Ohhhh a lovely Gaspar story!! Thank you so much I LOVE IT! You did a great job writing the big man being gentle with the lil human <3
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.
On that thought Gaspar let himself slide back into a dreamlike rest, eagerly anticipating the future adventures awaiting them.
