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It's afternoon and there has been apartment hunting: Billy's not exactly the most useful fellow in the world at this, finding the entire concept more then a little daunting. The requirements are simple as far as he's concerned: safe neighborhood, two bedrooms with ideally two baths, but one will do. Eventually after checking out various places they find themselves in Greenwich Village in front of the Stonewall Inn restaurant, and Billy hesitates, his head cocking to the side as he regards the place's name with a certain oddness to his expression. "Hmmm…. I know that name. From *then*."
*
Given the salary Peggy quoted to them, safe neighborhood is definitely one of the things Teddy is looking for considering it wasn't before the meeting. They'd have managed living in a dump but this is so much better. "Oh?" he asks, looking over at Billy then down at the local paper listing apartments for rent. "This is the right place. Over there though." he says, pointing to the number 55 over the doorway to the left of the actual restaurant.
*
"Something important is going to happen here, something related to gay rights. I'm not sure when or what but it'll be the beginning of the change for the better for us." Billy doesn't bother whispering or anything like that, since 'gay' isn't in the current vocabulary so he might as well be talking about animal rights as far as anyone else is concerned. But he follows Teddy's pointing, and leaves the restaurant behind to head that way, "The ad said the manager is on the first floor, 1A, and that he'd show us the place… but on the good side of things? Not only is Greenwich Village nice and an upcoming place, but its the same neighborhood as Stephen's place. Not that Mr. Teleporter Me really needs proximity."
*
Teddy looks just as confused about what gay means as everyone else would until he remembers that Billy uses it occasionally. "Oh? Maybe there's a meeting in the restaurant or something." He leads the way up the stairs and goes into the lobby, looking around for 1A then rapping on the door.
*
"Its bigger then that: it got worldwide press coverage, whatever it was." Billy replies, thoughtfully, but he settles into his most charming and friendly expression with dimples out in force for when the door opens.
The manager, we'll call him Bob, glances them over and squints a bit, "Yes?"
Billy smiles! "We're here to check out the apartment that's open for rent."
The manager looks skeptical, "Little young, look if this is going to be some sort of frat pad then we don't want that kind of noise or trouble in here, kids…"
"Oh no! No, see, I'm an intern at Polychem Industries and there was a housing allowance for signing on, see, so me and my friend here are going in together for an apartment in the city…"
*
"And I work for Wolvertone, Zahn and Associates." Teddy puts in. "It's a bit expensive but the two of us can afford it if we split the rent and the ad said it's a two bedroom." he explains to the manager. "Can we see it? Being so close tot he subway would be really convenient to get to work."
*
The manager looks skeptical, but shrugs, says, "Just a minute." and closes the door.
While waiting, Billy figits, "Also roof access will be good for flying, but we'll not tell you that." He casts a grin over at Teddy, "What do you *do* for WZA? I'm not sure you've ever actually told me what your major is."
Its not long before the manager returns, with a set of keys, and is all, "Right this way." and leads up the stairs and into the top floor landing, where he unlocks the door and opens it for them, "So, two bedrooms: there's two fireplaces, one in the living area and one in the master suite…" Billy promptly says, "Dibs." and begins looking around.
*
"That's the places the Director told us about." Teddy says quietly. He nudges him with an elbow as the guy returns and then follows him up. When Billy calls dibs, he just looks at him but he's a small, thing little guy and probably gets cold easily so doesn't argue. Walkingin to the apartment, he looks looks around then immediately starts for the spiral staircase.
*
For his part, Billy heads for the kitchen first thing. He can't cook at all but he figures he has to learn at this point, otherwise he'll maybe starve to death. "Is the roof access shared with anyone else or is it exclusive for this unit?" he asks of the manager.
"Exclusive." is the answer.
He hmms, eyeing the little kitchen a little skeptically, but he takes to wandering, "Two baths or one?"
"One." is that answer.
Billy sighs a little bit, "I'm going to have to share a bathroom for the first time in my life. This is dire. Teddy if you are the super long shower types I'll I don't know do something evil to you."
*
"If you get the bedroom with the fireplace, you don't get to complain about my showers." Teddy says before he steps out onto the roof. "Oh, cool. We'll take it. Right Billy? We are definitely taking it."
*
"I can complain about *anything*. Its a basic human right. I get cold! Winter is bad for me." Billy calls up to Teddy. Billy doesn't answer the question on taking it yet, not until he goes and finds the master bedroom with its fireplace and walk in closet. He takes a deep breath, then turns and heads to the manager, "I'm Billy Kaplan, my friend there is Teddy Altman, and we're going to be your new tenants. What paperwork do you need? And I assume first and last?"
*
Teddy should probably actually see what the rest of apartment looks like so turns away from the perfect view of the Empire State Building to go back downstairs. He really doesn't need more than a look to confirm his first impression. "Definitely."
*
The manager blinks, then nods, "Well, let me go get the paperwork to get this started." With another nod, he heads off.
Once he's gone, Billy turns a look on Teddy, "I know WZA is the place the Director mentioned was a front, my question is what fake-job do you have with them? I'm a research assistant, obviously. I was also asking what your major is. I don't really know what you want to do for a living *after* college."
*
Teddy shrugs. "I haven't decided. But we should make up stories to match with both of us working there. Then we can bring our parents here to see the place cause you KNOW they're going to insist on it. And if we have them come at the same time, we only have to do the song and dance once."
*
"I'm not working there— I said, Polychem Industries." Billy shakes his head slowly, "My parents would never believe I was working for some lawfirm or whatever else it is: the only believable thing is in my field. Chemistry. The Director said I could give all the information to the lady with phones and she'll answer and lie through it. Probably just have another phone line that lists PCI on it." That said he shrugs, "Actually, my parents wouldn't really insist, they'd respect my wanting space. But they'll expect an invitation to a dinner party at some point. But they doesn't have to be soon: having the Kaplan Clan all in this place at once would be a lot."
*
Teddy just shrugs, taking Billy at his word. "I'll have to think of something then and soon cause my mom /will/ insist. But if we point them at each other, she can keep your parents busy. Otherwise she's going to be questioning us about everything. She's one of those hands on mothers."
*
"In my house its my brothers who will pester." Billy says, his tone a bit long-suffering, "And we'll have to have Stephen and Wanda and Pietro and Tommy and Lorna over sometime, that being my magic family, but they can know the truth. Well. Maybe not Lorna. I don't know her so well yet. Tommy, of course, will assume we're sleeping together." He flushes, "Probably so will Wanda. I know she's going to be really not happy about this SHIELD thing. And if she's not happy with it, Stephen won't be either, and its not ideal to have the Sorcerer Supreme annoyed. He might try to fix things."
*
"Well, you can tell them we're not!" Maybe ever. Or yet. "Just tell them to mind their own business." Teddy suggests. They're not your real parents." For certain definitions of real. "And we're never going to get paid anything like SHIELD is going to pay us. Not for a very long time." If ever. "You might." He just shakes his head and starts opening cabinets and closets to look in them. "God, this place is great. Go look at the view. The Empire State Building is RIGHT THERE."
*
"Oh, I totally will make more when I get my PHD." Billy has it all planned out, years and years of schooling, "Though I expect I'll be taking the slow track on the PHD and will have a real job after I get my masters degree. Then again its quite possible SHIELD might need a chemical engineer and they might pay me competitive chemist rates plus spy rates." he muses, then he wrinkles his nose, "Don't say that. They're my real parents. We just don't know why they gave me and Tommy up for adoption." And, he heads for the stairs and marches up to peek out, but he doesn't stay there long before returning, "Okay that's a nice view. Come summer time we're eating on the roof."
*
"The ones who raised you are your real parents." Teddy states, looking under the sink. "Whatever alien got my mother pregnant could show up today but he wouldn't really be my father. No water stains. That's good. Nothing leaking." Guess who did most of the home repairs. "Not that they shouldn't matter to you if you want them to."
*
"I get to decide this, Teddy." Billy says firmly, "And I decide they are *both* my parents. I can't be angry with the Kaplan's for never telling me I was adopted…" He actually wasn't, that's just what he's guessed, "…because the spell rewrote their realities so they don't even know anymore. I can't be angry with Stephen or Wanda for giving me up, because they aren't pregnant with me yet so whatever situation that caused that … we have no idea what it is. So the fact is, I simply have two sets of parents. Both care for me. Both want what's best for me. Granted, its kind of annoying because I have two sets of people to parent me and no one likes being parented." He shrugs, "And your decision about your would-be father is yours to make, and fine. I won't tell you who your father is, Teddy. You don't tell me who is real and who isn't."
*
Teddy looks over at Billy and shrugs. "You get to decide it." he agrees. The whole rewriting reality thing is just too bizarre he's not even going to try figuring it out. "You ever going to let them meet each other?" he asks curiously.
*
"Absoflippinglutely not." Billy is *emphatic* on this point. "It would be too weird. I have my mundane family and my magic family and never the two shall meet. I couldn't even possibly explain Wanda and Stephen to my parents in ways they'd understand: to them I'm just a normal guy. They know I'm gay and are afraid-supportive of it but that's all. Otherwise I'm their normal Jewish son. They're Reform, by the way. More ethically and culturally Jewish then ceremonially or religiously so. That's enough of a worry on them. They don't need to know I go fight crime and danger and can force the universe into whatever shape I want it to be."
*
"They know?" Teddy asks, turning to look at Billy. "So when we went up to your room that time? And with us living in the same apartment, are they going to think? So everyone is going to think?"
*
Billy shrugs, "I've always had a really good relationship with them. And they are very liberal. Reform, like I said. Not even remotely conservative or orthodox. But no." He shakes his head slowly, "I haven't told them we're anything so as far as they know you're just a friend of mine. I don't sleep with every guy I happen to come across and the assumption isn't me and a guy in a room alone means we're having sex." He wrinkles his nose, "In fact I'm a virgin just so its clear so no, the only reason Tommy and Wanda are going to think is because Tommy thinks about sex ten thousand times a second and Wanda is…like…worldly."
*
"And because you yelled about how my saying we should get an apartment together wasn't romantic." Teddy reminds him. "I think that told everyone exactly what was going on." Which is almost certainly a lot less than they think. "Oh, a dishwasher. Cool. I hate washing dishes." As if it's the most natural segue, he says "I haven't been with any guys either."
*
"That isn't what I said at all." replies Billy with this haven't-been-with-any-guys thing, and otherwise Billy shrugs on the other topic, "I have no real secrets from magic-family. Tommy's been rooting for me and you since two seconds after we met. Everyone else has already assumed: the reason Wanda thought I wanted to rescue you was because I was you know like…" He air quotes, "'in love'" end air quotes, "…with you. Trying to tell them they're getting way out ahead of themselves is of no use, so." He shrugs, "But they all already thought we were an item." Pause, "Washing dishes is the worst thing ever." he agrees.
*
"I know what you said." Teddy notes and leaves it at that but rolls his eyes at all the assumptions. "Well, not going to let it bother me." Not that it really seems to all that much. But then he frowns and looks bak over at Billy. "If things are so… loose when you came from, why are you so squirrely about it?"
*
"Because one of the first person I met here told me I could get *killed* for it. Like, not just beat up. Then? I got beat up. I got picked on. Until my power manifested people were mean. Later in life, things steadily improved… but… then I was here, in the dark ages, and they said I could be *killed* here for admitting it. I rather highly am in favor of not getting killed." explains Billy, but he latches on the point, "And I said I'm a virgin and you said you haven't been with any guys either. Those aren't the same thing." he prods the point to try to pry out the answer he seeks.
*
"Well, you could." Teddy admits. "Though with your powers, I don't think you have anything to worry about. And I didn't say they were the same. Should I have just ignored it instead?"
*
"Now, no." agrees Billy with a nod, "Now, no bully is a threat to me. But my powers didn't …start until after I knew and after— then— people knew. So for a few years I was beat up fairly regularly." Billy's expression darkens and his entire body tenses up, looking away, crossing his arms over his chest, looking for a moment smaller then he is. The memories of his difficulties hurt him clearly. "No, you could say what I'm asking." Not that he exactly directly asked, buuut, "Have you slept with girls then? Are you bi?" He seems oddly defensive. This whole sex talk has Billy entirely out of his confident position.
*
"You didn't ask." Teddy points out. Turning, he leans back against the counter. "Bi? As in, do I like both boy and girls? No. And yeah, I've slept with two of them. It's expected." he explains, shrugging. "It was easier to just do it than keep making excuses."
*
Billy looks uncomfortable. He looks around. He can't find a place for his hands, for his feet. Nothing belongs anywhere. He doesn't like this news and isn't sure how to deal with it, but it is. He looks to the door to the apartment, looking expectantly: return withthe paperwork! Let him think about anything at all but Teddy with some girl. He's a little storm of uncertainty and his usual confidence is evading him. "Yeah okay, so. I've never, but, *then* I was out of the closet so it wasn't a thing, and *now* I was simply … the awkward kid no one was interested in because he was awkward. That's my life."
*
Teddy nods. "Well, you're the only one who knows what I am for sure. Your family's speculation not counting unless you've actually told them. If you're a jock, you sleep with girls. That's how it works. If you don't, there's something wrong with you. And that can get you beat up and kicked off the team."
*
There's a sharp pause, and Billy eyes Teddy for a long moment, "Does that mean if we … become a thing … you're going to sleep with girls?" he asks in a very, very even tone of voice that is meant to be calming but might be seen as dangerous in certain circles.
*
Teddy frowns. "Hell no. That was back in high school." Then he shrugs. "I've just been telling anyone who asks I've got a girlfriend from high school and won't cheat on her."
*
There's a visible reaction in Billy's frame, and he nods, "Okay, because I wouldn't be okay with that at all. I can't really hold what you did before you even met me against you, but I don't like that you've been with girls and it'll take awhile for me to stop trying to see how I compare, but whatever. That's my drama. I…" He shrugs a little, looking away again, "I don't think I deserve stuff sometimes. This is just hard because … I remember a time where this is nearly impossible and a time when this is just difficult, at once? I don't quite know how to behave. I didn't like it when you snapped at me and shrugged out of me taking your arm. But maybe that was wrong of me, to take your arm in front of her, even though she obviously didn't care. I don't know how to be."
*
Teddy can't help but snort at that. "How you compare? I don't like girls, Billy. Just by not being one you win." Then he runs his hand over his hair and shakes his head. "I did that because you were tugging on me and I don't like to be tugged at. And I don't know how either."
*
At that point, the manager returns with the paperwork, so the conversation must be halted. Billy looks frustrated, but he has to deal with it, and grabbing a pen, nods to said manager and to Teddy, handing over some of the papers for him to work on. They're getting an apartment! Adulting commences as they work out the details.