Guardian | Camp Cretaceous

The Watering Hole 1/2

Yasmina slipped her hand to the back of Azriel's head, her fingers lightly stroking his nape, brushing her thumb gently along his cheek. He hummed softly in his sleep, and she smiled as she nuzzled against his cheek and ear, pressing light kisses against his skin.

A gentle breeze drifted through the clearing where they had slept, rustling the leaves overhead and stirring the tall grass around their blankets. Nearby, Cruella was roosting, her quills likely fluttering with each slow breath she took. The animal's growth spurt had been a surprise—now easily a match for Toro in height, but being much longer, too.

Darius had been quick to point out, after finally observing her closely, that Cruella definitely wasn't a Velociraptor. Despite her eerie resemblance to the Indominus, with her skull shape and unnervingly long talons, that was where all the similarities ended. Cruella was more dog than dinosaur, though everyone had a healthy respect for her. After all, she was still a wild animal capable of killing them in a heartbeat if she ever chose to.

But Yasmina didn't want to think about that now.

Smiling against Azriel's ear, she felt him begin to stir. She playfully nibbled his earlobe, trailing soft kisses down his jaw.

"Bonjour, ma chérie," her boyfriend—her boyfriend—rasped, his voice still rough with sleep as he turned onto his side, opening those gorgeous indigo eyes she loved to meet with her own brown ones. "How did you sleep?"

Nearby, Cruella stirred too, stretching languidly like a cat and letting out a low, contented purr.

"Hm, you're really warm," Yasmina murmured, shifting closer and tucking her head under Azriel's chin. He pressed his lips to the crown of her head, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her impossibly closer. "Makes for a good plushie."

Azriel's chuckle rumbled through his chest, sending a pleasant shiver through Yasmina, and she bit her lip at the sensation. "I'm glad I could be of some use," he murmured, nuzzling into her hair before letting out a quiet yawn. "We should start back soon," he added just as Yasmina was starting to drift off again.

Yaz almost whimpered when Azriel shifted to get up, but she swallowed the urge—he would only tease her, though it wasn't like she didn't love that, too. Still, Yaz couldn't resist complaining half-heartedly, but Azriel only laughed and stood up, scratching Cruella under the chin as the dinosaur came over to check if they were alive. He then grabbed a shirt, slipping his arms through the sleeves.

She watched him, absent-mindedly twisting a strand of hair in front of her mouth as Azriel pulled on his cerulean long-sleeve. The colour made his indigo eyes pop, turning those amethysts into sapphires, as if God Himself couldn't decide which gem suited Azriel best. This is my boyfriend. Yaz still couldn't quite believe it—how had she, the usually aloof student athlete, managed to capture the heart of this... creature? It sometimes surprised Yasmina when Azriel kissed her, as if every day since that afternoon in the optometrist had all been a dream. A small part of her whispered that she didn't deserve him, but another, louder part shouted that she had a right to be selfish with Azriel Malcolm.

Clearing her thoughts, Yasmina stood up, adjusting her tank top so it didn't ride up, and smoothing down her running shorts. A laugh escaped her as Azriel, who she'd learned rather liked pampering her, wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed a series of kisses on her neck and shoulder. Cruella, clearly unimpressed, huffed and darted back toward camp, leaving them behind. It wasn't too far off from how Yaz reacted to her parents kissing.

Yasmina laughed, tilting her head back and running her fingers through Azriel's raven-black hair. "I thought we had to hurry back?" Azriel murmured for her to be quiet, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips on her body.