn't one to ask for things. Yes, it felt nice to have someone there, staying had Jesse had been another example of that. But Jesse was also her brother -- she didn't need to worry that accepting his help was somehow encouraging his flirtation or leading him on. Especially now, after he had said as much on Monday. She figured it was a crush -- something that would pass well enough once he found the right person... his own age. After finishing the bite, her gaze went back to Dodge and then darted pointedly towards the extraneous food. "You want some?"

He'd hoped she would say something, but the nod was a start. And in the situation it would have to do. Of course he didn't turn down the extra food, reaching for another few fries. "How you doing, wrist healing alright?" He wasn't stupid, he'd noticed she'd been favoring her hand the night at her place, even if they hadn't talked about it.

"Yeah," she answered slowly. She figured it was true -- the swelling had gone down, and the bruising had lost that fresh reddish purple color and was now the typical black-and-blue. "And I'm doing fine," not that she would ever really say anything else, but here it was pretty true considering all that happened; although it was truer moreso in the physical sense than the 'life's going great!' one. "Things are healing and all."

"That's good to hear." Dodge had stopped eating, despite still being kind of hungry. Instead he just played around with a spare fry, tracing a little circles on the plate. "Now what?" Dodge didn't want to go home and face his boys. Face the fact that some of them might doubt how far his fingers could reach now that he'd lost Maddy.

"'Now what'?" She echoed, confused for a moment, unsure if the question was related to her healing or the new job. Or none of the above. Or maybe he was asking what they should do now. Or maybe the subject was reverting back to the missing girl. "I don't know," she answered honestly, because it whatever he was asking, it was the answer. She took another bite of the burger, "What're you thinking?"

"Honestly? I don't know either. I don't want to go home, but I don't have anywhere else to to." Dodge rubbed his face because it hurt which just make it hurt worse. Swearing slightly under his breath at the pain he looked away. "I guess that's not much of anything. I've got to go back and face them, face the fact that I might not be able to take care of them."

She hated being in this position. She knew the decent thing to do here was invite him back to her place. But... that seriously stepped out of her comfort zone. Even without the whole 'sharing it with roommates' thing, even if she had her own place, Evelyn would still feel uncomfortable with that. But, she hated seeing Dodge hurt, and it hadn't really occurred to her just how much he had on his plate with his gang of guys until now. And even though she wished there were some just as helpful third option that she was more comfortable with, Evelyn went with the decent thing. "You... could come back to the boarding house for a bit," she offered. At the very least, he needed more first aid than the diner had to offer.

Dodge looked up a little surprised. He'd been hoping for an offer of that nature, but he knew it was a long shot. Actually when she suggested he go home with her, he'd been debating crashing at Maddy's, that way he'd be there when she got home if she came home. Honestly though, more time with Evie was definitely more appealing than waiting around for Maddy to come home. "I'd like that," he told her.

Evelyn called the waitress over for to-go containers, there was still a good deal of food left. "I'll need to stop by a newstand on the way," she forewarned, putting back the gloves and beret on as the waitress got the boxes. She had been planning on pricing cars after leaving Dutch, and that part of the evening wasn't going to change.

"A newstand? Little late for the paper isn't it?" Dodge's mood was improving with her offer, and the standard tease was back in his voice.

"Hmm," she murmured, placing the containers in the paper bag the waitress offered, "not the paper. A catalog... or magazine? I just need to looking at the pricing... I might get a car." She explained, a corner of her mouth quirking slightly. It was something she hadn't given serious thought to ever affording, and the idea that she could someday soon -- with her own money -- was definitely pleasing.

"Really?" Dodge asked, also smiling a little at her. "And last I checked they don't have a car catalogs. But we can probably find you the right source." He took the bag the the table and stood. Although he faltered a little when he realized he didn't have a hand that worked well to help her up with.

"I only need to look at the ads -- everything seems to have ads -- to see the pricing, not actually order one," she tried to clarify, more than fine with getting out of the booth herself. She only needed one good hand to push herself up with, really. Although, she realized her clarification probably wasn't so... clarifying. "I got a deal, basically a 'name my price' sort of thing. So I just need to figure out what the going prices are." She held the door open for him, seeing as how he wasn't in the greatest condition hand-wise either, and her left hand was free.

"Buy, I think you buy cars." Dodge smirked, setting his steps with hers down the street so they were close. It was getting cooler as the temperature dropped, and being near to her was both comfortable and warmer. "A deal huh? Do you know a guy?" Dodge's tone was teasing, but he really hoped this wasn't someone she'd me through work.

"Oh you know what I meant," she muttered, feeling more comfortable as the tone took on the more familiar bantering. The past couple times with him had deviated considerably from that... and, well, it was just less stressful to deal with the joking and teasing than the more serious and emotionally troublesome. "But, yes, I know a guy," she paused slightly, "a friend." she hadn't known Dutch long, but she had established earlier today that he was friend... or, well, on his way to being one. "He works with cars, has a garage... hence the deal."

Dodge grinned, leaning in closer and sliding an arm across her shoulders. "Sounds like quite the friend. Maybe you'll introduce me sometime." He was still teasing, but also curious. If it was someone she knew through work she'd probably deny it, talk around it, but then again it could just be some person. Maybe someone she knew through her brother.

"He is quite the friend," she agreed, shrugging away the arm. She actually hadn't minded Dodge walking close right now -- walking back alone past sundown had not been a fun thought. And earlier she had let him hold her hand because he had been clearly upset and not himself and worried her... but now he seemed more himself, and Evelyn was working hard to keep the boundary she had (mostly) managed to hold him to before she moved away. As they approached the newstand, she stopped and began flipping through some of the magazines.

"Quite a friend boyfriend, quite a friend or something else?" Dodge had already been down this road with her, but the way she was wording it and mixing it with pulling away, he figured it was worth asking again. "Here," he told her, pulling a different magazine, one specific to cars and a copy of the paper, knowing there'd be ads in it as well."

"Quite a person, and thanks," she answered, accepting the magazine and paper but still rifling for something in the stand. Dutch was a character, and certainly different than her usual company, but she didn't go into the specifics of what stuck out to her that made him quite a person. Because she felt that divulging such information was passing on some business that wasn't hers to share: Evelyn preferred discretion when it came to her own issues, and she tried to do that favor to others. The only thing she felt she had any right to share about Dutch was that he owned a garage and had saved her life. The prior had been mentioned already and the latter was a memory she wanted to discuss as little as possible.

She stopped her rifling when she pulled out a magazine with a PanAm pilot on the cover. The magazine was one she'd intermittenly picked up to peruse or read at home, but this time Evelyn didn't stop there. She picked up a more technical-oriented magazine as well -- one laden with models and diagrams and such. Chalk it up to the talk she had about cars earlier today and the model plane Zhen had bought her. She paid for the magazines and such and continued towards her place. "I've still got the first aid supplies," she murmured in relation to his injuries.

"Quite a person it is then," he said, not pushing the issue further. Dodge watched her pick up the other magazines, realizing that they might be beyond his own reading capabilities, which was something he rarely came across. That wasn't surprising really, considering most people he dealt with were illiterate. "We going to swap roles then?" He paced his steps so he was next to her again, still leaning in close.

Evelyn merely rolled her eyes as they reached the house's steps and stepped in. For a moment, she considered having Dodge wait downstairs while she got the stuff, but in the end she opted for going up. "My roommates might be home, so you should behave," she warned. Because, now that he seemed more like himself, well; she had Dodge in an all female boarding house to worry about.

"I always behave," he told her as he followed her up the stairs, still very close to her, although before when they were outside it was for warmth. Now it was for comfort, not that he'd admit he was almost desperate to not be alone.

"First you're never in trouble and now you always behave?" She shoved the key into the lock, holding open the door to let Dodge in. Inside she could hear one of her roommates moving about, and Evelyn wasn't sure if she felt relieved or not by the fact. Having somebody there made it easier to keep things light and casual, but it could also make things awkward as well. However, as they walked in and Evelyn introduced them it was clear her roommate -- understandably surprised at Dodge's appearance -- was on her way out.

"Exactly, on both counts," he told her leaning in close as he moved past her in the doorway. Of course meeting her roommate made that a little tense, but he played it off as being charming like always, although the girl did eye his bruised face a little cautiously. "Have a good night," he called after the exiting roommate and then turned to focus his attention back on Evie. Dodge didn't say anything, he just watched her, waiting to see what she'd do.

She ducked into the bathroom, grabbing her recently purchased first aid kit and bringing it to the common room table. A couple chairs were already placed before it, and Evelyn motioned for him to drop the bag atop it along with the kit and magazines. She then headed towards her bedroom and came back with a clean, folded washcloth. "There's some soap in the bathroom, if you want to wash yourself up real quick."

He set the bag down as told and took the wascloth, striding to the bathroom to clean up. He didn't close the door behind him, leaving it open so he could still somewhat watch her out of the corner of his eye. He took the fedora off, setting it on the counter and assessed his bruises first. It shouldn't have surprised him but he was a mess. One whole side of his face was bruised from Roy's punches, including a small cut on his cheek. Sighing a little he did his best to wash the damage up, as well as just to get the dirt he'd accumulated over the day off his face. "You're a damn idiot Dodge," he whispered his reflection before finishing up and heading back into the common room, hat in hand for once, dark curls springing out of control.

While he was washing up, Evelyn put a kettle on and went about setting the first aid supplies out on the table. When Dodge returned, she glanced over at him. "Take a seat," she offered, pointing to the chair closest to the first aid display.

Dodge did as he was told, dropping into the seat a little heavier than he normal would have. Part of him was eager to have Evie take care of him like this, but after seeing the mess he'd managed to make of himself he was less than impressed with his prior behavior. At least maybe Roy walked out of it with a lesson. Maybe he'd realize not to cross Dodge like he had. Not to insult Dodge like that.

Armed with some bactine-dabbed leftover gauze, she debated slightly whether to start with the face or knuckles. Knuckles won out, for no reason other than she had to start either way. "If it stings too much, I don't have any lollipops for you," she smirked as she, still standing, slightly bent over his hand. Evelyn went about her task with the clinical manner of a doctor tending a patient. She certainly cared about people, but her nurturing tendencies ran more subtle than those attributed to her sex. An avidly warm and mothering manner had to be remembered, it didn't come naturally. The reason boiling up some tea had been initially thought of was because she had been cold as well.

Dodge winced when she cleaned his hand, but still smiled at her. Leaning in closer towards her he let his voice drop a little. "I think I'll be alright, you're sweet enough." He was feeling a little better, although still rather unsure of himself, but not in this. Not in being Dodge the charmer.

"Oh, hush," she murmured, initially reaching for some band-aids but, eying the knuckles again, opted for the good ol' gauze and medical tape. A band-aid might cover one knuckle, but not without the adhesive sticking to another... and, well, the sticky part on a cut just seemed counter-intuitive. She then got another piece of gauze and some more bactine and went to the cut on his cheek. Distantly, she mused on how many bruised faces she'd come across the past week and a half -- her own included. It would've been a thought she'd smirked at, had her own experience and Dodge's earlier demeanor not been so disturbing. "Do you think you could not accumulate more bruises this week?" she asked, tone half-light and half-serious.

Dodge's grin was growing wider as he went on. He let her wrap his hand up without much fuss, completely behaving. When she shifted to his face, he tilted it a little giving her better access to the cut on his cheek. "I can try," he said, voice a little softer. Reaching up he caught her chin, and pulled her in, kissing her.

"Dodge!" she pulled away, quickly straightening up, ears red, a sorta kinda shocked expression taking over her features. For all her recent knowledge that Dodge had some sort of crush on her, that had caught her completely by surprise. In her mind, she always figured she'd been establishing a line that she believed, despite his pushiness, Dodge kept to as well. Really, Evelyn had honestly figured that boundary was being respected by both parties. ...although obviously it wasn't. And right now,oh, shocked and flustered didn't cover the tip of it.

The tea kettle whistled, which was really perfect timing for Evelyn because she couldn't exactly go back to the first-aid thing after that. And it saved her from figuring out what to say for the moment. She walked over to stove, shutting it off and placing the kettle on a towel on the counter. She had let her guard down there, figuring it wasn't too needed -- he was just a kid after all. She wouldn't have let him into her place had she figured him anything but. But, kid or not, the non kid-like behavior had proven problematic... and now she was trying to sort out what to do there. Since, well, the purse was too far away to smack him with.

Dodge was out of his seat the moment she left the room, following her towards the kitchen area. "Evie," he called, coming up behind her. Moving in just close enough, he touched her shoulder. "You're not angry are you?" Dodge didn't sound worried, just curious. He didn't think she would be, but he didn't want to push it if she was.

Leaving the kettle on the counter, she turned to face him, shrugging the touch off in the process. "I tried to be a friend--" she started, not really sure where she was going with this. But, now that he mentioned it, yeah maybe she was feeling a little angry. At the very least, she was feeling a somewhat taken advantage of -- whether he intended to or not. And that was a feeling Evelyn wasn't cool with. At all. In fact, that was something she had Serious Issues with. Really, serious issues.

"I try to be your friend," she repeated, "but you keep pushing at that. I brought you here to help a friend, and you just..." she half-threw her hands up in the air instead of articulating because, well, he knew what he did! "... you took advantage of it. I didn't have to bring you here, but I did. Because I wanted to help you, and I trusted you enough to respect my boundaries -- but you didn't." She wasn't really yelling, but her tone held its ground. She had given an inch, trusting him there and inviting him here even though she'd felt uncomfortable. But Evelyn wasn't the kind of person who, just because she gave an inch, meant she was going to give another one... And it certainly didn't mean she'd give a mile. And she didn't appreciate Dodge -- or anyone -- grabbing for it either.

Dodge frowned a little, but his face didn't quite show the hurt he was feeling. He'd expected her to pull away, possibly even smack him, but that didn't mean he'd hadn't hoped it would go better. "Trying to be my friend? Sound like you don't consider us friends at all Evelyn." He dropped the nickname on purpose, not liking the sound of her statement. All along he thought they had a decent thing going on and now he was wondering if she was only nice to him so he wouldn't spill her secret identity. Being lied to wasn't exactly his idea of a good time. As for her other accusation, he let it drop, focusing on the issue at hand. She was right, he'd seen an opening and taken advantage of it, no regret in that. Here she was babbling about boundaries, but it's not like she'd actually set any outside of just pulling away every so often and maybe one off hand comment about being friends.

Despite being partial to her full name, it always bothered her when it was used by those who called her 'Evie'... that was never good. "I do," herself slightly hurt that he had said that, even though she wasn't great at showing it. She did consider him a friend. It had only started the past week, sure, but... honestly? She couldn't admit it aloud, but the lies she had been telling had taken their toll; they had built up some serious walls and blocked her within them. Right now Dodge was pretty much the only person she had that knew the truth, and the only person she'd actually been entirely honest with.

Of course, even if she'd been honest in what she had said, it didn't mean she'd said a lot. Well, for her it had been quite a bit, but for the average person Evelyn's forthrightness might be reserved at best. And she needed that friend, when it came right down to it. She needed that more than she needed -- or wanted -- something more. But she couldn't spit that out, it just sounded so... needy? pathetic? weak?

"You do? Really?" Dodge asked with mock curiosity. "I'm not sure about that." He didn't move away but he did give her a look like he didn't want to be pulled around anymore. Which he didn't. She'd act like she needed him around and then shove him away when he tried to get close. It was a little exhausting, especially given that he'd already had a rough day. Things had gotten better, just being around her, but it didn't fix everything.

She could've retorted, and fought back with some pointed words the way she was wont to do when feeling defensive. But this was a familiar conversation, or, well, argument... she'd had it with many friends, and repeated versions of this conversation heralded the end of many a serious relationship. It was ironic, really, how the people she let get closer than others were the ones to accuse her of being distant. And after hearing more or less the same thing from different people, of course she knew that issue lay with her.

Evelyn crossed her arms, spine upright, and fixed Dodge with a gaze cooled by his mocking.
Dodge's tone still left her feeling pretty damn defensive. Hell, just because she didn't spiller her inside the way people wanted her to didn't mean she didn't have a point. "Dodge, are you upset with me because you think I don't consider you a friend, or simply because I won't indulge you in more?" And that miiiiiight have been a bit icier than it needed to be.

Dodge considered her before answering, not phased by her icy gaze or tone. "Both," he finally answered. "Originally the latter, but now the first. And you have it mixed up there. You won't let yourself indulge."

Seriously? "Dodge, I'm twenty three," and she was pretty sure he wasn't out of his teens. Hell, Evelyn doubted he was even in his teens when she first met him years ago. And he had been some kid who pestered her at work, which she expected had been some attempt to distract her from the pilfering his little gang had been up to around the store (oh, she had certainly caught a couple back then). How was she supposed to take seriously the flirting of a boy much younger than her who accosted any pretty girl or woman he met? Especially when there were other guys who were serious and didn't accost other women (well, for the most part -- she cut off anyone who did). She certainly hadn't been single since them. "And I get now that you've got this crush but..." she shrugged a bit, stepping away from the counter and to grab a mug because she needed something to do. "... I think you've got in your head that it's more than it is."

"And if I was twenty-nine would you even be batting an eye? It's the same age difference, just going the other way." Dodge moved to intercept her, hands reaching for the mug and her hand. "Evie, it's not just some silly crush. I'm not a kid anymore. I haven't been since that night I found out who Patrick really was. Hell, I'm not even sure if I ever was a kid. I've got all those responsibilities you're so fond of, just a different type."

She tried to bite back the sigh, but a little part of it still slipped through. No, she wouldn't bat an eyelash at twenty-nine, and she probably wouldn't bat an eyelash at older. But Evelyn didn't say that, because she just didn't think it really proved the point he was trying to prove. It did pinpoint his age to seventeen which just... reinforced her stance in her mind. God, this was just... a mess. She didn't need a mess. She needed a friend, pure and simple, no strings attached. Strings-attached made her wary at best and she loathed them at worst. She pulled down the mug, and backtracked back to the kettle. "What happened with Patrick?" Dropping the subject she forced her tone to be soft, not looking at him as she poured the hot water. She had only pulled down one; offering him tea now was just awkward.

If she'd been looking at him, she'd have seen his face fall. Not at her avoiding talking to him about them, but for bringing up Patrick. In a rare move he actually moved back a few steps, raking his hands through his hair, head feeling bare without the fedora. "He used them," Dodge started, voice soft and distracted. "Well, he used me. I spent years recruiting boys who just needed a home, someone to look after them. Offering them food and shelter and family and he hurt them." The distaste slipped into Dodge's voice at the end of his explanation. "I found him. All that time I'd never known. Not even once. They kept it from me. Or they assumed he did the same to me and we just didn't talk about it. I've never been so..." Dodge clenched his fists in anger, despite the pain in the right hand.

Her movements stilled, ceased by the chill up her spine; she hadn't been expecting that. She glanced at him over her shoulder, putting the kettle down. And what she saw broke her heart. She wanted to go over there, give him a huge or squeeze his arm or something; but Evelyn stayed where she was. Because there were strings, she realized that now. Which meant she couldn't even stand near Dodge, despite him seeming to need some comfort, without always being aware that her trying to help a friend wouldn't be enough. Instead, she walked back over to the cupboard, pulling down some sugar. "Your tea is on the counter," she nearly whispered, turning around to look at him. The mug was on the opposite end of the small kitchenette, sparing her from bringing it to him, but her expression went for what she couldn't really be -- supportive, comforting, apologetic.

He'd never admit it out loud, but the comfort she couldn't provide was what he needed. Even with Maddy there'd be the power struggle. If he showed up like this, with the memories of what had happened to him, written all over his face, she'd puff him up, gloss over the damage, remind him that he was Dodge, prince of the streets, that he didn't do wrong. Especially not by his boys. Today though, he'd not lived up to his crown. And it was very lonely on top. As much as the place meant to him, he didn't need it now. The space she'd put between them was obvious, she was keeping as far from him as she could without leaving. "I'm alright," he told her, sucking in a breath to keep himself from moving towards her instead. As much as he wanted that, needed that, she'd fight it. "I should go. Thanks Evie." He backed up towards the door, slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. Mostly his expression was blank, but his eyes almost begged for her not to push him away, not to let him leave. He wouldn't say it, but it was ringing so loud in his head he couldn't completely hide it.

No, he wasn't alright. God, she could see that. His friend was missing; he had just told her something terrible about what his boys had went through -- what he felt responsible about them going through, and she knew that despite his faults Dodge cared about his gang. And there was his crush, which just wouldn't be as harmless as Evelyn had believed, and still hoped, it to be.

She didn't like seeing anyone hurt, and seeing people she knew in pain was harder. But right now seeing some she cared abut hurting, and knowing she had a hand in it, was tearing at her heart. Most of her wanted to ask him if he was really alright, let him know that he didn't have to leave -- that despite everything she didn't want him to leave, not in this state. ...But, really, that would only hurt him in the long run, wouldn't it? Evelyn could encourage him to stay, and try to make him feel better. And if she succeeded, what then? After their argument, she was hypersensitive that every comforting gesture would get his hopes up. And now that she knew that, there was no forgiving her leading them on and making a bigger mess of things.

So, she didn't move to stop him. And even as Evelyn stood there, using the counter behind her as support, she didn't feel it was the right choice. But, hell, in this situation she had no idea what the right thing to do was.

Dodge hesitated, just for a moment, before finally turning his back on her to leave. He retrieved his hat from the table, swiping an extra bit of first aid supplies with it, and strode to the door. As much as he wanted to look back he didn't. As much as he wanted to stay he didn't. Closing the door gently behind him he picked up his pace on his way out, altering his direction towards the theater instead of his apartment. He'd check once more to see if Maddy wandered home before giving up for the night.

Evelyn winced when he shut the door, even though he hadn't slammed it. When it came right down to it, she felt shitty. The choice she had made -- letting him leave despite everything she knew he was going through -- had felt shitty. It had been a hard one to make, but it didn't come with the solid assurance that she was in the right the way other hard decisions did. Hell, Dodge had already said he didn't have anywhere to go... why hadn't she at least asked where he was going? For all she knew, he could just be wondering around the streets, and with as upset and out of things he had been earlier (and might still be) he could get in trouble or hurt or killed and not even see it coming...

...well, that wonderful afterthought came too little too late. Dodge was undoubtedly gone by now, not that Evelyn moved towards the door. Instead, the only movement she made after he left was towards the small pantry, to take out a bottle holding something much stronger than the untouched tea.