#fic: noas

[rosewaterandivy]

murder on the dancefloor

summary: eddie and princess see Saltburn

pairing: e.m. x film teacher!reader

warnings: cursing, tomfoolery, potential spoilers for the film (idk it’s vague), you can view the trailer here

a/n: consider this my ringing endorsement for any emerald fennell film - her brain is just 🤯

series m.list | playlist | currently spinning:

Eddie was positively buzzing.

Not even the little shits in Jazz 1 could ruin his day, not today.

You had scored tickets to a pre-screening of Saltburn followed by a Q & A with the director; it was only his most anticipated film of the year, no big deal. Never mind that you’d already seen it with your students at the film festival in October. Of course, your advanced classes loved it, the animation students, however, were wholly unprepared.

“What the fuck,” was the refrain of a few more sheltered students for the duration of the festival.

Sadly, ever since news of your relationship became public (no thanks to Harrington and his big mouth), Hopper put his foot down as far as Eddie’s chaperoning duties were concerned.

“Absolutely not Munson.”

“C’mon chief,” Eddie sighed in Hopper’s office, “I did the film festival trip last year and it was completely fine. Half the kids are in my classes anyway. Plus, I already did the transportation training and everything.”

Hopper stares at him blankly, “Congrats on doing the bare minimum.” He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms, “Look, I like having a qualified film teacher with real world experience, d’you know how difficult that is to find?”

Well, Eddie certainly can’t argue with that.

“And I assume you like her as well?”

“Obviously.”

“The fact of the matter is, you two weren’t an item last year but you are now.”

Eddie briefly hearkens back to last year, and, true, the pair of you weren’t exactly an item, but you definitely weren’t ascetics either. Not that Hopper needs to know that, of course.

“And you know how difficult it was with Harrington and Trouble.” He sighs, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, “I’d rather not live through that experience again, if I can help it. So, no dice.”

Eddie resigned himself to his fate: no chaperoning of film activities and the same went for you with jazz ensemble. (“Right,” you snorted at the news, “Like I’d ever be caught dead with those nerds.”)

But that was then and this is now.

So when Wheeler, the little shit, asks while putting up his instrument, “What’s got you in such a good mood today Mr. M.?” The last thing Eddie wants to do is respond.

“None’ya.”

The rest of the day unfolds in much the same way— too many bathroom passes for no goddamn reason, students asking him inane questions instead of listening to directions, and the Hellfire kids getting on his last nerve.

“And then, after this campaign—” Dustin rambles on while Eddie suffers through afternoon bus duty. He’s got his sunglasses on in an attempt to block the late autumn sun, kids are hanging out of bus windows to wave at their friends and he really wishes the bus drivers would lurch forward, just a little, purely to keep things interesting.

Besides, it’s not like most of the kids couldn’t do with a good knock to the head.

Anyway, he’s essentially ignoring Dustin at this point, besides he can critique the finer details of his campaign later. He’s been glued to Eddie’s side since the final bell, and Eddie’s been counting down the minutes to 4:30 so he can get the hell out of dodge.

princess 👸: hey stud, how’s it going?

wild thing 😜: eh, the usual.

princess 👸: you’ve been quiet in the chat today.

wild thing 😜: kids were annoying today. plus i can see trouble and steve argue back at home.

princess 👸: lucky you, i wouldn’t know anything about that - we were watching quality cinema.

wild thing 😜: bladerunner?

princess 👸: uh, doi. meet you at the theater, say 6:30 ish?

wild thing 😜: it’s a date.

He opens up the group chat to see what he missed— mostly memes from Steve, Trouble arguing the finer points of a prank with Robin (it can’t be either a feather in their shoe or hitting them with a ski, bucks. there’s an art to it, a happy medium if you will.), and Nancy telling everyone to get back to work and stop bothering her.

The last bus finally pulls away from the school, bringing an end to his afternoon duty. Pocketing his phone, he claps Dustin on the shoulder and the teen halts his rambling. “Sounds good kid, but I gotta bounce.”

“Why, you gotta hot date or something?”

Eddie huffs a laugh, “Sure, let’s go with that.”

The theater is positively packed.

You met him at the bar, already having ordered his preferred stout and a drink for yourself. It had been a hectic few weeks, what with your film festival trip and the jazz competitions on the weekends, Eddie hadn’t had the opportunity to see you outside of work.

But your outfit more than made up for it, you looked down right delectable. Those ripped jeans that he adored because if he sat to your right, he could easily slip his hand through the tear at your thigh, a cropped ‘Directed by Stanley Kubrick’ shirt, and your usual black docs. Leaning against the bar to chat with the bartender, you didn’t even notice him approach until Eddie’s hand wrapped around your hip.

“Hey now,” He says with a smile, rings cool against the bit of skin above the rise of your jeans.

Smiling and ducking your chin bashfully you take a sip from your drink, “Hey now.” Your free hand finds his, tangling your finger together, “Got your usual,” you nod toward the drink on the bartop.

“Thanks, doll,” He drags you closer by the belt loops, “How’s the arm?”

You glance toward your left arm, turning it to brandish your newest acquisition. An addition to your horror sleeve, Ada from Lamb, complete with her coat and flowercrown, looking damn adorable. You’d justified it as being worthy as an example of folk-horror and had sat for the tattoo after your return from the film festival.

“Eh, still healing at the elbow crease, but other than that she’s good.”

He nods taking a sip from his beer. “She looks it.”

Making idle conversation until the theater opens up, you fill him in on the goings on of the film students: Reese was out sick again (“Another kidney stone. I swear to god, that girl needs to drink some actual water instead of those shitty energy drinks.”), practicum had somehow lost their footage for their competition film (“Not my problem, they know better by now.”), and team-building with Minecraft.

Eventually, you drift toward the theater and take your seats. You’re quick to shuck the flannel you’d been sporting around your waist, “You left this at mine, by the way.”

“Is that so?”

“You sly fuck,” you chuckle, setting it in your lap, “You think you’re really somethin’, huh?”

“Uh, I don’t think so, I know so sweetheart.”

“Right, right,” you play along, “When will the government stop you? No one man should have all this power.” You gesture vaguely to his, well, everything.

The lights dim in the theater and the audience falls to a hush. Eddie holds your hand across the armrest, your fingers playing with his rings every so often. You’d been characteristically mum about Saltburn, other than saying he’d love it because “you’re a freak like me, just go with it.” Had even roped the kids into stonewalling him too, even El and Will would not crack for love or money.

To be fair, you had seen some fucked up shit in your time— Salo, Audition, anything Cronenberg, Cannibal Holocaust, and then you’d accidentally saw that snuff film one time and needed a full 24 hours to recover from the shame of it all. You’re generally one of the few able to give him a run for his money, though his movie tastes tended to gravitate toward horror and cult classics. The common ground between you was Stanley Kubrick’s work, the final nail in the coffin being the Christmas Eve showing of Eyes Wide Shut you’d invited him to, promptly fucking his brains out afteward.

Considering that the preshow offerings ranged from 2006 Britpop music videos played in between previews from Remains of the Day, The Servant, Parasite, and Cruel Intentions, he was thinking this weekend would play out similarly to that night. And he did not mind one bit.

“So,” you coyly ask afterward, pinkie looped through his as you walk out of the theater, “Tell me your thoughts Munson,” a tantalizing bite to your full bottom lip, “Are you more of a bathtub drain, vampire, or grave dirt kind of guy?”

“That is so out of pocket, babe,” He laughs, slinging an arm over your shoulder, “Because you,” he thumbs at your nose, “Already know the answer to that.”

You hum contendly, unclipping the keys from your beltloop. “So, all of the above then? Good choice.”

“Yeah? I thought so.” He pulls you close for a kiss, crashing his lips over yours, sliding his tongue— sweet and heavy with promise into the space of your mouth. Everything is hot, burning like coals against his skin. Your breath, lips, chest, and legs pressed so temptingly against him— even the little pads of your fingertips scorch right through him.

Eddie hisses when your nails dig into his back, scratching down until you reach the sliver of skin at the base of his spine, fingers trailing against the juts of bone there.

He gasps when you pull back with a dreamy sigh, and you look up at him in a daze. “So, you have competitions this weekend?” you ask, tongue darting out to wet your lips.

“Unfortunately,” Eddie says with a wince. “Can’t give you the whole tour of pound town tonight, darlin’, we leave early tomorrow moring.”

“Ugh,” your head falls to his chest as your arms wrap around his waist giving a tight squeeze, “Well, in that case, be safe.”

“Be good.”

“Ha,” you say stepping back, “Miss me with that bullshit.”

Eddie laughs, “Yeah, in my fuckin’ dreams, right? You’re a disaster.”

At that, you merely stick out your tongue and cross your eyes before slipping into your car. You wave before pulling out of the parking lot.

Later, back at the loft, Eddie texts you already knowing you’re more than likely already asleep.

wild thing 😜: i’d gladly guzzle your bathwater any day babe, ay yo lemme slurp that good good

princess 👸: says the guy so far up my ass, he’s coming out of my mouth…

wild thing 😜: not quite sweetheart, but that can def be arranged

princess 👸: you’re a fucking idiot, go to bed assclown 😘

[aphrmoosun]

"These characters [Noa and Mae] have now saved each other, and they have a complicated connection [...] There is now a history and real feelings between the two [...]

Her whole journey is changed by meeting Noa just as much as his journey has been changed by meeting her. [...] If there is any chance for peace between those species, it will probably be between these two characters no matter what happens." -Wes Ball.

____________________________

No words (Nomae:Two shot)

You and me (Nomae: fanfic)

Noa and the beast (Nomae:One shot)

Wattpad | AO3 | Twitter | Tiktok

____________________________

[verysium]

ACT 1, SCENE 1: blue lock headcanons

rin is the type to have hyper-fixations, except you would literally never know. this man is discreet, as in batman level of shadiness. one time, he accidentally took too much adderall at 3 a.m. and considered making a shrine of you inside his bedroom closet. he was already halfway done with printing and cutting out your pictures before he realized what he was doing. that was the only time you caught him slipping, and he doesn't even remember most of it. definitely makes little voodoo dolls and sticks pins in the people he hates (looking at you, isagi.)

sae smells like fresh linens and warm laundry. sometimes, if you snuggle up to him, you can also sniff out hints of the sea. if you asked him what shampoo he uses though, he would not know. (it's definitely a 5-in-1 though since this man emphasizes practicality above all else.)

kaiser is secretly a pathetic coward with zero pain tolerance. he had a smug smirk on his face the entire time he got his blue rose tattoo done because of how badly he wanted to impress you. definitely went home later that day and cried from the pain. he would scream and be an overdramatic baby when you tried to remove the saniderm.

rin would insist that he is not like sae in the slightest but then proceeds to act like a sore loser when he doesn't immediately win. do not challenge him to any game that involves a ball. competitiveness runs through the entire itoshi bloodline.

sae is financially illiterate. he would definitely buy you anything you looked at for longer than 0.5 seconds. when the cashier asks him where to send the check, he tells them to ring it all up on his manager. definitely does not know how much is too much.

reo tried to get nagi into houseplants once he saw how lackluster nagi's apartment was. but all of them except the cactus died since nagi forgot to water them. choki is obviously a trooper.

rin is lactose-intolerant, but his gourmand tastebuds only allow him to drink one specific brand of almond milk. would make you drive two hours back to the grocery store just because you accidentally forgot to get the unsweetened version without the artificial vanilla flavoring.

noa is very grounded, mostly due to his background but also because of his personality. definitely the type to be rich but not act rich. he would get along very well with keanu reeves. that's not to say he won't spoil you though. this man would let you have whatever you wanted, so long as it was reasonable.

sae is a horrible gift-giver. every christmas, he gives you socks, a mug, or some random overpriced souvenir he panicked and bought at the airport on the way home. needless to say your kitchen is now overcrowded with jumbo fridge magnets and keychains.

shidou would flirt with the entire female population but with an almost exclusive emphasis on teachers. if you showed up one day wearing a pencil skirt, he would go absolutely feral.

rin used to be the shortest in his class back in primary school. he went home after picture day and cried because they made him stand on the bottom row for the class picture. years later though, he now towers over both you and sae.

chigiri was very close to his older sister when growing up. she definitely forced him into some very embarrassing predicaments. one time, his sister made him model all of her dresses, and he paced around the hallway in full catwalk style for an entire afternoon. because his sister used to play with his hair, he always makes you run your fingers through his locks and do the braids for him. it's a force of habit.

chris heavily overuses cologne despite being the touchiest man in existence. he doesn't understand why people try to distance themselves from him. no one told him he smelled like an entire distilled perfumery until the day you came into his life.

rin gets jealous over sae's fangirls, especially the ones that carry around cardboard signs during games. a fan wants to get married to his brother? not on his watch. you had to physically drag him out one time because he was infinitesimally close to throwing hands.

kunigami is a firm believer in women's rights (and wrongs.) one time his sisters were bullied at school for their dresses, so he showed up fully decked in hello kitty merchandise and a hot pink bow on his head just to show the boys that feminine wear can be cool too. toxic masculinity is actually scared of him.

sae had a teacher phase as a child, except everything was football related. he sat rin down in front of a whiteboard while he took a stick and walked his little brother through every single passing combination in existence. also deliberately gave rin a failing grade because his standards are so high. rin started crying, and sae felt bad, so he changed them all into passing marks.

nagi definitely plays dress up games on his phone. sometimes when you're both rotting in bed on a saturday evening, he asks you if he should use pink or blue eyeshadow for the disney princess for whom he's currently giving a makeover.

sae keeps random hair ties on his wrists. the tabloids used to speculate that those hair ties were evidence for him dating someone in secret. lo and behold, the paparazzi later catches him shopping for groceries with his hair tied up in pigtails. those hair ties are, in fact, only for him.

niko has family issues, no explanation needed. definitely had some unresolved trauma on his mother's side. he secretly thinks he doesn't deserve you, but your kindness is always there to bring him away from his insecurities.

hiori has curated playlists for every mood. his taste is absolutely immaculate. when you go on late night drives with him, he's always in charge of the speakers. doesn't want you to know that music used to be his place of solace during the times his parents were fighting, but the warmth of your hand on his makes him believe that everything will be alright.

rin used to get a high fever at night sometimes, but instead of going straight to his parents, he would creep into his brother's room and hover above the bed like a specter. rin would stand there and just whisper, "sae, i frew up." after he started dating you though, he just climbs under the sheets without asking. please take care of this poor boy.

nagi massacres his exams with absolutely illegible penmanship but then proceeds to get every single question correct. his teacher never put his work up on the wall because it looked entirely like chicken scratch. you had to reteach him the entire alphabet just so people could actually understand his written work.

rin and sae both get sunburnt easily, except sae actually cares for his skin and meticulously puts on sunscreen beforehand. one time, you three all went to the beach and rin was the only one who came home looking like a burnt tomato.

barou used to live with his grandmother every summer, and she would force him to clean the entire house with her. that is where he picked up such good cleaning habits. his personal hygiene is impeccable, and he would love nothing more than to brush his teeth with you every morning and make the bed together. spring cleaning is his favorite hobby.

sae was on spider-catching duty every time there was an arachnid longer than 5 centimeters in the house. he would pick up the spider with bare hands while you and rin both stood in the corner of the bathroom, trying to act cool but internally screaming.

© verysium 2023 / please do not translate, repost, or plagiarize any of my works

[hannah-louise-97]

🍃THE RIVERS EDGE🍃

Just a Noa/Mae drabble I came up with this evening, I might continue it 🤭

@nomae-week-2024

-adult content-

-18+

~

It had been approximately three months. After Mae left Noa that day, she couldn’t stop thinking about him and how she felt protected with him around, wishing she would one day, by coincidence, stumble across him.

She wasn’t really welcome back with the humans due to being immune to the simian flu but still at risk of carrying it. She felt more alone than ever and missed Noa terribly.

She clung onto the symbol that Noa gave to her with one hand as it rested against her chest and held onto the reigns tightly with the other as she travelled on horseback through the forest in the hopes of finding a safe place to settle for the evening.

She took a deep breath and looked up at the trees as she travelled, the golden sun rays shone onto the ground and danced with the movement of the leaves. Looking to her left, she saw the faint sparkle of a river.

Slowing her horse down to a stop and dismounting, she walked over to the riverbank and looked around, listening to the gentle flow of water along with the birds singing. She closed her eyes, and the golden shimmers sparkled onto her face, but she still struggled to shake Noa from her mind.

Unknowingly to Mae, Noa was close by, he dismounted from his horse and looked around, making sure that it was safe to camp out there for the night.

Mae stood up, finally deciding that she wanted to bathe. She began taking off her clothes, unaware of Noa standing not too far away, and he wasn’t aware of her presence yet either.

Noa crouched down and set up his sleeping place, eventually satisfied that it looked comfortable enough, although he wasn’t too fussed about sleeping on hard ground. He smiled with approval but stopped abruptly when he heard rustling not too far from him. Glancing up, his eyebrows quickly lowered when he saw movement. Then, when his eyes finally adjusted, he saw her, the pale skin that seemed to glow in the suns rays.

Mae slowly stepped into the river, her breath quickening with the sudden temperature change, she stood there for a moment to get used to the cold water.

Noa’s eyes widened, he wasn’t sure what to do, if course he was glad to see her. But as he stood completely still and watched, the feelings from when he last saw her came flooding back. Scolding himself that she wasn’t of his kind, he couldnt help but stare for a little too long, it had definitely caught him off guard, but after observing for a while, he finally made the decision to grab his blanket from his saddle and walk over to her. Was it a mistake? He didn’t know, didn't exactly care either. He just wanted to get a better look.

Mae sank lower and lower into the river until all that was showing was her head, she hummed softly with relaxation. Unknowingly to her, Noa slowly edged closer, his eyes narrowing with curiosity as he watched her lean back and close her eyes whilst the gentle lapping of water covered her.

Noa reached the waters edge and crouched down. A feeling quickly came over him that he had never felt before, and the faint sound of his intrigued grunts escaped his throat.

As he laid the blanket onto the grass for Mae to step out onto, his eyes never left her. Tilting his head, he was completely mesmerised and not able to break away from the urge of wanting to see more of her. he couldn’t help it. His eyes narrowed to try and get a better look, but the waters shimmers made it impossible for him to see the details on her chest.

Mae opened her eyes slowly, and the suns brightness made her squint. Sitting up and giving her eyes time to adjust until she could see clear enough, she looked at the riverbank and noticed the blanket that Noa had laid out. Smiling, she instantly realised it was his, and stepped out onto the bank.

 

 Noa stood with his back against a tree, his mind racing. Experiencing this feeling he had never felt before made him question a lot of things, causing him to let out an irritated sigh. He didn’t look at her, not once. He was lost in wondering why he felt these certain feelings towards her. Scrunching up his nose and repeating the phrase;

“She is... a human”

Mae looked at him as she dried herself the best she could with the blanket. She walked over to her horse and began putting on her clothes until Noa cleared his throat, making her pause.

 

“she is... beautiful” he said, still looking away from her.

“Huh?” She spun around to face him, raising a brow.

His gaze darted from left to right until he finally composed himself enough to ask “you are... camping here, too?”.

Mae nodded but was in shock. She had wanted to see him again for so long but could only manage to gawk at him with, was he taller than before? She could see from his side that he was wearing more feathers underneath his arm cuff.

Walking closer to him, she had the realisation that she was naked, but Noa was an ape. He surely wouldn’t care, right?

“I thought I smelt too terrible to be around, Noa?” She taunted.

He smirked as his green eyes cautiously trailed in her direction but still unable to look directly at her “You bathed... there is... an excuse”

He turned to face her, and seeing her uncovered caused him to hold his breath. It almost made him want to pounce on her there and then. He wondered what this feeling was. Why did he feel this way for a human? He turned away and wrinkled his nose, trying to shake it off.

Mae turned and picked up her clothes, leaving Noa to his instinct but unknowingly to her, it was growing too strong for him, he glanced up at her body and the sudden vision of him pinning her to a tree and biting onto her collarbone sent him into a spin. He shook his head quickly, trying to snap himself out of it.

“So why are you out here?” Mae asked, but was startled when she turned back around and bumped into him. Noa had moved closer to her without her knowledge.

She looked up at him and saw his emerald eyes staring down at her. Before she could speak, the fur on his torso brushed off of her bare breasts, causing her to shudder. She gulped uncontrollably and dropped her clothes, wondering if it was really happening.

Mae knew that this fantasy had been swirling around her mind for such a long time, but now, the feeling she had was almost too much.

Noa kept his eyes on her “you are... beautiful” he spoke in a low gravelly whisper.

Mae didn’t reply, she stood there holding her breath and staring up at him and feeling his hand touch softly against hers, she knew that it was dangerous, but now hearing him growl as he leaned closer to her made her realise that he felt the exact same way for her.

[artzyleen]

✨ Owen Teague at the London premiere for KOTPOTA ✨

[rosemilo]

Imagine this: Because Mae is almost always in survival mode, she is constantly checking her surroundings, searching for areas to make a quick exit (or making one), creating top-tier hiding spots, setting up booby traps, double-checking/triple-checking the locks and windows, and making her rounds before she goes to sleep. Noa understands, but sometimes, she'll get antsy if she feels like she hasn't checked to see if something is locked and she'll wiggle out of bed to check herself or she'll start to bounce her knee or mumble little reminders under her breath or pace a little if she feels like she's forgetting something. This drives Noa a bit crazy because he wants her to rest and stop working herself up. So, when she tries to wiggle out of bed to check for the 100th time if the area is secure, Noa will gently push her back into bed and go check himself or murmur to her that he already made the rounds and that she must rest. Mae might even have binoculars that she uses to slowly scan her surroundings. Poor Noa feels terrible for these humans who are so fragile that they have to be overly cautious and he tries to make it easier for Mae.

I feel like someone should write a one-shot fic out of this because protective Noa is the best Noa, and this is one of such moments 💕

[mae-is-crazy]

I was wondering if you could do Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes one shot where Mae and Noa are sitting by a fire in a cave, like you know how some movies do like silhouette scenes where the light shines on them but you can only see their silhouettes and they're talking very softly I'm not really sure you can come up with something maybe it's something serious or like something touching or heartwarming. But I always imagine they would be tired and like exhausted or something or emotionally or physically but they're like getting closer to each other I mean they're Bond or something which eventually mae fall asleep on him and he feels all awkward X3

Okay, I'm being so serious right now what I say that I LOVE THIS REQUEST!! So frickin' wholesome and cute. I'm usually one to go into serious and darker content, but I couldn't miss the opportunity to write some fluff. I had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you have just as much fun reading the finished product :) :)

Signs of Constant (Noa/Mae)

Synopsis: A quiet night by the fire leads to sharing the beauties of two different world.

(This story is unedited. Edits will be conducted at a later date).

In the serene warmth of the fire in front of him, Noa observed Mae.

He studied her face like it was the last time he’d see it. And it very well could be; she’d been gone for two springs, off with who he assumed to be a group of intelligent ech- humans- so who knew how long she’d be gone for next time. When Anaya alerted him of her presence, Noa had felt this warm wave in his gut that pushed him to see her without a second thought.  

Through the limited lighting of the dancing flames, Noa took in her every feature.

Noa could see a faint scar on the bottom right side of her chin, one that hadn’t been there the last time she was around. Her hair looked different too. Darker? No, it was just the night. It did look shorter, but only slightly. It was still in that lose braid he last saw her with.

Something that hadn’t changed, however, was her eyes. Even with hues of orange engulfing the small cave the two were huddled in, its raging colors were no match against the cerulean shade in her eyes. Even before the two were formally introduced he’d first noticed the striking color, a color that shood out against the earthy browns and greens of his clan. They somehow seemed to shine brighter on the night.

As if reading his mind, Mae blinked in his direction. She smirked slyly as Noa quickly looked down at his lap. “Gotcha,” she teased lightly.

Noa silently prayed his dark pelt could hide whatever heat was radiating off his face. He turned to look behind him, instead focusing on the massive silhouettes on the rocky backdrop. It was clear enough the height difference between the two, but the fire only made it more obvious- almost monstrous.

An ape and a human. Two different species, two different worlds. Different ways of life and how they think the world should work. And yet they were at peace with one another.  It shouldn’t be possible, and yet here they were, sharing a fire.

Mae follows Noa’s field of sight. She watches the shadows behind them bounce across the rock wall. Noa side eyed her. A smile began creeping upon her face.

“My mom always did this when we had a fire,” Mae explained as eh shuffled herself to turn around, her back facing the fire. “You can tell stories with the fire.”

The put her hands up and together. She stacked her thumbs on top of each other and made a slight cup with her hands. She displayed it in front of the fire, and…

“It’s a bird,” Mae moved her hands in a fluid motion as if the creature was in flight. Noa couldn’t’ hide the amused chortle, only making the girl’s smirk grow into a toothy smile. Noa could feel a quickening sensation in his heart. Her eyes seemed to shine brighter through her smile- brighter than the flames in the pitch black night- because of her smile.

Mae changed her hands to form a new shape. This beast had a snout similar to that of a boar, but without jagged teeth or short, flappy ears- whereas this thing’s ears stood at attention. “It’s a dog.”

Noa gave her a confused glance. Mae put her hands down immediately after.

“The hands… are like sign.”

“I don’t know sign.”

Noa twisted his whole body to fully face Mae and she silently did the same. He put up one hand and took a deep breath before slowly twisting his fingers into different shapes. He’d tuck a finger into his parm or point to the side. He took a moment before moving onto each letter to let Mae absorb what she was seeing.

“Fire,” he whispered. Mae looked at her own hand. She glanced up at Noa’s hand and back down at hers before trying for herself. Noa watched the girl tale her time forming each character. When she’d make a mistake, he repeated the sign until she’d get it right.

Noa released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He softly smirked. There was so much to learn from one another. So much to teach as well, it seemed.

Mae looked outside past the fire. The only thing visible in the dead of night was the celestial body of stars. It was a constant in this rapidly changing world. Noa found reassurance that, no matter what happened, he could as least look up each night and find that the stars hadn’t left him.

Noa signed without looking away from the girl. “Stars,” he murmured. She followed quickly in suit and mirrored his gestured. “Stars,” she mimicked quietly.

The ape nodded in approval. He raised his hand one more time, this time spelling out each word as he shaped it.

He tucked his thumb between his pinkie and ring finger. “M.”

Made a fist but being sure to keep his thumb exposed. “A.”

Noa’s fingers touched each other tightly and sat atop his thumb.

Mae beat him to finish the word.

“E.”

The two watched one another carefully. The silence that once brought Noa comfort now made him feel awkward, almost uneasy. Whereas Noa would stare at Mae, it seemed that she was doing it to him- thinking to herself, forming possible judgments. What did she see that he couldn’t?

The intensity in her glare suddenly shifted and her she relaxed her shoulders. Mae squeezed her eyes shut and dipped her head. She stretched out her arms and yawned. Before Noa could register what was happening, Mae leaned closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder.

Noa stiffened like a board. He heard his breath and eyed the fragile girl (though she was far from fragile outside of the physical scene). The fire was beginning to die down. Even so, Mae still did not shiver against Noa’s body.

He waited a minute, two, ten before settling on the idea that she’d fallen asleep. He tilted his head to catch a glimpse of her peacefully slumbering form.  The young ape felt truly honored to feel trusted with this precious girl’s life in such a vulnerable state.

Noa was just about to allow himself sleep when he heard a tiny voice against him:

“Tomorrow, I want you to each me your name.”

[phan3145]

Title: Slippery Slope. Fandom: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Rating: T. ( Cursing…Intensity?) Pairing: Eventual Noa x Human!Reader.

Chapter 2: Caught

You

You ran for your life. Everything inside of you screamed how stupid you had been, how reckless you had been to do what you did.

The ape, Noa, you assumed, if his friends cries for him had held any truth to them. He had already sensed your presence the moment he arrived at the creek. You should have left then, before he came as close as he had. Of course, you didn’t, and now here you were. Dodging tree limbs and trying to avoid mud puddles while your muscles screamed out at being worked so hard in such a short span of time.

When you noticed the rain had let up earlier, you decided it was time to journey to the creek to bathe and rinse your hair. Maybe you would be able to fish if the stream was calm enough. The constant rain had left you cooped up in your shelter for so long, you were becoming too aware of your oily hair and dirt stained body. Instead of the peaceful day you imagined, you had found a group of young apes and a matriarch on the opposite side of the water.

Your plans were thrown quickly to the wayside, even if the apes hadn’t been there, the current of the creek was too strong to be able to fish. You contemplated moving downstream where the water might be calmer, but realized the bigger issue of how exposed you would be if you did that. Even with danger just on the other side, you felt safer here than somewhere further away from your shelter. While considering your next move, your ears picked up on the matriarch’s lesson about the creek’s ecosystem with the young apes.

Sneaking away and coming back once the apes were gone should have been the course of action you took, but as the matriarch demonstrated how to make a fish trap, you found yourself at war with your instincts. She knew things you just didn’t, and the water carried the sound of her voice to you perfectly. Not to mention, her stunted speech was slow enough you could follow her demonstration, even from your hiding place in the bushes.

You decided to trek back to your hut, which was relatively close, but instead of staying there, you quickly gathered the supplies she described needing. You returned to the creek and hid yourself in the underbrush, following her teachings as best you could. That part had turned out surprisingly well. You had brought too much rope with you, but regardless, you figured you would be able to set the trap in the water as soon as they left to test it out. With any luck, you would have fish for breakfast tomorrow.

Then, Noa had shown up. His eyes were already scanning the surrounding area for signs of you, while his two companions remained oblivious to your presence. You hadn’t meant to shift the bushes you were concealed in when they arrived, you had only wanted to put more distance between yourself and those observant green eyes. Honestly, just a few steps would have been enough. You thought you could be discreet and he wouldn’t notice, but a stray limb had hooked itself into your pants. The second you made to step away it had dislodged the limb and reverberated against the entire shrub.

Your second attempt to rise, just wanting to crawl away and go home, managed to be more disastrous than the first. Your mere movement upwards into a crouch had immediately caught his attention. So there you remained, frozen in place, swearing up and down you wouldn’t move again until they were gone, no matter how awkward the position. Just please don’t let any of them come after you. It was truly terrifying, how nothing but water and some under brush had separated the two of you at that time.

How you wished for that water now.

Though the ape you saved was not a Gorilla, he was still an ape. You owed them nothing, and yet you still risked your safety and freedom. If he was a Gorilla the situation would have been plainer, you would have let him drown. Understandable, seeing as they actively hunted humans…which you only seemed to remember now as you constantly checked behind you to see if you were being pursued. You hoped not, but as the sound of crunching branches and leaves echoed in the forest, you knew you were.

You prayed to the God you constantly questioned the existence of, just to make it a little further. Just make it to your home and you would be safe. You wished you had left the main entrance open now, leaping on top of one of the lower rock formations that made up your structure, hoping your scent going upwards would confuse the ape pursing you enough to make it to the burrow.

You heard the rustling closer as you climbed up the structure. Rolling onto your stomach once you reached the top, there was no time to catch your breath as you immediately launched yourself forward. You jumped from rock to rock on the hillside, feet only sliding once amongst the rough surface, but thankfully you were able to catch yourself. As you reached the edge you realized there was no time to scale down safely. Instead, you sat down, allowing your feet to hang over the edge before you flung yourself off the high rock.

You landed in a rough tumble on the soft dirt below, only a small twinge in your calf that told you your tumble hadn’t exactly been perfect. Leaves and twigs wedged themselves in your hair as you pulled yourself from the ground, wet dirt that wasn’t quite the consistency of mud covered your fingers, but you paid them no mind. Your heart raced with relief as you spotted the door that was about twenty yards in front of you. Scrambling up, you ran the rest of the distance only to slide to the ground as you threw the hidden door open. Ignoring the dull thumping of your side from the fall, you allowed your body to topple forward into the hole you had dug. You shifted quickly to your knees, raising up to grab the handle of the hatch and pull it towards you.

You bent your head, ready to accommodate the new height of the shut door as you pulled. That’s when you heard another slide against the dirt and leaves. Suddenly, the hatch wouldn’t shut…suspended in midair by something prying it open. It might as well have been a steel rod for how immoveable it had become. Your breath froze in your lungs and time itself seemed to stop.

Next to your hand, close enough you could feel the heat radiating off of it, was another hand. This one was much larger than yours in comparison, and covered in fur. You felt consistent gusts of air rustle the hair at the top of your head, sound returning to your ears as you realized it was the ape’s panting breaths. Touch continued to serve you well, as you felt a drop of water land on the back of your neck…then another. The adrenaline that coursed through you sent icy spikes of fear down your spine, the hairs on your arms raising.

You swallowed, contemplating your death at this ape’s hands, daring to slowly lift your head. You came face to face with Noa now, an unreadable expression painting his features. They were hardened, but not necessarily aggressive or threatening as his breaths continued to come in bursts. His eyes were locked on you, openly watching you read him, seeming to have no need to return the favor. His face was so near that you were able to watch a single drop of water run from the hairline at the top of his head, down towards his slightly bleeding nose, before curving out to his cheek. It trailed all the way down the side of his jaw before falling, landing on the arm you had braced on the ground. You would have flinched if you weren’t so captivated by the danger in front of you.

He’s too close again.

Parallel to his jaw, where the water drop had been, was his open mouth. His bottom lip, there seemed to be a small cut that was still healing, one that would potentially scar. A particularly deep breath showed you a hint of his canines, but it seemed as if he was purposefully pushing his lips forward in order to keep them covered. Odd. Most apes would be displaying them proudly after a chase, whether to scare or display dominance. The longer you looked the more you realized he was in fact hiding his. Why?

He didn’t seem to be tired from the chase, his right arm steadily bracing the hatch open. His left arm however, while supporting his weight along with his other two legs, seemed to be favored in his stance. Had he injured it in the water? You saw the log that had knocked him off the side of the creek originally, but you weren’t sure if that was the cause.

A small rumble from the center of his chest shocked you back to staring into the ape’s eyes. You imagined he didn’t care for your assessment of him, your suspicions confirmed when he slowly growled, “Are you done…looking at me?”

You weren’t sure if he expected you to answer, but you were taught a long time ago that silence was best when dealing with apes. A quick death came to humans who couldn’t talk, but a worse fate awaited the future pets that could speak. It was enough to send another spike of fear down your spine. You were unable to stop the shudder that wracked your body from the thought alone.

This did not go unnoticed by Noa, who seemed to understand on some level the position you two had found yourselves in. His lips pursed tightly, annoyance flashing in his gaze for a moment. He let out a long sigh through his nose, hand never leaving the hatch as he moved away from you, coming to stand to his full height. His eyes had unnervingly held yours captive as he did. The emotion in them was incredible, the words unspoken but clear- I am giving you space, but you will not mistake my generosity for weakness.

You released the breath you had been holding. You took in a shaky replacement, quickly realizing that while the space was nice, you were no less intimidated. Actually, you were more intimidated as he stared down at you. His eyes were taking you in fully now, never having to move in order to assess your every weakness. You contemplated forgoing the door all together, seeing as the ape’s size was so much bigger than your own. Was there merit in just simply backing up into the tunnel? He wouldn’t be able to follow you surely, but if his reflexes were as quick as you assumed…he’d have you by the neck before you could duck your head again.

You were fully and truly trapped.

His brow furrowed then, his eyes breaking contact with yours briefly as he looked above you, and then at the hole in the ground overall. He seemed to be processing something, fitting together pieces of a puzzle. His features all at once softened, but you remained frozen while he continued to study the structure. His hand slid along the edge of the hatch, further away from yours before changing his mind and returning it to where it had been before. His eyes flicked back to yours then. His mouth opened, and softly, so softly it was as if he was speaking to a child, he ordered, “Let go.”

Without conscious thought, the hand that had been raised above you this whole time released its clutch on the wood. Your arm came down immediately after to mirror your right, continuing to brace your upper body on the ground.

His brow raised then, before a satisfied smirk spread across his face. Apes could smirk? At first, you didn’t understand the reasoning behind his apparent pleasure. What puzzle piece had you just handed him? You bit down on your tongue, almost voicing your question before stopping yourself. Listen. The ones who listened lived longer.

He nonchalantly threw the hatch all the way back then, allowing it to hit the ground behind you. You flinched at the sound but didn’t move otherwise. You felt even more exposed as he shuffled from side to side, almost pacing along the edge. He openly contemplated you now as you had him before. Those eyes pinned you in place better than any hands could, and you only hoped that they stayed as serene as they were now. You might survive if they did.

Without warning, his pacing stopped and he moved to crouch closely in front of you. This crouch was more familiar than the ones you had seen apes do in the past…more human. There was a spark in his eyes now, his arms bent and resting at his knees, far too casual for how tense the situation had been just moments ago. He didn’t seem to have this swagger when you viewed him by the creek, but it practically dripped off of him now like the water on his fur. It gave credence to a more playful personality, similar to the one his companions had displayed.

And yet, this still felt different…more dangerous somehow. Again, you saw too much humanity in his actions. It was that of a victor in some game. This type of playfulness could get you in trouble if you took it for granted.

“This is what…is going to happen now,” he began.

You heart stopped at that, not liking the confident tone he now presented, all animalistic growl gone. You preferred it when he didn’t sound so soft, so human.

He nodded towards you, “You are going to…come out of that hole. You are going to sit down…on that rock over there…and we…are going to speak.”

You continued to stare at him, riding out the bluff you were sure he was making. His eyes narrowed, but you simply tilted your head and blinked a few more times.

His lips pursed into a grimace and another sigh left his nose, “This is not starting…well for you…you can stop hiding the truth…you were caught…when you understood my command…to let go.”

Fuck

Well, that certainly explained why he had been so smug earlier. Obviously, you were intelligent, but that didn’t mean you could speak. Up to that point you two had only communicated using body language, but a command? A very specific command using only two words, spoken in a soft tone, was foolproof. If you had been speechless it wouldn’t have sparked any reaction from you, you wouldn’t have understood, but of course you…you did exactly as he had asked.

Your eyes dropped to the ground, gritting your teeth as you decided there was nothing to do as this point. Once you’re caught, you’re caught. Pushing off the dirt, you shifted until you were able to stand up and climb out of the entrance to your burrow. You didn’t bother to close the hatch, still hoping there would be a moment you could get him distracted and dive in. It was a slim chance, but if nothing else, today proved never leave an easy exit blocked.

You were given space as the ape rose from his crouched position, stepping in tandem with you as you made your way towards the rock. It was a small heft to “sit on” as he had requested, but before your hands could brace themselves on the side of the rock, you felt your body being lifted.

Non-human hands were on your hips, they had spun you and hefted you up in a dead lift to place you on the rock. It was as if you weighed nothing. A sharp inhale from your nose had been your only form of protest, but the contact was over before it had even fully registered in your brain. This inevitably brought you face to face with the ape once more.

Equal footing.

“You are…small.” The ape explained, “Much easier to view this way.”

You weren’t small in human standards, but then again this was not the time to argue with him. Speaking with him wasn’t even a huge want of yours right now, but what choice did you really have? You wondered briefly when was the last time you had spoken? Or, spoken to someone who wasn’t an animal. Well, technically he was an animal…regardless, when was the last time you had spoken to someone who could respond to you?

“At some point…” he started. “You will actually have to…say something…would it be easier…if I asked what…I wanted to know?”

You nodded your head.

A sigh, then a reluctant nod in return, “Are there others with you?…Others that are not here now?”

You shook your head, holding his eye.

He seemed to relax slightly at that. He tried again, “You were at the creek the whole time?”

You nodded.

“Spying?” He demanded.

You shook your head vehemently.

“Speak up!” He growled, “I know you can.”

This time, his canines were present and you felt fear settle in the pit of your stomach. You swallowed, desperately thinking of something to say. Your throat seized as you opened your mouth but nothing came out.

He took several steps away from you for then, letting out an aggravated sound and waving his arms before rounding back on you again. He came closer now, face so near to yours that you had to lean back in order to create a comfortable distance. It seemed as if he was trying to be patient, but let his tongue run away with him as he spat, “Why did you help me?! Echo are…nothing but trouble…cause disaster…cause hurt…pain…and yet you…saved me.”

You wanted to answer him, truly you did, but even you had been contemplating that answer since you had acted on it. You didn’t believe it was an impulse, nothing in your being would naturally tell you to save an ape, but something about him had captivated you. So much so, that your body rebelled against you and forced you to extend your hand. He had saved the young apes, the matriarch, and his companions. He had put them first, a noble and almost human thing to do.

Then, he fought. Fought, kicked, and clawed his way through the water in a desperate attempt to live. That drive to survive, that power in his fight for life, had reminded you of several situations that left you shaking afterwards. To almost die, it shook that thing inside of you that some called a soul. Someone who wanted to live so badly, whether ape of human, deserved help. They deserved every chance at survival.

Your continued silence must have opened some old wound, as he lamented, “Why am I doing this?…Echo hide…have secrets…lie when it suits them…selfish crea-”

“I am not a liar.”

Finally, something worth saying. You felt the words roll off your tongue with more conviction than you ever had in your life. The way you had interrupted him, the force of which you said it, had stupefied him it seemed. He took a step back, shock clearly written across his face. Something about that filled you with a sense of accomplishment.

He released a breath, “Will never…be used to that…knew and still…surprised.”

You hummed, “Then in surprise we are perfectly matched. I thought by now I’d be dead on the ground in a pool of my own blood. Or, does that come after this interrogation?”

He blinked several times, mouth open to speak but hesitant to say anything. For a moment you wondered if perhaps that was the case, and he didn’t know how to respond to your prediction. You didn’t know where the sudden gumption had come from, but it didn’t seem to be hurting your chances of survival. You weren’t sure why him assuming you would lie bothered you so much, but if the insult had forced you to find your voice you were grateful for it.

As the silence stretched on with no answer to whether you would live after this conversation you felt fear bubble back to the surface of your bravado. Swallowing back the bile in your throat, ready to speak, say anything else that would change the subject, you found you mind blank. Thankfully, Noa beat you to it.

“We…do not…kill.” He opened his left hand, palm up. His right hand, knuckles curled, stamped into his left, growling, “That is the law….to protect or eat. Dishonorable ape will be…banished if the law…is broken.”

So you were safe, for now at least. Your biggest priority suddenly became not being a threat to him. You didn’t fully trust him, but he spoke with such faith that it made you believe he was at least telling you the truth about his law. To be fair, he has had multiple opportunities to kill you, but he hasn’t. A Gorilla would not be talking to you right now. A Gorilla would have killed you the moment you failed to close the hatch.

Attempting to fill the silence that stretched on, you offered, “Not that it makes much of a difference, but I have no desire to hurt you or your…family on the opposite side of the creek.”

“Clan,” he offered. “We are the Eagle Clan…this has been our home…for many generations.”

“I didn’t know that,” You admitted. “I haven’t been here long.”

His eyes narrowed at that. He sniffed the air before his gaze trailed up and down you body. You clenched your jaw and raised your chin in defiance, refusing to shrink away. He must have been satisfied with whatever he found, grunting, “I believe…you are truthful…you speak…well.”

You huffed at that, “Glad to hear you think I speak well. Give it some time though, you’ll beg me to shut up.”

He looked confused, asking, “Shut…up?… Shut what up…shut wood up?”

He pointed over to the open hatch, clearly what he saw as the only logical conclusion to your strange phrase. Why would an ape know that phrase? Human slang, which could be considered disrespectful at times, would have no place in his culture. His genuine confusion, combined with the extreme tonal shift that had happened between the two of you, tickled something in your stomach.

You tried, really you did, but the more you thought about the whole situation, the more you felt the quiver in your shoulders. Despite yourself, the urge was just too strong, and you released a full body laugh at his misunderstanding of your words. The sound itself seemed to surprise Noa, causing him to jump away from you and pivot side to side in alarm for a moment. He swayed to a stop when he realized he was in no danger.

You covered your mouth, smothering your giggles, ready to apologize when he unexpectedly leaned forward. Your breath caught and you froze once more as he invaded your personal space. He seemed fascinated now, head tilted, raising a hand to point his index finger at your mouth, asking, “What was…that noise?”

You mirrored him, head tilting in confusion as you remembered hearing apes laugh and scoff before. Maybe not exactly like that, but surely he saw the parallels and saw they were the same. You treaded carefully as you asked, “Do you mean my laugh?”

He shook his head, hands seeming to follow the shaking motion as he explained, “No…not laugh…heard laugh before.”

He then managed to mimic the chuckling of a human man, who sounded as if he was trying to be polite and laugh at a joke that wasn’t funny. You countered, “It is a laugh, like apes do.”

You mimicked the sound you had heard his companions making across the creek, something he had been unaware of as he searched for you. Though taken aback by your own version of ape sound, he shook his head again, explaining, “Not laugh..louder than laugh…bigger sound…more like scream…”

You quirked an eyebrow. Had he never heard a real laugh before? He must have met other ‘Echos,’ as he called them, who could speak. He was able to imitate what he thought a laugh was, and he was able to figure out that you could talk. In all that time he never heard one genuine laugh?

On second thought, it made sense. Why would a human have a reason to laugh in his presence? The two species, what little was left of one while the other thrived, weren’t exactly on speaking terms. You mentally chuckled at your own pun. You could understand then, why he was so focused on this. You decided to give him another word you hoped he hadn’t heard before in an attempt to sate his curiosity.

“Oh,” you feigned understanding. “That’s called a cackle. My mistake.”

“Cackle…” he tried out the word. “Loud…shakes body…comes from females.”

Not quite…but then again, maybe he wasn’t too far off. It didn’t sound like he was exactly asking either. He took a step back, looking off into the distance while he seemed to collect his thoughts. You were relieved to have personal space again, but you had a feeling with him it wouldn’t last long. He seemed to enjoy close encounters. You had to wonder if it was out of ape habit, or if he did it for a different reason.

“Echo is…odd…very different from apes.” He thought aloud. “Have many words…for same thing…then use same word…for different things.”

You shrugged, “Synonyms aren’t a sin, but sometimes it’s easier to group things together.”

He looked confused again. His jaw worked for a moment before he hissed, “S…ssss…sina…sinamons.”

“Syn..o..nym.” You corrected gently, not wanting to offend him.

“Syn…synonym.” He waved an arm in the air, not wanting to continue after that one success. “You… know weird echo words…too many.”

You shrugged, “That’s what happens when you grow up with a dictionary and a lot of time.”

An annoyed huff, then a repeated, “Dictionary?…Is that…Echo’s clan?”

“Human.” You corrected, becoming bolder the longer you spoke with the ape. He had given you no indication that he intended to kill you, though harming you wasn’t out of the question. You let your walls fall slightly but did not drop your guard entirely. “We are not echos, we’re called humans.”

“You are echo,” he insisted. “Have met humans…not as…vocal….Dictionary is human clan?”

“No, no. It’s… it’s…” you trailed off. You tried to think of words to use he would understand. “It’s a list- a collection. It’s a collection of human words and what they mean. It was used in schools- lessons. The collection of words was used in lessons for children.”

“For younglings?” He asked. “With…symbols in them?… Like a book?”

Your brow furrowed, “Symbols?… You mean pictures. No, that’s not really what it’s for. It’s…designed to just name words in a certain order one after the other. Wait, wait wait- symbols and…you know what a book is?”

He huffed, looking down then away from you,“Something…like that.”

Your amazement was palpable, leaning closer to him, trying to recapture his gaze as you praised, “That’s amazing! Slightly unnerving, but amazing! I had no idea that apes had learned how to read. I was always…told it was one of the few things that only humans knew how to do.”

His eyes refused to meet yours no matter how hard you tried to get him to look at you, disappointment settling in you stomach like a brick. You ignored the implications of that feeling as you watched him wander back over towards the still open hatch. He remained silent for another beat before wondering, “You…read?”

“Not as much anymore,” you confessed. “I used to live in a…big metal-.”

“A vault.” He offered.

Once again, you were surprised by his understanding, as well as the human vocabulary he did possess. Clearing your throat you continued, “Yes. I lived in a vault when I was younger. Then…well, I’m here now. I had access to books in the vault, but they are harder to find out here. I have two in my shelter, but keeping them clean is difficult, so I very rarely use them.”

He turned then, fully facing you as he approached your rock. This time he stopped an arms length away, but it seemed to be more out of trepidation than respect. His eyes searched your features, looking for something you didn’t quite understand.

“You have…books?…You… are able to read?” He asked again, only this time, there seemed to be a hidden meaning behind the questions.

That’s when the realization hit you.

“You can’t read, can you?” You paused, licking your lips before you conceded, “You want to learn.”

There was silence between the two of you, tension seeping back into the atmosphere as you seemed to have turned the tables on him. He wanted to hide this fact, for whatever reason, but with it out in the open you felt a chasm form between the two of you. If you had garnered any trust, your ability to read him had set you back to where you had been when he placed you on the rock. You both seemed to have the same questions, but unfortunately neither of you had the answers that the other wanted.

The tension was broken when your felt something land on your arm. Breaking eye contact with Noa, you applauded yourself for not flinching, looking down to find a raindrop. Another landed on your collar bone, and you found yourself following Noa’s example of looking upwards. A new storm was rolling in at a fast pace. Your turned your attention from the sky and back to Noa. His eyes were moving back and forth, searching the skies for something more than dark clouds.

You swallowed, calling out, “Noa.”

His head snapped down immediately to you, clearly surprised that you called for him by name. His mouth opened but he quickly closed it again. Seeing as he hesitated to say anything, you inquired, “That’s your name isn’t it?”

He nodded, bringing a closed fist to his chest, “Yes, Noa.”

He did not ask for your name, but you gave it anyway, mimicking his gesture as you did. He said it once, then again, testing the weight of it in his mouth. You nodded both times. You felt more droplets fall against you, scowling as cold seemed to follow the water. You had no desire to get soaked, and if the speed of the droplets meant anything, you were minutes away from a downpour.

Steeling your nerve, you slipped yourself off of the rock, your footing unsteady as you sunk into the wet Earth. Noa’s eyes followed you, but made no move to stop your path towards the tunnel. You stopped in front of the hole, turning back to observe him. He remained rooted to the spot, showing no signs that he would stop you now. You could leave, avoid the ape in the future, and pretend all this never happened.

Something felt so wrong about that. Water descended faster, misting your clothes and the edge of his fur. He huffed, body giving a single shudder as the hair on his shoulders and neck visibly rose. A half smile crept across your face, knowing that whatever lied ahead of you, would be yours to accept or deny. It would be your choice.

And you had decided.

“Would you like to take shelter with me?”

****************************************************************************************************************

Author’s Note:

Hello everyone! I know the KotPotA fandom is small, so I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who commented or left kudos on my previous chapters. The next chapter will probably be the last chapter I do within the same timeframe, skipping around to eventually circle back to the prologue. The meeting definitely needs to be established from both perspectives. Speaking of, I am not used to writing in perspectives like these (I prefer using “I” and “Me”) but this is my first ever xReader fic, so I’m working to keep it all straight in my head. As always, comments are welcome!

P.S.- If anyone can figure out what scene the image above was used for I’ll send you a tease of the next chapter before I post it.

[death---dealer]

*sits up straight in bed*

NOA ACCIDENTALLY SEEING YOU BATHE ONE DAY AND HE DOESNT TELL YOU HE SAW IT BUT ADAMANTLY AVOIDS YOU FOR DAYS ON END, WONT EVEN LOOK AT YOU AND HE IS TEASED BEYOND ALL HELL BY ANAYA

*lays back down*

[crimson-mage-02]

Fates Entwined By The Stars - Chapter 2 - Crimson_Mage - Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes [Archive of Our Own]

Here's chapter 2!! Hope you enjoy!

[galaxynajma]

Sometimes I wanna teleport into the blue lock universe, check the men's football RPF tag on AO3 and just leave after I’m finished

[rosewaterandivy]

put a shirt on, dumbass!

a notes on a scene blurb - e.m. x film!teacher reader

Lazing on the couch, Eddie has draped himself over the chaise and effectively crowded you into a corner. Both scrolling mindlessly through your phones after a day molding young minds, you threw on the first thing that seemed decent - the third film in the Twilight series, Eclipse.

Something just mindless enough to zone out to while dropping memes into the group chat.

You’re marrying him?

This from a shirtless Taylor Lautner on screen.

Eddie’s not even paying attention until he hears your, “Oh, shit!”

He rolls his eyes, “You are aware you’ve seen this one before, right?”

You laugh, eyes moving from the mountaintop scene to fall on him, “Obviously, Edward.” And the use of his government name is not lost on him. “But I always forget the plot of this one because nothing. ever. happens.”

“Well, I better pay attention then so I can brush up on my moves - gaslight, gatekeep, and girl boss.”

A pillow thwumps against his grinning face. “Boy, you better not!”

“Ooh, she’s got that Hot Topic bracelet on!” He excitedly points out, quickly followed by, “Damn, that fight scene was quick.”

You cock your head and regard him with a bemused smile, “You sound upset there bud, expecting something a bit more from the Twilight franchise?”

“Pfft, not a chance.” Eddie combs his fingers through his hair, brushing a few strands away that had fallen in his face. “Jacob didn’t even take my advice earlier when I told him to put a shirt on.”

“Well, you did call him a dumbass, so.”

“Doesn’t excuse his utter lack of rizz.”

You roll your eyes and go back to the group chat, “God I hate you, how are you like this?”

“What do you mean how?” He turns toward you with a look at mischief, “I’ll have you know, you agreed to all of this,” Eddie says with his usual dramatic flair and quotes: “I’m exactly right for you, it’s as easy as breathing being with me.”

So when you tackle him in a fit of exasperation for his ongoing commentary and general dumbass behavior, Eddie refrains from any obvious gloating.

It was all going according to plan, his ten point - this is how you get the girl plan, that is.

[aphrmoosun]

[No words]

NOMAE ; Two Shot!

• Pair.

Noa and Mae

• Movie.

Kingdom of the planet of the apes

• Tags.

NoaxMae, yes it is a ship, dont read if you dont ship them, smutt, au, future, humans and apes politics, ape and human relation, Noa is an inocent ape, twoshot, relationship, Interspecies, strong language, honour apes, writer is not English native speaker, if you see errors tell me, etc

• Other Nomae fic.

You and Me

• Sipnosis.

Noa and the Beast

Apes and humans lived in peace for more than half a century, the war only brought internal conflicts between the sides and although peace was the later consequence, they finally lived together and peacefully.

But it was still not well seen that humans and apes had relationships, each one lived in their area, both separated by borders and policies.

Noa son of the leader of the eagle clan. And Mae daughter of an important senator. Ape and human had set their eyes on each other, unable to ignore the other's presence when they saw each other. The tension between the two ends in a nighttime escapade with consequences for the future.

DO NOT COPY OR SHARE IT ELSEWHERE WITHOUT PERMISSION!

• No words [One shot]

Mae didn't like participating in her father's political campaigns. More than anything because she always ended up in the middle, like a piece of meat.

She was just grateful that her father always defended her and never left her hanging, but the suitors always surrounded her, eager to get close to the senator's daughter from the southern zone.

That first day, she had to accompany her father to a dinner with the Eagle Clan. A friendly clan that always worked alongside humans.

Mae sat quietly in her seat, trying not to draw attention to herself. She didn't have the same tension as with other human politicians who tried to pair her up with one of their sons at every opportunity.

No, there she only observed Noa, the son of the Eagle Clan's leader. He also looked back at her.

They didn't need many words; they never did. Whenever they saw each other, their relationship was one of glances, smiles, and even touches.

Mae didn't know if Noa caught her attention because he was different from the others or because he was the only one his father didn't try to pair her up with.

That was simple. Neither the senator nor the clan leader understood that humans and apes could have a relationship beyond politics. For both humans and apes parents, humans and apes could coexist with boundaries and each in their own place.

None of them realized that their children understood that humans and apes could have a much more... intimate relationship.

That dinner passed quietly. Except for a surprise at the moment of saying goodbye. Noa this time bid her farewell with a hug.

No one seemed to pay attention, and if they did, they didn't say anything. Nor did it interest either of them. Mae was too comfortable in his arms, and Noa was too busy feeling the small, soft, peculiarly scented human in his arms.

When they separated, their eyes met again. Neither of them knew why their bodies reacted so intensely.

They didn't need words.

________-------------------_________

That night, Mae went out of her hotel room for a walk. She was sure the place was quiet and guarded, since politicians and leaders from all states had gathered there.

She was sure, yes. But she got a little scared when she heard footsteps behind her.

"What are you doing alone at night here?"

It almost cost her to recognize that voice. When she turned her head to see the ape standing beside her, she sighed in relief.

"I was taking a walk."

"You can't go out at night without company. You know there are apes who still have trouble coexisting with you humans."

Mae let out a laugh.

"Well, for that, there are apes like you who feel very comfortable with humans, and even dare to hug them in front of everyone."

The human couldn't appreciate the blush that appeared on the ape's cheeks.

"Not only do I feel comfortable. I like humans."

"What? Is it a fetish of yours? Having them all at your feet? Am I just one more?"

Noa stopped, making her stop too.

"You're the only one."

Now it was her turn to blush. But this time, Noa could see her, because the moonlight reflected off her face and eyes.

Mae coughed a little, turning her head to the right, unable to bear his gaze.

Many times they had looked into each other's eyes, smiled, touched, and hugged, but never had Noa's eyes shone like that.

"Am I the only one?"

Noa's voice brought her back to reality.

"What do you mean, the only one?"

Noa took her hand, leading her to a more secluded spot.

If someone saw them together, they might think the worst. Noa leading her by the hand in the darkness of the night towards an empty corner of the hotel building.

Once Noa found the perfect spot, he leaned her against the wall and pressed his body against hers.

Mae could feel the strong, muscular ape body against hers.

He went back to hugging her, bringing their faces very close together.

"The only one you feel like this."

Noa kissed her ear and neck.

"Noa."

"What do you mean Noa?"

Mae felt stupid. Of course, she felt the same way. But there were too many obstacles between them.

"This is wrong."

"Does it feel wrong?"

Of course, Mae didn't respond.

Noa was attacking her weak points, kissing her neck and, in a moment when Mae wasn't paying attention, had slipped a hand into her underwear to touch her most intimate parts with curiosity and passion.

Now it was Mae's turn to protest for the ape to touch her the way she wanted.

"Shh." Noa whispered. "We might be overheard."

Without making her wait too long, the simian's long fingers began to caress her clitoris. The other hand went to her buttocks to help her stay just as he wanted. His mouth continued with what he had left pending, mimicking the human's breasts with kisses, licks, and nibbles.

"Noa, please."

Mae felt too close to climax. Her legs trembled, and her lower abdomen electrified with the energy that coursed from her clitoris to her head. Noa's fingers moved faster, like a cable that made the energy pass through him to her.

"Noa!"

Mae came with that cry, clinging to the ape's shoulders, unable to achieve her goal, and ended up sitting astride him.

Her breasts still rose and fell, struggling to breathe normally.

Their eyes met, and they maintained silence, gazing at each other.

Noa raised a hand to the girl's cheek, brushing away a strand of hair that had fallen forward, and left his hand there to continue caressing her.

Mae sighed.

"Did you like it?"

Noa asked uncertainly.

Mae laughed.

"Are you asking me that after I just came on top of you after giving me an orgasm?"

"An orgasm? Is that what you humans call it?"

"What? And what do you apes call it?"

"We don't call it. Females rarely have ongasms."

"Orgasms." -Mae corrected, laughing.-

"Whatever. Males usually care more about reproducing than about the female's pleasure."

"Seeing it that way, humans are very similar to apes." -Mae realized something before continuing.- "But then, how did you know how to touch me like that?"

Now it was Noa who looked away, embarrassed.

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does!" -Mae insisted.-

"And I... I saw some material before I met you."

Mae was very confused by the two confessions.

"Why did you care so much about me?" -the human stopped.- "What material!?"

"Because I like you. I thought it was obvious." -Noa responded in order to her questions.- "And material... visual."

"Have you seen porn?"

"Is that what it's called?"

Mae didn't know what was the strangest of all. That Noa seemed so innocent after touching her in a not-so-innocent way, that apes didn't have terms like orgasm or porn, or that Noa had seen porn to know how to please her.

Mae burst out laughing.

"Mae!" -with one hand, Noa tried to silence her.- "Seriously, we might be overheard."

"I don't know why you thought you needed to please me like that before, like, talking to me or asking me out on a date and eating ice cream."

"What's ice cream?"

"What?"

Noa silenced her again with his hand.

"Don't you know what ice cream is?"

Mae asked in a lower tone, and he shook his head.

"We need to fix that."

Mae got up quickly.

"Wait, Mae." -Noa held her hand.- "You haven't answered me."

"What?" -the human realized.- "Oh, yes, I also like you. I thought it was obvious." -she imitated the simian's words.-

"I'm going to ask your father for your hand!"

"What?"

Noa seemed very sure. He got up and was determined to seek out the senator.

"No, wait Noa." -Mae stopped him.- "We need to think this through calmly. We don't know how they'll react."

The ape shook his head.

"I don't care. I only want you."

Mae blushed and looked away, remembering something.

"Noa." -she stopped him again.- "But how are you going to go like that?"

The human pointed to the ape's large erection. Because they were used to not wearing clothes, she could see it clearly in the moonlight. Long, erect, almost covered with hair. And Mae wondered how it would feel in her hands or inside her. If it would be soft and hard at the same time.

Noa, who had also looked down, turned away, embarrassed.

"You're right. Maybe it's not the best moment."

"You don't have to be embarrassed! On the contrary, I owe you an orgasm."

"No, we can't do anything, I don't want to do it inside you without engagement."

Mae was surprised by his response. The way he cared for her, not just physically but also her honor. For humans, physical contact went beyond just hugs, many reached marriage with three or four lovers, and women didn't wait for marriage either.

Those traditions of loyalty, fidelity, and union concept were something to envy. Apes might not marry for passion or taste, but for a bond much more important than the physical.

And Noa wanted to share that with her. It reminded the human that they did it because the ape believed she liked it. And of course, she did, and his erection showed that he liked it too.

But Mae wasn't going to rush things just for a fling when what Noa offered was indescribable in human words.

"We don't have to do anything." -Mae began, trying to speak softly.- "I could help you without penetrating me, but we can wait for that."

Noa remained silent. He looked at her fixedly and turned his body, letting her see his powerful erection again.

"Mae." -Noa approached her, taking her hands.- "Help me, please."

The power she felt inside her in that moment made the human move without control.

Mae moved her hands down, caressing his chest and grabbing the large penis with both hands when she reached her destination.

Noa followed her gaze, sighing, and Mae shook her head.

"No, look at me."

Noa obeyed, and Mae wrapped her hand around his virility and began to move it up and down while the other carefully caressed the tip from which a liquid was already coming out, wetting her hand and showing her how much the ape liked her touch.

"Mae." -Noa whispered without taking his eyes off her.-

Both remained standing, looking at each other fixedly.

When Mae noticed Noa's restless body, she moved her hands faster, holding onto his phallus more tightly.

"I'm going to... Mae!"

Then Noa closed his eyes and a hot jet of liquid hit the human in her exposed belly.

Noa hugged her tightly while trying to recover his breath.

"Shh, they're going to hear us. Noa." -Mae whispered to the ape, mocking all the times he had told her that.-

The ape laughed between his teeth.

"Mae." -then they looked at each other again in the eyes.- "Thank you."

The human squinted her eyes, unsure why he was thanking her.

Before she could ask, a light pointed at them, startling them.

"What are you doing there?"

The voice of the ape who had found them startled them. Mae with her shirt up, pants down, and underwear wet due to her orgasm but also because of Noa's, which had ended up falling there. And Noa, who still showed enthusiasm in his gaze.

Even so, the ape placed himself in front of the human, covering her nudity towards the other ape.

Second part.

[noasmirrorball]

So i started reading only the brave and that’s me when i first got into the marauders fandom

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

I've been thinking lately about how Ed and Stede will be remembered by those who knew them.

This has been on my mind since I recently finished Seabird, Fly Home, which is about Ed and Stede discovering how their past canon-era life ended, and especially after Noa's lovely and heartbreaking recent fic listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise. And I think that, when Ed and Stede do eventually die, they will be remembered above all else as two people who were very deeply in love.

There's something so bittersweet there, I think. For a long time, Ed and Stede probably thought they knew exactly what their legacies would look like. For Ed, a monstruous caricature of himself that proved no one knew who he really was; for Stede, the disappointing wealthy heir with his head in the clouds. But they were really able to take command of their own stories, and in a way that will be remembered by thoe who knew them best.

They'll be remembered as that couple always holding hands down the street. I can imagine their friends laughing tearfully about how annoying it was to take them anywhere because they only ever had eyes for each other. Two people who orbited perfectly around each other, enriching each other's lives but also enabling the other to become fuller, more authentic versions of themselves. They were really fucking annoying about how in love they were, and their love was deep and true and beautiful and something wonderful to behold. They'll be remembered as two people who were in love, and who remained in love for as long as they lived, and I think they'd really like that.

[kaizsche]

"Can I have a bite of that pie?"

"Sure."

"I'm sorry. He has me on this stupid diet."

When Gary meets his next client, he didn't expect to fall for her. Nor was he expecting to actually apprehend kill a serial cannibal.

(OR THE FRESH X HIT MAN FIC NOBODY ASKED FOR.)