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"Kurt was it?"
The other man asked him slowly.
Though his facial expression stayed much the same and the far off look in his eyes remained unchanged the uncertainty behind the question was obvious in his voice.
Kurt couldn't really blame him for his uncertainty though, Kurt's thick accent mixed with, what he assumed was, the other mans hard hearing didnt make well for a proper introduction.
"Ja, that's my name." Kurt responded, words much slower this time in hopes it would help the other man process what he was saying.
It seemed to work well enough as a few short moments later the other man gave a quick nod.
Despite the movement the mans eyes remained focused on what, kurt could only assume, was something far off in the distance.
It was something Kurt would have to ask about in the future.
Kurt sat there quietly for a few moments before asking his next question, words as slow and quiet as his previous ones.
"What's your name?"
The other man sat there for a moments, processing the question. It wasnt a difficult question to process but none the less Kurt gave the man how ever much time he needed to do so.
"Kenneth" he replied slowly "Kenneth Jones."
So his name was Kenneth. Interesting.
"Kenneth then? Can I call you Kenny?"
The other mans response came much quicker this time.
"No."
Seemed he didnt like that nickname to much, that was also something Kurt would have to ask about in the future.
"Kenneth it is then."
In the several long minutes that the two men sat there in silence not once did Kenneth's eyes move off the spot he stared so intently at in the distance.
Kurt wasnt sure if the man even blinked once during the entire time he'd been there.
He couldn't help but wonder what it was that held the other mans attention so intently but when he had finally worked up enough courage to dare ask the man about what it was the other man spoke, a question of his own this time.
"Is it short for Kurtis?"
Caught off guard and confused, Kurt stared at the man blankly for a few moments.
"Your name" the other man asked catching on to Kurt's confusion "is it short for Kurtis?"
'Oh.'
"Nein" Kurt responded with a short laugh "just Kurt."
A small smile stretched across Kenneth's face, the most expressive the man had been since his arrival at the institute some weeks ago, as he asked the next question.
"What about Kurthew?"
Despite himself a quiet snort of laughter left Kurt.
So that's what this was, the other mans attempt at a joke. Kurt smiled at him.
"Nein. It's not short for Kurthew either."