“... I will not question why you think that my girlfriend would ever do something illegal... but otherwise I suppose I could help? What is it, little one?”, he could sound a little less amused. He had no right to be.
“... it's hard to explain, really...”, I walked out of the bathroom and leaned against the wall next to the window – better reception, “... are you somewhere in the area? It's... you won't believe me if I tell you,” I wouldn't believe myself if someone told me...
The other end was full of laughter and I had a light urge to strangle him. But also slumped against the wall in relief. He would help, and that's what he said, too: “Alright, I'll help, but you owe me. I'm just around the corner, actually, see you in a few minutes”
Aidan hung up. It really was lucky that he and Zeeta mostly had time when I needed them. It didn't happen often, but if, they were there and that was... neat.
A look in the bathroom confirmed that I had not hallucinated, but still had a very much alive and... paddling being in his tub. I envied it a little. It was too warm today.
.. and probably for Aidan, too. He worked in boiler rooms. He probably hated life right about there and then.
It wouldn't hurt to offer him a cold cola and a cold beer. Whichever he preferred. Sure,Felix... think about anything but the platypus in the bathroom, that’s a good coping mechanism...
Maybe it was, though. For now, at least.
Five minutes later, the door bell rang and I opened the door with the bottles raised: “Thanks for coming...”
The bottles were snatched, he laughed again and ruffled my hair with way too much force. Usually I made a point of being exasperated, but... honestly, I was just glad he was here.
… and once again somewhat envious, since he looked perfectly fine and attuned to the temperatures... seriously, sometimes life wasn't fair.
“Thanks, squirt. And? What's the problem now?,” he had managed to actually open the cola with the beer bottle. Both have crown caps. One day I'd understand how that actually worked...
Anyway, he looked at me while sipping from the bottle and smirked far too wide. Even with red hair, no one should be that heat-resistant.
“... I... ah... there is an animal in my bathtub,” here I stopped, because there were noises coming from him again. I must have looked somehow too sheepish, because he - once again - stifled a laugh and put a hand on my shoulder. And actually had the audacity to look me straight in the eye when he said: “Don't worry, I'll get the big bad spider. I'll be sure not to tell anyone. You and your mom are all safe from the big bad spider”
I stared right back at him... and grumbled. He even had something of a point. There had been some reports of spiders coming out of banana-shipments not too long ago. Was illegal to kill them, too. BUT...
“... I'd have called the emergency services, can you imagine? No. I've got...,” it was too ridiculous to actually say, really, “I've got a platypus in the bathtub.” And he most likely didn't even know what it... oh.
“-really?!,” this grin was a different one. He actually looked happy. This... this was just strange.
“Aidan, these things are illegal, it's forbidden to ever take them over the border of Australia, let alone in your bathtub,” he did not take this situation serious enough!
“Where is it?,” he had put the bottles – one half-empty – down and looked around.
“... third door on the left, but... hey, AIDAN!,” he actually walked to the floor already! The nerve! “Aidan! It's venomous! Seriously! It can KILL! YOU! SLOWLY! EY!”
… it didn't work. And he was faster than me, how was that fair?!
The door just thumbed close when I reached it. And when I opened it again, Aidan sat on the rim of the tub and held up the little animal like Simba. Just the other way around. And had an awed expression on his face.
The platypus, on the other hand, looked very, very unimpressed. And there was this thorn-thing raised. This did not look okay...
