My Little Bird | Blue Eyes (Under minor grammatical editing)

Epilogue

Blue Eyes breathed in and opened his eyes. He hugged his arms a little tighter around the woman in his arms, and looked down upon their two children, who slept peacefully on their mother's bare chest. His son stirred slightly, but the child didn't wake, only snuggled his face under Rain's chin. The scarred ape smiled softly and ran a long digit over each of his children's heads fondly. His gaze drifted upward when his wife sighed in her sleep, the pale eyed ape's irises drifted over her delicate features. Her defined cheekbones, her dark lashes falling closed over rainbows she had given to their daughter. He took in the cute pout her full lips formed in her relaxed state, and he leaned his head over and kissed the thick, dark hair atop her head. Blue Eyes' hand reached up and lightly caressed her naked arm, silently reveling in her smooth skin like he'd done countless times before.

A glance at the vine curtain that shielded his family from the night told him that it was just past sunrise. He knew all three would be hungry when they awoke, so he carefully peeled himself away from his other half and silently exited the privacy of their hollow and into the waking village to get some breakfast for his wife. He returned the greetings he received from passers by, thanking them for their congratulations as he went. He made it to the long stone table that held the ingredients for each of the villages' meals, and started picking out what he knew Rain liked best. After filling the wooden plate, the simian prince turned away from the warming stones of the communal eating areas and back toward his private home. A hand suddenly clapped his shoulder, and a hoot of greeting briefly filled his ears. The light hued chimp turned to see his best friend standing there.

"Can you go fishing?" Ash signed.

Blue Eyes thought about it for a moment, his eyes finding the vine curtain that concealed his family's sleeping place before he turned back to the speckle faced ape. "Let me drop this off first."

Ash nodded, his fangs poking out from under his lips as he gave a smile. Blue Eyes returned it and made his way up Home Tree. When he made it up, he paused outside the draping vegetation to listen for any signs of conscious life, and when he heard nothing, he quietly stepped inside. The scent of flowers and fire and family wreathed around him, and he saw Rain and the twins cuddling on their hammock. The sight filled him with tender love for the three sleeping perfections.

He gently got on the hammock behind Raina, reaching over her sleeping form to place the plate where he himself had lain the night before. Blue Eyes took a moment for what must have been the eightieth time to study what had changed his entire world over a year ago. The small framed Cherokee girl slept peacefully with their two children laying over her torso and chest, the woman keeping contact with them always. Blue Eyes had noticed that lately, his wife always had her hands on the children whenever she slept, and she maintained the contact no matter how any of them moved, Blue Eyes included. The sight always made him smile. He leaned down and kissed just above Rain's ear before laying his whole hand over River's and then Sage's backs, like a miniature hug for each.

Carefully, Blue Eyes got off the hammock again and without a sound, sneaked back out into the partly sunny village. With a look up, he knew it would probably rain later that evening, but the scent of the oncoming falling water was faint, so he knew his little fishing trip would be fine. He met up with Ash near the Gates, and took the fishing spear the ape handed him. They moved briskly through the forest and soon reached the river. The brothers fished in the shallows, joking around like they always did. Even though they weren't teenagers anymore, they didn't let that stop them from having a good time together. It made Blue Eyes think back to when he and Ash were still children, when they had constantly tried and failed to sneak out of the village. But there had been only one time they had succeeded. The two had taken some fishing spears and figured out the way to the river. They had been caught while walking back home, each of them carrying fish. That was when their parents had decided that it was time to start teaching them to provide for their home like their fathers did.

Soon, when each of the apes had caught enough fish, they started on their way back. A blackberry bush caught their attention, and Ash's insistent appetite forced them to make a quick pit stop. Even though Blue Eyes wanted to get back and check on his family, he complied with his brother's wishes. They sat, eating the berries in silence. But of course, with Ash around, nothing ever stayed silent for too long.

"So what's it like?" The ashy furred ape signed.

Blue Eyes looked up. "What's what like?"

"Having a family." Ash ate another berry.

"You have a family."

"Not like you. You took the next step and made your own." The normally playful ape replied. "What's it like?"

Blue Eyes took a moment to think about his friend's question, eating a berry to buy himself some time. "It's like...before I met Rain, I could only see in black and white. But when I got to know her, she started filling my world with color. And then when they were born," he gestured toward the village, conveying that he meant his newborn son and daughter. "They brightened the colors in a way I've never seen before."

Ash looked away, up into the towering canopy. Blue Eyes wasn't sure if he understood, but it was the only way he could think to answer his question accurately. When Ash looked back at him, he lifted his hands to sign. "Seems colorful already. Maybe it's because of the different eyes." He joked lightly.

Blue Eyes puffed out a soft laugh. "Yeah, that's why."

The gray furred ape hummed. "Sounds nice."

"You'd like it. You and Dana would be good parents, if you worked together." Blue Eyes signed, knowing what was floating underneath his brother's mind. Most of his peers were at the age for wanting families of their own, and it seemed the instinct was starting to nudge at Ash.

"Who said anything about Dana?" He said, trying to hide his embarrassed surprise. His façade would have fooled anyone else, but not Blue Eyes. He knew Ash way too well to be played by a poker face.

"You've had a crush on her for how long now?" Blue Eyes smirked and raised a brow. He loved teasing Ash.

The speckled lipped chimp seemed to grasp that there was no fooling the eldest prince, and gave in with a sigh. "How long have you known?"

It was the same question Blue Eyes once asked Ash, regarding his feelings for his wife.

"Long time." Blue Eyes gave the same answer Ash had given him, once upon a time.

Ash looked down with a puff of laughter. When he looked up, he was smiling with a face sprinkled with mirth. "Of course. Don't know why I even try to keep things from you. You always figure it out."

"Likewise." Blue Eyes smirked back. "Let's go. Rain and the twins will be up any moment, and we need to get this fish to the village before it starts to stink."

"Lead on, brother."

I had fun writing this, and I can't wait to get the sequel up. It should be out soon :)