How to Name Your Cat

How to Cure Your Boredom

A sense of life filled the apartment with the minor changes that had been made over the course of the day.

Magnus made a mental tally of these changes as he carefully left his room on Alec's first day.

Coffee's made

Curtains are open

The carpet is softer

The list continued but was put on pause as Magnus entered the kitchen. Resting by the coffeepot was a note.

When was the last time you vacuumed?

I made coffee.

Enjoy,

Alec

Magnus realized that he had never really bothered to vacuum. He contemplated his cleaning skills as he sat on the counter drinking the coffee his roommate had so kindly made him.

Their first day together had been spent unpacking Alec's things (not that he had much). Upon seeing the state of the fridge, Alec insisted they go grocery shopping (another thing Magnus never really bothered to do). They debated rent (which Magnus insisted Alec not worry about) as well as other trivial matters, like where to put Alec's dresser in relation to his bed.

Magnus also realized two things while sitting on the counter.

1. He was going to have to find something to do between the hours of 6 and 1, when Alec worked.

2. He was also going to have to start wearing something more than his underwear around the house.

But he wasn't going to start doing either of those things today.

Today he would be lazy.

.........

"So what did you do all day?" Alec asked as he shoved his hands into the pocket of his coat. The doorman opened the door for them as they approached.

Alec thanked him, another thing Magnus never did.

"I read," Magnus said.

That wasn't entirely a lie. He had read an article entitled "Things to Do When Your Roommate is Gone."

"What'd you read?" Alec asked.

"You certainly are a curious one, aren't you?" Magnus asked.

"You never did tell me what you did for a living," Alec said.

"Maybe I don't do anything," Magnus said.

"You can't afford this—" Alec pointed up at the building as they walked away from it, "—without a job."

"I got incredibly lucky," Magnus said. "Is being lucky an occupation?"

"Maybe," Alec said.

"You're obviously fishing for a story," Magnus said. "So I'll give you one."

Alec smiled a little.

"At the young age of 14, I invested $100 in a little piece of Wall Street under the prudent financial advice of my father."

"Your father was a banker?" Alec asked.

"My father was a drunk," Magnus said, a certain harshness in his voice.

"I don't understand," Alec said.

"If you were forced to find an alcoholic, where would you look?" Magnus asked.

"A bar."

"Exactly," Magnus said. "He used to spent hours at this one in particular. He was the reason they managed to stay open. Anyways, he used to sit on his stool, watching the TV screen which was always on CNN, except for when the Jets were playing. He watched the same news channel for hours on end and he picked something up over the years."

"How to invest," Alec realized.

"Exactly," Magnus said. "So when I got my first job—"

"Where?"

"Where?" Magnus repeated. "It was some crappy clothing store. Why does it matter?"

"It just does," Alec said. They rounded a corner.

"So when I got my first paycheck, he told me to invest it in this little start up company in Silicon Valley," Magnus said.

"What happened?" Alec asked, when Magnus didn't say anything for awhile.

"The company was bought by Apple and stocks went up 500,000% overnight."

"Oh my gosh," Alec muttered.

"I bought them at $10 a piece," Magnus said. "I bought 10 so then they were worth $500,000 collectively. So I called my father. I told him what had happened and he gave me another start up company to invest in. This was right before the recession so things were looking okay. It was a Chinese company so I was hesitant. But that's where the money went during the recession."

"You're a millionaire," Alec realized.

"Yes," Magnus said. He clapped his hands together. "Which is why I live the way I do. But one finds that not having a job can be incredibly tedious."

"So you just sit around all day?" Alec asked.

"I go to parties," Magnus said. "I make friends—" He stopped, staring up at the building they were in front of. "This is it."

"It looks like a cafe," Alec said. Standing at two stories tall, it was the shortest building on the block and the fading wood was painted yellow with cheery white trim.

"This is the only place in Brooklyn that serves a good breakfast for dinner."

"It's very bright," Alec noted.

"It's something different in the city," Magnus said as they entered.

They were seated and menus handed to them as waiters flew around them, preparing them for the courses to come.

Magnus glanced over his menu occasionally just to see the look on Alec's face. It was awestruck up until a point.

"Magnus, I can't afford—"

"I've made it clear you're my guest," Magnus said firmly. "Very clear. And I won't have any more protesting."

"But why me?" Alec asked, setting the menu aside.

"Why not you?" Magnus asked. "You've done me a great favor."

Alec asked his question with a single look.

"You made me coffee—"

"So I'm to be your housekeeper?" Alec asked.

"No," Magnus said. "You're to be my life-bringer."

"What does that mean?"

"The first thing I noticed this morning," Magnus said, "besides the fact that I was up way too early on a Monday morning was that the flat had a sense of life to it that has been missing ever since the Chairman's passing. The curtains were open, the house smelled like coffee, and somehow you vacuumed without waking me up. It was energizing."

Alec looked over at his menu.

"Millions of dollars, Alexander," Magnus said, "and no one to spend it with."

"I'm sure you could find someone," Alec said.

"Yes, but I need someone real. Someone who isn't used to it. I need you," Magnus insisted.

Alec was silent. The waiter arrived and Alec's time to think was over.

They placed their order.

"So did you find one?" Alec asked as a fruit salad was placed in front of him.

"Find what?" Magnus asked. He sat back in his chair as an identical plate was put in front of him.

"A cat," Alec said.

"You're my cat, Alexander."

Alec rolled his eyes.

Magnus stabbed a strawberry with his fork as he grinned.