Chapter Text
It had been a long journey.
Being back... Being home... It was a good feeling.
Sylva was sitting comfortably in the higher ranked apes quarters, bustling with activity of his fellow warriors. The mood was good. Relaxed. They had brought home lots of new apes to aid in Proximus’s endeavor to open that vault. The Kingdom grew.
Despite dominating and capturing the clan, the fight had left its mark. Sylva’s body ached. He was glad to spend at least a day here. In the comfort of home. Even if they had to go out again the next day, Proximus was generous enough to provide them with plenty of food and a good night's rest.
Tomorrow the hunt would continue. Sylva didn’t want to think too hard about it. Rather, he wanted to enjoy the moment. The calm. The now.
He was so lost in it, he barely noticed a familiar shape plopping down next to him. The brush of a warm shoulder against his side alerted him to his companions' presence. Lightning flashed a toothy smile before leaning forward and helping himself to a fish. Signing lazily as he tore into it.
>Talked to Proximus - He is pleased.<
Sylva huffed. Guttural voice ringing through the room.
“Still no human. Need to find her”
"We will” No hesitation. Lightning was a simple ape. No nonse. Confident. Sylva liked that.
The silverback gave an affirming low grumble.
A rough hand brushed over the fur on his thigh, resting on his knee. An affectionate gesture. Sylva once again just grumbled. Lightning and Proximus were the only ones who dared to touch him. The only ones he allowed to.
Years ago. When Lightning was still working his way up the ranks, he had challenged the gorilla. The first and last in the kingdom to do so. Sure, Lightning was strong and quick. But the chimp was no match for an ape thrice his size. He still had a scar on his back to tell of his boldness. Or stupidity… But it had impressed Proximus. Sylva too, had to admit that the chimp had left a lasting impression.
As he was mulling over their shared past, he softly traced his knuckles along the chimps scarcely furred back, following the long scar he had inflicted on him all those moons ago. Lightning answered the gesture with a soft hoot, scuttling ever so closer. He hugged the big apes knee with his gangly arms and glanced up at him, a cheeky glimmer in his eye.
“Lightning and Sylva alone”, he said. Voice resonating deep in his chest.
Sylva tore his eyes from Lightning's gaze to look around the room. He hadn’t even noticed that the few apes that were here before left. They must’ve had a feeling that he and Lightning wanted to enjoy each other's company. In peace.
He looked back at Lightning. His usually stern expression gave way to a soft smile, just for a split second. He kept their eye contact as he gently grabbed Lightning at the back of his neck to bring their foreheads together. Lightning chittered quietly.
“Should go and get Proximus?”
A valid question. Proximus was the reason they bonded in that manner in the first place. Proximus often was present for the bouts of affection among his higher ranked subjects…Apes like Proximus would often mate whenever and with whoever they pleased. It was a culture shock for the stoic Gorilla. But he came to like the promiscuity.
But…no.
Sylva shook his head, foreheads still pressed together.
“Lightning is mine tonight.”
A raspy chuckle
“Lightning always belongs to Sylva. Sylva first. Proximus second”, Lightning cooed
This made the gorilla grin. Big teeth glistening in the dim room. If Proximus would have heard that, he would’ve thrown a big tantrum right now.
Lightning was right, of course. But there was no need for Proximus to know how deep their bond was. Proximus was their king. But he was not out there with them. No hunts. No danger…
…
No possibility that one of them might just not make it back…
…
With one swift motion, Sylva scooped up his mate and carried him like a baby to a dark corner of the room. It was covered in bedding to make sure the high ranking members were comfortable. Lightning hooted excitedly, his hands combing through Sylvas dense fur at the back of his neck. His long fangs grazed the gorillas cheek as he chittered affectionately into the others ear.
Lightning got surprisingly playful when it came to their coupling. It was endearing. You’d think he still was a young ape with the way he teased.
Sylva growled as he dropped the chimp on the bedding. Lightning landed on his feet like the athletic warrior he was. But he swiftly dropped down on all fours, presenting himself the way he had done so many times before. The view and the familiarity stirred something in the gorilla. One large hand pushed Lightnings head further down while the other grabbed him by his thick waist.
Muffled groans and grunts filled the room. Sylva wasn’t exactly gentle but he didn’t need to be. Lightning loved how 400 pounds of sheer mass pushed him further into the bedding.
Sylva finished off with a barely contained roar, holding Lightning down for a few seconds longer. Relishing in it. Then he released his heavy grip. The gorilla fell back with a heavy thud, breathing loud and erratic. Lightning was also trying to catch his breath.
Lightning slowly rose from his position, back onto his feet. A coy look on his face as he glanced over his shoulder. Sylva met the gaze with a soft grunt, beckoning his mate closer with his hand. Open and relaxed position, his legs spread comfortably as he leaned on his elbow. An Invitation.
An invitation Lightning was eager to take.
He quickly moved closer, getting comfortable between Sylwas legs. Arms lazily draped around the large apes body, chin resting on his warm belly. He huffed contently as he nuzzled into Sylva. Sylva gave a comforting growl, hand gently stroking Lightning's shoulder, then scratching him behind his ear.
He felt the other apes excitement press against him.
Mating with apes of different descent often was…complicated. Different anatomy. Behavior and rituals that got lost in translation. But they managed to develop their own intricate rituals. It felt good to be close to each other. Even if they were not a hundred percent compatible. But what truly was?
With his foot on Lightning's back, Sylva nudged the chimp closer. Lightning flashed his teeth in a challenging grin. His hands, that had been lazily hanging at the Gorillas side, grabbed fistfulls of fur.
His rutting was feverish. Fast. Sylva kept a low grumble in his chest. Encouraging his mate. It was already a strain for their vocal chords to talk. In the heat of action it was even harder. Lightning's voice came out in broken rasps.
“Sylva… Belongs to Lightning… Too... Yes?”
Once again, Sylvas hand clasped the back of Lightning’s neck. A strong and reassuring grip.
“Yes- Lightning first. Proximus second.”
The happy huffing that followed stirred Sylva’s heart.
Once Lightning was finished he crawled up on the big apes belly, then falling down to his side. Sylva instinctively wrapped his arm around Lightning’s shoulder, pulling him into a gentle embrace. He stared at the ceiling as he heard Lightning's breath slowly grow calm. Until he heard the soft snores of sleep. He glanced back at the slumbering ape in his arm.
This was not the place he had imagined himself in when he was growing up-
Not here.
Not with Lightning.
But he was glad he was here.
With Lightning.
With Proximus.
For Caesar.