Page 35 of Felix

Christian grins, and I finally have the wherewithal to take him in. He’s wearing maroon-colored joggers today and a sleeveless white shirt. His hair is tied half-up in a bun, and fuck. Apparently, hot is Christian’s default.

“Um, thanks,” I manage. “He does like shrimp.”

“Perfect. Can I meet the little fella?”

“Oh Lord,” I mutter. “Please, please don’t let this influence your opinion of me.”

Christian gives me a strange look. “Why would it?”

I sigh, long and low, before walking over to Arthur’s terrarium. With a flourish of my hand, I say, “Christian, meet Sir Arthurpod, His Royal Cuteness, Burrower of Sand and Creator of Dreams.”

Christian’s grin is slow. “Sir Arthurpod. Because he’s an arthropod?”

“Yes,” I mumble.

“And what was that next part? His royal…”

“Cuteness,” I fill in.

Fuck my life.

“And, uh…”

“Burrower of Sand and Creator of Dreams,” I finish quickly. “Don’t even ask. The last one was Alex.”

With an expression I’m hoping is amusement and not concern for my sanity, Christian leans down and looks inside the tank. Arthur is barely visible, blending in with the sand and rocks around him. “Hi, Sir Arthurpod. Nice to meet you.” Turning to me, he asks, “Does he like to be held?”

“No,” I say with a snort. “He’s prickly and guarded. Just like me.”

Christian’s eyebrow wings up.

“Here,” I say, grabbing the package of dried shrimp. “He’ll come out if we feed him.”

Sure enough, once I drop a bit of the shrimp into his food bowl, Arthur starts to move. Christian hums and then lets out a surprised laugh as Arthur scurries across the sand.

“Holy shit,” he says. “How freaking cute.”

“You think that’s cute?” I ask. Arthur is investigating the shrimp now, his legs moving rapidly as he picks off almost imperceptibly tiny pieces to bring to his mouth.

“I mean, yeah,” Christian says, squatting down in front of the glass. “Look at him. He’s tiny and orange and adorable, but his eyes mean business. He’d probably kick my ass given the chance. Will he always be so small?”

“Uh, no,” I answer, honestly surprised that anyone but me finds Arthur adorable. “He’s young, so he’ll get a bit bigger still.”

“How long do hermit crabs live?”

“Upwards of fifteen to twenty years in captivity if they’re cared for properly,” I tell him.

His eyes meet mine, wide. “Jesus. You could have him when you’re forty. What else does he eat?”

I sit on the floor next to Christian, watching him as he watches Arthur. “Lots of things. Meat, fruits, veggies. Shrimp is a favorite of his. And he really likes coconut and melon. Hates broccoli.”

Christian huffs a laugh.

“He needs calcium, too, for his exoskeleton,” I say.

His eyes meet mine, soft as he blinks at me. “Does he prefer to be alone?”

I get the feeling he’s asking about more than Arthur, but I answer for my crab. “They’re social, actually. I’ve been meaning to get Arthur a buddy, but I wanted to get settled with him first, and…I guess I’m a little worried, when I do get another, they won’t get along.”

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