#macaque becomes attached

[lunar-wandering]

sugar starved

it's doneeeee like i said this is just 8k of me being absolutely nuts. dont expect plot here.

TWs: uh, biting, blood drinking (don't worry about it), kissing... (i think that's it??)

Word Count: 8.4k

Read on Ao3

“Shit!”

Well, that couldn’t be a good sign.

Wukong slammed another hypnotized demon’s head into the ground, knocking them unconscious, whirling around and kicking another demon in the gut as he directed half of his attention towards the pained swear that had come from behind him. A short distance away, MK and Mei were blocking any enemies from reaching Macaque, who had fallen down onto one knee, clutching his leg.

Even from this distance, Wukong could see the smattering of blood on the pavement.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, then ripped a handful of fur from his arm, blowing on it to summon some clones, mentally directing them in various directions to even out the fight. One specifically went and scooped Macaque out of the way of an axe wielding demon that had slipped past MK and Mei’s defense line, quickly carrying the other monkey to a nearby rooftop.

Wukong could feel the phantom sensation of Macaque smacking the clone’s back with his hand, as well as the faint whispers of complaints in his ear. He payed them no mind, jumping up to knee someone in the face, quickly bringing up his other leg in a follow up swing to shove them into another demon, sending them both into a wall hard enough to make it break. He spared a glance towards the rooftop for a moment, checking to make sure his clone was standing guard, before shooting his hand up to grab a wrist just before the fist attached to it could make contact with the side of his face. Wukong tightened his grip, twisted to the side, planted his foot, and flung them into the pavement with just barely non-lethal force.

He winced a bit as he heard a few bones crack.

…Maybe he should tone it down a little. Most of these demons weren’t doing this of their own free will after all.

Almost as though just thinking that had willed it, the buzzing sensation that Wukong had been pushing to the back of his mind suddenly came to an end. Wukong glanced up to see that MK had tackled some dressed up demon to the ground, and that Mei was currently stamping on some sort of- walkie talkie?

The demons that had been slowly approaching him crumbled to the ground. A few of them made noises of pain. Wukong almost wanted to do something similar. Despite having not actually been under the influence of whatever had been affecting the others, now that the buzzing was gone, he was suddenly being made aware of a killer headache. Headaches weren’t that out of the ordinary for him, but with the way this one felt, it was likely going to become a migraine sooner or later, and disrupt his well fought for peace.

Speaking of things that frequently disrupt his peace…

Wukong glanced back up towards the rooftop where his clone was waiting for him. He raised an eyebrow, and his clone responded by giving a gesture which clearly implied that he should ‘get up here, now.’

Wukong let out a sigh.

And then he jumped up, grabbing onto a signpost with his hand, swinging around it and using the momentum to fling himself up onto the rooftop. He dispelled his clone as he landed, dusting off his hands.

“So!” He said, “What’s the damage?”

“Fuck you.”

“Ooh, that’s not good.” Wukong crouched down beside where Macaque was partially curled up, the other glaring up at him. “Normally your insults are a lot more dignified than that.”

“Again, fuck you.” There was less heat behind it this time, shockingly. Wukong’s ear twitched as he assessed the way Macaque was clutching at his leg, before moving to grab his hands. Macaque’s tail puffed up in agitation. “Don’t touch me!”

“Hey, I can’t help you out if you won’t let me look!” Wukong grabbed hold of Macaque’s hands, overpowering him and finally getting a clear look at the injury. He hissed with sympathy. “Ah, that does look bad.”

Three long gashes ran down Macaque’s leg, from his knee to just above his ankle. His pant leg was practically shredded. Wukong didn’t think any level of thread and needle could fix the fabric… well, Macaque probably had plenty of extras anyways, hopefully.

The blood was dripping onto the roof underneath him and, well, Wukong didn’t really notice before but… man did it smell sweet.

Macaque’s magic always tended to lean on the sugary side- or, well, ‘lean’ was too small a word. Macaque’s magic was majorly sweet. It kinda smelled a bit like sugar cookies- if they were comprised of 90% sugar. It was the sweetest thing Wukong had ever tasted if he was being honest, immortal peaches being a close second.

…Not that he had had a taste of either in recent years. Macaque magic, specifically, well, Wukong hadn’t gotten a taste of his magic since- well. Before.

Macaque’s body runs on magic now, of course. His blood practically was magic.

Fuck, it smells really good.

Wukong was getting way too distracted by it.

“You got first aid stuff on ya?” He asked. He didn’t carry any on himself and, well, using his hair as a substitute for it never really turned out well. (Wukong didn’t even want to think about the number of infected wounds he’d accidentally given to himself over the years. No, those were incidents he’d prefer remain as distant memories). He really should figure out a way to store some first aid on himself- wait. He could shrink things, why had he never thought to- shit, he was getting distracted again.

Macaque didn’t give him a verbal response, instead rolling his eyes, a shadow pooling beside Wukong. Hesitatingly, (he wouldn’t doubt that Macaque would choose to play a prank even when injured), Wukong dipped his tail into the shadow, gripping onto a handle, pulling out a first aid kit. Setting it down, he clicked it open, looking over what he had. Unsurprisingly, it was pretty well stocked. Wukong had to wonder where Macaque had even gotten some of this stuff, he doubted the other had bought it.

Well, first things first was cleaning the wound.

Wukong brushed the shredded remains of Macaque’s pant leg out of the way, gripping Macaque’s ankle and pulling his leg towards him, ignoring Macaque’s hiss of pain as he started cleaning the cuts. They didn’t look too deep, Wukong would admit he’d been the slightest bit worried because of how Macaque was acting, but, then again, the shadow monkey always did have a shit pain tolerance. Wukong leaned down a little closer, eyes flickering gold to make sure he wasn’t missing anything-

Oh, the sweet scent of Macaque’s magic was so much stronger this close. He- he really craved- he wanted-

Mind completely lost, Wukong licked a line of blood off of Macaque’s leg, and then froze. Macaque, who had let out an outright squeak at the sensation, froze as well as the two of them suddenly locked eyes.

“Oh, ew!” They both jumped as MK’s voice interrupted their… moment, turning to see both him and Mei only just barely over the edge of the rooftop. “Did not want to see that! If you kids are going to do weird shit, do it behind closed doors, please!”

“I’m centuries older than you!” Wukong replied, instinctively, before the rest of MK’s sentence, along with the entirety of what just happened finally hit him, and he recoiled, letting go of Macaque’s leg and backing away, face igniting with gold. “And- and we weren’t doing anything weird!”

“Uh-huh, sure.” MK sounded entirely unconvinced, and beside him, Mei put her hands on her hips in an equally as doubtful pose. “Nothing happened, and Macaque definitely doesn’t look like he’s about to pass out.”

There was a small thump from beside him, and Wukong turned to find that Macaque had, in fact, passed out. Perfectly on queue too. Dramatic as always. MK let out a curse.

“Oh, shit, I was joking, I didn’t think he actually would-” Both him and Mei quickly ran forwards, restarting what Wukong had gotten distracted from. Mei started re-cleaning Macaque’s leg, while MK quickly checked Macaque’s head for any possible injuries. “Do you think it’s from blood loss or, uh-”

“Eh, hard to tell.” Wukong knelt down beside Macaque again, gently flicking the other’s cheek. He felt a steady returning echo of magic, so, “His magic seems to be stable. He was probably just overwhelmed, or something. …Can’t imagine why.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely no reason behind it at all.” Mei said, reaching around Wukong to grab the bandages out of the first aid kit, tightly wrapping them around Macaque’s leg. Wukong avoided eye contact with both her and MK. The sweet scent was still lingering in both his nose and mouth- he subconsciously licked his lip. Suddenly, he felt a prickle indicating eyes were on him, and he looked up to find that MK was staring at him with something like concerned wariness.

“…Monkey King.” MK started, slowly, “I know you and Macaque are… complicated, but you’re not planning on… eating him, right? Cause you uh, you can’t do that.”

“Ea- I’m not going to eat him.” Wukong said, offended, “I don’t- I’ve never- where are you getting that idea from?”

“I don’t know, Mr. King.” Mei finished up bandaging Macaque’s leg, pulling a sticker out of her pocket and placing it on top of her work- for some reason. “You’ve been staring at him kinda hungrily.”

“…I don’t think that’s a way you can stare at someone.” Wukong rubbed the back of his neck, “Besides, even if I did like, do the whole, ‘eating people’ thing- which I don’t. I certainly wouldn’t eat him, he’d probably taste gross.”

Well. He’d probably taste really sweet actually. He found his eyes drifting down to where Macaque’s neck would be visible, if it weren’t for the other’s scarf. Now that the injury was bandaged, the scent wasn’t as strong anymore- but it was still there…

“You certainly didn’t seem to think he was gross when you were licking Macaque’s leg.” Mei said, snapping Wukong out of his staring and making his face burn.

“That was- I was just- um. My saliva helps things heal faster?”

“Y’know, I’d almost believe that if you hadn’t said it like that.” MK said, digging around in his pocket, before seemingly finding what he was looking for. “Open your mouth.”

“Wha-” Wukong was cut off as, faster than he could blink, MK unwrapped a lollipop and shoved it into Wukong’s mouth. “Hey-”

“Lick something that’s supposed to be licked.” MK said, standing up, summoning the staff into his hand and walking towards the edge of the roof, Mei silently following after him. “Me and Mei have a dance party to get to- if I don’t hear from Macaque by midnight, I will be accusing you of cooking him!”

Wukong’s offended cry that, again, he did not eat people, fell on seemingly deaf ears as both MK and Mei jumped down from the roof’s edge, vanishing, leaving Wukong crouching on the rooftop beside a still unconscious Macaque.

After a few minutes, he sighed, using his tongue to turn the lollipop over in his mouth.

It was peach flavoured.

…It still wasn’t as sweet as-

Wukong shook that thought out of his head- oh, huh. Somehow, in between earlier and now, his headache had vanished. That was… weird. He’d been sure it was going to become a migraine. Maybe the distraction was all he’d needed? …Whatever. He didn’t have the time to focus on that.

He glanced down at Macaque, and sighed, before placing his hands underneath him and lifting him up as gently as he could. As much as some mean-spirited part of him might wish to do so, he couldn’t just leave the other on top of a random rooftop. The least he could do was get Macaque back to his dojo- or, well their dojo, at the current moment. Flower Fruit Mountain was still unsuitable for living in, at the current moment. Reforming his past house required a lot of magic and focus, and, well, Wukong may or may not be lacking in one of those departments, so it was taking quite a while.

Not to mention he’d had a late start on it. …A month’s long late start to it. Procrastination could be such a bitch sometimes.

So, he’d been staying at Macaque’s dojo for the time being. (MK had offered his apartment, and Sandy had offered his boat, but… Macaque’s dojo was the only other building around with a built in pocket space that could fit all of Wukong’s stuff. Or, well, what remained of it. Wukong didn’t really want to think about all that had gotten destroyed during the fight against Azure, he’d salvaged what he could, and that was that. He definitely didn’t still think of the items that were either destroyed or missing).

Or, well, he was kind of staying there. Sure, his stuff was stored there, and he’d spent like, maybe one or two nights guarding said stuff, but he had yet to actually, like, sleep there. After he was certain Macaque wasn’t going to go through his stuff, he’d been spending most of his time either hanging out with the kid and the others at the Noodle Shop, or finding a random tree to rest in.

Which was why he paused when, upon kicking down random doors, he paused upon the discovery that, at some point, Macaque had seemingly prepared a room for him.

Or, well, it wasn’t really a new discovery. Wukong had heard him mumbling about how he’d “gone through the effort of putting a room together for nothing”, but he had assumed the other had just been joking- poking fun over how Wukong currently preferred a tree branch over an actual bed. Apparently, this was not the case.

Wukong took a quick glance down the hallway. There were still multiple doors to try if he wanted to find Macaque’s actual room, but, well, there was a bed right here, so.

He quickly stepped in and dropped the other unceremoniously onto the bed- and then winced as the other let out a slightly pained whimper in his sleep. Ah. Right. Injured leg. You’re meant to be careful with injured people.

…Sue him. It’s been centuries since he’d last had to deal with caring for an injured person that wasn’t himself, he was out of practice.

Slightly more gently, Wukong rearranged Macaque so that he wasn’t in a position that would aggravate the cuts on his leg. And then he… stared. Silently. Macaque was still asleep- which would’ve been concerning, Wukong was fairly sure if someone passes out, they’re not meant to stay unconscious for this long unless there’s a serious medical reason, but, well. That buzzing had been hard on Wukong’s ears, he could only imagine what it’d been like for Macaque. Maybe he just needed the rest?

The last bit of lollipop dissolved on his tongue, and Wukong took the remaining stick out of his mouth and tossed it into the trash as he contemplated. Was there anything else here he needed to-

Oh! Water! Water would probably be good- everyone likes a good glass of water when they wake up, yep. Wukong turned around, new mission in mind, heading towards Macaque’s kitchen. Man, now that there was nothing sweet in his mouth, he was craving sugar again- but he already knew that Macaque didn’t keep any treats in there. He’d tried to raid the kitchen on his first night staying here, out of spite, only to find it horrifically empty. Pigsy would’ve thrown a fit if he’d known. Actually, now that he was thinking about it, maybe he should tell the pig demon about that, the idea of what Macaque’s expression would be when confronted with a pissed-off Pigsy was endlessly entertaining.

…That might come back to bite him though. It was well known at this point that the Monkey King didn’t have the best eating habits either. Maybe he should save that idea for a time when he can easily get away…

Oh. He’d overfilled the cup.

Wukong quickly turned off the tap, setting the cup down on the counter as he shook water droplets off of his hand. Jeez, he seriously was having a hard time keeping himself in the moment today. More so than usual.

He poured the slightest bit of water out of the cup and down the drain, so that it wouldn’t easily spill, before heading back to the room and- there was no bedside table in here. How hadn’t he noticed that?

He couldn’t just leave the cup on the floor, it’d likely just end up spilled that way… wait-

Wukong ripped a piece of hair off his tail, snapping his fingers to turn it into a bedside table. There, problem solved. He set the cup down with a firm clink, scanned the room, and it’s occupant, one last time, before turning and leaving.

He could really use something sweet right now.

~

At exactly 11pm at night, Wukong’s phone went off with a message from the group chat that MK had partially forced him into. Nibbling on his ninth cookie of the night, Wukong swiped his phone open.

MK: are we all still up for game night tmrw?

A few affirmative messages flew by, Wukong simply sending a thumbs up emoji into the mix. A few seconds later, Macaque sent a thumbs down.

Mei: good 2 see that our resident phantom of the opera is still alive

Wukong snorted as he watched Macaque react to that message with a middle finger emoji- only to edit it into an angry face emoji immediately after out of fear of Pigsy’s wrath. At the very least this meant that MK wouldn’t be pestering him about Macaque’s whereabouts in an hour. Wukong had not been looking forward to that possible conversation. He set his phone down on the table even as messages continued to flow across the screen.

“Y’know.” He said, “You can’t keep avoiding game night forever.”

There was a crash, and a split second later, a shadow portal opened in the doorway, Macaque stepping out of it, looking some combination of pissed off and frazzled.

“What are you doing in my kitche- what the fuck?!” Macaque cut himself off as he fully registered the scene in front of him. “Wukong. What is this-”

“Uh, I’m in your kitchen cause I’m staying here, remember?” Not really, again, Wukong had barely spent much time here at all other than those two nights guarding his stuff. “And this is all uh, a late night snack. You know you’ve got no food in here? Do you even eat?”

“…I just portal it in here when I’m hungry.” Macaque mumbled, the cleared his throat. “This. Is not a midnight snack- this is- did you even pay for half of this stuff?”

“Yes I did, in fact, pay for it, so if you want some you’re gonna have to pay me back for it.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine how much this cost you- nevermind. I’m rephrasing my question. Why do you have what’s practically a sweets banquet set up in my kitchen?” Macaque asked, “You’ve got like, three cakes here-”

“I was craving sugar.” Wukong shrugged, picking up another cookie, avoiding eye contact as he shoved it into his mouth. Although… Macaque had a point. Wukong had returned with the results of his sweets haul over two hours ago, and he’d barely made a dent in it since then. But, well, he wasn’t lying. He was craving sugar.

…Still is. Not a single one of these treats seemed to be able to get rid of his want for-

Macaque reached over Wukong’s shoulder to grab a cookie from the package sitting in front of the Monkey King, and Wukong nearly choked as he was suddenly hit with the sweet scent of the other’s magic yet again.

Yeah. Okay then. Nothing else really could ever truly compare. The cookie still in his mouth suddenly tasted practically flavourless in comparison.

He still shoved another one into his mouth anyways, if only to get the thoughts of biting Macaque’s arm out of his mind.

“I’m not paying you back for this by the way.” Macaque said, taking a small mouselike bite out of his cookie, as though testing if it was actually good, before taking a slightly larger bite. “…Albeit, I guess I could like, take these as rent? Since you’re storing all your shit here.”

“I won’t throw you through a wall for taking my cookie on one condition.”

“…Which is?”

“Join us for game night.”

“I’d rather get thrown through the wall.”

“Alright.”

“Wait- wait!” Macaque’s voice pitched up with slight fear as Wukong stood up and grabbed hold of his arm. Wukong paused and waited, but didn’t let go. Macaque stared at him, as though analyzing whether or not he was actually serious.

He was. Injury or not, a little throw through a wall wouldn’t hurt him that much. And would also let Wukong take out a little bit of frustrated energy- that headache that had gone away earlier was slowly starting to make it’s way back.

After a few seconds of nothing but silent staring, Wukong raised an eyebrow, tightening his grip ever so slightly.

“Shit- fine!” Macaque hissed, tugging at his arm, trying to free it. “I’ll go to game night! Now let go of me!”

“That’s more like it.” Wukong obediently let go of Macaque’s arm, turning and sitting back down, scooping his phone off the table.

MonkeyKing: convinced mac to come to game night

MK: HOW?!

MK: actually based on what happend earlier. i dont wanna know

“…Are you going to be sitting out here all night?” Macaque asked, bringing Wukong back to where he currently was before he could type out a frantic message about how nothing had happened earlier. Macaque was leaning against the back of Wukong’s chair, though, he was seemingly more focused on the second cookie he’d snatched than the phone, which Wukong quickly turned off before Macaque could see the messages- purposefully or accidentally. Briefly, he glanced down at the bandages wrapped around Macaque’s leg- there was no sign of bleed through, which was good, but-

“Do you have to stand so close?” The proximity was making the sugar cravings so much worse, and with the treats in front of him no longer working as a substitute…

Wukong forced his gaze away from where it had strayed to Macaque’s scarf, or, well, his neck. He seriously didn’t need a repeat of whatever had come over him before.

“Why?” Macaque did the opposite of what Wukong wanted him to do, leaning closer, “Does it bother you?”

“Psh, no.” Wukong reached up to shove Macaque away, touching nothing but thin air as Macaque side-stepped out of reach with a smirk- which was soon replaced by- a yawn? Wukong stared at him incredulously. “There’s no way you’re still tired. You just spent the past like, 6 hours unconscious.”

“I could probably go for another 32.”

“…Minutes?”

“Hours.”

“Sounds festive.”

“Glad to know you find the idea of me falling into a coma fun.”

“Look, if you’re that tired, just go back to bed.” Wukong rolled his eyes, “I’m not gonna like, start watching a movie on full blast or anything.”

“You will likely make a mess of my kitchen though.” Macaque said, “I mean, you practically already have. Are you at least going to bring some of this stuff to the game night- I don’t think either of us could finish even half of this on our own.”

That… was an excellent idea actually.

“It was always the intent for most of it to be for game night.” Wukong lied, “I’m done here now anyways- the kid just wanted me to make sure you didn’t like, bleed out or something.”

He grabbed a new package of cookies, shoving them into the folds of his clothes as he stood up, brushing past Macaque on the way to the door. Wukong paused with one foot out of the dojo.

“I’ll come back tomorrow afternoon to help carry everything over to the Noodle Shop.” He said, “You better be ready by then, or I will be dragging you out of bed. Forcibly.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” Macaque huffed, waving him off, “Have fun getting backpain in your random tree branch.”

Wukong already dealt with backpain, a few weeks of nights spent sleeping on a tree branch weren’t going to help or hurt him more. But, well, that wasn’t important.

He slammed the door of the dojo closed behind himself, and summoned his cloud to go hang out on the roof of MK’s apartment until tomorrow.

~

“Uno!”

“Go fish.”

“I think I’m gonna fold.”

“Does anyone have an eight?”

“Pick up two.”

“Wait, what are we playing?” Wukong asked, suddenly very aware of the lack of cards in his hands. At his question, Mei let out a snort, and the others set their handfuls of various cards down on the table.

“We’re playing Never Have I Ever.” MK patted Wukong on the back comfortingly, “You started spacing out twenty minutes ago- Red Son thought it’d be funny to see how long it’d take you to notice we’d started spouting random game instructions.”

“Noodle Boy, you cannot just oust me like that-”

“No wonder it’s taking you so long to remake Flower Fruit Mountain.” Macaque interrupted as he set down his own hand- two queens and two plus four Uno cards. “If you can barely focus enough on a kids game, then it’s a miracle you can get any complex magic spell done at all.”

“Hey- I’m not normally this bad.” Wukong said, rubbing gently at his forehead. “…I just have a little headache, that’s all.”

“I’ve got an aspirin if you need one.” Mei popped a pill out of a package and held it out. Wukong stared at it a little hesitantly for a few seconds- mortal medicine had a fairly low chance of helping him out nowadays. But, well, low chance was still better than no chance… Wukong took the pill and swallowed it dry, ignoring how some of the others winced at that action. It probably wouldn’t help him much in the long run, but, well, he could pretend it did for their sakes.

“Now that Monkey King is back in the land of the living-” MK said, pouring a refill of juice into everyone’s cups, “I can say this; Never Have I Ever licked someone’s leg-”

“Oh, you’re still on that?” Wukong would’ve rathered they’d left that whole thing behind. He grabbed his cup-

And proceeded to almost spill it when Macaque violently slammed his hands down on the table.

“Wait.” He hissed, eyes flickering from MK to Wukong and back again. “That was real? That actually happened?! I thought I hallucinated it-”

“It was, unfortunately, real.” MK said with a solemn tone that did not at all fit the topic they were talking about. Quietly, Red Son asked Mei what was going on, and Mei leaned over to whisper about what had happened yesterday into his ear. Wukong could only thank whoever in Heaven that may or may not be listening in that Pigsy, Tang, and Sandy were busy getting pizza from the store, and were thus not being brought in on this whole little fiasco.

“Whatever- it, it was nothing, okay?” Wukong downed his juice in one go, grabbing the bottle with his tail to pour more into his now empty cup. “Let’s just move on- Never Have I Ever… uh-”

He paused for a moment, trying to think of something that he hadn’t done. As someone who had lived for over a millenia, well…

“…Maybe this wasn’t the best choice of game to play with a bunch of immortals.” Red Son said-

“No, no, I- actually no, yeah, I’ve got nothing.” Wukong had been going to say he’d never eaten people- considering MK had seemed to decide they were bringing up yesterday’s events, but, well. He was pretty sure Red Son’s family had had a little… phase, and he wasn’t entirely sure if Mei and MK knew, and, well, a party game was arguably the worst way to find out about things like that, in Wukong’s opinion.

…Or maybe they wouldn’t care, who knows, MK and Mei were weird like that. He’s pretty sure he heard the kid specifically chanting something along the lines of “Be Gay, Do Crimes” the other day, or something like that. Was cannibalism included in that? Wukong has no idea, and he certainly is not going to be the one to ask.

He was spared from further thinking about it as the Noodle Shop’s door chimed- Tang, Pigsy, and Sandy finally returning, Sandy carrying pizza boxes in his hands.

(Wukong had brought over some of the junk food he’d impulse bought the previous night. Macaque had complained about how he was still leaving so much of it in his kitchen, but, well, Wukong kinda wanted a stockpile of it. Just in case. Either way, it didn’t really matter, quite a lot of what he had brought over would probably be coming back to the Dojo with them anyways, considering Pigsy had nearly passed out over the idea of only having sweets for super. He’d insisted they at least get something more dinner-like, even if it was takeout from another place. MK had demanded pizza faster than anyone else could think).

“Scoot over, monkey.” Pigsy said, pulling a chair over to the table, making Wukong have to move over-

Closer to Macaque.

Shit.

Wukong took a chocolate bar he’d hidden in his shirt pocket earlier (it was his favourite brand, he only had one left and he wasn’t risking any of the others taking it), and took a bite out of it, forcing his eyes to remain on the table and not stray over to the monkey demon sitting beside him. There was no sweet scent surrounding the other anymore- thank heaven, but just the memory alone was messing with him. The urge to just bite the other was all too strong.

“Right!!” Mei clapped her hands together, drawing Wukong’s attention back to the group. “Now that we’re all here, lets get the real games going. Up first, I think we should play Werewolf-”

~

“Night one. Night. One. All of you- voted for me first thing.” Macaque hissed as Wukong slammed the door of the dojo closed behind them. “I hadn’t even done anything yet! There wasn’t even a discussion- just immediate voting!”

“Macaque, that was hours ago, why are you still complai-”

“Don’t think I haven’t forgotten that you were the one who voted for me first, Wukong!” Macaque poked Wukong in the chest as emphasis- “You clearly set that whole thing up on purpose- hey!”

Wukong grabbed hold of Macaque’s wrist, pushing him backwards as the Monkey King stepped forwards, pinning Macaque up against the wall.

“Enough.” Wukong hissed, and then paused, taking in the look on Macaque’s face, the way shadows were slowly darkening against the wall, as though ready to portal the other away. After a second, he relaxed his grip on Macaque’s wrist a little, using his free hand to gently run a thumb over Macaque’s cheek. “You’ve been complaining for hours. It’s making my headache worse, so- it’s high time you shut up a little.”

When the shadows faded to their usual colour, and Macaque didn’t voice any form of protest, Wukong leaned in.

…This wasn’t the first time they had kissed. Far from it.

A few days after the fight against Azure, Macaque had shown up in the remains of Flower Fruit Mountain. The resulting fist fight had ended with Macaque pinned to the ground, panting, and smirking, before he’d grabbed the front of Wukong’s clothes and pulled himself up to place a kiss on Wukong’s cheek.

Wukong had grabbed him before he could fade into the shadows and pressed their lips together with a surprising gentleness for someone who hadn’t kissed another for over two hundred years.

They hadn’t really… stopped since then. Neither of them ever really planned to initiate it, it just seemed to happen- suddenly gently or passionately kissing each other.

This kiss… was neither of those things.

It was desperate, and needy, and Wukong’s fangs nipped Macaque’s lip hard enough to draw blood and make him gasp. Wukong pulled back at the sound of it, before zeroing in on the blood. He ran his thumb over Macaque’s lip, smearing the blood, then brought his thumb to his mouth and licked it.

“…Sweet.” He said, ignoring the way Macaque’s eyes narrowed at him as he leaned back in for a better taste. Macaque made a choked sort of noise as Wukong licked his lip mid-kiss. Wukong slowly let go of Macaque’s wrist in order to cup the other’s face with both hands, pulling him slightly away from the wall and impossibly closer to him, nipping at Macaque’s lip again to draw more blood forth.

“Ow!” Macaque pushed Wukong back- Wukong forcing himself to comply and move away as Macaque shook his head, seemingly trying to snap himself out of the daze that had come over him. “Okay- wait- what’s with the biting?”

Wukong silently stared at the small trails of blood slowly dripping from Macaque’s bottom lip and down his chin.

“Wukong? Sun Wukong. Hey.” Macaque snapped his fingers in front of Wukong’s face. “I know you’re bad at it, but I’d like you to focus now-”

Wukong blinked, trying to think clearly over the delicious sweetness that was steadily fading from his tongue.

“Uh-” He hesitated, trying to make eye contact, and failing, eyes being drawn back to the quickly drying blood. How to- explain? His mind was buzzing over finally getting a small taste of what he’d been craving all day, and despite his headache having somehow vanished, it was nearly impossible to think. He wanted more, so much more. “…Sweet?”

“Not an answer.” Macaque said, wiping the dry blood off his chin, “If you want something sweet, have one of the hundreds of treats you’ve tossed into my kitchen- wait, does this has something to do with you licking my leg yesterday?”

Macaque’s face, which had already been tinged slightly purple from the kiss, flushed to a much deeper shade at the memory, and Wukong knew for a fact that, confronted with it now, his own face was probably burning with an equal amount of gold. He’d been kinda hoping that, despite MK bringing it up again for some reason, Macaque had forgotten that whole thing had even happened.

It seemed like his hopes had been in vain.

“Maybe.” He’d muttered it, but it might as well have been a yes with how Macaque’s face suddenly lit up with a smirk despite the blush still covering it- speaking of, said blush was quickly starting to show through the glamours on Macaque’s ears as well, the faint outlines of his extra ears lightly glowing.

“Ah-” There was a tone of realization in Macaque’s voice that Wukong decided right then and there that he didn’t really like- “It’s the magic that you want, isn’t it?”

Oh, Wukong suddenly regretted constantly begging Macaque for a taste of the other’s magic because it was “sweeter than peaches!” way back in the past. Macaque had been quite proud of it back then, seeming to view being ranked as above peaches as something special. Of course the bastard would put the pieces together so damn quick, even over a millenia later.

Wukong let out a defeated groan, taking another step back so that Macaque was no longer trapped against the wall. Macaque adjusted his clothes, blush and smirk still present on his face as he turned and started walking towards the main living area, Wukong slowly trailing along behind him with his arms crossed. Macaque’s tail was swishing back and forth with something that was definitely not agitation, and Wukong couldn’t help but feel that maybe Macaque was getting just a little bit too much enjoyment out of this realization.

Macaque hopped over the back of his couch to sit down on the cushions, and after a moment of hesitation, Wukong followed.

“…It’s not your magic specifically.” He said, grumpily, “It’s just… sugar? But, uh. Nothing else is, um.”

“Fulfilling the craving? Checks out.” Macaque nodded sagely, as though he expected this, and Wukong had to, for the second time in under 24 hours, fight the urge to pick him up and throw him. Macaque seemed to realize he was treading on thin ice, as he quickly broke eye contact. “I mean, it takes an ungodly amount of, well, anything to affect you, it only makes sense you’d need something super sweet as well.”

…Huh. He was right, that did make sense.

It also would maybe explain why the headaches went away after tasting some of Macaque’s insanely sweet magic blood too. It wasn’t some coincidence, it was just Wukong finally getting something akin to the right amount of sugar in himself. The sugar craving wasn’t just his sweet tooth, he actually needs a lot of sugar.

…Probably not a good thing he keeps going extended periods without eating anything, then. Of course, he could probably live without it, obviously, but, well. It felt awful to do so.

(He’d slept away fifty years once, and had felt genuinely and truly horrible once he had woken up. It’d taken three days of eating immortal peaches before he’d started to feel well enough to branch into eating and drinking anything else).

“Well, there’s no real reason to postpone it.” Macaque’s voice drew Wukong back to the present, and he did a double take in shock as he realized that, at some point while he’d been spacing out, Macaque had taken his scarf off. Wukong’s eyes immediately were drawn to Macaque’s collarbone. Macaque smirked at his reaction, and moved forwards, wrapping his scarf around the back of Wukong’s neck, and pulling the Monkey King closer to him, practically on top of him, in fact. Macaque tilted his head slightly to the side to give better access. “Go ahead.”

Wukong blinked for a second in shock, a golden flush on his face, before he smirked.

“Good boy.”

“Wha- no, we’re not doing th-ah!” Macaque cut himself off with a yelp, glamours falling down as Wukong gently sunk his teeth into his shoulder. Wukong let out a slightly muffled laugh at Macaque’s reaction, before biting slightly harder, blood pooling up as Macaque swore from the sting of it. One of Macaque’s hands gripped onto the back of Wukong’s clothes- his other hand gripping the back of Wukong’s head with enough strength to pull on his hair enough for it to slightly hurt, but Wukong didn’t care. He was finally getting the sweetness he’d been craving, and he wasn’t going to let anything distract him from that.

A minute passed, and Macaque slowly started relaxing from how he’d initially tensed, leaning back to be laying down, shivering and yelping whenever Wukong sunk his teeth in deeper again to draw up more magic blood. Wukong leaned closer in to him, letting their tails wrap together. Macaque didn’t even try to say anything of his usually sassy or dramatic nature, for once leaving them both in relatively peaceful near-silence.

The sweet flavour filling the Monkey King’s mouth tasted almost like bliss.

Slowly, Wukong pulled back a small bit. The craving had been satiated, fading to the back of his mind as he licked his lips, clarity starting to come back to him.

Macaque’s shoulder looked like a bloody mess.

He gave it a tiny, gentle lick, savouring the taste on his tongue for a few more seconds, before pulling back entirely.

“…I think we might’ve stained your couch.” Wukong said, wiping his mouth, though he was sure he’d only succeeded in smearing the purple blood across his face instead of successfully cleaning it. “And your shirt.”

Macaque didn’t answer, staring at the ceiling while panting, a dazed look in his eyes. Wukong slowly tilted his head in confusion, carefully shifting so that he was no longer on top of him.

“Macaque?” Wukong tried again, “C’mon, we should get you cleaned up. We can go to the Flower Fruit Mountain hot springs- I finished fixing them up a few days ago.”

“…Yeah. Right. Hot springs… sounds nice.” Macaque sounded breathless as he forced himself up and into a sitting position, swinging his legs over and making to stand up and take a step forwards.

He crumpled over, starting to collapse to the ground.

“Woah!” Wukong shot up and grabbed hold of him, Macaque gripping onto him for balance. Wukong was suddenly very aware of the way Macaque was starting to get a little wispy at the edges. “Fuck, did I take too much?”

“Maybe jus’ a bit…” Macaque’s words slurred a little as Wukong helped him sit back down onto the couch. “I’ll be fine, I just, need a sec…”

Wukong gently brushed Macaque’s hair out of his face, before gently tapping the other’s lips.

“Is it okay if I…?”

“…Mm.” Macaque made a sound of consent, so Wukong gently pressed their lips together, a golden glow enveloping the both of them as he closed his eyes and drew back on how they used to share magic.

(Passing it through a kiss was a lot easier than getting it from blood, but, well, Macaque’s magic was too closely tied to him now for him to do such a thing anymore.

…Plus you couldn’t really taste it this way).

When Wukong next opened his eyes, Macaque still looked a bit dazed, but he at least wasn’t wispy at the edges anymore. Pulling back, he held back as much of his strength as possible and lightly flicked Macaque directly in the middle of his forehead.

“Next time, tell me when I start taking too much.” Wukong said, ignoring Macaque’s pained grumbling. “Now, lets get you fixed up- you still okay with the hot springs?”

“I could use a bit of a soak- wait. How are we going to-” Macaque shrieked as a golden flash surrounded them, falling backwards onto the ground with a small sound of pain as they were suddenly teleported to Flower Fruit Mountain.

“Oops. Forgot to warn you.” He absolutely hadn’t- this was his way of paying Macaque back for not telling him important things like the fact that he was taking too much blood. Wait, speaking of blood- “Ah- I forgot the supplies- hold on for a second, alright? Don’t go, like, passing out on me again.”

“I’m not gonna pass out.” Macaque said, even as he put a hand to his head, trying to get the spinning from the sudden teleportation to stop. Wukong raised an eyebrow in doubt at him, but still proceeded to vanish in another flash of golden light, leaving Macaque on the ground staring at the starry sky.

His eyes were just starting to adjust to the natural darkness- when another bright flash of light made him hiss, covering his face.

“I’m back!” Wukong did a little pose as he announced his presence. Macaque just slowly sat up and stared at him with an incredibly unimpressed look. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Wukong coughed, setting the basket of items on the ground down beside the other. “So, um. I realized between there and here that uh- well, I was gonna bandage your shoulder, but, you’re not meant to get bandages wet, and we’re gonna go in the hot springs, so um-”

“Just put some spell on them to keep them dry or whatever.” Macaque rolled his eyes, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world, as he shrugged off his sleeve to give Wukong better access to his shoulder. Wukong knelt down beside him, bandages in his hands, and then hesitated.

“…Wukong-” Macaque started, and then sighed as Wukong leaned down and licked some more blood off of Macaque’s shoulder. “Seriously? I thought you were done with that.”

“I just wanted one more little taste.” Wukong pulled back, grabbing a small hand towel and dipping it into the hot spring, using it to gently wipe the rest of the blood away. The bite marks were already starting to heal, the skin already starting to scab over. Wukong wrapped some bandages on top of it anyways. There would probably be more steps he’d have to do for this if Macaque was human, but, well, he wasn’t, so this should suffice.

“Hurry it up, I wanna get in the water, it’s cold out here.” Macaque said, his tail swishing a little in agitation. Wukong huffed out a small laugh at his impatience, summoning a golden magic circle to his fingertips, which he then pressed against the bandages to imbue them with the spell. He repeated the process for the bandages on Macaque’s leg, and then turned away to put the bandage roll back in the basket he’d brought.

A splash had him turning around to find that where Macaque had been, there was now only his clothes on the ground, the other monkey demon having already made his way into the hot springs. He’d done that so fast, how-

“Ough, headrush…” One of Macaque’s hands shot out to grip a nearby rock, seemingly for support, while the other went up to his forehead, his ears flicking. He looked a little bit wispy again.

Oh. He must’ve used his magic to shadowshift out of his clothes and portal into the water. He knew full well he was low on magic power right now, why on Earth would he-

(It suddenly occurred to Wukong, that, y’know what, maybe putting someone who was recently experiencing something akin to blood loss into hot water was possibly… not a good decision).

“I can hear you thinking.” Macaque mumbled, shifting a little to glare at him. “Just hurry up and get in here.”

A few seconds later had Macaque loudly swearing as Wukong jumped into the hot spring, splashing the other with warm water.

“Seriously?!” Macaque spluttered, coughing as a bit of water made it’s way into his mouth. “Can’t you just enter the water like a normal perso-mM!”

Water splashed over the edge of the hot spring as Wukong cut him off by grabbing the sides of Macaque’s head, climbing onto the other’s lap in one swift motion and pressing their lips together. Macaque made a muffled noise of protest, before his eyes slowly slid closed, his hands finding their way to rest on Wukong’s shoulders as the Monkey King shared more of his endless magic with him. Wukong tilted his head, pulling back before pressing a kiss to the corner of Macaque’s mouth, then his cheek- and then his ear.

Macaque did a full body shiver as Wukong kept his lips pressed against one of the other’s glowing six ears. When Macaque didn’t have any further reaction, Wukong opened his mouth slightly, and softly bit down.

Unlike the previous bites, it wasn’t enough to draw up blood, but it was enough to make Macaque let out a quite frankly pitiful sounding noise, tail thrashing, causing more water to spill out onto the rocks. Wukong chuckled, the sensation of his breath against his ear making all of Macaque’s ears twitch. Wukong seemed to take that as a sign to purposefully blow a breath of air onto Macaque’s ear, making Macaque yelp and shove him back.

“Stop that! And, must- must you keep interrupting me mid-sentence?” He said, “Seriously, you’ve done it like three times.”

“But what if I like the sound you make when I catch you off guard, Sugarplum?” If Macaque hadn’t already been flushed to the tips of his ears, purple blush glowing brightly, Wukong dropping that nickname of all things would’ve been enough to make him blush violently.

“Wuko- …P-Peaches, you can’t just-”

“Can’t just what?” Wukong pressed their foreheads together, smirking as he stared directly into Macaque’s eyes. “C’mon, I’m on a bit of sugar high right now, you gotta let me have some fun- hey!”

Macaque roughly shoved Wukong back, making him slip and fall underwater for a few seconds. When he came back up, he made a frustrated noise as he tried to push his wet hair out of his face so he could see again.

“Did you have to do tha- woah!” Wukong stumbled backwards, his back hitting the side of the hot spring as his hands grabbed Macaque to stabilize him as the other suddenly surged forwards, wrapping his arms around Wukong’s neck as he kissed him. Wukong’s hands slipped down to Macaque’s hips, quickly adjusting their position into something more comfortable as Macaque tried to press himself as close to him as possible. After a few seconds, Wukong hummed, turning his head to the side to break the kiss. Macaque quickly moved to press his lips to Wukong’s neck instead. Wukong let out a breathy giggle- “Is this your idea of revenge?”

Macaque’s response was to wrap his tail around Wukong’s own under the water, kissing up the side of Wukong’s neck, to his cheek, and then back to his lips. Wukong let him, smirking into it-

And then he let go of Macaque’s hips, one of his hands going to rest in the middle of Macaque’s back, the other going to the back of the other’s head, as he shifted his weight and dipped him, Macaque letting out a muffled squeak against Wukong’s lips as he almost went under the water. Wukong pulled back a bit to stare down at Macaque’s shocked face, his black hair flowing in the water, the glow from his ears reflecting in the water in a way that was-

“Beautiful.”

“Oh shut up.” Macaque reached up and grabbed the sides of Wukong’s face, pulling him down to press their lips together again-

Wukong’s feet slipped on the underwater rocks, sending them both under the water. They both resurfaced a few seconds later, coughing on accidentally inhaled water.

“Right.” Wukong said, taking in a wheezing breath, “I think maybe- maybe that’s a sign we should cut it out for now, ha.”

Macaque didn’t verbally respond, instead just silently nodding, leaning against the side of the hot spring and staring up at the stars.

They were silent for a few minutes.

And then Wukong reached over the edge of the hot spring to rummage in the basket he had brought, and pulled out-

“How did you even fit that in there.” Macaque deadpanned, ��What are you, some kind of Mary Poppins? There’s no way you fit that in that basket.”

“…Sounds like somebody doesn’t want cake.”

“Now hold on, I didn’t say that-”

[quitealotofsodapop]

As part of my rabbit hole into Jttw, I've been looking at more and more monkey-related articles and science topics. I am an irl biology undergrad. It's my thing.

And I noticed a lot of focus in the LMK fandom on Macaque's scarf.

In the Harry Harlow monkey experiments (tw for distressing stuff) one trait that would frequently occur is that "orphan" macaques would become emotionally attached to pieces of cloth/towels. Even with the presence of a "wire mother" that provided endless food, the baby macaques would cling to bundles of cloth to simulate being held by their mothers. In experiments where the baby was provided a "cloth mother" that had no milk to give, they would still cling even if it meant starvation. If the researchers attempted to remove the cloths, the babies would panic and lash out. Those whose cloth was removed actually died from grief. The reason is simple; it was literally their security blanket.

Btw; These experiments weren't done out of cruelty. There was a really damaging parenting belief during the 1950s that believed that babies should be held as little as possible, less they become "spoiled" from too much contact. Harlow's team was able to prove that yes, you need frequent positive physical contact to survive/thrive as a baby.

The cloth-clinging can also be seen in macaques raised by humans that don't understand their instinctual need to cling. Even when dumped in the wild, former "pets" will cling to their security blanket like their life depends on it. Because it really does.

SO I had a thought;

What if Macaque's red scarf is his security blanket? His "cloth mother"? It being one of the few comforts he had as a baby monkey? Or even the only memento of a life before the Brotherhood? A simple piece of cloth that holds more value to him than all the treasures of Heaven?

I've seen ideas/headcanons that the handkerchief he wears on his armour in the Brotherhood-era is actually his trademarked scarf, and that he began wearing it more loosely because Wukong hasn't been adjusting it for him. Since we don't see an earlier form of Macaque, he is literally almost never seen without his red scarf, save for glamours and at the beach in S4.

Macaque, who tries his best to be a self-sufficient loner, getting panicked when he can't find his scarf or when it becomes damaged. Wukong learned a long time ago not to touch the scarf without permission, and was only allowed to interact with it when Mac was in a good mood.

And you know who else is a monkey with a piece of red cloth that they're never seen without?

You touch MK's bandana - you die. I believe it was likely Tang and/or Pigsy who used the cloth to keep the hair out of the baby's face, and MK psychologically attached to it as a form of comfort. He's not evne sure why he's so attached to it.

[acoraxia]

What are your thoughts on shadowpeach?

Fandom wise? I do not care for it.

Canon wise? I believe in men committing crimes while forming the most toxic, unhealthy attachments to one person could lead to such a dysfunctional relationship that it, eventually, turns into a functional one. And also they’re trans and aspec.

Disclaimer: this is all my opinion and people can do whatever they want, i simply have my gripes with some of the fandom stuff. this is just me explaining what i like and dislike about shadowpeach.

I think the most common thing people fall into when it comes to ships—or shipping in general—is how to domesticate these two characters without fully addressing their flaws, personalities, behavior, and their overall choices throughout the original media/show they come from. 

Macaque and SWK both suffer equally through this mischaracterization: Macaque is often painted as this shy or “edgy” character with little to no ties to his actual character in canon and, more often than not, he is perceived as this “dad” type of character when, in fact, he should not be allowed near children for I fear he will bully them nonstop until they sit there in the corner feeling disheartened and miserable about themselves; Sun Wukong is often portrayed as this dumb himbo with little-to-no means of understanding social cues, not understanding emotions in a way that’s very frustrating, and be this yearning, pining idiot who’s still longing for his childhood crush when he did not hesitate to punch this guy in the face multiple times throughout the show. So when they are paired up together it’s this weird mash of people believing Macaque is the better dad with more understanding of human behavior and Wukong is his dumb, doting husband who’s doing his best and cannot stand up for himself when confronted about things.

The amount of times people choose to make Macaque sympathetic by having Sun Wukong’s family side with Macaque when it comes to Wukong’s actions/choices is so vast I could not count them all on one hand. The common trope of having Princess Iron Fan (Sun Wukong’s sister-in-law) become Macaque’s sworn sister is so disheartening to see for someone who read through Journey To The West and thought of how silly the overall family dynamic of the Demon Bull Family and Sun Wukong’s troops was. Removing Iron Fan as Sun Wukong’s literal sister just to have someone backup Macaque and sympathize with him is funny and a bit silly. 

That being said… the canon version of Shadowpeach and its possibilities are, in fact, very delicious.

Canon wise this is what we know about Sun Wukong and Macaque’s history together: 

Sun Wukong and Macaque meet

The brotherhood is formed after Azure meets Sun Wukong, Macaque tags along with Wukong (note: Macaque is not addressed as “brother” by the characters, only Wukong is)

Macaque tries to warn Wukong about how dealing with Heaven might be a bad idea

They share a peach under a tree; Wukong reassures Macaque this plan will work

Wukong carries on with Azure’s plan anyway (yes, azure lion’s plan, not wukong’s)

The brotherhood is defeated and Wukong gets trapped under a mountain

Presumably no one comes to visit Wukong, only Macaque

During his final visit, Wukong is angry that Macaque is free and can’t see the fact that Wukong was trying to do everything for them and his kingdom

Macaque snaps back at Wukong and calls him an obsessive demon before leaving

They have another fallout and fight

Wukong ends up killing Macaque in the aftermath

500~ years later, Macaque and Wukong fight again with Wukong being more apathetic towards their reunion than Macaque is

Macaque obsesses over Wukong continuously (coughs)

Macaque is biased in his retellings of his and Wukong’s relationship (see: all of shadowplay and the scrolls memories)

They fight (again) throughout S3

They somewhat reconcile by the end of S4

We will address the fact Sun Wukong was groomed into going to war by this former celestial warrior instead of having it be because of his own want to protect his family and friends after Heaven refused to pay him the respect he wanted when he first joined their ranks later. Right now we focus on the fact that Sun Wukong is canonically a person people easily fall in love with (platonically) and have a tendency to want to stay close to regardless of what his future actions will be like and Macaque is sequentially obsessed with him throughout the show.

“The hero and the warrior were like the Sun and the Moon. Their light, a protective glow, shining upon the world. Together, there was nothing that could stop the two of them. Either in the Celestial Realms or on Earth. As time went on, the hero attained power beyond comprehension. As the hero's light grew, so too did his shadow. And soon, the warrior was cast in that shadow. In the darkness, the warrior was forgotten by the hero.”

Fun fact: Macaque is never going to be on par with Sun Wukong’s power and he works best as support than he does a duo-attacker along side Wukong. Wukong is on his own power level and Macaque, while being able of holding his own against enemies, could be stomped to death by Xiaoijiao is he crossed the line.

Macaque’s obsession with Sun Wukong comes from the inability to move on from the past; Macaque wanting things to go back as they were is a subtle theme going through the show — he keeps latching on to biased memories and avoiding the actual problems that caused their relationship to fall apart and it isn’t until Season 3’s big confrontation with Long Xiaojiao’s Samadhi Fire ritual. He realizes he abandoned Wukong during a time of need and proceeds to flee, abandoning him again. 

Macaque has issues. More often than not people call out on Sun Wukong for abandoning Xiaotian or the Monkie Kid Crew all while ignoring the fact Sun Wukong does not purposefully leave Qi Xiaotian, he tries his hardest to make it back in time and is visibly scared/horrified when LBD attacks in his absence. Sun Wukong tries his hardest to comfort Xiaotian while Macaque tries to torment him. 

Regardless, Sun Wukong and Macaque’s relationship is unique to most media’s portrayal of friends turned enemies. Because Wukong does not see Macaque as a threat up until he teams up with Lady Bone Demon — he is only scary by association, not by anything he has done up until that point. You can tell with the way Wukong mocks him and calls him something akin to a puppet during their interaction in Season 3 when Macaque trapped him and Nezha in the ice. 

And even then Macaque doesn’t even bother trying to engage with Wukong in a friendly manner because kindness is for losers HA i’m not apologizing for anything, bye Sun Wukong, you big old LOSER [proceeds to possibly live on the streets and stay homeless until wukong allows him to return to ffm under certain house rules]

You’ll notice that Sun Wukong barely has any opinions on Macaque.

This is because Macaque is favored by the narrative more than Sun Wukong is so we have very little context as to how Sun Wukong genuinely feels towards Macaque. 

Sun Wukong sees Macaque as an annoyance, a bother, a threat, a coward, an imposter and then, finally, an ally. 

But all we get from that is Wukong handing Macaque a peach-flavored ice cream pop as a parallel to him sharing a peach with his old friend back when they were young monkeys before he was trapped under a mountain for 500 years as a result of his abuser’s power hold on him that forced him to fight heaven as a way to “make the world a better place”. 

We love to see it.

Macaque and Wukong’s relationship goes from mutual interest and a supportive friendship established years prior to the original building of the brotherhood to a very weird, uncategorized type of dynamic. The only way to characterize Sun Wukong’s “affection” towards Macaque is, possibly, the same way most people would characterize Macaque to be towards Wukong. Y’know the slightly judgmental actions and eye rolls and scoffs of affection most people write about Macaque when Wukong does something stupid? Yeah.

“But Macaque said “this guy” when Wukong was presenting his plan to defeat Azure—“ yeah have you considered Wukong does a lot of masking in the presence of the entire Monkie Kid Crew and Macaque has a tendency to present himself as this cool persona when in fact he’s just a homeless monkey who’s been crashing on his ex’s couch for the past weeks since the ending of Season 3? 

“OK…. but why QPR Shadowpeach?”

Sun Wukong throughout the course of Journey to the West and all its past and future iterations have always had him be uninterested in both men and women. There are multiple instances where he’s capable of courting women and he instead backs away or does not pay it any mind; aside from this he’s heavily implied to only care about familial love and friendships. He does not see his pilgrim brothers as anything more than family and he views Tripitaka as a mentor rather than someone whom he was chained to. And Azure was his idol and he was groomed by him, and everyone else was viewed to him as a troop — or, y’know, a family.

This and the fact that— both Sun Wukong and Macaque are over a thousand years old. Why on earth would they have a normal type of relationship? Giving them a checklist of what passes on as romantic and platonic when to them the line is so blurred it’s barely existent to them is amusing. 

Sun Wukong and Macaque having their own weird relationship where it changes from frustrated best friends to partners to angry middle aged demons to the tired traumatized immortals who sometimes cuddle while still beating each other up is so deliciously interesting and unhealthy to the point where it is healthy. 

Also Celestial bodies are not the same as mortal bodies; canonically Sun Wukong has transformed into women before and people have addressed him with female-leaning pronouns before. my personal headcanon of sun wukong being genderfluid lves on and now we can have sapphic shadowpeach with transfem macaque.

also im still feverish so if this doesnt make sense then too bad damn im sorry

[xiao-zhen]

Uncovering the Connection ★

Don't you just love how the monkeys are immediately attached to Macaque? There must be more to it; they had to have been attached beforehand. Here's my take on that. (Fanfic)

As Mk approaches Flower Fruit Mountain, he heads towards the tiny house where he knows Monkey King sometimes resides. Upon entering, he finds the Monkey King sitting in a relaxed pose with a small clay pot of tea in front of him. "Ah, so that's what brings you here today. We didn't have training today, huh?" Mk nods in agreement and hesitantly begins, "Umm, actually... I wanted to ask you something." 

Monkey King's eyes light up with curiosity as he leans forward. "Ask away! What's on your mind, bud?"

“Uh, it's about Macaque.”

His excitement momentarily fades as he hears the question about Macaque. He leans back, his expression becoming serious.

"Macaque, huh? What do you want to know about him?" 

Mk fidgets nervously in the cozy confines of Wukong's house, the warm sunlight filtering through the wooden slats and casting playful shadows on the floor. He senses a subtle shift in the Monkey King's mood, the lighthearted atmosphere around them taking on a more serious tone. 

With a hesitant glance at Wukong, Mk takes a deep breath and continues, “Well, I was wondering... Why are the monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain so attached to Macaque? They seem really fond of him.”

As Mk speaks, he can't help but look around at the various trinkets and artifacts that adorn Wukong's home—each one a piece of history, perhaps reflecting the bond he shares with his fellow monkeys or his journey to the west. He thinks about the bustling chaos outside, where the other monkeys play and chatter, their joyful sounds trickling in like music. Mk noticed how they look at Macaque with a mix of admiration and affection, almost as if he holds a unique place in their hearts.

Mk shifts his weight, feeling the warmth of the wooden floor beneath him. “Is it just his strength that draws them to him, or is there something more?” he muses aloud, his curiosity growing. He remembers how Macaque used to live on Flower Fruit Mountain and currently too is in the process of moving back, and how Macaque seems to effortlessly get affection or tackled from the group of the mountain’s monkeys especially the younger cubs. 

Wukong could only sigh softly, his eyes lost in memories as he gazes at the trinkets that surround him. "It's not just his strength, Mk. Macaque might appear aloof, but he has a way with the younger ones, especially the cubs. It's almost as if he brings out a protective, nurturing instinct in them." He pauses, taking a sip from his clay pot before continuing, "But there's more to it than that. Can you keep what I'm about to tell you a secret?" 

Mk nods vigorously, a mix of anticipation and curiosity in his eyes. "Of course, Monkey King! I won't tell a soul."

Wukong leaned in closer, his breath barely a whisper as he spoke. "The bond between Macaque and the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain is profound, intricately woven into the fabric of his past." A haunting look crossed his face, eyes clouded with memories as he continued, "Macaque... He once called this mountain home for many years, a time that shaped him in ways few truly understand."

Mk momentarily got confused. “Wait. . .he didn’t always used to live on flower fruit mountain even before the best friend breakup?” 

Wukong leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a quieter tone. "The connection between Macaque and the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain runs deep, rooted in the events of his past." A wistful expression takes hold of his features as he continues, "Macaque... He once lived on this mountain for a significant part of his life, you know."

 "When Macaque first came to the mountain, many years ago, he was more open, more friendly. The monkeys, especially the younger ones, took an instant liking to him," Monkey King recalls, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "He would spend hours playing with the young cubs, letting them climb all over him and treating them with an unexpected tenderness," he continues, his eyes distant as he delves deeper into the past. 

"But then," Monkey King's expression darkens for a moment, a flicker of pain and sorrow in his gaze, "something happened. Something that changed Macaque, making him more reserved, more solitary." 

“Is it that thing that happened, the one I have no idea about because you two refuse to talk about it, but it’s clear that you’re both still a bit bitter?” Mk exclaimed, his exhaustion evident as he struggled to understand the tension hanging heavily between Wukong and Macaque. Wukong responded with a somber nod, his expression a mix of regret and resignation. "Ah, yes. That’s a crucial part of it," he said slowly, his voice barely a whisper. "Our friendship... it didn’t end well. There was a deep betrayal that shattered both of us, especially Macaque, leaving wounds that run deep." Mk gazed at him, his eyes pleading and curious, conveying a silent desire to uncover the truth of what really transpired between them.

"I know, I know," the king said, his voice tinged with a weariness that spoke volumes. He ran a hand through his hair, the weight of unspoken memories heavy in the air. "You've approached me about our falling out on several occasions, and I truly wish I could divulge the details. However, this is a matter that Macaque and I must confront in our own time, away from prying eyes and restless hearts."

Mk's lips curved into a slight pout, a hint of disappointment shadowing his expression as he lowered his gaze to the floor, the vibrant colors of the surroundings fading momentarily from his focus. However, lifting his eyes once more, he turned his attention to the Monkey King. Wukong, noticing the glimmer of disappointment in Mk's eyes, responded with a warm, reassuring smile, as if trying to infuse some light back into the moment. "Hey, don't look so down," he encouraged, his voice carrying a gentle tone. "There's so much more to the story. Macaque's history on Flower Fruit Mountain goes a little deeper than just our fallout."

"After our friendship ended and Macaque… well, I suppose he came back," the Monkey King says, his voice tinged with sadness. "He wandered for a while, but eventually he found his way back to Flower Fruit Mountain despite everything that happened. I don't quite understand why he could return so easily, but the monkeys always seemed to welcome him back with open arms, no matter our past."

Monkey King straightens a bit, his eyes lighting up as he dives into a vivid recollection of the monkeys' lively behavior. "Ah, the bond between the monkeys and Macaque runs remarkably deep. When he first returned to Flower Fruit Mountain, thanks to your efforts, Mk, the monkeys wasted no time in welcoming him back with open arms. The younger ones, in particular, reacted as if time had stood still; they scampered toward him with uncontained joy, climbing over him with the same carefree exuberance they had displayed in the past, eager for his presence and playful companionship." Yet, Mk couldn’t help but wonder how Macaque managed to create such an atmosphere of comfort and familiarity among them.

Wukong let out a soft chuckle, a glimmer of admiration flickering in his eyes as he spoke. "Ah, that’s a tricky one to pinpoint. Macaque possesses a remarkable affinity for the younger monkeys. There’s something almost magnetic about him; they’re simply drawn to his presence as if enchanted by an unseen force. He has this unique ability to connect with them on a level that transcends words, creating an aura of safety and comfort that wraps around them like a warm blanket."

"He might not always express his feelings outwardly, but deep down, he truly cares for them—albeit in his own aloof manner," Wukong continued, his tone softening, laden with affection. "You see, he’ll allow them to climb on his back, their tiny fingers gripping his fur as they playfully chatter away. He’s always watchful, ready to protect them from any harm that might come their way. The monkeys, especially the young ones, possess an instinctive ability to sense his unwavering loyalty and trustworthiness, which fosters a deep bond. It’s no wonder they feel so comfortable around him, their innocent hearts instinctively reaching out for the warmth he offers." 

The Monkey King leaned back, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he regarded his companion. "You know," he said, his voice rich with intrigue, "if you truly wish to understand the bond that Macaque shares with the monkeys, the best approach is to observe him in their company. Experience speaks volumes, after all." He paused, a playful grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "And don’t underestimate the power of curiosity—perhaps you should consider asking Macaque directly. Though, be warned: he might not reveal his secrets easily." With a slight shrug, the Monkey King continued, "If you manage to coax him out of his shell, however, you just might catch a glimpse of the hidden ties that bind him to the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain. It’s a connection shrouded in mystery, but worth every effort to uncover."

Wukong leaned forward, a touch of seriousness in his eyes. "Just be prepared, Mk. Macaque can be a bit prickly, so don't be surprised if he shuts you down or deflects your questions. He's not exactly known for being an open book, you know?" With a touch of seriousness in his eyes he continued. "Just be prepared, Mk. Macaque can be a bit prickly, so don't be surprised if he shuts you down or deflects your questions. He's not exactly known for being an open book, you know?"

Mk burst into laughter, recalling moments when Macaque had been nothing short of closed off and aloof. Wukong couldn’t help but grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, trust me, I’m well aware," he replied, his tone playful. "Macaque has a remarkable knack for shutting people out when he feels like it. Yet, beneath that gruff exterior lies a flicker of warmth, particularly when it comes to the monkeys. It’s a side of him not many get to see." 

"I've seen moments, brief as they may be, where Macaque let his guard down around the monkeys," he continues, his smile softer now. "A gentle touch, a small smile, a word of comfort or protection. It's clear he cares for them in his own aloof way."

After his insightful conversation with Monkey King, Mk thanked him and stood up, a determined gleam in his eyes. As he walked out of Monkey King's tiny house, he set his sights on finding Macaque. 

Mk was having some trouble trying to locate Macaque as he realized something quite obvious. Mk chuckled to himself as he realized his oversight. "Ah, of course. Where there's monkeys, there's also likely to be Macaque. Of course, why didn't I think of that?" With the unmistakable chirps of monkeys serving as his guide, Mk headed in the direction of the lively commotion. He navigated the familiar landscape of Flower Fruit Mountain, following the sound of laughter, chirps, and the occasional ruckus. As he drew closer to the source of the noise, Mk could see the vibrant scene unfold before him. The monkeys were engaged in a lively game, their cheerful chatter filling the air. And sure enough, perched on a nearby tree branch, was Macaque, lazily watching over the monkeys. 

Mk paused for a moment, taking in the scene. Macaque looked at the monkeys with a mixture of both annoyance and affection, his expression a contrast to their boisterous energy. He seemed to have a sort of aloof but devoted attitude with the mischievous creatures. 

Mk's rushed approach was abruptly halted when he stumbled over a pesky rock, causing a few of the monkeys to startle in surprise. One particularly brave cub, in a surprising turn of events, landed right on Mk's face. Macaque, who had been perched on the tree branch, raised an eyebrow in confusion as he witnessed the unexpected scene unfold. 

"Well, that's one way to make an entrance," Macaque commented with a dry tone, his eyes flickering with amused annoyance. He remained nonchalantly perched on the branch, watching Mk and the cub with an air of aloofness. The cub, unperturbed by the fall, clung to Mk's face, chattering and giggling with innocent glee. Meanwhile, Mk, still recovering from his tripping debacle, clumsily attempted to untangle himself from the cub's unexpected grip. 

Macaque leaned back against the tree, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Well, good luck with that. Those little ones can be pretty clingy when they want to be. Especially that one. "

Indeed, the cub on Mk's face had wrapped its tiny arms and legs around his head, seeming quite content to stay there for the time being. As Mk struggled to dislodge the cub, Macaque chuckled slightly at the sight. "You might as well resign yourself to having that little bundle of mischief attached to your face for a while," he teased.

Mk shot a desperate look at Macaque, his expression a mix of frustration and resignation. "Help? A little? Any advice on how to get this little one off my face?"

Macaque feigned a sigh, crossing his arms. "Oh, you're asking the great Macaque for advice on how to handle a small cub? And here I thought you were a disciple of the Monkey King."

Despite his sarcastic tone, a hint of playfulness glimmered in his eyes.

Macaque hopped down from the tree branch, approaching Mk and the cub. "You're being too gentle," he smirked, observing Mk's struggles. "They respond better to a more firm approach." As Mk continued to struggle with the stubborn cub on his face, Macaque gracefully swooped in, his tail extending with calculated finesse. With a swift and practiced move, he used the tip of his tail to gently pry the cub off Mk's face.

The cub protested slightly, letting out a small whine, but relented under Macaque's firm, yet gentle touch. Macaque held the squirming cub in his arms, and turned to Mk. "It's all about firmness and confidence. If you're too hesitant, they'll walk all over you." The cub in his arms now calmed down, chittering softly and clinging to Macaque instead.

As soon as Macaque held the cub in his arms, the mischievous little creature's attention shifted to his tail. Without missing a beat, the cub scampered up the long, shadowy limb, clinging onto Macaque's tail with a tenacious grip.

Macaque rolled his eyes at the cub's antics, but a small smile tugged at his lips. The cub now perched on Macaque's tail, it looked at Mk with big, curious eyes, chattering happily like it was enjoying its new mode of transportation. Mk blinked, a sense of surprise and disbelief crossing his face. Had he just seen Macaque, the brooding shadow warrior, actually smile? 

The cub, still clinging to Macaque's tail, seemed equally amused, chirping happily and adding to the unlikely sight before them. For a moment, there was an almost tender expression on Macaque's face as he allowed the cub to cling to his tail. Despite his often aloof demeanor, there was no denying the genuine affection he held for the young monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain.

Macaque, still holding the cub on his tail, turned his gaze towards Mk. A question formed in his yellow eyes, his eyebrow lifting slightly. "So, now that you're here, care to tell me why you're looking for me, kid?" Mk hesitated for a moment, composing his words in his mind. He had a specific question he wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure how Macaque would react. Finally, he gathered his courage and spoke up. 

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something." 

Macaque's interest was piqued, and his gaze sharpened. "Hmm, well, spit it out then. I've got better things to do than just stand here holding this little nuisance." Mk took a breath and went for it. "I've noticed how close you are with the monkeys around here, especially the younger ones. I was wondering... how do you do it? How do you get them to just instantly like you and be comfortable around you like that?" Macaque was taken aback. He had anticipated a question about his methods of combat or his powers, not something so direct and straightforward about his relationship with the monkeys. There was a moment of silence as Macaque pondered his response, the cub on his tail shifting its grip. 

"Well," Macaque began, his voice steady, but with a hint of vulnerability. "I suppose it's a matter of understanding and connecting with them. The young ones... well, they're simple creatures. They just want someone they can trust, someone who shows them affection and makes them feel safe." 

Macaque looked around at the monkeys playing nearby, his eyes softening slightly. "They sense things in people. They can tell when someone genuinely cares. I may not be as... open and warm as Monkey King, but I make sure they know I'm there for them, in my own way."  Macaque's gaze shifted back to Mk. "It's not rocket science, kid. It's just about showing them kindness, compassion, and a bit of patience. It doesn't take much to win over their trust." Macaque chuckled at Mk's frustrated groan.

"Ah, don't beat yourself up about it, kid. The monkeys here are just more attached to me, I guess." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, his tone light-hearted. "It's not like I'm going out of my way to win their affections. It just happens naturally." Macaque's carefree attitude was a stark contrast to Mk's evident frustration. He leaned against the tree trunk, the cub still clinging to his tail. "Maybe the younger ones are more drawn to me because I don't try too hard. They can sense sincerity, you know?"

Macaque chuckled again, a hint of mockery in his tone. "Or maybe they just like me better because I don't trip and fall over every rock I see. They value gracefulness and balance, kid." Four more monkeys, seemingly out of nowhere, had materialized behind his back, their presence subtle but unmistakable.

Macaque, seemingly unperturbed by the sudden appearance of the monkeys, continued his sarcastic banter as if nothing had happened. With an air of nonchalance, he casually addressed Mk whilst the monkeys behind him began to play with his tail.

"What's the matter, kid? Never seen monkeys appear out of thin air before?" 

Despite their surprising appearance, the monkeys seemed completely at ease with Macaque, as if they were used to his presence. Mk, still stunned by the sudden appearance of the monkeys, watched in disbelief as they played with Macaque's tail. Mk couldn't help but point out the irony of the situation. "See? That's exactly what I mean! They just showed up behind you and started playing with your tail like it's the most natural thing in the world. How do you even do that?"

Macaque chuckled, clearly enjoying Mk's dumbfounded expression. "What can I say, kid? The monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain have a soft spot for me. I guess they can't resist my charming personality." With a smirk, Macaque glanced at the monkeys playing with his tail. "Just like you can't resist the temptation to trip over every rock in sight."

Mk grumbled, obviously frustrated by Macaque's constant taunting. "Oh, hardy har har. You know I tripped on accident, right?" Macaque shrugged nonchalantly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Accident or not, it was still quite a show. Maybe you should invest in some walking lessons, kid."

Macaque chuckled, his voice dripping with mockery. "Or perhaps some glasses. You know, so you can actually see where you're going next time."

 Mk let out a deep sigh, clearly growing tired of Macaque's constant digs at his clumsiness. "Very funny. Real hilarious. Can you give it a rest already?" Macaque chuckled letting it go, but offered to help Mk with the monkeys so they could get used to him. Mk did not expect that at all.

Mk was caught off guard by Macaque's unexpected offer. He had expected more teasing from the monkey, but instead, he was actually being somewhat helpful.

"Wait... you're actually willing to help me?" Mk asked, slightly suspicious.

Macaque crossed his arms, his tone matter-of-fact. "Well, it's not like they actively dislike you. They just don't know you as well as they know me. And let's face it, I have a certain charm that you'll probably never possess." He smirked as he finished his statement, clearly enjoying his own arrogance. "But with a little effort and some guidance from the great Macaque, maybe the monkeys will start warming up to you more."

"Though I can't promise they'll like you as much as they like me," Macaque tacked on, a self-satisfied smile on his face. "I'm quite hard to compete with, you know." 

Macaque leaned back against the tree, a hearty laugh escaping his lips. "You chose me, of all people, to help you win over the monkeys? I must say, your decision-making skills are truly astounding, kid." 

"If you wanted to befriend the monkeys, you could've asked Monkey King. He's practically their favorite playmate. But you came to me. Not sure if that's a stroke of brilliance or just sheer stupidity." Macaque's yellow eyes gleamed with amusement as he continued, "Either way, I find it quite entertaining that you thought I'd be the one to help you with this little predicament."

Mk, taken aback by Macaque's continued amusement, decided to clarify himself. He looked directly at Macaque, determination in his eyes. "I didn't come to you because I thought you were the obvious choice. I came to you because I think you understand the monkeys on a different level than Monkey King."

Macaque, caught off guard by Mk's genuine explanation, raised an eyebrow. It wasn't often that someone looked to him for insight rather than Monkey King.

"What do you mean?" Macaque asked, tilting his head curiously.

Mk explained further, his voice filled with sincerity. "Monkey King may be the king and the monkeys' favorite, but he's always seen as this larger-than-life figure. He's the legend they worship and admire. But you... You have a different kind of connection with the monkeys here. You understand them on a more intimate level, and they trust and rely on you in a way that they don't with Monkey King." 

Macaque was truly dumbfounded. He wasn't used to someone noticing the subtle bonds he had formed with the monkeys. No one, aside from the monkeys themselves, had ever pointed that out before. "You... You really believe that?" Macaque asked, a hint of vulnerability visible in his usually guarded eyes.

Mk nodded firmly, meeting Macaque's gaze. "Yes, I do. I've seen how the monkeys cling to you, follow your every move, and seek your comfort. That bond goes beyond just being their 'playmate.' It's trust, reliance, and... I think even a hint of affection." Macaque's composure faltered for a moment. He had always known there was a unique connection between him and the monkeys, but hearing someone else acknowledge it, especially someone like Mk, was jarring.

"I... I never thought someone like you would actually understand," Macaque admitted, his voice soft and slightly stunned. Mk took a step forward, his tone sincere yet curious. "So, will you help me? I want to understand the monkeys like you do, to form that bond with them. To have them trust and rely on me, just like they do with you." Macaque, still slightly taken aback by Mk's words, paused for a moment. He considered Mk's request, his thoughts flickering in his yellow eyes. Finally, he let out a sigh, resigned.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to help you out. But don't expect a miracle overnight, kid. Earning the trust of the monkeys takes time and patience." Macaque pushed himself off the tree, straightening up. "I'll give you some pointers, sure. But don't think you'll be instantly adored like me. That charm just can't be replicated." He gave Mk a mocking smile, regaining his usual confident demeanor. "You'll just have to settle for being the runner-up favorite, I suppose."

Macaque, noticing Mk's eagerness, smirked. "Well, eager beaver, let's get started then. The first lesson in winning the hearts of the monkeys around here is understanding them. You can't just waltz in and expect them to like you. They are creatures of instinct, and they need trust, comfort, and familiarity." This was how Mk began to get closer to the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain.

[aleiiii]

aleii! i had quite an odd idea today i want to share; it is for Na and Macaque

what if Macaque had something similar to what females have? his upper body would ache really bad and his skin/fur would kinda shed for a few weeks, and Na would make hot tea for him to ease his pain a little and cuddle too; i think Macaque would get attached to her over those interactions?

and i also request a very possessive, and quite clingy and cuddly Macaque; thank u lol

The idea of him just becoming more and more clingy is just soooooo….. eeeeEEEEEE (this is good)

Forever nuzzled in the side of her neck I swear, that’ll be his designated spot

[nekohime19]

🌟Neko Shadowpeach Au Guide!🌟

I have so many Shadowpeach Au I can't even 😭

This post is mainly for me to organize myself bc I'm beginning to have a lot of ideas for Au, and a lot of Au in general and I need to write that somewhere or I'm gonna get lost, 😌.

But also it's to let you guys know about future Au I would probably write and see if you like them.

Of course if you guys have any questions about any of my Au's, even the unpublished one, feel free to ask, 😁.

alright here we go :

Published

Monkeys silly love life :

Summary : Macaque never met the great sage, nor the brotherhood, he simply lived like a hermit until his lantern was stolen by a thrall. He finds himself coming to Megapolis in search of his lantern, there he meets MK, his friends and one particularly insistent golden-furred monkey who seems keen on flirting with him despite the Lady Bone Demon taking over the world.

Fic : series of three fic on Ao3

Who said you can't flirt in an apocalypse?

Monkeys discovering the wide world of dating.

I know the world is ending but will you marry me?

Status : all fics completed

Vibe : fluff and humor

Heart behind the lie :

Summary : Sun Wukong's mind is severely damaged by the Lady Bone Demon's possession, leading him to act like a beast. Macaque being the only person he trusts in this state, he is designated as his babysitter. Macaque refuses at first but then finds himself needing magic to survive and decides to accept being a babysitter to better steal Sun Wukong's magic. He might became more attached than he planned for.

Fic : fic on Ao3 + being re-published on Tumblr with two chapters a day

Status : uncompleted

Vibe : emotional angst, feels and fluff

Publishing day : At least once a week

Tumblr tag (including fanarts /answers /memes /chapters) : Heart behind the lie

Mini Mac :

Summary : One day Sun Wukong discovers that a little black-furred monkey had been living in the walls of his stone mansion and decides to befriend him. Problem is, the little black-furred beauty is not keen on deepening his relationship with him, thus the sage has to gain his trust first.

Fic : one fic on Tumblr and Ao3

Status : uncompleted

Vibe : fluff, humor and very light angst

Publishing day : Two to three chapters a week

Tumblr tag (including memes / answers / fanarts/chapters) : Mini Mac au

Bimawen :

Summary : What if Heaven actually gave weight to the title of Bimawen and treated Sun Wukong with respect, even if reluctant? Sun Wukong would have never gone on a rampage and quietly taken care of the horses. Years after Sun Wukong has taken his horsley duties Heaven found another celestial monkey, the Six-eared Macaque causing mayhem in the mortal world. The macaque is judged and if he wants to avoid his execution, he has to become the bimawen's assistant. The problem is the monkeys don't really like each other.

Fic : one on Ao3 and Tumblr

Status : uncompleted

Vibe : fluff, humor and feels / JTTW oriented

Publishing day : Once to twice a month (often more bc I'm inspired)

Tumblr tag (including memes / fanarts / answers / chapters) : Bimawen au

Share my glow (co-writing with Pen-Women)

Summary : Macaque never met Wukong in his life. He is known as the Shadow Weaver, a mysterious entity who guides the one lost in the night. His lantern is the last artifact LBD needs to complete her mech and take over the world. When his forest is frozen by the Thrall he has no choice but to follow a troublesome team of heroes with a particularly flirty Monkey King.

Fic : one in Ao3

Status : uncompleted

Vibe : fluff and angst / ABO

Publishing day : Once a week (every Sunday)

AITA for sleeping with the guy my girlfriend is cheating on me with? :

Summary : A reddit style story with interactive comments about Wukong mess of a love life (and his gay awakening). Wukong learns his girlfriend is cheating on him so in an act of pettiness he confront the secret side boyfriend. What he didn't expect was to get along with Macaque and, after explaining the situation and discovering Macaque had no idea he was a side piece, to get hammered and sleep with him.

Fic : on Ao3 and Tumblr

Status : completed (for now)

Vibe : crack and humor

Tumblr tag : AITA shadowpeach

Love Addicts :

Unpublished

Summary : After the end of season 5, Wukong realize that he doesn't have anything left to teach MK and feels... at the same time proud and sad. He looks back on his life and feels more alone than ever now that his student is stretching his wings.

Simultaneously, there is a strange door appearing in his room leading to a bar selling all kinds love potions. And Wukong thinks that, perhaps, a night of pleasure could help him feel less lonely. Somehow Macaque agree to this madness, and they both drink a potion that helps them forget their fight and heighten their senses, lasting for one night only.

They both didn't expect to enjoy that night so much.

Nor did they expect to come back for more

And now real feelings are getting involved.

Fic : on Ao3 and Tumblr

Status : not completed

Vibe : smut and fluff and angst

Tumblr tag : love addicts au

So here is are my ideas for different Au's! Of course, bc those are still ideas in working, summaries might change a lil bit when I actually write them. Idk if I'll write them all though. They're classed from the one I want to write the most after I'm finished with Heart behind the lie and Mini Mac to ideas in passing.

Love rings true :

Summary : Sun Wukong took the throne of the Jade Emperor after the attack on Heavens orchestrated by the brotherhood. One day, Wukong gain a new jester, the most famous entertainer of the mortal realm : the Six-eared Macaque. Wukong becomes very enamored with his new jester but he doesn't know how to talk to him. As such he decides to approach him in an unusual way... He becomes a bell and spend the day at his jester's side, on his hat.

Fic : will be on Ao3 and Tumblr

Status : unwritten / Planning this after Mini Mac

Vibe : fluff and humor

Pacific rim Au :

Summary : For a long time, Sun Wukong and Macaque were the best Rangers in the world. Their performance was flawless, their compatibility undeniable, they piloted the Shadowpeach as if it was a part of their own bodies. But after a particular incident, they were never able to pilot together again. Years after, Macaque is required to pilot with Wukong for one last time. One last mission. Maybe having the world on the line will push them both to rekindle what was once lost.

Fic : unwritten / will be on Ao3 and Tumblr

Status : unwritten : fleshing out the lore

Vibe : feels and fluff, smut

Tumblr tag (including lore) : Shadowpeach pacific rim au

Monkey Cop Mania :

Summary : Both monkeys find themselves being transported to a movie-like dimension in which Sun Wukong is the insanely famous Monkey Cop and Macaque a world-wide known thief accused of murder. If they want to get back to their own dimension, they have to solve a murder and finish the movie's scenario. Problem is neither mystic monkeys turn out to be great detectives.

Fic : unwritten / will be on Ao3

Status : unwritten

Vibe : Humor and feels

Once upon a monkey

Summary : various long one shots of shadowpeach being in different fairy tales.

How to bewitch the witch : Wukong is the prince of the Sun Kingdom and falls in love with the cruel sea witch, Macaque, while said witch was destroying his wedding with the mermaid prince, Azure. Once Azure returns to his kingdom and their wedding falls void, Wukong does everything in his power to court Macaque. Turns out, courting a sea witch is quite difficult.

The strongest of them all : Macaque is a magic mirror with the ability to hear past, present and future terribly in love with his owner, the King Sun Wukong. One day Sun Wukong learns that he's not the strongest anymore, but that he's step-son, MK, is. Macaque, after listening to the future, fears for his King and tries to better the relationship between MK and Wukong.

Fighting Beauty : Macaque is prince Sun Wukong personal guard, in charge of guarding him until his betrothed comes to rescue him from the sleeping spell casted upon him. Things get awkward when Macaque awakens Sun Wukong on his first night on duty. Sun Wukong, impatient as ever, decides to slay the dragon himself and not wait on his betrothed, Macaque is dragged in the quest despite himself.

Midnight Illusion : Macaque is at day the mistreated step-son of the Lady Bone Demon, and at night the leader of the most fearsome thieves of the Sun Kingdom. He's unfortunately caught by the royal guard in the middle of a thievery. He's given two choices by the Sun King himself : either spend the rest of his life in prison, or spy on his own step-mother while also pretending to be the Sun King betrothed. Naturally, he chose the second option.

The Mage and the Monkey : Sun Wukong is cursed by the wandering mage, Macaque, after refusing to give him shelter on a stormy night. He's now the Monkey King, and he'll stay in this beastly form as long as he cannot find true love, according to the Mage, at least. But Sun Wukong is not one to stay idle, he finds the Mage huts after a lot of searching, and bugs him everyday to undo the curse. Macaque is tempted to accept, only because Sun Wukong is getting annoying.

Fic : unwritten / will be on Ao3

Status : unwritten / rough ideas really

Vibe : Humor and fluff and angst

Narcissist :

Summary : Sun Wukong was lonely. He felt like there was a wedge between him and the world, that no-one could ever understand him. Even his successor couldn't hope to breach his shell. Pushed by his loneliness, Wukong stole a forbidden book from the gods with the vilest spells written in it and bring his shadow to life.

Fic : unwritten / will be on Ao3

Status : unwritten / very rough idea

Vibe : angst, fluff and horror (Mac being an eldritch horror)

I'll add Au's to this guide if I have any more that I think of, but that's all for now.

[semisolidmind]

In the twice as bad au, what if they never met reader before and only met her in modern days? Maybe mk was talking about his new friends and she came up, they got curious, followed mk without him knowing and then saw her for the very first time, what then?

(....first thing that came to mind—they haven't learned.

in the scenario where they lose their previous reader, they've had hundreds of years to think about what they could've done differently to keep reader with them. perhaps they've also begun to realize that kidnapping and holding her hostage doesn't look favorably on them.

but—if they never had reader in the past, they don't know to be better for the reader in the present.)

perhaps, despite trusting his son to take care of himself, wukong doesn't trust anyone else to not cause him trouble. so, he sends macaque to follow xiaotian to the city.

the six-eared demon follows the boy, witnessing his battle with a young dragon (whom surprisingly quickly befriends xiaotian), and the subsequent trip they take to the noodle shop. he's given the same introduction to the gang as xiaotian is (from the shadows, of course). they all welcome the boy, despite their wariness of his appearance.

there doesn't seem to be any reason to intervene...not yet, anyways. these people don't have anywhere near the same power as the monkey bro's protégé, and what power they do have is untapped and relatively untrained. it's definitely an eclectic cast; two demons, a cat, a dragon, one magically-inclined monk wannabe, and a human woman. she's the only one without any sort of power, macaque notes with curiosity.

it's not love at first sight, but... he does think she's easy on the eyes. it's only as macaque continues to keep an eye on xiaotian and his new friends that he learns more about her. she's pretty nice and relatively easygoing, cares for her friends, and is surprisingly level-headed in stressful situations.

and she's ridiculously fun to tease.

macaque will occasionally antagonize the group in the name of "helping the kid train" (which has the added dramatic benefit of potentially sowing some discord amongst his friends; mac gets the feeling xiaotian isn't being honest with them about his family). while the others put up a good fight, reader seems to try to avoid conflict on the grounds of being a normal, non-magic human. this inability to fight (though that frying pan of hers gives her the confidence to try) makes her the perfect damsel in distress.

the dark-furred demon makes a habit of kidnapping reader after these fights, forcing her friends to scramble to find her. this happens often enough that it gets to where macaque and reader will have genuine conversations during the time that he's hiding her from the gang. they become tentative friends during this time and reader comes to realize that he's likely not going to actually hurt her... probably. and he's pretty funny and easy to talk to, all things considered. reader doesn't hate him. (though she probably should? maybe?)

macaque quickly figures out where her apartment is, and persistently shows up unannounced to pester her. he says that when he's "not on villain duty," he can hang out with her if he wants; not like she can stop him, right? it starts out as the six-eared demon just messing with reader; eating her food, using her television, hogging her couch, and generally being a nuisance. teasing and goading her every chance he gets, he enjoys her reactions (and her attempts to not react).

however, macaque starts getting more and more attached the longer he spends with her. even when he's antagonizing the other members of the group, he'll make sure she's not in harm's way. he'll extricate her from the gang's fights against other villainous demons (usually against her will), shadowing her away to safety.

it doesn't help that once he stops outright pestering her, she warms up to him more, too.

it's working in macaque's favor that wukong already established mandatory visits for xiaotian every so often to make sure he's not slacking, so if mac leaves for the city— eh, he's just checking on the kid, no big deal. he tells wukong almost everything about his visits, but not about his favorite human. wouldn't want him to get too curious; mac knows his brother, and he knows what's gonna happen if wukong finds out about reader.

is it really so wrong that he wants to keep this one fun thing for himself?

———

the monkey king finds it a bit strange that his shadowy brother is spending so much time in the city they ever-so-often destroy. sure, he knows mac likes to cause trouble, but his visits are usually more sporadic.

wukong is beginning to think he's not even visiting xiaotian anymore.

when wukong makes the decision to check on his son himself, he goes to the noodle shop in disguise (it's a bit tough to get anything done when the very sight of you is enough to incite a panic). it's been a while since he's interacted with a mortal that wasn't running from him in terror, so he's a bit awestruck when reader greets him kindly. he's embarrassingly unused to being spoken to like a normal person, but he manages to not make too much of a fool of himself.

he chats her up while he waits on both his son and his order, finding himself charmed. she's sweet, she likes jokes, she's pretty and nice and wukong likes it when she laughs—

he wants to see her again.

so he does. wukong no longer tells macaque to check on xiaotian, instead making the visits himself. seeing as his kid has taken up residence in the noodle shop, is it really so strange that he visits so often?

he also "runs into" reader when she's buying groceries or making a delivery, and offers to help her. he counts the little meetups as "dates" and is working his way up to asking her to be his officially. he won't resort to "ancient demon courting methods" just yet.

he also hasn't told her who he really is. he changes his distinctive facial markings and lightens his hair a shade, shifts the color of his eyes from bloody red to less threatening gold, and wears his hood up. he tells reader he "tries to keep a low profile"; monkey demons get a bad rap in this city, what with that dreaded monkey king always causing havoc.

he'd like for reader to come to care for him like he does her. but, since there's a chance she won't be as open to being with him if she finds out he's the monkey king and not just your average run-of-the-mill monkey demon, perhaps it'd be best to keep his true identity a secret for a while longer.

of course, he eventually runs into macaque (while on his way to reader's place, so he saw macaque leaving from there), and they have a fun lil conversation (that eventually turns into a brawl) about the whole situation. wukong makes fun of his lil brother for falling for a human, macaque hits him back with the fact that it took wukong even less time to fall for her than it took him, it goes back and forth.

when the battle cools off, the brothers talk sincerely about how they feel. neither are willing to give reader up, so...they'll share, like they always have. they both continue to court an adorably but frustratingly oblivious reader, eventually meeting her at the same time and telling her that they're brothers. she's only mildly surprised, to their relief. they're both glad they've fallen for a human who's so comfortable around demons, especially ones as powerful as them. it's not often that a human isn't immediately off put by their aura of strength.

things are calm for a while. xiaotian is being a hero and having fun adventures with his friends, the two monkey warlords are staying out of trouble (mostly), reader is happy... all is well.

however, it eventually starts falling apart.

things quickly begin to change. just visiting reader occasionally isn't enough; wukong wants her to live on his mountain with him. he wants to reveal himself as the monkey king and let reader know the truth. he wants to show her the stone palace, the fruit tree forests, he wants her to meet his people. yet macaque insists they take it slow, that stealing her will just make her afraid of them (and should only be a last resort). he doesn't mind a little fear, but it'll hurt their chances in the long run. so, wukong refrains.

still, he's getting tired of going to the city.

and it's getting increasingly dangerous there, besides. more and more powerful adversaries are coming out of the woodwork, and reader keeps getting caught in the crossfire. nothing serious has happened yet, but perhaps the king will need to arrange a surprise relocation for his darling peach...

———

it happens sooner than he expected.

a powerful foe re-emerges, and xiaotian and his friends aren't strong enough to stop them on their own. the young monkey demon is forced to call on his family for help, both his villainous father and shady uncle arriving just in time to help slow the threat.

the monkey warlords make the fight exponentially easier, their brutality in battle on full display.

wukong can't hide his identity from reader any longer. she knows who he is now, has seen the friendly facade of the peach-colored mask fade into the bright red of his signature warpaint-like markings. she's just a scared and betrayed as he thought she'd be. she knows just what monster she's been dealing with now.

said monster sees an opportunity, and he's done playing around.

while her friends are occupied with finishing off the demon...

...wukong steals reader.

a fitting reward for aiding in saving the world, he thinks.

[genderfluid-insomniac]

Covering the monkies faces in kisses? Just going ham and flustering them with lots of affection?

Anon! I’d be more than happy to do that and I had so much fun writing this :)

Smothered in affection///Sun Wukong x reader x Six-Eared Macaque

Early in the morning, it’s always a mix of tangled limbs and most often both of their tail intertwined while they also wrapped around some part of your body, whether it be your arm, leg, waist, or even your neck on occasion. One mystic monkey had you pinned against his chest, nuzzling your head into his chest and stretching your body until you heard a few cracks. You opened your eyes to see the sun blinding your view and pushed yourself off of the body keeping you trapped, who you know realized was Wukong. He groaned and went to pull you back down when the shadow demon stole you from his counterpart, muttering something under his breath. “You’re staying here.”

“Mac, I have to get up to make breakfast and go to the bathroom.” Silence for a couple of seconds with his arms still cementing you to him with no mercy and unglamoured ears twitching in annoyance. “No, lotus. You’re staying here until I-“ The king's voice cut through you both, still coated with fatigue and stubbornness. “WE!” Macaque rolled his eyes and sighed, begrudgingly agreeing with his lover and smirking towards you. “FINE! You’re staying here until WE say so. Don’t you wanna listen to your kings, lotus?~” Heat rushed to your cheeks, becoming flustered at being the center of attention and starting to side with the part of your mind that always wanted to turn it back on them.

“I say if I can fluster you both then you have to let me out of bed” To anyone else it might seem like you weren’t getting anything out of it but being able to smother them in affection to your heart's content was more than enough for you. You glanced between both of them and their expressions reflected yours, an easy competition for them to win and prolong to activities they both had for the day. “Game on, lotus/sunshine.”

You carded a hand through the black fur on his head, paying special attention to his six colorful vibrant ears that almost had a glow to them and closing the distance between your faces. Peppering his face in kisses and hearing a purr begin to rumble from his chest, you spotted your other companion very grumpy at the lack of attention and waved him over. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, my king.” At that Wukong perked up and climbed closer to you, practically attaching himself to your back and hurrying his face into your neck.

The sound of purring filled your ears as you lathered the two mystic monkeys in praise and worship, leaning against the backboard of the bed with one of them on your lap happily curled in your lap completely relaxed while the other is stuck to your side nuzzled into your neck. Both of your hands carding their hands through their fur, delighting both of them with scratches under their chin and receiving euphoric chirps (shocking you that Macaque willingly let it slip and didn’t bat an eye). “Aw, moonlight. You seem so comfortable~”

You hold back a laugh as the shadow’s eyes shoot open and the red fur on his face grows crimson, not only realizing what just happened but what is actively going on, and in the blink of an eye he’s ducked out of sight into a shadow portal. Wukong only spares a glance and shrugs, going back to snuggling you, and in the distance you hear a single word shouted somewhere in Water Curtain Cave. “FUCK YOU!”

[sakurablossoms-world]

Jadepeach Headcanons:

(Art belongs to @splendentmoon)

Wukong is aro-ace, and has very little care for relationships outside of friendship and his troop, but he’s not against a relationship if the person in question is someone he deeply cares for and admires.

Nüwa is demi-ace, she’s very open to the idea of a relationship, but it takes her a long while to develop a romantic connection to anyone.

When they first met Nüwa had no idea who Sun Wukong was, something that offended Wukong in the beginning but would later come to appreciate as it meant that she would get to know the real him and he didn’t have to put up a front.

They originally bonded via their unique shared custody situation of MK and despite the rough start they both grew to deeply admire the other which eventually led to their relationship.

Both are very similar in terms of personality, but whereas Wukong is as bold as the sun, Nüwa is subdued like a star.

Nüwa admires Wukong’s free spirit and he admires her down to earth nature, and both adore the other’s kindness, ambition, creativity, protectiveness, and capacity for love (when either of them gives someone their love, they love wholeheartedly with no strings attached).

Their favorite pastime is sharing their art forms with each other, Wukong would teach Nüwa how to paint and fold origami, while she would teach him how to sculpt, they also love researching anything and everything together.

They’re both simultaneously the most intelligent and most naïve person in any given room, largely due to isolation.

Despite having the combined power to eradicate all of existence, both are terrified of papa mode Pigsy, and it doesn’t help that he usually has an issue with how they try to parent MK.

Wukong’s nicknames for Nüwa are: My Jewel, My Elegant Sculpture, Mango, My Star, Starlight, Starbeam, Starflower, Star Jade, Shooting Star.

Nüwa’s nicknames for Wukong are: My King, My Hero, Peaches, My Sun, Sunlight, Sunshine, Sunflower, Sunstone, Sunny.

Wukong is Nüwa’s very first relationship, which makes her slightly insecure as she worries she’ll embarrass herself and make things awkward between her and Wukong.

Wukong was previously in a serious committed relationship with Macaque, and with how bad that relationship ended, he often worries that he’ll end up hurting Nüwa in a similar manner and driving her away.

This previous relationship is also why he doesn’t use My Queen as a nickname for Nüwa, as that was one of Macaque’s old nicknames, and it holds a bittersweet feeling to it.

Luckily for both of them they managed to become a powerful couple, as even celestials and demons that detest Wukong admire and envy their love.

[lucagray813]

Shadow - Chapter 10

Title: Behind the Veil

Rating: T+

Word Count: ~10,000

Characters: Wukong, Macaque

Minor Characters: MK

Relationships: Macaque/Wukong

Minor Relationships: MK & Wukong

Summary: Macaque comes clean and walls and glamours finally fall. Their relationship will be all the better for it but it does result in a painful flashback to the worst day of their lives.

Additional Tags: Developing Relationship, Acquired Disability, Slice of Life, DBK is called Niú, PIF is called Gōngzhǔ

CW: Suggestive language, major character death, the following CWs are present but not graphic: self-mutilation, self-harm, blood and injury, violence

If you want to skip the MCD and the following CWs scroll past the italics after "His ears started ringing."

Link to AO3 Version

Chapter Navigation: First | Prev | Next

----

Wukong had spent almost all of his time in the library, consolidating his understanding of everything pertaining to the soul. He wasn't an expert in every facet of a soul's "lifecycle" but he had plenty of experience sitting with his own and exploring it's nature and that knowledge was what he thought might be of use to Macaque.

There was a chance he was focusing a little too hard on what might have been a figure of speech but at the same time it wouldn't do Macaque any harm. He would argue that even if it didn't help specifically with finding the truth about the Void it could still help him come to terms with his fear.

He wondered if there was a way to more directly help Macaque beyond teaching him what he knew because he was sure Macaque was going to be a very reluctant student. He already knew how to meditate but it was normally with a focus on magic, not on anything spiritual. And Wukong knew from first hand experience how difficult and unpleasant sitting with who you really are could be.

He was probably not going to find an alternative method to verbal guidance before Macaque returned but he would keep looking into it. In the meantime, he could make sure he was fully prepared to try and teach, although that was probably going to mean a lot of meditation on his own first.

He generally did mediate every day but he'd be lying if he said it had become much less of a priority in recent years. But it was time to get back on the bandwagon in a big way. Admittedly, he'd probably have an easier time of it once Macaque was back because every time he sat down to try it he just couldn't resist astral projecting and checking on him.

Astral projection was a bit of a curious talent. You weren't really seeing another person's soul, just a visual representation of it and how it appeared had a lot to do with the perception and skill of the beholder. If MK were here instead of him, Macaque's soul wouldn't look the same way to him as it did to Wukong.

If you could reach the pinnacle of enlightenment then he was sure no soul would be a mystery to you but given his attachment to some very specific souls it was unlikely he was reaching that level anytime soon. And honestly he was ok with that.

It would have been handy just to be able to look at Macaque and know everything about him but for all that it could save them both some hardship, it would really take away from the thrill of discovery. Maybe there was a middle ground that was somehow attainable?

Idle thoughts for another day, he frowned slightly as he considered Macaque's soul. It was odd he couldn't see his scars or ears, not that one's physical appearance made any difference to their true soul, but it did often influence the projection of the unenlightened. Maybe it had something to do with how Macaque viewed himself? Or how he wanted to be seen?

It was probably the latter and that did really put a downer on his hopes that Macaque would be dropping his glamours again any time soon. He tried to tell himself it didn't matter, that there were more important matters to attend to, but it was always on the back of his mind.

Actually, another thing that struck him as strange was that he could see Macaque's surroundings, although that was perhaps a generous description for an endless world of darkness. Astral projection never usually made the physical world melt away. Anytime he contacted MK this way all he could see was a vision of his soul, he couldn't see where he was.

He tried to rack his brain for any time he had projected to Macaque outside of the Void and he found he couldn't recall a single time that wasn't from days long past. He didn't generally need to and it was a bit invasive - they had phones for a reason.

He thought it might be worth testing what happened when Macaque was in the physical realm with him because right now this was giving some credence to the theory that Macaque's soul was connected to this place in a pretty significant way.

He didn't want to consider any theory too deeply at the moment however not until Macaque was back to discuss things.

He supposed he had to be quite grateful to the monkeys for forcing him to take breaks and eat and sleep. Macaque would be furious if he came back to find he hadn't been taking care of himself but it was hard not to fret. Although even he could admit his check-ins were a little too frequent.

He started setting alarms for himself - no astral projecting allowed until the next one went off and the monkeys took this rule very seriously. Going to great lengths to ensure he adhered to it.

It was two days after Macaque left for the Void that something was different when he went to check on him. He wasn't lying down asleep anymore, in fact it looked like he was sitting talking to someone and Wukong had just interrupted. Macaque looked extraordinarily guilty as he stood up.

"Ah, Wukong, I was just on my way back!"

Confused, he asked, "Who are you talking to? Did someone else project to you?"

The only person he was aware of that could astral project that might have any interest in contacting Macaque was MK. And while he wasn't one hundred percent confident that MK knew absolutely nothing about the Void, it felt odd that he would be there now.

Macaque winced as he admitted, "Ah, no. I might have already left?" He hastened to add, "Literally like an hour ago! I, er, just needed to check up on some things?"

Later, he no doubt would be annoyed that Macaque hadn't come straight home or at least let him know he had left but right now he was a little more concerned with something else.

He clarified, "You're not in the Void right now, then?"

Clearly misinterpreting his tone, Macaque tried to pacify him, "No but I'll be with you in, like, five minutes. Less than five minutes. I just had to... Why are you looking at me like that?"

Macaque's soul was still surrounded by that same all consuming black and no part of him thought this was a good sign.

He rubbed at his temple, "Just get your ass back here now."

Macaque nodded quickly, "Absolutely. I'm basically already there."

Wukong broke off the connection as Macaque turned around to explain to whoever he was with that he had to go.

...

Ok, apparently later was now. How dare he not come straight back here! Wukong had been worried sick for two days straight and he just went off to hang out with someone else? He was going to kick his ass when he appeared!

Which as promised only took about thirty seconds and Wukong didn't give him a chance to stammer out any platitudes before grabbing his shirt and shaking him, "Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I've been? And you just went off gallivanting!?"

Macaque grabbed on to his wrists to try and stop him, "Alright! Alright! Stop! Let me explain!"

He stopped with the shaking but he still held him as if he threatened to start again at the slightest provocation, "Talk."

Macaque took a breath, "Look, I never usually come straight back from the Void, ok? Takes a bit to get used to being physical again. And then I like to check to see what I've missed - you know, see if I've got any calls or messages. Sometimes I even do a quick peek around the houses to make sure everyone is fine. Usually only takes an hour or two tops and then I come right here."

Wukong eyed him suspiciously, that all sounded reasonable but if that was true why was he behaving like he'd been caught doing something wrong, "Who were you talking to?"

Macaque coughed a little awkwardly before rubbing at his neck, "Bǎi Hé...?"

"You don't sound so sure of that."

Macaque sighed and stepped out of his grasp, which he begrudgingly allowed, "No, I really was talking to her. I... I wasn't quite ready to face the music and I was hoping she might be able to settle my nerves."

He frowned, "What did you think I was going to do when you got back?"

Aggrieved, Macaque responded, "It wasn't that. I was just... embarrassed about how I acted. I know I'm dramatic but that really was taking it too far - got us both upset over nothing."

It definitely wasn't over nothing but he couldn't disagree the whole thing could have been handled a lot better. Wukong had had the last two days to agonise and come to terms with it but Macaque hadn't - he'd basically been asleep the entire time - and he could understand why he might need a moment to lament things.

Deciding to be forgiving, he asked, "Did she help?"

A bit of the tension melting off him, Macaque responded, "A little. She didn't actually know what the problem was, so it was more of a general pep-talk/lecture to get a grip. Honestly, she can be a little merciless."

Wukong snorted, "I wonder where she got that from."

Macaque shrugged and lied, "I have no idea."

Fond against his will, he huffed. Before opening his arms, "Alright, I'm appeased. Get back over here so I can properly welcome you back."

Perhaps a little more eager than he intended, Macaque was quickly back in his space and holding him tightly. For this moment at least, all was forgiven as he relished in the feeling of having Macaque in his arms. To actually be able to touch him, instead of pretending to while he was astral projecting.

Their tails had intertwined almost immediately and as he pulled back to kiss Macaque's cheek, he quietly told him, "Welcome back."

Macaque placed a chaste kiss on his lips before answering, "Good to be back. Sorry I was gone for so long."

Part of him was tempted to forego any immediate conversation and just carry him to bed and snuggle up with him but if past experience had taught him anything it was that putting off important chats only made them more difficult.

So with a heroic effort, he led them to the couch instead, "C'mon, drama queen, let's get this show on the road. We've got a lot to talk about."

Despite sighing dramatically, Macaque followed him, flopping on the couch, as he commented, "I suppose so." But he sobered up quickly, "First and foremost though, I am sorry about, well, everything. Freaking out, keeping secrets... Doesn't really matter what reasons I had, it was shitty of me. I'm sorry."

As glad as he was for an apology, it really wasn't enough to completely pacify him, "The freaking out I can forgive but keeping secrets? Of that magnitude? I can't pretend I'm not still upset about it."

Everyone had their secrets, even him, and he didn't expect Macaque to tell him every little thing he'd ever thought or done but this was way too big for him not to have shared with him.

Macaque had said he deserved to know so he could have a choice and he did appreciate the sentiment but more than that if this was something that could have a big impact on either of them or their relationship then he just needed to be in the know in general.

Macaque accepted this easily, "I know. I always knew that I needed to tell you but... No, I don't want to make excuses. Look, I wish I could promise you there'll be no more secrets from now on but I can't... I promise to try though. Anything you ask me from now on, I'll do my best to be upfront about."

He would actually really like to hear Macaque's "excuses", he was pretty sure he understood why he'd kept this a secret and it felt important to talk about it but for now he decided to test Macaque on his word.

Getting straight into it, he asked, "How many people know about your condition? And about the Void?"

"Niú and Gōngzhǔ probably know about as much as you do now. Red Son knows more than anyone about my physical condition, but I've never told him about the Void, although I wouldn't put it past him to figure it out eventually. The only other person who knows anything about my condition, my vision and taste and the like, is Bǎi Hé but she knows absolutely nothing else."

He then hesitated and added, "For the sake of being upfront though... She has seen my scars and ears. She's the only one other than you."

Well that wasn't a question he was going to ask but now that he had the answer he was a little flummoxed, "Bǎi Hé has seen you without your glamours...? When? Why?"

It felt unfair to be upset about that but he hadn't even had a chance to look at them properly yet.

Macaque was surprisingly serious, "Wukong, if I tell you this, it doesn't leave this room. This is Bǎi Hé's business, alright? Swear, you won't breathe a word of this again."

A little shocked, he held up his hands, "I swear. Jeez. If it's that big a deal, you don't have to tell me."

He would very much like to know but Macaque's glamours were not actually under question here. Sure, Wukong was a little sensitive about it but at the end of the day that was his issue not Macaque's. Macaque didn't owe him his true appearance and definitely not any of Bǎi Hé's secrets.

But he had a feeling Macaque felt the need to prove how serious he was about being honest.

"You don't need the details but just know she has a lot of scars from when the Lady Bone Demon had her. She was feeling really self-conscious about them so I took my glamours down so she knew I wasn't just talking shit just to make her feel better."

God, did Macaque love that kid. He wasn't sure there was anything he wouldn't do for her. He imagined that hadn't been easy for him - no doubt it was a very Lady Bone Demon heavy chat as well as being physically laid bare like that.

He couldn't help but ask, "I know I've never spent a lot of time with her but I don't remember seeing any scars...?"

"I set her up with some glamours but before that she used to basically cover up head to toe, wore a lot of make up, you would never have seen them."

Honestly, that was more than he needed to know, "You didn't need to tell me any of this."

"I know, and I probably shouldn't have, but you asked and I... I want to make it up to you for lying. And don't think I don't know how hung up you are on my glamours. But that's a conversation for another day, ok?"

He nodded eagerly, "Yeah. Of course. Whenever you're ready to talk about it, I'm all ears!"

He cringed a little at his enthusiasm but the fact that Macaque had brought it up had him feeling incredibly hopeful. And if he was being honest, it did go a long way to show him how serious he was.

But this was a tangent that didn't need any more time spent on it right now. He cleared his throat to dismiss any lingering embarrassment and said, "Ok, getting back on track. That's really the only people that know?"

Macaque looked a little unimpressed, "I'm as shocked as you are. Your student could do with a brush up on his observation skills. I think him and a couple of his friends have some suspicions but Red Son hasn't told them anything. He wouldn't dare."

He really did want to defend MK, Macaque was an impressive actor after all, but he felt a little embarrassed on his behalf that he hadn't seemed to have at least clocked that Macaque was pretty much blind. The greatest kindness he could do was move the conversation along however.

"Actually, talking about Red Son. I may have paid him and his folks a visit while you were away."

Macaque looked tired at just the thought, "Yeah, I figured. Let me guess, I'm due to get my ass handed to me?"

"Well, they did say that you were to visit them as soon as possible and they did look pretty pissed. So, I'm going to say chances are high?"

For all that he was upset with Macaque, he didn't think he would wish an angry Gōngzhǔ on anyone.

"Can't say I didn't see this coming. You managed to get back in one piece though?"

"Oh yeah, it was a little tense with Gōngzhǔ but I had such a good heart to heart with Niú afterwards. When did he get so wise and considerate, eh?"

"I think the same way you did but in the reverse order - marriage and a mountain."

Wukong wisely did not mention he had had a pretty famous third thing help with his character development, instead opting to tease, "You think I'm wise?"

"Wise-r. But not by much. Although, can't really say I've got a leg to stand on right now."

"Wow. You really have been humbled by this, haven't you?"

"Give me a couple of days and I'll be back on form."

He was already sounding way better than he had before he left and Wukong found he was almost reluctant to stir up any feelings of fear again but they had to talk about it.

"Yeah, about that. So I spoke with Niú and Gōngzhǔ, saw Red Son's reports and figured they've got that side of things well covered. So I've been thinking of other ways that I could try and help figure out if your condition really is deteriorating and I think I found it."

Macaque frowned but he didn't interrupt.

"You remember, you said you felt it in your soul that you would go back permanently one day? Well, I figured that was worth digging into. Explore where that's coming from and initially I thought I would just be teaching you how to meditate on your spirit, and that's definitely part of it, but when I astral projected to you earlier I saw something sort of concerning."

Macaque had predictably pulled some faces at the idea of spiritual meditation but he looked genuinely confused about his closing statement, "What did you see?"

"I looked like you were in the Void."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean I couldn't see anything but darkness and your soul. I thought that's just how it was when I projected to the Void but you weren't there, right?"

"You can see the Void...?"

He looked a little perturbed by this information and Wukong couldn't blame him, not if he was coming to the same conclusions he was. Macaque looked thoughtful and he waited to see what he came up with.

"That shouldn't be possible. You shouldn't see anything but a representation of my soul... Unless the darkness you're seeing is a part of that...?"

That was unfortunately what he had been thinking too.

It also struck him that he hadn't had to search for Macaque's soul. He had searched where he always did but somehow he had automatically been taken to where he had actually been - that wasn't how it was supposed to work and he shared this realisation with him.

Macaque was quiet as he processed this, before slowly theorising, "The Void isn't a place as such, it's more the space where everything exists, it's everywhere and nowhere all at once. If you were looking for my soul "in" the Void, then if I'm connected to it, I guess you'll always be able to find me regardless of if I'm there or not? But the fact that you're able to access the Void in any capacity..."

That actually had him perking up, "Hey, you're right. Maybe that's an angle we need to explore. We should see if MK or someone can also reach you there."

He was taken aback by how vehemently Macaque shot him down, "Absolutely not. No way. I'm not putting him at risk."

"Woah! At risk? What are you talking about? Worst case scenario, he can't reach you. Sure, he might get a little invested in helping but... What's with that face? What's wrong?"

He looked like he was considering something particularly unpleasant but he seemed to lose whatever argument he was having in his head. Again, he looked at him with the utmost seriousness, "Wukong, I'm going to show you something and you have to swear on the lives of our troupe that you'll never go looking for it, that you'll never use it."

His eyes widened at the stipulation, he wouldn't make him swear on the monkeys unless it was something beyond serious, "Macaque... I can't make that promise. Not without knowing what it is."

Another internal conflict seemed to ensue before defeatedly Macaque pulled something solid from the shadows. And while it looked different but there was no denying what it was.

"You finished your lantern?"

The most notable feature was the vertical shutters that were currently hiding whatever was hiding inside. He was sure they could snap open at Macaque's command however.

Macaque nodded, "A while ago."

He had almost forgotten about it, it had been so long ago that he'd started working on it and he'd never offered any updates on how it was progressing. At the very beginning they had discussed what he was hoping to achieve and his worries over any unintentional functions but that was it.

He had a feeling that the lantern had not gone according to plan and that's why he hadn't been told it was finished.

Warily, he asked, "What does it do?"

"Not what I was hoping it would... I think I inadvertently created a gateway to the Void?"

He pointed at the lantern, "You're saying that I could use this to go to the Void?"

The lantern immediately disappeared back into the shadows as Macaque snapped, "No, that's the exact opposite of what I'm saying. You are not to use it. Your body can't exist in the Void. Only your soul can but it won't survive the experience."

He raised an eyebrow, "How do you know?"

Macaque huffed as he looked away, "How'd you think? I tested it. The few I decided didn't deserve mercy are alive and sorely wishing they weren't. Although, I'm not sure the ones I killed are actually any more at peace. No idea if they even made it to the Dìyù, and if they did who knows if their souls can actually be repaired."

"Jeez, Macaque. How many people have you used this on?"

"Four but trust me they all deserved it."

He'd be lying if said he felt totally comfortable with the fact that Macaque apparently still tortured and killed people. That was the kind of thing he wouldn't have batted an eyelash at back in the day, hell he'd done more than his fair share, but it really wasn't the done thing anymore.

Something must have shown on his face or in his magic because a little defensively, Macaque responded, "I don't just go around killing people for the hell of it but it's not like there's no risk of it when I'm allied with MK and the Demon Bull Clan."

It wasn't an unfair comment. He was sure being associated with him likely didn't help things either. It's not like he wasn't aware Macaque had killed people in recent years - it was sort of inevitable with the company Macaque kept - but they just didn't tend to discuss it in any great detail. Probably something they should address at some point.

"I know. I know. Sorry, I didn't mean to make a face or whatever. It just caught me off guard, I guess. Bottom line though is that the lantern is dangerous for most people but let's face it, I'm not most people."

Macaque looked like he wanted to maul him, and he hastened to add, "Look, I'm not saying I'm in a rush to put it to the test but I don't think we should rule it out completely. It feels pretty significant that I can astral project to you there, right?"

Macaque was not appeased, "I don't care. No matter what happens, you are not to use that lantern. No one is."

He wasn't promising never to use it but he wasn't going to go behind Macaque's back to mess with it, "Fine. But I still think we should get MK to-"

"No."

Alright, this clearly wasn't up for discussion. But he thought Macaque was being overly paranoid. A projection was not the same as sending someone's soul elsewhere and it had the added safety feature of having two anchor points, the projector and the target, albeit the former was more secure than the latter.

But he could see he was only upsetting Macaque, and so he conceded, "Alright. Alright. No getting anyone else involved in Void stuff. We'll do what we can just the two of us, ok?"

Honestly, Macaque didn't look keen on that either but he definitely wasn't winning that argument. And he seemed to accept this but he wasn't quite willing to let it go without a final warning.

"Wukong, you want to help me find ways to explore my soul? Fine. But I need you to understand why you can't take the risk on the Void. Try and imagine it - you have no body, you can't hear, see or feel. You can't speak and you are completely alone. That's enough to drive anyone crazy but then your soul is also aware of every shadow and shape in existence? Even if that didn't warp your soul, when you came back to your body, your mind wouldn't be able to comprehend it. Tell me you understand."

He didn't want to imagine it. It was the sort of thing nightmares were made of. But Macaque was able to survive it. Surely, he couldn't be the only one? But he put any thoughts of them somehow bridging the physical realm and the Void on the back burner for now. Hopefully a lot of meditation would turn up some answers in time.

As seriously as he could, he responded, "I do understand and I swear I'm not going to be reckless about this. I won't willingly put either of us in any sort of danger. I promise."

He withstood Macaque's scrutiny and after a moment he sighed, looking tired, "You haven't even considered the ramifications of me deteriorating, have you? You just believe this will all work out somehow."

He hadn't given it any thought beyond figuring out if it was possible and how to stop it. It didn't seem worth fretting over depressing hypotheticals until he'd at least done the former and he was pretty confident that they had plenty of time before any deteriorating might happen. It irked him slightly that Macaque's tone suggested that he was being naïve about this.

But he kept a level head, "I think we might need to work on finding some middle ground here. You think I'm being too optimistic, but I think you're being way too pessimistic. All the evidence suggests that if anything is happening to you then it's happening so slowly that we have plenty of time to figure it out. You said yourself it might take thousands of years for the Void to take you back. We don't need to obsess over worst case scenarios."

"Wukong..." He hesitated before he seemed to decide to go for it, "I know it's a running joke that we're married but I need you to really consider what it means to dedicate yourself to someone else - in sickness and in health, for better or worse. I need to know that you can think past how you feel right now."

He felt himself growing irritated with how little faith Macaque seemed to have in him but it was cut short as he remembered Niú's words.

Macaque knows what it is to love someone to his own detriment. I have witnessed his loyalty slowly destroy him once before. He does not wish that fate upon you.

The situation was more complex than a lack of faith. He stood by his opinion that Macaque was being pessimistic but he'd clearly given more thought to the future than Wukong had. Generally, he believed it was better to be in the moment than lose time worrying about things yet to happen but, like all things, there was a balance to strike.

He nodded slowly, "Ok, you want me to think about it? I will. Give me some time and then we can talk about what the future might hold and how we feel about it."

Macaque looked surprised at his acceptance before he seemed to backpedal slightly, "Look, I know I'm being super down on everything, I don't want you to think I think we're doomed or whatever. I just... You're right, I'm probably overthinking it, let fear fester and take over."

He took hold of Macaque's hand, "Hey, I don't blame you for being scared, or for worrying about the future. Especially, now that I have some idea of why that is. You've given me a lot to think about, the least I can do is, y'know, actually think about it."

Macaque let out a long breath, "I... Appreciate that. I'll do my part too - I'll talk to you, I'll try not to be so afraid. I don't want to be so scared about the future I miss out on what we have right now. You... think you could help me with that?"

He was sure his expression was something achingly soft as he leaned his head against Macaque's before gently saying, "We are going to do so much mediating."

Macaque's responding groan was like music to his ears.

----

Despite, Macaque's admission that he was afraid, it was clear that being ill and stressed had greatly exacerbated things the other week and Wukong suspected he would not have the same struggle going to the Void next time, which somewhat decreased the urgency to find an immediate answer.

It helped that they were under no illusion that there was a quick fix for this situation and while they both were still very much committed to finding answers, they had instead chosen to focus on addressing their relationship for the time being.

It was very much a work in progress, figuring out how to temper their respective optimism and pessimism to find a middle ground, especially when the roles sometimes flipped, but overall he felt like they were making good progress.

Not to say every moment was filled with serious conversations or deep thoughts because life was very much still going on around them - monkeys were having drama, friends still wanted to meet up, there were plans they'd made to go out in advance that were now upon them and then there was just day to day living.

Although, one unexpected addition to his week had been Macaque's insistence that they consider experimenting with their magic, since somebody had told Niú and Gōngzhǔ that's what had been the kicking off point for the drama the other week.

He had spluttered defensively, "What was I supposed to tell them! "Oh yeah, turns out that I have a dick that fucking glows with magic and it was a bit much." Gōngzhǔ would have actually murdered me!"

Macaque had been in hysterics over his "magic dick" - he'd genuinely cried with laughter. Wukong put aside any embarrassment to make comments to keep him laughing for as long as possible. When he finally calmed down, it was to stroke his ego, "Honestly, magic dick is right. I can't tell you much I'm looking forward to having it again."

His face had been burning even as he tried to weakly argue, "You want to... Even after what happened?"

There had been an impish sparkle in Macaque's eye, "Between magic cock rings, experimenting with magic and some inspired ideas I have in mind, I think it would be a crime not to try again."

He was never going to live the "magic cock ring" thing down but he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to find ways to make sex work for them. He wasn't wholly convinced it was a good idea though and it had taken a fair bit of back and forth for Macaque to convince him that sex wasn't inherently dangerous for him. They just had to take their time with it and figure it out.

Despite feeling reassured, he knew he was going to be a bit overcautious for a while to come. Although, he had to admit he was both curious and a little terrified of what Macaque's "inspired ideas" were - with a grin full of mischief he had said he would reveal all when the time was right.

He was sure leaving him in the dark was a deliberate move to work him up because that was definitely the effect it had - unable to stop himself from trying to imagine what he might have planned.

For the moment though, he did his best to put any such salacious thoughts to the back of his mind. He was more than ready to hear Macaque's suggestions for magic experimentation.

"I want to stress test my tolerance for magic."

And he was immediately out. Macaque was quick to try and persuade him, "Don't dismiss it until you've heard the details. I'm not asking you to saturate me in magic until I call uncle and have to hightail it to the Void. I'm talking small-scale, carefully controlled, external experiments."

He was sure there was a silent "to start with" tacked on to the end of that but he let it go for the moment. In theory, knowing how much magic Macaque could comfortably handle before it became too much could be incredibly useful but he didn't like the idea of having to get close to the limit in order to find it.

But Macaque's initial request was just to experiment with different intensities of orbs of their magic to see how they reacted and that was such a benign ask that he was more than happy to oblige. They'd done similar exercises before when they had been trying to help him with his fear of foreign magic after all and there had been no issues then.

Macaque had looked increasingly thoughtful as they'd carried on and when asked he confessed, "Being totally honest, it's not just the intensity of magic that's the issue but the other metric I'm interested in is a little more difficult to figure out."

"What is it?"

Bizarrely, Macaque looked a little embarrassed, coughing a little before admitting, "Well, the intensity of emotion you're feeling might be just as important with regards to how overwhelming your magic is. It might be possible that I can actually handle quite a lot of your magic if there's not so much emotion behind it."

He hadn't really understood what he'd meant for a moment but the out of character bashfulness had made it click and he felt his face redden. When they had slept together, all he'd been able to think about was Macaque and while he hoped his feelings were coming across, he hadn't meant for it to happen quite so literally.

They couldn't quite meet each other's eyes as Macaque continued, "Yeah... Er, not saying it wasn't something to be able to feel how you felt in the moment but feeling someone else's emotions while you're having plenty of your own, on top of some magic sensitivity? It was... a lot."

He wasn't sure what the correct response was to that, but a little mortified to literally have thrust such raw, unguarded emotion on to Macaque, he tired, "I...Uh, Sorry? I mean, not about how I felt but- Er, actually maybe a little bit about how I felt? But I didn't mean to, y'know, have that happen."

He wasn't sure why he was so embarrassed. He already knew that Macaque could pick up on his emotions pretty accurately through his magic just by being near him. Though he sort of likened that to being able to tell by someone's expression how they were feeling. But to be able to feel exactly what he'd been feeling in that moment? In all it's intensity? To know how absolutely sickeningly besotted he was with him?

He was never going to recover.

A little shyly, Macaque admitted, "I didn't hate it. It was... Pretty incredible actually. I, er, sort of wish you could know what it felt like but, y'know, the other way round."

He was powerless but to move closer as he asked, "Yeah...?"

"Yeah... Only fair, right? For you to know how I feel."

Later, he would ponder if it could be possible. If he honed his magic sensitivity to even a fraction of that of Macaque's maybe he would be able to feel it to some extent. There were doubtless plenty of exercises that he could try. And the payoff would definitely be worth the effort.

For right now though, he was a little too enamoured by the charged atmosphere that was surrounding them. Their tails found each other almost unthinkingly, but once hands started to find their way to hips and shoulders however he could only be thankful for how efficiently the shadows could get them somewhere private.

----

It was a rare thing for MK to drop by unannounced but apparently he'd been flying back home from visiting a friend when he realised how close to the island he was and had decided to drop in and say hi. He'd been apologetic for not calling ahead but Wukong had been quick to wave him off, he was always welcome here and Wukong was always happy to see him.

Macaque had, of course, heard him well before he reached them and had told him he would hang out elsewhere on the island so the two could catch up. It really wasn't necessary, it would be nice for all three of them to spend some time together, and he'd said as much. A quick compromise had been reached though, because as much as he'd meant what he'd said, he did love having some one-on-one time with MK. Macaque would join them in a little while.

Currently MK was showing him videos and pictures from Gōngzhǔ and Niú's most recent party and filling him in on highlights from the night. He'd already seen most of it online, and Macaque had been there so he'd already heard all the gossip but none of that was anywhere near a good enough reason to stop him from listening with rapt attention.

It was as he was flicking through the pictures that he stopped on one that had Macaque in the background with a woman beside him, he asked MK, "Oh, is that this Lady Jiānyá that Mac was telling me about?"

"Hm? Oh yeah! She would not leave him alone! I think she thought he was just playing hard to get or something? Which is weird because I thought it was pretty common knowledge that he was with you."

Well, it was common knowledge to those that knew them and probably anyone employed by the Demon Bull Clan but outside of that the world likely assumed the Monkey King was happily single, kicking back, enlightened, on Flower Fruit Mountain. And really it was probably better that way - it would bring Macaque no shortage of hardships to advertise who he was in a relationship with.

He considered the photo, interest in Lady Jiānyá already lost, as he focused on Macaque's outfit, "Well, with a getup like that who can blame her for trying her luck? I think that might be some of my finest work."

MK laughed, "Oh yeah, that's what she was interested in. Although, I've got to admit it is a super nice outfit. I can never get over the fact that you make all Mac's clothes from scratch! Maybe I should come to you next time I have to go to one of these parties!"

He had been teasing but Wukong's tail gave an excited little flick even as he tried to play it cool, "Y'know, I probably have some outfits that are just your size - how about we go have a look? See if there's anything you fancy."

Outfits that were exactly his size, made specifically for him. And he had designs for plenty more.

MK put up some token protests, but he was easily swayed and the two of them spent a very enjoyable afternoon trying on the various clothes that he had made for both of them.

MK had clocked on pretty fast that these outfits had been tailor made for him and he had questioned, a little suspiciously, how Wukong had possibly gotten his measurements. But that was an easy answer - the Tailor Trio, at Red Son's request, had made MK a number of outfits over the years and they weren't hard to bribe.

And then Macaque joined them and he had been disgusted by the lack of flair to this fashion show and so with a little bit of magic they had a mini cat walk with an audience to go with it. Macaque, star and director of the whole thing, obviously.

He was surprised no monkeys had been drawn to the fun and he had a feeling Macaque was possibly doing something to keep them at bay. Which he appreciated because to be honest he would be more than a little upset if they ruined any of these clothes.

By the end of the day, MK had a phone filled with pictures of the three of them and he had a feeling he might have to make some more clothes for some more people once a certain dragon saw them. But he found he wasn't too upset about that as he and Macaque cheerfully said their goodbyes to MK.

----

It was long after they'd had dinner that night that Macaque interrupted the show they were watching to say, "It wasn't just your outfit that had Lady Jiānyá all over me, y'know."

Wukong had looked at him uncomprehendingly for a long moment, before giving up, "What?"

Disinterestedly, he responded, "I could be wearing rags and I'd still have suitors begging for even a glance in their direction."

He turned so he could face Macaque, leaning back on the arm of the chair, bemused, "Oh? You trying to say I don't know that it wasn't just my incredible talent that had that demon fawning over you?"

"Wasn't just her. I basically have to fight off interested parties with a stick every time I attend one of those parties."

He propped his head up on his arm, as he grinned, "You don't say? Must be that humility of yours that they find so attractive."

He wasn't sure what Macaque's angle was here - was he fishing for compliments? Neither of them were really one for calling the other handsome or beautiful or the like but he wasn't against it in theory. Or did he want a reaction? It would be unusual but he could maybe see that being something Mac could be into.

It turned out to be neither.

"I know I'm no "Handsome" Monkey King but believe it or not people think I'm quite the looker." The façade broke, "Or they did. Back when my face actually looked like this."

Oh.

He sat up a little straighter, all humour leaving him, as he waited for Macaque to continue.

He laughed a little self-deprecatingly, "It feels like something I should have grown out of. The desire to have everyone looking at me in awe. God knows, without the glamours it wouldn't be anything close to awe they looked at me with. It would be with pity, revulsion, if they could even stand to look at me at all. I can't say that doesn't at least play a small part in why I can't take them down around you."

He would like to say that it didn't matter to him how Macaque looked, that he'd love him regardless, but while it may be true. It wasn't helpful, and that wasn't what he was worried about.

"Macaque... I can't say that I wouldn't look at you differently without your glamours. Especially, not at first. Pity and revulsion wouldn't get a look in but I couldn't pretend that it would never upset or anger me to see the evidence of everything you've been through. But I've also never really looked at you with awe because of your looks, y'know? Not because you aren't, y'know, objectively attractive or anything I just..."

It felt awkward to say he'd never really looked at Macaque's face and thought it was beautiful. But he hadn't ever thought of anyone's face like that. He understood what most people considered to be attractive but he had just never really understood it.

That's not to say that he didn't love Macaque's face. The way his eyes lit up with mischief, or the way he showed so many teeth when he laughed, or the hundreds of other little expressions he knew so well - they all certainly invoked beautiful feelings within him.

Maybe he was worrying over semantics but he didn't think that Mac's scars would stop him feeling that way.

But equally, he wasn't sure how he'd feel about having such prominent scars, he already hid the ones he did have from everyone but Macaque and the monkeys. And he could admit he had enough pride and vanity that he'd probably struggle with letting the world see him with scars like Macaque's.

He could tell himself all he wanted that he would still feel comfortable having his glamours off around Macaque but he wasn't sure if it was actually true.

Mac's didn't seem to take offence though, "I know... But the thought of standing next to you, the Handsome Monkey King, looking the way I do... It just fills me with shame."

It would be nothing short of insulting to mention he had his own scars that likely made him less attractive. It wasn't comparable, Macaque's scars were disfiguring, if he were to go without his glamours out in the world people would stop and stare.

But he wasn't out in the world, he was here, with him, and he shouldn't ever have to feel ashamed of how he looked, especially not in comparison to him but it didn't feel enough to say that.

Slowly he started, "How do we work on that? To make that feeling go away? What-?" He made a quiet, frustrated sound as tried to reword his question better, "How did you overcome that feeling last time? You know, when we were..."

Macaque looked faintly embarrassed as he looked away, "It was just a heat of the moment thing. I just... I know how badly you want to see me without my glamours and in that moment all I could feel was... was how much you loved me and... everything just felt right, like it would be ok, I wasn't thinking of the consequences. I... I just wanted to give as much as I was getting and to be as close to you as possible, no hiding away."

Macaque paused for a moment, clearly struggling to find the right words, before continuing, "I'm not saying I don't want that now, I do, but even if I can get over the shame. We don't, I mean, I don't want to-" he took a breath and faced him, "Wukong, some of my scars will just bring up a whole host of bad and awkward feelings. And we'll probably have to talk about it and I don't know if I'll ever be ready to talk about that day."

There was no need to ask what day he was referring to. They had talked around it during their big reconciliation years ago but neither of them had been prepared to discuss it in detail.

He had the sudden realisation that Macaque hadn't let down all his glamours last time, there were two glaring scars missing that his tired and hazy mind hadn't picked up on at the time. There should have been matching scars on Macaque's back and stomach.

His ears started ringing.

After their bloody fight, Macaque had made a desperate lunge for his master and all he had been able to think about was stopping him. He had brought his staff down on his back with such force that it went right through him, pinning him to the earth.

He hadn't paused, letting go of his staff and moving his master a safe distance away. But he hadn't been able to let go of his master's arms as he stood trembling as he heard the choked sobs from behind him, unable to comprehend what he had just done, immortality be damned.

Seconds had felt like an eternity before his master's gentle call of his name had registered. He had let go and slowly turned around to see that the gruesome scene he had created had gotten worse.

One eye was how it had been - swollen, the blood he'd gotten in it forcing it shut but the other... In the seconds he'd had his back turned Macaque had clawed it out.

He's not sure why he just stood there, watching as Macaque's hitching breaths faded to nothing. Distantly, he knew that he had to remove his staff so that the peaches could start to heal the wound but he couldn't move.

He'd killed Macaque.

The peaches would revive him but that didn't change what he'd done.

He had flinched at his master's featherlight touch on his shoulder, not able to hear whatever he might have been saying. It was enough to finally break his trance however and he unsteadily made his way over to Macaque.

His hands shook as they took hold of his staff, and a sob escaped him when it didn't immediately come free, embedded in the ground below, he didn't want to force it out. Thankfully, his master had followed him, quietly telling him to shrink it.

He narrowed it and pulled it free before staggering back and collapsing to his knees a short distance away, unable to look away.

Hollow and hoarse, he said, "Master, you have to get away. When he comes back, I don't know what he'll do. Go to the others. I... I'll think of something."

"Wukong, he's..."

"He's eaten the immortal peaches. In a few minutes he'll be breathing again, in a few hours he'll be standing. You need to leave."

His master had been doubtful and it had taken a desperate shout for him to leave for him to finally walk away.

He kept up his vigil as his mind desperately tried to think of what to do, of what to say. But it all became meaningless as minutes became hours and nothing changed - his wounds didn't heal, his chest didn't begin to rise and fall.

He had started to babble in that time - apologies, admonishments, pleas - becoming increasingly desperate as time went on. When eventually he found the strength to use his Golden Vision it revealed nothing but a corpse.

His staff rolled from his lap as he finally released it from the white knuckled hold he'd had on it, "Mac...?"

He stood unsteadily, hand outreached as he took a step closer, only for Macaque's body to suddenly start to melt in a familiar purple hue. He tripped as he tried to get to him but by the time he fell to his knees beside where he had been he was grasping at shadows.

He swallowed down his nausea. Just the mention of that day was enough to leave him feeling sick and retched. He did his best to focus on Macaque in front of him, here and alive.

He took a steadying breath, "I understand. I don't think I'm ready to talk about it either. I... I didn't mean to put any pressure on you about your glamours. I'd be lying if I didn't want to see you without them but you have your reasons for keeping them on and I promise I respect that. You never have to take them off if you don't want to. I won't ever ask you to."

Macaque looked a little frustrated, "But that's the thing. I do want to take them off, I just can't work up the nerve."

Wukong considered this carefully before tentatively suggesting, "I know it might involve a bit of work on reconfiguring things on your end but maybe you can just take off some of your glamours...? Like, so maybe just some of your scars show or your ears maybe?"

Macaque looked uncertain as he responded, "Yeah, I... I could maybe do that. I only have a couple of spots with extra glamours but I could try and change that..."

He was quick to reassure him, "You don't have to though! I'm just spitballing ideas!"

"No, it's a good idea. I should have thought of it myself really. I'll think about it." He then stood up, "I think I need a minute though."

Despite the bolt of anxiety that went through him, he nodded, "Yeah, sure, of course. I, er, I'll be right here."

Macaque walked over to him and brought a hand to his face as he kissed his cheek, "I'll just be in my room."

He hesitated, before giving into the urge to wrap his arms tightly around him for only a moment. He might want to be as close as possible to Macaque after remembering that awful day but he could imagine remembering the same thing might cause him to want the exact opposite.

He let him go with a quiet, "I love you."

"I love you too. I'll get you in bed later, ok?"

"Ok."

----

Glamours didn't come up again for a little while, Wukong determined not to mention them before Macaque did.

But it really shouldn't have come as a surprise to him when one day between getting up to grab a drink from the kitchen and coming back to sit on the couch Macaque had taken down some of his glamours with absolutely no warning.

He choked on his drink as he noticed that two ears had become six and he wasted precious time coughing up a lung. Despite laughing at him, it was clear Macaque was tense, clearly nervous about how their appearance would be received.

That didn't stop Wukong from cursing him and complaining that he'd done that on purpose but once the theatrics were out the way he let his eyes have their fill, flicking between each set and taking in every little detail.

The left set were exactly as they'd always been but Macaque hadn't opted to hide away the scarring on the right and Wukong felt an odd mix of gratitude and pride towards him for that.

He shuffled closer, raising his hands slowly, "Can I...?"

Macaque closed his eyes as he nodded and Wukong couldn't stop himself from keeping his touch feather soft as he ran his fingers along them with reverence. The texture on his right ears was notably different but he was in no way deterred.

"Can I...?"

Macaque nodded again, not needing any clarification, as he tilted his head so his good ears were closer to him.

This had been a favourite game of Wukong's back when they were younger. Tackling Macaque so he could cup his ears and see how they were glowing. You could only see the faint light in the dark but they had been the prettiest colours.

They had never been able to figure out why they glowed or if the different colours meant anything. All six ears always glowed the same colour but nothing seemed to prompt a particular shade to appear. Macaque's emotions or his physical state didn't seem to matter, not did any environmental factor. They just glowed however they liked.

He found himself nervous to see if they still glowed or if the Void had taken that from him too. He didn't let himself hesitate however, cupping his hands around all three ears and bringing his face right up next to them, he couldn't explain the relief he felt when he saw the faintest lavender glow from within.

He gave a small laugh as he pulled back, feeling a little emotional, he said, "They still glow."

He wasn't sure what to make of Macaque's expression as he asked, "What colour?"

"Lavender."

His expression fell slightly but he turned his head and offered the other set of ears before he could ask, "Check the other ones for me?"

He did so and it was with great reluctance he pulled back and told him, "I don't see anything."

He looked like he'd been expecting as much as Wukong moved his hands away so that Macaque could bring up one of his own to lightly touch his ears, "I guess I should be grateful that the left ones glow at all. Even if they probably don't glow the same as they did. I have a feeling they won't change from that colour."

Wukong brought up a hand to rest on his good ears, gently running his thumb over them, "I'll check them again later. But for what it's worth, they're still one of the prettiest colours I've ever seen."

Macaque huffed a little laugh, "Well, listen to you, Casanova."

"I'm serious. I hope you're prepared for me to try and get a look at them every time your ears are unglamoured."

Macaque rolled his eyes, "Just like back in the day, eh?"

He grinned, "Not quite because now every time I look at them I'll pay the toll."

"Oh? What toll?"

He leaned in close and placed a gentle kiss on the rim of each of his left ears. The last one he left with an audible "mwah", before pulling back and looking pleased with himself.

Macaque laughed, "You think that's the price of admission, huh? That all the "one of the prettiest colour you've ever seen" is worth to you?"

He kissed his lips before pulling back just enough to say, "Name your price. I'll pay anything for the privilege."

Macaque's tone was full of the mischief he loved so much, "Anything? That's brave of you. You sure about that?"

"When have I ever backed down? Try me."

He felt Macaque's hands slide up his thighs to rest on his hips, "How about we take this somewhere more comfortable and negotiate the terms? I want to see how persuasive you can be."

The answer was very.

Especially, when three sets of ears proved even more sensitive to honeyed words infused with magic than one.

--Chapter End--

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LMK Fanfic Masterlist

[cupids-archives]

Can i ask valentine prompt "Cupid" with Lmk yandere Macaque with a darling that is in the main hero team??

˚ જ⁀➴ (1) cupid, : “everybody knew cupid had a sick sense of humor” . ｡･:*:･ﾟᰔ:

ᝰ.ᐟcontains, yandere and dark content. ೀ

ʚ♡ɞ˚: you’ve always had a strong sense of justice.

maybe getting it from your family, or from the people you surround yourself with. even when things go wrong and make you question yourself and others, you always will do what’s right.

that’s what led you to monkie kid, meeting him on one your adventures and immediately attaching yourself with him. you’ve always had good friends but he was different-brighter, you suppose, and his light attracted you. making you follow him around like a guard dog, though you knew he could protect himself, and throwing yourself in anything he got involved in. he didn’t seem to mind, and you liked having someone to attach too.

you were friends with the other people as well, definitely not attached as you were with mk, but still overwhelmingly friendly. willingly sticking your neck out for anyone who needed it.

“I really think you shouldn’t use so much power,” you worriedly said. noticing how tired he was becoming, the mental strain that he was having, and just knowing how he felt about becoming stronger wasn’t just affecting him, but you. and though that could be counted as selfish, you couldn’t lose your friend.

you noticed that he started to train with a strange figure, you considered asking the monkey about it but mk begged you not too, stating that he needed to get stronger to help everyone. you wanted to tell him that wasn’t his job but you couldn’t get to him in time. you found yourself waiting to talk to him after one of these sessions, and you finally met the guy who was hiding your best friend.

he resembled the monkey king but with darker features, you could taste the tension in the air as you face him. he just smiled at you, and something inside you grew a thousand times bigger. and if it wasn’t anger-it was rage.

you knew that this wasn’t going to go well. something told you that this was wrong.

especially when macaque started to take an interest in you.

you started to follow them around when you could, just to make sure. and of course he noticed even when mk didn’t.

“so, how’s the girl doing?” he would ask mk during training, and for some reason every time he saw him even after the smoke demon fight he would ask about you.

and unfortunately mk kept this from you. and then you started to get followed. you obviously didn’t think it was from macaque. after all you didn’t know his powers and this was way too obvious to be someone with powers like him.

but you were wrong, so very wrong.

like a sick joke, he wanted you to know he was following you. he wanted to be seen. to be acknowledged by you. he liked knowing he made you paranoid that he was around. that’s your nightmares were plagued by the image of him, the person who ruined your friend, someone who went against everything you stood for. that he was corrupting you without you even realizing. the fear of his shadows watching you while you were sleeping kept you at night. and he was happy.

he knew his feelings for you weren’t right, but neither was he so who cared, and after all he liked playing with you. his little hero corrupted by the poison she didn’t even know infected her.

he loved terrorizing the group, being able to see your scared and worried face, knowing that this is because of you, that he was hurting your friends because of you. you were becoming a shell of your former shelf. trying to do anything to save your friends. one of the only last things you can do to win this battle with your morals is give yourself to the sole thing that ruined them.

requests are encouraged !! valentine event.

[quitealotofsodapop]

I do feel like S2 is going to be where LBD is gonna make Macaque look like a bad guy in MK's eyes.

LBD is aware that Macaque holds a grudge against Wukong and MK is protective towards Wukong like any other cub towards their parent.

Add LBD saying to MK that Macaque only hangs with him to get back at Wukong and it's an angsty end in shadow play; Macaque lost everything he tried hard to work for and LBD reminds him that he should have done his end of the deal a long time ago.

prev.

Ooooo yes!

In the Marble Egg version of "Minor Scale" - MK is messing around with his powers after class with Tang, and accidentally ends up in the sewers/Spider cave. I imagine that Bai He is even younger than in canon, and she's tiny even compared to a baby monkey demon. Hook line and sinker for LBD to draw MK close to the stolen Furnace.

MK is cautious enough not to immediately smash the furnace at her demand.

Suddenly the "little girl" becomes a terrifying demon; tormenting and mocking him for becoming so attached to her "puppet" (Macaque), and that the hero Monkey King he so adores no longer exists anymore - all because MK himself was made.

MK runs from the horrid demon while sobbing.

Macaque ends up being the one to find MK, altered by a panicking Tang over the phone - and is confused and hurt when the little boy pushes him away.

MK: "No! You're working for that nasty bone lady!" Macaque, frowning: "Who told you that?" MK: "She did! She also says you're only my friend so you can get close enough to hurt Baba!" Macaque, hesitating: "That's not true MK-" MK: "Then why did you try hurting Baba before you knew about me!?" Macaque: (*too ashamed to answer*) MK, running away: "I never want to see you again!" Macaque: (*sadly reaches out for the cub as MK runs away from him*)

LBD ends up getting her puppet after this moment - the Mayor able to get the drop on the distraught monkey.

DBK and Nezha both are interrupted over the possession of the Map by a icy-cold Macaque, his eyes dull with tiredness and remorse. Even as Wukong watches his brothers and his former-mate fight from the airship - Macaque makes a point at avoiding him and MK all together. Even willing to take a staff strike or two so that he can reposition the cub away from his goal.

Macaque's goal for the Fire is no longer one of selfishness, but one of survival, and to ensure that neither his Peaches nor his Little Bud are hurt by the flames and LBD's ice.

[crypticjackal13]

Just a random idea, Monkey having a toddler monkey child reader (maybe 2 to 3 years old) that he keeps hidden on Flower Fruit Mountain for protective reasons, imagine everyone's reaction to meeting this little cutie when they only came to FFM to visit.

Aww I love that actually

Monkey King w/ Toddler Monkey Child reader! Headcanons

You're in good hands! Or, well, paws??

He keeps you very safe. There are lots of monkeys he trusts to take care of you if he's unable to

You live with him in his hut primarily, but there are tree nests scattered throughout flower fruit if ever he wants you two to sleep under the stars

He leaves a few duplicates with you if he has to leave for an extended period of time

When he finally lets the gang meet you he makes sure you're secured to him the whole time--he doesn't want anyone else picking you up or anything especially if you're not comfy with it.

MK and Mei absolutely adore you, Mei wants to take a bunch of pictures and put you in cute pic outfits! And MK just wants to hug you tight

Pigsy and Tang are questioning Wukong like "how old are they?" "do you take care of them properly??" "Do you need a set of actual babysitters??"

Sandy is probably the best with kids so he gets attached to you easily! But he won't like grab you off the ground to hug you--he doesn't want to make you upset

Redson is indifferent, he only came along because MK and Mei dragged them into it but he guesses you're pretty cute for the child of his parent's enemy

Macaque thinks you're really adorable and of course his parental instincts kick in but he'd never admit it

Over time the gang becomes like your adoptive family in a way and Wukong trusts them with you if he's not able to take care of you at the moment.

It's all very sweet :)) and you are treated with the utmost love and care(you're also spoiled rotten but really what's the problem with that?)

[nightmarebunnyking]

I have this fanfic concept of a fanfic

Tw talk of abuse and toxic Partner

where wukong gets into a toxic and abusive relationship,where at the start to loving in s1 of lmk but they slowly become more toxic and s1 macaque doesn't help but add oil to the flames but as the seasons go on,the relationship between wukong and that person/monkey/demon gets worse and wukong already emotionally attachment to that person,that person belittle and insults and be mean to wukong and gaslight him but they say it because they love him and want him to be better.

A person from Discord wrote this down about how much macaque would help. @atlaxoo

s1-2: macaque wouldn't

s3-4: hmm maybe

s5: Absolutely

In s5,wukong caving that person Affection,it will be hard for wukong to leave his abuser and with self blame and self-esteem and self worth,that person as would gaslight the hell out of swk and makes sure wukong feels at fail for everything,like being able to please that person,bring up his mistakes and failures,able to make wukong felt shitty but also loved,they would be able to isolate wukong always from mk and rest of the group,making wukong rely on them only for emotional support and comfort.

Mk will obviously try to help wukong out of that relationship and abuse,the best he can, and macaque watchs it develop over the seasons.

Anyway, this is just a concept,I don't think I am confident in writing down,or I would maybe fumble it

[celestialwu]

Equal redemption?

But first I want to mention that this is not an analysis about season 5, but about Sun Wukong and Macaque, and that maybe I can express my point of view as to why they are practically almost the same, ok?

Okay, look, I didn't really like Macaque's "redemption", it was very quick and I can say that I didn't get very attached to the character, but he was very important in this season, but I still see him just as a character that is there but that I don't care much about, but anyway. Did you notice how Sun Wukong and Macaque literally had almost the same redemption?

I know it sounds really weird but I think I might be right.

First, Sun Wukong: What we know about Wukong is that he became the Monkey King on pure impulse, but we know that he is a celestial prodigy and that he wanted to live a life of peace and meet the sun with Macaque and his monkeys.

And as Azura said, Wukong could become the next emperor, becoming immortal again.

But with the plan failing, and them losing, Sun Wukong is trapped in a mountain for 500 years by the Bhuda, which resulted in the fight that Macaque and Sun Wukong had, which was out of pure hatred for Wukong, and Macaque's anger for him not listening to him about this war.

And that's when things start to make sense with what I want to say.

As we know, Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, was responsible for protecting the Pilgrims traveling to the West, and for that she chose Sun Wukong as one of these Pilgrims, and guess who was also chosen to help in the plan of another "Goddess"?

Then starting with Macaque; we know the same thing happened with Sun Wukong. He wanted to live a quiet life with Wukong on the mountain.

And well, it didn't work out. Wukong was taken and they fight.

But apparently, they fought again at the end of the journey, and this could trigger him and he "dies" at the hands of Wukong.

So we already have two things in common: Both were overthrown by gods and were hired for a "plan" of a super powerful goddess.

And well they would be punished if they did not fulfill their part of the agreement they made to be free.

And meanwhile, when they were released, they met someone who was willing to give them a second chance and live in peace and without regrets in their lives.

I know there are people who say that Tribaka is abusive and stuff. But I can say that he was the key to Wukong having his redemption.

And may I remind you, Wukong was a serious killer. Yes, he had his reasons for attacking those who tried to kill his master, and that most demons were horrible to be around.

But well, with Tribaka helping Wukong improve as a person, using the diagram when necessary, and teaching Wukong the path of peace and love. Macaque had Mk who wouldn't give up on him, and doing his best to invite him to his gang so that they would all be free from LBD.

In this Macaque probably had an off-screen "redemption", which I believe was not a good idea, since it seems that he changed his personality out of nowhere, well for me it was like that. But, continuing, Mk did everything to help Macaque, Mk cared about Macaque, even with all the horrible things Macaque did, Mk knew that he was not exactly the bad guy. And that they had to join forces with the one who was really their enemy at the moment.

And Mk kind of proved himself right.

Macaque isn't a bad guy given how he's evolved over the seasons, but he still causes discomfort, but not much.

Mk was the key to Macaque evolving, and becoming at least someone he can talk to without having to get three rocks in the face.

As Tribaka was also the key to Sun Wukong not being someone feared but rather someone loved by many people who appreciate his work as a hero.

But now I think if the thing is they are also the same, they are also different.

And I tell them that they are probably their moral values.

Sun Wukong is afraid that things will get out of control, he wants everything to work out for everyone, he knows that if he is not the hero they call him he will fail, he wanted the plan against LBD to work out so that he could go back to paying for his mountain and rest assured that everything is over.

And one of the reasons he (probably) improvises.

But that's the thing, when things get out of control, he takes responsibility for everything himself. Sometimes I think he might even become a perfectionist when that happens. This makes him vulnerable, and he doesn't like that.

Macaque on the other hand, knows that things are going to get out of control, but doesn't do much about it.

I'm not saying he couldn't do it, but I believe he already knew beforehand that LBD was going to win, and he'd rather use that to his advantage than make the same mistake he made in the past.

And that's why he manipulates, for him all that matters is getting rid of LBD's guards, even if it's one of his agreements, he wanted to stay as far away from her as possible. And in this case he's willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

Whether bringing prizes

or saying that your friends will leave you.

And he wanted freedom, but he did it in the worst possible way, and he was really willing to do it until the end. But the moment he sees that his actions are turning against him. He runs away, because it was better to deal with this headache once the dust settles than to stop him for now.

Well, these two in my opinion have similar pain, and they need help. They suffer from abandonment, punishments, trouble trusting people, one of them who is almost perfect is not the one who destroyed everything again, and the other one has a calm life and freedom.

They have different personalities, but it's that "Different personalities, same pain" thing and I hope there will be more of them in the next seasons.

[nekohime19]

Bimawen # 5 : the orchard

Wukong and Mengai pick peaches and go fishing. It's bonding time!! Those two monkeys are acting like friends but Mengai is soo deep in denial 😔. Love writing their dynamic, it's so fun. Really, I don't know how long I plan this story to be buuut my stories always ends up longer than intended so I'm expecting a long ride here too. Anyway, hopes you like it.

Mengai was hit by the rays of moonlight. The pale light poured on his face and drowned him. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Gods. He had the worst headache on earth. It was like someone was crushing his very skull. He sat up and looked around. He was on the mansion doorsteps with one empty bottle of wine clutched in his hands and the bimawen snoring on his right side. It didn't take a genius to know what happened. He remembered bits of his conversation with Sun Wukong once they left the festival, but most was unclear, imprisoned in a shape-shifting blur. The macaque wiped away the sweat clinging to his fur and massaged his temples. It was still quite late. He should come home- (Mengai cursed himself for the slip of thought)... he should come inside and find something to ease his headache. He stood up and stretched, his hanfu was all ruffled and covered with red stains, he hoped the clones would be able to clean it. 

The macaque turned towards the door but stopped once he heard the loud snore of his boss. Mengai looked down at the sleeping monkey and hesitated. He raked his hand in his hair and clicked his tongue in annoyance. He crouched down before Sun Wukong and hoasted him on his shoulders. Mengai huffed and stumbled, gods, this mogwai was very heavy. The black-furred monkey struggled to open the door. He could call for the clones. They could take his boss and put him to bed rather easily.But for some reason he wanted to do it himself. Probably because he didn't want to owe the other monkey anything. 

A favor for a favor. 

Mengai dragged the blonde monkey inside. Sun Wukong's head fell on his shoulders, his breath hit the shell of the macaque's ears, and his snores echoed in the sensitive appendages. The macaque scowled. By Diyu this guy was annoying even in his sleep. The black-furred monkey somehow managed to drag Sun Wukong all the way to his bed. He threw the slumbering monkey on the wooden bed and put the empty bottle of wine in a nearby bin. 

“Gods, it's like you're made of stones or something.” Grumbled Mengai as he massaged his shoulders. He looked at the snoring monkey and snorted. This idiot was drooling. What a poor sight. “Now we're even.” Huffed the macaque as he approached the sleeping monkey. He frowned at the memory of what happened yesterday. 

Why did the bimawen help him? 

He could have let Erlang have his way. It's true that he stole something. No matter the point of view, he was the one in the wrong. Was it a matter of pride? Did it infuriate him to see his assistant being pushed around by another? Was he a possession? Or did he want to have a share in Mengai's spoil so badly that he went ahead and helped him? 

Or was it pity? 

Others would perhaps call it compassion, but Mengai wanted to see nothing but pity. He didn't understand compassion. He didn't understand why someone would willingly help another without expecting anything in return. Especially someone like him. It's not like he was friends with the blonde-furred monkey, if anything Mengai was quite sure that he was nothing but a thorn in his side. Yet, he had to admit, Sun Wukong was a lot kinder than what he was first led to believe. He didn't hit. He rarely yelled. He gave fruits, food, and home.

It scared Mengai. 

What if he got used to this ? What if he let himself become idle ? This was dangerous. He couldn't be swayed by the vulnerable feelings residing in his heart. No matter the compassion he was shown. In the end, only himself should matter, because the moment he lets himself get attached to someone, he knows he’ll love this person more than he’ll love himself. 

No matter the kindness. 

It couldn't matter. 

It shouldn't matter. 

Would he ever admit that he searched for Guanyin's face when he was strolling amongst the spirits at the Peach Festival? No. Never. Because he shouldn't indulge himself. No matter if she saved him. No matter if she showed him kindness. It couldn't matter. 

He couldn't let himself be weaker than he already was. 

Mengai sighed and left Wukong's room with a frown. He returned to his own quarter, shed his hanfu and collapsed on his bed. He should forget this for now. Forget the kindness. Forget the desires. Ignore them until they're nothing but long lost memories. 

This was his way of living. 

He closed his eyes and fell asleep. Hoping the sunrise would burn every troublesome feeling and desire surging in his chest. 

***

Mengai woke up quite early. He still had a terrible headache so he went into the inner garden to search for mint. He knew he saw some once. Or at least he thought he saw some. He foraged in the bushes, trying to spot the green leaves which could appease the pain vibrating inside of his skull. 

“Oh you're usually never awake this early.” Mengai startled and looked behind him. A clone was standing there. It was easy to distinguish them from the real Sun Wukong. Their eyes were a little bit brighter, a little bit unnatural, lightened up by magic instead of life. The macaque couldn't yet distinguish the clones in-between them though. Maybe one day he could. He knew some gave themselves names but he never bothered to ask. 

“Yeah…” Replied the macaque, his tail twitched nervously, he couldn't be completely comfortable with them yet. They were beings made of magic. Made to obey any of Wukong's wishes, to cater to any of his whims. 

“If you want mint, you can find some near the maple tree.” Huffed the clone with an amused glint in his eyes. 

“How did you…”

“You reek of alcohol.” Snorted the clone. “By the way, today is a harvest day so you won't go to the stables, probably, you'll have to ask the boss.” The clone then waved at him and went away with great leisure. Mengai watched him until he couldn't anymore. Once he was sure the clone left, he rushed to the maple tree and collected his precious mint leaves with glee. Once he had a good handful of mint leaves he rushed to the kitchen. 

Wukong had a dusty stove somewhere here. Mengai frowned when he saw how dirty it was, the thick layer of dust covering it obscured the color. The black-furred monkey took a cloth and wetted it, then he diligently cleaned the stove. The stove gradually took back its blue hue. It was still not in the best condition, but it would do. The macaque put dry branches he found in the inner garden inside of the stove and lit a little fire. Once the flames were bright and hot, licking the ceiling of the stove, Mengai put water in a bronze pan and placed it on the stove. He watched as the water began to heat, when bubbles began to rumble under the clear surface, he took the pan out of the stove. Mengai placed the mint leaves in the boiling water and waited for a bit. Soon, the clear water turned light green, swirling with the bright leaves. 

Mengai huffed, satisfied, and served himself a glass of mint tea. Of course, it didn't magically heal his pounding headache, but it eased it greatly. The fresh aftertaste of the mint combined with the soothing warmth of the water was perfect. The black-furred monkey didn't make tea that often. Perhaps, he should. 

For one second, his mind flashed to his boss. Sun Wukong drank as much as him, maybe even more, he should also be suffering… Perhaps, he could bring him the leftover of his tea–Mengai shook his head. No. No. No. He shouldn't fester this idea nor indulge in this saccharine feeling. Sun Wukong wasn't his friend and he would never be. Mengai had no friends. Friends were dangerous. They knew each nook and crannies of the valley of your heart. They could backstab you as easily as if they were plunging a knife in butter. The black-furred monkey repeated it over and over, like a mentra, it etched itself in his mind. 

Still, his feet took him to Wukong's door. He put the tea before the door and left. This was to curry favor, he told himself. Nothing but to curry favor. 

Once he was back to his room, Mengai put on his white linen robe. He glanced at the ruffled hanfu, dirtied by wine, laying in his cabinet and sighed. He ought to talk to the clones about it. He didn't want the dress to stay dirty. As superficial as it sounded, Mengai felt attached to it. It was his. Wukong gave it to him. It was the first thing he considered his in this place. Nothing but his. His to wear. His to dirty… Perhaps, his to wash. Yes. He shouldn't let the clones near it. He would wash it himself. Not now, though. Work will soon begin and Mengai refused to be late. 

At first, he didn't want to be late because he feared the bimawen's wrath. But nowadays, it was more a matter of pride. He was a good stableboy. He wanted to be good. He hated to be looked down on, to be brushed aside like an annoying fly, granted there were many things he didn't know about dragon-horses and he was still afraid of them, but he'll be good. Only because seeing the surprised look on Wukong's face when he was early or when he got something right was worth it. It was thrilling. Yes. Take that. He wasn't a fool! He wasn't a Mengmeng! Perhaps, if he worked harder, he could even be better than Wukong. How sweet of a vengeance would that be? He ought to do that! 

Once he was ready, Mengai left his room and skipped over to the front door. He was satisfied to see that Wukong wasn’t there yet. He stood before the doors and patiently waited for his boss to come out of his den. Sun Wukong came a few minutes after. His fur was rufflier than usual, full of cow-licks. The black-furred monkey coughed to hide the snorts stumbling out of his mouth. It was oddly satisfying to be ready earlier than Wukong. It almost felt like Mengai was the one waiting for Wukong, it gave him a feeble sense of power, as flickering as a spark in the dead of winter. The bimawen dragged himself to the door, his gaze fell on Mengai for a short second. His gold coated eyes were veiled by a thin layer of mist, like leaves were veiled by the dew. The blonde monkey yawned, and a single tear began to bead in the corner of his eyes, it rolled on his cheek once his jaw settled, losing itself in the fur. Wukong nodded at him and then kicked the door open. 

“No horses today. We will go to the orchard to harvest.” Warned Wukong, the macaque nodded obediently, the clone warned him of that. He never went to the orchard but he heard of it. The clones were always eager to talk about peaches. They yapped about it constantly. Mengai didn't know what was so great about peaches but he wasn't foolish enough to voice his opinions. 

The path to the orchard was lusher than the stables’, wildflowers grew around the grass flattened by feets, circling the road like two rivers of petals. Mengai walked in his boss' footsteps. His gaze was sometimes lured by the flickering of a grasshopper hopping in the petals. His attention zeroing in on the happy-go-lucky insect. But he never let his eyes linger on them for too long. He had to focus. He was at work after all. It wasn't the time to indulge himself, no matter how pretty the grasshoppers were. 

Soon, Mengai noticed bright pinkish petals drifting in the winds, he looked ahead and found a forest of peach trees peeking from beyond the path. It shouldn't have surprised him. Of course, this peach-brained mogwai would build an outrageous peach orchard, extending from lis and lis of distance. Yet, once he stood at the foot of the orchard, he couldn't help but look up at the towering trees with something akin to awe. It felt like entering a whole new world made of pink and saccharine sweetness. 

Clones rushed to greet the bimawen. They talked about the fullest trees and which sections were already taken care of. At the end of their explanation, Wukong took two large bamboo baskets, he hoasted one on his shoulders and gave the other to Mengai. The black-furred monkey hurried to take his basket, it was louder than he expected, nonetheless he still hoasted it on his shoulders without any complaints. 

“We'll go to the north section.” Warned the bimawen. “By the way, you think it's possible to do a vineyard?” The clone eyebrows furrowed in thought for a second. 

“It might be if we prepare an adequate space but we'll need to order seeds among other things.”

“Alright. I'll leave it to you.” The clone nodded and scrambled to satisfy his wishes. Wukong then entered the orchard with a leisurely step, Mengai followed after him. 

Perhaps it was a figment of his imagination, but the air seemed fresher inside of the orchard. It slithered in-between the tree like an invisible serpent, carrying the sweet saccharine smell of peaches in its bowels. Mengai's nose frowned at the enticing smell. He wasn't one for sweetness. He prefered the heaviness of meat. The odor of grease and smoke. But he had to admit that this scent was alluring in its own right. It tickled his nostrils, trying to awaken his hunger, passing again and again under his nose like the teasing touch of a feather. The black-furred monkey gulped. He was suddenly quite aware that he neglected breakfast, the only thing filling his stomach was mint tea. Even if it wasn't his favorite, it would be quite satisfying to sink his fang in the rosy skin of a peach, to feel the juice flood his mouth with sweetness. He shook his head and chastised himself for having such thoughts. No. He wasn't mad enough to dare steal peaches from Sun Wukong. His boss cherished peaches more than gold. Stealing them would be his end. 

“Alright we're here.” Mengai flinched at his boss's voice. He straightened himself and killed any thoughts of peaches flickering in his head. They were in the middle of large peach trees, all beautifully flowered. Some clones were perched on the tree's branches, they were picking the peaches and throwing them in their baskets. Once their baskets were filled to the brim, they hopped off the trees and emptied them in large barrows dispatched in every nook and crannies. Some clones were charged to push the barrows away once they were filled, perhaps to empty them in a nearby warehouse. It was quite the sight. All clones were moving and running, coming and leaving, like the waves crashing on the shores, like the bees bustling inside their hive. 

Wukong nodded in satisfaction. He approached a tree barren of clones and latched on it, he climbed fast, his nimble hands grabbing and pulling at the bark to hoast himself higher. In less than one blink, he was already perched in the highest branch. Mengai gulped, he remained at the foot of the tree, his hands gripping his basket with unease. The bimawen looked down at him and frowned :

“What are you doing? Come up here!”

Mengai flinched. He looked at the bark and wondered if he could even do it. He should. Monkeys were born to climb. Did he ever try? No. Never. In his life, the fruits he picked were the ones who fell, the beds he seeked were the ones hidden, like grottos and dens, not branches and leaves. He was a monkey yet he never lived like one. Would he ask for help? No. It was better to fall on his butt than ask for his boss's helping hand. The macaque approached the tree, he put his hands on the bark and try to hoast himself higher. He managed for a few seconds but then his feet tripped and he fell on the floor. 

Sun Wukong bursted out laughing. 

This bastard. 

The black-furred huffed, that was just bad luck, he could do it. He latched on the tree and tried to hoast himself higher, but once again he failed and fell on his butt. At this point, the bimawen was wheezing with laughter, he rolled on the branch, hands clutching his belly. 

“Stop, stop, I can't laugh anymore, it's painful!” Cackled Sun Wukong with crinking eyes. If he could, Mengai would pick up a rotten peach and throw it at his face. He hated the laugh of his boss. It was joyous and loud. Full of chimes and lightness. 

He hated it because he was the butt of the joke. Being laughed at was one of the numerous things he hated most in the world. If there was one thing that could push him to go above and beyond, it was being mocked. He would do anything and everything to make this laughter cease. Mengai tried again and again, he improved, but it wasn't enough to reach the lowest branch of the tree. Wukong watched him, leisurely sprawled on his branch like a sunbathing lion. After half an hour, the bimawen hopped off his throne and approached him. 

“This is pitiful. Let me help you.” Mengai, filled to the brim with frustration, was about to hiss and snap at his boss. He didn't need anyone's help. He was enough. He could do it. Just you watch. But before he could even open his mouth the bimawen grabbed his hips and pushed him on the tree. 

“Hey!” Yelped Mengai as he latched on the bark to steady himself. 

“You got legs, in case you forgot, so use them. Push yourself up with your legs.” Huffed Wukong. His hold was of iron. It almost burned the black-furred monkey. Mengai wondered if one press of the other stone hands would be enough to shatter his bones. It felt like it. Mengai took a shaky breath to calm his fretting heart. It wasn't the time for this sort of musing. The faster he'll learn how to climb, the faster he'll be able to escape those iron hands. 

It was easier to climb now that Wukong was pushing him. Yet it was also more embarrassing. With efforts from both parties, the horse assistant managed to hoast himself on the lowest branch. Mengai sloped against the trunk, breath heaving, gods climbing was more taxing than he thought. Sun Wukong hoped besides him without breaking a sweat. Show off. 

“You never climbed a tree before, did you?” Asked Wukong with a curious shine in his eyes. Mengai puffed, what a genius, truly nobody could have guessed this fact. “Why?”

“I never needed to.” Shrugged Mengai. Even if he was theoretically a monkey, he spent most of his time disguising himself as other people, he didn't have time to live his own life. Wukong hummed. He seemed to have realized something. 

“You don't know how to groom yourself, you don't know how to climb trees, there are a lot of obvious things you don't know, Mengmeng. You're like an infant. But don't worry, this bimawen will teach you!” Laughed Wukong as he put his hands on his hips in pride. 

“I don't need a teacher.” Huffed Mengai with crossed arms. 

“You can call me shizun.” Replied the bimawen, brushing away his obvious distaste of the idea. Mengai rolled his eyes. Wukong was in no way his shizun. He wouldn't allow it. 

The black-furred monkey turned away and began to pick peaches. He didn't pay attention to what sort he was picking. As long as some were in front of him. He picked them. 

“Hey, hey.” Interrupted Wukong, he hovered behind his shoulder and stopped his picking. “You only gotta pick the ripe ones.”

“How do I know they're ripe?”

“Don't pick the firm ones. They gotta be soft. But don't press too hard or you'll bruise them.” Carefully explained Wukong. Mengai huffed, why was peach picking such a complicated activity? It was just fruits. Nonetheless the black-furred monkey followed his boss instructions to a T. He picked only the softest and roundest, those soaked in the sunlight. As he put them in his basket, he couldn't help but salivate, the scharrine scent was even stronger from this close. But he held on. He didn't want to fan the flames of Wukong's temper. 

As he worked silently, Wukong suddenly handed him a peach. “You look like you're gonna faint if you don't eat.” Snorted the bimawen. The horse assistant hesitated for a second, he took the peach, the fuzz was soft against his nimble fingers. Was this another sign of pity? Did he look so desperate? The black-furred monkey brought the peach to his lips and took a large bite. It was good. The juice overflowed his mouth, gliding in his throat like the saving grace of a man dying of thirst. 

“...thanks.” He mumbled, perhaps his boss wasn't expecting him to be thankful, he flinched and let the peach he was holding fall out of his hands. The fruit shattered once it hit the soil . Mengai smirked at the other monkey's slip of hand, but he hid his half-smile in the peach fuzz, he didn't want to bruise the other's ego. 

“We, huh, we should fish after this.” Suddenly proposed Wukong, a rather pitiful attempt at diverting the attention, he seemed quite embarrassed by his slip of hand. “You're good at fishing so you'll be able to catch us breakfast.”

“How do you know I'm good at fishing?” Asked the black-furred monkey. That was odd. He never fished in front of the other before. Wukong stilled, his skin reverting back to the very stone he came from, before awkwardly scratching his neck. 

“It's instinct! You have the look of a fisher anyway.” Mengai didn't buy the excuse, but he let it go, it's not as if his skills in fishing had to remain a secret. 

They kept picking peaches for a few more hours. Once their baskets were filled, they emptied them in the barrow. Wukong then dragged his assistant out of the orchard, towards a nearby river. 

“What's your favorite fruit by the way?” Asked Wukong as they stepped out of the rose-colored world that was the orchard. Mengai never truly thought about it. He didn't eat many fruits in his life. Meat was more of his taste. But if he had to choose... 

“I like oranges..” Wukong frowned in disgust. 

“Leave it to you to choose something so sour. But I guess we have room for oranges in the orchard.” Mengai frowned at those words. He didn't understand why Wukong would even bother with this. What was the point? What end was he pursuing? Perhaps, there were no thoughts in this peach-brained mogwai head. Perhaps he was only driven by pity. Pity. Pity. Pity. The black-furred monkey had to repeat the word over and over again like a religious mantra. It wasn't kindness. It wasn't compassion. It was pity. 

He was scared of what it might be if not pity. 

The question was burning his lips. Licking his teeth like the flames lick the stones of the fire-place. He wanted to know. He wanted to understand. Why would someone do something like this when there was no reward, no gains, no greater pursuits? 

“Why would you add oranges to your orchard ?” The words passed his lips before he could even stop them. He regretted it for a moment. Almost afraid of the answer. Wukong didn't turn back. He answered leisurely, as if his logic was the most natural thing in the world :

“Because you like them.”

Mengai felt his throat dry up. He decided, for his own sanity, to drop the subject before it could delve deeper in waters he wasn't ready to swam in.

It wasn't difficult to find a river. The orchard was surrounded by forests with jumping waters, all they had to do was choose one. Mengai pulled up his sleeves and pants, he went in the cold water and waited patiently for a fish to pass by him. Wukong observed him intently. It was unnerving to have those gold coated eyes bore holes in his skin. Why did he seem so interested in fishing? Why didn't he help? Perhaps, he didn't want to wet himself. Mengai frowned. No. He didn't think Sun Wukong, the monkey who rolled in dirt with his horses, would be bothered by a little bit of water. 

“Why… aren't you fishing?” Finally asked the macaque. Wukong flinched, he looked around, as if his answer was written in the patch of grass or the clouds drifting in the sky. “Do you not know-”

“Of course I know how to fish!”Cut the bimawen. He rose and went in the water. “I was just… taking a break. The peach picking was taxing.” That was a rather pitiful lie, but Mengai decided to not pick on it. Both monkeys stood in the water, carefully eyeing the shadows slithering under the surface. Then, Wukong went to catch one, but the moment his claws fell on the fish, it slipped away and the bimawen fell on his butt.

Mengai blinked a bit in surprise before bursting out laughing. Oh, that was gold. His boss didn't know how to fish! 

“Hey! Don't laugh! You can't laugh at your superior!” Huffed Wukong as he rose, he was completely wet. His fur stuck to his body, making him skinnier. Mengai couldn't stop. This was too funny. Sun Wukong crossed his arms and growled. “Stop laughing!” He hit the water and splashed the macaque. Mengai shrieked, surprised by the sudden wave engulfing him. When he regained his poise, he was completely wet. “Oops, sorry accident.” Smirked Wukong without a shred of remorse. 

Mengai wanted to wipe this smirk off his face, pushed by adrenaline, he splashed Wukong with a flick of tail. “Pardon me, boss. This was an accident.” He repeated with the most obnoxious voice possible. 

Wukong blinked, surprised by the audacity of his assistant. “Oh this is war.” He huffed as he leaped towards the black-furred monkey. Mengai shrieked and ran away. 

They spend hours chasing one another, running along the river, splashing and leaping, growling and laughing. All fishes scattered when they arrived. Scared by the chaos they brought with them. By the end of their game, they both were heaving, sprawled on the mossy edges of the river's bed. They were completely wet and with no fish. But somehow, they seemed satisfied. Mengai bit his lips, trying to restrain the laughter tickling his inside. In the end he couldn't win against the urge to explode in giggles. He opened his mouth and let his laughter rang in the air. He laughed so much he clutched his belly. 

“You laugh a lot today.” Mengai stopped his bout of laughing at his boss' words. He turned towards the blonde monkey. Sun Wukong was sprawled in the moss, sun gliding in his wet fur, giving ruby-red hues to the soft blonde. His eyes were sparkling with mischief. Two honey-colored gems shining with embers of laughter. His fur cascaded on his shoulders like trails of lava. He looked like a lion. He was as dangerous as a lion, thought Mengai. “You should laugh more often.” He gave no other explanation. No other words. Why should Mengai laugh more often? What was the reason? No matter the inquiries swirling behind his teeth, he couldn't bring himself to ask them. 

Mengai sat up, he raked a hand in his tangled fur to push back the wet strands falling in his eyes. “We have no fish.” He stated, hoping it would distract him from the feeling churning his guts. Wukong hummed and sat up as well. 

“That's your fault.” If Mengai was a lesser monkey, he would punch the other square in the face. It wasn't his fault. In fact, Wukong was the one who initiated this stupid water war. How dare he push the blame entirely on his shoulders! This peach-brain mogwai! But Mengai decided to keep his frustration for himself. Then, a brilliant idea flashed in the recess of his mind. He pondered on it. It would be the perfect callback, the perfect way to spat back at his boss's hypocrisy. 

“You know, I can teach you how to fish.” Proposed Mengai with a bright smile. He offered his hand to the other monkey. His face the very picture of innocence. Wukong narrowed his eyes. He gazed at the hand as if it was a jaw ready to close on his flesh. 

“What are you scheming?” Asked the bimawen, voice laced with suspicion. 

“I'm never scheming.” Huffed Mengai, that was the worst lie he ever dared to tell. “Of course I know you must be good at fishing. I'm merely trying to help you hone those skills of yours.” That was the second worst lie. But his boss had a pride as massive as the sun itself and it wouldn't be good to try and wound it. Those who played with fire were meant to be burned. Mengai liked to play with fire, but only a little bit, only for the flames to lick the tip of his fingers and redden his fur. 

Wukong suspicion was honeyed by the scharrine praises. He hummed, satisfied, and took his assistant's hands. Mengai guided him to the river. They both stood in the water, letting the current nip their thighs. 

“You need to have your knees bent and be perfectly still.” Explained the black-furred monkey. Wukong reluctantly followed his instructions. How delightful. To have this stubborn monkey follows his orders so easily. It almost thrilled him. “We probably scared the fishes with our, huh, war. So we have to wait for a bit.” It wasn't even close to a war. But it was better to call it like that than to dare use the word “play”. Because “play” implied that they had a good time together. It implied that their relationship was beyond mere master/servant. Mengai didn't dare fathom it. He didn't want to. “When you see a fish swimming close to you, you need to be fast, your grip needs to be strong.” Wukong distantly nodded, the only sign he was listening was the wagging of an ear. They waited for a long time, still as statues, for the fishes to peek out of their beds. 

Wukong moved the second a fish brushed against his ankle. His hands dived in the water and he clawed out a fish. But his hold was too weak, the flimsy creature wiggled against his fingers, and escaped his claws. Leaping in the water and disappearing in the current. Mengai hid his smirk under his hand. He coughed to prevent any bout of laughing from escaping him and regained his poise. 

“It's not like peaches, don't be afraid to grip tightly.” Chastised the macaque, he reveled in the bimawen frustrated expression. Wukong's eyes were curved like moon crescents, his nose wrinkled, and his lips pursed together in concentration. The sunlight was gliding on his upward fangs. Giving them a golden glint. Distantly, Mengai wished he had fangs like those, they looked good when highlighted by the sun. Why did the peach-brained mogwai have all the nice things? The world was unfair. In comparison, his fangs were little, no bigger than fimsly thorns. They didn't protrude from his lips like proud daggers, instead they hid behind his mouth like measles toothpicks. Mengai shook his head. It wasn't the time for bouts of envy. 

At first, it was funny to see his boss fail at fishing. The joy he felt when Wukong let creatures as harmless as carps escape him was boundless. But Mengai overlooked his boss' stubbornness. And it stopped being funny after the third hour. Now, the black-furred monkey just hoped they could catch something before night. He could do it himself, but he feared it would bruise the other ego too much. At last, after the fourth hour, Wukong managed to catch two skinny carps. He clawed them out of the water by sheer luck, and gripped on them tightly. Silence veiled both monkeys for a second before they both erupted in joy. 

Wukong was happy about his first catch. 

Mengai was happy that this long wait was over. And perhaps, there was also an inexplicable bout of pride swelling in his chest at the sight of his boss's success. But he shook off the feeling before it could fester. 

“It was just a matter of time. I knew I could do it.” Huffed Wukong with pride, he created a basket and knife with his hair. He put the fishes in the basket and played with the knife. 

“Yeah, I'm a proud shizun.” Replied Mengai with a devilish smirk. Wukong stilled, he rolled his eyes and waved his words away with a flick of wrist. 

“Did you really help me with my fishing only to get back at me for calling myself your shizun?” Sighed the bimawen. 

“I'm not that petty.” The third worst lie he ever told today. They slipped past his lips so easily. It was second nature at this point. Wukong huffed, clearly believing him capable of such pettiness, before handing him the knife. 

Mengai prepared the fishes while his boss made the fire. It took a few minutes for the carps to be ready. Once they were cleaned and gutted, Mengai put them on spikes and planted them near the fire. 

“You can eat meat right?” Asked the macaque. In truth he never saw his boss eat anything other than peaches. It was almost unsettling to think he could eat something else. 

“You think I'd try so much to catch a fish if I couldn't eat it?” Snorted the bimawen. Fair point. Mengai hummed and looked down to the grilling carps. He salivated at the sight. Once they were ready, he handed the skinnier one to Wukong and kept the plumpest for himself. 

The black-furred monkey devoured his fish with delight. The hunger rising within his stomach was finally properly quelled. 

“You know, we should do things outside of work more often.” Hummed Wukong. “You're not that bad when you're not being petty.” He added with a smirk. Mengai rolled his eyes. 

He kept silent and finished his fish. But then, perhaps lured by the comfortable atmosphere veiling them both and the feeling of a full stomach, he let his thoughts slip : “You're not that bad either when you're not being annoying.”

Wukong laughed, amused by his sarcastic reply. Mengai watched him laugh and snorted, he took the last bite of his fish, and told himself the little bout of warmth blooming in his chest was due to his full stomach. 

It had to be.

+ vocabulary

Shizun : can be translated as master/teacher

Mogwai : in Chinese mythos a lil gremlin

Li : Ancient Chinese measurement, 1 li = 576 meters

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