The light of a new day filtered placidly from the small crack between the midnight blue velvet curtains of the room, disturbing Er's sleep; after having vainly tried to cover himself with the blankets, which were too short on his side of the bed, he decided to slowly open his amber eyes, slowly bringing his surroundings into focus. The room in which he usually welcomed regular customers, like the one lying next to him and who had decided to steal almost all his blankets, was not very special: a double bed, a private bathroom, a two-door wardrobe and a small cabinet with mirror, all rigorously wood-coloured, although the material was simple and economical plastic.
Er stretched slowly, sitting in the center of the bed, his long, light pink simian tail bending and relaxing in time with his movements before grabbing his lemon yellow dressing gown and pulling it towards him; he put it on and rose from the soft mattress, walking to a small bedroom intercom in the corner to order coffee for them both. He didn't need to ask him what type of coffee he wanted, for years now he had always had the same one, the same as his: black, with two cubes of sugar and a drop of milk.
While he spoke in a low voice so as not to disturb him, the other woke up from his light sleep and proceeded to stretch too.
- Good morning -, he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep.
- Good morning, the coffee will be here soon - was Er's quick reply; they had known each other too long to be familiar enough with each other to know that he could spare the saccharine tone he would have used with any other customer.
- Thanks Kelong -, the Six-Eared Macaque smiled at him, jumping out of bed with an agility that should have been illegal at that time of the morning; but that wasn't what bothered the light pink furred monkey.
- Don't call me that, please...-, he muttered with a slightly grumpy note as he headed towards the bathroom to turn on the heater.
- Forgive me Er... force of habit -, Macaque apologized, reserving for him one of his rare sincere and mortified smiles.
- A habit I would prefer you to lose... At this point I would rather you use my stage name... -.
- Which of the two? Pink Lady or Monkey Queen? -, Macaque joined him, placing an affectionate hand on his shoulder when Er closed the bathroom door.
- Anyone, it makes no difference...-, the other replied, without moving away from his touch, letting himself be touched and hugged immediately afterwards, without putting up any resistance... perhaps out of habit, perhaps because in reality it didn't bother him at all .
Macaque was and would always be one of those components of his past that he would never have minded reliving in a thousand reincarnations, if it weren't for his immortality.
- Do you have plans for today? -, the black monkey's voice distracted him from the journey that his memory had undertaken in his memories.
- No... unless he requests my presence... -.
By "he" Er meant his master, to whom he owed the fact that he was still in the mundane world rather than locked away in some cell of the Jade Palace.
Macaque's grip tightened at hearing his name, almost protective, before letting him go; he knew that proposing to Er to run away together once again would be of no use, and not even proposing to "rent" him would be of any use since he couldn't afford it.
- Let's hope he leaves you alone then...-, he just muttered, while he grabbed a towel from the closet and then headed towards the bathroom.
Er nodded, while he looked for a way to distract himself from the thought of being called upon to satisfy his master's wishes; his gaze moved to the naked body of the black monkey, studying his muscles and the various scars, now visible since he never used magic to hide with him.
- Do you want me to help you wash your back? -. A simple question, without any malice, to which Macaque responded with an amused smile. - Can't wait to get your hands on me again? -.
- Shut up and close the door, you'll let out all the heat - Er retorted with the same amused note before preceding him into that sweet warmth and locking herself inside with him.