salt and giants

A booming sound sent a flock of birds scattering, and combined with the frantic flapping it snapped Fern out of her work. She was used to a staggering variety of wildlife sounds in the Kypros marsh, from myriad bird calls to bellowing frogs and the whispery rattle of snakes, but that didn’t sound like anything she’d ever heard before… and most concerningly it sounded almost human.

Lots of careless humans had ventured into the marshlands with no idea what lay in store, and the sound’s source seemed to be near the river.

Awfully close to croctaur territory…

She vaguely remembered hearing some snapping before too… someone could be in serious trouble.

She dropped the rhizomes she’d been harvesting and hurried as quietly as she could towards the river, hoping she’d make it time to help whoever was in need.

By the time she reached the river the original sound had long faded, but she could hear distant muttering and what seemed like muted groans of pain coming from further upstream, away from where the crocs converged. Probably not a croctaur attack then, but an animal or insect bite was still very possible and no less dangerous. Thankfully the botanist always carried medical supplies when she went collecting, ever hopeful for the best but prepared for the worst.

As she reached the riverbed she pushed up her glasses and surveyed the area. There was clear evidence of a hunt, from bloodied markings on ground to the bones of some unlucky animal she didn’t care to further examine, and the lingering sounds were getting closer. Following her ears she realized she was also following an unusually wide trail of disturbed vegetation leading directly into the thickest part of the marsh.

Nobody ventured in that far.

It was something of an open secret that anuids of all types would snatch up humans given the opportunity. Legally speaking there was no such activity, but it was well known that humans were valuable commodities in Kypros, which was why the expedition team strictly prohibited crossing the swamp line into the major settlements. Just exploring the coasts and borderlands of anuid territory was dangerous enough, but walking straight into a croctaur settlement was like asking to be grabbed.

The more she noticed about the width and shape of the trail the more she felt her heart pound. Only a croctaur could have left a trail like that… but anuids didn’t sound like humans… at least, not as far as Fern was aware. As far she knew, nobody had ever met one and returned to tell the tale. Allegedly other humans had ventured into Kypros and studied the denizens of the planet, but the textbooks she’d read had shockingly little to say about croctaurs or anuids as a whole.

Another grunt, this one accompanied by something like snapping branches, followed by a growl…

They’re definitely still alive, and still in need of help…

As the sky suddenly darkened her heart dropped. Dark clouds had gathered at an alarming speed along with a burst of wind, much like monsoon season back home. If there really was a storm brewing it would explain the sudden lack of visible wildlife, but it would also mean an even worse situation for whoever was stuck out here wounded. Even if she reported someone in the deep brush the rescue team probably wouldn’t venture out until the storm cleared, and that was time an injured person didn’t have.

Dangerous or not, someone needed her, and she couldn’t just abandon them.

Taking a deep breath she tied back her frizzy hair, pushed up her glasses, forced her feet forward and ran directly into the depths.

/-/-/-

Gaspar growled softly to himself as he settled inside a dense quinzy of branches and tried to pick at his swollen gums. Unfortunately his claws were far too large to pry out whatever bit of bone was stabbed between his teeth. Still, at least he’d managed a meal before the storm set in. The turn of weather had come far more quickly than he’d expected, forcing him to build a shelter to wait out the storm. He’d already spent most of his energy hunting, and with how fast of a turn things had taken he didn’t want to risk getting caught out in the cold rains and harsh winds. Since he’d gone hunting at the outermost edge of the border his own home was still a ways off.

Thankfully he was good with his hands and had plenty of experience with making things. As he settled in he grabbed a smaller branch and tried to extricate whatever was stuck in his gumline again. It was hard to believe something so tiny could be such a literal and figurative pain… frowning at another failed effort to remove the bone he crushed the branch between his fingers and tossed the splinters into the wind.

“Whoa!”

His ears pricked up at the voice. Who was foolish enough to be out in a coming storm?

Leaning out of his shelter he spotted a tiny flicker of light in the distance.

A human.

Humans rarely ventured this close to croctaur territory, much less in this weather… the winds were picking up, and he could see in the distance a crack of lightning split the sky. The thwack of thunder nearly drowned out the human voice, but he could still just make it out.

“Hello?! Don’t be scared, I’m here to help you!”

The voice was getting closer, almost like it was coming straight towards him.

“I know you’re hurt! Where are you?!”

Surely they weren’t looking for him… was there another human lost somewhere in the marsh? That seemed highly unlikely, not so close to croctaurs…

The light started to flicker, not merely from the winds and rain blurring it but in a distinct, rhythmic pattern, like a signal light.

Now that was extremely stupid. Any nearby anuids would recognize that and happily venture short distances to snatch up a human out in the open, even in a storm like this.

“Please! I heard you cry out!”

Suddenly the pieces came together; it had indeed been Gaspar who’d inadvertently yelped in pain at the stubborn bone still stuck in his teeth, but the human had mistaken his cry for that of another human.

“Hello?!”

He heaved a sigh. On one hand, nobody had told this human to go wandering into croctaur territory in the middle of a lightning storm… but they were just trying to help someone they thought was wounded and stuck out in the elements. They were risking their own life to help another, and Gaspar just happened to be the person they thought was so in need of help.

He couldn’t just leave them out there.

“Stay where you are,” He called, reluctantly standing to leave the makeshift den.

“Where are you?! Are you okay?!” The light wavered but did not stray from its location as he slowly walked towards the human.

“Huh?!”

“Don’t move,” He warned, “Stay exactly where you are.”

-0-0-

Fern felt her heart thump with each thud of a footstep, each one just as audible as it was palpable. An outline of utter blackness towered over her so that even craning her neck at a full vertical left her unable to see the sky above the figure. As she lifted the lantern closer she could see what looked like the feet of a crocodile, but on a terrifyingly larger scale. Each claw alone looked to be at least size of her head.

Between the dark, their current proximity and reduced visibility from the storm it was impossible to see the croctaur in its entirety, but if she had to take a guess she’d mentally estimate it to be at least 50 feet tall… and if she were to be completely honest with herself, that was lowballing. Currently all she could see was up to the knee- joint? Was it an actual knee? She wasn’t exactly familiar with crocodile biology, but whatever it was called, it was only a fraction of the creature’s full form. From the outline of the upper half it looked not only like a human male’s torso, but like it belonged to a power lifter, with a thick neck and bulging arms.

It cane to a stop around a good distance away from her, much farther away from her than she would have expected, but then the top of its outline began to move as it lowered its upper body towards her. She moved her back foot and shifted her weight to move away, but then she saw a pair of yellow eyes come into view against the backdrop of shadow, and a chill ran down her spine.

It was watching her. It had told her not to move. Running now would be useless.

Her mind raced, running fruitless circles of probabilities around the inevitable conclusion: there was no getting away from the croctaur.

Slowly, painfully slowly, she watched as it lowered an inconceivable mass of hulking muscle towards her, lowering one hand to the ground to support itself just a few feet away from her. Without thinking she lifted the lantern higher, illuminating the grey skin of its human half in contrast to the typical greens of the lower crocodile half, and minus the coloring and a pair of what looked like tiny teeth protruding from the corhers of his lower jaw its face was shockingly human. In any other context she might have even said it belonged to a handsome man.

Without thinking she let go of the hood of her jacket as she squinted to get a better look, and instantly the wind ripped it back to soak her head. She tried shielding her eyes with a hand, but it did little as the rain now directly pelted her glasses, leaving her nearly blind as the creature continued its agonizing descent. She could almost feel the shift in the air as his weight approached, the yellow blur of his eyes growing larger and larger as he came closer and closer towards her.

“What- who are you?!” Her mouth was suddenly dry as she felt herself shaking.

“Just hold still.”

Before she could even blink she was moving, suddenly seated on a slightly warm surface that felt almost leathery. Somehow he had picked her up not only startlingly fast but with shocking gentleness. She’d managed to hold onto her lantern, but she almost wished she hadn’t as he brought her towards his lips and opened his mouth wide.

“WAIT! NO! PLEASE! DON’T!”

She skittered away as fingers curled around her, back pressed against the wall of digits. Time seemed to slow as her eyes darted in search of any possible escape, finding only sharp teeth framing a sea of glistening pink… except… there was also a spot of red. At the back of his mouth, between the molars, was a dark red area that even with her current vision she could see was swollen.

An old trick surfaced in her memory as she created a pinhole with her fingers and peered through it, glimpsing the unmistakeable sight of not only blood but a pale object sticking out of the gum.

“Wait… you?! YOU’RE the one who cried out in pain?!

His mouth stopped moving, and without thinking she leaned forward with her lantern to look through her makeshift pinhole, slowly realizing what had happened.

“I get it, you’ve got a bone shard stuck that you couldn’t get out yourself!”

A switch flipped in her brain, blocking out everything except the injury and putting her into work mode as she moved forward, further into his mouth. The shard was embedded between the molars furthest back, leaving the soace both between around both teeth inflamed.

“Ah?”

The creature sounded almost… confused? Had he not expected her to help?

She grabbed the bone and gave it an experimental wiggle, making the croctaur exhale sharply in apparent pain.

“Hold on, I think I can get it out!”

Setting the lantern down she gripped the bone with both hands, planted one foot against a lower tooth and pulled as hard as she could.

The force was so great she wound up stumbling backwards and landed seated in the creature’s palm, still clutching the bloodied shard.

“Well I’ll be damned…”

“Ha!” She laughed, though she hardly even recognized the curt, high pitched sound of her own voice as she found herself smiling up at the croctaur. Hysteria? Probably, she thought. She couldn’t believe that just an hour ago hadn’t even known they could talk… Her own ignorance was hilariously frightening, and she had to mentally push away the thought for now. “That should feel better, right?”

The adrenaline was still coursing through her veins as she looked up at the grey-skinned face before her, though now she could feel her heart trying to ram its way out of her ribcage. Survival instinct screamed in her mind to run, jump, something, anything to get away… but her eyes were somehow transfixed on the face of the croctaur holding her.

He multiple scars, including one running horizontally across the upper bridge of his nose and one vertically slicing the left edge of his lip. Somehow you always see wounds first, she mentally chuckled at herself. A pair of thick eyebrows and a set of darker grey suboccular splotches framed his golden yellow eyes. Her chest felt tight as she tried to force herself into eye contact, but instead of staying on irises her eyes kept drifting back to his full lips and sharp, ivory teeth.

“You’re a strange one,” He remarked, almost chuckling, warm breath drifting over her from the proximity to his mouth. Without thinking she leaned in closer; the wind and her rain soaked clothes had left her half-frozen.

“How does it feel?”

He ran his tongue experimentally over the area, and she instinctively backed away at the sight.

“Better,” He smiled, though something about his expression felt slightly unsettling. Even with his lips closed she could see two smaller teeth protruding, and whether intentional or not his face had a certain neutrality about it that made it impossible to know what he was truly thinking.

“That’s good, I-“

A crash of thunder interrupted, along with a howl of wind ripping right through her clothes. She pulled her knees closer to her chest and hugged herself, teeth chattering as she shivered.

“Let’s get you out of this storm.” His fingers curled closer around her as he lifted her back up to his lips. “Just trust me, alright?”

“What are you going to do?”

“Keep you warm.” Without any further warning he opened his mouth, tongue quickly slipping under her feet.

“WAIT NO! DON’T-“

Before she could even finish the word she was sliding between his teeth across the pale pink floor. She tried to scramble back towards his lips as quickly as she could, but his tongue curled to keep her back. She could only watch in helpless horror as the gate of bone cut off the light of her lantern as his teeth closed, sealing her in humid darkness.

/-/-/-

“Settle down,” He rumbled softly, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You ATE ME!” She clambered towards his lips, but he quickly nudged her back towards the middle of his mouth.

“Relax. If I really wanted to eat you I’d have already swallowed.”

“Then why are you doing this?!”

“You won’t last long outside exposed in this weather. You’re already soaked and shivering.”

“Wait… so… you did this for me?

“Of course.”

“But… why your mouth?!”

“It’s warm, and safe. Crocs carry their young in their mouths all the time,” He shrugged.

“Oh right, you’re part crocodile… I guess that does make sense,” She chuckled nervously, “In that case, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” He tried to shake off as much of the rain as he could beneath the canopy before lying down inside the quinzy. “You’re just lucky I’m the one who found you first.”

“Oh… so… just to be completely clear, you’re not going to eat me?”

“Nope,” He smiled softly, “Though I would like to know what a human was doing out here so close to croctaur territory.”

She paused a moment. “I was collecting plant samples.”

“Pretty bold of a little human like you to venture this close to croctaurs in the middle of a thunderstorm just for some plants.”

“I heard that someone was hurt. I couldn’t just leave whoever it was behind.”

“You weren’t afraid of being stranded yourself?”

“I had to try, someone needed help.”

“And you don’t regret coming out here now that you see who it was?”

“Why would I? You were hurt.”

Gaspar blinked in surprise. There was no hesitation in her voice, and not a hint of deceit. She answered so simply, as if the answer was so obvious. It wasn’t often he came across such a guileless human.

“Would you have come out if you’d known from the start I was a croctaur?”

“Knowing me, probably.”

A small smile crossed his lips. “You know, I think I believe you.”

“I would have been a lot more hesitant about it though.”

“Now that I don’t believe, considering you waltzed right up to my mouth once you saw the wound.”

“I didn’t waltz!”

“Yeah you did,” He chuckled, “Nothing hesitant about it.”

“I was terrified!”

“You still did it, though, straightaway. You’re a brave little thing.”

“Oh no, not really, I just did what anyone else would do, just trying to help!”

“Trust me, I’ve never seen a human just walk up to a wounded croctaur and start helping like you did,” He replied, tone softening a bit in response to her flustering.

“It wasn’t anything special.”

“I’d say it was pretty special.”

“I wouldn’t say that, not at all,” She answered quickly, “Now anuids, you guys are special! You’re so unique and huge, I’d love to learn more about you.”

“Curious, huh?” He chuckled, “I wouldn’t try chatting up any other anuids though.”

“Right… I’ve heard they kidnap us and sell us on the market.”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Do anuids… really eat us?”

“Some, but not all. Personally I don’t unless I haven’t eaten in weeks. Humans in our territory are rare to begin with, and not very filling.”

“Oh…”

“Don’t worry, you’re off the menu. For all anuids.” He added firmly.

“I am?”

“I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

She was silent for a moment, seemingly surprised.

“Thank you… really… I appreciate that.” She gently patted his tongue, inadvertently giving him a small taste of her as her hand rested on the muscle.

“You’re a good kid. I don’t mind protecting you.”

“You’re very kind.” She patted his tongue again, hand lingering on a tastebud for a bit before she suddenly drew her hand back. “Sorry, I didn’t- I mean, is that okay?”

“Of course,” He chuckled, “You’re welcome to poke around as much as you like.”

“Did you keep my lantern by any chance? It’s awfully dark in here…”

“Hmm? Oh, I guess I did,” He replied, only now noticing he still had it clutched in his hand. He opened his mouth and placed the lantern on his tongue beside her.

“Mind if I take a look at your gums again?”

“Go right ahead.” He opened his mouth wider to allow her easier access, and he quickly felt her tiny fingers palpating his swollen gums.

-0-0-

“Does it still hurt?”

“Just a bit.”

“I can help with that.” She let her backpack slide off her shoulders and rummaged through, looking for the zippered bag she kept with various herbal preparations. Holding them close to the lantern she sifted through countless vials until she found one containing a thick yellow liquid that smelled like a sweeter variant of eucalyptus.

“Aha!“

The fluid cooled her palms and fingertips as she poured it into a cupped hand. The round yellow flowers in the extract were similar in appearance and anti-inflammatory effects to toothache plants on Earth, but instead of capsaicin like compounds the Kypros version were menthol like.

“This should dull the pain pretty quickly.” She carefully spread the liquid across the swollen patch of gumline, fingers gently grazing the slick surface.

“Are you a doctor?”

“Botanist, with a special interest in herbalism,” She explained, “It’s no substitute for modern medicine of course, but when you’re lost in the marsh a sound knowledge of medicinal plants comes in handy.”

“Ah.”

She spread the remains of the liquid into the hole left by the shard and softly rubbed the swelling around it. It felt surreal, surrounded by massive teeth and touching Gaspar’s gums, how it seemed so familiar and yet utterly foreign. Internally he was very much like a human, but in a staggering larger scale, and she could only imagine how different the rest of his insides had to be.

“Thanks, trying to get that bone out would’ve been a real pain without you.”

“You’re welcome! If you ever need a pair of smaller hands again I’m happy to help.”

“If I ever see you again I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“You probably will, I come out here to collect plant samples pretty often so I’m sure you’ll see me again sometime.”

“You shouldn’t go anywhere near croctaur territory again though. It’s not safe.”

“I wouldn’t normally get this close…” She bit her lip. It didn’t feel right to make it sound like she never wanted to see him again, not when he’d been so kind to her. “I’d take the risk to come visit, though,” She added softly.

“You shouldn’t.”

“Why not?” She frowned, “I’d like to see you again, and you did say you wouldn’t let anyone else eat me, right?”

“What if another croctaur found you first and I wasn’t around?”

“I guess I’d have to hope they’d be as kind and sweet as you are.”

“I guess I’ll have to be on the lookout to keep you out of trouble,” He grumbled, then paused a moment before rolling his tongue beneath her.

“H-hey!” She clambered towards his teeth again, feeling a small chuckle just as clearly as she heard it.

“It’s alright, you’re safe, remember?” He nudged her back towards the middle of his mouth.

“I know, you just startled me.” Without thinking she gently patted the muscle beneath her. This time she noticed a few gray splotches amidst the floor of soft pink. That definitely wasn’t human, but was it crocodilian? Or was it a croctaur specific thing? The more details she noticed the more she wondered…

“I’m serious though, you really shouldn’t be out here. Any other anuid could have grabbed you in a heartbeat and either sold you or kept you for themself.”

“Are we really so valuable?”

“They’d pay quite a sum for a cute little thing like you.”

“C-cute?”The word felt foreign as she stumbled across it, “No, no I’m not- you don’t see many humans, do you?”

“I’ve seen enough to know you’d fetch a pretty price at the market.”

“Well… with such a bad storm you probably didn’t get a good look at me,” She chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. Why did her cheeks suddenly feel warm?

“Or maybe you need new glasses.”

“How-?!” She blinked in surprise. “I don’t know what’s crazier, that you know what they are or that you noticed mine!”

“You think anuids don’t know anything about humans?”

“You certainly seem to know more about us than we know about you,” She sighed, “I didn’t even know anuids could speak human languages until today.”

“You must be very new to Kypros, that or whoever brought you here left some serious gaps in your education.”

“I’ve been here a few weeks, but I’ve never gotten close to anuids before today.”

“It’s just as well. Are you from Earth?”

“No, Kep42.”

“Where’s that?”

“It’s in the Kepler system, it used to be a penal colony for Earthborn humans. The informal name is Primus Oz, if you’ve heard of that.”

“Don’t think so, no. It would explain why you know so little about us though, I’ve never heard of humans coming from that planet before.”

“I have so much to learn, about everything in Kypros… I’ve never felt so helpless and ignorant before,” She sighed.

“It’s not exactly ignorance, you’re just new here.”

“Still… I may have come to study plants, but I wish I knew more about anuids now that I’m actually here. There’s so much I don’t know!”

“Nobody is born knowing everything.”

“I feel like I don’t know anything… I wish I was at least familiar with the croctaurs since their settlement is right near where the-“ She suddenly bit her lip. “The plants I study, they’re so close to the settlement,” She added as quickly as she could.

“You’ll learn.”

“Gaspar…” She pursed her lips again, caught between not wanting to be anymore of a burden on him and the feeling that she’d never get another chance at finding an anuid amenable to hearing her out. “Do you think you teach me?”

/-/-/-

“Teach you?”The croctaur raised an eyebrow at her request.

“I mean if it’s not an imposition on you or anything!” She added quickly, “I don’t want to be a bother of course, I wouldn’t take advantage of your kindness and of course I’d repay you once I-“

“Easy, girl,” He interrupted, “You want me to teach you about anuids? There’s plenty I don’t know myself, and I’m not exactly a teacher.”

“I actually meant more about croctaurs, since they’re the ones I’ll be in close contact with during my expedition.”

“I thought you were going to minimize croctaur contact.”He frowned.

“I mean, in my line of work it’s inevitable that I’ll be around them at some point just based on location. You live right in the middle of one of the most biodiverse areas I’ve ever seen, prime real estate for studying the countless plant species on Kypros.”

“What exactly do you want to know about us?”

“Everything! Morphology, ecology, ethology, sociocultural development, I don’t know anything about croctaurs except that you’re half crocodile and half human!”

“I’m not sure how much I know about those things myself, but I don’t mind answering your questions,” He chuckled, “I still don’t want you getting so close to our territory though.”

“I’d like to come back and see you though, even if you didn’t want to teach me,” She added softly, sounding disappointed.

“Hmmmm… we’ll see about potential arrangements for future visits after I take you home.”

“You mean it?” He couldn’t help a small smile at the joy in her voice, though it quickly dissolved to confused concern. “Wait, what home?”

“Your home.”

“My home?!”

“Of course. Did you think I was going to let you just walk out of croctaur territory alone and unprotected?”He frowned, “No, the only way to ensure you make it back safely is to bring you there myself.”

“Oh no, you can’t- I mean I couldn’t- that’s far too much for me to ask of you!”

“You didn’t ask. I’m telling you.”

“You don’t understand-“

“If you’re really worried about exposing where your cohort is, I promise your secret is safe with me.”

“How did you- I guess I gave it away before,”She sighed.

“Not really, its no secret that humans never come alone.”

“It’s not just that, though, we have armed security guarding the perimeter of the base. If they see you they could shoot you!”

“I’ll drop you off at night, just outside your base, in a spot where they won’t see me.”

“I don’t know, I’d hate for you to get hurt because of me.”

“I’d take the risk to come visit,” He smirked, so widely he was sure she could practically hear it.

“Why are you so sweet?!”

“Besides, there’s only so much a human weapon can do against a croctaur.”

“You haven’t seen our weapons, or any Primus Ozians except for me. Do you know how trigger happy they can be?”

“I’ll be careful.”

“There are some Ozzies back home who wrangle regular crocodiles just for fun! What if they see you and take it as a challenge?”

“I’d like to see them try,” He chuckled.

“I’m serious! I dont want you to take the risk!”

“It’s cute you think I’m at any risk to begin with,” He chuckled, “Don’t worry about me, I’m a lot more durable than a human.”

“I still wouldn’t want to go out of your way even more just to take me back, especially not with armed guards waiting for you.”

“It’s no trouble. Besides, it wouldn’t sit right with me if I didn’t escort you home.”

“I don’t think-“

“This isn’t a discussion.”

He could practically feel her wilt at the finality of his tone.

“I just want you to be safe…”

He sighed quietly, tone softening as he continued.

“Once the storm lets up and it’s dark enough outside you’ll guide me back, and maybe on the way we’ll discuss future visits.”

“So you will let me come see you again?”

“If you stop arguing about me taking you home.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Thank you!”She rubbed his tongue again, not an absentminded touch but an intentional massage.

It was certainly not a sensation Gaspar was accustomed to; on previous occasions when he’d eaten humans they hadn’t exactly been willing, much less affectionate. It wasn’t unpleasant though… quite the opposite, in fact. The gentle feeling of tiny fingers was oddly soothing, and he found himself relaxing at her touch.

“Is this bribery?” He chuckled, resting his head on folded arms.

“Well I do need some way to repay you for everything, will this do?”

“Perhaps.”

She continued for a while, occasionally shifting a bit so that she could reach every inch of his tongue. Tension in his neck and jaw muscles melted away as she continued, and he smiled softly around her with a pleased sigh. His eyes gradually shut as he let himself sink into a pseudo-sleep, letting his mind rest as the sounds of the storm seemed to faded into the distance. If anything major were to suddenly happen he’d be no less alert to it, but his current focus was solely on Fern’s small voice, her sweet flavor, and her tender touch.

“Is this alright? I mean, does this feel okay?”

“More than okay.” He gently licked her cheek, a small gesture of appreciation. It initially startled her, but she seemed to quickly realize the intent and let her cheek briefly rest on the slick surface, giving the edge of his tongue a soft squeeze. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m… okay. More okay than I expected to be,” She admitted, “How’s the storm?”

He forced his eyes open, reluctant to leave the half-dreamlike state he’d drifted into. The thunder was more distant now than before, but far from gone, and the rains were just as heavy if not even worse.

“Still going. You might want to make yourself comfortable and try to rest for now.”

“How long do you think this storm will last?”

“During the wet season sometimes the rain doesn’t let up for days, even weeks.”

“Weeks?!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t keep you that long. I’m sure your people will worry about you if you’re away too long. Once the thunder dies down I’ll take you back.”

“How long will that take?”

“At least another hour, maybe more.”

“Another hour… I guess that means no chance of a break for a little fresh air?”

“You want me to let you out?”

“Just for a few minutes, please?” She begged, giving his tongue a tiny, pleading rub.

“Hmm…”On one hand the storm was far from over, and even with the quinzy for shelter she’d still get cold if she went back outside… but she had also spent quite a while in his mouth, and even if she was outwardly calmer now she had been terrified before, and it wouldn’t have surprised him if she was still on edge even now. “I suppose a few minutes won’t hurt.”

He propped himself up on a forearm, lifted his free hand to his lips and opened his mouth, gently sliding her off his tongue into an open palm.

Fern instinctively moved away from his mouth, took a deep breath as she briefly looked out at the storm and turned to look up at him, pushing a wad of slimy curls out of her eyes.

“Thank you, for everything.”

Even soaked and slimy, Gaspar could only imagine how fast any other anuid would have snatched her up. There was something oddly endearing about her, from how softly she wrapped her arms around a finger to her dimpled smile that seemed somehow contagious.

“Is something wrong?”

He shook his head a bit, briefly lost in his observations upon getting a real look at her.

“Nothing.”

“You seemed lost in thought, what were you thinking about?”

“Just that you’re adorable.”

“What? No I’m not!”Her tanned skin did little to hide the redness rising in her cheeks. “You probably just think that from my size.”

“It’s not just size, trust me. I’ll have to keep a very close eye on you to make sure no one tries anything.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” She tried to chuckle in spite of the obvious flustering, before suddenly hugging herself and pulling her knees in close to her chest.

“Cold?”

“Just a little, I’ll be fine!”

His fingers curled closer around her, and she quickly huddled into the curve.

“Better?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Remember you only have a few minutes. It’s still too cold and wet for you to stay out here.”

“I know… I feel a little guilty that you’re stuck out here too though.”

“That’s entirely my own fault, not yours. Whether or not you’d ventured out here I’d still be here.”

“Still, I feel bad I can’t help you stay warm… aren’t you cold too?”

“Croctaurs are better at retaining heat than humans, especially bigger ones.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m not going to freeze to death out here. You, on the other hand, can’t afford to take the risk.” He frowned as he felt her shivering anew, and he quickly brought her back up to his lips. “I think you’ve had enough fresh air.”

-0-0-

“Alright, I just needed a few minutes,” She sighed, already moving towards his mouth even before he opened it. He stretched his tongue over his teeth and breathed slowly to keep it still as she climbed back inside. Her brief reprieve had been reassuring and helped ease the anxiety she’d been stewing in, but it had also left her freezing again. Once she was settled in he gently licked her icy arms and face, the heat of his mouth melting away the chill, and she softly rubbed his tongue in return.

“You should try to sleep for a bit. It’s late, and I’m sure you’re exhausted from the day you’ve had.”

He wasn’t entirely wrong… but in the grand scheme of all the expeditions she’d been on, somehow this wasn’t the worst. She hadn’t gotten sick from accidental toxin exposure, she hadn’t broken any bones… this was at the very worst barely top three.

“You know what… I’ve had worse days,” She chuckled.

“Worse than getting eaten by a croctaur?”

“I lived, and he turned out to be really sweet and caring,” She grinned and briefly rubbed his tongue again. “Besides, he didn’t really eat me.”

“Not yet,” He teasingly grumbled.

“You wouldn’t!” This time she was more hurt than frightened.

“No, I wouldn’t,” He admitted, giving her a small lick, “I wouldn’t mind swallowing you for a while though.”

“Why would you want to do that?!”

“In an emergency my first stomach would be the safest place for you, even safer than my mouth.”

“First stomach?”She blinked in surprise, though in hindsight it was perfectly logical for a croctaur to have both a human and a crocodile stomach. “You mean it’s like a storage pouch?”

“Exactly. You’d be just as warm and safe, and I wouldn’t mind some belly rubs.”

“Oh, so that’s the real reason why,” She chuckled with another soft rub, “I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet though…”

“No, of course not. I wouldn’t ask that from you right now. Not unless you were actually in danger.”

“I promise you belly rubs when the time comes though,” She smiled softly.

“I’ll be looking forward to that. For now just lie down and make yourself comfortable.”

“Are you sure? I mean, it’s only an hour away, right?” She clenched her teeth as she felt a yawn trying to escape.

“It could be more, and you must be tired. I’ll wake you when it’s time to head home.” He nudged her softly, soft flesh rippling beneath her like a water bed.

“I don’t know… won’t it feel weird for you if I just fall asleep in here?”

“Not at all. It feels no different than if a baby fell asleep in your arms.”

“That’s completely different!”

“Not to me. You’re just as small a hatchling, and there’s nothing strange about carrying sleeping hatchlings.”

“I keep forgetting how normal this is to you, just holding someone small in your mouth…”

“You’re not still frightened, are you?”

“I wouldn’t say frightened, just… a little nervous,” She admitted, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You have nothing to fear, I promise, I’m not going to swallow you in your sleep.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” She sighed, “It’s just the adrenaline still circulating.”

“At least lie down, even if you don’t want to sleep.”

Begrudgingly she uncrossed her legs and slowly turned onto her side. His tongue shifted to meet her so that instead of slowly lowering herself through air she was sinking into the soft muscle, practically cradled in its warmth.

“That’s it, just relax. You’re safe with me.”

Conflicting feelings swirled as she let herself lie down. She’d expected to feel a new wave of anxiety, and to some extent she did, but what she hadn’t expected was to feel her muscles relax, alongside a kind of calmness battling with her instinctive nerves. She was lying in a giant mouth, surrounded by massive crocodilian teeth, and yet she felt so… comfortable? If she closed her eyes she could almost imagine she was lying on a heated bed, the soft flesh beneath her feeling almost plush.

His tongue tilted very slightly and the lantern rolled towards her in silent suggestion.

“I guess I should save some battery for later…”

“Trust me, if you do nod off I’ll wake you when it’s time. Just get some rest.”

Trust… yes, she trusted him. He’d proven himself trustworthy countless times already, and he had been nothing but kind and chivalrous towards her. He was helping her, sheltering her from the storm, and she could no longer doubt for even a second that she was safe in his care. Gaspar had been so good to her, and he had earned more than her trust… he was a friend to her now.

She took one last glance around the pale pink room and turned off the lantern, and within seconds her eyes fell shut under the sudden weight of exhaustion.

“I’ll try,” She yawned. Her muscles felt heavy, a deep drowsiness falling over her as her mind began to drift.

All she could manage to move was her arm to give one last little rub of thanks before her body went limp, and before she knew it she had succumbed to sleep.

/-/-/-

Gaspar smiled fondly as he felt her dozing off, finally letting herself fully relax. It had been quite some time since he’d held a small creature in his mouth like this, let alone had one sleeping inside him. A long forgotten feeling warmed his chest as she lay nestled atop his tongue, one he could only describe as… satisfaction.

Fern was safe, warm and well protected within his jaws. He’d been careful with her, and she had rewarded him not only with her delightful little rubs but with a trust so deep she’d let herself sleep in his mouth. She was so sweet she’d not only gotten the bone out of his gums but rubbed his tongue and even promised belly rubs, and she so eager to learn about him and croctaurs…her kindness and curiosity were a rare combination amongst humans, and he shuddered to think what might have happened if another anuid had found her first.

Despite his repeated warnings to her about getting close to croctaurs, he found himself wondering already when she would come back. It was nice having a little companion to talk to. In a way he’d missed having hatchlings to hold in his mouth, and holding Fern had filled that need. Having a cute and cuddly little human to protect had been far more fulfilling than he could have imagined.

Especially the cuddles… already he was hoping for belly rubs next time, and perhaps he could return her affection with some hand hugs and gentle tasting.

As he settled in himself he kept his mouth as still as possible, trying not to disturb his tiny guest. She must have been drained to fall asleep as fast as she did, especially inside a croctaur’s mouth for the first time. She’d been so frightened at first… but now she was sleeping soundly inside him, unafraid, unmoving in peaceful slumber.

He looked out at the storm again. Still just as thunderous and rainy… and yet he was almost glad it hadn’t improved. No reason to wake her if the weather was still this bad, and no reason for him not to let himself rest in the meantime. Besides, it wasn’t like he truly slept, and at most it only lasted a few hours at a time. She’d have a nice long nap, and he’d get to hold his newfound friend a little longer.

Sleep well, little one.

The morning sun was just starting to warm Fern’s skin as she anxiously paced the water’s edge. Gaspar had said to meet him at the delta an hour after sunrise, but she’d been so nervous she’d headed out much earlier than necessary and arrived an hour too soon. She’d spent all night planning the route, picking a suitable gift, deciding on and baking an ungodly number of pavlovas, packing her bag and writing a list of questions and topics of study. She’d then spent the morning fretting so much over being on time, if she’d get the right place, if he’d even show up, that she’d not only gotten no sleep whatsoever but she’d let all her worries boil over into an anxiety that somehow felt even worse than being eaten.

She couldn’t even enjoy looking at the myriad plants growing in the delta, instead pacing a figure eight around a pair of trees. The rich soil allowed for all sorts of flora to grow, from saltwort to swamp rose and spider lily, but none of it was enough to distract her. What if she’d gotten the wrong place? What if she had misremembered the time or date? What if someone had secretly followed her? What if he just didn’t show up? Every possible mishap muddled her mind, keeping her from enjoying an otherwise perfect sunrise.

The sky was a beautiful canvas of yellows, pinks and blues blending seamlessly in a way only nature could manage, the waters burbled and birds were twittering. The world seemed so colorful and inviting… except that Fern was too busy trying to calculate Gaspar’s estimated time of arrival and doubting herself at every step to enjoy it. She was in fact so engrossed in her mental mathematics as she paced that she lost all track of time, and she certainly didn’t notice a long while later when the waters nearby suddenly grew choppy as something began to surface.

By the time she felt the ground shake and turned towards the sound of the thud her brief excitement turned to horror.

That was not Gaspar.

Instead was a croctaur that seemed quite a bit smaller in both height and musculature than Gaspar, its lower half a deep gray instead of Gaspar’s dark green, eyes unmistakably fixed on her.

“Hello, sweetheart.”

Her legs worked faster than her brain as she bolted, running straight towards the nearby mangroves lining the shore.

“C’mon now, darling, you know you can’t outrun me!” He chuckled, in no way quickening his pace as he followed her. She almost wished he would speed up, but she knew all too well why he wouldn’t: he didn’t need to. He could take his sweet time and still have no trouble catching up on those massive legs. He may have been smaller than Gaspar, but he was still much bigger than Fern.

“Be a good girl now, if you come quietly I might just keep you for myself.”

That was exactly the motivation she needed to find a second wind, darting between the tangled roots of a mangrove and throwing herself against the largest inner branch to catch her breath.

“Aww don’t be shy, sweetheart! One more chance, come on out quietly and I’ll be nice and gentle with you.”

“C’mon, where are you?” She whispered to herself, trying to telepathically summon her friend.

“Well? I havent got all day, luv!”

Staying as close within the tangle as she could she slowly maneuvered away from the croctaur, trying to figure out some kind of exit as ste felt him continue his approach. As his shadow fell over her she realized he was, by his own scale, less than an arm’s length away.”

“Don’t make me come get you, I don’t like hurting my merchandise.”

Chills wracked her spine as she tried to avoid his gaze and silently work her way through the root system, but she couldn’t hold back a tiny gasp as she heard the smash and felt the spray of splinters behind her.

“Where are you?” He asking, his voice mockingly sing-song.

Caution was quickly abandoned as she heard more breaking roots, bits of mangrove flying as he tore it apart in search of her. She raced to find any possible hiding place deep within the mangled network of roots, going all the way to where they were fully submerged in the river and wading in until the waters reached her thighs. She briefly wondered if perhaps she could swim away if there were some route through the roots, but all hopes were dashed as the shadow turned to darkness and the branches above her shattered.

She stumbled into the water with a cry, coughing and gasping for breath as she floundered back to the surface.

“There you are.”

It was no less than a miracle she managed to dodge his hand as she threw herself back underwater and darted forward, this time going towards the outer edge of the mangrove feeding into the river where the waters were deeper. At least she might be able to dive deep enough underwater to avoid capture…

“Stop struggling!”

She swam as fast as she could towards the dappled light ahead, but just as she surfaced for breath her view was engulfed by teeth tearing away the roots just in front of her.

How?! The croctaur had been above her seconds ago! How could it suddenly be biting through the side roots?! Unless…

“Gaspar?!”

She just managed to catch a glimpse of a yellow eye and a blur of grey skin before the overhead roots burst into a shower of splinters. She dove back below the surface but this time she was caught in a net of fingers and yanked back into the blinding sunlight.

“Gotcha, sweetheart!”

The fingers quickly tightened around her, holding her flush against a giant chest and unable to see what was happening as a great flood of water crashed as something surfaced, and a far more familiar voice growled at the croctaur holding her.

“Let her go.”

“Hey, I had her first!”

“Let. Her. Go.”

“Sod off, she’s mine! Find your own human!”

A short growl, something like an attack sound, a scream of pain, and a squeeze so tight she screamed herself. In her periphery she could’ve sworn she saw a tiny spray of red.

“Let. Her. Go.”

Straining grunts, then an almost defiant huff.

“You want her? Fine, go fetch!”

Suddenly she was being tossed directly back into the river. She heard the start of a growl just before plunging back into the water, too fast to realize what was happening until she was already below the surface. Her arms waved frantically trying to swim upwards, but the world went dark once more as she was suddenly scooped up by something soft and warm cutting through the cold water.

Everything happened at once, too fast to process as she found herself being dragged- no, sucked further under the water, as if she’d been caught in a riptide. Suddenly the water seemed to drain as she was squeezed further downward, a constant compression that was terrifying and yet somehow not actually painful, and from what she could feel the walls were weirdly flexible… almost soft… and warm…

Only then did it click: she had been swallowed.

The world around her tightened and twisted from above, and she felt like icing in a piping bag as she was kneaded further and further down his throat. It felt agonizingly slow, as if the fleshy tube was leisurely sliding her down despite the constant constriction. Her chest ached, lungs burning and heart pounding from the combined sensory nightmare and relative lack of oxygen.

By the time the tube relaxed to release her she felt ready to faint, but her body forced her to cough and hyperventilate as it finally found air in what felt like an open chamber.

His stomach.

No sooner had she landed when the room rippled, gravity shifting as he seemed to be lowering his body… underwater?

Her mind was still muddled as she struggled to breathe, but somewhere she retained just enough cognizance to realize he must have been trying to get her away from the other croctaur. She didn’t feel right at all, but on some level at least she knew she was safe.

The slimy flesh surrounding her suddenly closed in on her, not tightly but enough to give her a small squeeze. She was startled at first, instinctively squirming away despite having nowhere to go, but as the gentle pressure lingered she realized he was merely holding her in place. There was no stinging or burning, no churning or grinding of the stomach walls. It was as if he’d simply flexed his abdominal muscles for whatever reason… maybe reassurance?

She wriggled a little into a more comfortable position and pressed outward with her hand against the wall, softly running her fingertips along the almost velvety lining. She wasn’t certain if he could reply underwater, or if he could even hear her from inside him, but she couldn’t help calling out for some kind of response.

“Gaspar?”

/|_/|_/|_

Gaspar slowly clenched his abs, gently squeezing her in reply. He couldn’t speak to her as he traversed the riverbed, but he hoped it would be enough for now.

“So you can hear me?”

He briefly squeezed again.

“That’s good… I can’t believe you swallowed me!” She flopped against his inner walls, feeling smaller as she seemed to curl into herself.

He clenched softly, apologetically. He could only imagine how frightening it must have been, but he hadn’t had any chance to forewarn her. That fool of a croctaur hadn’t given him a choice; when he’d thrown Fern into the river she’d plunged far too deep for a human to surface fast enough. Not only had he nearly drowned her, but he seemed a little too persistent and liable to come after her again… no, diving underwater to whisk her away was the best option, even if it had scared her.

“I know, you were just protecting me from that other croctaur… but you almost gave me a heart attack!”

He gave her another longer, soft squeeze.

“I know, I understand,” She sighed, “I’m sorry, you must think I’m such a coward… at least try to warn me next time, please?”

He replied with a long, slightly tighter squeeze. She seemed anxious, initially trying to make herself even smaller, but when he didn’t release her she seemed to realize he was trying to comfort her and relaxed a little. Feeling her so panicked and fearful left an odd ache in his chest. Gaspar had heard of humans using weighted objects to relieve anxiety, and the gentle pressure seemed to be the next best thing. He slowly felt her uncurl, straightening her legs as she leaned back and carefully shifted into a more comfortable position.

“Thank you… again… you really are a life saver.” She worked her fingers in between the folds of his belly and started to rub.

The walls of his stomach smoothed as they instantly relaxed at her touch. He hadn’t actually expected belly rubs- or, at the very least, he didn’t expect any this soon. It was such a rare sensation, sweet and soothing and stopping him in his tracks to take a moment to savor it.

“Oh you really like that, huh?”

However it was she’d noticed, there was no point in trying to deny it. Not that he could reply anyway.

She continued awhile longer, tenderly massaging his tummy with both hands. It was a good thing he was able to hold his breath for so long, else he wouldn’t have been able to let himself stop and enjoy as he stood on the riverbed. He briefly let himself sink into the silt as his eyes fell shut, feeling warm and relaxed and almost drowsy with delight.

“Did you already surface?” She paused her rubs to ask, and he quickly resumed crossing the river.

“Oh… I was distracting you, wasn’t I?” She chuckled, softly patting the muscle surrounding her. “I’m sorry.”

He softly clenched his abs again to briefly squeeze her.

“At least now I know exactly how to repay you for the rescue.”

He gave her another small squish, inadvertently quickening his pace.

“Did you just speed up?”

Very briefly he flexed his abs, just enough to gently jostle her.

“I’m not getting out of here anytime soon, am I?”

He gave her a long squeeze in reply.

“Guess I’d better get comfy, then,” She sighed and moved towards the nearest wall, settling in between the folds.

Fern’s movements felt so different than other humans; instead of struggling to escape or panicked thrashing, each shift was made with careful intent as she made herself comfortable and cuddled his belly. Feeling her small weight softly curl up inside him was so… calming…

“Will you let me know when you surface?”

He squeezed again and started swimming upwards as he neared the opposite side of the river. He wouldn’t fully surface yet, not until they were far enough downstream to be comfortably out of view amidst the trees, but he figured if she could feel the upward motion it would help reassure her. As he continued his slow strokes his plan seemed to be successful; not only did she feel more relaxed but he heard a tiny yawn from his passenger.

“Sorry, I didn’t really sleep last night, and this is weirdly kind of… cozy? When you’re swimming it kind of rocks your stomach like a hammock.”

He smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze. She’d had quite a morning, especially coming off a sleepless night, and he could imagine the crash in energy now that the adrenaline had worn off. If anything he was glad she felt safe enough to let herself calm down to the point of crashing. He certainly wasn’t going to stop her from napping, and if she did doze off it would be rude to wake her. She could sleep as long as she liked, and he could keep her in his belly even longer.

“Don’t worry, I won’t fall asleep,” She yawned again, giving him a small rub. “It’s just the dark and heat.”

Little did she know that was the least of his worries. If anything he would have encouraged it.

She was silent for a while as he swam to the other side, so still and quiet he almost hoped she had fallen asleep. He took his time crossing, swimming slowly and carefully and breaching the surface as softly as he could. Instead of shaking off the water he used his hands to brush off as much as he could and headed towards a nearby clearing to bask in the morning sun.

“Are we there yet?”

“I only just surfaced,” He replied, “Still tired?”

“Just a little,” She yawned with a light rub. “Where are we going?”

“Right now I’m going to warm up and dry off in the sun after that swim.”

“Sorry…”

“Don’t be. Once I’m dry I’ll take you home, I’m sure you’ll want to clean up and change.”

“Whose home?”

“My home.”

“Your home?”

“That’s right, I’m taking you home with me,” He teased, softly clenching his abs.

“Is this a tummy hug?” She gently squeezed a fold of his stomach.

“You could call it that,” He chuckled, “I thought you liked hugs.”

“I do! I just never knew you could hug someone with your stomach,”She patted his belly in reply. “I wouldn’t mind some real snuggles when I get out…”

“I think I can handle that,” He smiled, “but don’t be so hasty. I still need some time in the sun first before I let you out.”

“I know, I know, it’s just… I could really use a hug after this morning.”

He softly squeezed her again. “You’ll get a proper hug later, I promise.”

“Thank you,” She yawned again, “Sorry, I guess I am still a little sleepy.”

“Why don’t you close your eyes while I’m basking?” He settled on an especially sunny spot and slowly laid down on his side, careful to ensure his own weight wouldn’t squish his stomach or his precious passenger inside.

“I might be tempted, but first I have a promise to keep.”

Tiny fingers suddenly flew across the folds and ridges of his belly, kneading and massaging his inner walls. His eyelids fluttered shut as he laid a hand on his middle, feeling as if his whole body was melting with pure bliss.

“You’re so cute when you’re happy,” She giggled, working her hands deep into the muscle.

“Me, cute?”

“Yes, you, you’re very cute,” She chuckled.

“You’re calling a croctaur cute?”

“Why not? Hasn’t anyone ever told you?”

“Certainly not to my face,” He chuckled, “Isn’t there some saying humans have against that?”

“What saying?”

“Never smile at a crocodile?”

“That’s just a nursery rhyme.”

“Clearly not one you listened to.”

“I’m glad I didn’t, or we might not have been friends.”

He smiled softly and patted his stomach. “And you tried to say you weren’t adorable.”

“I’m not!”

“You are without doubt the cutest human I’ve ever seen.”

“You just haven’t seen enough humans!” She replied, audibly flustered as she started moving more, feeling around the grooves of his belly. As she reached a particularly sensitive spot he sighed with pleasure, and to his surprise she seemed to notice and lingered there.

“You’re so cute… I could just eat you up.”

“You- that- I-!”

“Can’t argue with that,” He smirked, “Besides, now you’ve had two croctaurs fight over you, isn’t that proof enough?”

“You’re just being sweet to me,” She huffed, crawling around again.

“Was the other guy trying to snatch you being sweet too?”

“Of course not, but you really are sweet.”

“You’re sweeter.” She stopped as he sighed again, and he realized she was listening for audio cues from him to find his favorite spots for rubs.

“You saved my life twice already!”

“I’ve also tasted you before.”

“I- why are you like this?!”

He chuckled softly, gently squeezing her once more, “It is true. Besides, it’s not often I have someone to tease and cuddle.” Admittedly he wasn’t particularly touchy or affectionate with most, but she was so snuggly and cute it was hard not to let a bit of it rub off on him.

“Well… if teasing is the price of cuddles, I’m happy to pay.”

“You can’t just say that and not expect me to call you a cutie.”

“I’m not!” The intensity of her rubs suddenly deepened at a particularly pleasant spot, and he dissolved into a happy hum. “See? You’re cute!”

“You’re cuter,” He almost growled, trying not to let his own pleasure distract him. “You’re only proving my point with all the rubs.”

“I owe you, remember? Plus I promised, and even if I hadn’t I wanted a way to repay your kindness.”

He heaved a sigh, ostensibly out of annoyance but in reality he was very much wrapped up in enjoying the rubs. She returned to a favorite spot from earlier and weaved her fingers between folds as she massaged, drawing an even deeper sigh.

“I’ll have to try to draw a map for myself next time, so I can mark all your sweet spots.”

“You mean you want more tummy time?”

“I mean, I sort of assumed you would.”

“Oh I would, but I didn’t expect you to volunteer,” He chuckled, “I certainly wouldn’t say no to more rubs.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t,” She massaged a little deeper.

“I wouldn’t mind if you took a little belly nap either.”

“A mouth nap wasn’t enough? You want me to nap in here too?!”

“Just a suggestion,” He chuckled, “I know you were fighting sleep before, and you did say you were comfy curled up in my belly.”

“Wouldn’t you be bored just keeping me in your stomach?”

“Not at all. Just holding you feels nice, keeping you warm and safe.”

“Are you sure you’re not just saying that because you’re trying to look after me?”

“I’m sure. Even if you weren’t in need of a nap, you’re always welcome to rest inside me, mouth or belly.” He softly squeezed her again for emphasis, and she immediately rewarded him with a gentle rub.

“How is that somehow both the scariest and sweetest thing you’ve said?”

“You aren’t actually scared, are you?”

“Not now, but if I didn’t know you that offer would be terrifying.”

“Lucky for you I only make that offer to cute little friends.”

A flustered squeak was her sole reply this time, aside from a stronger rub at one of his sweet spots. He could feel she was moving slower now though, and the rubs were generally softer.

“Feeling sleepy again?”

“I’m trying to keep myself busy so I don’t.”

“You can relax now, I think that was more than adequate repayment,” He chuckled.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. While that was delightful I think you’ve spoiled me enough for one day.”

“I don’t mind spoiling you,” She squeezed a fold with a tiny rub.

“Any more and I might develop an addiction,” He chuckled, “Besides, there’s always next time. I think you could use a belly nap.”

“You know, for someone who doesn’t sleep you sure seem to like nap time.”

“We may not sleep like humans, but we still need to rest and conserve our energy when we’re not hunting, so in a way we do need nap time.”

“I guess that’s a fair point.”

“Humans who don’t sleep all night also need nap time, especially when they spent the morning getting chased by a croctaur.”

“Alright, I get the message!” She leaned back and turned onto her side, lightly nuzzling a fold with her cheek as she moved one hand under it and rested her head atop it like a pillow. Very gently he squeezed her, and she softly ran her fingers along the fold she was lying on.

“There you go, now we can both rest for a bit.”

“How long were you planning to bask?”

“Long enough to dry off, and long enough for you to get some sleep.”

“I can’t believe I’ve only seen you twice and both times you not only had to save me from immediate danger but wound up forcing me to nap like this…”

“I see no issue with that,” He smiled, “It would be nice to see you when you’re not stressed out and hyped up on adrenaline next time though.”

“Maybe the third time will be the charm…”

“Next time I’ll be earlier so nothing has a chance to spot you before me.”

“It was my own fault, I was so nervous I got here way too early and I didn’t think any other croctaurs would be around.”

“You were nervous about seeing me?”

“Well yeah, this was supposed to be a nice social visit and my first time really getting to know you, I even brought- my bag!” Only now did she realize it was gone, probably lost during the chase.

“Your bag?”

“I must have lost it by that mangrove thanks to that stupid other croctaur,” She groaned, “I had a little gift for you, but it’s probably ruined now.”

“I’ll look for your bag later, but you really didn’t have to give me anything.”

“It wasn’t anything special. I made pavlovas, it was the one sweet treat I figured would be safe for you since it’s mostly eggs.”

“That was thoughtful of you… but I think I’m fine without a second sweet treat.”

“I-!”She made a tiny noise of flustering.

“Besides, the rubs were a gift all their own.”

“Still, I spent so much time making enough for what’s probably just one bite for you and you didn’t even get to taste them!”

“Maybe another time. I’m sure they were delicious, but right now this sweet treat needs a tummy nap.”

He couldn’t help a soft laugh at the high pitched, flustered sounds that followed.

“C’mon, just close your eyes. You’re safe with me, remember?”

“I know,” She yawned, “You’re still taking me to your place once you’re warm and dry, right?”

“Of course.”

“Just remember you promised me a real hug later.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” He chuckled, “You’ll get your hug after you get some sleep.”

“Fine, I’ll try,” She sighed, softly rubbing a fold again, “At least I can cuddle you like this.”