mindabovematter (mindabovematter) wrote in light_of_may, @ 2009-07-18 00:58:00 |
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Entry tags: | 2009-06-09 |
She's not my girlfriend.
Who: Niko & Scott
When: 7:45 pmish
Where: Scott's place
Scott was so curious to know what had happened with Isis and Niko. His friend had been gone for a really long time now so it had either gone really badly or really well. After having met with the cat, Scott had gone about his business which meant making sure what people of his were working were at their sites either picking up garbage, mowing grass or whatever needed to be done. One group was even installing a koi pond... Oh those poor koi with all the werecats around.
Right now though, he was on his couch hanging upside down so his legs were curled over the back of the couch and he was trying to play Guitar Hero like this. It really wasn't working that well. He was failing miserably but that was kind of the point. Make it harder. He should've been making dinner or something but eh, this was way more fun.
Really well was how it had gone with Isis. Niko had spent the afternoon arguing, making up, really making up and sleeping. He hadn't been awake that long, but he knew that Isis's brother was coming by and that would have been way awkward, besides, he was pretty sure the guy didn't like him. He'd let Isis deal with that alone for now. Besides, he had some thanking to do for a certain best friend of his. Even the fact that he may or may not have sort of hit on Isis didn't matter anymore.
A quick stop by the grocery store for some steaks and some instant mashed potatoes, another stop at the liquor store for replacement Jack from the night before and Niko pulled up in front of Scott's house. Grabbing the bottle and the bags, he headed inside. He really didn't care that he smelled like sex, Isis and cats. Part of him didn't even latch onto the fact that Scott would realize that as soon as he stepped into the door. Knocking, he waited for his friend to let him in.
Scott paused the game and got up, leaving the plastic guitar controller behind so as to not look like a total dweeb. Even though he was a total dweeb. That was entirely beside the point. Before he even opened the door, he caught Niko's scent... And everything that it was mixed with. Jesus Christ.
The locks were undone and he opened the door for his best friend, trying to ignore the pang of... something... Possibly jealousy creeping into his stomach. There was no reason for it other than his own idiocy. "I take it it went extremely well then," he didn't say why he figured it out loud.
The smile flickering across Niko's face said that yes, yes it had gone very well. "Better than I thought it would. Which means that you, my friend, get dinner." He held up the bag and shook it a little. "Steak and mashed potatoes..." And holding up the bottle of Jack he grinned wider. "And replacement Jack for all the liquor I drank last night."
"Sweet. I should get other people laid more often," he couldn't help the slightly bitter tone in his voice as he grabbed the bottle of Jack and headed straight for the bar. Half way there, he remembered to apologize, "Sorry... I'm glad it went well. Really."
The smile on his face flickered and then faded completely as he moved into the house and closed the door behind him. A pang flicked through him too, but it wasn't jealousy. It was guilt. It was his fault after all, that Scott had ended up as a werewolf in the first place. And with that, he'd lost his ability to just go out and get laid, lost his wife, lost his son. Yeah, he felt pretty shitty about the whole thing. The apology didn't really take the edge off of it.
He pushed his hair away from his face and shrugged. "At least she's not pissed at me anymore. She might be again tomorrow, but she's supposed to be giving me a chance and that's more than I thought I'd be getting."
Scott had never blamed Niko for what had happened - never. He'd been the idiot who'd decided to go off alone in the woods. After all, they'd done way stupider things. Who knew there'd been a wolf out there just waiting to bite someone... Or had it been waiting? There was no way of knowing without asking the wolf and he'd never met one claiming to be the Biter to his Bitee.
"Yeah well, that might be hormones. It's hard to tell with pregnant women sometimes," he opened up the new bottle of Jack and poured out two glasses. Might as well share in celebration or something. Today, he had ice. Beating the freezer into submission had helped. "So when are you going to meet her family? I suggest bringing a bribe disguised as a gift."
"I'm not sure... soon I guess." Niko shrugged. Pulling his wallet out of his back pocket, he opened it and put the sonogram picture on the counter. "I made that." he grinned. Damn the guilt, he wanted to bask in his happiness for a minute or two longer. "Two of them." he smirked, feeling just a little smug. "That's crazy, right?"
He picked up the sonogram picture, smiling sadly. Oh yeah, he remembered this particular feeling of happiness. "It's even crazier when they're actually born and here in the world," pictures were just pictures. But a baby in your arms was the real awesome part. Of course, it went a little downhill with the no sleeping and crazy eating patterns but it got better. Way better. He was not going to gush out loud though. "So you're willing to risk it? Everything?" He didn't specify whether he meant Niko's humanity or his lifestyle or anything else.
Niko shrugged, taking the picture back and looking at it for a moment before tucking it back into his wallet. "I'm not going to walk away." he said simply. "Far as I can tell, the good parts outweigh the bad and I'm not going to make her go through it by herself. She might think that's what she wants... she probably does want that, but I don't. I want to help. I want to be there for them... for her too I guess." Though there was no guessing about it. Niko wanted to be there for Isis. He wanted more than that but he wasn't going to admit that out loud.
Snorting a little, he picked up his glass and took a sip, "Dude... If this were any other chick, I'd tell you to just propose and get it over with already." He shook his head a little. It was so fucking obvious and not just from the way he spoke but a little from the way Niko smelled. Emotions all had their own scents to them and the trained nose could pick them up. Scott really tried to catch these sorts of things.
"Propose? The girl barely can spend fifteen minutes with me without me doing something that pisses her off." Niko said. "If I proposed to her, she'd probably claw my eyes out and roll them around on the floor or something." He could actually almost see Isis doing something like that, but he'd really rather not think about it. "I don't even like her like that." Niko lied, feeling bad for even saying the words out loud. It was almost blasphemous to think them.
"That's why the 'any other chick' part," dumb ass. Niko was so funny sometimes when he just didn't realize it. "Riiight. Get your ass in the kitchen and feed me before I get all 'hungry like the wolf'," when conflicted emotionally, be an asshole. But with a smile on his face so it looked like teasing.
"I'm serious. I don't." he said as he headed towards the kitchen and started setting things up. He didn't want Scott to think he was all head over heels for this girl. He wasn't. Right? Right. Now if he could just convince himself that, he'd be just fine.
Scott followed along, glass in hand. He wasn't going to explain the scent thing. Let Niko sweat it out. "Methinks thou doth protest too much," not that he was a fan of Shakespeare but honestly who didn't know how to paraphrase that particular line?
"Whatever." Niko said. Fighting it would just instill it further into Scott's brain. He got out a pan to put the steaks in the oven, seasoning them and preheating for a few minutes while he got everything ready for the mashed potatoes. "What does it matter to you anyway? Gonna be mad that she likes me better than you? Since you were totally checking her out today, I bet."
"Cats and wolves don't go together," he shrugged his shoulders and settled on a counter. "She's hot, I give you that. Smells fantastic. Feisty. If I didn't have this whole mating for life thing going on, you'd be seriously pissed off at me right now," he grinned broadly. It was hard to tell if he was joking or not. Except that he wasn't but was trying to play it off like he was and doing it well. "Seriously... What the Hell do I care, man? I've sworn off chicks."
That got a glare directed right over Niko's shoulder and in Scott's direction. He didn't know whethe rhe was more aggravated that Scott had obviously thought about doing some pretty dirty things to the girl that he was infatuated with internally, or because he was worried to a point that maybe Isis would have rather had him around if there wasn't that whole mating for life thing. "You're a dick." he muttered, turning his attention back to the stove and starting up a pot of water to boil.
"Then fucking admit it since I can smell it on you," alright so he'd just broken his own rule of not mentioning the scent thing. Whatever. Might as well just get it out in the air. Even if it was likely to get something heavy thrown at his head like that pot of water.
"Admit what?" Niko said, ignoring the fact that Scott could apparently smell something on him. "I don't know what you want me to say. Yeah, we had sex, after arguing. You knew that already."
"No, not that. I knew that before I even opened the door," he shook his head sighing heavily. Niko really needed to get into the game here - lying to himself wasn't going to help anything. "That you're way more... infatuated than you're saying. I mean, if I can smell it? She could too."
Niko rolled his eyes. "I'm not infatuated." he said, shaking his head and focusing more on the water than on his friend. Boiling water was just so much more interesting than thinking about his infatuation. One that he didn't even exist. At least Niko wasn't going to acknowledge that it existed.
"Whatever, Romeo," Scott slipped off the counter and started to leave the kitchen. Let Niko stew, have some alone time. He knew he was right and that's all that mattered.
When Scott left the room, Niko sighed and shook his head, sifting through his jeans pocket and coming out with a hair tight. Jerking his hair back, he tied it up to keep it out of his face. He didn't have an infatuation. He liked Isis okay. He had to. She was having his babies. That was all. Right? That's all. At least he kept telling himself that. He wondered how long it would take for him to really believe it. If it was true, would he really need to keep repeating it in his brain?
He spent the rest of the time it took to finish dinner alone in the kitchen. Once he'd finished and made his own plate and a plate for Scott, he called out for his friend. "Come eat your dinner, fucker."
And Scott had spent that time playing more Guitar Hero. Really, he was totally not bothered by this whole thing. Honest. It was all just ridiculous to him. When he heard Niko call out he went back towards the kitchen but went through the swinging door at a very sloooooow pace. "Yes dear," he said in a fairly good imitation of Droopy the dog.
"You're such a dumbass." Niko said as he plopped himself down at the table. "I even left it practically mooing just for you." So yeah, he'd learned a few things about Scott over the years. Like how he liked to have pretty rare steak. Oh friendship.
Scott settled in at what was known as His Chair. Yes, it was a title. It was properly claimed though how that was, he wasn't entirely sure. Just everyone who had ever been to his house knew you did not sit in that particular chair. "Aw, you like me. You really like me. Even if you do call me horrible, mean names. I should claim verbal abuse," he decided to be polite and actually cut up his steak before eating it though he kind of wanted to just tear it apart with fingers and teeth.
Niko had actually expected Scott to tear it apart. Polite didn't really matter much to him when Scott was concerned. He took his own fork and knife and started cutting his steak apart and trying not to keep replaying the day's events in his brain. It was a little hard not to though. Taking a bite of his steak, he glanced across the table at his friend. "Verbal abuse. Right. Like I'm so mean to you."
Yeah well, it was better to play human around Niko who honestly didn't get it all the time. Like how he was not going to tell Niko that his lunch had been a freshly caught rabbit who had dared to venture onto his property. Boy that'd been fun. Alright, though he did cut it up, Scott used his fingers to pick up the pieces and pop them in his mouth. Niko made a mean steak. "Oh yeah. You're completely awful. I should have told Isis what a jackass you really are," he snickered.
Niko frowned at his food. "I'm not a jackass and you know it." he said, shaking his head. "She already hates me enough without you making her think I'm a dick on top of not wanting to walk away like she'd hoped."
"No, instead I defended you and gave theories as to why I thought you didn't want to walk away or have her disappear and made my life an open book for a stranger just because you fell for the oldest trick in the book," Scott sort of stabbed his potatos before scooping up some for a bite. Then he shook his head a little, "You really aren't a jackass." Focus on eating. Then you don't say stupid shit.
Sighing, Niko refused to look up at Scott. He concentrated instead on his plate and counting how many little squares of steak he had on it. Pushing them away from the mashed potatoes one by one. "So I'm a dumbass. I fell for it. I shouldn't have. I knew better, but honestly, I wasn't thinking that she'd use me to get pregnant." he pointed out. I thought she might actually give just the tiniest little fuck about me." Too bad he'd been pretty wrong about that. She obviously didn't care much. She wanted nothing to do with him once he'd successfully knocked her up. That realization that he'd been pushing away just kept reering it's ugly head at him.
"Yeah well," he said between bites of steak, "She also gave it up for you again and this time getting pregnant wasn't an option. And she's giving you a chance. But I'm no expert on the female mind." That was fucking obvious considering everything. Oh well.
"Well.. maybe that was just hormones." Niko shrugged. "Her being all pissed and needing a release or something. I don't know." He sighed and decided stuffing his face was a lot better than feeling sorry for himself.
Scott smirked faintly, "I won't lie and say it's not possible... But I guess you'll find out eventually. Especially at the dinner." Oh that was going to be fun. If Niko didn't get mauled, killed or... well worse to be honest, it was going to be a fucking miracle.
"You're really great at making me feel better about this." Niko muttered under his breath. He shouldn't have, he knew it, mostly because there was no way that Scott didn't hear him. "This sucks." he sighed.
"Yeah well, if you were a girl, this would be easier," he grinned, "I just don't know what to say to you, man. You want her to like you but you say you don't have a thing for her. You can't have one without the other. Or you can but it would actually make you a jackass. So figure it out."
Letting out a long breath, Niko finally looked up at Scott. "So I like her." he admitted. "Big fucking deal. Doesn't change a damn thing. She wanted me for breeding purposes and that's all."
There. Finally. Jesus Christ it was like pulling teeth. Scott shrugged his shoulders and said quietly, "It changes everything." But he didn't elaborate and just focused on eating. Let Niko take it how he would.
Again Niko's eyes drifted down to his plate and for a while he was quiet. He didn't know what to say after that. He didn't think that it mattered a bit whether or not he liked the girl. It was whether or not she liked him that mattered. If she didn't like him, there wasn't a chance he could change it. "What'd you do all day?" he questioned, taking another bite and flicking his eyes up again.
Ah, subject change. And now they sounded like an awkward married couple over dinner... Scott did his best not to laugh at the thought. "The same thing I do every day, Pinky. Lord over my minions," he gave Niko a pointed look that indicated yes, even him though Niko hadn't been working.
"Psh, whatever. Minion my ass. I don't have to work for you, ya know. I just keep you around to keep up appearances. Got to pretend to be a total loser and how else would I do that without you." Niko teased.
"By joining a country club," he answered easily with a laugh. All those snotty idiots were losers. Who needed country clubs and all that shit? It wasn't like Niko really needed to network anything, right? That's all that was for.
"I left behind the days of country clubs when I was like fifteen." he muttered, rolling his eyes. "The only good thing that ever came from country clubs were the hot chicks. But that got old because they were all snobby bitches. Which brings me to another point... how the fuck am I supposed to tell my dad that I got a girl pregnant?" Especially when she wasn't an heir to some oil fortune or daughter of some high class lawyer. He could practically hear his father hitting the fucking roof.
Scott could hear it too... "Damn. Okay. Here's the plan. You don't tell him." Hell, it seemed like a sound plan unless Niko's dad was having him followed. Except that Niko was a grown ass man and this was just ridiculous but there was no reason to get him disowned either.
"Do you know how crushed mom would be if I didn't tell her?" Niko asked. While his dad was a dick, Niko actually liked his mother. He didn't want to keep something this big from her, but he didn't want his dad to know either. "This sucks." he sighed. "Maybe I can talk mom into not telling dad. Or killing him off so she gets the cash and neither one of us have to deal with his shit."
"Oh yeah. That's a smart plan," except that he started thinking about it for real and then muttered, "Maybe we could hire a vampire..." Scott shook his head and that thought away, rubbing his nose like it itched. "Wait. Just a little while. See what happens with you and Isis. If you fuck up your chance, there may not even be a reason to tell them, right?"
"Maybe I should just leave her alone." Niko shrugged. "She said I could help. Could see them when they're born. That's what I wanted right? No need to force her to be around me." Not that he wanted to avoid her, but she didn't want him around right? She wanted him to leave her alone. Maybe he should just give her what she wanted.
"Dude... You are so stupid," Scott rolled his eyes, "You should be going after her. Not being a pussy." Which was actually kind of funny since they were talking about a werecat but he was not going to point out that particular pun at the moment.
"Going after her? Why? What for? What good is that going to do if she doesn't want me around? I don't want to keep pushing and end up back where I started. At least if I give her what she wants then I still get to see the kids." Niko mumbled.
"'At least if I give her what she wants,'" he repeated in a mocking tone, "Yeah. Well. I'm convinced that's you. You should have seen her face when she started figuring out you were such a nice, sweet, stupid human." Alright, nothing exact there but that was entirely beside the point.
Niko's eyes fixed on Scott's. He didn't know what to say to that. "You shouldn't give me false hope, you know that right?" he asked. "I appreciate it, but she's been trying to get me to leave since the second I saw her in that gas station."
Scott shook his head and stood up from the table. Annoyed and it sounded in the back of his throat, "I don't know what she sees in you that could possibly make you a good genetic donor. Her kids are never going to be rocket scientists." He polished off the contents of his glass and left the kitchen to get more.
Rolling his eyes and getting up from the table, Niko cleaned up the bit of a mess he'd made making dinner and sighed, following after Scott. "Why the fuck do you and Isis constantly have to talk about how stupid I am?" he questioned. "You act like I'm just some stupid fuck walking around with no brains. Both of you. She bitches because I want to be around, but you say she wants me around. What the fuck?"
"Maybe because you're acting like a stupid fuck?" That was the obvious answer. At least it should have been. "Girls complicated as all Hell. Despite what the feminists say? Sometimes no does mean yes. You just can't tell when unless you have the right... talents." He poured out the Jack, shaking his head a little.
"So you're saying that she wants me? She just likes jerking my chain and acting like she doesn't?" Niko questioned, thinking that was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. "If she wants me, why doesn't she just fuckin' take me? It's not like I'm fighting it. She gives a little, takes it away, gives some more and then... I don't know. I'm still more confused now than I was this morning or last night. The girl is driving me fucking batshit crazy." He shook his head and shrugged. "You know what, I'm just gonna leave her be for a day or two. Just to prove that I'm right. If she wants me, she wouldn't be trying so hard to push me away, Scott."
"Yeah. No. You know how you were just fighting it? She's probably doing that too. Because she's an idiot too. Not everything has to go by our fucking animal nature. She's human too or else she would have been born just a cat." Scott shook his head, taking another drink and settling down on a stool, "Yeah. You do that." He wasn't giving any more advice since obviously he hadn't been right about anything at all.
Niko sighed and brushed his hand over his hair. "Guess we'll just see what happens then." he shrugged. "If she really wants me, a day or two will determine it right? If not, then nothing will happen." Niko really didn't want to spend that much time away from Isis, but he didn't want to look desperate either.
Scott visibly rolled his eyes, "Right." Shaking his head, he focused his attention on his glass, shifting it back and forth so the ice clinked against the sides. It was a nice sound or... something like that anyway.
Deciding not to even acknowledge the eye rolling, Niko shrugged a little. He was going to be stubborn this time. If she wanted him, she'd come to him. He was pretty confident that she didn't want to either way. "You're not allowed to tell her I'm avoiding her either." he added. "Since the two of you are going to be all chummy now."
Wait, Niko was trying to tell him what to do? Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. "Right, tell her that you're avoiding her. Gotcha," he held in a smile, trying to look as serious as possible. "Hey, there are two new tiny pack members in her womb. Of course I'm going to get chummy."
Niko figured as much. Part of him was a little bit glad that Scott would probably run out and tell Isis all about him avoiding her. Maybe she'd rush over and tell him that's not what she wanted. Maybe. Not likely, but maybe. "Yeah, yeah. Two days ago you didn't even know that they existed and now you're chummy?"
"You clearly underestimate my ability to make friends," Scott just sort of attracted people. At least that's the way he explained it. He was honestly too damned friendly for his own good at times. "I am a very social creature."
"I've noticed." Niko said, shaking his head. "Which in a way sucks for me because you're totally going to be my babies mother's best friend. I can practically feel the friendship oozing from the both of you."
"I was your best friend first. I'm only looking out for you," he shrugged his shoulders, smiling a little, "Although I'm not sure that's friendship you're feeling." It was a joke. He was joking. But he totally expected to get punched for that.
And a punch, he did get. Right in the arm. "You're a real bastard, you know that?" Niko asked him. "Totally not funny. At all." Was that a pang of jealousy. Perhaps more possessiveness than anything. Niko wanted her to be his and the thought of anyone else being with her in that way just irked him. He couldn't understand it. After all he didn't like Isis. Right?
He deserved it so Scott didn't retaliate, not even verbally. Instead he just set his glass down and rubbed his arm. "You know I'm not going to go after her... If it does look like anything's happening, it's just the wolf being protective. You being connected to her and her to the babies means the wolf is calling her pack." Although he didn't expect Niko to understand. He really didn't get the were thing.
Niko nodded. "Fine." he said, shaking his head. "She's tied to me so you're gonna be tied to her. Fine. Doesn't matter. I don't care if you want to protect her. I'm glad you do, actually. At least I don't have to worry about her getting hurt or whatever, but you gotta cut out the stupid jokes because... I just... just no more jokes about her, alright?"
Scott laughed and reached out to muss up Niko's hair like he was a little brother or something, "You're so cute when you're defensive and in near-love." Yeah, he really was an ass. Oh well. "I'll try but you know I can't promise shit."
"It's not love, fucker." Niko defended, pulling the hair tie from his ponytail and shaking his hair out. Vain fucker that he was, he couldn't look less that decent, right? Brushing a hand through the mess of blonde, he shook his head. "It's not near-love either. Just watch your stupid jokes."
"Extreme infatuation. Near-love. It's the same shit," not that he could really remember. Or could he? Honestly, Scott was trying to block out the memories of whatever he'd had with Tanya. If he found her again, he didn't want to feel sorry for her when he took their son back. "I'll try."
"I'm not infatuated either." Niko said, shaking his head. "I might, maybe, perhaps, sort of like her. A little. Microscopically, but only because she's the mother of my unborn children." he said. "And because she agreed to let me see them. That's it. No infatuation." he lied.
"Good God, you never give up," he rolled his eyes. "Too bad Isis wouldn't find this funny," he smirked a little. "Although the others might," he grinned broadly. Why yes, he had just threatened to tell all their friends.
"I don't see why you think it's funny. Me not liking a girl is funny? What the fuck." Niko sighed, shaking his head. "And you better not tell her I said anything. Or anyone else either. It's my business."
"It's funny because you're in such denial. It's not a river in Egypt you know," cliche but completely applicable. "Why shouldn't I tell anyone else? Oh, I should tell your mom that you've actually got a girlfriend. She'd be so thrilled. I'll just leave out the babies part."
"She's not my girlfriend! She doesn't even like me." Niko was beyond frustrated at this point and he knew he had to calm down or shit would be flying around the room. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "I don't have a girlfriend. I'm not telling my mother until I figure out a way to do it without telling dad. And it's not fucking funny. Seriously."
"Do you want one," he asked quietly. Might as well assess that much. Did he want to give up his player lifestyle? This was very important to know.
"Want one what?" Niko questioned. "A girlfriend? I don't know. What does it matter what I want. It's not my decision. It's Isis's decision. And she doesn't want me so there's not much I can do about that, now is there?"
"It matters. If you want it, pursue it. If you don't then quit acting so fucking defensive and take a joke." Seriously, Niko was so damned sensitive about the whole thing. It would've been hilarious if it weren't so important.
"I can't pursue it if she doesn't want it. I can't... force her to be with me." And that was as close to admitting he wanted to be with Isis as Niko was going to get.
"You can pursue it. Pursuing doesn't equal force. She could always change her mind. The chase is part of the fun anyhow," he chuckled a little though the tail end turned into an amused sort of growl.
"I don't want to waste my time going after someone who would rather me leave them alone. She's stubborn. She won't change her mind." Niko muttered. "What does it matter to you anyway? You want me to settle down with a family? Then you'd be so bored, dude."
"You don't know that. I don't know that. We can't see the future," although if he could, Scott would so use his powers of awesome to try and see Niko's future. "How the Hell would I be bored because of that?"
"Because I'd spend all my time with Isis." he shrugged. "You'd have no life. You'd lose your bestest best friend and you'd cry. You so know you'd cry." Niko teased. "I don't know..." he shrugged, the joking gone from his tone instantly. "I'm gonna give it a day. She doesn't need that much stress right now. If she wants to see me, she'll see me."
"Yeah well, maybe it'd get me to have my own life instead of having to constantly interfere with yours," he said perfectly serious. Scott didn't have a life. He had work. He had saving money to find Tanya. That was it. "Oh hey... I've got some of Psycho Bitch's pregnancy books and shit still if you want to read up and be informed."
Little did Scott know that Niko had tried to find Tanya before. There wasn't much a private investigator could do with the little information that Niko had for the girl. With only a name and no social security number, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. He should have asked Scott for the number, maybe he had it, but he doubted that Scott would have allowed him to help. He was a proud sort of guy. So Niko had kept it a secret.
"Yeah." he nodded. "I think I could use all the help that I can get honestly. Pregnancy books should be the first step. Then if I can get Isis to tell me more about this... werecat stuff, maybe I won't rub her the wrong way anymore. I don't know anything about were's really. I mean... I know bits and pieces because of you, but cats and wolves are different and... I think that's what bothers her most ya know? She's all aggravated because I don't understand her or something. I want to understand her though."
Yeah he actually did have all that kind of stuff. The social security number was on some old tax forms and he had a copy of her birth certificate from some other shit they'd done. He figured it was going to be important so he'd saved it all.
"Good luck with that. You're only going to find out about cats from another cat... And since I think there's like just her family? You're so fucked." Cats and wolves were extremely different. There was absolutely no way to compare them whatsoever beyond both being furry.
"Maybe I'll be able to talk her into giving me a werecat 101 type of course because how am I supposed to understand if I don't have any information on it?" he asked, though he went on without letting the question be answered. "I'll just give her a day or two to destress without having to worry about me in her hair and then I'll go back over there and see if she'll pity me enough to tell me more about werecats."
"Oh I'm sure you can get her to pity you enough. You're pretty damned pitiful," Of course Scott had leeched onto that word. It was the one with the most potential for teasing. Really, he needed to think more on Words that Can't Be Used Around Scott. The word 'came' as long as it was at the end of a sentence was already on the list due to excessive 'that's what she said' jokes.
Niko rolled his eyes. "I'm not pitiful, fucker." he argued. "I'm just... overwhelmed. You trade places with me and find out all this shit in a matter of minutes and see if you're not a little out of it too."
"I can't trade places with you. If all this happened to me natural instinct would probably drive me insane. Literally," Scott knew perfectly well that it was easy to turn a wolf into a stalker. One screw up and there was trouble...
He frowned a little at that. "I guess I should be counting myself lucky that I'm not like... permanently attached to her." Even though he kind of felt that way. "Well, I guess I kind of am. Whether I like it or not, she's having my babies. That's permanent attachment right there." Niko muttered. "At least she's not super psycho like Tanya's stupid self."
"Tanya didn't get psycho until after we got married. So you never really know but I'm pretty sure she's not crazed," not that Scott's judgment was anything to go by really. After all, he was the one who had put the ring on Tayna's finger in the first place.
"Maybe she was just insane and it just bubbled to the surface. Like.. the ring just ended up being the detonator for the bomb or something. We need to find you a girl that's not total psycho bitch. Get yourself a wolfchick, dude, she'll be stuck with you forever." he smiled, hoping it came off as teasing as he wanted it to. Niko, of course, hadn't meant it as being rude or mean in the slightest.
"I don't think I'm ready for that kind of shit yet, man," he was still real hurt from what had happened, totally gun-shy. Hell, he hadn't even gone for the stuff he could get. Oral? Yeah, didn't create the bond. At least that's what someone had told him in his old pack when he'd taken off for Canada...
"You can't spend your life in a box because Tanya was a cunt." Niko said, shaking his head. Too bad he couldn't follow his own advice. Hell, he was pretty much in a box because of Tanya. Because of too much thinking about what could happen to him just because it had happened to Scott. "Do you think that you'd feel different if she hadn't run off?" he questioned. "Like... if the divorce went through and you got visitation and everything just... worked out better than it did? Would you date?"
Scott kind of stared at Niko like he'd grown another head, "Yeah. I think I would feel differently. She stole my son. She took off because she was afraid I'd bite my son or some shit and make him a tiny werewolf. At least I think that's what happened since it happened right after he gushed to his mother. So yeah, it would be a lot different if it'd gone better."
Niko frowned a little at that. He didn't know how he could handle something so traumatic. Scott just... did. "Do you have her social security number?" Niko questioned. Completely off topic, but damn it, he was tired of sitting around doing nothing. If Scott had it, he was going to get it.
He blinked at that then drained his glass, "Yeah. I do. I have a copy of everything. Tax purposes, y'know." He wasn't even going to ask why. Niko would explain himself in due time. Hopefully.
"I need it." he said, pushing his hair behind his ear. "Look, a while back I tried to find her but... there's not much investigators can do without numbers so... I need the number. Name is going to get me anywhere and you can't tell me no just because you're stubborn and you don't want my money, okay? I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for myself, so give me the number?" Niko asked.
Scott didn't move, "How the fuck can this benefit you?" He needed to know. Okay, more like wanted to know but it was a method of stalling so he could think about it and fight down the wolf and his own stubbornness.
"I'll get my friend back." Niko said with a shrug. "You'll be happier, I'll be happier. So are you gonna give me the number or not, Scott?"
"What the Hell do you mean? I didn't go anywhere, man. And I'm fine. Just a little bitter," yes, he was still stalling. And okay, he had gone somewhere just after but he'd come back. That was beside the point.
Niko sighed. "You're still here, but your heart isn't." he muttered. "Scott, you're my best friend and what I'm gonna say might make me come off as a dick or whatever, but you're not the same. You haven't been the same since the day she left. And it's not because of her. You might be proud as fuck and not want my help, so fine, it's not for you. It's for the kid. I wanna see the kid. That's what's in it for me. That's the benefit for me. I want him back just as much as you do. So give me the number."
His jaw tensed and for a moment he just stared at his glass. Then he started for the stairs, making a motion for Niko to follow. A short climb up the staircase led to his office. In his office was a filing cabinet. He grabbed the key from his desk and unlocked the top drawer. Then he pulled out a very thick file marked Tanya and held it out, "That's all of it."
Niko followed him up the stairs and reached out to take the file. Glancing through the papers he nodded. "Alright." he said. "I'll talk to the investigator again then." he said, flicking his eyes up to catch Scott's again. "Maybe we'll get lucky." he said hopefully.
"The best luck would be she's dead, he's in a good foster home and I can get him back without dealing with her," even though he'd told Isis he didn't want to hurt Tanya in front of Tommy... He might actually break that rule. He wasn't sure he could keep a pissed off wolf from ripping her throat out.
"Well, if not, we'll find her and go to court and you'll deal with taking some help. She might think she can keep him away from you, but she's wrong. It's discrimination, firstly, just because of something that happened beyond your control. And besides, I don't think she can find a lawyer like the ones I can find. So we'll take one step at a time. I'll try to find her."
"It's personal opinion along with discrimination. You can't really do something about personal opinion. There's that whole pesky freedom of speech thing that people use to do stupid things like stealing children," he sat on the edge of the desk, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was giving him a headache.
"Doesn't matter. She can't prove without a shadow of a doubt that you're a shitty dad. You're not. She's not the one that's best equipped to take care of him. You've got a house, you own a business and she took him away without consulting you about it, which means that she kidnapped him. Technically, she's illegally keeping your child from you. Just don't worry about any of that til we find the girl. One thing at a time." Niko said.
"I know all that... Trust me. I've done the free consultation things. Lawyers, cops, social workers. Spoken to 'em all." Scott had exactly one suit anymore and in the past couple of years it'd gotten more use than when he'd bought it about six or seven years ago. "Can I go back to making fun of you now?" He almost sounded like a pitiful puppy.
Niko rolled his eyes. "Fine. Pretend like we never talked about crazy bitch." he said, setting the folder down. "I'll make copies of all this before I leave that way you still have the originals and all that. But, for now... go ahead, hit me with all the making fun you want. What's the best you can do?"
He seriously thought for a long moment in total silence... Scott crossed his arms in front of him, frowning a little, "I got nothin'." At least he was honest about it. Talking so seriously about Tanya had ruined his teasing mood.
"Oh come on now, I'm completely infatuated with my babies mama who really doesn't care for me half the time. Do I need to tell you how I got her to have sex with me?" Niko questioned, giving a teasing little smile. He wanted a grin, not a frown, damn it.
They'd already covered all of that though he did look curiously at Niko upon the very strange offer. "I really don't want to know," Scott shook his head. If he had to ask, then it was probably just fucking weird.
"Fine, guess you'll never get to tease me about it. Hell, I almost want to tease myself, seriously. You need to stop being all frowny and shit though." Niko advised. "Come on. Drinking and playing games or something."
"Then tease y-no, wait. That just sounds wrong. Do that elsewhere," he smirked faintly to himself and started out of the office. But not towards the stairs. Oh hell no. To get down, it was a rule that one had to take the firepole if one's arms were not full. "That might help you but I would feel better going wolf for a bit," though he wasn't sure Niko was actually comfortable around a great big white wolf.
"Just keep your furry ass off of me. I've had cat all over me most of the day. Keep your distance, wolf man." Niko teased.
Scott gave him the darkest, most sarcastic look on the face of the planet, "Just don't rub my belly and we won't have any 'awkward moments'." Then he rolled his eyes and down the firepole he went.
Niko chuckled and shook his head, then he followed him the pole, made sure the guy was out of the way and slid down it. "I need one of those installed in my house but I have the feeling I'd be running up the stairs just to keep sliding back down."
"I do that on my days off," he admitted with a big grin. But then, as a werewolf, he had a little more stamina than Niko probably did which meant that running up the stairs constantly was no big thing. "Upside down even."
"You know, it could function as a stripper pole too." he smiled. "I should get you some strippers. Lap dancing won't tie you to anyone, right?" Niko teased. "Actually... I probably shouldn't do that. I don't think, whether Isis likes me or not, she'd take too kindly to me having strippers all around. Le sigh."
"Did you really just say 'le sigh'? What, are you Pepe Le Pew now? Oh you so are, chasing the cat and everything," and now his happy was back because he had something to tease Niko about. "And... Yeah, I know it can function as a stripper pole. Trust me, I've thought of that." A lot.
"At least I'm smart enough to know she's a cat and I'm no skunk, thank you." Niko retorted. "Besides, I caught my kitty today. At least for a little while. That's what matters." He smiled though, despite the teasing. At least Scott wasn't as mopey now. "If you're gonna shift, remember to go do it in your bedroom though because I'm not listening to you bitch about ripped clothes. And warn me if you decide to shift back too. Naked Scott is not something I want to see again. Ever. Thanks."
"No, you are a skunk. You smell," he waved the whole conversation off, "How the fuck do you expect me to warn you I'm going to shift back? I can't exactly talk as a wolf." Instead of going back upstairs to his bedroom, he was going towards the downstairs bathroom. Actually, he still had a locker room but it was being refurbished at the moment. Firehouses were the best thing to live in. Truly.
"I don't know. Bark at me?" Niko chuckled. "Growl. Pat your paw on the floor two times." he grinned.
"How about I bite you?" he snipped lightly before stepping inside of the bathroom and mostly closing the door. It didn't latch because the doorknob was round. He hadn't mastered round doorknobs as a wolf yet.
"No, I'm good. I like not being furry, thank you." Niko shook his head at the thought of being a wolf. He had the feeling that would instill even more dislike in Isis.
Oh it would... Unlike the smoothness of a born were, Scott's shifting was a little more... unpleasant. So once he was stripped down, there was the sound of bones and muscle and whatnots shifting around but as he didn't fight it like some, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. A few moments later, a paw carefully pried the bathroom door open and the white wolf wandered out, shaking his fur out.
"You know, I like you better this way." Niko teased. "You can't talk. Ah, blissful silence. Can I get you some kibble?"
Eyes narrowed at Niko, Scott got up on his back feet and shoved his forepaws into his friend's chest. Then howled. Very loudly. Right in his face. That's what he got for being a smart ass.
Niko made a face and shook his head, rubbing his ears. "Hello, freaking echo in here, fuck." he muttered. "Alright, no more teasing, go lay down or something, damn."
Scott got back down onto all fours but did not go lay down like some house pet. Instead he grabbed Niko's pant leg and started tugging him gently towards the door. He wanted to go outside and Niko had thumbs.
"Aww, Scotty-boy wanna go outside?" Niko cooed, but he went with Scott and reached for the doorknob, opening the door for the now-wolf. "Alright, go on." he said, stepping out of the way so Scott could pass him. "It'd be really mean if I locked the door and left right. You'd be outside and a wolf... or have to be naked. Which would be hilarious." Niko teased.
He really didn't like being treated like a common dog and was so tempted to actually draw blood somehow just to get that point across to Niko but that was more of the wolf. Which explained why his body had taken the dominance stance - ears were perked up, fur was raised, tail was curled to his back and he was growling just a little. He even had the stare down going but after a moment, visibly shook it off and whined apologetically before heading outside.
"Sorry." Niko sighed. He knew better than to tease him. Especially when he was in the wolf form. After all, Niko was smart enough to know that if he really wanted to, he could rip him to shreds. He was a wolf of course. Wolves tended to be powerful creatures.
Once outside, he just sat down and looked up, sniffing at the air. After all, living in a fire house meant that he was smack dab in the middle of town or near there anyway. A wolf couldn't just go walking down the street unless that wolf wanted animal control on them so fast...
Niko leaned back against the door frame and let Scott do his wolfy thing. Meanwhile, he took the quiet time to try and figure out whether or not he would be able to handle the next day or so in avoiding Isis. He was stubbornly wanting to prove a point. Now, if he could just make it through a day or two...