Archive of Our Own

The first day wasn't easy. 

None of them were strangers to rough seas, their time on Isla Nublar saw to that. But stowing away on a cargo ship was one thing that Yaz had hoped she wouldn't be crossing off the list anytime soon. 

Finding the empty container had made things easier, and once they had an idea of how many people were working on this ship, staying undetected was a cinch. 

But once they realised they weren't going to get caught as long as they weren't reckless, everybody seemed to breathe a bit easier. They made their space as comfortable as they could with what little resources they had, and okay, a diet of only lettuce for the foreseeable wasn't ideal, but they'd been through worse. 

It was all very reminiscent of the early days on the island, scavenging whatever they could to make themselves more comfortable. Ben and Darius had even managed to make a couple of hammocks out of some tarp. It wasn't the safest thing, but Yaz would argue that it was marginally more comfortable than their other options. 

It also gave them a lot of time to talk, she and Sammy in particular really needed that time. Yaz needed to take accountability for the breakdown in communication and the part she played in damaging their relationship. 

She'd made a mistake, and now she had to make sure that it didn't happen again. Yaz never wanted to be the reason Sammy felt that type of pain. 

So they talked. Yaz took the opportunity to own up to her mistakes and Sammy opened up about the things she had gone through in the months they had been apart. It all made Sammy’s recent behaviour make so much more sense. Her love for her family was rooted into her DNA, Sammy had gone to Isla Nublar to protect them. To be out of contact with them was devastating to her and Yaz hadn't been there to support her. 

Never again. 

But they had talked, and hopefully, now they were back on track. It left them both feeling lighter and ready to face the future together. And now, it was like no time had passed at all. 

The thing was though, it was easy for Yaz to pretend that she hadn't missed Sammy’s touch when they had so much distance between them, but now? Now Yaz found herself reaching out more than she ever had before. Touching for the sake of touching, just because Sammy was there and they were free to do so. 

It was needy and they all knew it, they just didn't care. Sammy reached out just as much as she did. Their hands found each other without second thought, their bodies moulded together, seeking out comfort against harsh, cold metal. 

The boys were as understanding as ever, if not for a few playful jokes here and there when they caught Yaz cosying up to Sammy at every opportunity. This meant that when it came to settling down for the night, Yaz did her best to be subtle. 

"Stop moving so much, Yaz," Sammy whispered. "We're gonna fall out."

Easier said than done. 

Yaz groaned and pushed herself back into Sammy as much as she could, which was to say, not much at all. She was right, obviously, even that small movement had made the hammock sway more than either of them would like, but it just wasn't enough, Yaz needed to be closer. 

"I can't help it," Yaz replied. 

"Are you not comfy?" Sammy asked, the arm draped over Yaz's waist was already moving. "Because I can sleep on the floor, I don't–"

"No!" Yaz interrupted, considerably louder than she intended. "It's fine, I'll stay still."

Sammy was quiet for a moment, six years of history stretched out in the silence between them. She needed Sammy’s touch, and Sammy knew that. It was clear in the way that her arm found its way back in place, her hold tightening and pulling Yaz against her. She tangled their legs together carefully, anchoring Yaz to her. 

The pressure helped, it eased that perpetual buzzing under her skin just enough that it wasn't unbearable. It still wasn't enough, but it would do. 

(She knew what she wanted, but there was a time and a place and this was neither of those things.)

"Try to get some sleep, Yaz, I've got you," Sammy whispered, placing a fleeting kiss behind Yaz's ear. 

She was no stranger to sleeping in the worst environments, but there was something particularly painful about this.

Still, Yaz closed her eyes and focused on what she could. Sammy’s heartbeat against her back, the shift in their bodies with each breath she drew, Kenji, Ben and Darius shifting in the shadows. 

It would be enough. 

--

Save for the soft snores coming from Darius nearby, their container was finally quiet. 

For Kenji, the darkness could feel suffocating at times, and if it weren't for offering to keep watch on the off chance of one of the crew members finding them or something worse happening, he would sneak outside just to ease some of the humming that existed in his body. 

But he wasn't going to lose anybody else, and if protecting them meant sitting in a dark container and pretending that he couldn't hear every whisper between Yaz and Sammy, then he'd do it. 

"Are they asleep?" Ben whispered beside him. 

Kenji hummed. "Only just, I think. Keep your voice down."

Not that it would make any difference, the constant swaying of the ship and literal dinosaurs that surrounded them from all angles was more than enough to wake them from their light slumber. 

Ben shuffled into a sitting position, hugging his knees to his chest. Even with their limited light, Kenji could see the direction Ben was staring. 

"It might just be me…" He began apprehensively. "But are you getting the feeling that we might need a second container for them?"

Which…fair enough question to ask. Yaz was needy, sure. Horny, even, but horny enough to warrant locking them in their own container? 

"I don't know if they're bad enough for that," Kenji said, bailing as soon as he felt the weight of Ben's unimpressed gaze. "Okay, Yaz won't stop touching Sammy and I am a little concerned that I might turn around and see things I don't want to see."

The only thing over the last few days that seemed to break through the haze that clouded Kenji’s mind was seeing Bumpy’s egg and watching Yaz and Sammy interact. 

The fact that they had made it this far, that they were still working despite what issues he had managed to glean they had been having.

They had the potential to make it, to have everything he and Brooklynn never would.

It was so obvious that they had missed each other, Yaz in particular had been even more affectionate than usual. Her tolerance for human contact had gotten better since their first meeting, and Sammy had always been the exception, but even then, this was a level that he had never seen before. 

He didn't know the full story of what happened between them since…Brooklynn. It was hard to get details in this environment, but honestly, Kenji was just glad that they were okay. 

"I started this game with Darius," Ben began quietly. ""We guess the dinos we can hear, he gets so into it, but it's the only time I can buy for them. It's not the best distraction."

So what Kenji was hearing was that he needed to step up and get them some time together. It sounded doable and they definitely needed it. 

"Operation get them alone time?" Kenji asked. 

He didn't have to look at Ben to know he was being met with a frown. "I'm not sure we'll have time for that?"

Then they'd make time. Once they got on land, they'd have to sleep eventually, right? 

…Right? 

--

The dull thud of something connecting with the wall of the container shifted Yaz's attention to where Sammy sat. Her legs were stretched out, her foot nudging Yaz's thigh. Her head was thrown back as an exasperated sigh left her lips. 

"Bored?" Yaz asked. 

Sammy met her gaze with a frown. "As much as I love Darius’ stories, if I'd known we'd be stuck in a box for days on end, I would've brought a book or something."

Yaz glanced over to where Ben was seemingly engrossed in one of Darius’ aforementioned stories, and despite her growing concern with Kenji’s behaviour, she couldn't risk the safety of all of them by going out to find him. 

"I have an idea to keep us entertained if you're interested?" Yaz replied, reaching out to brush Sammy’s hair behind her ear. 

It was bold, but Sammy always had the ability to make Yaz want to be bold. To step out of her shell.

Sammy seemed to understand, smirking as she glanced over at their friends. "Maybe. What did you have in mind?"

It was easier to just lean in to kiss her, rather than explain anything. Sammy was quick and eager to respond, kissing with enough enthusiasm that any awareness of their friends slipped easily to the back of Yaz's mind. 

Sammy had always been warm-blooded, her kisses were as energetic as her personality and Yaz always felt like she had to stay on her toes just to keep up. She'd gotten great at it, obviously. She could match Sammy and then some. It was always a victory when she felt Sammy melt into her. 

It all made it easy to smile against Sammy’s lips, to rest her hand on her thigh and press deeper.

Time became slower when she kissed Sammy, the world around them blurred until every sense and every point of focus became Sammy. Her smell, her taste, the way she sounded and the way that she felt.

It was everything that they both needed and more.

She could feel Sammy’s hand against her cheek, silently encouraging her to keep going. It was only when she felt that hand move and a finger curl around one of her loose strands of hair did Yaz realise what was about to happen.

When Sammy tugged, there was nothing Yaz could do to stop it from happening or from controlling the moan that left her mouth as shocks ran up her spine. 

It was a dirty trick, one that Sammy had always made sure to use at any opportunity. Had done so since the day she had discovered it, even now, Yaz could feel her grinning into the kiss. 

There was also a sudden and resounding silence around them. 

Yaz was familiar with silence. On Isla Nublar, it was almost always a precursor to danger. To this day, she could only sleep easily with a playlist of white noise to accompany her.

This wasn't exactly the same as that. She could still hear the waves and the dinosaurs around them, but the nearby conversation? That had stopped.

She could already feel eyes on her as Yaz tried her best to ignore the heat creeping up her neck as she kept her attention focused on her girlfriend. 

Sammy merely turned her head toward their friends and smiled, reaching up to wipe at the corner of her mouth with her thumb, that monster. 

"What were you guys talking about?" Sammy asked. 

Yaz glanced over in time to see Darius rubbing the back of his neck as he looked to Ben for guidance, who instead was staring back at Yaz, unimpressed. 

She wished that this was the first time this had happened, but historically, Ben tended to either interrupt or be present when Yaz got to reunite with Sammy. 

The dinosaur above them stomped around, sending water droplets down into his hair and breaking their competition. 

"Oh, Darius was just telling me about the time he stopped a herd of ankylosauruses from stampeding," Ben explained, glancing between them. 

"...Okaaaay," Yaz nodded, getting to her feet, and squeezing Sammy’s shoulder as she did so. "How long has Kenji been gone? Should one of us go out to find him?"

She hoisted herself up onto the hammock, prepared to keep watch for their friend rather than deal with everybody's knowing expressions. 

"Nah, give him a few more minutes before we start to worry," Darius said, placing both hands behind his neck and leaning back. 

The awkwardness lingered, being seen kissing her girlfriend was one thing, but being caught with her tongue down Sammy’s throat and about half a second from jumping her? She couldn't blame Ben for the teasing look he was giving her. 

Sammy had no such issues with the vibe, getting up a moment later and approaching what was for all intents and purposes, their coffee table (it was a crate). 

"Okay, tell me what looks better," she began, grabbing the lantern they had stolen. Yaz leaned forward, intrigued. "Here? Or. Or…here?"

She moved the lantern to each end of the crate. It was so pointless but so charming at the same time, Yaz knew that she must look so totally lovesick. 

It was just such a Sammy thing to do to break the atmosphere, to put Yaz back at ease. So when the ship tilted and made the decision for Sammy, Yaz couldn't stop herself from draping her arms around Sammy’s neck, linking her hands together as she said as much. 

Sammy let out a breath as she reached up to hold onto Yaz's hand. "I'm just tryin' to make this place feel like home."

As far as Yaz was concerned, Sammy did that just by being here. They all did. This was her family, and her home was with them. 

Yaz stroked her thumb gently across Sammy’s neck and settled against her pulse, hoping that the gesture was enough to tell Sammy how she felt. 

--

"Where do you think we'll end up?" Sammy asked. 

She had mostly gotten used to the persistent rocking as each wave hit them. After the first hour, Sammy had stopped feeling like the whole thing was going to capsize. 

Now, most of the movement that she noticed came from whichever direction Yaz seemed to sway. Her eyes were closed as she let the momentum carry her. 

Kenji was safe, and the others had fallen asleep a little while ago, leaving only Sammy and Yaz to watch the coast inch closer. 

"Not sure," Yaz replied after a few moments. "We were heading east, but any more than that…I don't know."

The words weren't the most comforting that Sammy could have hoped for, but Yaz's tone was calm. Relaxed. Maybe it was just the exhaustion, but it was enough to keep Sammy at ease too. 

"Do you think we should get a baby carrier for Bumpy’s egg? I think Kenji would look super cute if…" Sammy turned to Yaz, only to see her still swaying gently on the spot, eyes closed. "Yaz? Yasmina?"

Yaz made a sleepy sound, but her eyes didn't open. "M’awake."

Sammy couldn't help but think back to their time on the islands, or even to the holidays they spent together in the following years. The nightmares haunted her, so many of their nights broken by an inconsolable Yaz, fighting sleep until she was like a zombie just trying to make it through the day. 

The nights when she had been able to ease Yaz back to sleep had left Sammy feeling more powerful than she had standing up to the villains of Mantah Corp. She had protected Yaz from her demons and helped her feel safe to face them time and time again. 

It still hadn't been enough though, had it? Yaz had still left. She'd sought help that Sammy couldn't give her and had come out the other side stronger. She just hadn't let Sammy see that journey. 

Because it wasn't as black and white as one being right and one being wrong, communication between them had fallen apart. They'd made mistakes and the price of that had almost been their relationship. 

But they'd talked, and it had felt good, even if it had taken a bit of gentle coaxing from Yaz to get Sammy to open up and tell Yaz the full story about what had happened with her family while they had been apart. 

Yaz had been right, she had grown so much, but it still hurt that Sammy hadn't seen it, a little. It probably would for a while, but Sammy was still proud of her. When Brooklynn was…when Brooklynn was alive, Sammy could at least find some comfort knowing that Yaz had her. That Brooklynn was visiting and checking in with her frequently to help her. Even after her passing, Yaz hadn't given up, and the evidence of that hard work was clear. But Sammy still had to wonder if those nightmares lingered. 

"Are you?"

"Totally," Yaz replied, drawing out the word. 

Sleepy Yaz was also incredibly cute, swaying in time to the rocking of ocean waves. Sammy reached up to cradle Yaz's cheek, smiling when she immediately turned to nuzzle into it. She held onto Yaz's shoulder with her other hand and gently tugged. 

"Lie down, Yaz," Sammy said, guiding her down into her lap. "I don't reckon we'll hit land any time soon."

Yaz made a sound of complaint and rolled onto her back, opening her eyes long enough to peer up at Sammy. 

"See, I'm awake," Yaz protested weakly. 

Sammy laughed. "No, you're not."

"No, I'm not."

"Go to sleep," Sammy whispered, brushing her fingers across Yaz's hair. 

"You too."

"I will."

She just wanted to watch Yaz for a bit first, as far as Sammy knew, there hadn't been any nightmares since they got onto the ship, but old habits die hard and honestly? Sammy just wanted to watch her girlfriend rest. 

Sammy had no idea where they were heading, but she wasn’t scared. Not when she had Yaz. 

--

Yaz had been riding the line between sleep and consciousness for a while now. The storm had long passed and the rocking of the waves actually felt…peaceful. 

That, and Yaz could feel the warmth of Sammy’s body against her cheek, so as long as she couldn't hear any of her friends moving around, Yaz was happy to try and stay on this edge for as long as she could. 

"No! Stupid phone," Ben groaned. He was obviously still trying to keep quiet, but the frustration was way too clear in his voice. 

Yeah…she should probably see what that was about. She leaned back a bit to check on Sammy, noting with a wince the uncomfortable position that Sammy seemed to have found herself in before sitting up and stretching her arms over her head. 

"Morning," Yaz greeted through a yawn. "Or um…afternoon?"

"Sorry, I didn't know you were awake."

She may admittedly still be half asleep as she stumbled through her conversation with Ben, and his somewhat cryptic answers didn't really help her understand what was going on any better, but Yaz was still fairly confident that she had done all that she could to reassure him. 

Besides, the promise of reaching land soon seemed to be enough to put Ben at ease, at least for a little while. 

"So…how you feeling, Fadoula?"

Yaz cracked one eye open to look at him. "Tired?"

"And?"

She narrowed her eyes at his suggestive smirk. "Get to the point, Pincus."

"It's just, you and Sammy seem good. You know, after what happened on the island..."

"Well it's like you said, we've got a good thing going," Yaz shrugged. 

"Really good, from what I've been seeing."

Yaz groaned, draping her arms over the edge of the boat as she stared into the water. She knew this would happen, Ben never could resist making a comment about their PDA during reunions. He was almost as bad as Brooklynn had been. 

"Speak your mind, Ben."

"I'm just wondering if you two want to stay behind in the boat when we get to shore," Ben said. "While Darius, Kenji and I go out to investigate."

Was he…Ben was seriously trying to offer them alone time, wasn't he? In a janky lifeboat? Yaz was desperate but she wasn't that desperate. 

…Yet. 

"While it's oddly sweet of you to offer," Yaz began. "And also embarrassing. Maybe we don’t split up the moment we reach land?"

"You didn't seem all that embarrassed yesterday."

"Believe me I was," Yaz sighed. 

Ben gave her a look, and suddenly Yaz was fifteen again, clutching a branch filled with berries as she rushed through talking about her feelings. They would always have a different bond because of that day, and the support that he offered when Yaz couldn't even sort through her own feelings. 

His words had gently untangled the knot in her chest and put everything into a very neat perspective, offering a wisdom she hadn't realised she had even needed. 

"You haven't seen her for a long time, you know that it's okay to feel like this," he pointed out gently. 

Yaz sighed. "I know that, but there's a time and a place for it. This is neither of those things but I just…I can't keep my hands off of her."

"That's nothing new, Fadoula," Ben smirked. "Even at your most touch-averse, you always made an exception for Sammy."

Because Sammy made it easy, even from that very first hug, it just felt right. She didn't want to say that they were made for each other, because that just wasn't the case. They had both put in the work to be the unit that they were, but Yaz couldn't deny that every touch they shared felt right.

"Besides," Ben elbowed her gently. "Maybe we'll get lucky and find a place to spend the night. We'll make it work."

Which was a very subtle way of Ben saying that he was going to help her have a night with Sammy. Considering their history, it shouldn't surprise her. 

"Whatever you say, Pincus," Yaz said, straightening up and stretching her arms above her head. "Come on, let's get the others up, we'll hit land soon."

Ben's attention drifted back to Brooklynn's phone before looking out to an approaching patch of sunlight. His attention was waning. "Yeah, sure."

"I've got it," Yaz said. "You keep doing…whatever you're doing. I need to go and save my girl's neck."

--

Sammy trailed behind Yaz, watching her bend to add more wood to her pile. The boys were back at the farm, being put to work preparing dinner with Aminita and Zayna. 

Geba had joined them, keeping close to Yaz's side, clearly, he'd taken a shine to Sammy’s girlfriend. 

Yaz didn't even flinch, even laughing when Geba chirped and bumped his head against Yaz's shoulder. 

She looked so at ease, around the Stegosaureses and even handling the Suchomimus, throwing insults at it like it wasn't capable of tearing them to shreds. 

Sammy had no reason to doubt Yaz when she said she had been working hard on that island. And since the incident in the van, she had been trying not to hover, to treat Yaz like a child, as she had said, but Sammy still worried. 

It was one thing to deal with dinosaurs in transit, but none of them had been prepared to see them in the wild in an entirely different country, so Sammy couldn't deny that she had been nervous about Yaz's reaction. 

But Yaz was fine, better than, even. 

"You okay back there?" Yaz called, glancing over her shoulder. Her brows furrowed and she came to a stop. "Sammy?"

Yaz turned as Sammy closed some of the distance between them. Geba chirped again as she circled them before coming to a stop behind Yaz, nudging at her and clearly not happy that they'd interrupted her exploration. 

"I'm fine," Sammy replied, smiling. "Honest."

"Sam," Yaz said softly. Her voice almost always got softer when she called Sammy that. It wasn't a question, or a call out, just a gentle acknowledgement that there was something Sammy was holding back. 

(there were other exceptions to the usage of Sam, but those largely tended to happen behind closed doors.) 

Sammy tucked her pile of wood under her arm and stepped closer. "I'm just…so proud of you, Yasmina. Like, really, really proud."

"Oh," Yaz dropped her gaze to the ground and kicked at the dirt, surprisingly shy. "This wasn't exactly how I planned to show you, but we've never really done things in half measures, have we?"

"That much was obvious when we had to find our way out of a sinking van," Sammy pointed out. "Off-brand alligator? At least you haven't lost your touch with the insults."

Yaz's shoulders shook as she giggled, and it was so darn cute that Sammy had to laugh too. When Sammy reached out to rest her hand against Yaz's stomach, the bottom of her palm resting against warm, bare skin, the sound faded immediately and she found herself meeting Yaz's warm gaze. 

The longer she kept her hand there, the heavier Yaz's eyes became. Want, need and love all blended together into one fiery look. 

"I love you," Sammy said, letting her fingers dip beneath the hem of her shirt and stroking her thumb across the skin for good measure. 

Honestly, Yaz looked as though she was about two seconds from tossing the wood in her arms aside, even Sammy found herself wishing that it wasn't quite a literal barrier between them. 

"Love you too," Yaz replied as she leaned in to kiss her. She didn't immediately move to deepen it, nor did she pull away, giving Sammy the opportunity to decide how far she wanted this to go. 

It was an easy enough choice, the fire could wait a few more minutes. So Sammy let the wood fall to the ground and reached up to cradle Yaz's face to deepen the kiss, swallowing her gasp with a grin. 

Geba apparently had other plans, before Sammy could even trace her tongue to Yaz's bottom lip, the dinosaur was chirping again and nudged Yaz with enough force to break them apart and send Yaz's stack of wood clattering to the ground. 

Yaz groaned. "Geba! Why?"

She looked so put out, glaring at the Gallimimus for interrupting them that Sammy couldn't stop herself from laughing again. 

It was worth it, despite briefly being on the receiving end of that glare. Yaz sighed and reached up to pat Geba’s head. 

"Okay, fine. I hear you. We'll head back. I think we've got enough for the fire, right Sammy?"

"Yeah, shame we don't have marshmallows though. It'd just be like that one time we beat the others," Sammy crouched down to haphazardly scoop up her pile. She was aware of Yaz doing the same, though she stopped Sammy by resting her hand on top of her own. 

She didn't say anything, she didn't need to. Yaz had always been pretty good at showing her feelings for Sammy with a simple touch. 

Sammy smiled. "Come on, Geba interrupting us is one thing, I don't want Darius or Kenji to come running next."

That seemed to be enough to kick Yaz back into action, scooping up her pile of wood and jumping to her feet, calling out to Geba to follow them. 

She was really looking forward to unwinding by a fire and cuddling up to her girl. 

--

Kenji saw his opportunity while Darius, Yaz and Sammy were telling Zayna about their journey. 

"Hey, Aminita, you got a sec?"

Aminita stopped and studied him, arms full with sheets and raised an eyebrow. "I have plenty of secs."

Kenji threw his head back and laughed, resisting the impulse to sling his arm over her shoulder and instead rocking back and forth on his feet. "That's funny! You're a funny lady."

"Kenji, what did you need?"

"Okay so…" He drew the word out and glanced over to where Yaz and Sammy were helping Zayna build the fire. "I was just wondering what the bunking sitch was going to be like. I mean we'll take whatever, we're just glad it won't be in a shipping container. And I don't want it to sound like we're asking for more when you're already doing so much for us–"

"I have plenty of room for you all," Aminita interrupted gently, staring at him in that slightly concerned way he was becoming way too accustomed to, especially when he rambled like this. "If you'd all rather stay together I can help you rearrange things to fit you all in one room?"

"No, no, kind of the opposite actually?" Kenji replied. "I was actually gonna ask if there was any way to give Yaz and Sammy their own room? Ideally as far away from all of us as possible without being so far that I'll be up all night worrying that they're going to get jumped by that Suco."

"Why do you want them to be…" Aminita trailed off as she followed his gaze in time to see Yaz quite literally drape herself over Sammy’s back. She frowned thoughtfully. "Hm."

"They haven't seen each other for like, months," Kenji supplied with a whisper. 

"I see."

"So yeah, no pressure, but it'd be super cool if you could help them out," Kenji said. 

Aminita nodded. "I have just the place, come, you can help."

"You got it!"

As he fell in place behind her, Kenji looked back over at the three girls, catching Yaz's eye. She shot him a questioning look, which Kenji returned with an enthusiastic double thumbs up. 

It only served to make Yaz look more confused and weirdly kinda angry as she threw her hands up at him. 

"Don't worry, I got you," he whispered dramatically. 

"What does that mean?" Yaz hissed back, while Sammy and Zayna were oblivious beside her. 

She'd thank him tomorrow, hopefully, or kill him. Maybe both. 

--

Ben's plate waited for him near the seat Darius had saved. The sun hadn't fully set yet, so until they reached that point, they'd all relaxed in front of the fire. Darius was eagerly asking Aminita and Zayna about raising Geba and their relationship with the Stegosauruses while Yaz, Sammy and Kenji were more than happy listening and taking in the genuine safety they'd found. 

She'd been idly playing with Sammy’s hand for the past five minutes, so when Sammy untangled their fingers, it took a considerable effort not to pout about it. 

But then Sammy was moving her arm, resting her hand against the exposed patch of back that Yaz's shirt didn't cover. 

She'd said it before, and she'll say it again, but Yaz's life had only gotten better when she had discovered crop tops. 

Sammy loved them too because they let her do things like this, fingers drawing random patterns against her skin, slowly dipping under to trace along Yaz's spine, knowing that it drove her absolutely crazy. 

It took everything in Yaz to not react, to smile and nod along to whatever it was Darius was actually saying right now. It was teasing, plain and simple and Yaz just had to sit there and wonder if it was impolite to excuse them for the night before Ben had shown his face. 

She didn't even know where they'd be sleeping yet, she didn't even care, Yaz just wanted to be able to cuddle up to Sammy and hold and touch her freely. 

But Yaz was also going to combust if Sammy kept doing this, so Yaz turned to catch her eye, hoping that she could communicate everything in a single look. 

Sammy just smiled back, forever teasing. Yaz held back a groan and dropped her head to Sammy’s shoulder. Sammy giggled and withdrew her hand, turning to kiss the top of Yaz's head before resting her hand on her thigh. Yaz moved quickly, curling her hands around Sammy’s arm to keep it in place. 

This had to be some kind of payback for the thumb on neck moment back on the ship. The hand on her thigh was still a lot, and it left her entire body humming, but it was much more manageable, and there was no way that she'd let it wander in plain view of their friends and two relative strangers. 

"How long have you two been in a relationship?" Aminita asked. 

"Six years," Sammy replied. "We met on Isla Nublar."

"Since we were teenagers," Yaz added. 

Zayna cooed. "That's so sweet."

Yaz hummed. "We're so sweet."

"And you're tired," Sammy countered. 

"I am," Yaz agreed quickly. "We should turn in soon."

Behind Sammy, Yaz heard Kenji chuckle. He'd done something, she knew it. 

"What's the rush, it's not even dark yet. Ben isn't even back yet," Darius said. 

He was right and Yaz knew it, but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to be a little dramatic and muffle her sigh into Sammy’s shoulder. She felt Sammy’s shoulders shake with her giggle. 

It was still nice, even if the combined warmth from the fire, Sammy’s body and her own internal combustion was slowly but surely turning her into a puddle on the floor. 

Yaz briefly thought back to their time on the island, when they'd have campfires like this. When Sammy was just Sammy, when her feelings didn't exactly have a name yet they burned beneath the surface. 

Her and Sammy had always talked about going camping one day, to recreate those moments in safer conditions, but then dinosaurs made it to the mainland and it just…never came up again.

She nuzzled her face into Sammy’s shoulder, breathing deeply. Ben had exactly ten minutes before she stomped off to find him, she'd drag him back by the ear if she had to. 

Ben did show up, thankfully before sunset, and they could all finally rest easy again. They talked, they laughed, it was like life was easy again, at least by their standards. 

Time passed quickly like this, and before they knew it, it was time to turn in for the night. 

As Yaz got to her feet, Sammy’s hand in hers, Aminita stopped them. 

"Yasmina, Sammy, I've set you up in the guest house," Aminita said. "I figured you would both appreciate your own space after spending so many days cooped up with those boys."

"Hey!" Darius began to protest, only to be cut off by Kenji slinging an arm over his shoulder and quite literally dragging him away. 

Yaz took in Aminita’s knowing expression and felt her stomach drop. Oh no. Her head snapped back to the boys just in time to see Kenji look back and give her another thumbs up and Ben to offer a sheepish smile. 

It was decided, she may have to punch Kenji and possibly Ben by association. If she wasn't frozen to the spot, she'd be chasing Kenji down right now, hard time or not. 

Sammy grabbed both of her shoulders, shaking Yaz in a way that coming from Sammy, could only be her specific brand of excited affection. 

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much! I love those boys but sometimes a girl needs her own space, right, Yaz?"

"Yup," Yaz nodded quickly. 

Aminita locked eyes with Yaz and in that moment, it felt like she could see into Yaz's soul. "I'm sure."

Oh wow. Yeah, this was hell. Had Sammy even picked up on what was happening yet? Yaz was too scared to even look, she was too busy trying and failing at looking like someone who wasn't just handed the key to being able to have sex with her girlfriend. 

"There are fresh sheets and water for you. The door does lock, though you may hear Geba scratching at the door in the night. He likes to explore," Aminita explained. "The Stegos will protect us from the other one, but just in case, you can yell to alert us. Sound travels very well at night."

Yaz was aware of a sound leaving her mouth, she wasn't sure what emotion it best represented but in the face of their host, she tried her best to form words instead. "Thank you?"

"No seriously, thank you," Sammy said, coming to the rescue. "We really appreciate it."

Aminita nodded. "I'll leave you two to rest. Enjoy your night."

Before Yaz could say or do anything, Sammy was dragging her by the arm towards the building and into the room. She was so excited that Yaz wouldn't be surprised if Sammy would have carried her, had her feet not moved willingly. 

Once the door was firmly closed behind them, Sammy let go of Yaz's arm and squealed in delight. 

"Oh my gosh. Yaz, look at this room! Can you believe we actually get a space to ourselves?" Sammy asked, rushing over to grab one of the pillows and hugged it to her chest. "Pillows! Oh I've missed pillows, you're cosy and all, but…pillows!"

Their room was nice, and while Yaz loved watching Sammy move around excitedly, she did not attempt to move to join her. 

They were alone, and it was completely orchestrated by her friends and their host and Yaz honestly didn't really know what to do with that information. But Sammy was here and so close to being in her reach. 

Sammy noticed the lack of movement on Yaz's part and looked over, eyebrow raised.

"Are you okay? Don't you like the room? The bed is real cosy I promise," Sammy tossed the pillow back onto the bed and began to move across the space to join her. 

"No, the room is…it's good. Nice," Yaz nodded. 

Sammy wasn't buying it, she slapped both hands onto Yaz's shoulders. "Okay Yaz here’s the thing. I love you. I think you look real cute right now, standing here all nervous and all. But we have a room alone for the first time in forever and if you're just going to stand here being all frozen up, I will lose it."

Yaz didn't know what her face was doing, but Sammy was smiling at her. "Uh…what?"

"We're alone. They've made sure of that. We haven't been alone for months and we definitely aren't gonna to have another chance like this for a while," Sammy flattened her palms against Yaz's chest. “Do you really want to put Kenji’s hard work to waste?”

"I– Kenji?" Yaz had known that he'd done something, but Sammy had too? She'd been so subtle about it. "You knew?"

"Yes? He wasn't subtle? Yaz. I know we've been apart a while, and you know I'm working on respecting your space. But are we seriously going to just stand here and stare at each other or are we going to get under those sheets?"

There was a very noticeable lack of thoughts running through Yaz's head. She could only stare at Sammy, attention flicking between sparkling eyes and kissable lips. The steady pressure of Sammy’s hands against her chest. 

"...You lost me."

Sammy sighed. "Sex, Yaz. I'm talking about sex."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"Yeah…" Yaz nodded and cleared her throat. "Yeah. That sounds good. Good plan."

"Yaz. I'm gonna need you to get it together."

Yaz felt her spine straighten as she reached up to curl her hands around Sammy’s wrists. The request was as clear as the challenge, Sammy needed her, wanted her. A night like this was everything that Yaz had hoped they would get and Sammy was offering it to her willingly. 

They had to be mindful not to be too loud, but they could work with that, it actually made things a bit more fun for them. The quiet thrill of sneaking around, despite almost everyone knowing exactly what they were doing here. 

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Tell me what you need."

"I need you," Sammy replied easily. 

"You needed me."

And it didn't matter in what capacity that was, they truly did need each other, and Yaz was going to make sure to be there in every way that Sammy needed going forward. 

Yaz leaned up to kiss Sammy, much softer than the current mood probably called for, but as far as Yaz was concerned there were still a lot of missed kisses she had to pay back. 

Besides, kissing Sammy always felt good, regardless of how she did it. It still felt awesome, it still felt safe. And she knew that Sammy felt the same because Yaz always felt the way Sammy would melt into her. 

Sammy broke away, dipping her head to first press a kiss to the corner of Yaz's mouth before leaving one on her cheek and neck. 

It was only when her lips grazed Yaz's pulse did a surprise gasp left her lips, she threw her head back with the intention of giving Sammy more access, only to instead be met with a sudden burst of pain when her head hit the door. 

Before the stars in her eyes could clear, Sammy had immediately pulled her hands out of Yaz's grasp and cupped her face, forcing their eyes to meet. 

"Are you okay?" Sammy asked, visibly concerned. 

"You're pretty."

Sammy narrowed her eyes. "You better not have given yourself a concussion there. I swear, Yasmina."

Yaz kissed away the concern and as she reached for the collar of Sammy’s shirt, fingers fumbling to find the first button, Yaz felt Sammy trying to get her hands on her belt. In any other circumstances, this would have been the natural progression, but Yaz couldn't resist, she wanted to drag things out just a little longer. 

She settled her hands on Sammy’s waist and turned them, pushing her up against the door, careful not to subject the back of Sammy’s head to the same fate hers had. 

"Oh, what?" Sammy frowned. "Why?"

Yaz hushed her gently. "Patience."

"Yasmina Fadoula, by all that is good in the world if you don't–"

Yaz interrupted whatever berating she was about to receive with another kiss, going back to resume her task of slowly but surely unbuttoning Sammy’s shirt, swallowing each gasp when her fingers brushed against bare skin. 

Once the last button was open, Yaz slipped her fingers beneath the material to place her hands against Sammy’s ribs. She pressed her thumbs into the soft skin, feeling the warmth radiate against her palms. 

She had to break the kiss just to focus again, pressing her forehead to Sammy’s. 

"I've missed you," Yaz admitted quietly. "This. Us. Sorry, I just wanted to take a minute to appreciate this."

Sammy smiled back and moved to cover Yaz's hands with her own. "I missed you too. Obviously. And it's still real sweet that you're doing all of this but…"

"I need to stop talking?" Yaz guessed. 

"Yes! Do you have any idea how serious it has to be if I'm saying there needs to be less talking?" Sammy replied. "Seriously. Do I have to take my own shirt off?"

Not that she needed to do anything to drive the point home, but Sammy made a point of dragging Yaz's hands up to her chest. 

Yaz's attention shifted fully, gaze fixed on the plain black bra. 

"Are you done talking?" Sammy asked. Yaz nodded. "Good. I love you."

"Love you too," Yaz replied instinctively. "Okay, now I'm done."

There was very little grace in the way that Yaz tugged the shirt off and threw it aside. 

It was a blind stumble backwards as Sammy kissed her and pushed them towards the bed, each of them just about having enough presence of mind to kick their shoes off. Yaz felt a steady hand press against her stomach, stopping her before she could push Sammy onto the bed. 

Yaz broke the kiss to give Sammy a questioning look, who merely smiled in return and gently reached up to tap her on the nose. 

"Arms up Yasmina."

Yaz did so, allowing her shirt to be pulled up over her head. Sammy’s gaze roamed as freely as her hands, taking in the parts of her body that she hadn't seen for months. Her fingers gently traced their way down Yaz's neck and to her shoulders, pushing the bra straps down as she did. 

There was so much to say, nothing that they hadn't already spoken of, and yet Yaz felt the need to say it again. To draw attention to their time apart, the missed opportunities for moments like this. 

But it wouldn't have changed anything, what is done is done and what purpose would it serve to rehash this conversation? If Sammy wanted to speak of it, she would have. Sammy was not the type to let these things go unsaid. 

Sammy’s fingers danced between Yaz's shoulder blades, moving down her spine until she reached her bra, leaning in for a soft and fleeting kiss as she unclipped it. When she pulled away, Yaz shrugged out of it as Sammy set to work on her own. 

There was a knot of anticipation building in Yaz's stomach, heightened only by the sight of Sammy, half naked and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. 

She was so beautiful, a slight flush graced her cheeks and skin so soft that Yaz desperately wanted to touch. 

While it was far from the first time, Yaz couldn't help but feel a little lost and exposed, standing there the way that she was. The feelings were quickly quashed by Sammy grinning up at her. 

"Why are you standing so far away?" She asked. Without giving Yaz a chance to answer, she reached out to grab onto Yaz's belt buckle and dragged her closer to stand between her knees. 

Sammy moved painfully slowly as she pulled the belt strap through the buckle, never breaking eye contact as she snapped the button open and drew the zipper down. It didn't take much to bring her pants down, nor for Yaz to step out of them and kick them aside. But it was enough to make Yaz take the next steps. 

She kneeled, not quite level with her girl, but close enough that it would only take a slight craning of her neck to meet Sammy in a kiss. Her hands rested on Sammy’s knees as she did just that, swallowing the pleased hum that Sammy made. 

Fingers brushed through her hair, pulling it free from its tie and letting it fall freely. Yaz ended the kiss and ducked to rest her cheek against Sammy’s chest, enjoying the feeling of skin against skin. Sammy embraced the action, resting her chin in Yaz's hair and letting their breathing synchronise. 

"Do you want to come up here and join me?" Sammy asked quietly. 

Yaz hummed, wrapping her arms around Sammy’s body. "Lie back."

Sammy did so, pulling Yaz up with her. She was quick to push Sammy back into the pillows, she laughed as her hair fanned out around her as Yaz settled between her legs once more. Yaz allowed herself a moment to appreciate the sight below her before she reached down to unbutton Sammy’s jeans. 

There were more than their fair share of giggles as they tried to wrangle Sammy free of her clothes, and while they were successful, Yaz couldn't even appreciate the sight of Sammy, choosing instead to collapse against her, bodies shaking with laughter. 

"We probably should have taken care of all of that before getting into bed together, huh?" Sammy laughed, arms wrapping around Yaz and holding her close. 

"It's fine. I like this," Yaz replied. She closed her eyes and reached blindly for Sammy’s arm until she got the idea and offered one of her hands for Yaz to tangle their fingers together. 

Their entwined hands came to rest next to Sammy’s head and together they just lay there. The silence that Aminita had mentioned felt more pronounced now, that if one of the boys were to so much as cough, Yaz would be able to hear it from here. 

"Feels kinda like we're doing this backwards doesn't it?" Sammy asked. "This is usually the after. When we're sweatier."

Yaz snorted. "It can be the before and the after."

"I'm just saying, for someone who has been so needy these last few days you've really flipped the script and become all cuddly," Sammy pointed out. 

"Both can be true," Yaz grumbled. She propped herself up on her elbow to look at Sammy, easing her hand free and beginning a slow journey across her arm. "Discipline and self-restraint, Sammy. I'm not going to sprint to the finish line here. I want to enjoy the journey."

Sammy raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Running metaphors? This is what I get for dating an athlete."

"As if you don't make cowboy jokes at every opportunity," Yaz pointed out, leaning down to kiss away the pout. 

Her fingers reached Sammy’s collarbone and quickly moved to brush over a hardening nipple, smiling when Sammy tried to arch into the touch and pouted again when Yaz's fingers moved away. She moved to Sammy’s stomach, drifting closer to her side where three faded scars remained. 

To anyone outside of their little found family, the small cluster looked innocuous, only they knew the story behind it. Only she and Sammy knew that the scars still remain to this day. 

Any protests that Sammy may have been prepared to make faded in that moment, suddenly aware of what Yaz had focused on. 

A symbol of their shared trauma, the proof of how close Yaz had come to losing Sammy that night and the lengths that Yaz had taken to save her. 

Yaz leaned down, replacing her fingers with her lips. Leaving a kiss to each scar. 

"Yaz…"

"I love you," Yaz murmured against her skin. "I love you so much."

She may not have known back then just how much, but for all of the trauma and PTSD Yaz may have gotten as a result of facing the Scorpius in the way that she had, screaming in the face of death because it dared stand between her and Sammy…Yaz knew that given the choice, she would do it again. 

And she would do it as many times as she needed to if it meant that Sammy got to live. She would do all of the work that needed to be done if it meant that she could be with Sammy now. 

Yaz continued to leave kisses along Sammy’s stomach, leaving no illusion of her intent. She could feel Sammy’s breathing getting faster as her own impatience began to show. 

She couldn't help but laugh under her breath when she felt Sammy’s hand rest on her head. There was no force behind the movement, but Yaz heard what Sammy was asking for loud and clear. Yaz lifted her head just enough to lock eyes with Sammy. 

"Remember, you have to be quiet," Yaz said. 

"Yeah, yeah. I can do that. Don't worry about me."

Famous last words. 

--

Ben couldn't quite shake the pit of dread in his stomach, it didn't matter how comfortable they were in this room, sleep was going to escape him tonight. 

Neither Kenji nor Darius seemed to be any closer to sleep either but for very different reasons. Kenji still seemed plagued by his demons while Darius was buzzing with excitement over the chance to observe dinosaurs in a new environment. 

It had taken a while for Ben not to react to every sound that carried across the farm, it was as peaceful as they could hope it to be, but nothing could have prepared him for the sound that broke through the relative silence. It wasn't a scream, but it was definitely in the same vein as one. 

What Ben did know was that it sounded a lot like Sammy. 

He could see Kenji freeze from the corner of his eye at the same moment Darius stopped mid-sentence, brow furrowed. 

"Did you hear that?" Darius asked.

Ben met Kenji’s gaze, each trying to quickly communicate how they were going to handle this, to telepathically attempt to get on the same page as to whether they were going to play dumb or deny hearing anything at all. 

"I didn't hear it–" Kenji began. 

"–It's probably just some kind of animal," Ben finished. 

So much for being on the same page. 

Darius looked at each of them in turn, lingering on Ben for a few moments longer before slowly lowering himself back into bed. 

"Yeah, you're probably right," he agreed. "Definitely wasn't any dinosaur I'd heard before."

He seemed satisfied enough, for now, Ben held back a sigh as he threw an arm over his eyes. 

Dealing with dinosaurs was one thing, but Ben never expected to cover for his friends like this. 

--

Yaz snapped her head up, panicked. The cry that Sammy had let out shifted into a whimper at the sudden loss of contact. 

She didn't even give herself time to catch her breath before she moved up to hover over Sammy, covering her mouth with her hand. 

"Sammy," Yaz whispered. "What happened to being quiet?"

Sammy raised an eyebrow, so Yaz slowly lifted her hand and propped herself up on her elbow. 

"You can't do that with your tongue and not expect a reaction, Yasmina. It's been over a year and I'm only human. You honestly should have expected this."

Yaz couldn't really think of anything to say to that, Sammy did have a point after all, she supposed. But still, they had to be as quiet as they could, so Yaz leaned down to kiss her, allowing Sammy to taste herself on Yaz's lips. 

It didn't exactly help matters when it came to keeping Sammy quiet, if the whimper that struggled to escape was anything to go by, but it did allow Yaz to experience the feeling of Sammy grabbing her roughly by the back of the neck to keep her in place. 

Barely a minute passed before Sammy was shifting under her, the kisses they traded grew needier and messier until Sammy bit down on Yaz's bottom lip, sending currents through her body and causing Yaz to gasp loudly. Sammy only giggled in response, breaking the kiss in favour of leaning in close to Yaz's ear. 

"Quiet, Yaz," Sammy teased. 

"You little…" Yaz trailed off. There was no bite to her words and Sammy knew that, even as she fell back against the pillows with a satisfied smirk. "You ready?"

Sammy laughed. "Duh."

"Can you at least try to be quiet?"

"Probably not. You should probably be ready to do something about that."

Yaz took a moment to consider her options and her confidence in her ability to keep control of the situation. She made sure to hold Sammy’s gaze as she traced her fingers lower, Yaz let her fingers brush through the wetness, smiling when Sammy’s breath caught. 

As she slid one finger in, Yaz used her other hand to cover Sammy’s mouth, feeling the rush of hot breath against her skin. She pulled out slowly and added a second finger on the next thrust, this time hearing the muffled moan.

"Good?" Yaz asked. Sammy could only nod. She leaned down to kiss the back of her own hand. "Good. Then I'm going to give you everything you want."

--

"What is the plan for tomorrow?" Ben asked quietly, Darius seemed to be asleep, or at least very close to it, so he didn't want to actively disturb him. 

Kenji shrugged and closed his eyes. "We don't need a plan right now, dude, Darius wants to observe the Stegos. We've had a long trip, and we're all tired. We can put on the thinking caps tomorrow."

A gentle thud startled all three of them into an upright position, Darius blinking away his sleep and looking at each of them in confusion and concern. 

There was another dull thud nearby, and Darius’ gaze dropped down to Kenji’s side, who followed the line of sight to the cup of water beside his bed. 

The water rippled with each thud, and Kenji couldn't pretend that he didn't immediately look over to Ben. 

Yaz and Sammy weren't even in the same building as them. Could their sex be so loud that it could do this? If it could, Kenji was done trying to cover for them, nothing could help them now. 

Ben looked as flustered as Kenji felt, opening his mouth to no doubt try and come up with some kind of excuse, only to look past Darius and silently point towards the window. 

Kenji got up and moved to join Darius at the window, focusing on the darkness until his eyes adjusted enough to make out three large shapes moving towards the treeline. 

"It's just the Stegos," Darius sighed. "Nothing to worry about."

Kenji began to relax too, until he heard another, unmistakable moan. Not Sammy’s this time. 

He was going to be having words with Yaz tomorrow. Especially when he glanced at Darius and saw the puzzled expression on his face. 

"Was that the Stegos too?" Kenji asked. 

Darius frowned. "Maybe. I'd need to spend more time observing them."

Behind him, Kenji heard Ben sigh in relief, Kenji gave Darius a firm clap on the shoulder and turned back towards his bed. 

"Okay good news, I'm going to sleep now."

He flopped back down onto his bed and rolled onto his side, pulling the pillow with him and pressing it to his ear. 

He was happy for them, of course, but Jesus, they needed to be quieter. 

--

For someone who had an awful lot of nerve to make such a big deal about how important it was to be quiet, Yaz certainly seemed to forget her own rules. 

One moment, Sammy was arching off the bed as she felt Yaz curl her fingers, lost in the pleasure of it all, the next Yaz was letting out a moan, much louer than Sammy’s own had been, thank you kindly. 

She'd barely had the presence of mind to slap her hand over Yaz's mouth, probably with a bit more force than intended, and only succeeding in trapping the tail end of the sound.

At the very least, Yaz looked surprised by it all, the downside of that being that Sammy could feel her movements begin to slow. 

"Don't you dare," Sammy said, the words were slightly muffled but Yaz seemed to understand all the same. Her brows furrowed for a beat before Sammy could feel the smile against her palm. 

She felt Yaz resume her pace, fingers curling as she breathed heavily into Sammy’s palm. Her gaze was intense and Sammy barely had the presence of mind to register that Yaz was shaking, it was hard to focus on much outside of her rapidly approaching orgasm. 

Yaz had told her to be quiet, and Sammy was doing her best to do that, but Yaz had obviously forgotten her own rule, as Sammy’s hand was barely doing enough to keep her whimpers at bay. 

Neither of them were good at this, too caught up in the moment, too lost in each other to focus on anything else. 

Her orgasm hit hard, Sammy was pretty sure she blacked out for a few seconds as she threw her head back and arched into Yaz. She was aware enough to drop her hand from Yaz's mouth to grab her wrist with both hands to keep it in place as she rode through wave after wave of pleasure. 

She couldn't really hear Yaz, but she could read the curse on her lips the moment before Yaz closed her eyes and collapsed into her. 

The comedown was slow, Sammy stared up at the ceiling, doing her best to blink the stars out of her eyes as the sweat cooled against her skin. Only when the tingling in her body had started to fade, did she fully register the way Yaz's body was twitching against hers. She knew what that meant, it had just been a long time since she had seen it. 

Yaz stayed where she was, face tucked into Sammy’s neck as her breathing began to even out. 

"Did you…" Sammy began, stopping when she felt Yaz chuckle. 

"Yeah," Yaz breathed. 

Sammy couldn't help a giggle of her own. "I didn't even touch you."

"You didn't have to. Just watching you was a lot," Yaz groaned. When Sammy didn't respond, she groaned again, louder. "Don't judge me, I know we didn't talk much and that was entirely on me, but please know that I thought about you constantly."

Sammy hummed. "Like this?"

"Among other things, but yeah, like this."

It said a lot about just how spent Yaz was that when Sammy put a hand on her shoulder and moved Yaz onto her side so that Sammy could slip out, Yaz didn't resist at all. She rolled onto her back, groaning again when her head hit the pillow. Sammy sat up, finally giving herself the time to take Yaz in fully. 

She looked just as wrecked as Sammy felt, chest heaving and sweat quickly drying on her skin. If Yaz didn't look like she was about ten minutes from passing out, Sammy would have no hesitation about leaning down to kiss every inch of skin she hadn't been able to touch. 

But Sammy was more focused on just appreciating the moment, of seeing Yaz relaxed and vulnerable. It was a lot, and Sammy was thankful that she could be a part of this. 

She rested her hand against Yaz's stomach, stroking her thumb softly across warm skin, which made Yaz crack an eye open and give her a curious look. 

"Sammy? What–"

"Wait, stay like that."

It was only when Yaz stilled did Sammy lifted her hands, forming a rectangle with her thumb and forefingers. She saw the recognition in Yaz's eyes and the subsequent smile that pulled at her lips. 

"Click," Sammy said softly, mimicking pressing a button with her finger. 

"I didn't blink, did I?" Yaz asked. 

"Naw," Sammy replied, dropping down beside her. "You look great."

"It's been a while since you've done that."

"Been a while since I've had a reason to do it," Sammy replied. The heavy silence from beside her spoke volumes. "Yaz–"

"I'm sorry."

Sammy turned her head and found Yaz already looking back at her. She smiled and reached out to touch her fingers to Yaz's cheek. "I know. I'm sorry too. But we’re good, right? Yeah, we made mistakes, but we’ve learned from that."

"We have," Yaz agreed. She rolled onto her side and Sammy did the same. "I’m not going to mess this up again, Sammy. I promise. What we have is too awesome to let go of."

"We are pretty awesome, aren’t we?"

Yaz rolled onto her side and draped an arm across Sammy, pulling her in close enough to hold on tight. Sammy melted into the embrace easily, sighing as she buried her face into Yaz’s neck. This was familiar, it was safe. It wouldn’t take long for Yaz to roll over and guide Sammy’s arms around herself, silently requesting to be held. 

They’d fall asleep like that, not knowing exactly what lay ahead tomorrow, but finding comfort in the knowledge that they’d face it together.

--

After the dinosaurs had reached the mainland and everything in Yaz’s life had felt like it had slowly begun to derail, Yaz had slowly lost her passion for drawing. She just didn’t see the point in it anymore.

It was only when she had really immersed herself into therapy did she pick up the pencil again, allowing her fears, anxieties, wants and dreams to come to life on the page. It had become integral to her journey and once Rich had realised how important drawing had been to her, he had only encouraged it further.

Back on the island, under her bed, there was a box filled with sketchbooks, they contained drawings of her mom, of Ben and Bumpy. Darius observing dinosaurs, Kenji laughing and Brooklyn just…just being there.

She had long since lost count of how many drawings of Sammy there were. Even when Yaz hadn’t been reaching out, she had still drawn Sammy.

And if she had pen and paper in her hand right now, she’d be adding the sight before her to her collection.

Sunlight filtered through the window, making a still sleeping Sammy look nothing short of ethereal. The sheet barely covered her and Yaz couldn’t help but see this as her Jack and Rose moment.

But she could hear movement outside, Aminita and Zayna speaking to each other, Geba’s excited chirps. It wouldn’t be long until the boys rose too, and for someone to come knocking at their door. 

Yaz got up from her spot on the floor and crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed, brushing her hand through Sammy’s messy hair.

"Sammy?" 

Sammy groaned, attempting to turn and bury her head into the pillow, though Yaz gently stopped her by moving her hand to cradle her cheek.

"Everyone is getting up," Yaz whispered, leaning in to press her lips to each eyelid. "We should probably get washed up and get breakfast."

Sammy groaned again, but her hand came up to circle Yaz’s wrist, even if her eyes didn't open. 

"Were you watching me sleep?" Sammy asked. 

Yaz kissed Sammy’s cheek and the corner of her mouth before drawing back and threading their fingers together. 

"A little. You look really pretty right now."

Sammy opened her eyes and beamed. "Flirty Yaz? I'll take it."

Yaz couldn't help herself. She leaned down to finally kiss Sammy properly and laughed when she felt hands tugging her down properly. 

It was only when they heard a gentle knock at the door, causing Sammy to gasp and for Yaz to leap to her feet, haphazardly tugging the blanket back up to cover Sammy’s body. 

"Girls? Are you awake?" Aminita called. 

"Yep! Good morning!" Yaz called back. 

"Breakfast will be ready soon, I've brought you some clean clothes to borrow, if you want to wash yours."

The odds of Aminita walking in were low, but not zero, so Yaz was quick to close the distance and open the door just enough for her to slip through the crack and into the morning light. Aminita was quick to take a step back to avoid being knocked over. 

She gave Yaz a once over, smiling by the time their eyes met. "Did you have a good night?"

"Uh…what?"

"I said, did you have a restful night?" Aminita asked. 

Yaz narrowed her eyes. "No, you didn't."

"No, I didn't."

"But the answer is yes, regardless," Yaz replied. "...Thank you."

Aminita nodded and pushed a few shirts into Yaz's arms. "You're welcome. I'll see you both shortly, yes?"

"We'll be out in a few minutes. Thanks again."

Yaz slipped back inside and closed the door behind her before Aminita could say anything else. Sammy was sitting upright, stretching her arms over her head. It didn't matter how long they'd been together, Yaz was pretty sure that Sammy’s bare chest would always short-circuit her brain a little. 

Sammy caught her staring, smirking as she dropped her hands into her lap. "You alive over there?"

"Yup…totally," Yaz cleared her throat. "Aminita loaned us some clothes."

It didn't take long for them to change and get themselves presentable enough to leave. They even found time to trade a few kisses before leaving their room, hand in hand. 

Darius, Ben and Kenji all sat together, the case of eggs resting in Kenji’s lap. Judging by their outfits, Aminita had found a change of clothes for all of them too. 

Kenji spotted them first, grinning and throwing both arms up in greeting. "They live! Yasmina, Sammy, you're both looking radiant this morning."

Oh, Yaz was totally going to have words as soon as she could get him alone. 

"The yellow shirt is probably contributing, but I agree, you both look happy. It's amazing what a good night's rest can do," Darius added helpfully. 

Kenji snorted. "Not to mention a good night's– ow!"

Whatever he had been about to say was cut off by Ben elbowing him sharply in the side. His gaze focused on Yaz's top. 

"Couldn't find a smaller shirt, Fadoula?"

"It was mine," Zayna said, rounding the corner with an empty bucket in hand and Geba following close behind. "It suits you."

Yaz didn't have much experience with teenagers, or children in general. God, she didn't know how to speak to teenagers when she was one, so this was something of uncharted territory for her. 

"Thank you, and thanks, for letting me borrow it."

Sammy let go of her hand and rushed over to Geba, fussing over him and laughing. Yaz smiled fondly at her until she noticed Zayna still watching her, amused. 

"...Please don't do this to me," Yaz whispered. 

"You're very sappy around Sammy. It's cute but you're just as bad as my parents."

"...Okay then," Yaz nodded, bouncing on her heels as she pointed to the bucket. "Where are you off to?"

"Oh, to get water for the Stegos I–"

"I can do that!" Yaz interrupted, she held her arm close to her body when Zayna looked visibly surprised at her enthusiasm. "I don't mind, I want to help, plus the walk would be good for me."

Her body felt like it was buzzing with energy that had nowhere to go, she felt alive and reborn in equal measures, all of which she could attribute to Sammy. 

Had they been alone, Yaz knew exactly what she would want to do to get this out of her system, but in their current company? She would need to rely on some old tricks. 

Also, she didn't think she was capable of not crumbling under Kenji’s, Ben's and Aminita’s knowing gazes. Yaz needed this distraction, she needed the time alone to process and enjoy this glow. 

"Are you sure?"

Yaz glanced over as she watched Sammy join their friends, and by extension, Kenji looking back at her, a smirk already forming. 

"Yep. Definitely. I want to help."

Zayna gave her another curious look before reluctantly handing over the bucket. She took a step back and stroked a hand over Geba’s neck affectionately. "Geba will show you where to go, right, Geba? Can you show Yaz the way?"

Geba chirped and circled Yaz twice before nudging her shoulder with his head. 

"Alright Geba, lead the way," Yaz said, falling into step behind the Gallimimus. When she got close enough to the others, she waved to get their attention. "I'm going to get water for the Stegos, I'll be back soon."

Yaz was vaguely aware of the others looking at her, but her attention remained solely on Sammy and the range of emotions crossing her face. 

The concern was the easiest for Yaz to recognise, and had this been only a few weeks ago, Yaz knew that her immediate reaction would have been annoyance. To only see that look as Sammy continuing to see her as a child. But things are different now. Now they understand each other better, forever learning and growing, as a unit and as individuals. Now Yaz could see that look and recognise that it wasn't Sammy questioning her ability to be around dinosaurs, but more out of a reasonable concern about venturing away from the group, alone, and in a new environment. 

So it was easy to meet that concerned expression with a reassuring smile of her own. She had Geba, she wasn't scared to be around him or the Stegos. She would be okay. 

(Not a day went by that she didn't feel appreciation towards Brooklynn for her help getting Yaz to this point.) 

"Don't be too long, breakfast will be ready soon," Sammy said. "And be careful."

Yaz took a quick detour for no other reason than to squeeze Sammy’s shoulder as she passed. "I will."

--

"She's really come a long way," Ben said, watching Yaz disappear out of sight with Geba trailing beside her. 

It took Sammy a moment to even process that he had spoken, she'd been too focused on watching Yaz go, and just how at ease she was. 

There was something very different and eye-opening about seeing Yaz interacting with dinosaurs in such a relaxed setting, to be so at ease. Even more so when she had seen Yaz before. 

"She has," Sammy replied, smiling as she turned to Ben. "She's amazing."

And talented, and beautiful and– well, Ben already knew all of that. 

"You guys are good, right?" Ben asked, dropping his voice a bit quieter. 

It was a fair enough question. They hadn't really had much time to talk alone, and he had been the only one to actually witness their fight. 

"We're good," Sammy nodded. "Great, even. We're back on track."

Ben looked visibly relieved, as if seeing them making out hadn't been enough, he needed to hear her speak it into existence. 

"Good. It's good to see you back like you were before."

Sammy smiled and leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes before they could meet the sun. "Naw, not like before. We're better, grown."

Things weren't perfect, they probably never would be, but they had trust. The trust in each other to listen and learn and grow together, to not give up and to keep trying. 

Because they loved each other, just as much, if not more than they had when they were teenagers. And every day that they showed up for each other was proof of that. 

And that was as pretty darn close to perfect as Sammy could ask for. 

"Good. I mean, I kinda figured based on what I heard last night, but it's good to hear it be said in words rather than various, increasingly concerning sounds," Ben spoke up after a few moments. 

It was such a sudden shift, it didn't matter that Sammy had expected this conversation to happen at some point, the casual way in which he changed the subject was enough to have Sammy snapping her eyes open and turning to face him with enough speed to make her dizzy. 

"You heard?"

"Of course I heard!" Ben hissed. "Sound travels! Really well!"

Sammy glanced over at Darius and Kenji, who were both staring at the eggs within their briefcase. From what she could gather, Darius was theorising what species each egg belonged to and that Kenji, while he was paying attention, did seem to mostly be humouring him. 

"We had to let Darius believe it was the Stegos," Ben continued. 

Sammy gasped. "Are you saying I sound like a dinosaur?"

"You are seriously choosing the wrong detail to focus on here."

"It feels pretty important to me!"

"I was just trying to say that I'm happy for you," Ben groaned. "And I'm glad we could help you guys out, it was…probably the strangest way I've had to help out a friend, but it was worth it all the same."

Sammy nodded. "And this is probably the strangest and sweetest thing anybody has ever done for me."

--

"Why did I get nominated for this task?" Kenji asked. 

Yaz squeezed as much water out of Darius’ shirt as possible before hanging it with the others and turning towards him. Kenji hadn't actually helped at all, but Darius had wanted time to observe the Stegos, Ben had needed Internet time and Sammy was with Aminita and Zayna. Sammy had found a connection with Aminita, and it felt important to allow her to have that time before they left. 

She had brought Kenji, and by extension, the eggs, with her in hopes that the one-on-one time would give Kenji the space to open up if he felt safe enough to do so. Yaz knew that the likelihood of that happening was slim, it had taken a long time for Yaz to really understand just how deep their similarities lay, and it was because of that, that Yaz knew it wouldn't work. 

Pain creates change, and it was seeing the pain that she had caused Sammy by ghosting her that gave Yaz the additional push to learn and to do better. She knew deep down that Kenji was going to need to experience a pain of his own to understand that his behaviour was dangerous. 

She just didn't want it to come to that, the consequences of something like that could be dangerous for Kenji, Yaz just didn't know what else she was supposed to do. 

So if Kenji wasn't going to open up, Yaz was going to at least keep him close so he could feel safe. She wasn't going to let him get himself killed. 

"I figured the babies could use the walk," Yaz shrugged. 

"Okay good," Kenji sighed, visibly relaxing. "I thought you were going to give me hell about last night."

"Well, as you brought it up…"

"Uh oh. Is now a good time to say that I cherish our friendship, you look radiant, and I love that you're full of energy?"

Yaz sighed. "Did you have to tell Aminita that we haven't had sex in months?"

"Hey! I never said that!" Kenji protested. 

"Oh, that's go–"

"I just heavily implied it."

"I…" Yaz pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why?"

Kenji shrugged. "It seemed like a dire situation."

"Dire!?"

"Your ‘neediness’ and yes, if I weren't holding the babies I would be making air quotes right now, was killing us. Killing, Yaz."

Yaz groaned, dragging her hands down her face. "I don't even know if I want to ask."

"You draped yourself over her because she moved a lamp."

"You weren't even there for that!" Yaz countered. 

"Ben told me all about it, you really needed last night, didn't you?"

Kenji laughed and bumped his shoulder against hers as he passed. "Good. You're welcome, let's go check in on your girl."

She didn't really know what the plan was, or what they needed her to do next, but Yaz wanted to run. Yaz wanted to feel the joy of it all again, much like she had back when she had first decided to tell Sammy how she felt all those years ago. 

Yaz was still an athlete, right down to her core, and she would keep chasing this feeling of loving Sammy for as long as she could.