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Title: Slippery Slope.

Fandom: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Rating: T. ( Cursing, Adult Conversations/Situations)

Pairing: Eventual Noa x Human!Reader.

Notes: Hello everyone! Finally had time to update. Not promising regular updates as an 8 month old is demanding and writers block hit me hard, but like I promised, I will continue and eventually finish the story. Please comment your thoughts and reactions down below! I love reading them! ❤️ Tagging @smashee0789 @dressycobra7

Chapter 16: Compromise

You

You changed your mind.

You changed your mind so fast you almost felt bad about it. You would have felt bad about it, if it wasn’t for the fact that Noa knew it was a long shot to start off with.

“One day,” you argued.

Noa huffed, mouth tight, “Five…days.”

“This is called negotiating,” you groaned. “You’re supposed to get closer to what I want but also get close to what you want.”

“I want…five days.” Noa explained, then after a long pause, relented, “Three…days.”

You bit your lip. It was fair, and Noa probably wouldn’t go any lower. Still, you argued, “What would I even do? What’s expected of me?”

“Show you are…not a threat…to my village.” Noa shrugged, “Younglings…are not…so bad…compared to elders.”

You hummed in agreement, yet still did not verbally agree. This did not go unnoticed by Noa, who asked again, “Three days…yes?”

“Out of nine, sure.” You smiled.

Noa’s grin fell, looking annoyed as he corrected, “You said…week is…seven days.”

You rolled your eyes playfully, “Curse your good memory.”

“Could always…bring elders…to you…now…much faster…this way.” Noa teased.

You lightly splashed him with water, which he barely reacted to. He mainly blocked it with his arm, hooting slightly as you finally agreed, “Alright, fine. Three days, and then after a while, we will discuss me maybe going to your village. In return, you promise to never surprise me like yesterday, or push me into something I’m not ready for.”

Noa nodded once and hummed, “Agreed.”

“Shake on it,” you said, sticking your hand out.

Noa stared blankly at your outstretched arm, head tilting slightly. Before you could explain, two of his fingers gingerly gripped your hand. He lightly shook your arm left and right, causing your shoulder to jolt a bit. You snickered as he commented, “Strange…human behavior.”

You shook your head, “No, no. Not like that. Okay, open your hand like this, then take my hand in yours…like this. Now, we go up and down a few times. This, signifies that we are in agreement.”

Noa’s brows furrowed slowly as he watched your joined hands move up and down, “Words…not enough?”

You took your hand back, shrugging, “I think it’s meant to be symbolic, and in my experience with other humans, actions speak louder than words sometimes.”

Noa hummed, eyes distant and unfocused on the forest across the river from where you sat. You’d seen that look before, you knew it meant he was pondering, focused more on the future than the here and now. You were content to let him think, slipping carefully off your perch and stretching a bit.

“I’m going to swim to the rock and back to cool off,” you announced as you waded into the water. “Will you be here when I get back, or are there duties you need to attend to? When is that Big Climb you were talking about before?”

“Soon,” was all Noa said at first. “Can stay…bit longer.”

You took a breath, “I’ll be quick then. I want to talk to you about something else before you leave.”

With that, you dove forward into the water, following the riverbed closely until it dropped off. You always felt it before you saw it, nudging the edge with your toe as you began to curve your body more upwards. You closed your eyes for a moment, heart steady, careful to release just the right amount of air as you kicked off in one hard push. Your hands instinctively went forward, remembering for a moment that time the current, and your too aggressive launch, had led you to smack into your rock sooner than you expected. Your nose had been sore for two days, but it did teach you to either always swim with your eyes open, or at least put your hands in front of you.

The current today was light, carrying you forward but also slightly to the left, causing you to almost overshoot and miss your handhold entirely. You surfaced for air, fingers gripping hard onto the protruding ledge in order to anchor yourself. You freed one hand to push hair out of your eyes, noting again how long it had become, and yet you still felt no need to cut it. How strange.

You strained to look up at the sun’s position, blocking the intense light from your eyes with the same hand as before. The day was still young, the heat at its peak, but you couldn’t imagine being very productive. The most you could hope to accomplish would be to pack and prep for your journey to the winery. That’s what you wanted to discuss with Noa. You were ashamed to still keep Micheal a secret, but assuming Noa would either come with you, or possibly lend you a horse, you wanted to wait to tell him until after your trip. It was a long and hard trek on foot, horseback would make it so much easier. Plus, you promised to show the apes where it was.

At least, that’s what you told yourself. Your conscience whispered in some far off corner of your brain that you were just using this as an excuse to delay telling Noa. And it was right…partly. You were also afraid that after such an intense fight, if you told him now, it might break any remaining goodwill Noa has for you. And why? Because if it came down to choosing Noa over Micheal…you weren’t sure you would choose Noa.

You sighed, resting your head for a moment on the warm stone in front of you. Noa was absolute, sure in his decisions and his beliefs. Hesitation on your part would probably be seen as a betrayal, and let’s face it, having an Eagle killer as a pet was already a betrayal. You hoped Noa could maybe see things from your perspective, if you two could just sit down and talk. But not now. It was too soon, and he was under enough stress as it was. The Big Climb was happening soon, and he had the elders to deal with.

That’s why you proposed the compromise. The young apes weren’t as intimidating, and his mother seemed to like you well enough. Seeing them, with or without Noa, was the best solution you could come up with to keep the peace with everyone. Noa was right, you were afraid, and if you didn’t at least try to get along with other members of his clan, you were never going to move forward. Truthfully, you didn’t want to be afraid anymore. You were tired of living your life in fear; you needed to try, for the sake of Noa’s friendship at least.

You dunked your face forward once more in the water, the heat of the sun warming the crown of your head. Another swipe of water from your eyes and you turned back towards Noa. He was still standing where you had left him, but instead of looking at you, his head was turned down, staring at something in the water. Perhaps it was a fish? So as not to startle Noa, or whatever had him so transfixed, you waded carefully back over, allowing the current to do some of the work.

When you were close enough to potentially see what he was looking at, you dug your feet into the muddy bottom. Your stop was instant but soft, bobbing slightly in place as you tried to see through the moving water. The silt started to settle a bit more, but still you couldn’t see anything. That’s when Noa crouched, his knuckles trailing against the surface of the water before pulling back. He studied his hand for a moment before turning his gaze towards you.

“I wish…I could…float…like you do,” he said softly.

You felt the heaviness of the statement, choosing to move swiftly out of the water and onto the bank next to Noa. He reached out a hand, which you happily took as he helped pull you out of the muck and onto the drier part of the river’s edge. There wasn’t much of a point to drying off, but you felt your hands trailing down your arms and legs in order to slough off the excess water.

You couldn’t look at Noa as you admitted, “It’s not that great. In your world, it’s much better to be strong and powerful, which are two things I wish I was.”

He huffed, “Agree…to disagree…would not have lost…so many apes…if we could…swim…strength and power…do not always matter.”

“Ah,” you smiled. “You do strike me as the type to appreciate brains over brawn.”

Noa’s brows scrunched, “Brawn?”

You huffed, “Right. Brawn is another human word for muscle, strength, or in some cases it can mean brute force.”

Noa hummed, and silence fell over you once more. You took the opportunity to cut straight to the chase, “Would you and the rest of the trio be free to travel to the winery with me? The place where the grapes come from.”

Noa seemed surprised by the invitation, but the mention of grapes seemed to reignite his enthusiasm. “When?”

“Tomorrow?” You offered, “Or the day after? It will be a two day trip for sure.”

“Tomorrow,” Noa said decidedly. “I will…tell Anaya and…Soona…make the preparations tonight…meet you at burrow…with horses…close to midday.”

You nodded, “Sounds good to me. I’ll let you get back to your clan, and I’ll go back and pack my things for the trip. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

You pivoted, but before you could step back into the water you heard Noa say, “Be…careful.”

The tone of his voice made you pause, turning to lock eyes with him once more. “In the water? I will. I always am.”

“You are…alone,” Noa said. “I can not…help you…if there is danger.”

You smiled, taking the extra few steps required to reach him. You weren’t sure if it was the sentiment, your own recognition of how awkward things had been between the two of you up to this point, or the fact that you were just truly glad you hadn’t lost him as a friend entirely. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter, you had someone in your life who actually cared about you. As you wrapped your arms around him the realization hit you, how nice it was to be cared for again. Noa tensed as you rested your head against his chest, probably unsure of what you were doing or why, before you felt his arms raise to rest on the back of your shoulder blades.

“Don’t worry about me so much,” you sighed against his chest. “I appreciate your concern, but I have been fending for myself in the water just fine so far.”

“You are…very capable.” Noa agreed, hold remaining firm.

You pulled back just enough to look at him, “Yes, I am. So, know that if I need help I’ll ask for it, and I’m not going to do anything dangerous if I can avoid it. You have enough pressure on you as it is, I don’t want to add to it.”

“You are not…part of my clan.” Noa began, arms releasing you, “but I will…treat you…just as I…treat them…no difference Echo.”

“But we are different.” You countered, not unkindly, just stating a fact.

He smirked, “Not as much…as you think…go now…will see you…tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, you signed back.

This briefly earned a smile from Noa, before you saw him crouch into a run and leap with great force into a nearby tree. You felt your jaw loosen for a moment at the display. You did not always fully realize or understand the power Noa was capable of, until he demonstrated it in moments like these. It was truly magnificent to see.

With that, you returned to the water and set off for your burrow. Your cheeks began to hurt, only then realizing that you were smiling so broadly. You really were looking forward to tomorrow.

…

Not yet, you signed back sheepishly to Anaya, making sure Soona and Noa’s focus was on allowing the horses to rest and get a drink.

With a pointed look Anaya signed, Why?

You couldn’t sign out that complicated of an answer, so you would have to be tactful in your next choice of words. You turned slightly, calling, “Soona.”

When said ape turned to look at you, you tried to be nonchalant as you asked, “Did Noa tell you about me attending youngling classes? That I’ll be meeting with them often and spending time getting to know more about your clan?”

Anaya’s brows furrowed, pinched almost too tight before realization dawned and his face elongated into an exaggerated expression of understanding. To your own surprise, Soona was apparently unaware of this new development. A somewhat quick intake and quick exhale of breath, which you assumed meant she was happy, and then Soona was patting you on the shoulder. “Good news…very good news Echo…must join you…so you do not…get scared off…by so many…newborn questions.”

You chuckled good naturedly, feeling slightly uneasy now that you knew Noa had told Soona and Anaya about your past. It was like every comment suddenly had a double meaning to it. You had to silence those voices in your head each time that thought occurred. Anaya waved to get your attention, and just as he was about to start his signing, Noa announced, “Horses…are fine…let us…carry on.”

You pursed your lips into a thin line, trying to keep your gaze on Anaya, but of course, you were once again riding with Noa. He blocked your line of sight as he helped you mount, the sting of being in the saddle for almost the entire day nothing compared to the deep ache you were beginning to feel in your pelvis. The cramps were starting to wear you down more than the riding, and you were positive Noa had noticed from how careful he was being with you.

You really had tried to tough it out, but these last few miles had been so bumpy you had hissed a few times involuntarily. You were almost positive that’s why Noa had told Soona and Anaya that the horses deserved a break and that everyone should rest for a bit. You were grateful for the break, but at this point you just wanted to be at the winery already. The clouds that were moving in were making you anxious as well.

Luckily, Noa always mounted from the opposite side, so you had just enough time to catch Anaya signing, Do not wait long. Secrets bad.

You nodded your head once, before returning your gaze to the road ahead of you. You were so close, probably only another twenty minutes by horse. You explained to Noa the path ahead as his horse took the lead, while Soona and Anaya rode side by side a few paces behind. They seemed to be having their own conversation, one they were happy to keep you and Noa out of.

Your observation was cut short by a grunt, “There is place for fire…in this…winery?”

You nodded, “Mhm, I think it was also someone’s home at one point.”

“How do you…know?” Noa questioned.

“I stayed there a few times before and worked on clearing out the overgrowth of nature.” You shrugged, “There were some nice relics I found that were salvageable, and a few different places to sleep. There was a fireplace in the main portion next to a large…nest, where I would cook meals if I managed to hunt, then I would sleep there.”

Noa mulled over your response before parroting, “Relics?”

You smiled, turning your head to glance at Noa, “Old human stuff that is still useful.”

Noa hummed his understanding before a comfortable silence fell over the two of you. You allowed yourself to bask in it, leaning further back into Noa slightly, and letting out a breath. Your mind appreciated the view, noting the still darkening clouds, before it wandered back to Anaya and Soona. You couldn’t hear what they were saying, and they weren’t signing at all. That was odd.

“Not…our concern.” Noa said, as if reading your mind. “Just as…what we discuss…is not theirs.”

You chuckled, craning your neck all the way back to look up at him, “We don’t talk about anything that would be concerning.”

Noa grunted, “Would like to…now.”

You cocked your eyebrow, leaning slightly away from Noa, as you hesitantly asked, “Regarding what?”

A small snort came from Noa’s nostrils, his gaze fixed on yours as he asked, “What is…sickness…you have?”

“Sickness?” You parroted, confused.

“Or injury.” Noa offered, head jerking downwards and eyes glancing towards your thighs.

You broke eye contact immediately, cringing internally as you realized what he meant. Your hand trailed up from its resting place and onto your abdomen, which had chosen that moment to cramp up again. You clenched your teeth, fighting off the urge to groan as Noa continued, “Smell…Echo blood…and something else…that carries pain.”

Oh. My. God.

He could smell your blood and the hormones that came with it? You didn’t think it was possible to die of embarrassment, but right now your brain was doing its best to shut everything down. If the Earth opened up and swallowed you whole right now, you would be grateful.

Still, Noa persisted, “Want to…understand…help…if possible.”

You felt a sharp laugh burst out of you, clamping your hand over your mouth as you shook your head and tried to pull yourself together. Deep breath in…deep breath out. With all the tenderness of handling broken glass, you attempted to explain, “It’s not a sickness or an injury. It’s…biology.”

“What is…biology?” Noa asked.

“Right,” you nearly groaned. “Its the way human female bodies work. Once a cycle, which can be different for all females, we…um….”

“Bleed?” Noa offered.

You pinched your lips together, “Mhm. Sort of. We bleed to show the end of the cycle. Usually it starts after we become adolescents, and if we do this once a cycle that means we are not pregnant.”

Noa looked confused, “Humans…go into heat?”

“What? No!” You half shrieked, the idea itself feeling animalistic and foreign. After a moment, a second thought, you replied in a calmer voice, “We have a period of time where we can get pregnant, and if we don’t within that window, female bodies go through this cycle…think of it like refreshing a nest. You clean out the old leaves and add new ones. It’s easier for our bodies to keep babies that way.”

“You…want babies?” Noa asked, with an innocence that disarmed you from what would normally be a heartbreaking subject.

You simply shrugged, “Doesn’t matter. It’s not really about if I do or don’t. My body will go through the cycle once a month until I am too old, or until I die. Whichever comes first.”

Noa was quiet then. Thinking. You fixed your gaze on the clouds ahead, hearing a faint roll of thunder. You would get wet for sure before arriving at your destination. Hopefully a fire would be something one of the trio could make quick work of. It wasn’t cold by any means, but wet clothes at night, after the soreness of riding all day, you couldn’t think of anything worse.

“Thank you,” Noa said, interrupting your thoughts.

“For what?” You replied, genuinely confused.

He gave a small hum, “Answering questions…helping apes…sharing knowledge that…makes Echo…uncomfortable.”

“Oh,” you said dumbly. You were unsure if he should really be thanking you for that. It was an awkward conversation, but not as awkward or as uncomfortable as the cramps themselves. You were reminded of your current situation and how awful you felt. Without thinking, you blurted out the first question that came to your mind.

“Do you want babies?”

An unexpected snort came from Noa, and you closed your eyes, rolling them at your own desperate reach. You felt, rather than heard, the hearty chuff that came after. “Yes…one.”

“Just one?” You asked, turning in the saddle to look him in the eye. “Boy or girl?”

“A son…would be an honor…a girl…would be a great gift.” Noa replied.

“That’s a cheeky way of saying you’re indifferent,” you joked.

“Saying it…does not matter.” Noa remarked, “Is a sad way…of saying…you do not think…you will have any.”

You paused then, attempting to read in his face what he meant. Was that an ape thing, or did he just acknowledge how you had avoided answering his question earlier. A cold droplet on your cheek made you startle, blinking rapidly. You wiped it away, feeling both thoughts could be true. The latter held more weight though, considering you were dealing with Noa. You turned away from him then, feeling another droplet of water land on your arm. The rain was here, just as your little party had crossed the vineyards property line.

Another heartbeat and the rain turned from occasional droplets into a steady pour. The hair on your arms began to prickle, and you had to move more hair from in front of your eyes. For a moment, you felt a single drop of warm water run down the right side of your face. Something inside of your gut twisted, and your teeth clenched. What should have been the soothing sound of the rain, was drowned out by the stretching silence between you and Noa. You swallowed, trying to keep your breathing steady as more warm water began flowing down your left cheek as well.

With a swift jerk, you swiped the offending tears from your face. Maybe it was a bit too rough, feeling the sting of the friction before confessing, “I never want to have babies. Not because the only man I ever loved died, but because I would never want to raise them in a world where I couldn’t protect them. Babies deserve to feel safe. Always.”

You felt a weight fall over you then, the cold rain suddenly blocked from your drenched form. Your fingers traced the edge of the blanket Noa had thrown over you, lifting it to create more of an umbrella effect. Your throat felt tight as you replied, “Thank you.”

Noa hummed once. You thought that would be the end of it, but as always, he surprised you. “Things could…change.”

You scoffed, sarcastically agreeing, “Of course, things are just going to magically get better! When we get back, there will be a kind man, my age, waiting at my shelter for me; promising to whisk me away where I will never be in danger ever again. I’ll never be hungry, or cold, or scared for the rest of my life!”

Noa seemed at a loss for what to say, at least, that’s what you thought. You were surprised when he grunted, “Maybe not…like that…too quick…but if you tell…future males…that is…what you want…it is…possible.”

Note to self, teach apes about sarcasm.

You couldn’t help the smirk on your face as you admitted, “Noa, I wasn’t serio- true, I wasn’t true when I said that.”

You tried to look at him but the blanket blocked your view. You noticed then, he had not covered himself, only you. To remedy that, you pulled the blanket off, throwing it with an awkward grunt halfway over Noa, and half over you. He seemed to hesitate at first, but pulled his side to match yours in the end.

With a contented sigh, you continued, “What I meant before is, I don’t exactly have a ton of prospects. There are no humans around here, and I have no desire to go and search for them.”

“Humans…do not…like change.” Noa parroted your words from before, raising his arm in front of you, and pointing with his opposite hand. “But this…is change.”

The longer you stared at Noa’s arm, the more confused you became. Finally, you admitted, “I don’t understand. What is changed?”

“The rain.” Noa offered, still gesturing to his outstretched arm. Another beat or two of quiet passed before he continued, “When we first met…it was…raining.”

You felt your head turn on its own, locking eyes with Noa as his meaning sunk in. He seemed to recognize your understanding, his small smile widening as you softly acknowledged, “We changed.”

He nodded, “You…saved my life…invited me…into shelter…fed me…travelled with me…taught me…how to read…you…changed me.”

“You changed me too,” you offered. “I feel less afraid, and I’m not alone anymore. I have Anaya, and Soona, and you. You are my friends, and I never thought something like that would have been possible. It’s been a welcome change to how life was before.”

“I agree.” Noa said, allowing a comfortable silence to fall between us. After a moment he removed the blanket from himself, choosing to fold it over and make a stronger barrier against the rain for you. Before you could say anything, or even attempt to give it back he huffed and shook his head once. “It is…better for you…water…in this way…is nice…cool.”

You snickered, adjusting the blanket and finally seeing the house come into view. Everything inside of you began to relax, knowing you would soon be inside by a warm fire. Maybe it was that promise of comfort, or maybe your hormones were making you sentimental, but either way, you felt the need to share your thoughts.

“You know Noa, I think one day, you’re going to be a great father.”

He let out a surprised huff, some emotion flickering in his eyes, but before you could analyze it too closely, it vanished. Instead, he turned his gaze upwards, embracing the rain. He shook suddenly, throwing water every which way. You laughed, trying to dodge the new downpour. After his final shake, he hummed, “I hope you are right…though I am still young…time will tell.”

“Speaking of time,” you countered before calling over your shoulder. “We’re here!”

You heard Anaya and Soona acknowledge the information behind you before continuing to Noa, “The roof may be old but it’s sturdy, the horses can take shelter from the rain on what used to be the front porch. It’s mostly dirt now anyway. Let’s hurry and get inside before….”

You trailed off, horrified at what you were seeing. Noa, sensing your unease, asked, “What is wrong?”

At first, you thought your eyes were playing tricks on you. Then, you thought it had to have been an accident, but as the horses drew closer to the house, you felt your stomach drop. You suddenly felt much colder, your heart beginning to pound as you stared at the busted door to the house in front of you.

You always kept the door locked, having found a window on the second story to climb in and out of. It gave you that extra sense of security when traveling here alone. Now, that was gone. The door was half ripped off its hinges, splinters and marks in the thick wood revealing how deliberate the damage had been.

With a hesitant voice, you explained, “Someone else was here.”

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