Secret Meetings

A Secret no More

Blue Eyes adjusted his position, rotating his hips and adjusting his head on the hard surface beneath him, or as much as he could with a slumbering Ash pressed against him. He wondered how many times he'd done that since laying down, and wished he'd accepted Ellie's earlier offering of a blanket or two. Even if he and Ash didn't need the warmth it would bring, the cushion against the unforgiving floor would be delightful.

Everyone around him was asleep, with his father still lying on the couch and Malcolm's family in their sleeping bags, as they called them, behind Ash. When everyone had first lay down, his mate approached him immediately and laid beside him. Blue Eyes tried to protest, considering that his father and the humans would witness their actions, but Ash only shook his head and refused to budge. Eventually, the prince decided it didn't matter since they were going to come out tomorrow anyway, but feeling Caesar's eyes on them when Ash buried his face in Blue Eyes' neck and embraced him was still unnerving to the young ape.

Blue Eyes desperately hoped his father would accept them. The ape king had spent the evening talking with Ash and himself, and being a family again gave Blue Eyes a sense of happiness that he'd been without for a long time. If that was all destroyed because Caesar was against their relationship...

The prince snorted quietly and tried to force the thought from his mind. It wouldn't do any good to think about it when he was trying to get some sleep. But hearing Caesar's quiet breathing, his body within reaching distance behind the prince's back, only served to make calming down more difficult.

Originally, Blue Eyes had wanted to leave tonight, just to do some scouting and see if he could begin forming a plan to get their family and friends out. Unfortunately, Caesar and Ash managed to convince him to rest for now and put off his mission until tomorrow night. His mate had been especially persistent, and Blue Eyes thought it had something to do with him being unable to convince the prince to stay altogether. The speckled chimp was just biding his time and holding on to him as long as he could. Not that Blue Eyes blamed him, of course. He'd do the same thing.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Ash let out a quiet sigh in his sleep and nuzzled his face into Blue Eyes' fur. The sight warmed his heart, and Blue Eyes pulled him a little closer to tuck his mate's body more firmly against his. Grey fur tickled his nose, though the prince paid it little mind as he inhaled Ash's earthy scent, thick and rich with a smokey undertone to it. The smell was more faded than Blue Eyes remembered, but it was comforting all the same.

Finally the prince felt his body starting to relax with Ash's scent settling his racing mind. But a muffled, fearful cry from the speckled chimp snapped him awake. He pulled back immediately to ask if he was alright, but his mate's eyes were tightly closed, face scrunched in a harsh grimace. Blue Eyes realized Ash was just having a nightmare, and rubbed his back gently while debating if he should wake the speckled chimp.

But movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention, and he looked over to see Alex staring at him.

The human blinked slowly, clearly still lethargic as he propped himself on an elbow and regarded the two apes curiously. His eyes moved between them, but settled on Ash when the sleeping chimp let out another moan. Blue Eyes kept stroking him, but increased the pressure as he waited for the boy to do something.

"Is he okay?" Alex asked.

"Bad dream," Blue Eyes answered.

"What about you?" the human questioned. When Blue Eyes only gave him a confused look, he elaborated with, "Are you okay?"

"Yes!" the prince answered, though he spoke too quickly for the response to seem natural or honest.

Alex seemed to pick up on that, and fidgeted with his fingers nervously. "It's okay, if you don't want to talk about it," he said, and the prince could tell by his tone that he wasn't sure if he was crossing a line by prodding. "I was just asking...Since you seem a little stressed..."