Panting and sweating, Rumble had pushed himself a bit further than usual. Though the peak season for fighting tournaments had passed the cougar saw no reason to let himself get rusty. The gym had a practice ring and he had been trading practice blows with his good friend and rival, Brook. The muscular feline was bigger than the monkey in just about every way but Brook was a seasoned and talented fighter, having given Rumble quite the workout. He was finished with the exercise, giving relief to his muscles that were starting to ache. 

“Pretty good,” Brook praised, walking away from the ring’s center. 

“Not bad yourself,” the cougar said back, wearing a friendly smile. “Ready to hit the showers?” 

Leaving the part of the gym meant for sparring behind, the two talked while first heading for the lockers to get their towels. The both of them had worked up a good sweat and the feline’s sensitive nose was treated to the both of their scents. It brought him satisfaction, especially knowing that he made better progress than usual thanks to Brook. 

When reaching the locker room and finding their lockers, having purposely chosen ones next to each other, and taking out their towels and soap for showering. Once having gathered their things, the pair began undressing. There was no shame or embarrassment between the two of them. They had been good friends for years and were close enough to be called “friends with benefits” on top of that. 

Taking their clothes off, the two of them openly admired the other. Brook had fair skin and brown fur. He was just short of six feet, having the athletic build of a seasoned part-time fighter with some added bulk on top of that. The sweat clinging to his body made the primate’s chest glisten under the overhead lights. 

Brook had much to admire about Rumble. The cougar had taken off his tank top, the fabric being soaked with his sweat. That included his pelt as well. Being multiple shades of blue, the lightest shade ran along Rumble’s wide front, going from the upper chest and down to the thighs. Beyond that his pelt was a much darker shade of blue. He stood about Brook at 6 foot 7 inches and his body was even bulkier, having a full six pack showing through his fur and a thick tail that flicked side to side. 

Without saying anything, the two of them shed more of their clothing, having put their shirt and tank top away and that was followed by their shorts and finally what was worn underneath. Brook wore the classic jockstrap while Rumble had a pair of thong-style briefs hugging him. Those were the last to come off, leaving the both of them nude. Beyond their openness, the overall gym atmosphere encouraged those in the locker room to not judge each other for whatever they had between their legs. 

“Can’t wait for the next one,” Rumble said while they were showering, having chosen stalls next to each other as well. He was already looking forward to their next round of sparring. With not as many paying fights being around he would be falling back on his second source of income. But professional fighting was his passion and it was good to get some in even during the off season. 

“Yeah...” Brook agreed. While he was looking forward to the next, there was something on his mind. That ‘something’ had been circling in his head for some time now. They spent a myriad of time together in the gym and in the ring but hardly any beyond that. “Rumble. Is there anything you’re doing later on?” 

“Hmm, nope. Nothing comes to mind,” the cougar answered honestly. He had nothing more planned than going home and enjoying the rest of his day. 

“Well, I was kinda hoping that you’d come over to my place. There’s this movie I’m gonna be watching later on and it would be fun to have someone else watch it with me,” Brook explained. 

“Sure, I’d love to come by,” Rumble answered without giving it a second thought. It sounded fun and a lot more exciting than what he had planned. He had been to Brook’s place a few times but the stay was never that long... It would be nice to come by and stick around for a while. “How about I just follow you home?” 

“Sounds fun, you trailing behind my tail like a lost kitty,” Brook teased, stopping the water and starting to dry himself off. Rumble chuckled, stepping away to towel off his pelt as well. After a certain point, they finished it all off by having their pelts dried completely by the blow dryers mounted to the back wall of the showers. 

“So, guess you’re leading the way,” Rumble said once they got themselves dressed in clean clothes. 

“Try to keep up,” Brook nodded and motioned for the cougar to follow him.

The two of them were soon walking with their gym bags and talking along the way. Just like Rumble, the monkey didn’t live far away from the gym. Rumble was so used to walking down the usual path towards his own home that following alongside Brook was rather exciting. 

“Here we are,” the monkey soon said, stopping in front of an apartment. He opened the front door and invited his good friend inside. Rumble felt instantly relaxed in the familiar setting. He put his gym bag down by the front with the intention of taking it back with him when he would eventually leave. 

For now, he made himself comfortable on the couch while Brook was already turning on the TV and finding the movie that he rented earlier that day. He took a bit of time before actually starting the movie to get some snacks and drinks set up ahead of time. 

When bringing it all back, the movie was finally started. It had come out recently and neither of them had seen it, making both of their reactions genuine. Rumble was enjoying both the movie and the company of his friend. Brook was also enjoying himself, the movie being better than he expected. 

But while watching the film there was something else on his mind. He always enjoyed a lot of time with the cougar, feeling better and assured when he was around. Putting his fighting prowess aside, Rumble was also a kindhearted and supportive beacon in the monkey’s life. 

Lately he had been feeling something more towards Rumble. It compelled him to invite the cougar over so they could spend some time together that didn’t involve practicing. And so far they were having a great time, reacting to moments in the movie and sharing the snacks that were provided. 

Gulping a bit, Brook subtly shifted his body. He had been sitting with his legs lifted up onto the couch. Slowly he changed his position and eased his foot towards the other viewing male until it came to rest over the cougar’s crotch. 

Rumble had been too distracted to notice at first but that was before the prehensile foot began to rub the area. The motions were slow and light, being enough to get his attention but not overall distracting. 

Over time this continued, a series of light touching and teasing that Brook hoped would give off obvious signs. While Rumble had taken more notice, he wasn’t exactly sure what it was supposed to mean. The easiest assumption to make would be that Brook was in the mood to fool around but when looking over the monkey seemed oblivious to his own actions, keeping his focus on the TV while still moving his foot. 

This continued until Rumble felt compelled to say something. It just so happened that just when he opened his mouth the movie was paused and Brook was easing up from the couch. 

“Gotta make us some more popcorn,” the monkey said. 

“Brook, wait.” 

Rumble stood up as well and two of them met each other’s gazes. “I... I’m having a lot of fun...with you, I mean. The movie’s great but watching it with you makes it ever better.” 

“That’s...what I was hoping for,” Brook responded, a smile spreading across his face. “Maybe we should do this more often?” 

“Maybe at my place the next time?” 

“Sounds like a plan.” Brook chuckled and went to make another batch of popcorn. When it was ready he sat down next to Rumble, sitting noticeably closer than he had before. The feline smiled and made it a point to reach his arm over and pull the monkey in even closer. 

Watching the rest of the movie, both Brook and Rumble became certain about something. They were very close and were happy in each other’s company... Being so close and eating from the same popcorn bag. They were both simple things and yet felt so right...