(Author's note: This story was already published here on another account. I'm sorry about having to take it down to so quickly. I had to switch accounts. Enjoy the story!)

After the battle against Colonel McCullough, there were so few humans left that you decided to brave the forest on your own, in search of the apes. You weren't too keen on staying with the other humans. This creepy mutation of the simian flu was too much for you to risk contracting. The very idea of never being able to speak again and slowly losing your humanity... No thanks. You figured the apes would be the closest thing you'd have to actual civilization soon.

You set out in early Spring with your camping gear and as much canned food you could carry. It must've been mid June by the time two bonobos had finally found you taking berries from their usual picking patch. You turned just in time to see them notice you and then immediately turn and run.

"Wait!" You'd called after them.

You pursued them, but couldn't keep up. Within a few minutes, more apes returned, some armed with spears. You put your hands up, palms out. When they were done hooting to each other, you spoke up.

"I want to come with you." Your words were slow and deliberate. But as soon as you'd uttered the first one a ripple of surprised grunts flowed through the ape crowd. You got an anxious twinge in your belly. You weren't even sure if they understood you. But one of the chimps approached you. He placed his hand on your shoulder and nodded, tilting his head in the direction the posse had came from. The others followed his lead as you were guided to what you assumed was the ape colony.

They'd built wood shelters among the tree trunks and even a few treehouses here and there. Upon being ushered in, you noticed a chimp with a rugged, weathered face standing at the entrance of the highest tree house. They led you to the foot of the tree. All seemed to be waiting for him to say something. You never truly understood the expression of "eyes that bore into your soul" until this very moment.

"Why do you seek us?" The apes voice was gruff and comanding.

"The humans are sick," you began. The apes muttered to each other again. "I'd like to live among you, away from them. So that I might have a better chance at staying healthy..."

The ape regarded you, expression stoic.

"So that I might be able to live the rest of my life... without regressing," you tried to sound brave but you could feel the desperation welling up inside you. It was a selfish reason, you knew. But it was worth it if there was a chance they'd allow you.

The chimps gaze turned and rested at the entrance of another treehouse. You followed it and gasped at what was peeking out from it.

A little human girl, about 12 years old, large eyes wan and curious, peered back at you.

"Nova," the chimp explained, "is welcome here."

"Oh, good!" You thought. "So, of course they'll let me stay."

"But," the chimp continued, "she... has lost her speech."

You broke out into a cold sweat. What? This couldn't be. You'd spent months in the wilderness, eating cold soup, looking for the apes to shelter you from the rest of mankind only to find that there was an infected human in their midst? You'd gone through it all for nothing?

You could feel the pitying stares of the apes. They awaited your reaction to this news but all you could do was lower your head and look at the ground.

The ape addressed you once more, "You're welcome to stay if you wish..." his tone was even and accomidating. "We'll give you time...to make...decision."

You glanced up at the chimp, the look on his face was almost apologetic.

"Thank you," was all you could muster.

The apes were kind and shared their food. You made certain to thank them and be as friendly as possible. It was an effort to keep up this exterior when your head swam with frantic despair. What were you going to do now? Your biggest fear was becoming something that wasn't... you anymore. That fear drove you all the way out here. And yet... you couldn't shake the visage of that child, Nova, from your mind. That sweet little girl. You worried you'd accidently offended her. Or made her feel like she had already.. what was the word you'd used? "Regressed?" Oh, how you hoped her feelings weren't hurt.

Your concerns dispersed for a moment as you noticed a granola bar was being held out to you. A skinny, partially hairless ape with deeply bagged eyes grinned shyly at you as he offered the treat.

"Bad Ape," he said gesturing to himself.

"What?" you asked genuinely confused.

"Me...Bad Ape," the chimp repeated smiling away.

"Don't say that," you tisked and accepted his offering. You figured it would be rude not to.

"It...just my name," the chimp chortled bashfully. After you thanked him for the food he added "It old... saved it for a... a long time."

"Are you sure you don't want it?" you questioned not wanting to impose.

"Oh, no, no," Bad Ape insisted, "you our guest. Special day."

The bar was dry but other than that, it still tasted ok. You two sat on the ground level of the shelters, facing outward. Half finishing it, you were about to ask Bad Ape where he'd gotten the bar, when you noticed a group of apes walking past. To your bewilderment, they all had the same word painted across their backs. "DONKEY." Stranger still, they also each had the greek symbols for "alpha" and "omega" branded somewhere near their faces. One of the last of this group to pass, a large auburn headed gorilla, glanced your way. He paused in his tracks a moment, brows raised. You quickly looked away, fearing a confrontation.

When he'd followed the rest of his group, you whispered to Bad Ape, "Goodness, who are they?"

"Oooooh," Bad Ape hesitated, but decided to fill you in, "they help the Colonel. Back when he... was in charge."

The Colonel? So, they had met this man you'd heard so many horror stories about. Wait, did he just say they were helping him?

"Why would they do that?"

Bad Ape considered for a few moments then expounded, "some apes...scared. They help the Colonel so he wouldn't enslave them...Not the same way as other apes."

The answer only raised more questions. Why would they want to be on the Colonel's side at all? Especially when he would only "enslave" them anyway? And what did Bad Ape mean "not that same way?" But you could tell that he was uncomfortable with the subject. You didn't press him any further.

Night was falling and you realized that you didn't have anyplace to sleep. Bad Ape offered to share his "room," but he lived way too close to Nova's treehouse. You politely declined his hospitality.

Nervously, you walked around the shelters attempting to casually inspect them for vacancies. You found yourself walking past the same auburn gorilla who spotted you earlier but he didn't notice you this time. His eyes were shut tight and his arms were crossed. His stomach rumbled, you could hear it even from where you stood. Alas, you didn't pass him fast enough and he opened his eyes right as you were gawking. It was your turn to stop in your tracks.

He appeared more surprised than anything. Convinced by an emotion you weren't ready to register yet, you turned to face the gorilla. He was breathtaking in a fearsome, feral way. You couldn't possibly attempt a conversation with this beast who could rip your head off and yet, something told you you must.

"Are you still hungry?" It was a stupid queston, since you were sure the whole colony heard the noise his stomach made. The gorilla sized you up with his icey blue gaze, cocking an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

Oh no... you realized to your horror what that emotion was that you'd stifled so quickly. The way this gorilla looked at you wasn't helping it subside either. You fumbled through your pants pocket and retrieved the other half of the granola bar. Anything to smother the impending thoughts...

"Here," you said a little too loudly as you handed him the snack.

The gorilla picked up the gray reflective wrapper cautiously between his thumb and index finger. He gingerly unwrapped it and gave it a whiff to make sure it was safe to eat.

"Thank you," he growled before chomping it down in one gulp.

"Anytime," you chirped turning to continue your search, earger to distance yourself from him.

"Have place to stay?" he called after you, his voice was much deeper than Bad Ape's.

You slowly turned back to him and answered grimly, "No."

The gorilla stood up to full height. Whoa, this guy was ripped. I mean, all the apes were, but this one...The way he stood was the most humanlike behavior you'd seen in months and it flattered his physique.

"Come... with me," the gorilla beckoned, the slightest smile on his lips.

Your mind raced for a million excuses, but what were you supposed to say? "No, fuck you. I'm just gonna go sleep out in the open. Because it's better than rooming with a dirty ape who was cruel enough to betray his own kind for the evilest mofo this post-apocolyptic world has ever seen! I don't care how hot you are! (Shit, did you really just think that?) Good night!" Yeah, not the best thing to say to someone trying to help you out. As scared as you were.

You followed him to his section of the shelters. It was good and far away from Nova's treehouse, thank goodness. Upon arriving there, however, you realized there was only one nest.

"You sleep here," he placed his large hand on the egde of the nest.

"Where will you sleep?" you wondered aloud. The gorilla grabbed some spare furs from the corner and spread them out on the ground.

"I make you new nest, tomorrow," he promised.

"Oh, you really don't have to..." you pleaded.

The gorilla looked like he was having a hard time choosing his words. But finally he spoke up. "Female friend... nice to have."

Your stomach felt queasy but in an oddly nice way. Your cheeks and ears grew hot. The gorilla noticed this and smiled in a way you could only describe as sly. He was putting the moves on you and, goddamnit, you were making it look like it was working. You cleared your throat.

"What is your name?" you asked.

The gorillas smug composure melted away at the question. "Everyone call us 'Donkey'," he explained somberly.

You wanted to kill the mood but not this much. To your relief he persisted, "But other 'donkeys'... call me Red."

"Ah, that's very fitting."

It was getting late and the big, nerve wracking day you had was finally getting to you. Your eyes, grew heavy as you snuggled yourself into the soft curve of the nest.

The next day Red had brought you breakfast. You were all too aware of what his intentions with you were. But you were at least thankful for his earnesty. You also felt it was wise to have some sort of muscle on your side. Bad Ape was very sweet, but he probably couldn't protect you from an attack from... well, literally anything.

"The others fishing today," Red told you as you finished breakfast. "You to want help?"

You shook your head in dismay. You felt like it was premature to start group socializing when you hadn't even decided to live there yet.

The same apes you saw with Red last night arrived at the entrance. You watched as he signed to them. They threw wary glances at you before signing back to him and resuming their way out of the campgrounds. The painted letters on their backs reminded you of Bad Ape's story.

"Tight knit group," you observed.

Red avoided eye contact and began rolling up and storing the furs.

"We.. go through much together," he rumbled.

"So I've heard," you made sure your tone was non-accusatory.

Reds eyes were fixed on a point out in the distance.

"Why did the soldiers brand you 'Donkey?'" You figured it was the least prying question you had.

Red's eyelids lowered in a pained expression. You almost regretted asking until he responded. "Apes... who left colony... forced to work for human army."

You studied the details of his massive face. From the scattered scars on it, you'd guessed that it wasn't the type of work you got paid for.

"Why leave?" You asked calmly.

Red sighed as if forced to recall unwanted memories, "The Colonel was... unstoppable."

You allowed the long silence. Recalling his past with The Colonel must've been a dreadful ordeal. Thankfully Red added "Until...Caesar."

"The one who let me stay yesterday?"

Red nodded slowly. "He... save apes from both armies. Soldier... almost shot Caesar. I... got soldier first."

"Wow," was all you could honestly say.

You looked out into the campgrounds. Some apes occassionally glared at the two of you. Although more glared only at Red.

"So you're a hero," you flattered, "your 'Donkey' crew shouldn't have to stay so segragated from the rest of the apes."

Red shook his head, but was deathly silent.

After a few minutes he continued "'Donkeys'... helped... torture apes."

You were officially at a loss for words. At least you knew why Red was so eager to have some new company. You were beggining to wonder if coming here truly was a bad idea.

"Why...?" you dared to ask.

"Donkeys given food, water," Reds voice was heavy with regret. "I was... a coward."

"But you came around," you consoled, "Caesar is still here because of you."

You placed your hand on his fuzzy shoulder. Red flinched slightly at your touch, but his eyes were warm with gratitude. "Some.. not forgive.. so easy."

You nodded your understanding. You two sat near the shelter entrance until you spotted Bad Ape guiding Nova across the campgrounds. You retreated to the back of the shelter where it was dark enough to be hidden. Bad Ape and Nova stopped at a large rock where a collosal orangutang had scrawled out some sentences with a chalky stone. This must've been their primitive form of education.

Red joined you in the shadows. "Afraid of human child?" His tone was lightly mocking.

Although you weren't amused, you confessed "I just hope I didn't make her feel bad yesterday."

The red ape, looked back out to the 'class' being held outside. "I think she alright," he assured. Nova was happily signing with the other young apes, laughing along with what you assumed was their jokes. Maybe he was right. She was just a kid being a kid, for now.

"I'm... also afraid that I might get sick from her."

Red pouted in consideration. He placed his hand on your back as he kept regarding the outside commotion. His touch was lighter then you ever expected from a gorilla his size.

At the communal drinking river you ran into Bad Ape. He asked if you'd found a place to sleep. "Yes, of course I did," you responded cheerfully.

"With who?" Bad Ape asked innocently.

"A...red gorilla," your lame attempt to be vague failed miserably.

"Oh noooo," the hairless chimp fretted, "Oh, no. Oh, no."

Must be his favorite words, you thought to yourself as you sipped from the canteen you kept from camping.

"You must be...very careful," Bad Ape persuaded. "That one is...he's a..."

"A 'bad ape?" you quipped lightheartedly.

Bad Ape's saucer eyes darted back and fourth as if looking for a cue card. You stifled your chuckle. You'd only known him a short while but that name HAD to go.

"Red's actually kinda sweet and so are you. You aren't a bad ape at all."

You waited for a response but all he did was draw ovals in the dirt with his toes and blushed a light pink.

"You look more like a 'Schmitty'."

"What does 'Schmitty' mean?"

What did Schmitty mean? You went to school with a kid whose last name was 'Schmittou', which was where you'd first heard it. But other than that, you had nothing.

"It means... cute and funny." Thank god for little white lies.

His faced wrinkled and folded as he smiled wide. "Ooooh, thank you.." he breathed heavily as if he's just set down a huge weight from his shoulders, "I like my new name."

Operation 'make Schmitty forget about your new roommate' was a success.

After dinner, you'd gotten Red to escort you back out of the ape colony to return to your old campsite and gather your stuff. It had been thankfully easy. Perhaps a little too easy, you wondered. But you didn't allow yourself to dwell on it.

Red assisted you in placing everything in its proper bag, silently. To your relief, when everything was packed away in its final large hiking bag, he slung the whole thing over his shoulder. He was going to carry your stuff for you back to the colony? How gentlemanly, you mused, internally. If only the thought could've lasted.

"Come..." he whispered the single word demand and started off in a direction that wasn't back where you'd came. You stood there for a second, slightly offended. You quickly deduced that the only thing you could do was follow him since he knew the way back and he held all your stuff hostage.

"How much longer?" You asked lightly smacking your face to swat a mosquito.

"Nearly there," Red assured.

A few more minutes passed as your stomped through the underbrush. You decided to try to harangue the meaning of this little detour out of him, but thought twice of it when you heard the faint roar of running water. Red had lead you to a waterfall. It was 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide. But it was loud enough for you to have to raise your voice over it.

"We could've just gotten some water back at the colony," you called to the ape. He sat your backpack at the rocks of the waterfalls base and gave you a peculiar sidelong glance. His irises almost dissapeared under his thick brows. A lecherous smile crept slowly across his face.

"Join me," this time he had a requesting tone. Then, just like that, he walked through the waterfall.

You wondered what exactly was on the other side. But only to cover up what your gut was telling you: whatever is behind the water, Red only expected one thing from you.

A warm, pleasantly sick sensation overcame you. An odd fever that not even the waterfall could cool once you'd passed under it. There was a surprizingly roomy cave awaiting behind it. A large fresh nest had been built. One Red was patiently sitting in. He looked casually pensive. Staring into the rushing water, lost in thought.

You sat next to him and took in the scene. You'd never been behind a waterfall before.

"I went with the humans," Red confessed still eyeing the water, "for many reasons."

He fidgeted, biting his lips. You suddenly felt like an intruder instead of someone who was invited to keep company.

"But... one reason, I never tell anyone..." He turned his head in the opposite direction of you.

"Human females," his side glance was wary and yet it told everything. He searched for his words but could only come up with one: "... beautiful." Red's tone had shifted to pining. It was almost alien coming from a beast of solid muscle. It seemed you couldn't face each other. The tension was too much for you both to fully awknowledge.

"I... often dream.. of female soldiers. During my time in Alpha Omega. None of them... hurt me."

While your mind flooded with images of hardened soldier women, ones who were indirectly advocating ape slavery, you wondered how Red could allow himself to feel that way about them. But you weren't permitted to finish the thought; Red had moved close behind you. He wasn't touching you but you could feel his radiating body heat. His calloused hand stroked your hair back over your ear. He whispered, even though the raging waterfall was loud enough to mute your voices from outside.

"You... most beautiful human," there was silence as his breath quickened. "I..." he placed his firm grip on your shoulders, massaging lightly. Something told you that he truly had been dreaming of this. You sensed he was holding himself back immensely.

"I want your permission..."

You reached back and placed your hand over his, hastily deciding to either remove it or oblige it.

"Y-You have it."

After you forced the words out, you expected him to pin you down. Instead, he scooped you up into his lap, facing away from him. He held your back against his firm abdominal and pectoral muscles. His rampant lust for such contact hadn't robbed him of his sense of self discipline, apparently. He pressed his face into the back of your head and inhaled slowly. You jokingly wondering if Red was attempting to take you in via osmosis. His hands moved so gently and purposely over the exposed portions of your flesh. Shoudlers, down to elbows, forearms, wrists, fingers. Calves up to your knees, to thighs, his nails lightly grazing over to inner thighs...

Suddenly, he turned you to face him and locked his arms around you. Your bodies collided like magnets. You shifted a bit in his grip, or at least you tried to. His arms may as well have been made of iron. His face was nearly grazing yours now. Every insignificant crease and valley of his robust face was visible from the nearness. "Oh, god," you thought. His shaft was pressing into the cleave of your outer labia which was still covered by your clothes... for now. His eyes almost threatened you by silently warning you of your lack of control. "Don't struggle," they seemd to command. They had every right to, you realized. Your permission had been given.

"Still... afraid?" Red rumbled, the slightest hint of mock concern on his voice.

Out of nowhere, Red growled. His lips curled back to reveal his sharp fangs and his brow furrowed horribly. It was too loud and too close for your liking. Instinctively, you shivered and convulsed in his clutches. A feeble attempt to break free and run for your life. Just as quickly as he started he quieted. Your head fell back, limply exhausted from the adrenaline rush. Red chuckled pompously, his gut heaving against yours with each breath. You shot him an incredulous glare. This was his sick way of softening you up. Still, you smiled despite yourself as he lowered you to the ground.

Red tossed you onto your back, before him. He pulled your tank top over your head releasing your bare breasts (you'd never liked wearing bras and you figured you wouldn't even need to out in the deserted woods). Red made like he was about to do the same for your shorts but paused, giving your heavy breathing torso a good stare.

You gulped as the ape, raw hewn from nature's fabric of a savage predator, looked your vulnerable form over so intently. Were you really about to do this? But just as the hesitation arose, Red placed his hand on your middle, gentling rubbing it back and forth. He continued this a few times and moaned, "So smooth..."

It made sense, you thought, that he would react with such inquisitivity to your body. Ape females were mostly covered in fur. Exposed skin was rare. From Red's point of view you must've been an enticingly new experience.

You gasped a little as he mounted you. On his knees, careful to keep his full weight off of you. A dark hulking wall, laying claim over it's treasure. Fingers out, thumbs in, he stroked your sides, up and down. The cascading water sounded loud as he took his sweet time exploring you. Red's hands were like the smoothest leather in some spots, while simultaneously rough and worn in others. Finally his hands rose higher to your breasts, where he gently squeezed and rolled. "So soft," he muttered so low that you had to read his lips to understand.

You stared, eyes at half-mast, at the cave ceiling. Not long after losing yourself in his gentle kneading, Red took the liberty of tightening his grip on them. He didn't relent until you let out a small grunt of discomfort. You grinned an expression at him that said "ow" and he smirked cockily.

He didn't break eye contact as he slid your shorts and panties down. His eyes trailed all the way down and you shut your eyes, face growing hot. Now that you realized it, the heat was all over. The cold pin-pricks of moisture from the fall were landing on you the whole time you'd been there and they caused your body to heat up as compensation.

Eyes still glued to your mound, he gingerly pulled your clothes all the way off you. He tossed them away as if you'd never need them again. Then he hungrily got down on his belly, using his elbows as support. His large hands grasped both your hips as he visually took all of you in. He lowered his russet head, you prepared yourself for the electric sensation of his tounge. But when you felt the shape of his lips against you, instead Red inhaled deeply, once again. "What is it with this guy a smelling me?" you thought. Yet the unexpected action still aroused you in a confusing way. You wondered if the apes knew what oral sex was at all.

Red shut his eyes, quaking and shuddering. He curbed his id with masterful willpower.

Raising himself back over you a little, he held your hip in one hand and began non-possesively fingering you with the other. He wasn't about to miss any nuance in your facial reaction. You closed your eyes unable to bear the embarrasment of your primal response. You bucked your hips firmer onto his digits. Harder, they begged. Red listened, and also slowed his pace. One... two... three strokes and he entered you with velvety, smooth ease. You didn't dare open your eyes, for you were dead certain Red was still scanning your face. You grunted breathily, never ceasing the thrust of your hips.

Red took that as the consent to plow deeper. You grunted again, higher in pitch. Boldly, he added a second finger, a sensation you had never had before. You opened one eye. Red gazed back at you through low eyelids. His mind was clearly becoming blank from tension. Your look enboldened him to plunge farther. Before he could get more than halfway in you begged "Pl-please!"

Red froze, awaiting your request.

"I..." you hyperventilated. You weren't sure if he'd understand, "I need you inside... I can't take.. much more..."

Red's heavy brows rose. He slid his fingers out of you, a little too fast prompting a silent "ah" from your lips.

"I was.. going to 'test' you. Before that..." he confessed. "But.. you ask so nicely..." his voice heavy with devilish elation.

Red pulled you up in a sitting position over him as he laid down. The swiftness of the motion made your head swim. But it was anchored by Reds growls of pleasure as the head of his penis inserted you with the same humiliating ease of his fingers. You jumped upward a smidge but Red weighed you back down by your shoulders. The same action forced him deeper up into you. Your eyes widened and you grunted at the slight pain. Red's blue eyes caught yours as, with a new thrust, the pain turned to pleasure. Red helped manuever your hips up and down.

Holy shit, this was happening. You were letting yourself be had by this beast. The thought sent a fresh shock of ice hot desire through you. You tossed your head back, barely containing your noises. Red pulled himself up into you more. You bit down on your bottom lip. Some tiny demon inside you shouted "No! Fight it! This shouldn't be happening... Why does it feel this good?"

As if informed by some perverted intiution, Reds hands clamped solid around your hips, savoringly dipping himself in to the hilt. You could feel the space between his tip and the end of your walls closing. "Too late, human," Red breathed triumphantly, "you're mine."

The instant his head hit your capacity, all reluctance vanished. Pure, rabid ecstacy taking its place. All earthly physical boundaries dissappeared. Your tightening orgasm triggered his. All at once you weren't a human and an ape. You were two living beings who needed each other. You fell foward onto him, transforming yourselves into a mass of rapturous grinding, biting and moans.

When you came for the final time the sensation between your legs lignered like a slow warm sunset. The echo of it still remained when Red finally shifted out from under you. The air reeked of muggy passion.

"You should stay," Red suggested without looking at you. You could hear the smile in his voice.