Just Another Smokey Bar

The cat would look up at him, her big yellow eyes wide at first but as he continued closed to a half sultry stare. 'Not trying to get me indecent, eh?' The idea made her smile, rather mischievously at that. Nodding swiftly to the cop, she let out her signature devious giggle. "Well~ I'm not going to show you where I live, Dom... What kinda criminal would I be if I showed you my secret lair? tsk tsk~ Come now~" The cat would give him another playful laugh, "If you're really worried about my well being, you could always take me home~ And before you give me that cold serious stare, don't make it weird. I'm sure you've got a couch I can sleep on."

Her playful wink would let him know that she respected some sort of his boundaries, which ones were a gamble. "But... If you really don't trust me, you could always just let me walk home... I'm sure I'll be fine..." Patience would smile looking up at him, then without much warning, she would walk over to his side sliding her hand around his bicep. "Lead the way, Dom." She wasn't holding onto him to be sultry, in fact, she was doing it because she was a little tipsy. He was sturdy enough she knew he would be able to support her, her big yellow eyes looked up at him almost affectionately.

“I thought you didn’t need a cat sitter,” he replied, his absent tone rivalling the idle deadpan of his expression. It wasn’t her suggestion that caused this so much, but rather the implication of her living in a forbidden ‘lair’ that no one knew about. A picture of a tall, disparate and gloomy fortress entered his mind, complete with a chaotic lightning storm, creaky drawbridge, crocodile-infested moat, and of course, a cramped tower to hold the princess. However, in this tale the princess was a cat. And instead of being a damsel, the cat was probably looting the place for precious jewels.

Dom maneuvered at an easy gait to help the feline on his arm remain steady. A swooning low note from the jukebox followed them outside as they stepped onto the sidewalk and into the lamplight. Because the pub’s best quality was its hole-in-the-wall charm, there wasn’t much traffic on this end of the city. Admittedly, he didn’t give this detail much credit until now. She made a good call; he would give her that.

Sunset had succeeded the clear blue of the mid-morning skies with darker shades of violet and black, tipping the cityscape’s horizon in faint hues of red and amber. For a passerby to see them now, he supposed they’d get an idea of one or both of them toying with luck after a hearty time drinking. And although complicated, the truth didn’t present much opposition either. He ignored her feathery cooing for now and focused on reaching the SUV that was parked on the adjacent block. It was a navy-blue model with a hybrid-tint dyed grey, a sort of ‘hidden in plain sight’ design that was so simple as to leave the bulky size mostly overlooked. He unlocked the passenger door and gave her a hand inside, fixing her with a pensive look as she settled.

“Don’t touch anything-” he warned. “-Especially the radio. Don’t scuff the seats, and keep your tail out of the cup holder.” Dom paused briefly, trying to appear impassive but failing, instead brooding over her form with very outward skepticism. Shutting the door rigidly, he then walked to the other side and took his own place in the driver’s seat. “Also, I don’t run a home for strays. Call your family and tell them you’re properly safe or you really will be walking home.”

Patience would tilt her head at the blue monster that Dom drove. Truly large and magnificent stead for such a handsome knight. It made her quietly smile to herself, she was slightly impressed. As he helped her into the large vehicle, she would almost purr at his hands on her body. The whole thing was a bit of a power trip for her, and even now she couldn't help but smile.

Once the door shut she would buckle herself up, waiting for her companion to join her on the other side. Dom seemed serious about this large manly SUV, giving her a quick set of rules which caused her to rigidly sit up in her seat, grabbing her tail and holding it close to her own body so it would indeed stay out of the cup holders. His voice was stern, and it made her a little uncomfortable, but she understood where he was coming from.

Pulling her phone out from her pocket she would turn the screen on, dimming it quickly down so it wouldn't blind her driver. Opening a text to, 'Mom,' she would type. "Staying with a friend tonight, don't worry about me." It only took a few moments and Persephone would quickly text back, "Is it a booooooooyyyy?" Patience's body would cringe, taking in a deep breath. "...Yes." Holding the phone near the window she would quickly clip a picture of Dom's face, along with her own trying to look inconspicuous. "Oh, mama mia. He's very attractive. Good job, sweetie. Use protection, please." She was glad it was so dark out since by now she was a bright red. It had been a long time since Patience had allowed herself to be courted by a man, not that Dom was courting her by any means. However, the picture confirming she was, indeed, with a 'boy' would send somewhat of a mini celebration through her adopted mother's heart.

Pai would clear her throat, tucking her phone away. "My adopted mother told me to use protection. And she thinks you're attractive." A playful smile spread over her face, shaking her head in embarrassment. If he was going to force her to contact them, he would need to suffer too.

Dom tightened his grip on the steering wheel, visibly caught off guard once she spoke up again. He stole a dumbfounded glance over at Patience after she went silent, but didn’t see much of her expression due to the shifting shadows spilling in from outside. To be frank he was hoping for a more ‘run-of-the-mill’ reaction from her family. Something along the lines of: bring our precious cat home right this instant.

“That's...ambitious,” he replied vainly, gaze returning to the road and resuming watch at a deadly focus. “-Next time, feel free to spare me the details. Thanks.” With the pub far behind them, they now entered the residential block of Eyls’ayn and towards the less notable east end. On one side of the medium were red brick houses, having aged to their potential well over a decade ago, while the other side mostly consisted of car dealerships and local law firms. It was a quiet borough that didn’t see much excitement nowadays due to the ‘john-doe’ sentiment shared between its residents. Which was of course perfect for their current objective.

A few minutes passed wherein he parked the car and shooed her down the lane and up the front stoop, compelling the dark-haired feline inside the home as if they were late to a grand opening. The living room was fitted with sinister brick and unadorned grey walls, plain hardwood flooring, dimmed lighting, and a single window. Even the furnishing was unenthusiastic, and only consisted of a small grey couch, a glass coffee table, an indoor fern, and an empty corner desk. The room obviously didn’t see much use, and consequently retained all the cold of a minimalist style without the modern sleekness.

“Here’s your stop-“ Dom flicked on the lights and looked around the room, purposefully avoiding any unnecessary eye contact. “-I don’t care where you curl up in here, but the rest of the house is off limits. Understand?”

Patience would let out a soft giggle as he shared the awkwardness of her adopted mother's text. Apparently, he didn't find it amusing either. Nonetheless, she still laughed off both her mother and his reaction. Was it really such a horrible idea? It only bothered her a little bit, but then again… she wasn't here to get laid tonight. She was here to sleep off the alcohol running through her body.

As they drove into a quiet neighborhood Patience would grin a bit more. She had been here before by herself, it still shook her a bit. , This was the kinda place Dom lived in. Quiet, reserved, boring even. Still… It was cute. Nothing about these houses stood out, other than the 'Prince' who lived inside one of them. As the vehicle stopped, she wouldn't hesitate to climb out of it. Next, she was shooed and rushed down the walkway to the door. Patience almost seemed to dance her way down it just to annoy him a little further. Finally reaching the door, then almost being pushed inside.

She took a few moments to absorb the area around her, her senses were still pretty tipsy from the booze but she was happy to be surrounded by so much of his scent. She only half-listened to Dom's nagging about his house rules, she already figured she would be banned from everything and everywhere. She was a thief and a criminal, though she wouldn't commit those crimes against him. Letting him finish his nannying Patience would turn toward him, doing her best to look him in the eyes. "Don't worry, you won't find me in your bed tonight or stealing your stuff… All though… it kinda looks like someone already has…  Is this really it? Your house is so plain… it's cute. It's just like you… So… Normal.

The Cat would laugh gently, then her smile would spread wide for him. "Anyway… Thanks for letting me flop on your couch tonight… I appreciate it. It sure beats getting a cab, or walking home by myself." Her pale face would flush a bit red, her expression softened. Clearing her throat she turned away from him, she didn't bother waiting for him to walk away. Pulling her arms from the sleeves of her leather jacket she pulled it off laying it gently on the arm of the couch, exposing her clean white tank top. Next, she bent herself over at the waist to work on untying her boots. Behind her, her long black tail would rise into the air swaying back and forth.

“Hm…” He found her synopsis of the home oddly peaceful, although he didn’t care for anyone getting too familiar. The ‘property’, as he liked to reference the house, didn’t receive much attention apart from a few modest add-ons and foundation checks, but all the same he supposed there was some personal design there. Even if he didn’t see it himself, which might have been interpreted by the mystified look he tossed her, women seemed to have a better eye for spotting these things anyway. Whatever these ‘things’ were. “Normal. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

By habit, Dom returned her fanged smile with only the smallest of nods. Barring their exit from the bar, a glass and a half of whiskey down and the young wildkin carried on remarkably steady. As she got comfortable, he leaned idly on the doorway and waited for a few heartbeats, nothing too strenuous on his mind other than vague suspicion. Would she notice his eyes on her? Eventually. Did she notice in the pub? Probably. It hit him how strange it was to have her there, and how at ease she appeared about everything up until now.

“You’re too impulsive.” The words slipped from his mouth before he could stop them. But once spoken, so they were, unable to be rescinded. “Especially for a cat. Leaving a pub alone puts a target on your back, and as a cop I’m allowed to throw you in a cell, not bring you home. So don’t thank me. Just try not to make this a dangerous habit."

Patience would giggle gently to herself, 'normal' was a compliment from her. She was constantly tailing some of the worst dudes in the city, dangerous people. People who wouldn't hesitate to skin her if caught. Normal was refreshing to her, charming even. She only wished he knew exactly what the word meant to her. Normal was safety.

As far as the alcohol in her body was affecting her, she still was quite tipsy. However, she was a little more sure-footed than most, with the added benefit of being a cat. Naturally, she was well balanced on her feet. Hearing his next words would cause her to Stand back up straight setting her boots next to the couch, the cat would sway her body around to look at Dom. He had been watching her from his perch at the doorframe. What was he staring at anyway? Any other man, she would know exactly what they were thinking, but Dom? He wasn't like everyone else, he was chivalrous a gentleman... And... She almost hated it.

More nagging? Who did he think he was anyway? As her eyes looked to him, he would immediately notice the sweet passive demeanor had all but left her face. Now her features read feral. She was a wildcat again, her slitted eyes and pulled back ears confirmed it. Flipping back and forth behind her, her tail would display annoyance, anger even. Each word she spoke came out stern and cold. "I'll remember you're a cop next time and not bother bringing you along then. Since you seem to always be on duty. I'm not afraid of you, Dom. Throw your badge around all you want to, you're still nothing more to me then some man on a power trip." Patience scoffed at him, she thought about pulling her boots and jacket back on and bolting from him. However, she wasn't done. "You don't own me, in fact, you hardly have the means to control me. Don't think just because I've taken the time to acknowledge you, it makes you my guardian angel. I've lived perfectly fine on my own until now, without some high on his horse cop shoving his two cents about my life choices. Threaten me again and you'll regret it."

If he was trying to be protective or concerned with her she didn't read it that way. Patience was so used to running solo, she took his words as being controlling. Typical cat. At she watched him, waiting to hear his reaction her tail continued to swish in an agitated way. Her eyes were narrowed further watching him.

Dom remained unmoved at first, figuring that she wouldn’t like what he had to say, and content with calmly looking down at Patience like a boss to an unruly employee. But midway into her ranting, she uttered a phrase that could ironically pinch the ego of any established lawman: Power trip.

For the briefest moment, his features battled to convey either exasperation or amusement. Her anger meant that she had listened to some extent, so at the very least his words didn’t float into one dark-furred ear and out the other, as per usual. But crudely pinning their partnership as if he were trying to force her into obedience couldn’t be a more hasty idea. More antagonizing yet, she sounded like she really felt that way.

Which, to his surprise…stung? He wasn’t sure. If not for the way she currently sized him up, he probably would’ve gone on into full lecture mode: Beginning with how irresponsible it was for her to conceive this notion in the first place, and then ending on how the department thoroughly trained its officers not to be careless with their authority. Even if her other form was a cat, this value was far too important to let anyone fall through the cracks, and he understandably wanted to distance them both from the suggestion of her being property.

Yet as her tail began to buzz back and forth, flaunting her displeasure with peak feline enthusiasm, he finally settled on the former. Patience's expression now wasn’t unlike the one she carried back when they met in the shopping district -golden eyes charged with speculation and distrust, and fiercely issuing a challenge of resolve. It reminded him of a kitten that had its fur rubbed the wrong way.

“No-” Dom pushed off the doorway and took a step forward, halting a foot away from her and brusquely folding his arms. “-You don’t get to decide if I’m your enemy or not. Because everything I’ve put on the line for you is too important for you to have sole say in the matter.” Sharing a willful look with her, his right hand reached up to adjust the bridge of his collar, and he appeared to stew over this for a few seconds before adding in a softer tone: “I’m not going to hurt you, but I mean what I say; especially when it comes to your safety. If you think any differently, then you’re wrong. "

"-Help yourself and leave the tantrums until the morning. There won't be any difference in me correcting you at this moment and correcting you tomorrow. You'll still be just as wrong.”

'No.' The word made her flinch a bit, then seeing him push himself from the wall her body tensed a bit, ready to fight off this man. She had a crush on Dom, a big one, but she wouldn't hesitate to 'throw hands' if he got too close with aggression aimed at her. However, Dom wasn't like the guys on the streets, no... He was different.

As he stood a foot or so from her, her tail would continue to swish, but her ears swiveled back pointing forward at him. Her eyes widened for a minute as he spoke, then narrowed back into a slightly less intimidating glare. It was clear she was listening to him, however, her expression read anything but annoyance. Letting out another soft scoff, the cat's lips would part and twist into a wild unpredictable smile.

Even 'angry' he was so attractive to her, giggling to herself she stepped in closer to him, closing the gap between them. She didn't hesitate to look up at him, her nose inches from his the smell of whiskey on her breath was a reminder she was now without a filter. "I don't think you're an enemy, cop boy, but I'm not gonna be your good little obedient puppet either. Whether you like it or not, you're working with the bad guys now... You say you put so much on the line but are you ready to see the true disgusting filth crawling around in this city? You wanna work with me? Exactly how far would you go? Can I trust you to have my back, even if it means you seeing some really fucked up stuff? I can show you the worst parts of this city, dangerous places, introduce you to dangerous people. Can I trust you not to lock me up after you're done with me? That new drug is just the tip of the iceberg for the things I could show you."

She smirked now, keeping herself uncomfortably close to him, her eyes locked onto his. Her arms rested at her sides, but her body was slightly leaned into him not yet touching him. 'Crazy' was a good word to describe the feline, crazy and wild, but this is who she was. Patience wasn't known to be the softest of women, she was used to ruling the streets and intimidating her way through people when she was confronted. Dom was treated a little less with her usual aggression, she did hold back for him. She was sweet on him. Maybe this was a flaw, but she didn't care. She knew he was risking everything by sparing her, she knew they could both be in serious trouble, but she loved it. Maybe it was a weird thrill to be so close to the law, or maybe she was just tired of living in constant crime. There was one thing she was certain of, no one would touch Dom. She would pull any strings needed to protect him, and his career. He had no idea the power she had behind her, maybe it was time to show him exactly who stood behind her. Maybe it was time to show him why she wasn't afraid of the city like most people should be. Maybe...

The idea was crazy, but she wouldn't move on it yet. Not until she knew she could fully trust him. Still... It was an idea.

Patience would keep her sharp yellow eyes on his, waiting for him to say anything to her. The tiny distance between them was an intimidation tactic, she was testing him. Was he shakable? Was he serious? She wanted to see just how far she could push him, when would he get uncomfortable with her.

Dom eyed the young wildkin steadily, very purposefully extending the silence. With the hairs-width of space left between them, he could see past her glare and recognize the searching in her eyes…and perhaps even spot a flicker of wanton eagerness beneath the striking gold. Maybe this was the reason she’d chosen to call today; the exact moment she’d been waiting for to finish brokering their alliance. Whereas time had forced them into an armistice the first time around, mostly due his office having to meet the demands of her griping victim, there was nothing but the sway of open air to shepherd them now.

She refused to roll over. It was at least one constant he could count on from her. They were born in different worlds, but as one living, breathing creature to another, it wasn’t a stretch to understand why she insisted on this so much. She claimed to know a lot of crooked people. No argument there. She expressed the worst had yet to come. Beyond a shadow of a doubt. In his line of work, one couldn’t expect anything less.

Given the delicacy of her breathing, still noticeably warmed by the whiskey, she had made her approach in the utmost confidence of seeing the night through. Her body, although small, radiated an assertive heat. And all the same, he didn’t intend to retreat either. At times he didn’t know what to think of Patience as a girl, both for her unremitting boldness and leisurely frame, and standing this close to her didn’t help to clear the fog at all. He pinned her attitude as ‘friendly fire’ in a way, similar to a heated round of banter, or a football ‘accidently’ kicked through the window of a passing car.

“As long as we’re working together, I promise the department will never cross your path.” Dom nodded slowly as if he’d finally come to terms with this responsibility. “In return, I expect you to be more honest with me. And not just about the information you find. About everything,” he added, thinking back to their conversations at the pub. He then took a step back, opening up an arms-length of space, and carefully extended his right hand for her to shake. “After all, trust goes both ways, and I don't doubt myself on that."