Three Pregnant Friends Ch. 3 UPDATED

CHAPTER THREE

Since he'd already changed before taking his evening waddle, all Oliver felt he needed to do before going out for (another) dinner was put on a fresh shirt. He'd just finished up in the bathroom and was about to head upstairs when he heard the unmistakable sound of heavy, swollen feet making their way up from the front door.

"Ha ha!" He laughed, assuming it was Dylan. "You forgot something!" He teasingly called out.

"Did I?" A different than expected voice replied.

"Trent..?"

"Hey… man!" Oliver's super pregnant roommate and friend panted as he continued his slow ascent.

"Hey! What're you doing here?"

"Ugh! You too?!" Trent groaned, pausing at the top of the stairs once he finally got there to take in a replenishing breath before having a conversation very similar to the one he'd had with Dylan out in the driveway. "So you're headed out too, huh?" He frowned after Oli told him of his dinner plans, making sure to leave out the part about it being his second of the night.

"I am," the singularly expectant man confirmed with a nod. "Dylan put the idea of Korean barbecue in my head, so you can thank him for me not being able to stay and help. I mean, I could if you…"

"No," Trent waved him off. "It's fine. Like I said to D, if anyone knows how important food is when you're pregnant, especially when you're craving something, it's me!"

"I can see that!" Oli teasingly replied as he eyed Trent's noticeably bigger belly.

The two pregnant friends headed upstairs together, the more pregnant one setting their pace to that of a snail's, but Oliver didn't complain or tease him about that, easy as doing so would've been after noting how much bigger triplet-carrying Trent had gotten in just the week or so since he'd last seen him. All three of them had been told by their respective doctors that babies do a lot of their growing during the third and final trimester, and none of them have proven their medical providers wrong, each continuing their rapid expansion despite all three of them looking like they were already overdue with their corresponding loads.

Trent and Oliver parted ways on the townhouse's third floor, where after taking a quick breather, Trent continued his slow trek up to the fourth. Oliver entered his room and then his closet, selecting a plain, dark gray, long-sleeved paternity tee from it. Despite the mild, almost cool temperature, during his waddle, he'd gotten warmed up enough to have sweat out all the product from his short on the sides, longer on the top and combed back, dirty-blonde hair, so after donning his fresh shirt, Oliver also donned a hat off the rack hanging off the back of the closet door. He threw it on backwards over his now messy 'do, making himself look quite "bro-ish," excluding or course his giant, nearly to term but already looking quite over, singleton baby bump and subsequently engorged chest.

"I can't believe I didn't think to let you try Korean barbecue till now?!" He lamented to the boy inhabiting him as he exited the house via the garage. "But that changes soon, bud, and so long as you got your sense of taste from THIS dad, you're in for a treat!" He added with a chuckle.

Unlike his twice as pregnant friend (at least in terms of numbers,) Oli still didn't have any difficulty getting into his car. For starters, he was smaller than Dylan (though not as much as he would've liked,) but more so because he didn't drive a compact coupe. He drove basically, the exact opposite: a full-size pickup truck, which before they'd both found themselves to be expecting, Dylan had constantly given him shit for having because in his words, Oliver didn't need such a "big, pointless" truck, when they lived so close to the city and he rarely if ever towed or hauled anything. Dylan's recent silence on the matter confirmed the singleton-carrier's suspicion that his friend now envied his large, accommodating, easy to get in and out of ride.

As he backed out of the garage his truck just fit in, Oliver didn't feel even remotely envious of Trent as he saw his new minivan parked on the other side of the driveway. Admittedly, it was the best kind of vehicle for one of his best friends to have gotten since he was about to be a father of three, but just the thought of ever needing to own one himself made Oliver shudder. He loved his truck so much, and planned on always driving something similar to it, whether he used it for its intended purpose or not.

After the medium pepperoni and mushroom pizza he'd easily finished off by himself, he knew it was ridiculous to even be thinking about eating again, let alone be hungry… But as Trent had said, being pregnant and all it entailed made food a constant priority (after getting passed the morning sickness,)  so Oli rationalized his choice to go out for a second dinner by reminding himself he wouldn't have the excuse to eat like this much longer, thank God!

"Only a little more than a month to go…" he sighed as he drove down the street. Still a daily driver since he was still required to go into work, Oliver knew well by then to keep his elbows up and out so as not to bump or prod his bloated middle. "Then, you'll be here and then, well…" he trailed off as he'd yet to figure out what was going to happen at that point?

Even though it was more than safe to say that the countdown to his son's arrival had already begun, Oli had yet to decide whether or not he was going to keep him since like Dylan, he could also only guess as to who the other father was, oops! This meant that should he keep his baby boy, he'd have to raise him on his own, but at twenty-seven, and with a good head on his shoulders (most of the time, anyway,) he considered himself mature enough to take on the task, if he so chose… If he did, he wouldn't even have to move, except to stitch rooms, taking over the master Trent would soon vacate, which would give him more than enough space to add in a changing table and crib till eventually, his by then former room could become his son's. Not only could it all work, it could do so rather easily…

But had Oliver ended up pregnant with twins or triplets by some unknown, just like Dylan, he also would've put his brood up for adoption with hesitation. That he was only having one baby, compared to his "superiorly fertile" friends, made the prospect of being a single, young dad a much more reasonable prospect… While he wasn't breaking any records, he made enough to give his son a good life and someday, move them into a place of their own, or maybe buy the townhouse from Trent if he decided to stop renting it out? Being a single, working dad would undoubtedly put a damper on his social, dating and sex lives, yet Oli found himself increasingly confident he'd be able to handle everything. That being said, he still hadn't made up his mind and time was running out…

For as long as he could remember, all the way back to when he'd been a child, he'd wanted to be a dad. Now, sometime in the next six weeks, he'd have his first shot. Oliver knew he should've been more excited than he was, but couldn't be with such a big decision looming over him… It wouldn't have been a decision at all and he would've been over the moon if his first shot at parenthood came when and how he'd always assumed it would, meaning with a man attached… A man who could and would claim Oliver and their son, but he only had himself and a lot of vodka to blame for that not being the case.

"If you don't make me regret this the way Uncle Dylan's two did…" he sighed. "You might help me make up my mind about you!" He joked with his internal offspring as he lumbered from his truck through the lot towards Honey Pig, his pregnancy gently swaying from side to side in front of him as he tugged at the hem of his shirt to make sure he wasn't exposing ideally any, if not at least too much of it.

Despite it being past the time most people had dinner, Honey Pig was as busy as he'd ever seen it, so instead of giving his name and waiting for a table, Oliver headed for the bar. The expectant man found the setting to be more than ironic considering drinking too much at a bar was what'd led to him getting pregnant, but sitting at one now was the quickest way to get the tasty Korean meat he was craving, into him.

Himself aside, the bar was empty as everyone else at the restaurant was there for some sobering food after a night out, rather than more alcohol. Still, the bartender initially frowned when his pregnant patron ordered a Sprite rather than a "real" drink he wouldn't have to refill for free. He smiled and became more attentive when Oli added orders of spicy pork belly and beef tips to his request.

As he waited for his food, he sipped his soda slowly in hopes he'd made it through his second meal of the night before needing to pee again. He also hoped that the K-Pop blaring out of the speakers overhead would get turned down so he could put in his Airpods and finish the episode of "Madam Secretary" he'd fallen asleep to the night before after what's his name left, but of course it didn't, so he didn't bother. In the end, the high volume of the music with lyrics he didn't understand actually ended up being a good thing…

"Anyone sittin' here?" A deep, masculine voice asked over the music from behind.

Oliver turned and looked over his right shoulder till the tall, broad torso of a very solid looking man all but filled his field of vision. The answer to his question was obvious as Oli (and his baby) were the only ones at the bar, but the potential fathers-to-be replied, "No," anyway.

"Don't mind if I sit then?" The guy asked as he did so without awaiting a reply.

"Guess not…"

"Don't like sittin' alone at bars. Weird, I know," he shrugged. "Been here before?"

"I have, but it's been a minute."

"It's my first time. A friend told me to check it out, which hopefully means the food is good?"

"It's the best if you like Korean barbecue," Oliver replied with a nod.

"Can't say I do since I've never had it before," the guy shrugged again. "But it smells good in here and it's crowded," he said as he looked around and took in the scene. "But fuck it's loud!"

"Right?" The pregnant man chuckled.

"How 'bout the drinks? They any good?" The guy asked as he leaned a little closer so he didn't have to talk so loud.

"The bartender pours a mean Sprite!" Oli smirked as he pushed back from the bar he'd been leaning against and looked down at his unfortunately bountiful breasts and then lower to his belly, which looked even bigger resting on his thighs. "But I'm guessing that's not the kind of drink you had in mind, huh?"

"Um, not exactly…"

"Well even before I had this not so little pork bun in the oven…" he joked. "I never came here to drink," he shook his head. "Always came to sober up after a night out, and/or just to eat my face off!"

"I'm guessing you're here now to do the latter?"

"Good guess."

"Ha, thanks… Well I'm not in need of sobering up, but I'd like to get to that point!" The guy chuckled. "And I'm starving, so hopefully, the food's as good as you and my friend say it is, and the drinks are strong!" He grunted as he dropped his elbows onto the bar and ran his large hands over his shaved head.

"Rough day?"

"You could say that," he nodded, still holding his shiny, chocolate brown head. "I feel like I got rammed hard up the ass, and I don't take anything up there unless it's medically necessary!"

"Hey…" Oliver huffed. "Gettin' rammed hard up the ass isn't as bad as you make it sound!"

"Well if either of us knows anything about that, I guess it would be you!" The guy snorted before quickly apologizing. "Sorry, that was…"

"Funny, so you're fine."

The handsome bald man looked like he was about to respond in a fun or possibly even flirtatious way but before he got the chance, the bartender returned from the back and approached. "Hey, man. Whachu want?" He asked his newest patron in his heavy Korean accent.

"Double Tito's on the rocks, please," the big, still nameless man politely requested over the blaring music. "With three limes."

"Somethin' to eat?"

"Drink first, then I'll decide."

Oliver couldn't help but smirk as the bartender gave a curt nod before moving off to make the drink his big, pregnant self wished he could've had. "You're bossy…" he teased. "I like."

"Oh yeah?" The guy grunted.

"Uh huh," the pregnant man confirmed with a short nod of his own. "I like a man who knows and says what he wants."

The big guy chuckled and smirked. "Then if I had to guess, I'd say that means you don't get enough discipline at home."

"Not enough discipline, huh?"

"Uh huh."

"And what makes you think that?"

"'Cause it's late, you're at a bar by yourself, you're pregnant and…"

"You in the Army?" Oli cut him off.

"Former Marine," the bald man corrected with a shake of his shiny, brown head.

"Well, you don't look old enough to be completely retired, which means you're probably doing something similar now, correct?"

"You're quick. I'm a place officer."

"There we go!"

"How'd you know all that?"

"I didn't," Oli shook his head. "I just guessed."

"What made you guess?"

"You have an… an air about you," he shrugged. "And in response to your prior statement, officer, no, I don't get enough discipline at home 'cause there's no one there to give it."

"You're not married?"

"I am not," he shook his head.

"So you're seeing someone?"

"I also am not."

"So you live alone then?" The officer reasoned. "Well, relatively speaking, I mean…" he somewhat corrected himself as his eyes moved down to Oliver's engorged chest and the bloated middle.

"Aside from my wombmate, I have two, but soon-to-be just one roommate," Oliver replied, making the guy chuckle before he continued with his line of questioning…

"Is either roommate the other father of your wombmate?"

"Nope," the pregnant man answered before taking the opportunity to ask a question of his own. "What's with the twenty questions?"

"Sorry. Habit…"

"There's not possibly another reason you happen to be so curious about me and my personal situation, officer?" Oliver pressed, actually really wanting to know.

"Well…"

"Uh huh..?"

"I like to be sure I have my bases covered so I don't end up getting myself in trouble," the big, muscular police officer explained with another shrug of his powerful shoulders.

Oliver nodded in agreement. "Officers of the law are supposed to handle trouble, not get into it. Especially not now…" he stopped nodding and switched over to shaking as he let out a small sigh.

"Exactly. And by the way..?"

"Yes..?"

"I never get into trouble."

"Right…"

"It's true!"

"I'm willing to bet you actually do, you just know who to call and how to get out of it!" Oliver countered with a laugh.

"Oh, but of course!" The hunky officer smirked before almost regaining his "tough guy" demeanor as he cleared his throat. "But just so we're clear, I'm talkin' 'bout relatively harmless trouble. Nothin' like they love to show on TV."

"While I appreciate the clarification, it wasn't necessary," Oliver shook his head. "That's not the kind of trouble I was thinking about."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"'Cause when I tell people I'm a cop, especially as of late, things tend to go downhill, pretty damn fast…"

"I bet they do," he nodded. "Which is a shame, 'cause most police officers are good people, but bad apples always spoil the bunch, right?"

"Damn right about that!" The hunky guy huffed. "And just so you know… I didn't mean to tell you I'm a police officer. At least not now…"

"Oh..?"

"No," the still nameless officer confirmed. "Now don't get me wrong, I'm proud of what I do and I'm definitely not a 'bad apple,'" he assured with some air quotes. "But by myself at a bar I've never been to, isn't really the time or place to reveal my truth, is it?" He asked rather rhetorically.

"Maybe not, but you're not on duty at the moment, are you?"

"'Course not, look at me!" The guy gestured down at his civilian attire.

"You could be on an undercover sting or something..?"

"I could be, but I'm not. I promise."

"Then so long as you don't suddenly and randomly start brutalizing somewhere here based on the color of their skin or their performing some relatively harmless action, you're not gonna get in any trouble," Oliver shrugged. "And besides… Even if I wanted to report you, I wouldn't be able to since you haven't given me your name, let alone badge number…"

"You haven't shared your name either, sir…"

"Oliver Banks. Oli, for short."

"Well that was easy!" The still nameless officer replied with another smirk.

"Isn't that how you prefer your interrogations to go?" Oli asked with a raised brow that could've given one of Dylan's, the master at "brow talk," a run for his money…

"Things are definitely easier when they do, but anyway… I'm Leo."

"Leo what?"

"Officer Leo Sanders."

"Short for Leonardo?"

"When was the last time you met or heard of someone named Leonardo, other than DiCaprio?" Leo laughed. "It's short for Leonard…" he shared with a sigh and a roll of his pretty, light brown eyes.

"Officer Leonard Sanders, from which precinct?"

"The one we're in if you must know…"

"I do, thank you," Oli smirked back. "So that means you'd get a discount if you showed the bartender your badge, doesn't it?" He asked with a rather mischievous grin.

"Well, yeah…" Leo nodded. "That's one of the perks a cop gets just about anywhere, except when they just ordered a drink!"

"Why not? Police drink too!"

"A lot of them sure do!" Officer Sanders grunted again as he took his drink off the bar and raised it to his mouth.

"Do you usually?"

"No," he shook his head.

"But today was a rough one at the office..?"

"Office…"

Oli chuckled. "Probably should've said, on the streets, right?" He corrected himself, knowing very well and first-hand, unbeknownst to Officer Sanders for the time being, just how upset officers could get over that seemingly simple distinction.

"Till earlier today, yeah!" Leo huffed again before taking another sip, this one a lot deeper than his first. "But to say 'office' is right now, 'cause today, I got put on fuckin' desk duty!" He lamented as he shook his head.

"Really..?"

"Yes, really!"

"But didn't you just tell me you don't get in trouble?" Oli verbally nudged.

"Yes, 'cause I don't!"

"Right, but getting put on desk duty usually means you did something bad or wrong, so which is it?" He asked, cocking his right brow.

"Your brows are really expressive," Leo noted.

"Thanks, he nodded, accepting the compliment before digging right back in. " So which is it?"

"I didn't do anything! But…" Leo sighed again. Guess that's the point the higher ups were trying to make…"

"You lost me, Oliver frowned, making Leo groan.

"I had my annual physical this morning, and while I wasn't looking forward to the doctor tellin' me I needed to lose a few, I knew it was comin' so I was ready," he nodded, more to himself than his new "friend." "But I wasn't ready for him tellin' me I was on damn desk duty till I lose fifteen pounds and get my BP down!" The officer angrily proclaimed as he slammed his free hand down on the bar.

"So…" Oli began slowly. "In response, you decided to come to a Korean barbecue joint, where meat is obviously the food of choice, where you order a double vodka to get yourself started on your journey back to health and wellness?" He surmised. "Yeah, that makes sense…"

"I never said I'd started my journey yet!" Leo rolled his eyes.

"So defensive!"

"I basically got called fat, lazy and unhealthy today, so sue me!"

Try as he might (which he really didn't,) Oliver couldn't help but break out in a loud laugh because it was painfully obvious the doctor's physical assessment had come as a massive blow to the ego of the officer sitting next to him. As funny as that was (and it was,) he found himself wanting to make Leo feel better, so he made a joke at his own expense. "Guess you haven't noticed who you've been talking to..?"

"Oh, I noticed!" Leo confirmed as he turned and looked Oli over again, eyes moving up and down over his seated, very pregnant profile. "You're not fat, lazy or unhealthy," he shook his head. "You're pregnant!"

"At this point, I think I have to unfortunately classify myself as very pregnant, which I'd say also classifies me the same as everything you were deemed, at least in my book."

"I don't think so."

"Oh?" Oli raised his brow again. "So your blood pressure's high enough to make you delusional then?"

"It's not that high!" Leo laughed. "Just high enough for the doc to put me on two different meds."

"Leo…"

"What?!" He groaned.

"You and I both know you're not the only cop on BP meds," Oliver shook his head. "I'd be hard pressed to think of an officer I've encountered, especially as of late, who I'd deem particularly cool, calm or collected…"

Leo let out another snort over the K-Pop as he raised his handsome face towards the high ceiling far overhead. "So I guess you're not a Blue Lives Matter guy, huh?"

"First of all, there's no such thing as a Blue Life. That being said, you sir, might find yourself surprised…" the pregnant man countered with as genuine a smile as he could muster as he took his first good, long look at the African-American man sitting next to him, seeing as he'd just done the same himself.

Leo was a big guy: broad and quite meaty looking (in the best sort of way) in his long-sleeve tee with the arms rolled up and tight jeans. Oli wouldn't have classified him as "fat" though, but the terms "solid" and "bulky" definitely fit, but in a good way that when combined with his shiny, shaved head, and (mostly) cocky attitude, made Leo come across as the kind of man wouldn't dare mess with or tease, and rightfully so.

That being said, the expectant man found himself wishing Officer Sanders would mess and tease with him (both, in a sexual manner,) thank you very much, hormones… But before he got a chance to up his game and say something in that regard, the bartender returned and set two plates down in front of him before turning his attention back to Leo.

"Know whachu wan' now, man?"

"That!" Leo declared the moment after the aromas wafting off Oliver's plates hit his nose.

"Which one?"

"Both!" He aggressively and excitedly nodded.

"Hold your horses, buddy…" Oliver laughed as he raised his hand between the other men. "You haven't had this stuff before, right?" He asked Leo after turning more towards him.

"No, but it smells incredible!"

"'Cause it is, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're gonna like it," the pregnant man felt the need to point out. "So why don't you try some of mine before you put in an order?" He suggested.

Leo scoffed. "I can't take food away from you and the, the…" he paused. "You know!"

"The baby," Oliver said for him with a chuckle. "I promise we'll be fine, so long as you don't eat it all," he assured before turning to the bartender. "Give him a second to try what I got, but in the meantime, he'll take another drink."

"I didn't say I wanted another."

"You didn't, but you did say you wanted to get drunk and looking at you, I'd say it takes more than one drink to make that happen, even if it is a double…"

"You're pretty perceptive… Anyone ever tell you you should've been a cop?" Leo asked as he opened the pair of disposable chopsticks the bartender had tossed him before going off to make his drink.

"Once or twice," Oli shrugged as he did the same.

"Really?"

"Uh huh," he nodded as he rolled his sticks together to get rid of any splinters.

'Why didn't you consider it?"

"Who says I didn't?"

"Well then, why didn't you become one?"

"Again, who says I didn't?"

"Wait a sec…" the confirmed officer replied, freezing with his chopsticks hovering halfway between the rest of him and Oliver's closest plate. "You're a cop?!"

"That I am."

"Which precinct?"

"Same as you."

"Then how did I not…"

"Do you know how many people work in our precinct?" Oli asked as he picked up a delicious looking and smelling piece of spicy pork belly.

"I know it's a lot," Leo nodded as his chopsticks resumed their mission. "But I also know a lot of the people in it and I've never seen you around?"

"Probably because I work at the Walnut Street Annex."

"That's where Human Resources and the administration works."

"Uh huh."

"But those people aren't officers."

"Some of us are."

"No shit?"

"No shit!" Oli confirmed with a nod and a laugh. "It's mostly civilians, though there are some officers as well."

"So what do you do?"

"I'm an HR specialist."

"Who's also a…"

"Full trained officer," the pregnant man nodded again. "I've got a badge, a gun, the whole nine yards, but…" he trailed off in a sigh.

"But what?" Leo asked just before he popped his Korean barbecue cherry, sticking a beef tip between his thick lips.

"So I went through the complete policy academy training, not because I wanted to be a cop per say, but because I thought it'd be a good idea to have the full understanding of what it's like to be an officer," Oliver replied as he chewed, his left hand hovering in front of his mouth. "You know, since I have to deal with them on such a personal level."

"Well that was smart."

"Thanks, I thought so too," he smirked. "But anyway, I've never put any of my training to work."

"You're never been out on the streets?" Leo asked as he reached for his fresh drink and took a sip.

"I've been on a few ride-alongs," Oliver shrugged. "But who hasn't?"

"Wow…"

"Wow, you're surprised I'm a cop, or wow you like the food?"

"Both!"

"Why are you surprised I'm a fellow officer of the law?" The pregnant man wanted to know.

"Well for the obvious reason that you're pregnant. I've been a cop over ten years now and I've never seen a pregnant one before, at least not a guy," Leo shook his head.

"Neither have I," Oliver admitted. "Why else though?"

"Dunno? Shit, this is good!" The other officer said as he excitedly groped around with his chopsticks for his next piece of spicy meat.

"Well obviously, you're gonna wanna get an order of that!"

"Most definitely, but alright… Just so I know I'm for sure in the clear… you live with two roommates, neither of which you're dating or is the other father of your baby, correct?"

"All correct."

"And you're not with the other father?" Leo asked, seemingly pressed on making sure.

"Also correct."

"So what's the big day?"

"In a little over a month."

"Seriously?!"

Oli had been chewing again when he'd replied, so he cleared his throat and raised his voice some before repeating himself. "I said, in a little…"

"I heard you, I'm just…"

"Surprised..?"

Leo laughed and nodded. "Had you told me you were due tomorrow, I would've believed you!"

Oli laughed back as he shrugged. "What can I say? I like big guys!"

"Then I'd say your preference got the best of you!"

"Officer Sanders has jokes, huh?"

"That he does. He also has a… nevermind."

"No!" Oli pressed, raising both of his expressive brows. "Keep going! Officer Sanders also has a…" he trailed off as he gave them an encouraging wiggle.

Leo shook his head. "You're in Human Resources… I don't wanna be inappropriate."

"We're both off the clock, dude! Which means whatever either of us says, it stays here between us, so..? Officer Sanders has jokes and also a..?"

Officer Sanders didn't say anything for several seconds, during which he reached for his drink and quickly finished it off before letting out a long, deep sigh. "Officer Sanders has jokes, a buzz now thanks to you, and also thanks to you… a boner!" He announced, much to the delight of the expectant officer sitting beside him. "There, I said it! You happy now?"

"That depends…"

"On what?"

"Would you like me to be?"

"I told," he nodded. "And as good as this meat is, and it is really good, I think we should figure out which one of us lives closer so we can head there and enjoy a different kind of meat," he suggested with a wink.

Seeing as he was as horny as he was pregnant, despite having just gotten some the night before, Oliver more than liked the sound of that, so he worked his wallet out of his back pocket, showed the surprised bartender his badge, and told him to put everything on the card he handed over, minus his police discount, of course…

"Thank you, but you didn't have to get my drinks," Leo said, obviously somewhat disgruntled as he shoved the wallet he'd failed to pull from them in time, back into his tight jeans.

"You're welcome, and I know I didn't," the pregnant officer replied as he picked up several of the remaining pieces of meat up all at once and popped them into his mouth. "So just consider it a thank you," he said through his mouthful as his left hand returned to in front of his stuffed mouth.

"For..?"

"For fuckin' the shit outta me when we get to your place!" He winked.

"Are we sure I'm the one who lives closer?"

"Doesn't matter," Oli shook his head. "We're goin' there, unless…"

"No! That's fine!" Leo emphatically nodded back. "That's great, actually!"

Oliver smirked. "I was hoping you'd think so…"