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They were crossing the Sahara desert on foot, which meant they had to sleep under the open sky. As usual, Joe and Nicky curled up together on one bedroll, while Nile had her own.
After sleeping for a few hours, Nile woke when someone breathed on her face. At first, she thought it was Joe doing one of his pranks, but Joe was still sleeping very deeply while snoring, and Nicky lay sprawled all over Joe's body, doing the same thing as Joe. When Nile looked down her body, she saw something very big and furry, resting its head on her chest while sleeping and snoring just as loudly as Joe and Nicky were doing.
Nile tried very hard not to panic, which was a hard thing not to do because she was panicking. Hoping for some help, Nile kicked Joe's leg. Nile had lost count of how many times she had kicked Joe's leg before he finally looked at her with a sleepy look on his face.
Joe: "What's up, Nile? Is something wrong?"
Nile: "You can say that. Look."
Joe followed Nile's finger and saw what was sleeping on her chest. It made him laugh.
Joe: "At least it isn't a scorpion. Their stings are nasty."
Nile: "Instead of making funny comments and laughing, help me."
Joe: "It won't eat you, Nile."
Nile: "Thanks for that information."
Joe looked down at Nicky, who was still sleeping.
Joe: "Can't help you right now. It has to wait until Nicky wakes up."
Nile: "And what do you suggest I do until you can help me?"
Joe: "Get the best out of having a bedmate. That is what I am doing."
Joe closed his eyes, which made Nile kick his leg again.
Nile: "You are not sleeping before you have helped me get rid of this animal."
Joe: "Once it is done sleeping, it will move on by itself. I promise."
Nile: "And how long do you think that will take? I really need a bathroom."
Joe: "You do know there aren't any toilets in the desert?"
Nile: "Stop making funny comments."
Joe kissed Nicky on his messy hair.
Joe: "I can't help it. Funny comments are a part of my charm. Just ask Nicky. He loves them."
Instead of hitting Joe's leg, Nile hit Nicky's arm, which woke him up.
Nicky: "What's going on? Is it time for breakfast?"
Joe chuckled. He had learned a long time ago that often the first thought Nicky had after sleeping was breakfast, no matter what time of day he woke up.
Joe: "Not yet, sorry."
Nicky: "Then why are we awake?"
Joe: "A camel decided to use Nile as its own personal pillow. Look."
Nicky looked over at Nile and saw indeed a camel resting its head on her stomach.
Nicky: "I need a photo of that."
When Nicky got up, Joe pouted because he already missed having his Lover in his arms, but he understood why Nicky wanted a photo or two.
Nicky: "Joe? Where is the camera?"
Joe: "Rolled up in one of my shirts."
Nicky found the camera and started taking photos of Nile and the camel, something she wasn't too happy about.
Nicky: "Come on, Nile. Smile."
Nile usually loved having her photos taken, but not now.
Nile: "Stop photographing me, Nicky. This isn't funny, and why are you doing this?"
Nicky: "Extortion. You never know when you are going to need it."
Nile knew all about how her friends used that kind of extortion against each other. Sometimes it was fun, but other times it was a pain in the ass.
Nicky: "Look, Joe. I think I got a great photo."
Nicky didn't care that he sat down on Joe's stomach while showing him the photos he had taken. When Joe placed his hand on Nicky's thigh, Nile kicked Joe's leg.
Joe: "Why did you do that?"
Nile: "So, you won't get any thoughts. Andy told me to kick you whenever you got a certain look in your eyes."
Joe smirked because he knew all about that certain look, but he also knew that he wasn't about to have sex with Nicky in front of Nile and the camel.
Joe: "They are great photos, Nicky. Especially, the last one."
Nicky smiled before he looked over at Nile.
Nile: "Now, you have taken your photos, do you mind helping me get rid of the camel?"
Joe: "She needs a bathroom."
Nicky: "Sorry to inform you, but you won't find any bathroom in the desert. The nearest one is still ten days away."
Nile: "I will be counting the days."
Joe: "Instead of counting the days, you should welcome your newest bedmate."
Nile: "What bedmate? Please don't say it's a scorpion."
Joe: "Okay, then I won't say it's a scorpion."
Nile wanted to scream, but because of the camel sleeping on her chest and the fear of being stomped on by the big animal if it woke up suddenly, she started shaking her leg.
Nicky: "Is that a new dance craze I haven't heard of?"
Nile: "Just like Joe, you aren't funny, Nicky. Could you remove the scorpion?"
Nicky: "Sure."
Nicky got up and picked up the scorpion by its tail.
Nicky: "Where should I place it? On your face?"
Nile turned white as a sheet.
Nile: "Don't you dare, or else I won't speak with you for the next fifty years."
Nicky looked at Joe.
Nicky: "Didn't she once make the same threat?"
Joe: "Yep. It only lasted two hours because she wanted a slice of the newly baked chocolate cake you made."
Joe and Nicky laughed.
Nile: "When you have released the scorpion back into the wild, could you help me with getting rid of the camel?"
Nicky placed the scorpion in the sand, and it ran away.
Nicky: "Things will work out soon, Nile."
Nile: "How can you tell?"
Nicky: "Because of the camel's snoring."
Nile looked down at the camel, and they made eye contact.
Nile: "What should I do now? Nicky, I will do anything if you just help me."
Nicky: "Let me."
Nicky took hold of the camel's halter.
Nicky: "Come, my Friend. It is time to get up."
Nicky got the camel to stand without it stomping on Nile. Then he scratched the camel on its muzzle.
Nicky: "You know your way home, so safe journey."
Nicky then let go of the halter before slapping the camel's back thigh hard enough to make it run.
Nile: "Are you saying that camel was a tame animal?"
Nicky nodded.
Nile: "How could you tell?"
Nicky: "I will tell you tomorrow."
Nicky then looked at Joe, who had his eyes closed.
Nicky: "Yusuf Ibrahim Muhammed Al-Kaysani? Are you sleeping without me?"
Joe looked up at Nicky with a smirk, while Nicky crossed his arms with a pout.
Joe: "I wouldn't dare to do that. I was just looking at the colour of the inside of my eyelids."
Nicky: "Hmm, I am not sure of that because I am sure I heard a snore coming from you."
Joe: "That is called breathing. Come here, Babe."
Nicky took Joe's hand with a smile, and Joe pulled him down with a smile. When Nicky lay in Joe's arms, they started to kiss.
Nile, groaning: "Jeez, guys. We are some who are trying to sleep."
Joe looked over at Nile with a smirk.
Joe: "Oh, you are still here. I thought you were searching for a bathroom."
Nile quickly got up and ran behind the nearest dune to do her business. When she returned, Joe and Nicky were sleeping and snoring again in each other's arms. Nile thought she would find it hard to sleep after sharing a bed with a camel and a scorpion, but it only took less than a minute before she was sleeping, too.