Answered Ad - Ben tags Yulia/Josef

[Benjamin Rhodes]

It was a typical Saturday morning. Typical, meaning Ben wasn't in a drunken stupor ruminating his rash decision to actually drink the night before while Yulia tried to cook him up a batch of her strong hangover juice. Typical, meaning sleeping in until noon and getting brunch ready in his pajama pants and fitting wifebeater. Yulia usually woke up even later so Ben wasn't surprised that he was the only one in the kitchen with only the hissing of the bacon strips and eggs in the frying pan for company. Typical, meaning he wasn't expecting company so early in the afternoon.

Ben set aside some food for Yulia in the microwave so she could heat it up later and he set down his own plate of food on the breakfast table.

He liked quiet Saturday afternoons. It allowed him to think of his weekly routines without interruption and it also helped him with his work. He had a clearer head on Saturdays in particular and used his free time usually to re-evaluate some of his patients therapy.

But with the quiet came some very unwanted thoughts about a certain cranky lawyer who had managed to get way deep under Ben's skin. How was it fair that he hadn't brought the same effect on the older man? The psychologist was left wanting something [or rather someone] that doesn't even share the same feelings as his. It was awfully depressing. And no, it didn't help that he had a strong tendency to re-evaluate the simplest, most trivial things. Occupational hazard.

As he pondered on how confused he was at his feelings for the older man, the shrill sound from the doorbell jarred him to the present. A slight frown creased his forehead before he got up from the breakfast table. Who could be calling in at this time?

Opening the door, a vaguely familiar man stood on Ben's doorstep, holding a small piece of paper. "We...met the other day didn't we?" Ben quizzed the man. He was sure he had seen the man before.

[Yulia Sokolov]

Yulia, for a few more minutes, was still fast asleep upstairs. Since she had moved, and her sleep schedule was not heavily regulated, she had become a night owl in the extreme. There was nothing that she loved more than two or three in the morning, when she would get away with a smoke inside the house, well sort of. That endevor consisted of her half hanging out the window with the lit cigarette dangling from her lips.

Still smoking was not enough to entertain her for all of those hours of the night, she had found another fascination to keep her up. There was a ready supply of magazines at every grocery store or convenience store, and Yulia devoured them all. She bought tons and read them constantly. She wasn’t sure what it was that intrigued her so much in the slightly glossy that sometimes lightly stuck to her fingers. She wasn’t sure whether to be amused or to take them seriously. She certainly absorbedthe information.

As a result she was gathering up a constant stream of questions for Ben, such as: ‘What is pilates?’ ‘How many shoes should a person actually own?’ and finally ‘How did Charlie sheen get goddesses in his house?’ It was mostly wording that confused her most of the time, and just Charlie Sheen in general.

Button slept through Ben’s motions downstairs, and it was the doorbell that finally woke her. One eye opened into a slit. One cheek was stuck to a magazine page, which she peeled off as she lifted her head. One foot was on her pillow and the other dangling off the fouton entirely. She pushed herself up and stretched some. She headed downstairs to see who was at the door, but Ben was already there.

She looked curiously at the person out on the doorstep.

[Josef Muller]

Josef was usually the kind of man who liked to sleep in. Actually, he just liked to sleep, period. Unfortunately, that had disappeared after the divorce. As a result, he’d woken up at the disturbing time of eight in the morning and had struck out into town. He’d decided that he needed to get out of the hotel, and that meant, of course, finding someplace else to stay. Eventually he did intend to get his own place. Right now, however, he was just trying to figure out how to resettle into a single life.

When he’d seen the flyer for a room for rent, he’d thought it wouldn’t be a bad start. He’d waited until he thought it was a reasonable time (most people, even those who liked to sleep in, would be up at noon, right?) and then had headed in the general direction, pausing outside the door that had the right address and, after examining the house, ringing the doorbell. He was surprised when the man he had met the other night opened the door, and even more surprised when a rather pretty blonde leaned out to look at him as well. No, he hadn’t been expecting that. He’d rather thought that the other man…oh well. It wasn’t any of his business.

“We did,” he said. “At the bar, on Saint Patrick's day. You're... Ben, right?” He smiled at him, then at the woman, although he still looked puzzled. “I heard you had a room for let, and I was interested in renting.” He held up the flyer and offered a smile, then looked between the two again. “I could come back, if that would be, uh, better. I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

They both still looked a little fuzzy...it was weird that he was the chipper one.

[Benjamin Rhodes]

Ben hadn't realised that Yulia was behind him which was why a frown settled on his face when the other man looked past him and insinuated he was interrupting something. "Yeah I'm B...en." His voice trailed as he turned to see his house mate in her usual night garb still looking a little sleepy. And confused. And Ben had to laugh at the hilarity of it all.

"Trust me, you're not interrupting." He shook his head before stepping away from the doorway. "Come on in. That's Yulia. My housemate." Ben then turned to Yulia, gesturing for her to come closer. "Come meet Josef. I told you about him before. Met him with Josh the other day." He explained to the girl who looked like she could do with a few more hours of sleep.

"There's some breakfast for you in the microwave." Ben said in a whisper to Yulia before turning to Josef. "Why don't you settle down in the living room. I'll make us a fresh pot of coffee, you drink coffee don't you?" The psychologist asked, already halfway turning into the kitchen.

[Yulia Sokolov]

Yulia waited, saying nothing to Ben or the man in the door. She wasn’t sure what she should say to him after all. She had some idea that it might be rude to just out and inquire why the man was at the door of the house right now. She didn’t want to insult him or seem gruff, as he looked like a nice guy. Then Ben was laughing. Yulia gave him a confused and slightly disapproving look in case he was laughing at her. She was not awake enough to figure out if he was or not. Then things clicked as he began to make the necessary introductions.

Yulia took a few steps over on her bare feet. The challenge for her now was to speak in English on command then she wasn’t sure if she was awake. The former Russia military operative yawned as she tried to speak, pausing to finish before attempting it again. “Hello Josef, it is very nice to meet you. Ben told me about you.” That seemed like a good enough intro to her.

Ben needed to say no more. Yulia went to the microwave and grabbed the plate that was there for her. She felt it and then popped it back in for another fifteen seconds. She had no intention of missing the discussion regarding Josef’s stay. She plopped down on the couch in the living room. She ate as ravenously as usual, Ben was an awesome cook.

[Josef Muller]

The hesitation was weird for Josef, and he wondered if he’d said the wrong thing. It was strange to go asking about rentals, especially to two people who seemed to be…well…asleep. When Benjamin turned around and started laughing the man looked baffled for about two seconds, but managed to pull his face into a look of mild interest instead of the confusion he felt. It helped that the woman looked as confused as he was. However, Ben explained that this was his housemate, and understanding dawned.

So he hadn’t been wrong. Or, at least, there wasn’t anything to prove him wrong. He felt cheered. He'd hoped he could read people better than that. Ah, well. Time to move on.

“Thank you,” he said, and stepped into the house, glancing around. It seemed…nice. Not that he cared. Anything other than a hotel was good, and it smelled delicious. Apparently, someone liked cooking. Very good.

“Nice to meet you, Yulia. I hope he told you good things.” Accent….Russian? Huh. And what in the world would anyone have had to say about him? That was concerning. Coffee? “Sure. Thank...” But Ben was already in the kitchen. Whoops. Too slow. “…you.”

He wasn’t really used to this. William had done all the business deals, and with the two inhabitants in pjs, he felt dressed up and uncomfortable. Still, he steered himself into the living room and looked around again, nodding at Yulia as she came in and settled down. The way she was eating, he assumed the food was good. He remained standing and resisted the urge to fidget with the tassels of his scarf. Calm, right? Calm.

“The room is still available, I hope?” he asked after a moment, not sure who he should be addressing, so keeping his voice loud enough for the man in the kitchen to answer. Yulia didn't look awake enough yet. “And which one of you cooks?”

He couldn’t help it: he was curious.

[Benjamin Rhodes]

As he waited for the coffee, Ben rummaged through the dryer at the back of the kitchen to find a clean shirt for him to wear. A wifebeater hardly seemed appropriate to greet a potential tenant. He was so glad the big house never really needed a thorough cleaning to look presentable.

He popped back in the living room to see Yulia on the couch with her plate of food while Josef still stood near the living room doorway. Ben entered just in time to hear Ben ask about the room. Tastefully ignoring how nervous the man seemed to be as he fiddled with the hem of his scarf, Ben gave the man a small polite smile. "Yes, the room is definitely still available." He nodded before hearing the loud ping of the coffee machine.

"Oh, just a sec." Ben patted Josef's back before gesturing to the unoccupied armchair in the corner. "Grab a seat. I'll be right back."

He went into the kitchen, hearing the second question faintly. Laughing to himself, he answered the man when he came back from pouring the mugs of coffee for all three of them.

"I do primarily. Yulia makes great cereal." Ben said teasingly, looking at his house mate pointedly when he set the mug on the coffee table in front of her. "Chew, Lia." Ben patted her knee before handing the next mug to Josef. "I hope you don't mind two sugars."

Sitting at the opposite of Josef, Ben took a sip of his hot mug of coffee. "So, did you just get into town or have you been here awhile?"

[Josef Muller]

Ah. Ben was dressed now. That was…somewhat helpful. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous: possibly because this was one of the first things he had done on his own, and because he wasn’t so sure about this whole thing. Still, it wasn’t like it was their fault. So instead of fidgeting more, as he wanted to, he settled down carefully in the seat that Ben had gestured to, then forced himself to take a few steadying breaths. He was going to be fine, he reminded himself. This was going to work out well, and it wasn’t like he had any real reason to be nervous. They both seemed quite friendly. So instead of shifting more than he already had, he settled back in his seat and watched as the other man came back. “Thank you.” He took the mug and took a sip of his own. He didn’t drink coffee that often, so he blinked once or twice at the flavor, then set it down. “I like to cook, too. But I never get to do it often.”

William had always preferred going out to dinner, and since he had left, he hadn’t had a kitchen. Yet another thing he wanted to fix.

“I just got into town a few days ago, that’s all," he added. "I lived here when I was younger, though." Not that much younger, but he wasn't going to think about it.

"How long have you been here? I assume you don’t work for the school.” He didn’t seem like the type. Metas and people who had spent time with them had different sets of questions about potential roommates, mostly: your powers won’t lead to any damage, right? At least Josef was in the clear there. Most people didn't even know what he was unless he told them.

[Benjamin Rhodes]

If Josef was nervous, Ben was definitely not going to point it out to the man so he kept his silence until Josef mentioned that he too cooked. Ben was pleased with the notion that he could have a conversation about food and cooking with someone who actually cared. Yulia cared of course. She always made it a point to listen to him rambling on and on about a recipe he was going to try that night but it was different when you receive input. So having Josef around might be a good thing. The thought that the man was a meta didn't even cross his mind. It hadn't even come up in conversation during their shared dinner on St. Patrick's Day.

"My kitchen isn't that grand but it's got everything I need. You're welcome to mess around in it if you want." Ben offered with a wide smile. He just nodded when Josef mentioned he had lived here before. The underlying tone indicated that he was not going to divulge any further which Ben was fine with.

"I have been here my whole life. More or less." The psychologist grinned and at the mention of a school, Ben glanced at Yulia before turning back to Josef. "No, I'm a child psychologist. My practice is a few blocks away from here."

"Do you already have a job, Josef?"

[Josef Muller]

It was nice to have someone who was actually slightly interested in the same things that he was. He liked the man’s grin when he said that Josef was welcome to use the kitchen. That was nice. And if he did end up moving in with the man, that would be one of the first things to do on his list.

That was “if.” Ben hadn’t said yes yet. And as he was a psychologist—he had said child, but the word still tended to concern Josef—he might discover a wealth of problems that the man hadn’t even known he had. But he wasn’t going to think about that. Ben seemed to be a perfectly nice man who hadn’t asked him any reasonable questions so far, other than asking about his employment. “Reasonable” questions, to the wary Josef, included the general things, like criminal records, previous employers, references, and went all the way down to the narrower questions of pet allergies and mold in the walls. Still, Josef had always found people who weren’t as…cautious…as he was endearing, if concerning. So he wouldn’t think about it right now. There were other things to worry about.

Like his current jobless-ness. He’d been afraid that questions of employment would come up. Oh well. Best to be honest.

“I don’t,” he admitted. “I’m looking to start my own business, but in the meantime, I’m…living off some money I came into.”

He made it sound like an inheritance. Then again, maybe that was the better way to think about it.

[Benjamin Rhodes]

Had he known the man was assessing him, Ben would have presented himself more favourably. In all honesty, Josef's worries were for nothing. Despite all the meta vs non-meta news he was hearing from the radio and TV, Ben had already assessed him the first time they met and he was a good guy.

Ben frowned ever so slightly when Josef said that he wasn't holding a job. Mostly out of sympathy but the man did come here looking for a place to stay. And then Josef said he was living off with what seemed to be his inheritance. Ben nodded and his frown disappeared, a smile replacing it. "What kind of business?" He asked before shaking his head. "I'm asking too many questions. You probably just want to move in like today or something." The psychologist chuckled before changing the subject.

"Would you like to see the room first?"

[Josef Muller]

“A self-defense clinic,” Josef said. That was an easy one: even semi-respectable and reasonable. Most small towns had some sort of “dojo,” although Josef tended to cringe at the use of the word himself. He was not a martial arts expert. Or, well, he was, but not really in the conventional sense. He’d always preferred to combine what he learned than stick to just one form. It was more useful that way. Besides, he wanted to focus on the practical and not the more delicate routines, like katas.

But he doubted Ben would have any interest in that. It was the minutia that Josef needed for himself. Chances were that no one else would care.

“But you’re not at all. I was expecting more, actually.” He shrugged and smiled. “And if I can—that is, move in today—it would be appreciated, but I DO have a hotel room, so there’s no…uh…pressure or anything.” Ben seemed easy going, but Josef didn’t want to give him an impression of desperate need. Even if a kitchen would have been nice.

“But before we get ahead of ourselves,” he added, rising, “I would love to see the room. Ah….do you want any references, or anything? I have them all.” He shrugged, a bit helplessly. Truthfully, he hadn’t expected this to be so…easy.

[Benjamin Rhodes]

Ben's eyes widened in fascination at Josef's idea for a business. A tiny town like Pilot Ridge definitely had the need for self-defense classes if only for the mothers to send their little tots every day for a moment's peace before they terrorise their well kept living room after classes. Surely, it was a good market. "That's interesting. Have you scoped out the town for any potential space?"

Josef was expecting more questions? Well, Ben really wasn't the type. It may be in his job description but sometimes even he needed to take a break from occupational hazards. Especially when the person he was in contact with was an adult. "Pressure? Don't be silly. No pressure at all."

Nodding at the other man's agreement, Ben stood up and placed his mug of coffee on the table. He turned to Yulia with a smile. "I won't show him your room." Ben led the way as they walked down the hallway. To his left, the kitchen spanned out and since that was the area of interest, Ben let Josef enter. "So this is the kitchen. Like I said, it isn't much. But there's a walk-in pantry right at the back there beside the fridge."

They continued the tour down the hallway which had a backroom that led to the basement and the stairs that led to the second floor. Upstairs, the hallway narrowed just slightly with five doors adjacent to each other on each side of the hallway. At the end of the stretch was the master bedroom and to it's left was Yulia's. Ben opened the door right next to hers and ushered Josef in. It was a standard room with light green walls with not much fixtures. A super single bed pushed right to the end of the room under the window with a simple big desk, a dresser and a wardrobe, all in a dark mahogany hue that matched with the walls.

By any standard, it was a simple understated room. He hoped Josef didn't mind it's simplicity. "So this is yours. Yulia's is by your side, the bathroom is on the other end of the hallway and my room would be the beside Yulia's."

[Josef Muller]

He hadn’t expected Ben to be so…interested in something which had been just a half-planned idea. He’d always wanted to have his own business, though. Anything to stop himself from being looked at by women who, in his opinion, really shouldn’t be giving anyone that kind of look, was helpful. But he thought that was encouraging. Ben had called it interesting. Maybe his little opportunity had some potential in it after all. That was encouraging.

“I haven’t yet,” he said. “Mostly, I’ve been looking into legal things that I’d have to go into, places to live, ways to get around…practical things, you know? I kind of figured they should be done first.” He shrugged. Yes, and it wasn’t like he was in a hurry…amazing what money could do for a man.

He looked around the kitchen quite curiously, and with a faint smile lingering on his lips. This WAS nice. Cozy. And it was a kitchen with a walk-in pantry, and an actual stove as compared to a bad microwave and a minifridge.

“Seems like enough to me,” he remarked, and then shrugged as he was led out. He didn’t need much. He was, by nature, a fairly simple man with simple tastes. And just having the ability to make food made him happy.

He liked the bedroom as well. William had preferred the more fancy aspects of things. Everything had been white or cream or grey or gold, had stained by looking at it, and had lacked any sort of simplicity. This was…plain. Not in a bad way, though. To a man who was living out of a duffel bag, it was very appealing.

“It’s very nice,” he said, turning to the man. “I like it. And the house is very spacious. Uh…couple questions.” He rocked back and forth on his feet, stopped himself with a grimace that hinted this was a long held habit, then held up one finger. “One—how much, and what kind of deposit do you want? Ah…two. How long may I stay here? I don’t think it will be permanent, if that helps. And thirdly…you don’t mind if I get up early, do you? I’m very quiet, I swear.” He had been lately, and so far, he rather liked it. He got more done that way, even if it did take several cups of coffee to get himself to even think right.

[Benjamin Rhodes]

"Legal...you should see my friend about that. Well friends actually sice I have a few of them. There's the law firm my friend Josh Bernstein works with and then there's Blue and Gold Law Firm, they're run by two of my friends." Ben suggested, not knowing whether or not Josef had already approached either one of them. "That makes sense. Get all the paper work done first." Ben nodded as they started the tour.

He was delighted to see that Josef was approving of the kitchen. It was his pride and joy that if any other place in the house was messy, as long as his kitchen was spotless, he would be happy.

The raised questions had Ben smiling with a nod. "Right, so I don't need a downpayment, it's three fifty a month. Question number two isn't really up to me, is it? I mean as long as you're paying rent, I'm fine with the duration of your stay. And three, that makes the two of us. I'll make sure a fresh pot of coffee is waiting for you." Ben was glad they had things in common. As much as he loved Yulia, the fact that she doesn't talk too much was a bit of a bother for Ben.

"You're not allergic to anything are you?" Ben asked.