The Ape King

Pen-Pals

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Thump!

Her eyes flew open. He came towards her holding two cooked fish on leaves. She sat up slowly and watched him. He set them on a small table that was next to the bed and dragged it in front of her. He sat next to her and looked at her expectantly. It clicked in her head. He had made her food and wanted her to eat.

"You made this for me?"

She was overwhelmed with gratitude. Before she had time to process it, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He stiffened in surprise. Then, he relaxed and even leaned into her. She released him after a few moments. She got up to grab some pain medicine and fruit for them. She handed him a fruit and a strong pain pill. He looked at the pill, confused, until he saw Penny swallow it. He copied her and scrunched his face up in distaste. She shook her head and sat down next to him. The bed wasn't too big so when she sat next to him, her thigh was pressed against his. She tried to ignore it and ate her fish. She got to her fruit and took a big bite out of it, causing juice to dribble down her chin, to her neck. She was bringing her hand up to wipe it away. The sudden feeling of something warm and wet on her neck had her frozen in place. His beard tickled her as he reached her chin then he went back to eating his own food nonchalantly.

Her heart was hammering in her chest. She hadn't had time to react. He just licked the juice off her! Totally oblivious to the fact that she was feeling conflicting emotions. She continued to eat but was even more aware of his thigh against hers. She finished and stood slowly. She turned and saw that he was watching her from the bed. The sun was coming in through the window. It lit up his amber eyes. He was breathtaking.

She remembered her notepad on the desk and went to grab it to sketch him. She sat in the chair by the desk and began drawing. He watched her silently until she finished then she took the pad over to show him. He looked at the drawing then at her. His expression showed awe and he reached out to touch the paper cautiously. Then he gently grabbed the pad and pencil from her. It was her turn to watch him curiously.

He flipped the page with her drawing and began moving the pencil on the pad. She couldn't tell what he was drawing but she wondered if drawing could be a way to communicate. He finished moving the pencil and handed her both the pad and pencil. She turned it over, eager to see what he drew. Instead she saw words written on the page. Actual fucking words. She read it with wide eyes.

'Hi. I am sorry that I scared you when we first met. I do not know how to speak like you. You are different than other people that live here. You are beautiful. I would like you to be my mate. I can provide and protect.'

He knew how to write in English! He wrote well enough for someone who didn't speak it. Her eyes flew back to the last part. Mate? She felt her mouth go dry. Was that like a boyfriend? She forced her emotions to settle. She grabbed the pencil and wrote back.

'Hi. My name is Penny. You don't need to say sorry. I'm sorry for throwing a rock at you. You are right that I don't look like the other people that live here. I was coming here to study gorillas with my friends and other people. The plane we came on crashed. I have been here three months and I need to find them. What do you mean by mate? What is your name? How did you get here? How did you learn to write in English? Where do you live?'

Sure it was a lot of questions but necessary ones. She wanted to know everything about him. She handed him the pad back and watched him read it. She bit her bottom lip as she saw him begin to write again. He handed off the pad once he was done.

'I am called Zane. You have lots of questions. Mate as in we are together. I have lived here long as I can remember. I live with my family. I learned to write by looking at book and teaching myself. I do not know how to say words. My family and I live past the falling water. I will help you find your friends but first you need to heal. What is a gorilla?'