Kneel Down, and Wonder [Caesar x Reader Trilogy]

Broken Chains

I decided to repost the original since my stories were transported to WP without my permission. I orphaned this story in the past but I will keep it here permanently for you all to read.

It wasn't difficult to gain access to the new prisoner, kept secluded and isolated from the other primates. You volunteered for "monkey feeding" duty – a task no one else wanted to be assigned. And most of the other soldiers didn't want to be anywhere near King Kong, as the Colonel had colloquially named him. The whispered rumors of an ape of uncanny intelligence with unsettling, human-like eyes piqued your attention, rather than make you want to run and hide like the rest of the cowards.

You walked down the poorly-lit hallway toward the room where he was being kept. It was one of the self-contained quarantine rooms, so it was built to hold someone against their will. The chains were an added touch by the Colonel himself.

The chimpanzee raised his dark head as you entered the room. The self-proclaimed ape king looked mildly scuffed up, as if someone handled him carelessly. Red, probably. His bottom lip was bruised and there was a small, bloody gash on his left brow. But it had not dampened the fire in his eyes.

As you slowly approached him from across the room, he watched your every move, dissecting you with his disturbing, hazel eyes. You could quickly see why the other soldiers were made so uneasy by the large ape. But you found him... fascinating.

Your feet carried you until you stood before him. He didn't speak, but his jaw was set in a defiant line as he glared up at you from on his knees. Expecting more punishment, more abuse at the hands of his captors.

Against your better judgement (and every primal instinct ringing warning bells inside your head) you reached a hand toward his face. You made an effort to be slow and nonthreatening, but he still flinched away, glaring at you with watery eyes.

"I won't hurt you," you explained softly. He glared at your face, then your hand, mistrust in his gold-flecked eyes. His bottom teeth were exposed in agitation, and you wondered if he would bite. But then your fingers made contact with the side of his face, brushing against his wiry fur. The touch was gentle, soothing, and he closed his eyes despite himself. And exhaled with involuntary relief.

"Please."

You paused while stroking his cheek, but you managed not to jerk your hand back in surprise as he stared up at you with those piercing eyes. You'd heard the apes talk before, at least the Donkeys could, but they didn't sound like him. So... human.

"Please," he whispered again, voice hoarse and heavy. But you didn't know what he was asking. Please, let me go? Please, kill me and end my torment?

Please, don't stop?

You continued to gently caress the side of his cheek, marveling at how rough his skin was, transitioning to coarse, stiff hair. But then underneath that wiry coat was a soft layer of fur, and you explored the new sensation with your fingertips, just along his temple above his ear. He leaned into the touch, his lids heavy as he all but cradled the side of his face into your hand. What had they done to him? To make him so receptive and willing to accept positive touches?