Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 2

okay?" Craig managed once his manly pink bits were back in the right place. That was not the kind of touching he'd wanted from Grady...
    "I'm in one piece, so I think that counts as fine right now," Grady said breathlessly, holding his leg.
    A warning rumble drew Craig's attention away. Craig craned his neck to look over the lip of the truck bed. Five crocodiles were now gathering ominously around them.
    "That's so not normal," he commented, almost to himself. "I wonder why they're—"
    The truck rocked again as the largest rammed it. Craig growled, but even with his adrenaline pumping, he couldn't feel the change in his bones. It would take a while before he could try again.
    "Well, fudge," he grumbled, relaxing back to slump across what looked like a tarp, a large tackle box, and some rolls of heavy duty fluorescent marking tape. A twig was poking him in the butt, so he shifted until he was comfortable. He finally thought to say in a low voice, "We probably shouldn't talk so loud. Seems to set them off."
    Grady just stared at him and Craig realized the other man's glasses were missing again, probably out where Grady had been lying on the bank. Oops.
    Also, Craig was still naked. And covered in mud.
    He scratched absently at his chest, brushing his fingers on his equally dirty thigh when the mud flaked off. The contents of his little nest were warm from the Florida sun, he was slowly drying but the mud felt nice on his skin so far, and Mr. G-man himself was stretched out next to Craig, hugging the bottom of the truck bed.
    Actually, this was a pretty good day. He settled in to bask, since the sun's rays felt twice as toasty reflected off the white paint job, like a little Easy Bake Oven. Perfect.
    "Seriously?" Grady whispered in a furious deadpan.
    Cracking an eye back open, Craig let his head fall to the side to arch a lazy eyebrow at him. "Hm?"
    "We're surrounded by angry crocodiles and you're taking a nap?"
    "Can't change back for at least an hour yet," Craig murmured around an involuntary yawn. "They can't get up here, and I think the one dude concussed himself on your wheel well, so—" He shrugged. "Might as well make the best of it."
    "So you admit that you were a crocodile before," Grady hissed triumphantly. "Hah."
    Craig grinned at him, pleased he hadn't run for the hills or fainted again. "Yup."
    "A were-crocodile." Grady frowned then said in a more wondering tone, "A were-crocodile that rescued me from a herd of aggressive crocodiles that are usually docile around this time of year— You're that humongous croc I've been seeing around, aren't you?" He peered at Craig. "How long have you been here?"
    Craig shrugged, lacing his hands behind his head and totally not smirking when Grady's eyes drifted to his lap. "Couple years."
    "I wonder..." Grady started muttering to himself, getting up on his knees to open the small sliding window to the truck cab. Too bad it was too small for either of them to really reach through, probably to keep the damn raccoons out.
    "—could be a result of—" He snagged a metal clipboard from the passenger seat and struggled to get it through the window. "—but would the data— No, not in such a short time period— Maybe a causal effect from the weather—"
    "Need a hand?" Craig offered, still sunbathing.
    Grady waved him off and paused long enough to peer warily over the edge at their captors. From the way Grady gulped and the bellow down below, Craig figured they were still surrounded.
    Slowly, Grady lowered himself back to the truck bed, stretching out and wincing as he settled his leg.
    "I think we need to call for help," he whispered, voice a little too calm as he enunciated slowly. "They look really crazy. I'm just here to get my internship credits so I can graduate. I'm not here to be eaten by rabid crocodiles."
    Craig frowned at him, wondering if he should re-think his crush. "Crocodiles can't get rabies. What kind of student are you?"
    "I know that. I was using hyperbole," Grady protested. Someone barked in response and he twitched. "Seriously, this is weird behavior for them. Have you ever seen them chasing humans in a pack before?"
    Shrugging, Craig crossed his ankles. "Nah, but this has been an odd season." He looked at Grady with a wide grin. "Maybe you just smell irresistible to them?"
    Grady looked at Craig, looked down at his mud-spattered clothes, then to Craig's lack of clothes, and blushed again. Without his hat, his hair seemed almost red in the sunlight.