Secret Meetings

Friends No More

Another few weeks after Blue Eyes' realization found the two back in the treehouse. The sun was slowly making its way towards the horizon, and the fading afternoon light left the inside of the wooden hut cast mostly in shadow. But this was nothing the two weren't already used to by now, and they easily underwent another round in the near darkness. It was one of their best yet, Ash had complimented while Blue Eyes was climbing off him. Now, fully relaxed in the aftermath of their rutting, Ash lay cuddled against the prince on his side. He was clearly enjoying the other's body heat, pressing his face against the prince's throat with one arm lazily slung over his waist. While Ash's warm breath glided over his jugular, Blue Eyes absentmindedly raked his fingertips through the dark grey fur on his back, drawing soft, pleasurable hoots every so often from his partner. However, the young prince was as far as one could be from relaxed.

Instead of enjoying the peaceful moment, the first either had in days, Blue Eyes could feel his heart rate steadily increasing. Then, after Ash decided to change his position and move over the prince so that he was laying partially on top of the sky-hued ape, it doubled in an instant. However, Ash remained unaware of the prince's inner turmoil and placed his head in the middle of Blue Eyes' chest, nuzzling into the midnight black fur there. The motions from Ash's head caused the fur to part and expose the pale skin to the air. Now, as heated air washed over the flesh there, Blue Eyes wasn't sure how much more he could take. This desire for Ash's attention and affection was driving him crazy and he felt like he would snap any day now. And, if his nerves were not already stretched tighter than a bowstring, he began to notice other females their age fixing Ash with longing stares when he wasn't looking. The first time Blue Eyes realized this, he experienced a terrible urge to snarl and bare his teeth at the young, petite female, as if he had been challenged for his mate. Eventually he had to leave the area to prevent doing something he would later regret.

In the back of his mind, he knew he was being ridiculous. Ash was not his mate, nor had he made any commitment to Blue Eyes aside from being a friend who occasionally mated with him. They'd certainly been growing closer, but Ash still didn't seem to have any interest in becoming more than friends. But, as he noticed more females had similar thoughts about Ash in mind, the desire to become territorial and aggressive increased tremendously. It scared him, but at the same time it was nearly impossible to hold himself back. And he swore, if he saw one more goddamn female...

Suddenly Ash lifted his head, his leafy eyes concerned and spearing through Blue Eyes' frazzled nerves like knives. Only then did the prince realize that his breathing had increased enough that his chest was rising and falling rapidly, something that was impossible for Ash to miss in his current position.

"Blue Eyes?" He questioned, "Is everything okay?"

Blue Eyes froze as a cold sensation washed over him, like someone had replaced his warm blood with icy water, rendering him unable to move or respond. Both his body and mind screeched to a dead halt, remaining that way while staring at his friend like a deer caught in the light. Ash repeated his question again when Blue Eyes refused to answer. Growing more nervous in the silence, the white speckled chimp placed his hand on Blue Eyes' face. As the warmth from his palm soaked into the prince's cheek, he snapped out of his trance and regained the ability to focus again. His first immediate instinct was to lie and promise Ash that nothing was going on, or even make something up. But the urge to confess was overwhelming, enough that it was difficult for the young ape to decide what to do.

Finally, realizing this was only going to get worse if he kept ignoring his true emotions, he choose to be honest with Ash. The prince inhaled and exhaled a calming breath, knowing he had nowhere else to run, and lifted his hands to sign.