Ch. 2

"Doorknobs," the man behind the counter said. "One of the best inventions ever." He rang up the purchase and put the item in a brown paper bag before handing Blaine his change and receipt.

"Im afraid my roommate doesnt think so," Blaine said, chuckling. "Hes almost positive I dont need one."

"He doesnt want you to have one? Well, why on earth not?"

"Im not sure yet. I just moved in today, actually."

"You didnt know this guy until today?" The cashier sounded surprised.

"Well, we met yesterday. He seems nice enough. Maybe a little ... far out ... but nothing too bad."

The old man looked up at the ceiling and rested his hands on the counter. "Whats this young mans name? Maybe I know him."

"Kurt Hummel." Blaine took note of how quickly the mans facial expression changed, and not for the better.

"Well, good luck with that doorknob. Come back anytime."

Blaine returned to his new home, installed the doorknob and was quite pleased with himself. Kurt stood on the other side of the door, arms crossed, looking very concerned that Blaine may be making the biggest mistake of his life.

"What should I do if you get locked in there?"

Blaine gave an exasperated sigh and threw up his hands. "I wont get locked in, Kurt. If the doorknob screws up, Ill just open the window and climb out, okay?"

This wasnt a satisfactory answer. "What if the windows wont open?"

"Are you planning to glue everything down after I go to bed tonight? Geeze! Youre really going overboard here." Deciding a change of subject was in order, he asked, "How about if I make breakfast for both of us in the morning?"

Kurts gaze touched on Blaines hand that was resting on the wall. "I know! I can make breakfast! Im really good at it."

Blaine smiled. "Fine with me. I think Im going to get a shower now and maybe get to bed early." He walked off, turning once more to look at Kurt. "Do you go to bed early or late?"

Again, Kurt looked as if Blaine was devoid of brain activity. "I just go to bed when Im tired."

Of course, Blaine thought. He grabbed his pajama pants and a T-shirt out of the dresser, grabbed a towel out of the closet in the hallway and went into his bathroom to grab a quick shower. He closed the bathroom door behind him and -surprise - no doorknob.

He was starving when he went to the kitchen the following morning. He hadnt eaten dinner the night before because hed been too busy. Kurt was in the kitchen, clutching a box of cereal to his chest, and smiling like mad.

"Good morning, Blaine," he said. "I was waiting for you."

"I see that," Blaine said, trying not to laugh. He sat down at the small white table and noticed a shiny white plate in front of him. His stomach growled and he was pretty sure it was loud enough for Kurt to hear because it was only then that Kurt moved over to him and opened the box of cereal. Grabbing a handful of the colorful sugar-coated balls of artificially-flavored goodness, he dropped them unceremoniously onto Blaines plate. Blaine watched several of them roll completely off the table and onto the floor. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of both hands. That did not just happen.

Kurt opened the refrigerator. "Milk or juice?"

"Um -" Blaine had to stop this before it went completely out of control. "I can get it. Thanks, though."

Kurt stepped out of the way and nervously ran his hand along the side of his neck. "Okay."

Suddenly, Blaine felt like the scum of the earth. Kurt was doing his best. He was trying and Blaine took it all away from him without even thinking about it. He had to think quick. "Actually, if you could just get a couple of glasses, Id be happy to get something for both of us. After all, you got the cereal. Its only right that I should help. After all, Im not a guest here. Im a roommate." He flashed a smile at Kurt, who smiled back and practically bounced over to the cupboard to get two glasses and place them on the table.

"So whatll it be? Juice or milk?" Blaine asked.

"Surprise me!"

Blaine figured the most logical choice would be milk considering there was a box of cereal on the table and most likely, that was breakfast. He grabbed the carton of milk and thought it felt heavier than it should have. He looked at the expiration date; it had expired almost three months before.

"Kurt, the milk is old." He lifted his eyes to look at the boy standing at the table. "Really, really, old, in fact."

"Thats because I hate milk." Kurt gave him a look of such sincerity, that Blaine almost felt compelled to apologize to him on behalf of the dairy industry.

"Why do you have it then?"

"Because it looks good in the fridge."

Kurt was peculiar but it was an endearing sort of peculiar. He seemed to exist solely on sugar and caffeine. He slept weird hours. He was highly offended by any utterance of a profanity that may have slipped past Blaines lips. He said he didnt believe in God but prayed every night without fail "just in case" he was wrong about Gods existence. He hated closed doors and he hated locked doors even more. His logic was child-like at best. He was very random. Most of the time, Blaine found that keeping him focused during a conversation was like trying to catch a fish with your bare hands - difficult, but not impossible. Several times, Blaine found himself watching with piqued curiosity as Kurt would direct his attention to some unseen voice, sometimes answering, sometimes arguing, sometimes shaking his head and rolling his eyes. This living arrangement was going to be a wild ride, but Blaine was willing to take a spin. He hated to admit that he was intrigued.

The sun was beginning to set and cast an orange glow through the windows of the house. Everything was quiet except for the sound of the television which Kurt insisted on keeping on all hours of the day whether someone was watching it or not. Blaine found Kurt curled up in a chair, sleeping, and decided not to wake him. He found himself staring at the boy, and he didnt mean to, but he couldnt help it. He really was a beautiful boy, sleeping or awake. His almost-black hair framed his pale cheeks in wispy strands and his full pink lips were stilled in a little pout. Blaine would have to be blind not to find that attractive.

But he still needed to find out what the deal was with Kurt. He obviously wasnt playing with a full deck but it wasnt something that frightened Blaine. It wasnt scary in the least. In fact, it was a little amusing, a little intriguing. It was the little things about Kurt that continued to replay in Blaines mind: He hated milk but he kept it in the fridge because it looked good there. He could whip out a lighter and set things on fire without blinking an eye but he had a big issue with doorknobs.

Add it all up and this probably explains why Blaine had a nice big plate of cereal for breakfast.