[Regifortis]

Well, hey, now! Maybe this Will Alderman fellow wasn't so bad after all! Solid utilities setup, good filtering for the water, he could paint...! He felt himself cheering up a little. And if he needed to say something, he could just knock on that...door...

It was an adjoining door. Without a lock. The landlord could just walk in whenever he wanted.

"...I'm just, uh, hahaha!" Steve stalled. He had to remember his situation. It was his fault for picking a shady apartment building. And it was the spite of God that this was his only realizable option. "I'll be fine, just getting over a bug. N-Nothing contagious, I swear! It'll be gone before you know it. But, uh yeah...I think I'm fine. I'll just get my things from the car and bring them in..."

Awkwardness was his enemy here. He had to make a good impression...The 'trial phase' of this tenancy was going to bite him in the ass until it was raw, wasn't it? "I don't suppose you need anything while I'm going out to the car? I'm familiar with this area: I can pick up a thing or two."

[michime]

Will shook his head and waved off the suggestion.  "I'm good here unless you want to pick up something for yourself."  He added as he shut the door.  "You should park your car in the back.  John and Murray don't have cars.  My car is the blue pick up.  Don't park in my spot if I'm not here." 

He warned before he moved toward the very back of the apartment.  "Emergency exit," he stated with his hand against a sheet of Plexiglas.  "Just push on this red lever and you can get out.  Don't push it unless there's a real emergency.  It's set to the alarm so don't think you can sneak out during the night." 

He turned back to Steve.  "You got any questions for me?" 

[Regifortis]

"...Nope, I'm good." Steve had plenty of questions, but none that were safe to ask, for now. Plus, he could find a safe place to rant and rave about how this creepy old man had an adjoining room to a tenant later. "I guess we'll just see what happens."

He watched Will leave. Surprisingly fit guy for being so old, it was a little odd. Steve actually hoped he was that good-looking when he got older. And that accent wasn't recognizable for him; something European, maybe. What a weird man...but his hands started to cup his stomach, now that no one was watching. He had more important problems.

He waited...and waited...and waited until the rain and hail stopped to go back out to his car. It never got to any golf ball sized ice, one small comfort. He brought his things into his room and went out to get formally acquainted with the rest of the precinct. He would start working cases in a couple of days. And then...he decided to just get it over with and buy a fucking pregnancy test. Actually, he'd need more than just one, to rule out any bad tests.

The exchange with the cashier was about what he could have expected. "It's, ah...my girlfriend was worried, heh." "Girlfriend? Hmm..." "You got something to say, wiseass?" "You don't look like you're dating anyone. Not if you're shopping here." "It's a quick errand, what's with the...fine, it's for my sister, you happy?" "No." "Well, with a face like that, I wouldn't be, either." And he took his purchase and went back 'home'.

Making sure he was well out of sight, and that his landlord wasn't about to just walk through at the most awkward time, he held the test over the toilet, unzipped, and followed the instructions to the letter. Now he had to wait. Steve felt his hair stand on end. Please, God, let his life be reasonable! Let this all be a prank gone on for too long!

He looked at the indicator. He checked the box. 'Positive'. Trying not to panic or just start yelling, he used another brand of pregnancy test. And then another. And the only one left after that. All 'positive'...For reasons beyond his mere mortal comprehension, Steve McArthur was pregnant. Again.

[michime]

Will stood in the hallway at the mailboxes trashing all the junk mail, sorting the bills, and other mail.  He wasn't trying to snoop on Steve when the man came out of his apartment with a white bag in his hand.  He wasn't trying to be a nosy neighbor when he spotted several pink boxes with the words 'pregnancy test' stamped on the side.  But now he saw all that and he had questions.  His new tenant had moved in about five hours ago and no one visited the man. 

"Steve?"  He called out as the detective tried to sneak out the back door.  "You know it's easier to get to the dumpster from the front door?"  He kept looking from Steve's face to the boxes in the bag.  He raised an eyebrow at the young man like he expected Steve to try and argue. 

[Regifortis]

Steve wanted to immediately hide the bag behind him. But Alderman already saw what it looked like, and he had no way to tell whether or not the old man noticed the boxes. Raised eyebrow? That could mean ANYTHING, police training told him as much. He had to play it cool and just...just fine SOMETHING to take out his frustration and indignity later. So Steve just made a face of confusion.

"The front door? Really?" Steve shrugged. "Huh. I'll remember that, thank you. Anyway, if you'll excuse me."

As soon as he turned away and had the bag in front of him, and as soon as he was sure Alderman couldn't see his face, Steve let his inner diatribe flow. Fucking idiot, taking out the trash this early. Oh, he thought the landlord would be all Oh, look at him, he's being so responsible, yadda yadda yadda, what a joke. It was fucking TRASH, this whole ordeal was stressing him out so much...

And now he had a very, VERY big problem to handle. Steve couldn't exactly get an abortion 'specifically for men' or any shit like that. Nor could he give himself one without probably killing himself. So...did he really, DID HE REALLY JUST HAVE TO GIVE BIRTH AGAIN?!

Unless he found a better answer...yep. He'd have to do it. He'd have to hope to God that labor didn't start while he was in his room, and then slink off somewhere even MORE quiet to push whatever impossible brat had found its way into his body this time. Christ. Steve threw the bag into the dumpster and buried it under other trash bags. He needed to go shopping tomorrow...

[michime]

Will knocked on the adjoining door later that night because he wanted to talk to his new tenant.  There seemed to be something going on with Steve and Will being Will and the owner of the building, wanted to know what was going on exactly. 

"It's Will," he called out when he didn't get an answer to his knock.  "If you don't open the door, I'm coming in." 

[Regifortis]

Fucking Christ, Steve had to bend over backwards for these nosy fucks--"Just a second, I'm coming, sir!"

Well, at least the guy knocked. That was a little better than what Steve was expecting, honestly. He opened the door and let Alderman step inside.

"Did you...need me for something?" Steve just wanted this exchange to end as soon as it started. But OH WELL. APPARENTLY what he wanted didn't matter in this world anymore! "Or is there something you wanted to tell me, or ask me...?"

[michime]

Will stepped into the apartment and looked around.  He took note that Steve didn't have a lot.  No pictures or any kind of mementos.  There wasn't a blanket on the back of the couch.  He saw the few books the man brought in when he moved in and figured the detective might need something. 

"I know you know I saw the boxes in the trash," Will began once his eyes settled on Steve's face.  "I don't know what you got yourself into or why you needed those tests but if you want, I'm here to help."  He walked into the detective's kitchen and opened up the cabinets finding them bare.  "Do you have dishes or cups?"  

[Regifortis]

SHIT. Not good, not even vaguely good. The landlord was actually confronting Steve about the damned boxes. How the hell would he bluff his way out of this one...wait. Wait, he remembered reading something. Yeah! Okay, he just had to put on a 'stressed-out and nervous' act. Or better yet, he just had to act like he actually felt.

"...I, uh...God, this is so embarrassing." Steve looked down to his feet. "...I thought I might have testicular cancer. I had some, you know, 'downstairs pain', that's one of the signs. And I know that pregnancy tests are a good indicator for that, so I bought a few different brands. All negative, haha!" He grinned weakly. "And that pain seems to be going away, so I guess I just wasted my money...oh, well."

"Oh, as for dishes, I do need some, yes." He wasn't sure whether Alderman would help him with that or not, but he was asked two questions, and he answered both of them.

[michime]

Will shot him a 'I know you're lying to me but I'm going to let it slide' glare before he shrugged his shoulders and pulled open one of the drawers in the cabinet.  "You don't have silverware either,"  he sighed before he shook his head.  "Come on.  I got all the junk the old tenant left and never came back for." 

He waved Steve through the door and into his modest but well loved apartment.  Two book shelves full of books, pictures, and magazines lined the wall.  A worn but sturdy couch sat in the middle of the floor with a thick blanket folded over the back.  A recliner with a tv stand angled so the old man could watch his tv.  This was a home.  

"Come this way," he told Steve before he walked into the kitchen.  He opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a box.  "Dishes and silverware along with some dish towels.  Should be enough for you." 

[Regifortis]

Steve became genuinely confused. What was with that glare? He just gave the only plausible response to that question...barring something absolutely inexplicable, of course. Pregnancy tests do detect testicular cancer, more often than not! But, AGAIN, he had to let it slide. Alderman had him by the balls, so the old fool could think whatever the hell he wanted.

More importantly, Alderman...actually offered some silverware and plates, and even dish towels. Damn. He could set up his room to be a little more convenient. Steve was a little dumbstruck. "This is...really nice of you. Thank you." Feeling awkward, he took the box from the landlord's arms and felt their fingers brush. Ugh, awkward. "Oh, sorry!" He had warm hands, so it wasn't greasy or unpleasant or anything. But he hoped his landlord didn't think anything of it.

[michime]

"I have some blankets and sheets if you need them as well," Will offered as he carefully studied his neighbor.  "They aren't the greatest but they are clean.  I have no idea if you need them but I don't want to throw them out."  He watched the young man stumble over his words as he took the box.  "I'm sure you already ate but in case you haven't, I made loaded potato soup and bacon club sandwiches." 

He motioned to a pot on the stove and the loaf of bread still on the counter. 

[Regifortis]

Steve really didn't want to stall, but...Alderman was suddenly being very accommodating out of nowhere. Was this a test? If so, then what was the right answer? Did he accept and try to be a good neighbor as well as a good tenant? Or did he respectfully refuse and make it clear that he wasn't going to mooch off the guy?

But before he could decide, his stomach growled loudly. He hadn't eaten since early this morning.

"Ahaha..." Steve didn't buy any food while he was out. Steve didn't even think about it with all the worry he had over his pregnancy. Steve wanted to die. "Well, if you're offering, then I would love to stay for dinner. I-If you're okay with that, obviously! I could just take a bit of food and leave you be." Leave him be one door over. Dammit, he was messing this all up! "I don't need any sheets, though, thank you for the offer."

Well, whatever. If tonight had any chance of being less shitty than the rest of his day, he would take it.

[michime]

Will took the box from Steve and motioned for him to sit after he let out a little laugh at the growling stomach.  "Looks like your stomach spoke for you."  He teased before he moved toward the counter.  "How do you like your sandwiches?  I like mine with mayo, lettuce, and lots of pickles."  A knowing smirk crossed his face at the word 'pickles'. 

"I like having company for dinner," Will mentioned.  "I would like it if you would make time to have dinner with an old man."  The way he said it made it sound like he wasn't suggesting Steve make the time.  "I would love to get to know you better.  I'm sure you'll make through the test week with flying colors." 

[Regifortis]

Steve noted the tone of his landlord very carefully. So he'd have to add 'dinner with landlord' to the list of test week chores...well, if this soap and these sandwiches didn't suck, then that was hardly a bad thing! They even had pickles; he loved those on sandw--

Wait. He loved pickles normally. When he was pregnant the first time, they made him throw up. And if he guessed right, his landlord wasn't going to like Steve picking food out of the meal. Maybe...he wasn't far along enough for the pickles to make him nauseated? Or maybe he just wouldn't get nauseated this time? Oh, he had no fucking idea...!

"I hope so! I'll do my best." Well, nothing for it now. He would just enjoy the taste of pickles, make small talk with Alderman, and leave the rest to chance.

[michime]

Will made Steve two sandwiches loaded with bacon, pickles, and turkey before he filled a bowl of hot soup and placed everything in front of Steve. "According to John and Murray, these are the best sandwiches in the city." He smiled as he moved to sit down in his chair and watched the other man eat.

"The weather will be sunny and cool this weekend, perfect for a cookout," he gently reminded Steve about the best way to get on the good side of the other men. "I know you're a cop and probably busy but make sure you have time for the cookout."

[Regifortis]

"They are pretty good!" Steve was relieved that he could give an honest compliment and not earn more irritation from the ball-busting landlord. The sandwiches tasted very nice, but he felt weird as he ate them...oh, God. He really hoped he could just get past it. At the very least, it took him a while for his...first pregnancy...to want to retch after eating pickles.

"This weekend, huh?" He would probably be busy...he had to hope he could pass off any conflicting case to someone else, but he had only just moved! The transfer wasn't even finalized yet! "Alright, I'll remember that." Why? Why couldn't this whole thing wait until he was actually settled, like any normal move?! Why was it happening at all?! Steve...Steve felt his anger crumbling from sheer helplessness. That was never good. One case drove him to this point before, and it nearly broke him. It took him a very long visit to the gym and exclusive access to some punching bags to get out of it.

He should do that tomorrow. Buy groceries, get chummy with the neighbors, and punch the shit out of acceptable targets. For tonight, he needed to make time to possibly throw up and fall asleep.

[michime]

"Just 'pretty good'?" Will teased with a slight smiled as he took a bite of his own sandwich then wiped his mouth when some mayo dripped out of his sandwich. "The way you're eating looks like you haven't had food in a month." He paused for a moment then added, "or you're eating for seven. One of the two. You want another one?"

"Yeah, this weekend," Will continued keeping a close eye on Steve's face. The guy looked like he was under a lot of stress, and had a secret. He wondered if he made the right choice in letting Steve rent the apartment. He had a week and if he didn't like it, he could easily just kick the cop out and move someone else in. "It's really important for the guys. John will have the game on the radio and Murray will be his usual self."

[Regifortis]

Steve nodded, not knowing how else to respond to the landlord, and noticed that Alderman's sandwich in particular had mayo on it. Oh, no...he ate a lot of mayo in his first pregnancy; he put it with pizza, pasta, even chocolate. He thought he was just having a shitty few months and didn't bother to register how weird that was. But now he saw it and wanted it something fierce...no, no, he had to be good.

Wait...Steve kept eating, trying not to be messy or give in to his craving, but he had to wonder about something now. Did Alderman actually think he was pregnant? That glare that he gave Steve, and the weird hints that were getting dropped. But...no, this guy wouldn't be that stupid, would he? He looked grumpy and unreasonable at times, but Steve didn't get the impression that the guy would actually believe something like that. The fact that it was true had no bearing on this. Why the shit would he think that?!

...Actually, he wouldn't. Steve swallowed his latest bite and said "Thanks for the food!" before having some of the soup. The guy was just joking. Weird fucking joke, sure, but it made more sense than Alderman actually thinking about that. God, that mayo looked good. Why didn't his sandwiches have any? Whatever. Could he...ask for some? Man, he had to try, it was staring him in the face.

"You, uh...wouldn't have any more mayonnaise, would you? These are great as is, but some of the white stuff would be perfect!" He hoped that Alderman wouldn't take that the wrong way...but he really, really hoped that Alderman had some.

[michime]

Will noticed Steve staring at his half eaten sandwich like he wanted to reach across the table and take it from him. He eased his plate back closer to the edge of the table and further away from Steve. Something really weird was going on and he was going to get to the bottom of it before the week was over. He picked up his sandwich and quickly down the rest before he took a long gulp of his drink. He didn't want to choke.

He nodded when Steve thanked him for the food and started on his soup. At least now that his sandwich was gone, Steve didn't look so determined to grab his sandwich. This guy was weird, totally, completely, weird.

"Oh you wanted mayo on your sandwich?" Will visibly relaxed as he let out a long breath. "I can do that. Let me make you another one. Mayo on both slices of bread okay?" He asked as he got up from the table and moved over to the counter.