IncuBUST

Welcome to the Jungle

"Explain to me again why we had to bring them along," Barapha muttered curling his arm around my shoulders as we had our tickets scanned and walked into the zoo. I glanced back at Nikolai and Octavia who were handing their own tickets to the lady with the scanner then at Barapha saying, "For the same reason you haven't left me alone for more than a five-minute piss break." Barapha leaned down and whispered, "Not them. Them."

He nodded towards Sissy, Taylor, Thomasina and MacKenzie who were posing by the map of the zoo and snapping way too many selfies. Taylor was in his incognito persona so as not to draw too much attention and ruin anyone's zoo experience, a courtesy that seemed to be backfiring as everyone was suddenly seemingly interested in how such a plain looking guy could have roped not one, but three smoking hot babes.

I looked at Barapha and sheepishly replied, "Safety in numbers?" Barapha gripped me by the shoulders and bent down to my height. He stared directly into my eyes and said, "You don't need numbers, Chase, you just need me. If anyone so much as looks at you funny, I will turn them into popsicles." I smiled and pried his fingers off my arms saying, "Yeah, maybe don't do that."

Octavia had joined Sissy and her friends and now they were all making funny faces into the camera. I glanced at Nikolai who was standing awkwardly by with his arms wrapped tightly around himself, hazel eyes darting nervously at each person who got within several feet of him. I walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder saying, "We're safe here." He looked down at me and I smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, I won't let anything happen to you either, Bandhu," Barapha mumbled reluctantly, and I felt a rush of warmth. Nikolai looked up at him and smiled uncertainly. We strode over to Octavia, Sissy and company and I asked, "What do we wanna see first?"

"Sea lions!"

"Elephants!"

"The Desert Dome!"

"No! Guys! They've got a sloth bear!" The girls began bickering with Kenzie translating then refuting Octavia's gestures. Taylor was staring at Barapha. Barapha glanced at Taylor and asked, "See something you like, Afreet?" Taylor tilted his head to one side and squinted wondering, "Am I going crazy or are you like two feet shorter than normal?"

Barapha raised an eyebrow and retorted, "I could ask you the same thing, short stack." Taylor gestured at his abysmally average physique and said, "I am five foot nine and a half. A perfectly average height for an American male."

"And I am six foot three, an above average height for any male anywhere," Barapha said, and Taylor smiled saying, "Yeah, but you're normally like eight feet tall. What gives?" Barapha shifted and crossed his arms over his chest mumbling, "Well you know it's crowded and there are all these kids running around. I'd feel bad if I got in their way or scared them or something."

Taylor blinked in surprise and his chubby cheeks went pink. Even the girls stopped bickering and stared at Barapha in shock. I saw a light indigo flush start behind Barapha's ears, and he asked, "What?"

Thomasina and Kenzie shared a look before Thomasina let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like 'daddy.' Kenzie grinned and looked at Barapha saying, "Sorry, she meant 'daddy.'" Kenzie shook her head and said, "I mean 'daddy.'" She shook her head again and repeated, "Sorry, we mean Barapha." Kenzie and Thomasina dissolved into giggles and Barapha gave me a bewildered look. I shook my head and Taylor turned to Sissy mumbling, "Fuck me, that was kinda hot."

Barapha shook his head and looked at the zoo map saying, "Looks like this thing is a giant loop. Me, Chase, Octavia and Nikolai will go right. You guys will go left, and we can meet at this Yeti Camp place here." He pointed at a section near the eastern tip of the map about halfway through the loop.

"Ooh, I love it when you take charge, Daddy," Sissy tittered and Barapha mumbled, "This is what I get for hanging out with a bunch of children."

"Children?" Kenzie exclaimed, "Tam-Tam is almost fifteen hundred years old." Barapha glanced at her retorting, "And I'm almost twice that." Taylor snorted and Sissy elbowed him. We looked at him and he cleared his throat saying, "When we meet up, we can grab a bite to eat then complete the loop and meet again at the train depot."

"Sounds like a plan," Sissy said cheerfully, and Kenzie clapped her hands shouting, "Break!"