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Artorious just needed to get out of the house. It sickened him, seeing how his parents acted with each other. Supposedly in love, sleeping with each other at night, but then during the day he’d hear his father Mikhail talking on the phone with some guy he had on the side. That couldn’t be love could it? He wouldn’t believe it was. What it was was a recipe for disaster. Did they not think how it would affect their kids if their parents weren’t together? What would happen if his daddies did split up? Now that he was an adult it didn’t matter. But as a kid…that was his biggest fear was not having his parents together, to have to choose between them.

He was never going to do that. It was one person for him or nobody. He was not going to be like them. No way. No how. Tugging his scarf tighter so it wouldn’t blow away, the male headed into town. Maybe he’d swing by the book store. See if the book he was waiting for finally came out. Or if not something else. There had to be something else to kill time until he can get back to the safety of an empty house.

He had a bit more bounce in his step as the bookstore came into view. Time to lose himself in the aisles of faraway lands. Maybe chat up the worker to get more book ideas. Artorious had plans to buy books other than the one he was waiting for already. For instance, he was going to have to rebuy an entire series. After so many years the author finally was coming out with another book; but somewhere along that time, Artorious had misplaced the set he had had. Maybe accidentally donated them in his book cleaning he sometimes went through for books he didn’t read as much anymore. And anything on sale. He had to check those out. The pierced male had found a few diamonds in that section. Grabbing a basket so he’d have more freedom looking, he looked at the male behind the counter. What was his name again? Artorious had seen him several times when he was here. Looked like something was up. He’d leave the guy alone but, he really wanted to know if his book had arrived yet. “Excuse me.” He went up to the counter, loosening his scarf now that he was inside. “Have the customer orders come in for the week yet?”

His face lit up in glee as he took the book. “Thank you.” Artorius flipped through it briefly before putting it in the basket. That would definitely be the first one he picked up tonight once he got home. Smiling, he looked at the guy, trying to find something or another that would tell him his name. He felt so bad not remembering it considering the employee didn’t even have to ask him his name in order to get the book. “Anything else new that came out that you would suggest?”

Artorius mouthed the name on the desk silently several times in an attempt to get his brain to remember it. Felix should be an easy name to remember. Unlike his own. The male read the backs of the books, or the inside cover, depending on where the synopsis was. Those that intrigued him a little he skimmed a couple pages. It was hard to find a good thriller novel that wasn't just horror, wasn't all blood and gore. But neither did he want something bland or too much information shoved into his head.

It took him a moment to get out of the world of books enough to realize that Felix had asked him a question. Or the fact that he should probably move in case someone else came up with a question. A nickname for him? "Depends on the person," Artorius said, shrugging. "I've had people call me Arthur, Tori, Mic, Mike..." Not everyone said his full name. Except his dad whenever Artorius was in trouble. It definitely never sounded like it did when it came out of Felix's mouth. Golden honey...Blushing, the green male turned his attention back to the books, putting a couple in his basket.

Giving in, Artorius unlaced his scarf, letting it hang loosely around his neck. Surely that was the reason he was slowly turning a light red down to his neck. The heat, and not because of how his nickname sounded coming from Felix. And totally not from what the other was reading, at least what he could see from the covers. "A drink would be nice, though I find it hard to believe that you haven't had anyone worth talking to come in." Putting the rejected books in a pile, nice, neat, and sturdy and his basket by the other chair out of anyone's way, he sat down.

“Are you just that picky? Insinuating that females aren’t good company? Or are you so shy you can’t talk to them at all?” Artorious asked in a teasing tone. He could easily rule out the third option for Felix. He didn’t see shy at all. Quite the opposite. “Because if most of your customers are female, I’m surprised that you even continue working here. Must be pretty boring not having anyone to talk to when they come to oogle at the cashier.” Eyes widening, Tori coughed into the scarf to hide his embarrassment. Did he really just say that? Out loud? Slightly panicked, he looked around for the tea set. “Anything I can do to help with the tea? Need anymore brewed?”

Artorious grinned. "I'd pay good money to see you talking with a female and then telling her to buzz off because you're bored. Or to see a shy you around females because I really can't see you like that." Not that he was any better. Then again, he wasn't really that great talking to others besides family in general. Always shooting off at the mouth before his brain caught up. At least books didn't judge you if you flew into a cursing rage at a plot twist. "I would love some tea. But I'm sure you'd want to relax so I can get it," he said, reaching for the set.