Swing Into My Heart

He squeals into my neck. I can tell that he’s scared and not enjoying it, so I only hold him closer and let him hide his face in my neck and squeal as much as he wants.

But he doesn’t have to for long.

I land on the tallest cliff and set him down softly. He’s very light and easy to guide around.

He’s still buried in my neck.

“Look!” I say and nudge my shoulder against his jaw, but he still doesn’t remove his face from my neck.

So instead, I enjoy it.

I enjoy his soft, quick breaths on my neck. I enjoy holding him while his arms are still clung around my shoulders. I enjoy the smell of his black hair.

I snap into reality and start enjoying the beautiful view. The sun is slowly starting to set over the jungle, and the multiple shades of orange shimmers in the water of the river that flows into the sea in the background.

I love this – my home.

“Wow,” I hear him gasp, but I don’t feel his breath. When I look down, he’s got his head turned towards the beautiful view.

My view is more beautiful.

“Yeah,” I whisper back.

The weak wind whips around us and ruffles his hair into his still timid face. Without even thinking about it, I run my hand over his cheek and brush a strand of hair out of his face.

His beautiful face.

Slowly, he lifts his head and looks up at me. His eyes glisten even before they meet mine. They’re not only reflecting every shade of orange the sun is casting at us, but also the green of the treetops, the brown of the tree stems and the white of the purest flower in this jungle.

I slowly lean forward – never closing my eyes since the view is just too perfect. His eyelids cover part of his eyes, when his gaze falls onto my lips as they close in on his.

He doesn’t move away.

Suddenly I’m being thrown to the hard rock-surface, dangerously close to the edge.

“Frank!” Bob scream into my ear, before he starts jumping up and down – his hand and feet on either side of me.

“Hi, Bob,” I answer as I push him away from me to sit up.

I look up at the black-haired and see his wide eyes on Bob. He looks shocked and scared.

“This is Bob. My friend.” ‘Friend’ is a vague word, really. He’s more like a brother to me. We grew up together, played together every day and we tell each other practically everything.

He’s also the only one of the apes who‘s accepted me for me – with or without as much fur as himself. His mother used to tell him to stay away from me, but he never did.

I look over at Bob, and see that he’s just as shocked and scared as the black-haired.

“Hi,” the black-haired whispers and waves a hand at Bob, who – in response – just steps closer to the scared guy and examines him.

“Bob! Be nice!” I whine at him, but he just continues. He grabs the black-haired’s fur and-

Lifts it?

Bob quickly lets go and steps back.

The black-haired pulls his fur down to cover the skin that had gotten exposed.

“He’s just like you!” Bob says – very loud and very late. I already figured that out.

He’s like me.

I can’t help but smile.

“Yeah.”

I only just get that one word out, before heavy footsteps makes the small pebbles on the rock surface jump and clatter.

I tear my eyes away from the gorgeous black-haired and look towards the shaking leaves in the jungle – awaiting.

I don’t have to wait long.

“Frank!” Ray screams as he emerges from the green jungle – way too fast.

“Ray! Stop!” I scream at him and hold my hands up. He’s coming towards me at full force, and while I can normally handle his violent, crushing and crashing hugs, I just don’t think I can handle falling off the side of a cliff.

Luckily, Ray stops and both our lives are saved.

I wonder if his huge ears could save us – if he could spread them out so we could surf the wind down to a soft landing.

Ray wraps his trunk around me and pulls me into a crushing hug.

“Frank,” he says slowly and softly as he swings me from side to side simply by moving his head.
“We’ve missed you.” I snort a laugh.

“We just saw each other two days ago!” I glance over at the dark-haired to see that shock is now the only expression on his face.

“And that’s a very long time,” Ray point out, before he sets me down. I’m about to walk over to the dark-haired, but my hair stops me.

“Gah! Not again!” I groan as I reach back to find that my dreadlocks – once again – have gotten caught in one of Ray’s tusks.

And – as every time this happens – Bob immediately falls onto his back, cradling his stomach as he laughs his ass off.

“Help me,” I whine as I feel around, trying to figure out how to untangle myself from my friend.

That sounded wrong.

“Do something, Ray!”

“But I can’t. You know I can’t reach my own tusks,” he whines apologetic. I whine too as my scalp begins to hurt.

“Bob! Help me!”

Bob doesn’t move. Oh, wait; he does: he rolls over onto his side and laughs harder.

“Fuck you!” I scream as I continue to try and figure out my mess of a hairdo.

“I can help?” It’s odd how he can make a genuine offer sound like a question, but nonetheless does the black-haired do so, and steps closer.

My hero.

Ray backs away – pulling me with him.

“Ow!”

“Are you sure it’s safe?” Ray’s voice is trembling and I roll my eyes at his irrational fear.

“Yes, Ray.” I grumble.
“He’s a good guy. Very…cute.” I look up to see the dark-haired grin at me as I say that. I grin back goofily.

Ray doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t move either when the dark-haired steps closer and closer.

Soon, he’s right beside me, and I stare up at him as his face contorts in concentration.

Ray flinches – pulling at my hair in the process.

“Ow!”

“Sorry. But- Do you even know this thing’s name?”

I gasp in insult.

“This thing? Thing!” I scream. How dare he?
“Look at him, Ray!” I look at him myself. My knees kinda tickle.
“He’s just like me,” I say – more dreamily than intended.

“Sorry,” Ray says remorsefully.

“It’s alright,” I mumble as I continue to stare at the dark-haired that is just like me.

“My name is Gerard,” he says sweetly – blushing slightly. I blush myself – all over. It’s like my entire body is suddenly on fire.

Gerard.

I remember the brown-haired one saying that, but I thought it was some kind of greeting that I’d never heard of.

But it wasn’t. It was the black-haired’s name.

The gorgeous name for the gorgeous ape.

Wait; are we even apes?

“There!” Gerard says proudly – all blush gone from his body – and he quickly steps back and admires as Ray and I move away from each other.

And as I move closer to him.

“Thank you,” Ray mumbles reluctantly and shy.

Gerard smiles at Ray.

I stare at him.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

Just then, the last bit of the sun disappears into the sea and my home grows black.