This laugh is a bit less shaky. "I'm glad you met each other, then. I'm just sad he had to deal with it alone so long. I understand why you didn't tell me," he says to you, "but still." Rather than pass some inane reply through Erskin, or change back before Dad's done really absorbing the fact of your wolf form, you just lean on him in canine affection. He pretty much seems to get the idea.
"Er, well, leaving aside this is the sort of issue that gets fellows taken out back by their parents and shot, as a general policy the American military doesn't really acknowledge any of the more fiddly bits of the world," you put in. "I think all that sort of thing is outsourced to the, the CBS, or whatever it is. CSA? NYPD? Your secret agencies? Bel was was a little concerned this would cause problems at your work, you knowing about it all, now. It'd be a real shame if you were cast out along with him. Apparently neither of you want to work for Russia."
"Good lord no, especially under Putin! Can you imagine?" He looks to you. "So the Army knows?" You nod. "And they didn't give you any trouble?" You shake your head, but after a moment you decide that's not a question you can answer with yes or no. Besides, it seems he's likely to keep asking questions. You move out of window-view and change back, an effort that leaves you a bit sweaty, but without any of the awful noises or bleeding that Erskin's been going through. You pull on your suit pants and undershirt as you answer: "Depends on if you call a medical discharge when I'm perfectly fine 'trouble'. I know having to be quadrupedal for a day or two every month is hard on the work schedule, but they could've stuck me behind a desk or... or something." You sigh. "I don't even want a military career anymore. I thought I did, but now I'm thinking I could serve another way. It's just insulting, that's all." "Do you want me to look into --?" "No!" You put your fists on your hips and glare at him. "Don't you dare jeopardize your career on my account. I'm not in trouble. I don't want back in. I'll be a park ranger or something, it'll be cool." "Okay, okay. I just really want to help you. I'm your father." "You're a champ," you retort. "Holy shit you took this so well, I can't even." You look at Erskin to see if he's equally impressed. "Seriously, how chill is this guy."
"This does seem to be a best-case scenario, yes," you agree. "I can certainly see where you get that even temper of yours from." To Alex, you add, "He's got a wonderful disposition, as well as an excellent build. He's really quite a prize."
"I --? Oh, er." You blush, thrown off balance by the compliment. Your dad looks between you and opens his mouth to say something; you point at him sternly. "Shush." He puts his hands up in surrender. "Just saying." "Don't." "Have it your way." To Erskin: "Can I offer you anything to eat or drink? I know Bel brought you leftovers, but if I'd known you weren't a dog, I'd have invited you to dinner with us."
"I have no doubt you would have, sir, please don't worry about it." You wave a hand and essay a self-deprecating smile. "I don't think I could keep my balance for a whole dinner, at the moment, let alone the manners for anywhere nice. Do you have any herbal tea? A warm drink would probably make all of us feel better." Nearly anywhere you go in the world, tea gives everyone the chance to do something with their hands and the time to think about what to do next, or the opportunity to shelve any difficult topic in favor of lecturing the foreigner on the best way to prepare it. In addition to this it's usually pleasant to consume. You pat the couch beside you and put your arms around Bel when he sits.
"I absolutely have herbal tea. Bel, anything for you?" "Decaf with lots of sugar and cream?" "Absolutely." He pauses before leaving, puts one hand on your shoulder and one on Erskin's. "You're good boys. Thank you for telling me." Then he heads for the kitchen. You wrap your arms around Erskin in return and bump your forehead down on his shoulder with a sigh of relief. "That went really well. I don't know why I'm so shaken."
"Just because you made it through a dangerous situation unscathed, doesn't mean the situation wasn't dangerous, or you were wrong to be frightened," you point out. You lick the top of his head, then remember it doesn't work so well this way around when you get a mouthful of his long hair. "Augh, pleh. Bplef. You've been using too much shampoo again, I don't know how you stand it, you'll rot your sinuses out. That's a real thing that actually happens to people, you know! Their noses just fall off."
"But at least I'll be silky in the meantime," you point out. "You'll simply have to enjoy my nose while I still have it." You nuzzle behind his ear to help him enjoy it. "Changing looked even rougher this time than last; I guess you can't spend the night human, huh?"
"Hnngh," you say, intelligently, then pull yourself and your borrowed bathrobe together. "No, I think even with giving changing back and forth a rest I'm being checked by the moon. I've honestly not spent enough time in this shape to have an idea of my... my range? my limitation... period...? It's going to be damn inconvenient for you if it turns out to be half the bloody month. Your sort's generally only locked down the night of the full, I believe, but I know some of my cousins can only manage the change around the dark of it." You grin. "It's hard to get an exact count of that, though, since quite a number only bother to change for the new moon family dinner, the lazy sods. You're not the only one with a taste for the forbidden fruits of the cacao tree."
You chuckle. "Well, you'll notice I asked Dad for decaf. If you can't spend the night human, then I'll spend the night wolf. Because I want to have the option of talking to you, even if we don't end up actually talking much. Once I understand wolf language better in human form... well, we'll get kind of sexually frustrated if you can't change half the month, but it won't put a crimp in our friendship."
"I'll put a crimp anywhere I like, you can't stop me," you declare grandly, and try to fold up a bit of his hair. He bats at you, and you bat him back, and by the time his dad comes back out with the tea things he's sitting on you but you've got your teeth clamped on his wrist and one of your hind feet braced against his chin. "Thank you," you say politely, though it comes out rather more like "Famfpu," and then Bel lets you up. You debate on whether or not to be embarrassed but it's not as if anything untoward was actually going on at the moment, so you settle on 'not'. "Ooh, chamomile," you say, taking your cup.
"Did I interrupt something?" Dad says, looking way more amused than he should. "Just horseplay," you reply loftily, and sip your coffee. Your loftiness deflates. "Ohh you put a marshmallow in it like it was cocoa I love you oh my god I needed this. Oh my god this isn't creamer this is whipping cream." "Well, chocolate is a good antidote to stress, but since you probably ought not to have that or caffeine if you're going to be, er, canine at all any time soon, I thought I'd just lean on the sugar and fat angle." "I am undeservedly lucky in life," you sigh, practically cuddling your mug as you slowly sip from it. "So, Erskin," your dad says brightly, and you're too well sedated by sweet hot drinks to prevent him, "should I be referring to you as my son's boyfriend, then? I don't want to be one of those awful people who says 'friend' with invisible air quotes about their child's significant other."
"Oh! I don't know!" You say, taken aback. "I suppose that would make things simpler for you in regular conversation, wouldn't it, if you need to talk to other humans about us? I was operating under the impression Bel and I were— were— I suppose the phrase is, keeping company? Until he's ready for something more permanent. I've no plans to settle and he's—" you shoot him a fond, teasing grin, "—a damn romantic, and hence will probably make some couple or trio out there extremely happy for an extremely long time when he wants to settle down and raise children. As I was saying before, he's a prize." You pat Bel, who looks oddly vulnerable. Upset, even. "Don't worry, I'm not going to strand you in Siberia with the first local lady to hoist her tail. There's plenty of good people out there, we'll find you a true love or two, and you can have sixteen babies with them and make your dad enormously happy. I'll even come by sometimes if you're not tired of me by then." You glance back at Alex, who at least seems amused. "You do want grandchildren, don't you?"
"It would be nice, but I do have nieces and nephews, there's no need to pressure Bel," he smiles. You, for your part, are looking at Erskin with what you hope are not big wobbly sad eyes, but you fear they might be. You don't want to have this discussion in front of your dad, but... damn, that stung. "I'm in no hurry to settle," you point out. "I'm not even thirty yet. And in case you forgot, Erskin, humans usually only have two or three kids, sixteen is a terrifying concept." Besides, I'd kind of rather settle with you, you do not add, because you're in human form, and thank fuck for that.
"You're not human, Bel," you say, gently but firmly. "It's not as if you were handed a fancy wolf costume to wear, love, you're a werewolf no matter what shape you're occupying, and we have natures that borrow from both sides." You take a sip of your tea. "Anyway, you should have sixteen kids, you're gorgeous, they'd be lovely."
"I didn't mean --" you begin to explain, wanting to get across that you're not rejecting your wolf nature, you just never imagined a lot of kids, but then he says that and you get some of your drink down the wrong pipe. "Bel's not good with compliments," your dad says with fond amusement. "I can't imagine why, he's a treasure. And you, Mr. Aspera, are a charmer."
"You don't make four laps of the world by being unlikeable!" You agree. "This tea is delicious, by the way, thank you again." Bel still seems put out. You elbow him in the head. "We've known one another all of two weeks, love, please give it slightly longer than that before you bring up the boyfriend situation. Anyway, I like you. We're having a good time." To Alex you say, "He's nice. Isn't he nice? You did a good job. I don't suppose you've got fifteen more of the same stowed away anywhere?"
"Give it slightly longer before you bring up me fathering a damn dynasty, especially to my dad!" you burst, upset. "Dad, stop laughing at me!" "I'm sorry, kiddo, it's just that the absurdity of the situation is catching up with me," he soothes. "I think I'll go to bed. Let the news settle. Keep the robe as long as you like," he says to Erskin, and ruffles your hair as he gets up to go.
"It was nice talking to you," you tell him, setting your tea on the floor, then fall gratefully back into fur. You wriggle out of the bathrobe— sorry, Alex— give a brisk shake to settle yourself down, then lick Bel's cheek and jaw affectionately until he stops looking quite so fussy. Then you hop off the couch and stick your snout into the teacup to finish your drink. It is actually very good tea.
