I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am! Croc is full of surprises especially when he had someone to talk to that isn't, well, judging. This does not make him a good guy but it puts a little humanity in him. Please review and comment!

Don't Let Me Get Me by P!nk

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"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked softly as I sat on my heels, making myself busy with pulling the raw meat apart. Waylon broke a rib bone and began to suck the marrow out while I watched. His hands, while very large, could move very decisively and delicately.

"Freaks got ta stick together, ya get me?" He leveled a gaze at me and I had to look away before peeking up through my eyelashes at him.

"Are there…more like us?"

Shrugging his massive shoulders he dropped the rib bone and leaned back on one arm seeming to ponder this. "You're the first I've seen in my thirty years."

My eyes widened as I realized he was ten years older than me and probably had ten more years of aches and pains from living looking like one of us. "Thank you…"

Snorting he got back up to his feet, towering over me. "I wouldn't eat you anyways….too gamey."

It took me a moment to realize he was attempting to be funny and I broke out into a tiny chuckle. "I'm more like a toothpick."

"Nah…not a toothpick."

"Why not?" I pulled my knees to my chest and my face flushed at his answer.

"Toothpicks ain't got a ass like that." Then he dove into the water leaving me to his parting words which I wasn't sure was a jest or he was being serious. I put a hand to my face and I leaned my head back against the wall, my full stomach making me rather sleepy. Looking at the mattresses I got up and slowly approached them, poking them with a foot. Dubious of their softness, which I had only heard about, I remembered sleeping on a moth eaten sleeping bag on the open dirt.

This had to be better.

Settling down on the mattress farthest from the wall I curled up and the softness instantly made my eyes heavy. Curling an arm under my head I shivered a little but soon that subsided as I drifted off to sleep.

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I stirred and turned onto my back, opening my blurry eyes and I wasn't alone anymore. Waylon was sitting across from me by the wall with one leg drawn up and his head leaning back against the wall in sleep. Sitting up I wrapped my arms around myself and I licked my lips unsure what to do.

"Slept like a corpse you did." His raspy voice rumbled and I jumped a little as I was pretty sure he had been asleep.

"I've never slept on a mattress before." I admitted as I rubbed at my cheek to dislodge a piece of sinew that was stuck there.

"No? What were ya raised in a barn?"

"A freak show, actually." I answered quietly and he grew silent for a long time just staring up at the ceiling. He wouldn't speak so I decided I had to. "My ma died giving birth to me and my father sold me to a traveling show for three hundred dollars." I stared at my feet as I cleared my throat. "Or something. I've never been inside a building before my…enclosure…was all I've known for the past twenty years." Pulling at the stray threads of the mattress I sighed. "I never knew something could be so soft…are beds like this too?"

"You might be more fucked up than I am." Now I knew he wasn't joking as he looked at me and leaned forward resting an arm on his knee. "It's a mattress. A shitty one at that."

"I think it's soft," I repeated shrinking at bit at his harsh tone and he groaned exhaling deeply.

"Don't do that."

"What?" I looked up at him fully and he was standing now, so light on his feet despite being so large.

"Acting soft like that, like a meat sack…" I swallowed when he said 'meat sack' because deep down I knew what he meant. And somewhere in me something felt the same.

"I'm not strong like you…" Once more he looked surprised and almost confused at my compliment as I curled up into myself like I always had.

"Ya gotta be mean to survive here, girl," He leaned down putting his hands on his thighs and his eyes narrowed slightly. "And I ain't a charity case."

"I know, I know," I quickly agreed as I met his gaze. "What do I need to be mean?"

Waylon laughed harshly and tilted his head at me. "You want a class of freak survival?" I nodded eagerly and he smirked, as much as he could that is. "What do I get?"

My eyes widened as his statement confused me. Want? "W-What do you want?"

Now he leaned back to his full height and chuckled crossing his arms over his chest. "You."