i hear the approaching thunder

“They have a giant key ring of a knife on them and you still lost them?” Noelle couldn’t help but laugh, “Anyone ever told you you have awful luck?” She made a face and shook her head, “She sounds like a real pleasant person.”

“Maybe it was on purpose?” Ares offered with a wrinkled nose and a chuckle. “Few people, yeah.” He grinned, “She is. Think Wicked Witch of the West an’ multiply it by fifty, doesn’t even come close to her. I’m tryin’ not to be a horrible person who wishes something horrible would happen to her, but times like this I can’t help myself.”

“Oh you know, not too well,” Mia says. “I’m thinking I’ll either get a tattoo or buy some fancy car to impress my much younger significant other,” she says sarcastically. “But seriously: having a niece or nepher is the best thing. They bring out this side of you that’s equal parts mom, best friend, and older sibling. I can’t describe it, but it’s the best. But knowing that that little kid you babysat every summer growing up is leaving high school is pretty jarring. My sister, thankfully, is taking it better than I am. I know I’m going to cry at her graduation. And not the cute cry either; with my luck it will be that snotty nose, red-faced, ugly cry.” 

“ Okay, so am meant to be angry at my boyfriend right now, because used my laptop and forgot to charge it, meaning for the next few hours I have to have it plugged into a power socket which makes it a little harder to do my work…but one look at that crooked smile of his and all the anger is gone…Yes, he knows me too well!” Zander replied laughing. 

“Isn’t that usually how it works?” Ares questioned with a chuckle. “People will go an’ find each other’s weak spots, and then use ‘em against us until we’re just wee piles of person on the ground. It’s fuckin’ unfair, it is.”

“I’m sure my family would’ve been the same if my parents hadn’t gotten a two for one deal their first go around, you know what I mean. Probably was fun growing up with them though.” Isabelle picked up the little kitten and it curled into her while the other just kept walking over her lap. “Well these are going to brighten up your whole place you won’t even recognize it anymore.” She nodded and got up to follow Ares so that they could get all the paperwork and such settled. She knew she wasn’t coming up with the cats and that was okay, she wanted to tell Colt first so it wasn’t overwhelming. “I would think so.” Isabelle took his hand as they walked out into the city together. “I’d love food. If I’m not taking up your entire day of course.”

“I need that,” he assured with a chuckle. “Reckon it’ll do me some good to have some love in my life other than a plant. Plants can’t claw my furniture, and it’ll give me a wee bit of patience.”He made a face. “Haven’t got much of that, lately.” As they walked, Ares let their arms swing a bit between them, smiling encouragingly at her. “’course not. Wouldn’t even mind if you did, mind you,” he assured, shaking his head. “I’d be yellin’ at my partner right now, you’re doin’ me a proper favor.” Soon enough, Ares hailed them a cab because walking back to his apartment wasn’t something he was keen on doing. The journey was short, however, and soon, they found themselves in front of his front door. “I’ve only been here officially for six months, so I haven’t got much.” He let her in, gesturing at his sparsely decorated apartment. “What’re you hungry for, then?”

Isabelle didn’t know how you were supposed to adopt cats. She just knew that she wanted one and that it would fit well into her little family and that’s pretty much the entire reason they were there now. “Is your sister older or younger than your brother?” She was sure that Ares had told her but she’d learned a lot in the last couple days about him and she had forgotten certain points. “They won’t. Not any time soon anyway.” She laughed a little with a nod. “Yeah probably. I can’t believe you’re getting some too.” Isabelle was starting to think that accidental dates were her new favorite sorts of dates.”

“My sister’s the youngest by a year. My brother’s older than me by a year. I s’pose my parents were quite busy back then,” he murmured dryly, and chuckled. “They’re good people, but I haven’t gotten to see them much.” He smiled, and nodded. “My flat is a very lonely place, it’d be nice to see something other than me living there.” Once they’d gotten their adoption paperwork settled and paid the fees, they were instructed to come back and pick up their kittens the next day once they’d been appropriately vaccinated and chipped. “That was a success, I reckon.” He offered her his hand again, grinning smugly. “Up for a bit of dinner, then? I’m still happy to cook for you if so.”

Ares? Asher raised a curious eyebrow, but didn’t point anything out just yet. He wondered if this was the guy Isabelle had been talking about. “It’s all good man,” he answered with a smile, and shook his hand. “I’m Asher. That’s a good suggestion, can you send her a gift basket with both or maybe just hit her on the head with a giant inflatable mallet? You know, not enough to do damage, but enough to knock her out for a couple hours. Maybe you could get some work done, then.” He grinned. “What exactly is your job?”

“Chef,” he answered with a smile. Asher, he noted, and then it clicked. “Oh fuck me, you’re Isabelle’s brother, aren’t you? No fuckin’ wonder you looked so familiar. Now I look like a proper idiot for not being able to tell right away.” He did feel a bit embarrassed at that, but there wasn’t much else to say. He groaned, so much for a good first impression. “Sounds like a good plan, mate. She’s so tightly wound, I’d love a chance to go home an’ rest too.”

“Oh no!” Noelle looked around her feet trying to catch a glimpse of something shiny that could be the key. “Do you know the last time that you saw them?” Noelle looked back up at the man next to her and just shrugged. “They’ll survive they just need a break for a minute or so you know what I mean?”

“True,” Ares mused with a chuckle. “They’ve got this big, wee bit obnoxious keyring on them. Bright red knife. She’s got a thing for irony, so I can’t promise they’ll be easy to find. Knowing my string of luck, she’s probably found them already and just sent me out to get me out of the way.”

“Excuse me, is this seat taken? I don’t mean to bother you I just really need to rest my feet, its been a long day in really high heels.”

“Hmm?” Ares looked up and offered the woman a sheepish smile. “Oh, no, no, sorry.” He quickly moved the bags he’d spent most of the past hour rifling through. “I’ve just lost my partner’s keys, and if I haven’t got them back in the next hour, I’m afraid she’ll probably off me one.” He set the ones he’d already gone through down at his feet. “Sorry again. Are your feet alright?”

“You know what makes you feel old? Coming to terms with the idea that your oldest niece is graduating high school this year. How did that happen!?”

Isabelle picked uptake little kitten and watched Ares play with the two babies that had seemed to fall in love with him. “I think it would be incredibly rude if you didn’t take them with you they’d probably be sad for the rest of their lives.” Isabelle looked down at the new animal and made room for it. “Aw.. I think these are going to be the new little additions to the family. I think they fit in perfectly.” 

“I’d always been told you should adopt cats in pairs. They’re not like dogs that can be content with just you, apparently they go crazy when there’s two and they can teach each other and shite,” he said and chuckled. “Wish that worked a wee bit better with humans, maybe my brother an’ sister would’ve gotten along a bit better. She once chased him through a graveyard and he fuckin’ proper fell into an old hole. Hopefully yours and your brother’s kids don’t do that.” He scooped up the kittens in his arms who were now playfully wrestling each other and nodded. “We should go an’ see about getting them, then.” It was shaping up to be a decent date after all, he thought.

He made a face of sympathy and leaned back against the bench, nodding his understanding. “I dealt with a boss like that, she was absolutely horrible. I don’t know how  I managed to survive so long without killing her. Do you have a normal method of dealing with her? Any way to like.. curb her temper? Wine? A trip to a spa?”

“A wee bit of wine and some melatonin ought to be enough to curb her insanity,” Ares said with a chuckle. “Sorry ‘m a fucking arsehole, I’m Ares,” he said with a sheepish smile, and stuck his hand out for the other to shake. He couldn’t quite place why the other man looked so familiar, but he did. “What’s yours again? Have I been rude all this time and forgot to ask, or am I just fuckin’ forgetful?”

“Yeah and I don’t have time to entertain a toddler and a kitten that is just a recipe for disaster, you know what I mean?” She laughed and got ready for the kittens to come in, “Well I guess you’ll know soon enough then. This could be a huge day for you you could become a parent.” Isabelle scooped up the first can that ran over to her and cuddled it, “Aw.. I’ll take the whole place I don’ need any room in my apartment.” She looked over at Ares’ kitten, I think that it absolutely loves you.”

Ares smiled at the kittens running and tumbling over them both, unable to hold back a soft chuckle at Isabelle’s enthusiasm. It was nice to see her smile, at least. “I think these two have just gone and chosen me, then,” he glanced down at them, and shook his head. “S’pose I’ve got to take them home then, haven’t I?” He looked at the other kitten approaching her with a sweet smile. “Think you’ve got another friend.”

“It’s cool,” Asher assured with a small smile. Shit happened, sometimes literally and he wasn’t about to get up in arms over it. “She sounds like a real winner, man,” he said, and made a face. “Are you the owner? If so, I think you may need to find yourself a new employee. She needs to calm down and deal with the changing seasons. Spring in New York is not a new thing.”

“She’s a right fuckin’ nightmare,” he groused, scowling as he threw one hand up in the air. “She can’t seem to get it through her thick skull that no one even likes jellied eel, ‘specially in America, and that don’t fucking need a remoulade on everything.” He angrily tossed his coffee cup into the nearby trash can, offering him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, it’s been a bit of a day. Nearly had a row so loud we threw each other through the wall. Got a bit of a temper, that one.”

“Oh fuck, really?” Asher groused all while wearing a smile, and he glanced over at the person next to him before scraping whatever may have stuck to his pants off. “Dude, a little warning would be great next time.” He grinned sheepishly, moving to sit on the edge of the bench. Asher wasn’t an introvert by any means, so random conversations were nothing shocking to him. “Now what did your boss do, then?”

“Sorry mate,” Ares apologized again, really not all that sorry if Asher’s reaction was anything to go by. He grinned and nodded, before raising an eyebrow at him, not actually expecting their conversation to go further than that. “Ah, she’s been chewing me out about our spring menu not being seasonally appropriate. Personally I think she’s a wee bit of a nutter, but she doesn’t understand that we’ve not got to have the same shit every day. People like variety, ‘specially when seasons are changing.”

“We absolutely do.” Isabelle could just stare at the little kittens for forever, she barely heard Ares suggest that they go play with them. Not until she looked up at the worker opening the back door did it kind of click with her. “Oh! Yeah definitely. I want to meet these two.. I know it’s good to get two so that they aren’t lonely.” She stood up and pulled Ares with her so that they could meet the animals and followed the worker into the back meeting room. “Why am I nervous? I don’t even know if I’d be this nervous for when you cook me dinner.” 

Ares smiled brightly and nodded. “It’s a good plan, I’ve heard. They tend to go a bit bonkers as kittens and expect you to entertain them if they haven’t got a little mate to play with.” He’d only had experience with his mother’s cats, but it sounded about right. He followed her into the meet and greet room, smiling at the other cats tumbling about on the far wall with their toys. “Animals are a big commitment,” he said sagely, shrugging once. “’m nervous too and I haven’t even decided if I’m joining the cat dad society yet.” He chuckled, and found the worker to let them know which kittens they wanted to see. When their chosen kittens were set down in the room, Ares couldn’t help but chuckle when all of them came bounding over. “I think we’ve just made a massive mistake, we may need to take the whole place home.” He scooped up the tiny black kitten he’d been eyeing, jumping a little when a small brown tabby also scaled his leg. “What d’you think?”

“They do. Sophia is so good with him and Colton absolutely adores her. It’s really sweet.” The two of them were little reversed replicas of Isabelle and Asher  and Isabelle loved it every day a little bit more. “I just want whichever one is nice.. why don’t you get one too? You could have a little one running around too and it can test everything that you cook!” 

“Sounds like you’ve both got your hands full, then,” he chuckled, and went back to peering at the kittens. He’d only ever owned dogs back home in Glasgow, but these kittens were very quickly stealing his heart. “’s’not a bad idea,” he admitted, still glancing fondly at the little black one with its paws on the glass. “I reckon I’d get along with this wee one.” He tapped the glass, watching as the kitten fell onto its back with its paws in the air. “Shall we go meet some, then? I know they’ve got a room back there where you can meet an’ greet.”