#I went with the fluff prompt since it's for the soft boy Prince Red :3c

[purble-turble]

I request 2 with our favorite softboy Prince Red if thats chill

"Is there a reason you're blushing like that?”

Prince Red silently cursed himself as he covered his cheeks with his forearm. "Ah... forgive my appearance, mother," he said as cooly as possible, "I was... practicing katas before you arrived. Perhaps I overdid it with my fire."

He was getting better with his lies. He had started as a stammering mess, unable to stand up to either of his parents and bending to their unreasonable demands. It was only lately he'd been more courageous in his defiance... not in any way they would be able to tell, of course. He wasn't quite there yet. He might not ever be, but he was really trying. Not just for his own sake either.

Princess Iron Fan lifted a brow at his excuse, "Well, good to know my weak little pacifist is bettering himself," she said without an ounce of warmth in her voice, "keep at it and perhaps you won't be so useless next time we face off against that Noodle Boy and his peasant friends."

"Of course, mother." Red managed to keep the bite out of his voice. That part was easy. He'd had to learn to contain his anger a long time ago because there was so much of it. "The project you asked for isn't quite finished yet, but give me another week and I'll let you know."

"You know I don't like to be kept waiting." The wind whipped up slightly, blowing one or two lanterns off their hooks in the courtyard adjacent. Neither of the demons paid it any mind, allowing some nearby servants to scramble to retrieve them. "And your father is more impatient than I am... If you don't deliver soon I'll have to send him next time."

The only response was a nod. Red knew better than to react to the implicit threat there, despite the slight jolt of fear that he felt in his gut at the notion of his father visiting the court again. Luckily, Iron Fan seem satisfied with that, and the wind picked up yet again, this time circling around her in a violent whirlwind to whisk her way.

"See you in a week, darling," her voice carried back on the wind, and with that she was gone.

Finally.

Prince Red hurried out into the courtyard to assist the demon servants who were picking up the further lanterns and ornaments that were disturbed by his mother's wind. A few of them shooed him away, insisting it was fine and they had it, but he still wanted to help. His parents always seemed to make a mess of things one way or another whenever they visited the court. It was starting to get exhausting.

Just as he was helping to upright one last stone lantern, he heard the door behind him slide open.

"She gone yet?"

Red looked over his shoulder and saw MK poking his head out from the small opening. His head was way down at ground level, like he had crawled over to the door on his stomach and slid it open while stretched out across the room.

"If you weren't sure, why would you be opening the door and risking her seeing you?"

A smile cracked across MK's face and he pushed the door open further so the rest of the small tea room was visible, along with the tea tray and drinks they were supposed to be sharing before being interrupted.

"Heh hehh, yeah I know she is. I heard the whole conversation... These doors don't block nearly as much sound as I thought." The Monkie Kid rolled over onto his back and hopped up onto his feet, "Speaking of... what's this project you're doing for your parents?"

"Ah... yes, that..." the prince said as he finally stepped back onto the wood platform just outside the door, "it's a weapon they requested. I've been putting off giving them anything but they're getting impatient." At the look MK gave him he felt the need to clarify further, holding his hands up defensively, "Don't worry, it's not going to work! I would never give them something they could actually use to hurt humans.... o-or you..."

"Yeah, ok," MK's smile returned, though softer this time, "let's talk about this some other time, I've only got a few more minutes to spare before Monkey King expects me at Flower Fruit Mountain." MK reached forward, seizing the front of Red's robes to pull him the rest of the way inside.

Prince Red's face turned a shade of red to match his hair as his blush returned, but he allowed himself to be dragged back into the tea room to be with MK and their sure to remain untouched tea.