(Yay! Let's talk about hybrid babies, this time for real!
So, I did a little headcanon of how I imagine hum-apes babies in the POTA universe, or well, in fanfiction. This would be a child with Noa/César/Koba/Blue Eyes/Anaya/Proximus. And maybe I'll add more in the future, I don't know. And then maybe I'll do something more specific about what fatherhood would be like with Noa, Caesar and Koba )
-The symptoms are like any normal human pregnancy. Nothing to say about this
although, the pregnancy lasts 8 months instead of 9, and the fetus is actually very small, so the belly isn't noticeable until 5 months, and it won't look as big as a normal pregnancy, unless you have twins.
-Childbirth isn't especially complicated, probably easier than most human births, because, well, the baby is smaller. But that doesn't mean it won't be painful; it simply reduces the chances of tearing considerably. Even if it comes out feet first, it will be easier to deliver than a human baby. They also tend to last less time if everything is okay, you know, correct position, dilation and all.
Oh, let me add, if they are born prematurely, they could be in danger due to the conditions, but they could also have a very good chance if they receive enough warmth (mommy's hugs🥺 ) and food. Because of their accelerated development compared to humans, they will spend less time in that weakened state.
At first glance, they are very similar to a baby ape. The mix is very homogeneous, and you could confuse them, but:
• They have human feet (this becomes a concern especially in the Eagle Clan, where climbing is extremely important and this could lead to complications).
• Their noses are also more human-like, still a bit flat, but human-shaped and protruding.
• Their arms and legs are an intermediate anatomy between the two species, with slightly longer arms and slightly shorter legs. They can still walk on all fours, but it's more difficult for them than apes, especially if they plan to run.
•Their ears are smaller, closer to humans, and their fangs are less sharp but still useful for causing damage.
• They have fur all over their bodies like any ape, but it's a bit thinner, so in winter they need to be covered up a bit (a hat, a light coat, and some cloth shoes for our baby if it's snowing 🤭).
• Their skin is softer; their faces are a little smoother (they still have wrinkles, but not as many). It's also a bit more sensitive, just as the reader will need footwear in certain areas because the skin is more fragile, especially there. (They will need small shoes, or bandage they feet 🥺 )
• I haven't decided on this yet, but the hair on their heads could grow as long as human hair, or maybe just a little longer than apes'. You know, the length of each hair is determined by genetics, so they could inherit whatever determines that hair length.
Here, too, everything is very balanced and homogeneous. They grow faster than a human, but noticeably slower than a baby ape.
• Human babies spend their first month sleeping, eating, and doing their business. Hybrid babies will be very awake and active from their first days of life, although they will sleep much more than a baby ape. It's quite obvious: apes can move around from the first few days. The hybrid baby will be just as alert and awake as they are, but won't have the strength to do so.
• Human babies lift their heads after three months; well, these babies will do so after the first month.
• Between 6 and 10 months, they begin to walk. And they will do it on their two feet, like a human child.
• After the first year, they already articulate many words, although they begin to communicate much earlier through signs.
I see a very strong tendency to look like an ape and behave like a human:
• They take their first steps on two legs, like a human baby. Their center of gravity will be more similar to that of humans, due to the way and speed at which they grow, and because of the way their legs are at this stage, it will be easier for them to walk and run on two legs.
• They don't cry like babies, but they do vocalize a lot and complain if they're physically uncomfortable, hitting and waving their arms to communicate their discomfort.
• They can sing! Their vocal cords are very human-like; their voices are really soft, so they can sing and harmonize like humans do. (great advantage for the eagle clan)
• They can sing, but they can't scream. Don't ask me what kind of throat anatomy would allow for that, but I can see hybrid babies making small sounds and whimpers, but not shrieking and screaming at the top of their lungs like a human baby. I suppose a scream needs a very high frequency. Apes speak at a fairly low frequency, and a hybrid's vocal range is right in the middle of that—high enough to produce a soft sound, but not quite as loud.
• They can swim. Apes can't swim because they lack fat, right? Well, our baby is a bit plumper than baby apes, so, especially during early infancy, they can swim. Perhaps as they grow, this becomes more difficult, but they could develop the ability. ((advantage for coastal apes, like Proximus Caesar))
• Upon reaching adulthood, they will have the average strength of an ape, slightly less than the others, but still very strong. And they will tend to fight more strategically, like humans, using more kicks than punches with their full body weight. (Perhaps they are a little more flexible, and that's why they can fight like that)
Warning: none except for a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes, probably.
Summary: Noa has to make a decision and take a risk. And courting you becomes a job for three apes. When things get complicated, Anaya and Soona are determined to help Noa with you.
A/N: Okay, I've had this here since July. It was supposed to be a simple scenario, but I got carried away and ended up writing a chapter of my fanfic. I was hesitant to publish it because SPOILER, but now I'm not sure if I'll use this scenario, so I'll publish it now. It's my first one-shot. I hope you like it, and writing advice is always welcome.
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It's the beginning of spring, the sunset trio and you were spending the afternoon together by the river.
Noa and Anaya stayed on the rocky shore, preparing fishing spears. You and Soona had moved away and were playing in the water, with the small waves that reached their waists.
Noa's eyes were fixed on you, watching you laugh, jump, and fall into the water, moving away to the deepest part and bothering Soona because "it's not fair if you can swim" and she can't.
This didn't go unnoticed by Anaya; it never did.
"Are you going to tell her someday?" Noa turned and frowned. "Tell her what?" Anaya gestured toward you with his chin.
And Noa just looked at him as if he'd had this conversation a million times before.
"No Soona, (name) !!!" Anaya said, almost pointing with his hands in an expression of obviousness. Noa swatted at it as if trying to stop the sound from escaping and making it impossible for you to hear.
"What?"he had to force himself to whisper "Stop.... talking nonsense".
"You don't like her?" Noa snorted at that question. He look at the rocky ground before answering
"She's human."
"That's not a NO" Anaya smiled
"I'm an ape" Noa repeated, this time he was looking him.
"It's still not a NO." Anaya repeated it too.
Noa turned around angrily but ended up looking in your direction. You had just gotten out of the water and were gathering wildflowers. Surely you'd let Soota comb your hair and put them in it, he thought.
"I'd never be an option for her... she'd never choose me." He sigh.
"She's already chosen you before, right? She chose you over the humans."
"She chose all of us. She's happy with the clan, not just with me." Anaya looked at Noa, raising his eyebrows, almost sarcastically."Of course..."
Noa was about to say something, but was surprised by your presence a few feet away. -We'll go with Soona for some berries and roots. Catch something, and we'll eat when we get back. - Noa nodded. - Stop fooling around- Soona shouted from the foot of the forest. You ran toward her, away from your two friends.
"Court her" Anaya said under his breath, tapping him on the arm.
"What? No! It's ridiculous, it's a bad idea" Noa kept whispering even though you were no longer in sight
"Try it! Hey, you could try it now. You could.... catch a fish, a good one, big, and give it to her... And see her reaction!" Noa wished it were as easy as the image Anaya had in her head of this whole situation.
"It's not that simple" He finally replied. Noa stood up, walking silently to the water and pointed his spear at the river "But I wish it were."
Anaya didn't move from his place
"I think you're the one making it more complicated" That stopped him in the middle of his action and looked at Anaya.
"Okay, you're right, IS complicated, but you make it worse." .
"I don't want to talk about it anymore." Noa lost his patience at this, or became anxious
"What? That's it? You're just going to ignore it?" He stood up and roughly grabbed his shoulder, looking at him. "Forever?"
"I said enough!" Noa pushed him away even more aggressively. "I'm sorry, just, that's enough." He looked at the water sadly; he really didn't want to risk this.
Anaya snorted. "I think you'll only hurt yourself… both of you, actually."
Noa turned to his friend, dismayed. "What… what do you mean?"
But he didn't answer, and they didn't speak about it again all day, or even that week. Noa was starting to have doubts.
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Noa couldn't get the idea out of his mind. He turned it over in his head, didn't sleep, couldn't stop looking at you, couldn't ignore it, couldn't deny it either.
Dar pulled him from his thoughts. "It seems something's been worrying you" She signed. Noa looked at her and nodded. "What could be keeping you so awake"-
"Difficult decisions..."
"It must be very important if you... spent the last week keeping your hands VERY busy on projects that aren't so urgent." He was doing that. Noa kept busy when he was anxious. He did it when he was about to climb for his eagle, when he got his egg, before it broke. He also did it when he officially took his father's position—an overwhelming stress that vanished along with your presence by his side.
"You know me, mother."
"You're my son... Can I guess?"
"You can try." Noa gave his mother a faint smile. He was tired.
"Is about a.... female?" Noa's face transformed in an instant. She couldn't have guessed so quickly. It had been so obvious. How could it have been so obvious? What if you had noticed? What if you thought it was because of someone else? Not out of jealousy, because it would be harder to let you know.
"How?" He ask.
"My son... and you're already at the age... stages. You stressed out with each one... I can only imagine what the next one will be..." Dar smiled proudly.
"MOTHER!" Noa interrupted her, embarrassed.
"Well... then... why do you worry so much?"
"It's difficult, Mother... it's not... what you'd expect..." Noa glanced behind his mother. She turned and saw you there. In the clearing, playing with the baby apes, you had made a ball out of hide, feathers, and straw, and you were entertaining them with it. Dar watched the children, but if she was talking to Noa, it was because you were watching his turn; it had been that way since you settled into the clan. And Noa loved that, loved seeing you with the little ones, so deeply rooted in the future of their clan, with so much love for it.
Dar turned to his son with an "ohh... sure..." expression. He waited for an answer, but she didn't really say anything.
"So... what's the problem?" Dar raised an eyebrow, Noa raised both of them, surprised and bewildered.
"WHAT IS-!?" He stopped and looked in your direction, hoping and praying you hadn't noticed anything. Now the kids were surrounding you as you held something in your hands and talked to them. You were probably improvising a lesson.
Another thing he loved about you was that you always had interesting things to show them, always knew something he didn't, and that combined with his innate curiosity.
"Which one do you think is the mother?" This time Noa lowered his voice.
"For me, none one" Noa looked at her again. She seemed completely unconcerned about the situation that had been eating away at him for weeks, if he was counting the conversation with Anaya. Or months.
"Son... I've loved that girl since she set foot here. This is the best news you could give me. Well, there's no other kind of news..." She started bothering him again.
"That's enough, mother!"
Dar gave him a little tug on his ear. "Respect your mother!"
"The elders won't like it... I've already broken too many rules... the law says... no... not with echos." Noa rubbed her ear where it had been pulled
"I thought the law was wrong." Dar smiled at him knowingly.
"Noa, if you love each other, how can it be wrong?" She caressed his cheek.
"IF she loves me" He said, resigned.
"IF you don't try, you won't know... and all that love will slip through your fingers."
"If you ask my advice... she was a good choice." she said sweetly and smiled
With that, Dar stood up and left, Noa dragging her hands, in search of one last touch from his mother to comfort him.
He turned his gaze to you, playing with one of the smallest babygirl, the one who had clung to you like a koala. Noa knew that animal from the books you showed him with such enthusiasm. They never left their mothers' side, and you didn't push the baby away when she looked for you; she had lost her mother in the vault. You used to tell her you were her big sister, that you always wanted to be.
But Noa always thought you behaved more like her mother: when you cuddled her and sang to her to comfort her, when you defended her from the other kids, when you taught her how to weave flower crowns or let her comb and braid your hair. Whenever you appeared covered in flowers, feathers, and beads, it was because the little one had been there. And you wore it proudly, even though sometimes it looked like a bird had tried to nest in your head.
A mother
What a good mother you would be... Noa sometimes got lost in that thought.
Could you have... his children? He stopped at that line. He didn't need to create fantasies only to be disappointed later. He couldn't stand it.
But... He would love it... was it worth it? If you accepted it, could they have that future?
Too late. Noa already wanted to reach out and reach for it. Yes, it was worth it. He had to try.
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It's been a month since Noa made this decision, and he's tried everything.
EVERYTHING!!!
• Giving you gifts, gifts he knows you like: human trinkets and objects from nature you collect.
• Furs and blankets.
• Making you a new spear (though you're not very good with it).
• Helping you fix your arrows.
• Offering you a lot of his hunting. Damn it! he practically threw a huge boar at your feet, and your only reaction was to worry about putting him in danger.
•Following you everywhere now, and oh... scaring away the other males, as much as he can, with just a glance.
• More time alone, where he tries to impress you, so you'll see him fish and hunt... And then he takes you to see him catch a wild horse!.
•FLOWERS! He leaves flowers everywhere, tied to your horse, between your baskets, on your doorstep (He doesn't even know if you know it's him, he just leaves them there).
And it becomes so frustrating when you don't respond to them. You don't realize it, but he doesn't know you're not reading his signals.
Noa refuses to tell you directly. Initially, he's afraid of your reaction, that you'll be scared off, or that it will simply ruin the friendship. He'd rather have you as just a friend (and contain all thoughts) with you than not have you at all.
Secondly.... tradition, in the Eagle Clan, choosing and courting is done through actions rather than words.
The male is supposed to act, show off, impose, and to keep others away. And the female accepts or rejects.
So your lack of acceptance gifts makes Noa think it's a silent rejection.
Anaya and Soona try to convince him otherwise, but he refuses to discuss it with you. How could you not know? Soona surely told you about these clan customs.
And yes, you knew it, but you were too insecure and thought you were misinterpreting him.
Actually, half of his actions seemed just a little more intense than his normal behavior: He always brought you gifts, shared his food, grumbled or gave you that look when you spent too much time with another male—friend jealousy—you thought. It could happen.
The only thing that really threw you off was the boar carcass at your feet, and you froze. That did make a noise, but the thought quickly left your head. "A WILD BOAR? YOU HUNT A WILD BOAR?" It was practically a scolding. "It's not necessary, it's too dangerous!" That offended Noa, and he definitely took it as disapproval. You didn't think he was strong enough, suitable enough for your choice...
This whole situation drives Soona and Anaya crazy, so they plan to intervene on their own, without Noa knowing.
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So Soona makes you follow her through the woods, to the river, where Anaya and Noa are arguing. She stops you before you try to greet them, and urges you to hide.
"And what am I supposed to say to her?" Noa said. The conversation had been going on for a while before both of you arrived.
"Tell her how you feel?" Anaya replied glancing sideways at you, that you appeared next to Soona among the trees.
"I... I don't know... I...Just-Agh!... " Noa was getting frustrated.
"Think... why her?"
Noa paused, breathed, thought, and remembered. Everything, every moment since he met you, since you became close. When both started spending time together, when you both discovered new things about each other, every comment, every story. When both began to be vulnerable with each other, when both began to be an emotional pillar for each other.
That time you worried about taking care of him when he was hurt, and how good it felt, knowing that you appreciated him. That time he thought he would lose you, and felt like he would die too. All the times he imagined that one day you would simply leave, and be happy with someone else, and he… he would have to accept it, but… but it would destroy him. If he allows himself to be selfish, he would prefer that you keep him.
"Because... Because I can't imagine my life without her by my side anymore, just by my side... She makes me happy, because she understands me, she gives me peace when she's around, she makes me stronger. She gives me what I don't have and strengthens what I already am. Her voice, her laughter, her comments about everything she sees, when she gets angry, when she cries over silly things and then gets embarrassed, everything, it's all of them... she is my whole world now, and I can't breathe if she's not there... and... and I don't want anyone else. I want her, i want to protect her and make her happy too... and...-"
He forces himself to stop when he sees Anaya, almost in tears "No... No... Continue..." He wiped away his tears and sobbed.
"I CAN'T TELL HER ALL THAT. HOW DO YOU THINK SHE'D REACT—?"
"Is... is that true?" You interrupt him by emerging from among the trees, your eyes bright and expectant, your breath caught in your throat.
Noa doesn't answer you; he looks at Soona and then glares at Anaya, accusing him. "Did you...? Both?" He understood the plan immediately.
"We'll leave you two alone." Anaya laughs nervously and follows Soona. "You have a lot to discuss. Bye."
The whole time you never stopped looking at him, your eyes wide and full of hope and anticipation. Noa must have been very unsure of himself not to notice the desire in your eyes for him to say yes.
You both looked at each other for a bit longer before he started to stutter. "I... mmm... actually..." Noa wanted the earth to swallow him alive
You nodded and seemed to follow the words with your eyes, as if searching for confirmation, affirmation, anything that resembled a yes, among everything that came out of his mouth.
"N...no..." He answered you.
"Oh..." Noa noticed how your entire body language change and fell, lowering your shoulders and gaze "...Okay" You almost whispered and turned to leave.
"No, wait...Yes?" he doubting.
You turned around and looked at him in confusion. "Yes?" you repeated, tilting your head "I need you to be more direct with me" You demanded with more seriousness and firm now, but your tone remained as soft as at the beginning.
Noa took a breath and approached you.-I wasn't... direct enough?- he reproached you.
You frowned "Mmmh No...? of course n—" You were left thinking, and turned your eyes back to him again "Oh..." You almost slapped yourself in the face... "I didn't know! How could I? What am I supposed to do?" You started speaking desperately so that he would believe you and praying you wouldn't have ruined everything. "Wait... we're talking about... that, right?..."
-
"OH, IT CAN'T BE, THEY'RE BOTH EQUALLY INSECURE, JUST SAY IT" Anaya almost screams from the bushes next to Soona "shh" silences him with an elbow to prevent him from ruining the moment that was forming.
-
"We didn't talk about it..." He start.
"We did." You pointed to yourself.
Noa took a breath and closed his eyes for a second... "What I said is true... I... I don't want anyone else... i choose you... for my whole life... would you be... my mate?" he said, FINALLY, letting out the air and all his feelings.
You smiled at him with all the tenderness and sweetness you could express with your face. With all the love you had for him in your soul. -"Yes" you said, at the same time handing him a feather you took from one of your braids... "YEEES!!!." You shouted again while jumping little.
Noa stopped your excitement, cupping your face and then pulling you toward him so your foreheads touched.
You felt an overwhelming relief, so much so that you wanted to cry. It was something you had accepted as impossible, and it was happening "I love you..." you said to him, some running down your face "Oh, I can't be so cheesy." You laughed, smiling, drying her tears with your hands
"I love you too." Your foreheads were still pressed together.
"Noa?" You took his face in both hands and looked into his eyes."Can I... kiss you?" Noa nodded with a little smile.
It was a soft, short kiss, but full of love.
And then another, and another, and more. With little giggles interrupting each one and both were starting to get more passionate when they interrupt. "What are you doing?" Anaya was totally confused. "What are you doing to her mouth?" Noa shoved him off, right in his face.
"They were spying" you said, trying to hide how blushed you were.
"Hey, We've worked too hard not to know how this will all end." Soona also appeared
You stifled a giggle. "well.. thanks." You looked at Noa, filled with longing to kiss her again. "Really, thank you... both" You turned to both and hugged them
"Yeah yeah yeah..." Anaya interrupted you "But really, what were you doing?" He repeated it until you had to explain...
"You know what kisses are, Naya, they're a sign of affection… love"
"Friends love each other, can I have one?" You knew he was just joking, but Noa beat you to it. "No! Shall we go?"
"Will you let them see it?" Soona interrupted him, pointing to the feather you had given Noa, he still had it in his hand.
The feather, your feather, you looked at it. If the others noticed that Noa had a feather, they would know that someone had accepted him, and if they looked carefully, they would know perfectly well that it was from your bird. None of this was going to go unnoticed.
Did Noa want it? Or was it supposed to be a secret?
"Should we say it?" You asked uncertainly.
"Mother knows" He answered you -and says she loves you as a daughter-in-law- Noa laughed; it was funny that he sometimes used human terms.
That gave you relief. "And... how will we tell the elders?" You added.
"Oh... right... that will be a problem." Noa looked at the rest of the group.
Warning: a small, suggestive mention, but nothing explicit. Spelling/grammatical errors, bad English? Probably
Summary: Helping Noa leaves you exhausted, but taking you to rest awakens a lot in his mind.
A/N: This is the first time I've ever posted anything, I'm so nervous! 😩This is a bit short scenario.
It's more of a short story than a one-shot, but oh well, I just got carried away.
If you notice a change in the writing halfway through the scene, it's because I wrote the second half first and wanted to add more context.
❤️I hope you like it and let me know what you think❤️
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The changing of the seasons was approaching, and with it, the Eagle Clan's celebrations. Everything had to be ready for the next moon, and Noa was swamped with tasks. This would have been easy to manage if a storm hadn't struck the village a few weeks ago, knocking down a couple of huts where the food and human artifacts he usually gathered from the valley were stored. Many things needed to be fixed as soon as possible to begin the preparations.
Noa was very busy with his own responsibilities, but many of the damaged objects were of human origin, many of which he had been rebuilding to help improve life in the clan, and no one knew how they worked better than he did.
The days passed, and although he tried to hide it, the weight of both responsibilities took its toll on him. You could see his exhaustion; sometimes he would forget to eat so as not to neglect the birds while trying to rebuild the machinery that had taken him months to decipher, or he would spend the entire night without sleeping.
You couldn't stand it and wouldn't let him argue about it. You decided you would help him in any way you could so that he could at least sleep and eat properly.
A couple of weeks passed, and maybe you overdid it a bit…
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
That morning began like all the others in the last few days: waking up with the sun, going up to the aviary, helping Noa remove the masks from the birds and feed them, going down to prepare breakfast, finishing your usual morning tasks, looking after the children during Dar's break, your afternoon chores while in between you went up to help Noa by going and getting whatever he needed, preparing dinner with the rest of the group, and while Noa finished feeding the eagles again, you helped him tidy up the day's mess and plan for the next.
At dusk, you went up to the tower with Noa, carrying a basket to finish up, while he worked on his own things and asked you about the workings of the human-made tools he had recently acquired. You nodded off when he wasn't looking, your eyes closed, and your vision blurred.
"You should go to bed, I'm finishing up here," He said, trying to take the basket from your hands, but you pulled away.
"I told you the same thing two weeks ago. Did you listen to me then?" You smiled mockingly, but your eyes were barely open in that expression.
Noa grimaced.
"Only you can handle this stuff, and you need to be there for the change of seasons, clear-headed… all of you can do without me" You added before he could object.
"I know you were excited about this and wouldn't want to miss it… the music and the dancing that…"
"Noa, I'm fine! Let me finish this." You interrupted him, returning to your knitting
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Exhaustion finally forces you to fall asleep. It took Noa a moment to realize; he was still talking to you about complicated wiring when she turned to see why you weren't answering his questions.
He just stares at you for a moment, sighing, thinking. He doesn't like seeing you like this either, but it touches him deeply, and it breaks his heart to see you so willing to do this for him, or for the clan, or for him… he wants it to be for him…
He lifts you and carries you to your nest, gently laying you down. But you wake up before he's fully settled you.
You sit for a moment, your eyes still half-closed, to remove your shoes, accessories, and clothing. You weren't going to undress right there, were you? Noa felt a mixture of fear and curiosity, wondering if you were self-aware enough not to try to take off your pants in front of him. He sighed when you didn't.
You couldn't manage the braids and necklaces that wouldn't come off easily, So you give up and decide to sleep with everything on.… until you felt Noa's hands... in your hair, undoing everything, and then on the nape of your neck, a tickle that sent shivers down your spine. Too asleep to hide it, you let out a murmur of satisfaction.
Noa freezes and stops his hands, as you turn to look at him with a questioning expression, but you don't say anything, which confuses him even more. Did you like that? Or was it just a complaint? Should he have asked you before touching you, even if it was just a light touch, Or would that have ruined everything even more?
Your moan as you turn around again pulls him from his thoughts. He notices you shift uncomfortably, twisting your neck and touching your shoulders. "Does it hurt there?" You nod with your eyes closed, making small circles with your fingers on one of your shoulders.
Is that what you wanted? That's what he wanted, but what about you? You were so tired you were barely talking to him, and even worse, in pain. He couldn't let you be in pain… or was he just making excuses?
Noa slides in behind you. "Could I?" You nod before he finishes asking, letting out a silent moan rather than a murmur of approval as you feel the pressure he applies to your back, shoulders, and the base of your neck. You wince when he finds the tight spots and then stifle a laugh at your own reaction.
When it's over, you urge him to stay a little longer until you fall asleep. You don't really say anything, just stop him before he can move away on his own, and pull him by the arm as you snuggle up between the furs. You just want more caresses.
He lies down without a word, too far away to hug you, yet close enough to touch you.
He stays there, gently stroking your shoulder and arm from top to bottom, your back to him, until you fall asleep, lost in the sensation of your skin. And then in your scent, staring over your shoulder, at your breath, thinking of nothing but the feeling of your skin. He doesn't know how long he stayed like that, perhaps hours, perhaps minutes.
He gently moved your hair aside to get a better look at your face and slid a finger along your cheek, then up to your neck, pausing at the strap of your dress. Without thinking, he slid it down with the force of his touch across your skin, and looked at you again, breathing heavily…
Lost in you, in what he felt, smelled, and saw… He wanted to get closer, smell you more, touch you more, bury his face in your neck, deeper, kiss you, lick you, bite you—no, NO, that was too much. He tightened his grip on the hem of your dress; it was too much to even think about it. He snapped back to reality when your breathing changed and pulled away before you could even turn to face him.
You looked at him, barely awake, in silence, and frowned.
"Are you still awake?" you murmured.
Noa didn't answer; his thoughts had taken him far beyond his boundaries with you. And he didn't like that. It made him feel guilty—guilty of making you uncomfortable, scaring you, or disgusting you, of being too obvious and making you hate him for it. His hands had won over his mind, and that made him feel even worse.
"Did something happen?" you asked, your eyes now closed. "Worried?"
"...No" he answered softly
"So..?" you asked, your face pressed against your pillow, your words mumbled.
"Thinking," he sighed.
"About?"
"About how well you'll rest tomorrow and how to repay you for my help." he said; concentrating on the real reason he was in your room, in your nest, because he had carried you in his arms, laid you down, and helped you take off some of your clothes. Because you were tired, because you were helping him, because you needed to rest.
You smiled with your eyes closed. "Nooo" you protested.
"Yes"
You open your eyes, biting your lip to suppress a smile.
"What?" Noa knew you well enough to know when you had something strange on your mind, or when you were about to tell one of your human jokes, or do something you knew would drive him crazy.
"Nothing…" you say, in a different tone.
Your mind worked faster than you did, and even though it was a joke to yourself, you know very well what you want in return
"I do it because I love you." That was a pang in his heart, even if it wasn't the kind of love he wanted. "I don't need rewards."
You reach out, cupping his face, and gently stroke his cheek. Noa shudders. "You're tired too. I don't want you to be tired," you say softly. He takes your hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb, completely contrary to everything he was thinking a moment ago.
"Then we should both rest tomorrow."
"But the eagles…" you say.
"I'll think of a way..." Noa takes your hand away from his face and places it on the furs above the nest, still holding it and gently caressing it.
"Okay…" you say softly and settle back down to sleep, without turning over, focusing your attention on your hand being caressed by him. You raise your index finger to do the same absentmindedly. After a while, it's almost a game, moving your hands until your palms face each other. You touch his fingertip with the pad of your finger, one by one, then lower your fingers along his palm, and he does the same until he takes your hand and intertwines his fingers with yours. You look at him, blushing at the intimacy of the moment.
In a moment of courage, before you can change your mind, you turn around, your hand still in his, letting his arm encircle you. You take a deep breath, hoping he'll pull away, but he doesn't. He stays there, touching you, caressing your hand until you both fall asleep, embraced and snuggled together .
Noa breathes. This is what he wanted from the beginning: to have you closer, not completely, but close enough. And you too. He was grateful for that, because it felt good, better than good.
Maybe you got drunk (don't ask me how you got the alcohol, you could have done it by accident?), or maybe you consumed something that left you in the same state: inhibited and dazed.
So you arrive at the village like this, staggering, with a slurred voice and slurred speech.
Noa finds your mood funny and cute because you're a "happy and affectionate drunk." You're also less shy this way, so you're constantly cuddling with him, kissing his shoulder and cheek, and telling him how much you love him. You even have a mini jealousy scene -Oh no! he's mine!- you exclaimed, hugging his arm and almost push a female ape who was just being friendly with him.
Already at night, and after dinner Noa takes you to your house and helps you lie down in your nest, you laugh all the time at your own clumsiness, you pout at him, you give his soft caresses on the arm, and flirtatious pushes while you smile at him, and you laugh again.
He also laughs at your actions, at no time does anything you do bother him and he is totally kind and respectful of your condition.
He crouches down next to your nest to be at your level, face to face, close.
Already lying down and covered in your nest, you look at him and laugh shyly -you're so sweet...- you run your index finger over his nose in a small caress -...and handsome.- Noa lets out a stifled laugh.
You grimace at him, frowning, your voice trailing off, -seriously... even by human standards.-
Noa looks at you and smiles very tenderly, you seem extremely adorable to her in that state, she gives you a soft caress on the hair and then on the cheek.
-go to sleep now... or you'll have a headache tomorrow- a playful scolding from him as he covers you tightly with your blanket again
-mmmh- was your capricious response accompanied by a pout
-okay!- you say with a small smile sharpening your voice, you straighten up suddenly, leaning on your elbows.
and you give him a quick, fleeting little kiss, a peck. Noa barely has time to react before she stifles a giggle.
-good night- you turn over, curl up again and almost in a second you fall asleep.
Noa remains in the same place, with no reaction other than a contained smile. The situation seems more funny than anything else, and he knows you won't even remember it in the morning.
At that moment, he just takes it as a sign of special affection, which you've only given him ❤️
