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lucagray813 · 5 days ago

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Shadow - Chapter 15

Title: Smile Like You Mean It

Rating: T

Word Count: ~10,000

Characters: Wukong, Macaque

Minor Characters: MK, Mei, Red Son, DBK, Gōngzhǔ, Bǎi Hé

Relationships: Macaque/Wukong

Minor Relationships: MK & Mei & Red Son, Macaque & Bǎi Hé

Summary: Macaque has a run in with an old "friend", a very unserious "What are we?" talk, Bǎi Hé's big day and the story of how Macaque and Bǎi Hé's friendship came to be.

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

CW: swearing, very brief hint at past depression/suicidal ideation

Link to AO3 Version

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----

Macaque had many smiles and only about half of them were the kind that Wukong was always happy to see.

Some of the more mischievous smiles could go either way, depending on whether he was the victim of said mischief and just how diabolical the scheme was, and unfortunately he didn't always figure it out before it was too late.

This particular smile had made him instantly wary - his face brimming with delight but with a spark of something knowing in his eyes - and he was almost afraid to ask what Macaque had gotten up to that had him in such good spirits.

Especially when it was accompanied by a, "You'll never guess who I ran into today."

He stopped preparing dinner long enough to grimace, "Please don't tell me it was someone looking for me."

Honestly, sometimes he was surprised Macaque or MK could do anything off of the island without tripping over the swarms of demons that held a grudge against him, justified or otherwise.

He was exaggerating, after the defeat of the Lady Bone Demon, very rarely did a demon from his past try and pick a fight but that didn't mean there weren't a decent number that had plenty to say about him to his successor given the opportunity.

Macaque's grin only widened, "Nope. It was actually someone from my chequered past for a change."

Colour him intrigued, he had zero idea who it could have been then. He turned and gave him his full attention, "Alright, I'll bite. Am I actually supposed to guess? Do I know them?"

Macaque's tail swished deviously, as he made his way to the couch, "I've technically told you about them but I'd say the chances of you actually guessing are slim to none. Although, maybe if I paint you a picture of the day it might ring a bell."

He grabbed the bag of peach chips he'd been snacking on and joined him, and once they were both suitably comfortable on their respective ends of the couch, he nodded, "Let's hear it then."

Oh, you knew Macaque was excited about a story when he broke out the shadow "puppets". These ones stood as little 2D creatures on top of the coffee table between the couch and the TV and he could easily identify Macaque, Niú and Gōngzhǔ on one side and MK, Red Son and Mei on the other.

He had a feeling he was going to be tearing out some fur to make some popcorn once the peach chips were done.

His eyes bounced between Macaque and the table as he started to tell his tale.

"So, I was catching up with Niú and Gōngzhǔ just like I had been planning to when I just so happened to catch wind of what the rugrats were upto and it was simply too good an opportunity to pass up on."

The Macaque shadow puppet perked up, clearly eavesdropping before slinking away to spy properly, much to the annoyance and amusement of Gōngzhǔ and Niú, respectively.

He wondered what he told them he was up to, if he made up some excuse or just left without warning - he wouldn't put either past him.

With a frankly terrifyingly accurate imitation of everyone's voices, Macaque paraphrased the conversation he had overheard, starting with Red Son.

"My scanners picked up something of note the other day when we were flying over Gāngchá and you two are coming with me to investigate it."

Mei stretched, clearly unbothered, "What kind of "something of note" are we talking about here? Because if it's anything like that useless brick we found last time then you can count me out."

She delighted in his indignity, "Useless-! That was a genuine artefact of the Liù Yǎn Civilization! Do you have any idea-!"

She interrupted him, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Add it to the pile of genuine artefacts from lost civilizations. It didn't try and bring about the apocalypse or anything! Totally boring!"

MK piped up, "I like when we go treasure hunting and the world doesn't almost end! Makes for a nice change of pace!"

Mei wasn't won over, "Sure, it's fine every now and then but I'm not in the mood to hang about in some dank cave with no phone signal while Red drools over some rocks."

During this time, Red Son had been angrily digging through a box and once he'd found what he was looking for, he dramatically slammed a severed bull clone head on to the table, "Does this look boring to you!?"

There were twin cries of anguish from MK and Mei, "Bullford!"

MK picked up the head and hugged it to his chest, "It's going to be ok, buddy! Red Son is going to fix you up and then I'll take you out for Diesel Boba Tea! And it'll all be ok!"

Mei had Red Son by the collar, "Who did this!? How could you let this happen!? Is he going to be ok!? Why haven't you fixed him yet!?"

Red Son had begun to reply as he wrestled out of Mei's grip when his head whipped around to MK, "Stop giving my bull clones diesel! That's not what they run on!"

MK pouted, "But they like it! And it's just for a treat every now and then! They deserve something nice for all the hard work they do!"

Red Son successfully escaped Mei so he could yank the head out of MK's arms and put it back on the table, "How many times do I have to tell you? They are machines! They don't like anything!"

This resulted in a small uproar and Wukong was a little impressed at how quickly Macaque could switch between all three voices as they argued.

Red Son eventually shut them all up as he slammed a fist on top of the severed head and caused camera footage to project from its eyes, "Both of you shut up! This is what I brought you here for! You care so much about my bull clones? Then help me figure out what happened to this one!"

The shadow of the projection revealed as little to Wukong as the original probably had for Macaque but thankfully Red Son was able to provide exposition.

"I sent it to investigate and it didn't even manage to catch a glimpse of whatever tore it apart and threw it out like garbage!"

Nervously, MK asked, "Er, is that a tomb?"

Mei was much more enthused, "A haunted tomb, you say? Why didn't you lead with that? What are we standing around here for? Let's get ghost hunting! Don't worry, Bullford! You will be avenged!"

MK looked to Red Son for reassurance, "It's not haunted, right? There's a perfectly logical and scientific reason for whatever's going on in there, right?"

Red Son huffed, "Of course, there is!" He then admonished, "But you well know that ghosts are entirely within the realms of possibility."

MK had never been a massive fan of ghosts but he'd had plenty of terrible experiences with them over the past few years that had really exacerbated that fear. It didn't help that the incorporeal could be exceptionally difficult to fight.

Confident he already knew where this was going, he turned and looked at Macaque disapprovingly, "You didn't."

The innocent smile said it all, "I didn't what?"

"You seriously tagged along just so you could terrify the kids?"

Macaque pretended to be wounded, "Would I do something like that?"

"Yes. Because you're literally the worst."

Macaque laughed, totally unoffended, "I confess that was the initial plan but it turns out there really was someone haunting the place, and doing a damn good job of it, but it wasn't a ghost."

The scene on the coffee table changed, the background that of the tomb as Red Son led the way for an alert Mei and a skittish MK. Red Son, himself, was looking very annoyed at the nonfunctioning device he was holding.

Macaque's shadow was slinking behind them, looking unexpectedly thoughtful, as the real Macaque explained, "As soon as I stepped foot in that tomb, I had the craziest feeling of déjà vu and while I was trying to figure it out, the show started. Honestly, it was pretty masterfully done. Every little sound or movement crafted to build tension."

He watched as all three of the kids became increasingly more nervous, even if they were trying to pretend otherwise.

Wukong couldn't help but frown, "Did they just forget about their powers? Why isn't MK using his golden vision? Why isn't Red Son turning up the brightness? Mei could be zipping through there at lightning speed! What's going on?"

Macaque snorted, "You give them all way too much credit sometimes but Mei, I'm pretty sure is into being cast in a real life horror movie. Red Son, is actually trying to use his fire but there're some impressive illusions at play swallowing up any extra light. And MK? I think he's just as afraid of what he'll see with his Golden Vision as he would without. To be fair though that might very well have been the case here."

He made a mental note to talk to MK about it later. He had a feeling Macaque might have already given them all a hard time over their performance already though.

He gestured in exasperation at the table, "They split up? Really?"

At least it didn't look like it had been by choice but still this was just getting embarrassing now.

Macaque grinned, "At this point, I figured I better go find out who the mastermind was, just on the off chance anyone was actually in danger but honestly my gut was telling me they'd be fine."

The kids continued to run around in the background like headless chickens while Macaque came face to face with a truly massive demon that looked like it'd been pulled right out of one of MK's nightmares.

The vast length of its body was like a bulbous centipede with spider-like legs, and while from the torso up was vaguely humanoid in appearance, it was a mishmash of limbs and features from a variety of creatures. The shadow puppet probably wasn't even doing it justice.

Macaque appeared suddenly in front of them and commented, completely blasé, "Eight out of ten for the atmosphere but this is a little excessive don't you think? All subtly straight out the window."

Their surprise at the intrusion quickly morphed into anger, and they loomed over Macaque as they responded, "Eight out of ten! I have mastered the art of fear! Everything here is designed to perfectly entrap mortals in a world of terror! Eight out of ten!? Where do you get off critiquing my performance?"

As they ranted something started to glow in their chest that made Macaque frown before his eyes widened, "No way... Pàhǔ?"

The creature did a double take, "What did you just say?"

Macaque laughed, "Holy Shit - it is you! What are the odds? And what the hell happened to you? You're massive!"

Pàhǔ's arms hung comically, as they stared uncomprehendingly down, clearly at a loss as to who this tiny demon was.

Macaque teased, "Aw, don't tell me I was that forgettable. Although, I have gone through some pretty serious changes myself. Here, maybe this will jog your memory."

He opened up a portal beside him that opened up right in front of Pàhǔ's face and poked his head through with a grin, "Remember me now?"

Pàhǔ reared back and exclaimed, "Macaque!?"

Macaque dismissed the shadow portal and took a bow, "The one and only."

Pàhǔ's expression twisted into one of joy as their top half morphed into something a little more coherent, shrinking it, as well as a portion of their body, so they could get on eye level with Macaque, "Well, I'll be damned - the Six-Eared Macaque! Should have known it was you the moment you started talking shit!"

The scene paused and Wukong looked up at the real Macaque who grinned, "Ringing any bells?"

Wukong frowned and looked back at the table, "The name doesn't sound familiar? I know them?"

"Nah. I told you about them once a few years ago but I didn't go into any detail. I think you can get it though. Something "of note" drawing people in, a horror show, a shapeshifter..."

He thought hard about it for a minute but he had to shake his head, "Nope, I've got nothing."

"What if I told you that they were a shape-shifting empath, one that fed off of emotion, any emotion. Fear, anger, happiness, lust..."

It clicked.

He pointed at the shadow play in disbelief, "That's the shapeshifter you slept with!? The one you lost the bet to!?"

It had been years ago now that Macaque had told him about the frankly unbelievable run-in he'd had with the shapeshifter that had opened his eyes to the wider world of sex and he'd almost all but forgotten all about it.

Macaque laughed, "Wukong, neither of us could believe it. The odds of us running into each other again? And like this? Crazy. And it's a good thing I never won that bet because that same artefact is the one now embedded in their chest. That's the reason they're so huge now - they were at least a twentieth of that size when I first met them! We got talking about it, it's actually a huge hassle but I'll get to that later."

Wukong stared at the shadows for a long moment, "Man, it's a small world." He then noted in this freeze frame, the tiny versions of the kids, frozen in terror. He brought a hand to his face, "Don't tell me you two caught up and just let those three carry on screaming in the background?"

Macaque pinched his finger and thumb together for emphasis, "Only for a little bit. Once the pleasantries were out of the way and I'd gotten us some drinks, Pàhǔ let them find us."

The scene fast forwarded to the kids tripping into the room and falling into an undignified heap only to look up and find Macaque and Pàhǔ sitting demurely and drinking cups of tea.

Admittedly, their faces of bewilderment and betrayal were pretty amusing.

Red Son was the first to recover, up on his feet in a flash, outraged, while he pointed at Macaque, "I should have known you had a hand in this! What do I need to do to sound proof my lab from you!?"

MK had apparently decided he was just going to curl up in a ball and stay there, Mei was nice enough to pat his arm comfortingly for a moment at least, before also standing up and shouting at Macaque, "You are literally the worst! Do you just get off on being a total creep? What is wrong with you?"

None of them had even acknowledged Pàhǔ, who looked completely bemused by the whole thing.

Macaque shrugged, "Hey, everyone's got to eat. Just so happens Pàhǔ here eats fear, I was just letting nature take its course."

They all suddenly seemed to realise the still somewhat terrifying looking Pàhǔ was in the room with them.

MK whimpered.

Macaque didn't give them a chance to get introduced however, "You can all get to know each other another time. For now..." He clicked his fingers and let shadow portals appear under the three of them.

He could easily imagine the screams of outrage and exasperated he asked, "Did you at least send them back home?"

"Hey, I know when enough is enough. I sent them back to Red Son's lab with a promise to fill them in later."

"Has later happened yet?"

"Oh no. They're going to need a little more time to calm down than that. Maybe tomorrow."

He shook his head, "Whatever revenge they're planning, you deserve it."

Macaque seemed entirely unbothered and was instead rather excited to tell him more about Pàhǔ, "Yeah, yeah, I'm shaking in my boots but honestly this might actually have been a great thing for all of us. So, as you know, I might have a tiny inclination towards terror myself."

Oh, he did know.

Macaque had always taken delight in giving people a fright, and it was pretty easy to do when you had powers like his, but that "inclination" had really been kicked up a notch in his second life and while he largely restrained himself around friends, he would mercilessly terrify his enemies.

Which unfortunately, had included him, and by proxy MK and his friends, at one point and they were all very glad that was no longer the case.

Warily, he asked, "Where are you going with this?"

Macaque responded, "I'm getting there. So Pàhǔ's preferred food is fear, right? But that body of theirs is actually causing them a bit of difficulty when it comes to finding it. See, they can change shape but they can't change their overall mass and that makes it a little difficult to navigate the world without heroes or mobs taking issue. And believe it or not Pàhǔ isn't actually looking for trouble - they just want to eat what they need to survive and that's it. With me so far?"

He nodded slowly, still not entirely sure where this was going.

"Good. Now, you know what makes commuting a hundred times easier?"

He thought about it for a half a second before guessing, "Your portals...?"

Macaque's smile was pleased, "My portals. Exactly. So, Pàhǔ got a decent meal out of the kids but next month we're going to hit the town and see if we can't find some deserving targets to scare the shit out of. All going well, we can make a thing of it and meet up every once in a while and have some fun."

His eyes were brimming with devious excitement and Wukong wondered out loud, "Should I be worried about this?"

Macaque held a hand up to his heart, "You have my word we'll only go after people that deserve it, real pieces of work, we won't even hurt them. Well... maybe we'll hurt them a little but the only permanent damage will be purely psychological."

He stared at him for a long moment before asking genuinely, "Why are you like this?"

Macaque pretended to pose thoughtfully, "You know, I want to blame it on some sort of trauma but I think I was just made this way."

Well, the trauma probably hadn't helped.

He sighed, "Alright, see how it goes, I guess. Try not to be totally unhinged about it, will you?"

He should probably be more concerned about this but honestly if he really was giving bad people a bad time then... Well, he could look the other way once a month or so.

If he didn't think too hard about the reasons why then it was nice to see Macaque so excited, "Pàhǔ and I were brainstorming ideas all afternoon. I actually can't wait."

Curious, he asked, "So Pàhǔ's pretty decent then?"

Macaque's excitement diminished slightly as he shrugged, "Seems that way but only time will tell. We literally spent one night together over a thousand years ago and spent half a day talking horror today so who can really say. But, y'know, hopefully they're as cool as they seem."

Wukong didn't miss the way he rubbed at his arm a little self-consciously.

Macaque had never been very good at making friends, for a variety of reasons, and while he did have a meaningful, albeit complicated, relationship with Gōngzhǔ and Niú and some more casual friendships with the likes of the Tailor Trio, his interactions with people tended to be very calculated affairs.

But it sounded like he'd had so much fun just talking with Pàhǔ, he'd let himself be a fair bit more genuine than he normally did with strangers.

Obviously, Macaque outperformed him in most social aspects these days but that didn't mean he didn't have his own issues and insecurities in that department and Wukong found himself hoping that Pàhǔ actually was super cool.

He tried to be reassuring, "I'm sure they will be, pretty good sign if you were both chatting away the whole day. Although it wasn't, er, awkward or anything running into an old one night stand?"

Macaque perked back up again at that, "Well, they were a little put out to hear that I was giving this whole monogamy thing a go. But apart from some flirting to test if I was serious it was swept under the rug pretty quickly in favour of talking about their upgraded horror game."

Monogamy thing?

That gave him pause for a moment.

He'd never really considered before exactly how their relationship was defined, outside of jokes about them being married, that was. And he wasn't even sure how he would begin to describe what he had with Macaque.

Monogamous certainly felt like it was an applicable descriptor, just the thought of having anything remotely similar with someone else made his nose want to scrunch up in disgust and he was surprised how glad he was to have Macaque, sort of, confirm it was the same for him.

It was pretty undeniable that they were in a relationship but he couldn't even pinpoint exactly when that had happened. It just felt like they had naturally transitioned from something platonic without ever really questioning it.

He tried to explain this to Macaque when called out on his stunned silence and he looked like he was trying not to laugh, "Are we seriously about to have a "What are we?" talk? Really?"

A little embarrassed he bit out, "No! I know what we are! I... just don't know the words to describe it, is all!"

Macaque raised an eyebrow, eyes sparkling with amusement.

He covered his face with a hand, "Shut up."

Macaque just laughed, "I didn't say anything!"

A little flustered in his embarrassment he looked up and responded, "Well maybe you should! You're the wordsmith here! Go on, Romeo, what are we then?"

There was a split second where the urge to tease him clearly almost won out but instead Macaque huffed fondly and held out a hand. With that gentle expression on his face, Wukong didn't hesitate to place his hand in his, curious as to what he would say.

There was so much contained in Macaque's smile, ranging from wonder to grief, "Wukong, I could write poems and ballads until the end of time and I would still never be able to put into words everything we are."

And yet that smile somehow said it all.

Even as he leaned in close, charmed, he still responded, "You basically just said what I said!"

Macaque chuckled lowly, leaning in closer too, "I said it better though."

"As if that was hard."

The atmosphere building around them was tantalising and while he was tempted to indulge in it, he wasn't quite ready to leave this conversation yet.

So after placing a somewhat apologetic kiss on Macaque's lips he pulled back, "Putting a pin in the romantics for just a minute, I still have questions."

Macaque pretended to be very put upon as he sighed, "Of course, you do. Well, don't let the mood stop you."

Wukong flicked his tail at him playfully, "The mood can be brought back but I want to know - how would you introduce me to someone?"

"You can't be serious."

"No, no, I am. "This is Wukong, my blank". What's the blank?"

Macaque's face suggested he thought he was an idiot.

"You want to know how that would go? Fine." Macaque cleared his throat, ""Hello, this is my- Oh my god! Is that Sun Wukong? The Monkey King? Oh my stars and garters!" Or alternatively, "Sun Wukong! You're going down!"."

He laughed a little sheepishly. It was a fair point, as possibly the most famous and recognisable demon in all of China, introductions were generally not required.

But still he complained, "You know what I meant! If someone asked you what your relationship with me was, you'd say...."

Macaque pondered over it for a second before responding, "Depends on the situation and what I want to get out of it. If I was trying to embarrass you, for example, then I'd probably lay it on thick and tell them that I was the love of your life and you were just too pathetic to turn down."

He really should have known he wouldn't get a straight answer, "First of all, no-one would believe that. And second, stop being so obtuse! Pick a title - husband, partner, boyfriend..."

Ok, definitely not that last one. His nose had started scrunching up in distaste even as he said it.

Macaque grinned however, "Boyfriend? Sorry but that position has already been filled, you can't have that one."

As if.

But he didn't even have a chance to question that nonsensical statement before Macaque continued, "You know, I really should introduce you two, I think you'd get on great. His name's Jiāng, he's a mechanic over in the city. Big fan of MK's."

"Jiāng" was Macaque's preferred disguise for him whenever they went into the city and his backstory at this point had gotten unnecessarily detailed.

He hoped his expression got across how utterly unfunny he thought Macaque was, but just in case, "You're the worst."

Honestly, that was probably the highest compliment you could give Macaque.

Macaque responded easily, "If you don't like my answers then why don't you give it a shot instead? How would you introduce me?"

"With a warning."

Macaque laughed, apparently delighted, but Wukong tried to give it a bit more thought.

He pictured it in his mind, he was standing in front of someone with Macaque and he said, "This is my..."

He grinned widely as the answer came to him, "If I had to introduce you, I would say, "This is my best bud, Macaque. Run while you still can."."

Macaque clutched his chest dramatically, "Best Bud zoned? Oh, however will my heart recover."

Wukong pretended to ignore him as he muttered to himself, "I need to workshop that warning. It's already too late if they've met you. Maybe I should tell them to find a therapist they can get on speed dial...?"

Macaque poked his cheek, "Hey, what's it say about you that your best bud "traumatizes" everyone he meets?"

"There was literally no need for air quotes. You do traumatize everyone you meet. You were just talking about how you're planning to go out with your new buddy and scare people for fun!"

Macaque leaned into his space, "You're dodging the question! And don't act like you've never done any traumatising!"

He crossed his arms and turned his nose up snootily, "I've mended all my ways, thank you very much! I'm basically a saint!"

"A saint with a deviant for a best bud."

He shrugged, "Well, nobody's perfect."

Macaque snorted, "Oh yeah, because that's all that's stopping you from being perfect. But best bud? Really?"

He pretended to pout, "Are you trying to say we're not best buds, bud?"

"I think the word "bud" is starting to lose all meaning. But terribly uninspired word choice aside, I can get behind the sentiment."

"Hey! Just because the words aren't fancy doesn't mean they're not meaningful!"

"Yeah, and that's why I was agreeing with you, bud!" A gleeful look then came to his face, "Actually, I think it might even be the perfect way to describe relationship."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Can you imagine the next time Chóu or Niú call you my husband and I correct them and tell them we're "best buds"? And if I can time it for when the kids are listening? Oh, it's a masterpiece of chaos waiting to happen."

Why did he get the feeling this was going to end badly for him specifically?

Although, on the other hand, he countered, "I bet they don't even react, they'll just think it's another one of your pranks."

Macaque's eye sparkled, "A bet, huh?"

Oh no.

He waved his hands frantically, "No! No way! Not this time! I lose no matter what happens! I'm not falling for any of your tricks this time!"

Macaque's grin said otherwise.

----

Bǎi Hé's big day had finally arrived and while Wukong was as anxious and excited as everyone else for her, he was actually slightly more concerned about Macaque than the woman of the hour.

You wouldn't know it looking at him right now but Macaque had barely slept at all in the week running up to Bǎi Hé's entrance exam and Wukong was the lucky one that had gotten to deal with his increasingly erratic mood while trying to force him to take care of himself.

They'd even had a fight over Macaque trying to avoid going to the Void because he had been concerned that Bǎi Hé might need him while he was there. As if anything was going to come up the rest of them couldn't handle in the course of a day. And it wasn't like Wukong couldn't have astral projected to him if, for some reason, that had been the case.

That had ended up being a lot more bitter an argument than expected and while exhaustion and stress had definitely contributed to that, it was definitely one they were going to have to have a proper talk about once this was behind them.

Bǎi Hé, he was sure, was none the wiser as to how stressed Macaque was about her exam as he had been the picture of cool and collected mentor around her at all times - his faith in her ability completely unwaivering.

And that faith wasn't just for show, in the unlikely event that Bǎi Hé failed this exam, he knew Macaque was going to blame himself for it.

But while it wasn't impossible that she'd fail, he thought the odds of it were exceptionally unlikely, she had worked unbelievably hard to prepare for this day and no-one doubted she had what it took to become a member of the Huǒ Wǔjī.

So confident were they that, unbeknownst to Bǎi Hé, everyone that wasn't currently here to support her was back at Niú's palace preparing a celebratory feast for once she had passed.

In the waiting room with her now however stood Niú, Gōngzhǔ, Red Son, MK, Mei, himself and, of course, Macaque.

Bǎi Hé was doing an admirable job of hiding her nerves and seeing her stood cool and collected next to Macaque, there was no need to guess who she'd picked up that skill from.

Gōngzhǔ and Niú were currently conversing with Qǐ Zhēn, the demon that would be their guide while Bǎi Hé sat her exam. While Red Son, MK and Mei, unintentionally, competed to see who could be the least helpful in preparing Bǎi Hé before she went in - giving her last minute tips or information to remember.

He stood loyally on Macaque's other side, feeling a little like he was here for him rather than for Bǎi Hé. Not that he didn't smile reassuringly at her every time she looked his way or hadn't offered his own words of advice earlier but everyone was here to support her right now, and he doubted anyone else was aware of just how stressed Macaque was about this whole thing.

Everyone fell silent as soon as the doors leading to the examination hall opened. And all eyes were on Bǎi Hé as the demon that had walked through them called her name.

She took a deep breath before walking forward.

MK, Mei and Red Son whispered their final reassurances but she only acknowledged them with the barest of nods, her eyes completely focused on the demon in front of her.

She stopped a respectful distance away and bowed before perfectly reciting the poem that acted as an oath of honest conduct and an acknowledgement of the hardships that she would be facing through those doors.

Essentially, a fancy way of agreeing to the terms and conditions and signing a disclaimer.

It was the only part of her exams that they were permitted to see, and it was the easiest part at that, but it was obvious how proud everyone was to witness her pass it with flying colours. She didn't even falter when the demon in front of her tried to psyche her out by staring her down disapprovingly for an unnerving amount of time.

Finally, however, they inclined their head and gestured for her to proceed to the next room.

She didn't look back as the doors closed behind her.

For a moment, they all just stared, each lost in their thoughts and concerns, but the silence was broken as Mei threw an arm around MK and Red Son's shoulders, "C'mon, what's with those faces? She's totally got this! Did you see how cool she was just now? Man, I wish I could have filmed it!"

Qǐ Zhēn smiled, "I have seen Gàn Shīfu reduce hardened warriors to tears with just a glance, yet Bǎi Hé did not give away even a hint of doubt or discomfort under her scrutiny, very impressive for one so young."

Red Son looked remarkably like his father as he puffed up proudly, "As if she would have ever faltered at the first hurdle. She'll pass these exams with record results."

Qǐ Zhēn looked pleased at such a bold declaration, "Well, I'm afraid there's quite a long wait ahead of us before we find out how she fared. Let's move somewhere more comfortable and I will explain the itinerary for the day over some tea."

Macaque simply sat down on the floor, for all the world looking like he was about to meditate, "You all go ahead. I'll wait here."

Gōngzhǔ beat everyone else to the punch, "She's going to be in there all day, what good are you to anyone sat here doing nothing?"

Macaque's voice gave nothing away, "I'll be here if you need me."

He already knew there was no point trying to reason with him. But he was also keenly aware that Macaque wasn't sitting here doing nothing. Those doors were sealed so that nothing could see through them but while they could stop Macaque seeing what was going on with his magic or his ears, he doubted anyone had ever taken into account a spy that could feel the shape of every shadow for miles around.

Really, it was a bad idea, the shadows wouldn't give him the whole picture and he could drive himself crazy trying to figure out what was going on but short of knocking him out and carrying him away, he wasn't going to be moved.

Qǐ Zhēn skillfully interrupted anyone from trying to dissuade him, "You would not be the first to wait here for the duration of the examinations but should you change your mind and wish to join us, even for a short break, simply ask the guards stationed here and one of them will escort you to us."

Macaque nodded in acknowledgement, ignoring the disapproving look Gōngzhǔ was sending his way.

Logically, he could understand that while primarily they were all here to cheer on Bǎi Hé, this was also an excellent networking opportunity and Gōngzhǔ was no doubt annoyed that Macaque was squandering it here instead of helping her make the most of it.

He didn't really give a damn about what Gōngzhǔ wanted however and moved to block Macaque from her line of sight, declaring cheerfully, "Well, what are we waiting for? It's not every day you get the honour of experiencing the hospitality of the Huǒ Wǔjī. And I've heard their Fire Leaf Tea is out of this world."

In such prestigious company, Gōngzhǔ was forced to dial it way back on the hostilities but oh, could he feel her absolute distaste for him.

He almost relished in it.

MK diffused the tension, "Fire Leaf Tea? Oh man, Sandy is going to be devastated he missed it!"

Mei responded, "I bet he's already tried it. I don't think there's a tea out there he hasn't tried."

MK waved his hands about emphatically, "It's not just about the tea, Mei! It's everything! It's the full experience! Seeing where the tea is from and learning about the specific culture around it! Getting to talk to the people that dedicated their lives to this craft and truly appreciating everything that went into the cup of tea you're drinking!"

Everyone stared at him for a moment in various levels of bewilderment, even Macaque raised an eyebrow at his impassioned argument, before Mei laughed, "Wow, MK. How many times has he made you listen to his tea seminar?"

The conversation stayed centred around tea as they followed Qǐ Zhēn out of the room and Wukong allowed his tail to subtly graze Macaque's shoulder before he joined them, feeling satisfied at the gentle zing of magic that acknowledged the action.

He felt the need to tell one of the guards as they passed, "Don't be alarmed if he doesn't so much as twitch the whole time he's sitting there - unless he falls over or something there's no need to check in with him or anything. He won't appreciate it anyway."

They nodded dutifully, apparently not at all alarmed at such strange behaviour. Although given the sheer number of demon types that made up the Huǒ Wǔjī, there was probably very little that surprised them at this point.

----

Yīnmíng Shān was the home of the Huǒ Wǔjī, an active volcano that was said to bend to the will of Shāo Jiāo, the founder and leader of the Huǒ Wǔjī. Very little of their territory was open to outsiders but they did have designated areas on the outskirts of their land for meeting with visitors.

A lot of care and attention had clearly been put into their guest's experience - with an impressive variety of art, entertainment and recreation available to cater to just about anyone's tastes and Qǐ Zhēn was something of an expert at deducing how each of them would prefer to pass the time.

Although to be fair, it probably wasn't that hard to guess.

So they'd spent the majority of the morning sparring with various members of the Huǒ Wǔjī and were now enjoying a frankly incredible complimentary lunch while making friendly conversation with everyone that had joined them.

He had a feeling that not everyone received this much attention when they came to visit but then most weren't quite as legendary as the six of them.

He wasn't quite as antsy as he might usually be around this many people and that was partly due to the fact that the kids were keeping most of the attention away from him and partly because he was currently part of Niú's conversation with a high ranking official.

On the surface it was boring politics talk but if you knew the lingo it was pretty hot gossip. Unfortunately, he was a bit out of touch so he was only able to fully appreciate about half of it. But he was doing his best to remember it all so Macaque could fill in the gaps in his knowledge later.

After lunch they were ushered into a quieter room for some tea and it was at that point MK asked, "Do you think Macaque is still waiting outside for Bǎi Hé? Should we, like, take him something to eat or check up on him or something?"

Qǐ Zhēn replied, "He's still there and as per Monkey King's predictions he hasn't moved at all. The guards are actually getting a little concerned but as per instructions they have not tried to interact with him."

MK frowned, "Do you think he's alright? Like, he's missing out on all this cool stuff!"

Red Son was dismissive, "He'll have ample opportunity to experience the Huǒ Wǔjī's hospitality once Bǎi Hé is accepted into their ranks. Leave him to his eccentricities."

MK clearly wasn't convinced so Qǐ Zhēn tried to soothe him, "It's not unheard of for parents to remain in the waiting hall for the entirety of the exams. Although, I admit they do tend to at least look like their breathing."

He coughed awkwardly, "Well, actually, he's not her father. Unfortunately, her parents... Couldn't make it today."

A billow of smoke left Niú's nostrils as he huffed but he refrained from commenting.

No-one was happy with the fact that Bǎi Hé's parents weren't here to support her but neither were they surprised. He was pretty sure they hadn't even wished her good luck or seen her off yesterday before she left to spend the night at Niú's place.

She'd put on a brave face about it in front of everyone but he knew that she'd called Macaque in the middle of the night, understandably, very upset about it.

Qǐ Zhēn bowed her head, "My apologies. I should not have assumed. Would he be her teacher then?"

He responded, "For lack of a better word, yes. He was the one that introduced her to martial arts and has been helping her prepare for her exams."

He realised just then that he'd never actually gotten the story as to how they had met after the Lady Bone Demon was defeated or how that had developed into Macaque teaching her how to fight.

He and Macaque had barely been on speaking terms at that point and by the time they were, it was already a well established thing that the two spent time together occasionally.

He was distracted from his musings as Red Son cleared his throat pointedly and he rolled his eyes as he amended, "He was the one who spear headed her training. But she, of course, was helped by everyone you see here and then some."

Red Son grumbled, "Some of us helped more than others."

Qǐ Zhēn pandered to him, "Of course, of course. It's just rather noticeable the mannerisms the two share."

Mei groaned, "She has his exact "You're all morons" stare and it's the worst! Every time she does it's like I'm looking at Macaque!"

MK grinned, "You remember back at the start when she would just outright copy him. If he crossed his arms, she would cross her arms. If he glared at someone, she would glare at them too. It was so cute! It also really ruined Macaque's whole serious, broody vibe! Hard to be intimidating when you've got a kid right next to you earnestly copying everything you do!"

This was the first he'd heard about this! He leaned forward, "Tell me you have photographic evidence of this. I cannot stress how desperately I need copies if you do."

Mei started scrolling through her phone, "Oh, you know that I do! Hang tight, it was a while ago but I'll send them to everyone once I find them!"

Qǐ Zhēn's delighted laughter was cut short by a very particular knock on the door. She stood abruptly, looking a little alarmed, as she hurried over to it. She addressed them all before opening it, "I would ask you all to stand and show your respect to Shāo Jiāo Zǔshī."

She gave them a moment to rise from their seats before opening the door and immediately taking a step back and bowing low.

There was a slight scuffle behind him as Red Son no doubt forced MK and Mei into the correct form but while Gōngzhǔ lowered her gaze, he and Niú remained standing tall.

Shāo Jiāo was a demon bear that stood even taller and broader than Niú and it was only when she was through the door and the three of them had had a chance to look each other in the eye and size each other up that they bowed their heads to one another respectfully.

Her voice was low and melodic, "I do not often meet with the attendants of testing candidates but for the Demon Bull King and the Monkey King I felt it wise to make an exception."

Niú responded, "A rare honour, indeed. It's been some time, Shāo Jiāo."

A ghost of a smile came to her face, "Let us make the most of such an occasion then, Niú." She addressed him, "And Sun Wukong, I have, of course, heard much about you. You'll forgive me, I'm sure, that I find it fortuitous that we have not met sooner."

He couldn't quite resist a small grin, "Oddly, you're not the first one to say that but likewise I've heard talk of your legends too. My apologies, had I known we would be meeting I would have prepared a gift accordingly."

He, and Niú, had in fact brought gifts as tokens of their respect but those had already been offered to the demons that had initially received them and the etiquette was different when meeting with a prestigious clan leader.

There was a knowing look in her eye, "Perhaps there will be cause for us to meet again in the near future and at that time we can rectify any failings to follow proper etiquette."

He exchanged a subtle look with Niú before responding, "Sounds good to me."

She nodded, "I thought it might. Now..."

At a wave of her hand a column of flames briefly appeared in a flurry, before disappearing and leaving behind a chair capable of accommodating her size. Once she had sat, she gestured for everyone to do the same.

Before Red Son permitted MK or Mei to raise their heads, he whispered urgently to them, no doubt trying to impress upon them the rules they should follow for this meeting.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as they both tried to school their reactions and figure out where to look once they were finally allowed to.

Shāo Jiāo had burn scars that covered almost the entirety of her face, and if rumours were to be believed, they covered just about every inch of her body too.

There were many myths and tales about her scars and her relationship to the ancient spirit of this volcano.

Some said her scars were the price that needed to be paid continuously to the spirit to keep the volcano calm. Others claimed that they were lovers, and these scars were the result of being unable to resist embracing one another. And others insisted that she was simply a vessel for the spirit and that either the real Shāo Jiāo had died millennia ago or that the two shared the body.

He was sure very few people knew the truth and they certainly weren't going to be included in that number any time soon.

But all that MK and Mei really needed to know was that this was not a demon to be crossed, although given her reputation for accepting demons of all walks of life into her order, he had a feeling she would show some leniency if they weren't aware of all the proper etiquette, providing, of course, they weren't intentionally disrespectful.

Apparently some of the stories that the kids had told over lunch had reached her ears already and she encouraged them to share them with her directly. It took a couple of minutes of anxiously glancing at the adults in the room to assure themselves they weren't speaking out of turn but eventually they settled into the excited storytelling they were known for.

It was a fairly casual affair but eventually conversation did turn to Bǎi Hé as Shāo Jiāo showed an interest in how she had gathered such a notable collection of friends. She was no doubt aware of some of the details of the incident with the Lady Bone Demon and no-one felt the need to relive that harrowing experience so they focused on sharing stories of their friendships had developed - everyone making sure to paint Bǎi Hé in the best light possible.

It was impossible not to mention Macaque in all of these stories and Wukong didn't like the thoughtful look in Shāo Jiāo's eyes when he was mentioned, especially not when she said, "The demon outside of the examination hall... I have heard rumours of the shadow of the Monkey King and the Demon Bull King."

He resisted the urge to snap that Macaque was no-one's shadow.

He could tell Niú wasn't happy that she was bringing this up either, and he responded in a low rumble, "Rumours from a time long since passed I'm sure."

The warning to drop this topic was clear but Shāo Jiāo no doubt already had her answer. Although why she wanted to know bothered him immensely, and he was suddenly itching to return to Macaque's side.

The kids looked very curious as to what was going on but there was no way anyone was going to enlighten them.

Shāo Jiāo bowed her head, "Of course. Why talk about the past when there is so much to celebrate in the present? Speaking of which, I do believe it is time for you to return to the waiting hall. I'm sure we will have a chance to reminisce another day."

After the appropriate amount of formalities, Shāo Jiāo left them in Qǐ Zhēn's capable hands. The kids eagerly followed after her, while he, Niú and Gōngzhǔ followed at a more sedated pace, and he knew the two of them were as keen as he was to discuss Shāo Jiāo's interest in Macaque but it would have to wait until they were somewhere where the walls didn't have ears.

He was very relieved to find Macaque exactly where they'd left him. The kids immediately tried to update him with everything that he'd missed but he ignored them, completely unhurried as he stood up.

He made his way over to him, his tail grazing his for just a moment, before standing beside him and asking quietly, "Anyone try and get your attention?"

His nod was almost imperceptible, and equally quietly, he responded, "Talk about it later but yes, exactly who you think it was."

His tail gave a small, irritated flick. He wasn't usually a stickler for all the intricacies of demon politics but Shāo Jiāo shouldn't have approached Macaque before formalities with him and Niú. He wasn't upset at the slight, Macaque was his equal, after all, but he didn't appreciate the subterfuge.

If there was cause for immediate alarm however Macaque would have already let him know so he put it to the back of his mind for right now.

It wasn't long before the doors opened to reveal Bǎi Hé and the severe looking demon from earlier. Bǎi Hé's teary eyed grin already told them everything they needed to know but they all managed to restrain themselves until Gàn Shīfu officially announced her success and declared that she was permitted to join the Huǒ Wǔjī as a student.

The cheers and roars of celebration that rang out the second she finished speaking were deafening and he was sure Macaque must have reduced the range on his hearing to almost nothing in anticipation.

Gàn Shīfu wisely stepped out of the way as the kids, and Niú, rushed forward to offer their congratulations. Niú was teary eyed as he lifted her up onto his shoulder, proudly declaring that he had never doubted her for a second and clearly resisting the urge just to march her around the compound and show her off to everyone.

A little surprisingly, he wasn't exactly dry eyed either, and he felt himself glow with pride at her achievement. Macaque had probably been the only one that hadn't screamed in victory at the announcement, but the tears running down his face spoke volumes.

Macaque took a deep breath before slowly making his way towards the rabble.

Bǎi Hé easily slipped off Niú's shoulder in response and any kind of decorum or composure was clearly beyond her at the moment as she all but ran towards Macaque and tackled him with a hug, which he returned just as tightly. The pair of them were a babbling mess of "I did it."'s and responding "You did it."'s.

They'd have to finish having their moment later because almost everyone was powerless not to get in on in this hug, much to the amusement of all the members of the Huǒ Wǔjī present.

----

Bǎi Hé's congratulations party was one for the history books, and he likely would have followed Niú into drunken oblivion if he wasn't so aware of how increasingly withdrawn Macaque was, choosing to sit on the sidelines and watch everyone else have a good time.

And despite the smile on his face, to him, at least, the look in his eye was so achingly sad.

And he just couldn't stand it, so ignoring the protests from everyone, he said their goodbyes, and wisped him away on Nimbus.

They flew back in silence, Macaque's head on his shoulder, as they sat side by side, and as much as he wanted to ask what was on his mind, Macaque looked like he needed this moment of silence.

When they touched back on the island, he asked, "You need some time alone?"

A little dazed, Macaque responded, "Yeah... Just need to process. I... I think I'm going to head up the mountain for a bit."

Trying not to sound too concerned, he said, "Sure. I'll go fill the monkeys that are still up in on the good news."

Macaque nodded distractedly before heading for the mountain and he watched him go before jumping back on Nimbus and making his way to the house.

Macaque was probably just crashing a little after such a prolonged period of stress, and he and Bǎi Hé were probably so exhausted they would sleep through the next two days at least. But Macaque's sad smile made him think there might be a little more to it than that.

He'd give him a couple of hours to decompress and get his thoughts in order though before trying to coax him into sharing. In the meantime, he had plenty of monkeys that were eager to hear all about the big day.

He focused on all the fun things - the kids' antics, Bǎi Hé's success, the party.

He didn't tell them about Shāo Jiāo or the interest she had taken in their other king. He, Macaque, Niú and Gōngzhǔ had found a little time after returning to the palace to briefly discuss the matter and Macaque informed them all that he'd exchanged some private words with her too.

She had sent the guards away in order to inform him she was aware of his spying and she had seemed to imply that she knew something about what he was. Macaque hadn't reacted to anything she'd said and had given her non-answers in response but they were all wary of what she might know and what she wanted.

While it was a potential cause for concern, Shāo Jiāo was not known for being malicious or cruel, and it was possible she had just been fishing for information in order to safeguard her order now that a connection had been created between it and Macaque.

They'd have a proper discussion about it in the following days, no doubt.

In the present however he had decided it was time to find Macaque and thankfully he was exactly where he said he would be.

He would follow Macaque's lead on this one, so he simply sat beside him and looked up at the moon as he waited to see how this would play out.

After several minutes of silence, Macaque said, "Did I ever tell you how this whole thing with Bǎi Hé started?"

He shook his head.

Macaque sighed, pausing for a brief moment to gather his resolve before explaining, "After the Lady Bone Demon was defeated, I was at a loose end. We still weren't on speaking terms, I was too much of a coward to face Niú and Gōngzhǔ and I... Wasn't in a good place. You'd think I'd have a lust for life after everything but... Well, I didn't. Honestly, if it weren't for MK reaching out..."

He shook his head as if to rid himself of the memory, before he continued, "Anyway, he invited me to some get together and I figured I had nothing better to do so I showed up. And there was Bǎi Hé, clinging to Sandy's leg and trying her hardest to pretend she was fine. MK insisted that I say hi to her and I hadn't even said two words before she burst into tears."

Macaque dragged a hand down his face, "It was awful. I started making my excuses to leave there and then but all of a sudden this kid is clinging to me and begging me to stay and telling me how happy she was to see me. She never let go of my scarf that whole evening and eventually we ended up talking alone on the roof and it was like the dam had finally broke and she was just telling me everything - how she had lied to everyone and told them she couldn't remember being under the Lady Bone Demon's control, how scared she still was, how sorry she was for what "she'd" done."

He laughed humourlessly, "Like, could she have picked anyone worse to open up to? But, y'know, I did my best to encourage to tell her parents the truth, told her it wasn't her fault and I figured that was my good deed done and that would be the end of it. But then she asked if she could see me again and I don't know what came over me but I said yes."

There was something raw in his voice as he confessed, "And before I knew it, I had a purpose again. There was someone that needed me, that was actually happy to see me and- and I-"

He choked on a sob as he brought a hand up to cover his eyes and Wukong was powerless not to move closer and pull him into his side.

Macaque managed to get out, "I wouldn't have any of this without her."

He squeezed him tightly, "I bet she thinks the exact same thing about you."

There wasn't going to be anymore coherent conversation until Macaque had calmed down but he thought maybe he could begin to see the volatile cocktail of emotions that he was trying to process.

On one hand he was likely so proud of her he didn't even know what to do with it all but he had a feeling some old fears about not being needed might also be a factor. Being left behind in general was a fear of his but he could remember how down he used to get whenever Bǎi Hé specifically had to cancel on him for whatever reason.

And now she was moving on to a new chapter in her life and how he would fit into that was likely weighing heavily on him.

He didn't doubt that he would still be a part of her life but things would be different. They wouldn't get to see each other as often any more and Bǎi Hé was going to be making new friends and have new teachers and Macaque would have already taken all of that into consideration.

His fear wasn't totally unfounded.

But at least he'd have him to help him work through it.

--Chapter End--

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lucagray813 · 23 days ago

Text

Shadow - Chapter 12

Title: In Sickness and in Health

Rating: T+

Word Count: ~10,000

Characters: Wukong, Macaque

Minor Characters: MK, Red Son, DBK, PIF

Relationships: Macaque/Wukong

Minor Relationships: Macaque & PIF & DBK, Wukong & DBK

Summary: Silly, yet sensible, discussions about condoms, a curse that transforms this chapter into a sickfic, and everyone being upset with Macaque for the lengths he'll go to for his loved ones.

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

CW: brief sex talk involving condoms & masturbation, sexual humour, suggestive language

If you want to skip those CWs just miss out the first section which is denoted with the line break --T+--

Link to AO3 Version

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----

--T+--

In truth, there was no real need to buy in food - the island provided more than enough to sustain everyone here and, if he was willing to put in a bit of effort, he could even make a lot of stuff from scratch but damnit it was just so much easier to buy pre-made noodles than it was to make them. And he'd be lying if he said he wasn't very partial to the variety of snacks that had been invented in the last hundred years or so.

He just couldn't be without his favourite peach chips.

Not to mention, his weekly cook offs with Niú required a lot of specific ingredients and so he felt he was perfectly justified in doing an online grocery shop every couple of weeks.

Rarely, did Macaque want or need anything bought in but still he offhandedly asked while he was tapping away on his tablet adding things to the basket. Macaque hummed a negative from behind him where he was grabbing some drinks and snacks for them before suddenly exclaiming, "Oh wait, no - get us some condoms."

He paused in his shopping to turn around and look at him with confusion, "Condoms?"

Deliberately misunderstanding him, Macaque explained, "Yeah rubbery things that you wear on your-"

"I know what they are, you ass! I meant, why do you want them? I mean, I'll get them but I didn't think we really needed them?"

STDs and pregnancy were not things they personally had to worry about and it wouldn't really make clean up any easier - a well placed shadow portal to god knows where handled the worst of it. And well... He'd sort of been scared of penetrative sex for the meantime anyway. Until he could figure out how to get his magic fully under control then he couldn't bring himself to risk it. So with all that in mind, he couldn't see why Macaque would want them.

Macaque handed him his tea as he explained, "We don't need them in the traditional sense, no, but there's something I want to try out that we'll need them for."

He had no clue what that could possibly be and he raised an eyebrow at Macaque as he sat down, "You want to share with the class?"

He didn't keep him guessing as he explained, "I've been thinking about our- well, my problem with magic sensitivity. Your magic cock ring idea is along the right lines but I don't like that it's messing with the flow of your magic. I'm sure eventually we could figure out how to use it safely but I think there's an easier way. You don't need to control your magic, we just need a barrier between it and me."

The never ending embarrassment his magic inhibitor idea brought him aside, he quickly clocked on, "And a condom is literally the barrier for the job. We would just need to figure how to use seals to modify it."

He posed thoughtfully as his mind started to quickly flip through potential solutions. A total magic barrier wouldn't be hard but that wasn't what they needed - some of his magic still had to be able to pass through for Macaque to feel it and that would take some experimenting to get right.

There was also the added difficulty of sealing something so awkward - it was doable it would just be a bit of a challenge but honestly it was the sort of challenge that appealed to him. Plenty of ideas for how to combine characters to make the seal were coming to mind and he was about two seconds away from heading to the library to start working on it.

He was brought back to the present by Macaque, "Yeah, exactly. First step is to actually buy some condoms though. How about you finish the shopping before going all mad seals scientist on me?"

He picked up the abandoned tablet from his lap a little sheepishly - he'd already forgotten all about it - but even as he started to search for them, he responded, "It's such a good idea - simple but effective. I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it. You've already started looking at it though, right? Have you put together any potential seals?"

"I've a couple ideas but not really put pen to paper for it yet. I figured you'd want in on the fun."

Oh, he couldn't wait to start looking at it properly but he was discovering he had a much more immediate problem, "Er, what condoms am I getting? There's a lot more choice here than I was expecting."

Sizes, texture, material, scent, taste, brand... It seemed never ending. Was there a need for so much variety?

Macaque shrugged, "Any one should be fine as long as it's the right size."

"Yeah, ok, but what's the right size? Like, listen to this list. They've got standard, regular, larger, XL, slim fit, magnum and then they've got stuff like iron grip and snugger fit tacked on... What should I get?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

A little incredulous he said, "This is your area of expertise, not mine!"

Macaque looked amused, "By area of expertise you mean sex? I'd be flattered but that really doesn't mean much coming from you. But for the record when I was having sex, condoms weren't a thing, my knowledge is pretty limited here. You literally have the internet at your finger tips though - just look it up."

He grumbled but he did just that and after a few minutes, he said, "Alright, I think I've got the gist of it but looks like it's best to measure myself...?"

Macaque grinned, pretending to reach towards him, "Want a hand?"

He slapped it away, "No, I don't "want a hand", you lecher! I can handle this myself!"

Macaque leaned back, still grinning, "Oh by all means. I love a good show."

He felt his face burn, "I'm not putting on a show! You can get lost while I deal with this!"

Macaque didn't move, "Aw, will you think of me at least?"

"No! Now get out of here!"

Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. The thought of touching himself made him want to squirm but his pride wouldn't let him ask for help now. He cursed himself.

Something must have given away how uncomfortable he really was because Macaque just sighed, "Or we could just do this the easy way. Summon a tape measure."

Warily, he pulled out some fur, "What easy way?"

He watched as Macaque drew the outline of a circle and then a separate straight line in the air with his magic, "There, those are your measurements."

He eyed them, "Are you sure?"

Macaque raised an eyebrow, "Well, I was trying to protect your delicate sensibilities but if you insist..."

The shadows merged and grew to become a very accurate 3-D model of his dick and he could only try to pretend he didn't find this nearly as embarrassing or weird as he did. He teased, "Wow. Must be good, if you've got it memorised like this, huh?"

"You really want me to answer that?"

No, he did not. He was sure anything Macaque said in response would be complimentary to the point of mortification and he would really like to sweep this whole fiasco underneath the rug as fast as possible.

He laughed nervously, "No, no. No need. I think I know the answer."

As quickly as he could he took the measurements and he quietly prayed that Macaque would be merciful and disappear the floating imitation as soon as he was done. There was definitely a moment where he clearly considered harassing him further but apparently he was feeling merciful today and he was extraordinarily grateful for it.

Armed with the correct measurements, he tapped on the first box of condoms of the right size and moved back to the home page, ready to finish the rest of the shopping. He cleared his throat, "Er, thanks. That- that was easier."

"I figured. I get the impression masturbating isn't really your thing."

He cringed slightly, "Yeah, not really. I'm not sure I've ever actually..." Curious despite himself he asked, "But you...?"

Macaque shrugged and leaned back, "Back in the day? Sure. I have tried recently to see if I can imitate what you do with your magic to try it on myself but results were middling at best."

He choked, "What? When?"

Macaque grinned, "Aw, were you wanting to watch? My bad."

"No, I didn't want to watch!"

He was admittedly a little curious, and maybe he could even learn a thing or two, but overall it wasn't appealing. On one hand, why would he want to watch when he could be involved? And on the other... Well, it just didn't sit right with him.

Macaque just laughed, "Your loss."

He ignored him and busied himself with the shopping for a moment before his curiosity got the better of him, "Why didn't it work?"

"Hm?"

He clarified, "You imitating my magic?"

"Oh. Well, for one thing it's hard to actually imitate your magic so there's a good chance I just wasn't doing it right and even if I was, our magic is just fundamentally different - magic type could just be all it boils down to. Or it could be that magic can't interact with itself like that. Who knows?"

All of that made total sense but the way Macaque's top left ear twitched told him that might not be the full story and he scrutinized him for a moment, "You sure that's all there was to it?"

A little embarrassed, he looked away, "Yeah, well, maybe the lack of emotion might have played a part."

He cooed as he got up in his face, "Aw, you like feeling how much I love you, you big sap."

Macaque huffed but he was quick to recover, and with a devilish spark in his eye, he responded, "Love's not the only thing I feel you know? Want to talk about those other feelings?"

He backed off and brought his tablet up to act as a barrier between them, "Would you look at the time? I really need to get this shopping done before we lose our slot."

Macaque followed after him, "Oh no, no, no. Your feelings are just so important to me. So much more important than getting our groceries at one instead of two. I want to hear all about how you feel when-"

He pushed at his face to shut him up, and the ensuing tussle quickly developed into a game of keepaway across the island.

Needless to say their shopping was late.

----

There was very little that he wouldn't do for MK but he was beginning to seriously rethink that stance because almost every single time he left the island at MK's request it ended badly - sometimes for both of them but usually just for him.

In the last few months alone he had been the victim of death traps, imprisoned in a pocket sized stone carving of a monkey, stranded in an underground labyrinth, lost half his tail and worst of all been put on stage to act as a distraction.

So, very understandably, he thought, he was wary when MK came knocking asking for his help. But he was unfortunately a little helpless in the face of his pleading. It would be a really quick half-a-day adventure, he'd said. You'll be back home in one-piece before you know it, he'd said.

And while his newly grown tail was still where it was supposed to be, it was of little comfort as he and MK shivered miserably in Red Son's lab as he checked them both over.

MK coughed violently before bemoaning, "How could we possibly have gotten sick this quickly? We were fine an hour ago. Is this what demon bugs are like?"

He sneezed and sniffled before responding, "We're not sick. We can't be. I don't get sick."

MK looked at him blearily, "What do you call this then?"

"A curse." They both looked up to Red Son scanning through the notes in his hand, "And quite a nasty one at that."

MK looked distressed, "A curse? Does that mean we're stuck like this?"

Red Son answered, "Until I can figure out how to undo it, yes. It shouldn't take me longer than a few days but in the meantime you will both have to remain here."

He scoffed and tried to stand up on shaking legs, "As if. Macaque will be home tonight, he'll be able to fix this. I'll just wait for him there."

He could feel the room get a little hotter as Red Son argued, "Macaque will not be able to undo this any faster than me! But if you want to leave then by all means - go suffer on that wretched island of yours!"

He was easy to ignore as he tried to summon his nimbus to him, it was proving a lot more difficult than normal, but after several false starts his beloved cloud was before him and he inelegantly collapsed on to it.

MK was alarmed and tried to stumble towards him, "Are you crazy? You can't fly in your condition! And what if something happens to you before Macaque gets back? Just stay here! We can sit and eat soup together!"

He just about found the energy to lift his head and look in MK's direction, an irate and concerned Red Son holding him upright, "No way, kid. Resting is the best medicine and there's nowhere more restful than home. Nothing's going to happen to me - I'm, like, a hundred times immortal, remember?"

Slumping heavily against Red Son, MK asked tiredly, "At least let Red Son take you home?"

He shook his head and affectionately, if not lethargically, pet his cloud, "Nimbus knows the way. Don't you, boy?"

He felt the cloud nuzzle into his hand and he buried his face against it, "That's right. Who's my good, fluffy boy?"

The disgust was clear in Red Son's voice, "Just leave already. I can't stand to look at this nauseating display for a moment longer."

He heard MK begin to protest but he fell silent at Red Son whispering something to him and finally conceded, "Alright but keep checking in, ok? Let me know you get back safe."

He held up a thumbs up before letting his hand fall and silently willed the cloud to take him home. The journey to his bed was a blur and he honestly couldn't remember if he had messaged MK or not but he didn't have the energy to care or the mental faculties to check.

All he wanted to do was curl up and will this miserable existence away. He was sure in all the millennia he'd been alive he'd never once gotten sick and he was not enjoying the experience. Everything ached, his brain was foggy, he was both too hot and too cold, and his face was just a misery of sweat, snot and tears.

When he found whoever had put this god awful curse together... Ugh, he didn't know what he'd do but it was going to be unpleasant that's for sure.

He slept in restless bursts and he found himself getting more distressed the longer this went on. Where was Macaque? Why wasn't he here? Surely, he was done with his trip to the Void by now? There was no way he had the focus for astral projection and after some halfhearted flailing he gave up on finding his phone.

Voice hoarse he took to trying to call for him but all it did was draw some of the monkeys to him and while he loved them dearly, their bedside manner and attempts to help just had him curling up in a ball and pleading for them to go away.

It felt like it was some time later when he groggily awoke to the feeling of a hand gently running through his hair and the sound of quiet reassurances. He managed a croaked, "Mac..." Before sluggishly trying to get closer to him, "Please... Make it stop..."

"We're working on it but I just wanted to check on you. You were crying in your sleep."

If he had been dreaming he couldn't remember it but he was almost certain he felt even worse than he had earlier but all he could do was bury his face into Macaque's lap and try not to sob.

"Hey, you're going to be ok. You think you're able to sit up and drink something?"

He shook his head but Macaque apparently hadn't been asking and while he was gentle in manoeuvring him it still left his head spinning and he panted against his shoulder when he was finally upright. He was allowed a moment to recover before a glass was placed against his lips with the instruction to drink slowly.

He recoiled immediately from the taste and his head pounded in protest and Macaque's voice was sympathetic, "I know but it's not a lot. Drink this and you can lie back down, ok?"

He really did try to get it all down but he started gagging before he could finish it and he could only be grateful he didn't immediately throw it all back up. Macaque rubbed circles on his back, "You're alright. That was it, you did it, you don't need to drink anymore. Once you're ready I'll help you lie back down."

It felt like a terrible injustice that lying down barely felt any better and he clung to Macaque's clothes weakly as he all but begged him not to leave.

"I'm right here, and I'll still be here when you wake up - just go back to sleep, ok?"

That was probably the last coherent thing he could remember before delirium started to set it - every time he woke up he had no idea where he was or what was going on and it was terrifying.

He had been convinced he was going to die and he had cried in terror as he pleaded with Macaque to save him, promising him he'd give him anything, would do anything if he kept him from the Ten King's deathly hold.

That's when he could recognise Macaque and remembered their current relationship at least. His mood had swung violently - tearful apologies quickly followed by angry accusations. He thinks at one point he might have mistaken him for his beloved master and he couldn't imagine the sort of agony that might have caused.

But at last he awoke to the feeling of the immortal peaches working their magic to heal a body that was no longer cursed. He let his head loll to one side and then the other and felt overwhelming relief at the sight of Macaque curled up asleep a short distance away.

He resisted the urge to reach out to him, not wanting to wake him after what must have been an exhausting ordeal. His eyelids felt heavy and he didn't fight it as he was pulled back under.

When he finally woke up properly it was to an empty bed and as he pushed himself up, his eyes fell upon the glass of water and the immortal peach sitting next to it. He drank the water faster than he meant to but he was suddenly unbearably thirsty, he managed to eat the peach a bit slower but in no time at all he was gingerly getting out of bed and grimacing at how badly he needed a shower.

He rubbed at his face before shuffling into the living room and was very disappointed to find Macaque wasn't there. He made his way to his bedroom door and hesitated outside - if he was in there he was probably sleeping. He turned away, he should let him rest. He could get himself cleaned up and his bed changed in the meantime.

It was as he was in the shower that he attempted to reflect on the last few... hours? Days? He didn't even know. It couldn't have been longer than that, surely. He should have checked before he got in here because suddenly he was struck with the fear he'd been in that hellish condition for weeks, months, years...

Oh god, what about MK? He was mortal. Could he have survived being ill like that for so long?

Soaking wet he crashed out of the shower and tore through the house looking for his phone. He was ready to destroy everything he owned if he didn't find it within the next five seconds and thankfully he spotted it out of the corner of his eye on the kitchen counter.

He threw himself at it and was beyond relieved to see that only three days had passed and even more so to see a scathing message that could only be from Red Son confirming that MK's curse had also been lifted and that he would make a speedy recovery under his watchful eye. It even came with an accompanying picture of a sleeping MK as if to prove his point. The kid looked like he'd had just as rough a time as he had, if not worse, but he was alive.

He leaned on the counter and rested his forehead there for just a moment while his heart rate calmed down. He would go check on him personally once he'd cleaned up here and found Macaque - who was either crashed out in his sound proof room or not on the island because there's no way he wouldn't have heard that whole fiasco.

As he made his way back to the still running shower he grimaced at the water he had trailed everywhere but it was a small price to pay now that he knew MK was safe.

Three days...

And he could barely remember any of it - just flashes of sickness and distress. A shiver went up his spine at the thought of something so awful being a constant threat. Mortals got sick all the time and while he'd obviously seem people sick and suffering, experiencing it first hand was another thing all together. This was going to haunt his nightmares for days to come.

And Macaque had no doubt tended to him throughout and that wouldn't have been easy even without bouts of delirium making him volatile and uncooperative. He was going to owe him big for this - he'd of course return the favour if it was ever needed but like him, he'd never known Macaque to get sick.

He foresaw himself doing anything Macaque even thought of asking him of him without complaint for at least the next few days, or until Macaque snapped at him to stop - whatever came first.

After he had showered and tidied up, there was nothing to stop him from glancing at Macaque's door and every time he did it got harder to resist the urge to open it and check if he was there.

If he was really sound asleep then he might not wake up at him peaking his head and if he wasn't he could always go back to sleep, right? He just wanted confirmation he was in there.

He couldn't stand it any longer and as quietly as he could he opened the door and activated his golden vision and he could have collapsed with the relief he felt to see Macaque lying asleep in the middle of his bed. Unfortunately, now he'd seen him, he couldn't stop him from approaching him and before he knew it he was on the bed beside him and holding him as gently as he could when all he wanted to was pull him tightly against his chest.

He wasn't sure whether he wanted to thank him or apologize - probably both.

He hadn't realised he had been faintly trembling and despite how desperately he didn't want to disturb Macaque's sleep he found himself burying his face into the back of his neck as his eyes burned.

He heard Macaque inhale sharply before his hand moved to cover his, "Wukong..."

Voice hoarse, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Sorry for waking him up, sorry for needing to see him so badly, sorry for putting him through god knows what for the last three days.

He didn't fight it when Macaque turned round and used a hand to tuck Wukong's head under his chin and safe in his arms he couldn't stop himself from breaking down. Apologies were used as punctuation as he struggled to put into words the terror he had felt, that he still felt, at his agonising taste of mortality.

Macaque said little, and when he was finally calm enough to pull back and look at him it was clear how exhausted he was. Promises to be the one to tend to him now fell on deaf ears as Macaque asked whether he was going to visit MK and he thought Macaque was perhaps trying to spare his feelings with a subtle hint to leave him alone for a while.

But that wasn't quite the case because after a disheartened affirmation Macaque explained, "While you're there I think I'm going to take a quick trip to the Void."

Alarmed, he responded, "But you only just got back!"

Macaque nodded, "I know but the last few days have been... a lot. A couple hours there would do me some good. I'll be back by the time you've finished seeing MK."

Guilt clawed at his chest, "I'm sorry you had to take care of me. I... I can't remember most of it but I know I wasn't easy to deal with."

Macaque shrugged, "You were out of it - not like you had any control over anything you did."

He frowned, "That doesn't mean I didn't do or say anything that upset you. Hell, even if I didn't it must have been unbelievably stressful. If it had been the other way around I would have lost my mind with worry. Don't just bottle up how this whole thing affected you, it doesn't matter if I was "out of it" - you had a hard time too."

Macaque conceded tiredly, "We'll talk once I'm back, alright? Thoughts are too hard to gather right now."

It was an acceptable compromise but the urge to take care of him couldn't quite be ignored, "Ok but let's get something to eat before you go. I can bring it to you - breakfast in bed style."

He huffed, "No thanks. Never saw the appeal of eating where you sleep. C'mon, let's just get up."

He did his best not to make a fuss but he was grateful that Macaque just sat down and let him worry about getting them breakfast. Macaque asked after how he was feeling but aside from a dull headache and being a bit tired he was feeling right as rain.

Macaque yawned before explaining, "You'll probably be subject to some tests just to double check everything is fine once you get to MK. Do me a favour and just go with it - don't give Red Son a hard time. You do owe him for lifting the curse after all."

Begrudgingly he agreed but sure in the answer he asked, "He cracked it but you two must have been working together, right?"

It had apparently been quite the team effort between Red Son, Macaque, the Demon Bull family physicians, the Long family physicians and some independent experts on curses and he was horrified to learn that while his life had never been at risk, MK's most certainly had been and it had been all hands on deck to lift the curse before it killed him.

He had a lot of thank you fruit baskets to personally deliver by the sounds of it.

At the moment all he could do to express his overwhelming gratitude was to keep piling more food on Macaque's plate and topping up his drink after every sip he took. Macaque had a terrible habit of only remembering to eat when other people were eating around him and so he felt totally justified in making sure he was well fed now because who knew when his last proper meal had been.

Macaque didn't fight it but he did eventually reach the point where he looked like he was going to pass out if he had even one more bite and so Wukong reluctantly allowed him to stop.

It dawned on him a little late that Macaque was waiting for the go-ahead for him to leave. He took a breath before declaring he needed to see MK, and Macaque all but sagged in relief. As they were about to part ways he forced himself to say, "Don't hurry back if you need more time."

Macaque kissed the back of his hand, "I'll be back before dinner. Say hi to MK for me."

He squeezed his hand briefly before disappearing and Wukong allowed himself a moment to centre himself before he summoned his nimbus and left for the Demon Bull family fortress.

----

Wukong couldn't wait to see the back of this whole ordeal. This week had been the longest he had known for a long time, with today, in particular, feeling like it was never going to end.

He'd arrived at the Demon Bull family fortress only to immediately be beset by an overtired and stressed Pigsy who hadn't hesitated to let him know who he thought was to blame for his son's brush with death.

He had done his best to weather his anger but, while he'd known deep down neither he nor MK were responsible for the curse, the should-ofs and what-ifs that had already been beginning to fester were only being fed the longer he endured Pigsy's tirade.

Eventually Sandy had come to his rescue and pulled Pigsy away from him, but the damage had been done and he knew he was going to hear the echoes of those shouts for some time to come.

He hadn't been allowed nearly as long as he needed by MK's bedside before he had been whisked away by Red Son to perform some tests but as per Macaque's request he had bore it without a word of complaint - even offering a sincere thank you for saving MK and himself from the curse.

He was told in no uncertain terms that he hadn't done it for him. He had done it for MK, Wukong had just been lucky enough to also benefit from his efforts. Unprompted, he added that these tests were also for MK's benefit, and Macaque's, as for some unfathomable reason they cared about his wellbeing and it went unsaid that they were both important enough for him to go out of his way like this as a result.

He learnt a little about the work that had gone into lifting the curse and the part that Macaque had played in it all - he'd apparently taken charge of the situation once he'd arrived on the scene and it sounded like he had been instrumental in facilitating Red Son's eventual success. Both in helping him unravel the curse and in ensuring he didn't destroy himself in the process.

He asked after MK's condition as well - wanting to know when he would wake up and if there was anything he could do to help. Overall, his condition was stable and with any luck he would start to wake up within the next few hours but there was nothing else that could be done now but to wait.

He would have liked to have been there when he woke up but he had a feeling his presence was not conducive to the sort of environment that encouraged recovery, not if Pigsy was there. So he asked Red Son to call him once there were any signs he'd wake up soon and told him he was off to find Niú.

He tried not to let his thoughts wander too much as he walked through the halls but the image of MK lying in that bed haunted his every step. A cruel reminder that no matter how invincible his successor seemed, he was very much still mortal and not for the first time he'd agonised over the fact that MK had refused his offer of an immortal peach.

Thankfully, he found Niú before his thoughts could even begin to consider the terribly alluring idea of taking matters into his own hands. Niú had filled him in on everything he knew of the situation before asking after his experience and while he was honest as he explained he couldn't remember much, he definitely downplayed quite how harrowing it had been.

He was quick to move the topic off himself and ask after Macaque instead. Niú confirmed what he'd heard from Red Son and Wukong was unsurprised to hear that despite Macaque's insistence that Red Son eat and sleep he hadn't seemed inclined to take his own advice.

Niú had been equally unsurprised to hear that Macaque was currently taking a power nap in the Void and had muttered unflatteringly about how he hadn't changed at all - still too willing to disregard himself for a loved one.

It was a sentiment that sent a cold chill through him and he knew Macaque was going to be absolutely sick to the back teeth of him with how overbearing and clingy he was going to be in the immediate future.

Niú kept him company while they waited for news of MK and when a bull clone finally appeared they both made their way back to the infirmary. As much as he had wanted to rush to MK's bedside, he and Niú hung back on the peripherals as everyone else got their fill first.

MK looked tired and dazed but he was awake and so undoubtedly alive. He sagged against Niú but he snapped back to attention as MK's eyes met his and he was beckoned over with a weakly raised hand and a watery smile.

The crowd parted for him and they were as bad as each other as they held on tightly and wetly babbled about how worried they had been and how glad they were that it was over. When he finally stood up and wiped at his eyes it was to tell MK to hurry up and get better and that if he needed or wanted anything he just had to say the word.

He retreated slightly to let everyone else back in but it was clear that MK wasn't going to stay awake for much longer and once he was finally asleep Wukong took his leave - promising he would be back tomorrow and requesting that he be kept in the loop.

He felt both lighter and heavier as he flew back to the island and honestly he wasn't sure he had it in him for whatever heart wrenching conversation awaited him back home but he wasn't giving himself a choice - he couldn't let anything Macaque might be thinking fester.

Despite his mounting stress about what was to come, he was glad to walk through the front door and see Macaque on the couch chatting with some of the monkeys - all but one of whom immediately left him to come and clamber over him while loudly chittering about how worried they had been.

He'd forgotten he still needed to let the troupe know he was alright - no doubt he'd have a small army outside his door soon enough but right now he reassured those in front of him and apologised for worrying them and for "being mean".

He probably wasn't going to be having a truly private conversation with Macaque anytime soon but still he shuffled over to him as best he could, leaning over the back of the couch to kiss his head before asking, "How're you feeling?"

"Better. Still a bit tired but nothing some normal sleep won't fix. How was MK?"

He moved around the couch and sat close to him as he responded, "He woke up for a little bit while I was there - Red Son says he should make a rapid recovery but he's going to be stuck in bed for at least the next couple of days."

Macaque huffed, "They might let him out of bed but he's not being let out of anyone's sight anytime soon. It was real touch and go at times."

He didn't even want to think about it and instead focused on what else he'd learnt about the situation, "Niú filled me in. And speaking of - I knew you were downplaying how involved you were! Did you sleep at all? How did you even manage to be in two places at once?"

Macaque shrugged, "Used my portals so I had at least one ear in both places. Went wherever I was needed most."

He pressed, "So you didn't sleep then?"

He looked uncomfortable and his guilt was confirmed as he looked away and muttered, "Didn't need to sleep."

His tail twitched but he took a breath. He wasn't really in a place to criticise - he would have doubtless done the same, but Niú's grumbled comment had stuck with him, "Macaque..."

He refused to look at him as he sunk further into the couch, "I used the lantern."

He blinked, not quite sure what he meant but increasingly sure it wasn't good, "What?"

"Didn't need to sleep, used my lantern."

"No, I got that. Since when can you use your lantern to... What? Substitute sleep? What else can it do? What else have you been using it for?" He didn't mean to sound so accusatory but his sounded like a worrying development.

"Nothing. I haven't used it for anything. I didn't even know it would work but it did and... Look, I'm telling you this so I'm not tempted to do it again and so you can call me out if I do. I know I shouldn't have done it but MK was dying and you were begging me to make it stop and I just... I had to do something."

He was erring on the side of believing him about the lantern - he hadn't had to tell him any of this after all. He would never have questioned how he'd actually been able to stay awake for that long - he assumed he'd maybe stolen little power naps here and there or just powered through with sheer force of will.

And he knew he would have been willing to go to much worse lengths if he had been in Macaque's position.

He sighed and took hold of his hand, "We're definitely scheduling in a proper lantern talk, and soon, but for now is there anything I need to know - did it have any side effects? Is that why you needed to go to the Void today?"

A bit of tension left Macaque's body as he replied, "I think I would have gone either way but using the lantern like that did definitely have me actually wanting to go. I... I have a feeling using the lantern's power like that has the potential to be a problem. It- It felt good, like addictively good, but honestly the old lantern was the same. This definitely felt more potent though."

He wrapped an arm around him and kissed the side of his head, "Thank you for telling me. We'll talk about it properly later, alright? Right now, I want to hear about what happened these last few days from your perspective. And don't try and spare my feelings - I want to know."

And it was true, he did want to know, but he really hadn't given as much thought to what physically taking care of someone that was ill meant. He'd tended to plenty of sick monkeys over the years, and seen plenty of sick mortals - he knew what was involved and despite knowing there was no shame in needing help, he felt deeply uncomfortable as he realised just how dependent he'd been.

He'd never had to rely on anyone the way he'd had to rely on Macaque these last few days and while it did nip at his pride, it was the thought of being so weak and vulnerable that was really throwing him for a loop. If something had happened, if someone had attacked, he would have been worse than useless.

He'd been brought to his knees before - by mountains and circlets but they had been ordained by Heaven. To think that there were curses or the like just lying about that could actually strike down the Monkey King... It was a terrifying thought.

And while that was going to haunt him, he couldn't help but feel grateful that he and Macaque's roles hadn't been reversed because he was sure seeing Macaque as distressed as he had been would have broken something inside of him.

To have only been able to hold him as he cried and begged for the pain to stop, or to sit and bear it as he swung between incoherent grief and anger over things long since passed... He would have torn the world apart to stop his suffering.

Thankfully, he hadn't said anything too egregious or hurtful. Well, not towards Macaque at least and he'd had to spend a not insignificant amount of time trying to convince him that he wasn't riddled with guilt and self-loathing. Sure, he had his bad days but they were happening less and less often.

He had a feeling Macaque would be keeping a close eye out to confirm how true that was.

He was quick to put to bed any inklings that he had meant any of the upsetting remarks he had made towards Macaque because he most certainly did not believe that Macaque hadn't been doing absolutely everything he could to help him nor did he believe that he had been trying to punish him by withholding relief from the curse.

Macaque seemed to accept this pretty easily - understanding that his delirium and distress had been what had caused him to lash out but that didn't mean it hadn't hurt to hear and despite none of it being intentional or within his control Wukong could only keep apologising.

Macaque never said anything about him thinking his master had been with him at one point but he was so sure it had happened, nervously he asked, "I didn't mistake you for anyone else while I was out of it by any chance, did I?"

Macaque shrugged, "You didn't seem to know who I was at times. You even asked me to go find me for you at one point."

Well, that was a bit embarrassing and he laughed a little awkwardly while he deliberated on whether to keep pushing. If things really had happened as he thought they had then there's no way Macaque didn't know what he meant and this was likely his subtle way of saying he didn't want to talk about it.

It didn't feel right to just ignore it though, so tentatively he asked, "That's all? You're sure? I swear I can remember thinking someone else was there...?"

Macaque seemed to think about it, "Oh, there was a bull clone here before I arrived."

That wasn't the answer he'd been expecting, and surprised he asked, "What? Why?"

"Red Son had it tail you after you left his lab to make sure nothing happened before I got to you and so it could explain the situation to me."

He cringed slightly. Yeah, he really hadn't been in any condition to explain what was going on - he probably should have thought of that before crashing out but in his defence, he hadn't known he was going to deteriorate like that.

Ok, fair play to Red Son but it was one thing for Macaque to see him in that state and quite another for literally anybody else. Knowing Red Son, those bull clones of his probably record everything they saw and he was very unhappy that one, Red Son had witnessed him so vulnerable and two, probably still had the evidence of it.

How was he going to get rid of it? He had a feeling just asking him to delete it wasn't going to work but he didn't have the tech savviness needed to find it and do it himself. Maybe he would listen to Macaque or MK if they asked him to do it...?

He'd worry about it later. Right now he had a more pressing concern, "Well, that's good to know but it wasn't what I was getting at..."

Macaque sighed, "I know but I don't want to talk about it."

That was all the confirmation he needed, "So, I really did think you were...? I'm sorry. That must have been... Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

He wasn't actually sure how Macaque must have felt about it but he doubted it had been anything positive.

"I'm sure."

Insisting would get him nowhere but he felt he at least had to say, "Alright. But if you change your mind..."

He was sure an "I won't." had been on the tip of Macaque's tongue before he sighed and said, "I can talk to you about it, I know."

That was probably the best he was going to get and there wasn't too much more to say after that. The monkeys that had stuck around seemed to sense this was the case and had determined now was the perfect time for a grooming session and it was exactly the sort of decompression he needed and he thought he could be forgiven for focusing all his efforts on Macaque.

And the rest of the day was about taking it easy and trying to recapture a sense of normality and, of course, dealing with the hundreds of monkeys that wanted confirmation both he and Macaque were ok.

----

It was a couple of days later that the promised lantern talk took place, prompted by Macaque opening his bedroom door and disappearing into the darkness to grab something. When he came back, Wukong questioned, "I've been meaning to ask - what's with your room? It never used to be impossible to navigate without golden vision."

Macaque took a second to apparently brace himself for this conversation, but he responded, "Side effect of the lantern - that's where I spent most of the time making it and it's where it's kept, sort of."

He raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean "sort of"?"

He sighed, "I mean it's in there but even with your golden vision you won't be able to find it."

The unspoken so don't even try was heard loud and clear and he took issue with it, "Do you think maybe that I should be able to find it? Y'know, in case of an emergency?"

Macaque didn't pull any punches, "I don't trust you not to do something stupid or reckless with it, so no, I don't think you should be able to find it."

Despite his track record, he was irritated at the lack of faith, it's not like he was going to go messing around with it just for fun. But if something happened to Macaque and the lantern was the problem and/or solution then he needed to be able to get his hands on it - risk to himself be damned.

But while he was determined to win this argument, he could be smart about how he went about it. The more he knew, the better he could make his case and acting as if he was taking the moral high ground, he huffed, "Fine. But now's the time to tell me more about it, don't you think?"

Macaque crossed his arms and leaned back against the kitchen counter, clearly on guard even as he agreed, "Fine. What do you want to know?"

Everything, obviously but instead of saying that he nodded towards Macaque's room, "Should I be worried about your room looking like that? Is there more to it than it just being permanently dark?"

He was kicking himself for not questioning it sooner but he was in his room so infrequently that he never remembered to ask.

Macaque looked uncomfortable as he admitted, "I don't think so...?"

Incredulous, he responded, "You mean you don't know?"

Macaque's tail twitched as he hunched over himself defensively, "I still have Red Son check me over regularly - there's nothing to suggest anything is wrong. And neither of us have noticed anything off - I don't think it's harmful and it's not like I spend that much time in there anyway."

His concern made his voice sharper than he intended, "So it's not having an immediate effect but that doesn't mean it's not doing something! You said the other day that using the lantern made you want to go to the Void - what if spending time in your room while it's like that starts getting into your head? Makes you think you want to spend more and more time in the Void until you-!"

He caught himself as he realised how worked up he was getting but the fear that Macaque either couldn't or wouldn't return to him one day terrified him more than anything else.

He took a shaky breath before continuing more calmly, "Sorry, I just- the thought of losing you... How sure are you it's not doing you any harm?"

Macaque seemed to give it some serious thought before standing a little straighter, "I can't be a hundred percent confident but I don't believe it's inherently dangerous. My room and the lantern - they're comforting. Like a memento of something important, or something that feels like it can keep me safe. It's different from actually using the lantern..."

He struggled with the words for a moment, "Using it the way I did felt like it was blurring the line between me and the Void. Shadows don't need to sleep and so I became a little more shadow in order to take advantage of that but it was only temporary. I don't feel any different now that everything is back to normal but I was planning to have Red Son check me over just to make sure. I just wanted to give him a minute before asking him though - he's had a rough time."

He resisted the urge to grab Macaque and shake him, and he was impressed by how level is voice was, "Macaque, I can guarantee that Red Son will not appreciate you "giving him a minute". Open up a portal - we're going to get you checked out right now. I can't believe you didn't say something sooner."

Even as Macaque opened a portal, he argued, "You're overreacting. And I told you about the lantern straight away."

Wukong grabbed his arm and hauled him through the portal, "You told me that it had no side effects!"

"Yeah and as far as I know it doesn't!"

He growled, "I am going to kick your ass once we get home. I can't believe you!"

"We were still dealing with the fallout from the actual crisis this week! Did you forget that MK almost fucking died? Or that the curse hadn't even been lifted half a day when we talked about it? Sorry I was still trying to deal with all of that and didn't want to stress everyone out over nothing!"

He stopped dragging Macaque through the halls so he could turn and look at him with incredulous fury, "Nothing!? Oh, just wait 'til Niú and Gōngzhǔ hear about this! Nothing!? Are you kidding me?"

Macaque didn't even get a chance to retort before they both had to brace themselves against the powerful gust of wind that suddenly blew down the hall, a furious aura appeared before them and he could have sworn Macaque tried to subtly shift to stand behind him as they looked up to see Gōngzhǔ glaring down at them.

----

He, Niú and Gōngzhǔ glared at Macaque as Red Son put him through his usual tests and despite not knowing the reasons behind their ire, Red Son correctly concluded that it must be well deserved and was equally annoyed with his despondent patient.

He had briefly filled Niú and Gōngzhǔ in before they had marched Macaque to Red Son's lab and he was sure once they had another minute alone Macaque was really going to get it.

He never should have postponed the lantern talk - his brain must still have been fried from being sick. He had just been so stressed about everything else that he had taken Macaque at his word when he had implied that there was nothing to worry about.

He didn't think that Macaque had necessarily been lying, just that he had severely misjudged the situation. But he felt his frustration lessen a little as he realised that it was likely that exhaustion and stress had probably done a number on his rational thinking skills too.

Or maybe he had just been trying to convince himself that there was nothing to worry about.

He stopped glaring as he watched Macaque miserably go through the motions. He had been upfront about using the lantern in the first place, and he hadn't shied away from talking about it when Wukong asked and then he'd immediately acquiesced to his demand that they go get him checked out.

Maybe he'd overreacted a little, and having him, Niú and Gōngzhǔ give him a hard time was probably a bit overkill.

He didn't currently have the layer of Macaque's magic on his hand he usually had for social situations but he was sure he would still be able to sense the gesture regardless as he hung his hand by his side and mimicked holding his hand. He let out a near silent chirp just in case however.

After a short delay he felt the false grip of Macaque's hand in his as well as the feeling of a tail wrapped around his own and he thought Macaque looked slightly less defeated thereafter.

Thankfully, the test results didn't take long to decipher and it was to everyone's great relief that there were no notable changes or causes for concern but that didn't mean there wasn't a serious discussion still to be had.

One that Red Son clearly wanted to be a part of but had absolutely no chance of getting in on. They all thanked him sincerely for his help however.

He walked closely beside Macaque, holding his hand, as they made their way to a more private venue. The positive result had significantly reduced the tension in the air and Macaque in particular looked like he was back in control of the situation.

Once they were all comfortably seated in one of the fortress's many living areas, Gōngzhǔ didn't hesitate to get straight to the point, "The lantern. Where is it?"

Macaque was not cowed by her tone, "Forget it. You're not getting your hands on it."

Her eyes glowed faintly, "You clearly cannot be trusted with it - it will be better kept under our protection."

Niú added gruffly, "Why not just destroy it? What use does it have?"

Gōngzhǔ responded, "Destroying artefacts is risky - we would have to have Red Son analyse it thoroughly before we could consider it."

Macaque's tail whipped in agitation, "No-one is touching my lantern, let alone giving it to Red Son to mess with. The full usefulness of the lantern has yet to be understood but it hasn't proven to be dangerous." He paused and then added, "To me anyway."

Gōngzhǔ glared at him, "And how can we trust you not to use it recklessly?"

Macaque argued, "Because I haven't used it recklessly - I haven't even used it for it's intended purpose, which is to keep me functioning if I can't get to the Void for whatever reason, because I haven't needed to! You think I don't remember what happened when I got careless with my last lantern? I'm not going to make the same mistake!"

He chimed in, "Wait, hold on! What happened with your last lantern?"

Macaque didn't break his stare down with Gōngzhǔ as he explained, "Got greedy - stored too much magic and tried to use it all at once. Power overload."

Well, he was certainly going to be asking more about that later but he had to say Macaque was pretty good at learning from his mistakes and at risk assessing a situation so he was feeling a little more inclined to take his side, to a certain degree at least.

He nodded, "Alright, we'll come back to that. I don't think the lantern needs to be taken away but I do think we need to be able to find it in case of an emergency and maybe set up some rules for it's use? Like, telling one of us before you do something experimental with it? You didn't even know that it would work the way it did!"

He could tell Macaque didn't love these suggestions but he wasn't getting out of this without making some kind of compromise.

Niú nodded, "And how you used the lantern this time was reckless. You forced Red Son to rest but didn't hold yourself to the same standard. I don't believe the outcome would have been different had you not used it."

Macaque looked particularly affected by Niú's words and he retorted a little sharply, "I had to take care of Wukong!"

Gōngzhǔ was unsympathetic, "He would have survived either way."

He couldn't help but glare at her - it was true but he couldn't imagine how much worse that nightmare would have been without Macaque there.

Niú was less harsh but still pointed out, "You could have brought him back here, had him tended to by our physicians and focused your attentions entirely on finding a way to lift the curse."

It was hard to argue with that but he felt himself pale slightly at the thought of being seen in that condition. But surely Macaque hadn't kept him on the island just to save his pride?

Macaque stood firm, "No. It can't get out that there are ways for mortals to fell the Monkey King, even temporarily. And we couldn't take the risk that his powers wouldn't act up - even just his magic fluctuating could have been detrimental to Red Son's work and put others in danger."

He nodded resolutely in back up. He was totally right - he wasn't sure it ever got to dangerous levels but his magic definitely had been acting up and the stress of being in an unfamiliar environment, with unfamiliar people could have seriously exacerbated the situation.

Gōngzhǔ wasn't appeased, "We could have handled him. Your excuses don't measure up to the unnecessary risk you took."

As much as he technically agreed, she'd already pissed him off and nothing she said now could have him on her side. He was firmly on team Macaque.

Thankfully however Niú cut in before he could say anything inflammatory, "Gōngzhǔ is right - this whole situation could have been avoided had you talked to us - we could have worked together to find a solution. To that end, I believe Wukong's solution is the correct one - safety measures to ensure this does not happen again."

Macaque was fighting a losing battle but he still fought to the bitter end. He was able to concede that in this specific situation there had been other options but he argued he wasn't always going to have the liberty of conversing with someone in a crisis situation, there had to be exceptions.

They went back and forth for a while and eventually came to a tentative, if not begrudging, agreement about how and when the lantern should be used but Macaque would not shift on letting them have unfettered access to it - no matter how many times they promised they wouldn't look for it unless there was no other option.

And it was getting to the point where he and Niú were almost having to hold back their respective significant others to stop them tearing each other's throats out.

With a shared glance, they both decided it was better to adjourn this discussion and return to it with cooler heads. No sooner had it been suggested was he being pulled through a shadow portal and landing on their couch. He could only watch as Macaque paced agitatedly in front of him.

It took some time for him to stop spitting insults at Gōngzhǔ but when he did he turned to him with a determined look in his eyes, "I'll seal the lantern so it can't be used as a gateway to the Void for souls. Once I've done that, you can have access to it."

He wasn't agreeing to that - that was his ticket to reaching Macaque if he couldn't return from the Void - but he also knew that Macaque wasn't going to be able to make good on that plan anytime soon, if he even could.

So he didn't argue, "We can talk about it more once we've both chilled out, alright? I don't know about you but I am all kinds of wound up after that talk. Can we just take a minute? Please?"

For a moment, Macaque looked ready to argue but instead he just sagged and made his way over and slumped next to him on the couch before tipping over and curling up with his head on his lap, looking exceptionally defeated.

He couldn't help but feel a little bad - that had been a lot more intense than he had been expecting but he was also pretty impressed with how well Macaque held his own in the face of the three of them giving him a hard time.

He started to run his hand through Macaque's hair, hoping he himself wasn't so frazzled that his magic wasn't having the soothing effect he was going for.

They were silent for some time before Macaque said, "I'm glad I did it. Now I know that my body is more resilient than I had thought. I embraced the Void and it was only temporary - I didn't lose myself for tipping my hand."

He frowned, "This isn't your way of saying the lantern is ok to use because I thought you agreed that-"

Macaque shook his head, "No, I still shouldn't use it unnecessarily but it just makes me feel better about the Void in general - like it can't claim me as easily as I thought. That there's more give and take to it than I had allowed myself to consider."

He mulled that over - if it helped Macaque come to terms with his fear then he was all for it but he just hoped it didn't also encourage to take more risks, because he's not sure his blood pressure could handle it.

--Chapter End--

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