Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

It felt strange to stand on Sandy’s boat alone. Strange in a way that made Wukong feel self conscious as he fiddled with his hood to make sure it hid his face. It didn’t matter that he had a human glamour up, or that there was literally nothing around except for birds and cats. He didn’t want to take any chances as he approached the main entrance to the inner ship. The echoing clang of the metal door made him cringe when he banged on it, making him look around again in case one of the nearby gulls was paying him a suspicious amount of attention. Thankfully they didn’t, leaving Wukong to wait in relative peace until the door creaked open to reveal familiar blue muscles and a bright smile.

‘Oh good,’ Sandy said. ‘You’re right on time Mr-’

‘Shi,’ Wukong said. ‘Just Shi is fine.’

Sandy’s smile faltered for a moment, before he nodded. ‘Of course. Anyway, come on in. I was about to make some tea if you want some.’

Wukong stepped inside, looking around at the living space inside. He tried not to jump at the sound of the door closing behind him, instead focusing on the comfortable looking couches with various plush cushions, and the many many many items of cat furniture filling the room. ‘Uh…yeah. Tea would be good, thanks.’

Sandy nodded, gesturing for him to make himself at home. ‘Do you think Mr Ma-Quack will want some tea too?’

Wukong pulled his hood down, ruffling his hair out while his glamour fell away to reveal his golden fur and twitching tail. ‘Probably.’

‘You know,’ a voice said from behind him, ‘you could just wait for me to answer.’ Wukong raised an eyebrow at the shadow stretching behind him, making Sandy’s eyes widen in alarm as the familiar dark monkey rose out of the shadow. But notably not in his normal outfit. Instead he seemed to have taken inspiration from Wukong’s wardrobe by wearing a thick black and purple hoodie with an oversized hood and dark pants.

‘Oh,’ Sandy said, ‘I didn’t realise you were here yet. Um…hi. Would you like some tea?’

‘Sure,’ Macaque said. He folded his arms as he looked around at the room, notably not looking at the scowl Wukong was giving him. ‘Is the tea a get what I’m given kinda deal or are there options?’

‘I tend to stick to calming blends for these kinds of sessions,’ Sandy said. ‘Nothing too overpowering, you know? But obviously I can get in something a bit more specific later if there’s a specific tea you would like.’

Macaque nodded, pulling off his shoes to drop by the door while ignoring the cats that were prowling closer to investigate their guests. Wukong followed suit, trying not to grumble at Macaque’s seemingly relaxed attitude to all this. ‘Next time,’ Wukong said, ‘we’re taking your shadows here.’

‘Oh, are we now?’ Macaque said. ‘Says who?’ Wukong huffed, heading towards the nearest couch as Macaque followed. ‘Unless that was an order, Your Majesty.’

‘Fine,’ Wukong sighed. ‘Next time we come to one of these, can we please shadow portal in?’

Macaque snorted, ‘That’s a bit optimistic. Thinking we’ll be back.’

‘I like it,’ Sandy said. He came over to the living area with a large tray laden with a fresh pot of tea and cups for all three of them. ‘It’s a positive thing to hear, that you would be willing to consider trying this again. I like the outlook of it.’

‘I guess,’ Macaque said, sneering slightly. ‘But let's not get ahead of ourselves, yeah?’

Sandy shrugged, setting the tray down before sitting in what was clearly his most used armchair. He started checking on the tea to brew and pour it out, while Wukong and Macaque looked over the remaining seating options with an air of awkwardness. Wukong quickly picked one half of a couch with a particularly large cushion to get comfy on, while Macaque looked between the same couch, a much smaller seat, and a large cushion closer to the corner of the room. By the time Sandy was pouring out the tea, however, he had finally decided to join Wukong on the couch. But on the far end, so they weren’t too close of course. 

Once Sandy had finished pouring out the tea and the two monkeys were fussing over their respective cups, Sandy gave them a small smile while setting his shoulders. ‘Alright,’ he said. ‘If you’re okay to start, I think I would like to begin by asking you both what you would like out of this. It’s useful to work out what your goals would be for therapy.’

Macaque rolled his eyes, ‘I don’t know, big guy. This was his idea.’ He pointed at Wukong for emphasis, making Wukong sigh. ‘I’m only here because he wouldn’t shut up about it.’

Sandy nodded, looking at Wukong expectantly. ‘Honestly?’ Wukong said, ‘I don’t know how to say it. I just…keep thinking about how this stuff helped the kid, you know?’

Sandy nodded, ‘MK has done a lot of good work. It took a while for him to get to the point he’s at, and a lot of effort, but I think he’s definitely found value in it. Even with the current worry he has about Chaos after what happened in Red Son’s workshop, he seems to be in a better place than he has been for quite a while.’

Wukong nodded, ‘Yeah, exactly. I guess I want that.’

Macaque raised an eyebrow, ‘Okay, but you don’t need me for that.’

‘Yes I do,’ Wukong said.

Sandy tilted his head curiously, ‘Why?’

Wukong scoffed, ‘He knows why.’

Macaque rolled his eyes, ‘If you say so.’ 

‘I don’t,’ Sandy said. ‘And while I understand that there are things in a person’s life and history they don’t want to air to everyone, I need to be able to understand at least a level of your situation and motives to be able to help you.’

Wukong huffed, looking back at the tea in his hands. ‘Well…I want to fix us.’

‘Okay. What does that mean exactly?’ Sandy said. Wukong gave him an incredulous look, making Sandy raise a placating hand. ‘What you just said has a lot of emotion in it, and while it’s at least a direction it doesn’t give a clear picture. If you’re fixing a relationship does that mean it’s broken? How is it broken? What does it look like when it’s fixed? Are both of you on the same page with what that looks like, do you even want the same thing for the relationship?’

‘Yes,’ Wukong said.

‘That we can agree on,’ Macaque added.

‘Great,’ Sandy said, ‘What do you want for the relationship then?’

Both of them fell silent, Wukong staring into his tea while Macaque curled up tighter in the corner of the couch. Wukong’s tail continued to flick with anxiety, inching closer to Macaque’s side of the couch, while Macaque’s whole body seemed to curl inward with his tail wrapping around his limbs to hold himself tighter. When Wukong finally looked up it was to glance at Macaque, who was refusing to look in his direction. He then turned to Sandy, who was watching him patiently. And with a level of understanding that made Wukong want to recoil, want to declare he’d made a mistake and fly out of the window. But he didn’t. After all, he was Sun Wukong. And he didn’t back down from anything.

‘We used to be close,’ Wukong said quietly. ‘A long time ago. And then we weren’t, and then we lost each other, which is my fault and I know that. And now he’s back, and we want to rebuild all that old stuff into something better. And I want that so badly. But…it hurts. And I don’t want it to anymore, not for me and not for Mac.’

Sandy nodded, ‘When you say it hurts, what does that mean?’

‘Sometimes it hurts to be in the same room as him,’ Wukong said. ‘Sometimes it hurts even more when we’re more than a tail’s length apart. Sometimes he’ll say something that’ll remind me of something bad, or maybe something good and that also hurts somehow? And sometimes I think I hurt him too, and I’m not trying to.’

Sandy hummed thoughtfully, ‘Okay, good. That’s good. How about you, Mr Ma-Quack?’

‘You don’t have to call me Mr every time you know?’ Macaque said.

Sandy beamed at him, before clearing his throat. ‘Got it. But yeah, what do you want for this relationship?’

Macaque finally glanced over at Wukong, making him stiffen in place as he tried desperately to not shatter the tea cup in his hands. ‘I think Wukong summed it up pretty well,’ Macaque said. ‘I’m kinda over the pain still screwing me over, ya know?’

Sandy nodded, ‘Alright. So you’re both on the same page, and now you have a goal. To strengthen your relationship and ensure your past trauma no longer hurts you. That is…a pretty big goal I will admit. But it’s one we can work with.’

Wukong managed a small smile, ‘Nah, come on, how hard can it be?’

Macaque groaned, ‘Why did you have to say that?’

Sandy tried to not wince. ‘I will say this. Therapy isn’t quick. It takes time, work, and a lot of mental and emotional energy. You’ll need an open mind to be receptive to things you otherwise wouldn’t want to hear. And you need to be ready for this to hurt.’

Wukong’s attempt to smile immediately vanished, ‘Really? Why?’

‘For trauma to no longer cause this kind of current and active pain you need to address the original trauma. Which means that on some level you will need to face it.’ Both of the monkeys flinched at that prospect, making Sandy give them an understanding look. ‘In the long run, successful therapy will do a lot of good for the both of you. But in the short term…well. A common phrase is that it gets worse before it gets better.’

‘Then why does anyone do this?’ Macaque said.

‘Because it gets better,’ Sandy said. ‘With time and work it does. And with enoufh time you will be in a happier and stronger place than where you are now.’ It was uncanny how similar the monkeys looked in the moment, with them wearing identical doubtful expressions that made Sandy chuckle nervously. ‘Alright, there’s a story I like to tell to help with understanding this. Before I got the boat I hung out with a…not so nice crowd.’

Wukong perked up, ‘Wait, not so nice how?’

‘That’s not so important,’ Sandy said. ‘The important thing is this guy I knew managed to mess up his leg to the point he had a really bad limp. He had the shortest temper and would snap at everyone, but looking back now it’s obvious it's because he was in so much pain. Once a doctor managed to get a look at the leg they realised he’d broken the leg in a whole bunch of places and it had healed badly. Only way to stop the pain for good was to rebreak the bone where it had healed badly so it had a chance to be realigned properly.’

Macaque winced, ‘Did he go through with it?’ Sandy nodded. ‘Okay, then what happened to him?’

‘Immediately after the procedure his mood was even worse. He was in a cast all the way up to his thigh, he couldn’t move any part of his leg. He had to move in with his sister so she could help look after him because he couldn’t move or even go to the bathroom without help.’

Macaque grimaced, while Wukong was clearly thinking carefully. ‘Then what happened? After it healed?’

‘He became a florist,’ Sandy said. ‘The leg would still play up sometimes, but compared to what he was going through before? He was totally a brand new person.’

Wukong snorted, ‘Bit of a change up then.’

Sandy smiled. ‘He’s recently started looking into making floral tea. I’m actually part of his Tea Panel to test his recipes.’

‘Cool.’

Macaque sighed, ‘So he messed up his leg, had to break it more and go through more pain, and now he’s a dork? And you’re using this as an analogy for how therapy will probably go for us?’

Sandy nodded, ‘I find it helps with visualising how the healing journey can be, especially if someone is taking these steps for the first-’

‘Yeah, no,’ Macaque said. ‘I think I’m good, thanks.’ He moved to stand up, making Sandy blink in surprise and Wukong frown at him. ‘I’m sure this stuff is great? But it's not for me.’

‘Wait, hang on,’ Wukong said. ‘You’re not even going to consider this?’

‘I just did,’ Macaque said. ‘And I don’t fancy reliving all the worst parts of my life in excruciating detail.’

‘But-’

‘We agreed to move forward,’ Macaque said. ‘We agreed to put the past behind us. How can we do that if we’re going to dredge it up and let Sandy get a magnifying glass on it?’

Sandy raised his hand, opening his mouth to speak, but Wukong spoke over him. ‘Well clearly it’s not that simple. How can we do that when every conversation we have turns into a fight?’

‘Don’t be so dramatic.’

‘Macaque-’

‘It’s only been a few months,’ Macaque said. ‘We don’t need all this, we just need time.’

‘And space?’ Wukong said.

Macaque scowled at that. ‘Hey, you said I could take the space I needed as long as I did your dumb check-ins. And I’ve been keeping to that deal without any complaints.’

‘Which means you disappear for a week but I can’t say anything about it because by the third day of you ghosting everyone you show your face for five minutes. Because "that's what we agreed.”’

‘That is what we agreed,’ Macaque said. ‘Besides, if you’ve seen me then I can’t have disappeared for a whole week.’

‘See? This is what I mean,’ Wukong said. ‘Every conversation we have at the moment turns into this. We can’t keep this up, and I don’t want to ruin this again. We need to try something else.’

‘Or maybe we just need some space,’ Macaque said. ‘Preferably without you trying to guilt me back to your shack all the time.’

‘We’re not running away from this.’

Macaque bristled, ‘Who said anything about running away?’

‘Guys?’ Sandy said. ‘Lets take a breath.’ Both of the monkeys glared at him, but he somehow didn’t flinch. ‘I think therapy would be a good call for both of you to try. Either alone or together. But this will only work if you’re both on board.’ Wukong opened his mouth to talk but Sandy raised a hand to silence him. ‘I would suggest not making a decision now for either of you. This needs to be a decision made when tempers are calm and heads are clear. So take some time, I’m here to talk through more of this whenever you want. You can talk to MK to see what it’s been like for him. And there’s other options and tools you can try which are more personal and wouldn’t need someone like me in the picture.’ 

He stood up, moving over to a shelf as both monkeys watched him intently. The tension in their whole bodies didn’t shift for a moment as Sandy collected a handful of leaflets and papers, turning with a smile to hold them out to Wukong. ‘For today? I recommend looking after yourselves. A walk, some music, whatever that looks like for you. Just focus on that for the rest of today. All of this will be waiting for you when you’re ready to look at it. Both of you.’

Macaque rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah. Sure. Thanks big guy.’ The shadows appeared under his and Wukong’s feet before Sandy had a chance to react, and the two of them vanished into shadow.

The fall through shadow was brief, darkness quickly opening up into a familiar living room. Wukong landed deftly on the wooden floor, glancing around to make sure this was indeed his shack, before rounding on Macaque. ‘What was that?’

Macaque had already turned his back to Wukong and was walking towards the bedroom when he spoke. ‘What was what?’

‘You’re on board with the plan and then just change your mind? You drop us out of Sandy’s place without even saying goodbye?’

‘I thanked him first,’ Macaque said. ‘Besides, didn’t you say you wanted to use the shadow portal?’

Wukong opened his mouth to argue further, but stopped himself. He couldn’t smooth out the scowl on his face, but he did manage to let out a deep breath. And when he spoke again he tried to not sound angry, even though he could still feel his hands trembling and his hackles trying to raise. ‘Why did you change your mind?’

‘I didn’t. I agreed to hear out this idea. I didn’t say I was definitely going to do it.’

Wukong sighed. ‘Alright, fine. Why don’t you want to try?’

Macaque finally turned around to look at him. ‘Why don’t I want to relive our worst moments? Really? Why is that a question?’

‘Oh come on,’ Wukong said. ‘We’re already twisted up about everything. We’re already reliving it. Will it be that much more painful if we face it like this?’ 

Macaque scowled, his shoulders hunching as he looked away from Wukong. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

Wukong sighed, ‘I know you’ve been having nightmares again. And I know you still feel weird around the troop. And for some reason both of those things are getting worse again.’

‘Well what about you?’ Macaque said. ‘I’m not the only one who gets nightmares here.’

‘I never said you were,’ Wukong said. ‘That’s why we both need to try…wait. Is that why you’ve been avoiding the nest?’

‘No, of course not! I just need the quiet sometimes.’

‘But it’s all the time at the moment!’

‘Well until a few months ago all I had was quiet. It’s called an adjustment period, okay? Why do I have to justify everything?’

‘That’s not what I’m saying,’ Wukong said.

‘Yes you are!’ Macaque said. ‘You want us to get in that room and drag up every bad thing that’s happened to us, right? That we’ve done? So I have to what, apologise? Justify my actions? Beg for forgiveness and redemption so I can walk out of the room and back into your life with a clean conscience?’

‘What? No!’ Wukong said. ‘That’s not what I’m going for at all. That’s not-’

‘So you don’t want me to apologise?’

‘You have apologised,’ Wukong said. ‘I don’t want more apologies, I want us to try and make this work.’

‘I am trying!’ Macaque shouted. ‘I am trying, but apparently that’s not enough!’

‘Mac-’

‘We have been alive for literally hundreds of years, and I only came back a few months ago. I basically blinked and we’re trying to rebuild a friendship that’s been broken for centuries and you’re worried that it’s not working fast enough? Or that we’re doing it wrong? How does that make sense? How can we be doing it wrong when we’ve literally had no time to even start-’

‘Alright fine!’ Wukong shouted. Macaque fell silent, watching Wukong suddenly sag as all the fight went out of him in one go. The leaflets that had been crumpled in his hand were dropped, left to flutter and curl on the floor, while Wukong sighed. ‘Fine. I’ll drop it. We’ll just…carry on I guess.’

Macaque frowned, ‘Wukong…’

‘It’s fine,’ Wukong said. ‘You’re right. It’s not been long at all. I just hoped…but maybe I should be more realistic.’ Macaque flexed his hand, almost ready to reach out to him, but Wukong had already turned towards the front door. ‘I need some air.’

‘Wukong, wait…’

He didn’t answer, or even look back. He just pulled open the door, letting in the sounds of wind and monkey chatter for a moment before closing it behind him. Macaque winced, his ears flicking to pick up the sound of Wukong’s footsteps walking away from the house and into the trees. 

Macaque sighed, squeezing his eyes shut while running his hands through his mane. ‘Dammit,’ he hissed, slumping to the floor to curl up into himself. Already he could feel himself trembling, from adrenaline, anger or fear he didn’t know. Maybe it was all of them. Maybe this was the moment he had finally pushed it too far, had finally made Wukong realise he had made a mistake. Or maybe he had managed to finally get Wukong to listen to him and give him the space he kept practically begging for. 

Only now he didn’t want it. Now he wanted to follow Wukong, find him in the trees and apologise. Gods, he was sick of apologies though. From both of their mouths. At some point it had stopped helping, and had started to become a filler word because that was what they were supposed to say. Or he had started to say it in the hopes of relieving some of the pain and guilt that were constant companions at this point. But it wasn’t working anymore, if it ever had. So he was sick of apologies. But that didn’t stop this desire, this need for him to portal over to Wukong and do or say something. To take back whatever he had said that made Wukong look so defeated as he left. To try and fix this, to be better like he swore he would. But then how much more could he do? It already felt like he was giving everything to try and fix them, and none of it was working. If anything, everything he tried was making him feel worse, was making him question and doubt and fall back into old habits and behaviours from before Wukong was back in his life as anything more than an antagonist. At least he knew where he stood back then. At least he knew what to expect from the world. Not like now. Dammit, why was living in the world with people he cared about so hard now? It shouldn’t be, right? Should it be?

He finally peeked out of the ball he had made himself into, dragging his gaze up to the closed door. Past it was his home, his world, things that at one point in his life had been his everything. And now…now he didn’t know anymore. Didn’t know where to begin with trying to claim those things back. He just felt so lost. His gaze dropped, and he was ready to squeeze his eyes shut and curl up so tight there would be nothing but darkness. But before he did his eyes landed on the papers scattered on the floor. Colourful leaflets with various smiles and bubble text titles his focus glanced over. Instead his stare zeroed in on one of the pictures in the pile. It was a couple he had never seen before, arms around each other with big smiles. The young man in the couple was what really had his attention though. There was something in his pose as he waved at the camera, waved at him, that made Macaque’s mind click onto someone else he knew. Someone that suddenly every fibre in his being was telling him to talk to. 

Chapter Text

‘Wow. It must be serious if we’re meeting up here.’

Macaque tried to not cringe or scowl at that. After all, the young man was right. Still, it didn’t make him feel any better when the familiar basket got placed between them as he watched MK out of the corner of his good eye. His jacket was covering his delivery uniform, something which made Macaque frown. ‘Are you meant to be working right now?’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ MK looked up at him with a grin, pulling out a thermos to hand to him. Macaque took it, watching MK try to get comfortable on the rocky crag. Below them the mountain stretched down before breaking into the forest, with nothing but the ocean and sun stretching on ahead. ‘So,’ MK said while grabbing his own drink. ‘What’s going on that needs a talk all the way up here?’

Macaque busied himself with a sip of his tea while trying to order his thoughts. Although, MK didn’t ever seem to care about them being in the right order. Which was something he could appreciate at this moment. ‘Wukong tried to get us to talk to Sandy yesterday.’

‘About what?’

‘About…’ Macaque sighed, something in his insides twisting even as the words were on his tongue, ‘...about trying therapy.’

A sudden spluttering had Macaque jumping out of his fur as MK began to choke on his tea. The dark liquid spilled down his chin and over his shirt, leaving him coughing and spluttering while Macaque snapped his fingers to summon some towels. After a few minutes of cleanup and MK recovering enough to be able to breathe again, he finally gave Macaque an incredulous look. ‘I’m sorry, did you say therapy?’

‘Yes,’ Macaque said. ‘I don’t think it needed that reaction.’ MK raised his eyebrows in disbelief, making Macaque roll his eyes. ‘Look, it wasn’t my idea.’

‘Oh I know,’ MK said. ‘Honestly I thought if this ever happened both of you would be dragged into therapy kicking and screaming. But Monkey King suggested it? Seriously?’ 

‘That’s the part that made you choke on tea?’

‘Oh come on,’ MK said. ‘He’s not the most open about his feelings on things. Most of the stuff I know about his life and problems are from things other people have told me. The way he acts, you’d think nothing has ever bothered or hurt him in his life. And I know that’s not true. It takes a lot for him to admit to anyone that he’s not doing well, or gods forbid needs help with something.’ 

Macaque frowned, ‘Yeah, well. He’s always been good at that.’

‘Exactly,’ MK said. ‘Even just admitting he might need help is something he doesn’t do, and this is so many steps beyond that I…I need a minute to process this.’ MK let out a large breath, not noticing how Macaque was watching him curiously. ‘Wait, why did he get you to go too?’

Macaque sighed, ‘He wants…well. We came up with an agreement and a plan to work on things. Between us. And apparently Wukong thinks it’s going too slowly.’

‘Is it?’

‘It’s only been a few months,’ Macaque said. ‘And our agreement isn’t the only thing we’ve been focused on, you know? There was the storm that hit the mountain last month, your training, looking into whatever Chaos might be going on, trying to keep an ear out on our friends in the Celestial Realm…’

‘Do you mean our actual friends or the ones we hate?’

‘Both,’ Macaque said. ‘Really there’s not been a lot of time to focus on that. It’s just been there and we’ve been trying to relearn some things and then suddenly, Wukong thinks we should talk to Sandy.’

MK nodded, ‘Out of nowhere?’ Macaque’s tail flicked nervously, making MK wince. ‘So not out of nowhere then?’

‘We might have had an argument.’

‘Just one? For you guys that’s a miracle.’

‘Okay there was more than one. But we were trying to stop doing that and then…he’s just been grating on me recently.’ Macaque shook his head, letting out a breath. ‘Anyway, that’s not why I asked you to come out here.’

‘Was it for my great picnic options?’

‘It is a nice perk,’ Macaque said. ‘But no. I guess…I wanted to know what therapy actually looked like.’

‘Did Sandy not explain it?’

‘He tried to,’ Macaque said. ‘But it was all in metaphor, and the story he used probably wasn’t the best selling point.’

‘Was it the story about the guy with the leg?’ MK asked. Macaque looked at him curiously, making MK chuckle. ‘Pretty sure he gives that story to everyone.’

‘Good to know,’ Macaque said. ‘So…is it like having to rebreak a leg and then be in a cast for months?’

MK’s smile dimmed slightly, making Macaque frown in worry. ‘You…you want me to tell you what therapy is like for me?’

‘I mean, you don’t have to go into details,’ Macaque said. ‘Just a better picture of it would be fine. Just so I have a better idea of if it would help, or what to expect.’

MK nodded, sitting back as he looked out to the horizon deep in thought. ‘Sometimes,’ he started, ‘it’s like this. Just sharing recent problems you’ve had to get them out of your head, or to help find a solution. Sometimes it’s actually about good stuff, and you end up feeling pretty good. And sometimes…’

‘Sometimes it’s not,’ Macaque said.

MK sighed. ‘We have, as a gang, been in danger multiple times to save the world. And been in insane fights to beat a bad guy or stop a threat. And when you’re in the middle of that you don’t have time to process it properly, right? Because you’re in it. You have to put it to one side because your life and everyone else's safety is on the line and you need to focus.’ Macaque nodded, watching MK carefully. ‘And then when you stop the bad guy and you win, that’s the good part right? Because you saved the world, it’s time to celebrate. But those fights and threats still happened. And we still haven’t processed them, not properly. It doesn’t always need something big like therapy. But we need to make time to deal with them. Because if we don’t then they build up. And you run the risk of learning bad things from it if you don’t process it properly.’

‘Like what?’

MK chuckled sadly, ‘Like the fate of world is on your shoulders and you’re the only one who can save it. Or that you can’t burden other people with your problems because they’re counting on you. Or,’ he looked back at Macaque pointedly, ‘that the only person you can count on is yourself, so don’t let anyone else in because they’ll let you down.’ Macaque felt his hackles start to raise, and he looked away from MK as the young man continued. ‘It’s not true. But there’s some part of you that ends up believing it. And once you believe it, it’s really hard to change that thinking.’

Macaque nodded slowly, ‘So then the therapy challenges it. Makes you try to unlearn that stuff.’

‘That’s part of it,’ MK said. ‘It’s not perfect, and there’s a chance some of it doesn’t ever fully go away. I mean, beliefs can sometimes be like memories. They’re a part of you, and they’re hard to change. Sometimes there’s no changing them at all. But you can learn something better along the way, something that is healthier and makes life a little easier.’

‘So challenging that stuff is rebreaking the bad leg,’ Macaque said. 

‘And therapy, journalling, anxiety and grounding exercises are the cast,’ MK said.

‘Does Wukong realise this?’ Macaque said. ‘Or did he just see it help you and assume it would work for us?’

MK shrugged. ‘I mean, it could help you. Probably. But it’s one of those things that I’ve learned you get out what you put in. If you just show up to the sessions and do the bare minimum nothing will change. It’s hard, doing it. Especially the bad stuff.’

Macaque sighed, ‘Is it worth it?’

MK nodded, giving Macaque a warm smile. ‘It was for me. And it was for Sandy.’

‘Sandy’s been in therapy?’

‘He used to have really bad anger issues apparently,’ MK said.

‘Huh,’ Macaque said. ‘I’d have never guessed from looking at him. Are we sure he wasn’t the one with the leg that needed rebreaking?’

MK laughed, ‘I’ll keep an eye out, see if one of his legs ever gives him trouble.’ He grabbed a bun, holding it out for Macaque to take before retrieving his own. ‘If you don’t mind me asking, why did you ask me about this stuff?’

Macaque shrugged, ‘I wanted to know what it was like.’

‘Sure, but…why me? Why not Sandy?’

Macaque paused, thinking for a moment. ‘I’m not as close with the others. As you so deftly pointed out earlier, I’m not the best at letting people in.’ MK blushed, making Macaque smirk at him. ‘But you…well I guess I trust you.’

‘Awww!’ MK beamed. ‘I’m telling Pigsy you said that.’

‘Why?’

‘If you can trust me, then Pigsy can.’

‘What’s he not trusting you with?’

MK blushed slightly. ‘Kitchen knives.’ Macaque snorted, making MK scowl. ‘Hey!’

‘I’m with Pigsy on that one, Kiddo, sorry.’ 

MK gasped in horror. ‘Fine! Then I won’t bring any more picnics then.’

‘Good. Means you won’t be losing any fingers anytime soon.’

‘I’ve only cut myself five times on the knives!’

‘Is that this week, or…’

MK scowled at him, ‘Excuse me, chefs have accidents with sharp things all the time. And fire, hot oil, boiling water...’

‘Kitchens are deathtraps,’ Macaque nodded. ‘And you’re too clumsy to work in one.’

‘You take that back!’

‘When you can walk through DBK’s fortress without triggering a single trap I’ll consider retracting the clumsy title. But until then, you have to learn to live with it.’ MK grumbled, making Macaque laugh to himself some more. ‘But seriously, thank you Kiddo.’

‘No problem,’ MK said. ‘So, do you think you’ll try it?’

Macaque sighed. ‘I don’t know. I guess I’m still not comfortable with the idea of it.’

‘Which part?’

‘Well for starters, I don’t like the idea of someone knowing all my business. Even if it is Sandy.’

MK pretended to gasp dramatically. ‘What? You, not wanting people to know your business? Surely not.’

‘Alright, snarky kid. You’ve made your point,’ Macaque said. MK stuck his tongue out, giggling as Macaque flicked him with his tail. ‘But I think I’ve got a valid point. I’ve had a long life, remember? And I’m not proud of everything I’ve done in it.’

‘Does Monkey King know your business?’ MK asked.

‘Most of it,’ Macaque said. ‘But he’s dealing with his own stuff.’

‘Well,’ MK said, ‘if you try therapy together to try and help your friendship, then that might end up being a part of it. Dealing with each other’s business to help you deal with your own.’ Macaque frowned, while MK tried to hold his hands up placatingly. ‘That might actually be good though. You’ll just…need to learn to listen to each other again.’

‘I can listen,’ Macaque said. ‘I’m actually known for it.’

‘I’ll rephrase,’ MK said. ‘You’ll need to learn to listen to each other without getting angry about what the other person is saying.’

Macaque sighed, ‘Well, there goes that idea.’

‘If it works you’ll have a kick ass relationship though,’ MK said. ‘It might even rival me and Mei.’ 

Macaque snorted, ‘Like we could ever.’

‘Hey I said might. Gives you something to aim for, you know?’ Macaque rolled his eyes at that while MK’s expression sobered up slightly. ‘So, is it just the idea of revealing your deep dark secrets to Sandy that you’re not fond of?’

‘Is there other stuff?’

‘Oh yeah,’ MK said. ‘Part of it is helping you work through stuff, but part of it is teaching you things to help you work through it yourself.’

‘Like what?’

‘All sorts,’ MK said. ‘Sandy raves about journalling, to let you get things off your chest and sort out your thoughts without needing to specifically tell a person.’ Macaque perked up at that idea, making MK grin. ‘And then there’s techniques to help with panic attacks and flashbacks by getting you to ground yourself, meditation, thought exercises for positive reinforcement and stuff. Oh, and Sandy is obsessed with having designated self care time.’

What’s that?’

‘Time you set aside to look after yourself,’ MK said. ‘For me it's my drawing and gaming time, Sandy meditates and has quiet time with tea, Mei plays Monkey Mech and listens to music, things like that. The important thing is making time to do it.’

Macaque thought for a moment, ‘It’s been a while since I’ve written a new play. I mean, writing one that wasn’t basically a commission.’

MK flushed slightly, ‘I still can’t believe you wrote a play for me. But yeah, new plays would be cool.’

Macaque nodded, ‘Does therapy have to involve the whole talking about your business thing and learning these techniques?’

‘Sandy calls it a toolkit,’ MK said. ‘And I guess you don’t have to do both? It would be harder to just get the toolkit, part of the therapy is practicing it with Sandy so you can then use it alone later.’

‘But it's possible?’

‘In theory.’

Macaque nodded, a small smile beginning to grow as a plan started to form in his mind. ‘Got it. Thanks kid.’

It was when Macaque left the mountain outcrop with a plan to acquire Sandy’s leaflets and head to his study that MK finally jumped onto his nimbus. After fishing out a different bag of supplies for the other main monkey on the mountain that he had hidden behind a nearby rock. As always Wukong was reclining under his favourite peach tree, right until the whistle of MK’s cloud reached his ears. Immediately Wukong was sitting upright, scanning around for a sign of MK with a bright grin that only grew when he saw MK land. ‘Hey Monkey King!’

‘Kid!’ Wukong grinned, jumping to his feet and rushing over to pull MK into a hug. ‘I didn’t think I was going to see you today…what happened to your shirt?’

MK looked down at his shirt, spotting the now dried tea stain that made him wince. ‘I kinda choked on my tea. But it wasn’t my fault. I blame Macaque.’

‘Macaque? Wait, that’s your work shirt. Are you meant to be working right now?’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ MK said. ‘And yeah, Macaque uh…needed some advice. About therapy?’

Wukong’s smile dropped. ‘Wait, he told you?’

‘Only that you guys spoke to Sandy,’ MK said. ‘But the good news is I now have a chance to deliver this.’

He held up the bag for Wukong to take, watching expectantly for him to peek inside. As soon as he did he lit up all over again. ‘Peach chips! Aww bud, you shouldn’t have!’

‘Don’t act like you don’t demand deliveries on a daily basis,’ MK laughed. Wukong immediately fished out a bag, popping it open while MK watched with growing nerves. ‘So. Want to talk about it?’

‘Talk about what?’

‘Your chat with Sandy?’

Wukong paused with a chip halfway to his mouth, looking at MK with a squint. ‘What exactly did Macaque tell you?’

‘Honestly?’ MK said, ‘most of it was me telling him how it worked. You know what he’s like with talking about things that are bothering him.’

Wukong sighed, ‘Well, you can get more out of him than I can right now.’ MK tilted his head in curiosity, making Wukong eye him suspiciously. ‘What are you trying to get out of me right now?’

MK shrugged, ‘I’m curious what brought the chat with Sandy on, that’s all.’

‘Uh huh,’ Wukong said. He finally popped a chip in his mouth before pointing a finger at MK. ‘You’d better not be trying to soften me up with my favourite peach chips so I’ll spill all my secrets, got it?’

‘Why? Is it working? MK grinned. Wukong scowled, making MK snort. ‘I’m kidding.’

‘Not you’re not.’

‘Okay I’m half kidding,’ MK said. ‘In all seriousness though, what brought on the idea of you guys trying therapy together?’

Wukong shrugged, ‘Mac’s been struggling recently.’

‘Just Mac?’

‘I can handle my stuff,’ Wukong said. ‘I meditate, remember?’ MK nodded, although he couldn’t hide the doubt on his face. ‘Look, I just saw it had been helping you, alright? I thought it was worth a try.’

‘It probably is,’ MK said. ‘It’s definitely not a bad thing to try. I just want to check that you guys know what you’re in for if you go for it.’

‘Sandy gave us the story about the guy with the leg,’ Wukong said. ‘Which I think sets the expectation pretty well.’

MK nodded, ‘Ah yeah. I remember freaking out when he told me that the first time.’

Wukong stilled, his gaze not moving from the peach chips. ‘Is it really that bad?’

‘Kinda,’ MK said. ‘Part of the problem for me was that I didn’t want to look at the painful things. It scared me, frankly. So I ignored it until I couldn’t anymore. So then, when I did finally start looking at those things they felt impossible to deal with. And part of my brain thought that ignoring it more would be the better option, even when that was clearly not true.’

‘So how did you? In the end?’

‘With help,’ MK said. ‘Yours, and Mei’s, Dadsy, Sandy, Tang, Mac. And I did it slowly. With lots of monkey time. And Monkey Mech time.’

‘Monkey Mech?’

‘It’s part of my self care stuff,’ MK said. ‘Oh, Sandy’s going to introduce that to you guys, and you will absolutely love the idea of it. But make sure you actually do it, yeah? And it can’t just be taking naps all the time.’

‘What? Why not?’

‘Variety is the spice of life,’ MK said. ‘You gotta mix up the fun stuff with relaxing things, and also affirmation stuff, it all works together.’

Wukong pouted, ‘This is going to be a lot of work, isn’t it?’

MK snorted, ‘From what Mac said this was your idea. Don’t complain now.’

‘He’s such a traitor,’ Wukong said. ‘Can’t believe he snitched on me.’

MK giggled. ‘For what it’s worth? I think it could be really good for you guys.’

Wukong gave him a soft smile, ‘Hey, I’m not the one you need to convince. Macaque’s the one who’s being weird about it.’

‘He likes his secrets too much,’ MK sighed. ‘But hey, give him a chance to look into it. Maybe he’ll surprise us.’

Wukong nodded, but the smile he tried for didn’t reach his eyes. There was a tired somberness there, one that told the story of unspoken worries and guilt. And doubt. But he didn’t say anything, he didn’t need to. Not when MK sighed and barrelled into him, making Wukong wrap him up in a tight hug.

‘Thanks,’ Wukong whispered sadly. ‘But you know you don’t need to worry about me, right Kid?’ 

MK snorted, ‘That’s not how this works. ‘You’re my friend, and I’m going to worry about you. Whether you want me to or not.’

‘What if I ask you really nicely though?’ Wukong said.

MK shook his head, ‘Not even for all the noodles in the world.’ Wukong groaned at that, making MK chuckle. ‘I care about you too much. Worry is part of the package. Deal with it.’

That made the corner of Wukong’s mouth curl up in a slight smile. ‘Sure. Fine. I guess I can accept that then.’

It was late when Wukong finally returned to his shack, already yanking off his armour and cap before he even got onto the porch. He was all too ready to get into something soft and comfy and curl up in his nest, and he was trying really hard to not think about how this was likely to be another night alone in said nest. It should have been fine, after all he had gone for how long being alone in his bed? And Macaque had only been back for a few months. It didn’t make sense for the nest to feel wrong when he was missing. Besides, he was done with thinking and worrying about this again and again. He was just going to focus on the positive. Comfy clothes, his favourite pillows, it honestly sounded like paradise. 

He honestly wasn’t expecting Macaque to be sitting in the middle of the bed when he opened the door. He froze in shock, staring at the dark furred monkey as he glared right back, his hackles starting to rise under his own sleep clothes. ‘Are you trying to catch flies or something?’

Wukong snapped his mouth shut, and then the door, all while never taking his eyes off Macaque. ‘I…uh…you’re back.’

‘Obviously.’

‘Are you…staying here tonight?’

‘If I’m allowed,’ Macaque said sharply. 

Wukong felt like telling him to not be an idiot, but he looked away from Wukong before he could. Which was when Wukong finally spotted what else was on the bed with him. The leaflets Sandy had given them, all still slightly crinkled, were in a pile in front of him, while in his hands was a new piece of paper with some scrawling written on it. ‘You’ve got Sandy’s pamphlets,’ Wukong said.

‘Wow, well observed,’ Macaque said.

‘Okay,’ Wukong said, ‘are you just going to keep being a jerk?’

‘I’m…’ Macaque snapped his jaw shut before he could continue, his jaw clenching with the effort of holding back whatever cutting remark was on his tongue. ‘Fine. Can you please stop standing in the door like that?’

Wukong looked down at himself, stepping away from the door while frowning in confusion. ‘What’s wrong with me standing here?’

‘You’re acting weird.’

‘I’m…wow. Okay, that’s rich.’ Wukong rolled his eyes, finally stepping into the room proper to put away his effects. Now he was moving again he fell into his routine on autopilot, letting his limbs take over with tidying away his crown and hanging up his armour while his mind whirred with what the hell was going on. If he tried to ignore all the snarkiness Macaque was throwing at him, then it looked like Macaque was…in the nest. With Sandy’s leaflets. After talking to MK. That kid really could perform miracles, huh?

Macaque didn’t say another word while Wukong got ready for bed. In fact he didn’t move from his spot until Wukong jumped onto the bed and started to fluff up the pillows. It was when he was done and turned to get settled that Wukong saw Macaque’s piece of paper being thrust into his face. ‘What’s this?’

Macaque swallowed, ‘I went through the stuff Sandy gave us. And I had some ideas. Thoughts I guess. So…’ he trailed off, gesturing with the paper until Wukong took it. Immediately Macaque folded his arms, looking away as Wukong started to read. ‘Let me know what you think. And be honest.’

Wukong glanced up at him, ‘Are you going to sit there awkwardly until I do?’ Macaque turned enough to peek at him, his obvious frown making Wukong roll his eyes. ‘You are allowed to get comfy you know?’

Macaque flinched, ‘Technically, you didn’t actually say if I was allowed back in the nest or not, so…’

Wukong grabbed Macaque’s favourite blanket and chucked it at his head, making him yelp while Wukong settled back on the pillows. ‘Is that answer enough for you?’

Macaque spluttered, ‘How about using your words next time?’

‘Hi pot, I’m kettle.’ Wukong didn’t look up at Macaque’s grumbling, but when he felt the bed move as Macaque shifted up towards the pillows he couldn’t help but smile to himself. Once Macaque stopped moving he finally made himself focus on the paper. Or rather, the lists. There were two of them, with them each titled “Will try this” and “Don’t even think about it.” And under them were…activities. Of a sort.

‘Hang on,’ Wukong said. ‘Is this a list of therapy activities you’ll consider trying?’

‘Pretty much,’ Macaque said. He had fully curled up in the blanket, with part of it being used as a makeshift hood.

Wukong scanned over the “No” section of the list as a frown began to form. ‘Is this just ten different ways of saying “I don’t want anyone to know my secrets?”’

‘More like twelve,’ Macaque said.

‘Mac…’

‘I don’t want Sandy knowing our business, okay?’ Macaque said.

‘Why not?’

‘Seriously?’ Macaque sat up suddenly, facing Wukong with a scowl. ‘You want to go through our worst moments. Out loud. In front of Sandy. Moments that both of us have baggage about. And you think we can do that without making Sandy or anyone else hate one of us?’

Wukong’s face fell. ‘Oh. Right.’ Macaque sighed in vindication, settling back into the pillows when Wukong spun to face him. ‘You really think they would hate us?’

Macaque scoffed, ‘They’d hate me.’

‘You don’t know that.’

‘If they don’t then they’re either stupid or insane.’

Wukong scowled, ‘I don’t hate you.’ 

Macaque flinched, his face flashing through guilt and doubt before he landed on a sneer. ‘Proving my point there, bud.’

‘Nope,’ Wukong said. ‘I’m not letting you turn this into an insult.’ He put the list on the side table, laying down so he was facing Macaque. Before Macaque could pull back Wukong reached for his hand to squeeze gently. He made sure to reach Macaque’s gaze, trying not to crumble at the sight of the panic on Macaque’s face. ‘I don’t hate you.’

Macaque sighed, ‘Wukong…’

‘Just listen,’ Wukong said. ‘I. Don’t. Hate. You.’ He squeezed Macaque’s hand tighter, watching Macaque look away from his stare. ‘I’ll say it every day if I have to until you believe me. And don’t think I won’t.’

Macaque chuckled sadly, opening his mouth for another quip. But he caught himself, swallowing nervously as he squeezed Wukong’s hand. ‘Me too,’ he whispered. ‘I don’t hate you either.’

Wukong shivered, giving him a shaky smile. He shuffled closer, barely restraining himself from pulling Macaque into a full body hug. Gods he wanted to. But some part of him was scared of overwhelming Macaque and making him bolt when this was the closest they had been in days. Maybe weeks. ‘Thank you bud,’ he whispered, his smile refusing to budge. 

Macaque shrugged. ‘There are probably other things I should say here. But…’

‘Words are hard?’

‘I’m fine with words,’ Macaque said. ‘Eloquence isn’t my problem, it's…something else.’

Wukong nodded, ‘Maybe it's something one of those therapy ideas could help with.’

‘Maybe,’ Macaque said. ‘The list…how do you feel about it?’

Wukong worried his lip in thought. ‘The whole not talking about your secrets thing. Is that with everyone?’

Macaque shook his head, ‘I mainly made it with Sandy in mind.’

Wukong held his breath, which might have been foolish but he couldn't help himself. ‘So you’ll consider talking about that stuff with other people?’

‘Do you mean with you?’

‘Well…’

Macaque chuckled, ‘We’ll probably have to at some point, right?’

Wukong’s whole face lit up at that, ‘Wait. Wait, wait, wait. So…so if we agree to stick with that list with Sandy, and we agree to talk to each other about the rest when we’re ready…are you agreeing to try this?’

‘I’m considering it,’ Macaque said.

That was all Wukong needed. He bounced into Macaque, wrapping him in a near-bone crushing hug before Macaque had a chance to protest. Any grumbles Macaque had were muffled by Wukong nuzzling into his mane as he giggled to himself. ‘Thank you bud,’ he whispered.

Macaque rolled his eyes, reaching around enough to pat Wukong on the back. ‘Don’t thank me yet,’ Macaque said. ‘I’ve not promised anything. And even if we do try this, there’s no guarantee it will help.’

‘It will,’ Wukong beamed. He held Macaque closer, glowing with pride as he slowly felt the monkey relax in his arms. ‘I’ve got a good feeling about this.’

Chapter Text

All of the positivity in the world didn’t stop either Wukong or Macaque being nervous the next time they went to Sandy’s place. Even with the bright smile he greeted them with when he opened the door, the tension in both of them was evident. Thankfully, Sandy seemed to be prepared for that. The tea was already brewing when he showed them inside, giving him the opportunity to introduce them to all of the cats who started to approach them. Mo was lounging on one of the cat beds, while the others began to crowd around both Wukong and Macaque. The second Sandy gave the go ahead Wukong scooped a particularly small one up, making him coo over the black and white kitten’s silky fur as they headbutted into Wukong’s chest and chin. Macaque meanwhile had crouched to their level, watching them silently as they rubbed up against him. Giving a particularly brave grey cat the perfect opportunity to jump onto his back, balancing on his shoulder even as he stood up. Sandy tried to apologise for the grey one’s claws, but Macaque waved him off. He was used to small monkeys after all. He could handle a cat using him as a climbing frame. 

Eventually Wukong and Macaque settled on the same couch as before, still with their respective feline partners, as Sandy presented them with the same calming tea as before. Which was when he pulled out a new paper bag. Wukong and Macaque glanced at each other, the nerves returning as Sandy rummaged in the bag while humming to himself. ‘Here we go,’ he said with a smile in his voice. He turned around, presenting his prize to each of them with a flourish. ‘These are for you.’

Macaque tilted his confusion, ‘Notebooks?’

Sandy nodded, waiting for them to take the gifts. ‘I looked over the information you sent over about your concerns? Which we can work with. But I thought the best thing for the both of you would be to try journaling. That way you can work through the thoughts, emotions, worries you’re having without needing to specifically share them with me. Or with anyone for that matter.’

Macaque took his notebook, admiring the purple and silver swirls decorating the cover. ‘This can all be private?’

‘As private as you want it to be,’ Sandy said. ‘If there are parts you want to share then that is up to you. But you’re not required to share any of it.’

Macaque nodded in relief, while Wukong gasped over his own notebook. ‘Awww, there are peaches on mine!’

Sandy chuckled, ‘MK helped me pick them out. That way you can tell whose is whose. Now,’ he clapped his hands together and sat in his chair, ‘I have an idea of how to start this first proper session. And also give you an opportunity to work out how you want to use your new journals.’

Wukong nodded, reaching over to the table to grab one of the pencils laid out. Macaque grabbed a pen in turn, settling the notebook in his lap while the cat shifted on his shoulders. The kitten with Wukong was moved to one knee, while Wukong balanced his notebook on the other. When they were settled Sandy spoke up again. ‘First, I would like to suggest that the first page of the journal is left blank for now.’

Macaque raised an eyebrow, ‘Uh…why?’

‘I like to use that page for goals,’ Sandy said. ‘As in, the goals for therapy. Both goals you both have and personal goals.’

‘Personal goals?’ Wukong said. ‘We want the same thing.’

‘True,’ Sandy said. ‘But you’re different people. There’s no point asking Mr Ma-quack to have a goal about a peach habit when he doesn’t have one.’

Macaque snorted, while Wukong scowled, ‘There’s nothing wrong with my peach habit.’

‘It’s just an example,’ Sandy said. ‘But you’ll find that the ways you get to the same goal will be different. Some of it will be the same, but not everything. So, personal goals.’

Macaque nodded, ‘And why aren’t we doing those first?’

‘Well we can,’ Sandy said. ‘But I wanted to try something nicer first.’

‘Nicer?’ Wukong said. ‘I thought the whole point was to work on the bad stuff.’

‘That is part of it, yes,’ Sandy said. ‘But we need to keep in mind why we’re doing this too. So, something fun.’ He grabbed his tea cup, giving them a smile. ‘You’ve told me that the two of you used to be close. And I would hope that means you both have good memories of your time together. So to start, I want you to write them down.’

Wukong frowned, ‘Write down…’

‘About the good times you had,’ Sandy said. ‘It can have as much or as little detail as you want. But just spend some time thinking about the good moments between the two of you, the best moments of your friendship, and then write them down.’

Wukong looked at the notebook again, suddenly nervous. ‘Do we have to write specifically?’

Macaque rolled his eyes, ‘Here we go.’

Sandy shook his head, ‘MK draws quite a bit in his journal. You record it however you want to, just as long as you know what it means. Your journal, your rules.’

Wukong grinned and flipped the book open, turning past the first page to start drawing. Macaque was already writing, curled up against the corner of the couch while thinking intently. The scratch of pen and pencil on paper was soon the only sound the two of them were making, aside from the occasional hum from Wukong as he worked. Macaque was more quiet, focused on the page as it quickly filled with words.

He suddenly paused, frowning slightly as he thought of something. ‘Question,’ he said, ‘how many things are we supposed to write down?’

‘As many as you want,’ Sandy said with a smile.

Macaque huffed in amusement, ‘Okay, but, you get that we’ve been around a while, right?’ Sandy nodded, making Macaque look at him pointedly. ‘And you get that means we’ve got a lot of memories between us? How deep am I going into this? Am I doing every memory I can think of or just a highlight reel?’

Sandy smiled again, ‘You can go as deep into this as you want, and write down as much as you want. This is for you, so what will help you when you look back at this?’

Macaque went silent, looking back down at the list he had made. ‘Does it just have to be the old stuff?’

‘Not at all,’ Sandy said. ‘You’re writing down any good moments between the two of you. They could be old or new.’

Wukong perked up at that, turning to watch Macaque pause over his notebook before writing something down. A little slower than he had been writing before. Wukong started to lean closer to Macaque, when Sandy cleared his throat. ‘Mr King? Please, no peeking.’

Wukong pouted at that, ‘I was doing no such thing.’

‘Liar,’ Macaque said, not looking up from the book.

‘I wasn’t! I was just curious!’ Macaque rolled his eyes, making Wukong scowl. ‘I think we should compare what we’ve got so far.’

‘I think you should stop being nosy,’ Macaque shot back. 

Sandy held up his hand before the two of them could start arguing properly. ‘The main point of this activity is for your personal benefits. But you are doing this to work on your relationship with each other. So it would be worth considering sharing some of these moments with each other. At some point.’

Macaque rolled his eyes, while Wukong beamed at him smugly, his tail waving happily. ‘Alright, fine,’ Macaque said. He held out the notebook, still open on the page, while not looking at Wukong. ‘But don’t get used to this.’

Wukong ripped the notebook out of his hand, offering his own out as he bounced in place on the couch. The kitten, who had been curled up and dozing on his leg, chittered in displeasure at being disturbed and hopped off his lap, but Wukong didn’t notice. He was too busy staring at the page of tidy writing that had already filled the page, his eyes scanning over the list that had started to loop into a second list. ‘You wrote down so many,’ he whispered.

Macaque scoffed, ‘The wonders of the written word, instead of cute and silly drawings.’ He gestured with Wukong’s book for emphasis, showing Wukong the three rough pencil sketches of the two of them near the waterfall, with a bunch of bananas, and sat under the tree by the beach. But Wukong didn’t react, making Macaque straighten in alarm. He was smiling fondly, and sadly, as he read over the list properly. ‘Wukong?’

‘Yeah?’

‘You okay?’

He nodded, sniffing quietly to himself. ‘Yeah. Just…it’s nice. Seeing this, I mean.’ 

‘It’s just a list.’

‘I know,’ Wukong said. ‘A big one.’ He finally looked up at Macaque, smiling at him as Macaque couldn’t help but notice the tears gathering in his eyes. ‘Clearly I’ve got to catch up.’

Macaque tried to hide his blush by looking back down at Wukong’s notebook, scanning over the details Wukong had started to include. It took a second look over to realise that Wukong had made efforts to include Macaque’s full six ears in all of the sketches, and the both of them were smiling in all three scenes. It made something pang in Macaque’s chest, seeing his and Wukong’s smiling faces. They were rough sketches, but Macaque somehow felt that they were younger in these images. Or maybe he was adding that assumption in. Either way he felt something ache in his chest, but he also couldn’t look away.

Meanwhile Wukong was muttering to himself, scanning a finger down the page to look over every named memory and moment in more detail. ‘Uh, Mac?’ he said. ‘What do you mean by “Performing the play?”’

‘What do you mean?’ Macaque said. ‘You can’t have forgotten already.’

‘Bud? You’ve done a lot of plays.’

‘Yeah, but you only performed in one of them,’ Macaque said.

Wukong’s face fell, his tail curling against his leg. ‘Wait, what? That made it onto the list?’ Macaque shrugged while Wukong looked at the book again. ‘But I sucked.’

Macaque snorted, ‘Yeah you did.’

‘Thanks for the encouragement,’ Wukong scowled. ‘I mean it though. I was an absolute mess, and I know I messed up a bunch of the lines. And then I nearly tripped over the robe when I tried to get off the stage, and…there is no way that night is on the same level as some of the other stuff on here.’

Macaque shrugged, ‘My list, my rules. That's how these work, right?’ He held out Wukong’s book for him to take back, but he was still looking at Macaque’s list. ‘Wukong? I need that back.’

‘Hang on,’ Wukong said. ‘I’m comparing.’

‘Comparing what?’

Sandy laughed nervously, ‘Mr King? Comparing and judging isn’t really a thing we want to be doing right now. Or in general, especially during these sessions.’

Wukong didn’t seem to hear him, his brow furrowed with focus. Until he read something that made his eyes go wide as he gasped. ‘You remembered the fireflies?!’ He said, looking up at Macaque in delight. Macaque looked away to try and hide his blush, while Wukong giggled with glee. ‘Oh man, that was such a good night.’

Sandy looked at the two of them in worry, ‘Do I want to know what you did to the fireflies?’

‘Oh don’t worry,’ Wukong laughed. ‘We didn’t do anything to them. It was…’ he paused, looking at Macaque with a silent question on his face.

Macaque sighed, ‘Give me my book back first.’ Wukong handed it back with a grin, looking ready to start vibrating in excitement as Macaque curled up with his journal and pen again. ‘Alright, go ahead.’

‘Yes!’ Wukong hissed, turning to Sandy with an infectious giddiness. ‘Okay so this was way back when the Brotherhood was still doing pranks on the Celestial Realm and stuff.’

‘Azure hated you calling them pranks,’ Macaque muttered.

‘Anyway,’ Wukong said, ‘we were meant to be scouting this thing out? I can’t remember what, that’s not important.’

Macaque raised an eyebrow. ‘Peng was the one scouting, we were-’

‘Shush!’ Wukong hissed. ‘Not important. The important thing was that me and Mac ended up finding ourselves in this clearing in the middle of the forest and I kid you not, it was full of fireflies. I have never seen that many in one place before, and it was Mac’s first time ever seeing them.’

‘It was not!’ Macaque said.

‘Yes it was, you said so,’ Wukong said.

‘I said I hadn’t seen that specific species before,’ Macaque said. ‘I’ve seen fireflies before.’

Wukong shrugged, ‘That’s not how I remember it.’

Sandy chuckled. ‘It must have looked quite spectacular for it to leave this impression on both of you.’

Macaque shrugged, while Wukong giggled. ‘Oh I haven’t even got to the best part yet. The fireflies? Couldn’t work out how to fly around Macaque because his fur is so dark. So they kept getting stuck in his fur.’

Macaque sighed, ‘Really? That’s why you remember that so well?’

‘Well duh!’ Wukong said. ‘You had a glowing crown!’ Macaque rolled his eyes while Wukong kept giggling. ‘We kept trying to get them out and then he’d have another collection of them five minutes later.’

‘I swear you just pretended to help me get them out of my fur,’ Macaque said. 

‘I would never.’

‘You were trying to work out if we could take them back to the mountain.’

‘In my defence,’ Wukong said, ‘fireflies are one of the few things the mountain is missing. And I wouldn’t want to make you part with your crown.’ Macaque sighed again, turning back to his list as Wukong continued to giggle. ‘We ended up spending the whole night there. Just watching the fireflies dance around us. Ended up losing whatever the thing was we were meant to be scouting, but it was worth it.’

Sandy raised an eyebrow. ‘Really?’

Macaque snorted, ‘Oh man, you should have seen Peng’s reaction the next day when we met up with the others. I think they were ready to try and make a Monkey King fur rug.’

‘Yellowtusk looked so disappointed in us,’ Wukong sighed. ‘Good times.’ He looked back at Macaque, watching him start to write more into the notebook. ‘I should add that to my list as well,’ he said, picking up his book to flick to the right page.

Sandy smiled, watching the two of them return to their attempts to journal. Wukong started to scribble in earnest, while Macaque’s note taking started to slow, his expression becoming more pensive as the minutes ticked on. ‘Sandy?’ he said. ‘What was the point of this?’

Sandy nodded, ‘I find it’s helpful to make important things as concrete as we can, so that we can find them when we need them. You have your main goal, which is to rebuild your relationship. I thought it would be useful to help you remember why this relationship is so important to you both. The big moments, and the little ones. The ones that matter, hopefully more than the bad moments do.’

Macaque scoffed, ‘You think memories about playing together and fireflies are more important than the bad stuff?’

‘They must be,’ Sandy said. ‘Otherwise, why would you be here?’ 

Macaque didn’t respond to that. He only stared at Sandy with wide eyes, feeling stunned. And lost. Again.

‘Will it really help?’ Macaque blinked out of his stupor and turned to look at Wukong as he spoke. He had barely finished the initial tracing of whatever his next drawing was going to be before he had stopped, staring at the pencil sketches with a pain that Macaque felt all too well. ‘Remembering these moments? Normally when I do, at some point sooner or later I’ll end up thinking about them but…in a bad way.’

‘Why?’ Sandy said.

‘Because they remind me of what I lost, I guess.’

Macaque flinched, closing the journal to squeeze it tightly in his hands. Sandy nodded. ‘That’s understandable. Maybe that’s something to set as a personal goal for you. To be able to look back at the brighter moments without feeling that pain or grief, and just enjoy them because they happened. Maybe they were finite, or maybe the two of you can make more. But either way, it doesn’t take away the value those moments have for you. You should be able to appreciate them, if you want to.’

Wukong sniffed, but nodded. He slowly turned to the front page, pondering the journal for a moment. ‘Uh, mind helping me out with the words part, big guy?’

‘Sure,’ Sandy said. Wukong stood, smiling at him sheepishly as he walked around the table to huddle closer to Sandy. He half expected Macaque to make some sort of quip, but the dark monkey was silent. Lost in thought. Staring at the journal he had just nearly filled two pages of. While unable to read any of the actual words. All while Sandy’s words echoed. Slowly, almost robotically, Macaque flipped the page of the journal back to the first, blank page. It felt like the empty page was staring at him. Ready for his first words. He didn’t need to overthink it. It was just for him. Still, he wrote every character slower than normal, feeling a strange weight behind every word he added to the page. He couldn’t help but let out a deep breath when he finished, the sigh so heavy it made him shiver slightly. But he looked at what he had written and managed a small smile. It was just the one goal, but it was one he could work with. The impulse to immediately add another one came out of nowhere, but he didn’t fight it as he quickly scrawled it out after.

‘You okay, bud?’ He looked up at Wukong’s voice, huffing in amusement at the confused worry on the face that was now hovering over him.

‘Yeah,’ Macaque said. ‘What did you come up with in the end?’

Wukong blushed, but still flipped his journal open, holding it up for him to read. “Appreciate the value in the past, and learn how to safely process the grief.”

‘That’s a very Sandy line,’ Macaque said.

Wukong pouted, ‘Alright, fine. What have you got then?’

Macaque turned his book around, letting Wukong lean down to read both of the lines on the page. “Learn how to cherish the good moments in the past.” And in a more hurried script, “Make new moments.”

Wukong blinked in surprise, before a smile began to split his face. ‘Alright, that’s a good one,’ he said. ‘Can I borrow it?’

‘Do you mean steal it?’ Macaque said.

‘Hey, I let you have the big blanket. It’s only fair.’ Wukong grinned at Macaque’s eye roll, but the smile turned grateful when Macaque held out his hand silently. Wukong gave him the book, letting Macaque turn it around to be able to write.

‘So, same thing as mine?’

‘Sure,’ Wukong said. ‘Oh, but can you make it more specific?’

‘Specific how?’

Wukong blushed slightly, ‘Can you add your name with it? Please?’

Now it was Macaque’s turn to blush. And also bite down the quip that was immediately on his tongue about Wukong being weird again. Instead he tore his eyes away from Wukong’s darkening face, clearing his throat as he turned to the book and started to write. He wanted to rush and get it over with, but part of him made him take his time so that he didn’t smudge the ink. When he finished he almost shoved it into Wukong’s chest, making him scramble to grab the book so he could read what Macaque had put. “Make more memories with Mihou.”

‘Perfect,’ he whispered, beaming even as his blush refused to leave. ‘Thanks bud.’

—

‘I see Sandy gave you the journals.’

Wukong looked up with a big grin at MK’s voice. ‘Hey bud,’ he said while closing the book he had been sketching in. ‘He did, and I love it. How did you know I’d love this design?’

MK snorted, while Mei giggled behind him, ‘It’s truly a mystery.’

MK watched Wukong tuck the book away in the folds of his clothes before moving out of the shade of the peach tree he had been sitting under. ‘How have you been getting along with it so far?’ MK asked.

‘Pretty good,’ Wukong said. ‘Right now it’s just a bunch of sketches. I’m considering colouring them in though.’

MK lit up, ‘Wait, you’ve been drawing in yours too?’ Wukong nodded, making MK suddenly hop in excitement. ‘Ha! I told you drawing in them was fine,’ he said as he turned to Mei.

She rolled her eyes, ‘I didn’t disagree with you. I just don’t get why you wouldn’t rather use your actual words.’

‘Well what do you know?’ The sudden voice made everyone spin around, quickly spotting Macaque reclining in a nearby tree, his own notebook in his lap. ‘Me and Dragon Girl are on the same page about something. I feel like we need to mark this moment on the calendar.’

MK waved, ‘Hey Mac. You like yours too then?’

‘Its alright.’

Wukong snorted, ‘He hasn’t put the damn thing down since we got them.’

‘You can talk,’ Macaque said. ‘I swear you’re drawing in yours in your sleep.’

MK giggled, while Mei rolled her eyes. ‘You guys can literally find anything to argue about, huh?’

‘Whatever,’ Macaque said. He snapped his shut, before he and the journal fell back into a shadow portal. He reappeared in MK’s shadow, giving MK a curious look. ‘So, to what do we owe the pleasure?’

Mei chuckled, bracing her fists for a fight while MK suddenly looked more nervous. ‘Uh, well Red’s officially locked himself up in his evil workshop. And…has banned us from bothering him.’ 

Macaque and Wukong’s respective confusion and annoyance both vanished, to be replaced by understanding marred with worry. If Red Son had locked himself away, he must have started his research and building of the scanner for MK in earnest. And was denying MK access to any updates to said scanner. Which was a perfect recipe for a spiral. 

‘So,’ MK continued, ‘Mei wants to use this as an excuse for-’

‘Stress relief,’ Mei said with an evil chuckle.

Macaque and Wukong glanced at each other in concern. ‘What kind?’ Wukong asked.

‘Four vs four battle!’ Mei said. ‘No rules, no limits, just an all out brawl. It only ends with the last dragon standing.’

‘You mean last monkey standing?’ Wukong said.

Macaque winced, ‘Maybe we need some rules. Only one of us is immortal here.’

‘Aww, come on,’ Mei said. ‘Are you scared of a little blood?’

‘Depends,’ Macaque said. ‘If it’s MK’s blood I’ll have Wukong and Pigsy hunting me to the ends of the earth.’

‘Ok fine,’ Mei said. ‘No blood then. Spoilsports.’

Wukong raised a worried eyebrow at that. ‘Should I be worried about Red Son’s influence on you?’

‘Nah,’ MK said. ‘She’s always been like this.’ Mei cackled while pulling MK into a headlock, making him laugh alongside. ‘So yeah. Can we do some sparring if you’ve got time?’

Macaque shrugged, while Wukong smiled. ‘For you? We’ve always got time.’

Chapter Text

‘I’m not sure we have time for this.’

Wukong scoffed, turning to face Macaque with his usual annoying grin while he fiddled with the collar of the bright hoodie he was wearing. ‘Oh come on, Bud. What else are we going to do today?’

‘Well, off the top of my head,’ Macaque said, ‘checking in on MK, looking into Chaos, keeping a look out for any more storms hitting the mountain. If we really wanted to, we could try and listen out for what certain characters in the Celestial Realm are up to, see if we need to empower the wards and defences on the mountain or at least make sure no one is coming after any of us anytime soon.’ 

Wukong blew a raspberry, making Macaque scowl. ‘You’re worrying too much. Besides, it’s not like we’re doing nothing.’

‘Wukong.’

‘Macaque. Seriously, all those things are going to be fine until the end of the day.’ Wukong started to list off Macaque’s points on his fingers, ready to bring up a counter for each of them. ‘The search for Chaos needs either Red Boy to get his work done or Jangles to make a breakthrough in the Cloud, both of which need time so we can’t do anything about that right now. Storm season is practically over, and the measures we’ve already put on the mountain will protect the troop if there is a freak one while we’re gone. The wards are literally the strongest they’ve been, the volcano barrier is at the perfect temperature to keep people away. And MK is fine.’

‘Define “fine.”’

‘Well for one he’s working right now,’ Wukong said. ‘And he was up until way too late last night with Mei at that arcade they like. And he’s got training in literally two days. We’ll see him then, and he’ll be fine. And if he’s not then monkey time.’ Macaque sighed, looking away while Wukong gave him a pointed look. ‘The Kid is fine. Everyone is fine. So, we have time to have some fun.’

Macaque couldn’t help but scowl, ‘Alright, fine.’

Wukong frowned, ‘Well don’t be too excited at the prospect. Or did you forget that this is actually important too?’

‘No.’

‘Good,’ Wukong said. ‘Now come on. We’ve got new moments to make.’

Macaque rolled his eyes, ‘Do we really have to go to the city for this?’

‘Do you have to complain about everything?’ Wukong said. ‘You said you wanted to do something. So we’re doing something.’

‘I just didn’t want to be sitting around in the shack watching one of your dumb shows,’ Macaque said. ‘Watching a dumb and very loud film isn’t going to be much better.’

‘It’s in an outdoor theatre,’ Wukong said. ‘I thought this through, you know?’

‘If you say so,’ Macaque muttered.

Wukong growled, ‘Alright then, judgy pants. What would you rather do today? And don’t say anything about boring work stuff. Something fun.’

‘What you find fun and what I find fun are very different things,’ Macaque said.

Wukong chuckled, ‘Just admit you can’t think of anything.’ Macaque scowled, making Wukong roll his eyes. ‘Look, when you can think of something fun to do then we’ll do it,’ Wukong said, ‘but until then. Movie, in an outdoor theatre so the sound won’t be too loud, with snacks.’

‘Can the snacks at least be something that isn’t peaches?’

‘Sure.’

‘Peach flavoured popcorn counts as peaches.’

‘Since when?!’ Wukong growled. ‘Alright fine, what snacks do you want then?’

Macaque thought for a moment. ‘I could go for some of Pigsy’s dumplings right now.’

Wukong squinted his eyes suspiciously. ‘That’s not a movie snack. And sounds suspiciously like something that will turn into a distraction.’

Macaque shrugged, ‘You asked.’

‘Pigsy’s dumplings aren’t even the best thing on his menu.’

‘You asked about snacks,’ Macaque said pointedly. ‘And Pigsy’s dumplings come in a snack sized box.’ Wukong’s suspicion only grew, making Macaque sigh. ‘It will take five minutes to get some fresh dumplings from Pigsy’s shop. And then when they’re ready we’ll go to the dumb movie. Okay?’

‘You don’t even know what the movie is,’ Wukong said, pouting slightly.

‘And yet I’m agreeing to go,’ Macaque said. ‘Just…let's get some dumplings first.’

‘And we’re going for no other reason?’ Wukong said.

‘Like what?’ Wukong’s suspicious look made Macaque roll his eyes. ‘What can I do in five minutes that will be so bad?’

‘Get us distracted,’ Wukong said. ‘I swear, if you even mention the Cloud in front of Jangles…’

‘Then I won’t mention the Cloud,’ Macaque said. ‘I won’t even mention Chaos.’ Wukong hummed, clearly doubting his intentions, while Macaque tensed defensively. ‘Should I be worried about how much you don’t trust me right now?’

Wukong continued to stare at him, before his shoulders sagged. ‘Alright, fine. Just…promise we won’t miss the movie.’

‘We won’t.’

‘I mean it.’ Wukong said, staring at Macaque with a seriousness that made Macaque struggle to meet his eyes. ‘This is important.’

Macaque looked away, his shoulders curling up to his ears, ‘I know.’

‘Do you?’

‘Hey. Remember I suggested this as a goal first.’

Wukong nodded, ‘Good. Then let's go get your dumplings, you weirdo.’

In the end, they didn’t make it to Pigsy’s shop for the dumplings. At least, not before the film. The two monkeys, fully glamoured and in modern looks, had barely landed in the city before the smell of freshly cooked street food had Wukong dragging Macaque into the heart of busy and bustling markets taking up an entire block of the city. By the time they came out of the other side, both of them had arms full of far too much food and barely had time to make it to the outdoor theatre. A couple of shadow portals and a bit of glamour magic later however, and the two of them were sitting in a perfect spot in the park being used for the theatre, with the food piled between them. Wukong was practically bouncing in place during the trailers, while Macaque muttered about the screen needing some better shade to stop the bright sunlight fading out the images on the screen. Still, both of them fell quiet when the intro of the film started in earnest, Wukong slowly making his way through the mountain of food while Macaque had abandoned the mandated snacks for the film itself. 

He knew this story. Well, he knew the original version of it. This was some highly stylised barely accurate adaptation of the original tale, with too many flashy fights and a gross mischaracterisation of one of his favourite characters. But he still knew it. It was one of the first written stories he had gotten his hands on, a copy that was so old he didn’t even know if the paper had survived after all this time. And that alone made him unable to take his eyes off the screen. Had this been a happy accident? Or had Wukong remembered? He couldn’t tell, and something in him didn’t dare ask. He wasn’t sure which answer he wanted to hear to be honest. So instead he kept quiet, watching the film with full focus and the smallest smile on his face. He didn’t even grumble when Wukong shifted to lean against him. Instead he just let it happen, even when Wukong stole his arm to cuddle. Normally he wouldn’t feel any kind of comfortable about Wukong being this clingy anywhere outside of the nest. But he could put up with it here. Just for a little while.

So Macaque stayed quiet. Right up until the film ended and the credits began to roll. ‘Well,’ Macaque chuckled. ‘Colour me surprised. I didn’t know you were interested in stories like this.’ He turned to Wukong, his light humour dropping for a moment, before he snorted. ‘Seriously?’ 

He tried to shift, but Wukong only grumbled in his sleep, clinging tighter to the arm he had officially stolen at this point. He was two steps away from drooling onto Macaque’s sleeve, with a smear of some sort of sauce on his cheek from his “snacking.” Macaque tried to shift, flexing his arm as Wukong began to grumble. Suddenly Wukong moved, trying to turn and instead rolling off Macaque’s shoulder where he had been precariously pillowed. Macaque grabbed him on instinct, making Wukong whine in his sleep as he continued to shuffle. Without thinking Macaque helped him settle, letting Wukong lie across his lap. When Wukong began to sleepily hum and immediately relaxed against him, Macaque couldn’t help but roll his eyes affectionately. ‘You’re ridiculous.’

By the time Wukong woke up the large theatre screen was alive again. This time with an animated film Macaque was barely paying attention to, choosing instead to listen in on various things that piqued his curiosity. How MK’s deliveries were going, was Mei was up to, if the troop were safe. Any interesting gossip going on in the city, like the kids that were spraying graffiti two blocks away while comparing their powers to try and work out which of them could beat Demon Bull King in a fight. Or the Tai Chi class talking about their grandkids and which ones of them were doing well at school or getting married. Which he was still listening to when he felt Wukong began to stir on his lap.

‘Morning sleepyhead,’ Macaque chuckled.

Wukong yawned, rubbing at his eyes as he looked up at Macaque. Still half asleep and unable to hide his confusion. ‘Mac?’

Macaque raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Question. What was the point of insisting we go watch a movie if you were just going to fall asleep halfway through?’

Wukong turned to look at the screen, the sight of the animated film only making him more confused. ‘Wait, they animated half of it?’

‘No,’ Macaque laughed. ‘This is the film that was scheduled after ours.’ Wukong blinked, unable to wake up enough to process what Macaque was saying. ‘Apparently you’re so old you can’t survive a whole film without sleeping through it and then the next one.’ 

Wukong grumbled, turning back into Macaque’s lap to try and hide his pout, ‘I thought the fights would be better.’

Macaque snorted. ‘Yeah, the fights were a bit ridiculous.’

‘Ridiculous?’ Wukong said. ‘They somehow had bad form, were badly choreographed, and boring. Do you realise how bad movie fighting has to be to fail at all of those things? There wasn’t any spectacle at all. No movie magic in sight.’

Macaque snorted, ‘Maybe you should have choreographed them.’

‘I’d have been so good at choreographing them,’ Wukong said. ‘They would be the best fights to ever be captured by camera.’

‘You know they’d have to be slow enough for the camera to actually pick up the details, right?’ Macaque said. 

‘Well duh,’ Wukong said. ‘How else can people appreciate them?’ He looked up at Macaque, sobering up slightly at the sight of Macaque’s easy smile and light-hearted chuckle. ‘How about the rest of the film? Did you at least enjoy it?’

Macaque shrugged, ‘It was okay.’

Wukong squinted, ‘I can’t tell if that means it was great and you’re downplaying it or it was a travesty but you’re being nice.’

‘Great is definitely not the word,’ Macaque snorted.

‘Oh wonderful,’ Wukong said. ‘So it was a bad film as well?’

‘Eh,’ Macaque said. ‘It…well. If I didn’t know the original story I’m sure it would have been fine.’

‘Oh no,’ Wukong said. ‘How badly did they screw it up?’

‘It would be easier to list which bits they didn’t get wrong,’ Macaque said.

Wukong groaned. ‘Dammit.’

Macaque couldn’t help but smile at Wukong. ‘It wasn’t the worst adaptation I’ve seen.’

‘You’re not just saying that?’ Wukong said.

‘Oh no. Remember when we snuck into that mortal palace to see the theatre troupe they had invited to perform? Their version was so much worse.’

Wukong snorted, ‘Oh yeah! I thought you were going to shadow portal them all off a cliff, you were so mad.’

‘No one would have blamed me if I had,’ Macaque said. ‘In fact I reckon whichever royal was watching it would have thanked me.’

Wukong cackled at that. He finally moved to sit up, ruffling his hair and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. ‘Well, so much for making new moments,’ he said. He stretched, yawning again as Macaque looked around at the groups around them. ‘Should we stay for this one?’

‘I’m going to be honest?’ Macaque said. ‘Listening to old lady Shen describe her grandson’s plans for his wedding is much more interesting than this.’

‘That sounds like the most boring conversation ever,’ Wukong said. Macaque nodded, making Wukong sigh. ‘Time to bail then?’

Macaque grabbed his arm, tipping them back into shadows without any warning to land on a random rooftop in the city. ‘Alright,’ Macaque said. ‘Now you’re hopefully more awake. Anymore plans for fun today?’

Wukong looked around, scratching the back of his neck nervously. ‘Well, I’m kinda getting hungry again.’

‘Really?’ Macaque said. ‘Seriously, where do you put it all?’

‘I have a fast metabolism?’

Macaque rolled his eyes. ‘Not that fast.’

Wukong scowled. ‘Oh shush. I was going to suggest going to Pigsy’s so we can get those dumplings you were going on about, but if you don’t want to anymore…’

‘Don’t put words in my mouth,’ Macaque said. ‘Come on.’

They didn’t even get to the door before Wukong was drooling at the smell of fresh noodles and soup drifting out of the shop, while Macaque perked up at the sound of sizzling food. Poking their heads inside, Wukong grinned at the sight of MK sat at the main counter putting together dumplings, while Mei reclined over a bench nearby with her face in her phone. Tang was in his normal spot, an empty bowl next to him and a book in his hands, and of course, the main chef himself was shouting over the sound of the cooking.

‘Kid? When you’ve done that go wash up. Next order to go out will be ready in ten.’

‘Sure,’ MK said, his tongue peeking out as he focused on folding the dumplings correctly. ‘I think I can make five more with the filling here.’

‘Ooh,’ Wukong said, making everyone jump. ‘Can we get in on those?’

‘Monkey King!’ MK shouted in delight. Pigsy sighed as MK leapt off the stool and barrelled into Wukong, making the old monkey laugh at him. ‘What are you doing out this way?’

‘Sleeping through his plans,’ Macaque chuckled. 

Wukong scowled at him, making MK laugh. ‘Really? This is the thanks I get?’

‘Why? What were you doing?’ MK said.

Pigsy cleared his throat. ‘Kid? Dumplings.’

‘Oh right, right.’ He turned back to the counter, reaching out to grab the bowl before a spoon came down between him and his set up.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Pigsy said. ‘Only clean hands touch the food, I’ve told you this.’

MK groaned, shuffling off to the sink while Wukong and Macaque chuckled. ‘You know,’ Wukong said, ‘by the time he’s done he may as well get ready for whatever delivery you’re dishing up.’

Pigsy frowned, ‘You’re not wrong. Alright, Tang.’ The spectacled man looked up at Pigsy with an inquisitive expression. ‘Time to earn your keep. Get these dumplings finished up.’

Tang hissed, ‘Gee, I would Pigsy. But my wrist, that old sprain is playing up.’

‘I thought it was your ankle that had the old sprain,’ Macaque said.

‘I can have two old sprains!’ Tang said. ‘I have weak joints.’

Pigsy rolled his eyes. ‘Mei! You up for helping out?’

‘Sure,’ Mei said. She rolled off the bench, pocketing her phone as MK came out of the bathroom. ‘Give me a second,’ she said, pointing to the bathroom for emphasis.

MK pulled off the apron wrapped around his waist while heading behind the counter, moving to grab one of the delivery bags while Pigsy started busying himself with ladles. ‘Are you guys going to hang around? Or do you need to go back to the mountain?’

Wukong shook his head. ‘We’re in no rush. Unless someone wants us out of here?’

‘As long as you pay, you can stay!’ Pigsy shouted.

Tang flinched in worry as Wukong laughed. ‘I always do!’

‘Great,’ Pigsy said. ‘Let me send the kid off with these and then I’ll get your usuals started.’

‘With extra dumplings?’ Wukong said. ‘And…which noodles do you want?’ He asked Macaque.

‘Classic’s fine,’ Macaque said.

MK grinned as Pigsy handed him the delivery order. ‘Don’t forget the extra shot-’

‘Of soy sauce, I know,’ Pigsy said. ‘Don’t act like you’re the only one who knows our regulars.’

Macaque raised an eyebrow, ‘I’m a regular now?’

MK laughed, ‘Congrats on the promotion.’ 

By the time MK got back to the shop Wukong and Macaque were set up with their bowls of noodles, listening to Tang go on and on about the fascinating things he had been discovered in the depths of the Cloud, none of which proved to be in any way related to Chaos but all of which had Tang’s full attention and excitement. By the time Pigsy served up a bowl of noodles for MK and pointed for him to have a break, Wukong was trying to not yawn over Tang current infodump about a story he had found about a river maiden and a mysterious spirit that haunted her home. 

‘Okay, so,’ MK said, cutting over Tang while sliding onto one of the free benches. ‘Important question. Whose dumplings are better? Mine or Meis?’

Macaque looked at the plate of dumplings between them. ‘The neat ones.’

MK grinned, ‘Those will be mine then.’

Mei scoffed, ‘As if!’

Tang pouted at the kids interrupting his story, while Wukong chuckled. ‘You sure those weren’t the ones the actual chef here made?’

‘I am a chef!’ MK said.

Macaque smirked, ‘So are you allowed around the knives yet?’

‘Like hell he is!’ Pigsy shouted from the kitchen. 

MK wilted while everyone chuckled at him. ‘Aww, come on! I’m not that bad!’

‘You’re better than you were,’ Wukong said. ‘But I think there’s a clumsy bone in you somewhere.’

‘If that’s true,’ Mei said, ‘then does that mean Monkey King does too? Since you’re from the same stone?’

Wukong blew a raspberry, ‘Give me more credit than that.’

MK looked immediately at Macaque, waiting to see if he had a comment or comeback about it. But when he stayed silent MK groaned. ‘Come on, seriously?’

Wukong shrugged, ‘That just means more training, right?’ MK pouted, making Mei pat him on the head in encouragement while Wukong grinned. ‘That’s the spirit!’

‘That’s a point,’ Pigsy said. ‘Will the kid’s training actually be training now? Or is there more storm fighting to do?’

Macaque shook his head, ‘Nah, the worst of the storm season is over. Should be quiet after this.’

Wukong grinned, ‘Well, kind of.’

Macaque raised an eyebrow at Wukong as MK leaned in curiously. ‘Kind of? What’s kind of mean?’

‘Well,’ Wukong said. ‘It won’t stop training time per se. Depending on how distracted you get.’

Macaque’s face fell as the realisation hit him. ‘Oh no.’

‘Oh yes,’ Wukong grinned. ‘It’s going to be Baby season soon!’

‘Baby what?’ MK said.

Wukong giggled, not noticing how Macaque slumped in his seat. ‘About a month or two after the storm season has passed is when the troop’s pregnant members typically give birth. Which means-’

Mei gasped, slamming the table as she jumped to her feet, ‘Baby monkeys?!’

‘Baby monkeys,’ Wukong laughed. Mei squealed in delight, as MK laughed. ‘And since the troop’s actually been letting MK join in with the group grooming sessions, that means you’ll be one of the first people to see the nursery this year.’

MK’s jaw dropped, eyes filling with wonder. ‘Seriously?’ Wukong nodded. ‘Oh my Great Sage, this is going to be so cute!’

Mei pouted, ‘Wait, no, I want to see the baby monkeys.’

Wukong shook his head, ‘Sorry Mei. But the Mommas get very territorial. Only troop members are allowed in the nursery or around the babies.’

‘Wait, does that mean MK will be allowed?’ Tang asked.

‘I think so,’ Wukong said. ‘It might be a case of he can look but not touch, or he has to keep his distance with the other teenagers.’

‘Teen…I’m not a teenager!’ MK said.

‘Uh huh, sure,’ Wukong said. ‘Then stop making cute cub noises.’

‘I don’t make cub noises!’ MK looked at Mei and Tang. ‘Come on, back me up. I don’t make cub noises!’

‘Uh,’ Tang looked between MK and Wukong, ‘I know a lot of things? But the finer points of monkey language isn’t one of them.’

‘Yeah,’ Mei said. ‘Only person who can back you up here is Mac.’

Macaque flinched at the sound of his name, looking around at the group in alarm. ‘What was that?’

‘MK. Baby monkey noises. Yay or nay?’ Mei said.

Macaque twitched, fiddling with his chopsticks as all eyes were suddenly on him. ‘Uh…I…’

MK frowned, ‘Mac? You okay bud?’

‘Hmm? Oh, yeah,’ Macaque said. ‘I just…didn’t realise how soon the new cubs would be here.’

Wukong grinned, ‘Oh yeah, it sneaks up on me every year.’

MK didn’t look away from Macaque, while Mei grinned. ‘Oh man, it must be so adorable!’

Macaque shrugged, ‘The mothers probably don’t think so. Babies cry a lot.’

‘Aww,’ Mei said. ‘See, if they let me close? Then I’ll hug the little babies better, and it will be so cute and adorable!’

Macaque huffed, while Wukong chuckled nervously, ‘Yeah…until the cubs want to climb up you. I’ve lost many a clump of fur to their little iron grips.’

MK patted Mei’s shoulder. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll try and get some pictures for you, okay?’

Mei immediately tackled MK with a squeal, thanking him profusely while everyone laughed at the two of them. Well, almost everyone. Macaque barely watched them, his ears twitching as he stretched his hearing out to listen for the troop again. Just in case something happened. Just in case they needed him.

Chapter Text

As nice as their first therapy session had been, Wukong and Macaque knew that their time at Sandy’s boat couldn’t just be about reflecting on the good moments of the past. Thankfully, Sandy was remarkably good at easing the two of them into different aspects and topics to think about. He found a way to  start each session with a different focus for them to consider, and had them walk away with a new selection of exercises to experiment with and goals added to their lists. He took his time with the both of them, showing a kindness and patience that managed to disarm and reassure them in equal measure. What was perhaps more disarming was seeing the first signs of it working. Wukong especially took to each lesson eagerly, partially out of his eagerness to try something new, and partially out of a need for this whole concept to work for the both of them. Macaque was less enthused, which no one was really surprised about, but he rarely was so reluctant he would outright refuse to take part. Both of them were clearly trying, and the rare moments where they helped each other with the exercises were starting to become more frequent. But learning and growing rarely happens in a straight line. And neither does healing. 

‘We need help.’

Sandy smiled at Wukong while looking between the two of them. ‘That’s why I’m here. What do we want to work on today?’

Both monkeys were clearly not in the mood for his smiles. They were back in the more comfortable and casual clothing they had taken to wearing while at these sessions (something that Sandy encouraged them to do) and both wearing identical scowls. Wukong had taken to the habit of crossing his legs to get comfortable, something he was now doing while leaning forward while his fur puffed in anger. Macaque meanwhile was curled up like always, tail curled around his legs while he had his arms folded across his chest and he looked away from both of them. 

And of course, Wukong responded first. ‘Something’s bothering Macaque, and he won’t tell me what it is.’

Macaque sighed, ‘Not this again. We’re here to work on therapy stuff. Not to deal with your latest tantrum.’

‘I’m not having a tantrum.’

‘Then prove it and don’t make this Sandy’s problem.’

Wukong clapped his hands in mock wonder, ‘Great idea! Then tell me what’s bothering you.’

‘Right now you’re bothering me,’ Macaque sneered.

‘Guys?’ Sandy said. ‘Please, an argument won’t be productive here.’

Wukong scowled, ‘Well he started it.’

Macaque spluttered, ‘How did I start it? You literally spoke first.’

‘Because you won’t tell me what’s-’

‘Guys!’ Sandy said louder, cutting over both of them. ‘Today seems like a good time to work on our communication tools.’ Wukong and Macaque both slumped, one with a groan and one with relief, while Sandy grabbed a small remote from the table. ‘But first, let’s do some breathing exercises.’

Macaque rolled his eyes, ‘Seriously?’

‘Both of you are feeling really high emotions right now,’ Sandy said, ‘and that can make it harder to communicate. Both with expressing yourself in a clear way, and with hearing the other person in the conversation.’ 

Macaque scoffed, ‘There’s nothing wrong with my hearing.’ 

Wukong shushed him as Sandy continued. ‘When our emotions get high, especially when speaking about something we care a lot about, we can forget to listen in favour of trying to prove why our side is the right one. Likewise, if we feel like we’re being attacked we will put up defenses or lash out in order to block the attempts at communication as a protective measure. Both of these things can cause and perpetuate this kind of breakdown in conversation, turning it into an argument where nobody wins. So,’ he hit a button on the remote, letting soft and tranquil music drift through the room. ‘Let’s mellow out those emotions first. And then we can try again.’

Wukong immediately let out a heavy breath, closing his eyes as he naturally fell into an easy meditation. Macaque rolled his eyes at the sight, curling up tighter into his corner of the couch while Sandy gently talked them through a breathing exercise, timing each breath to the rhythm of the music in the background. Wukong visibly relaxed as he continued, but somehow Macaque only seemed to get more wound up as time went on. Each breath only added more tension to his shoulders, his ears flicking more and more as they sat in silence. The sight made Sandy frown, but something stopped him from pointing it out. He wasn’t sure which of the monkey’s reactions he was more worried about, but either way being so blunt would only make this whole situation worse. So instead he carried on, watching Macaque carefully until he brought the breathing exercise to an end.

‘Alright,’ Sandy said, ‘are we feeling calmer?’ Wukong nodded, while Macaque shrugged. ‘Okay. Do we think we’re okay to continue?’

Wukong nodded again, ‘Sure.’

‘Whatever,’ Macaque sighed. 

That earned a scowl from Wukong, but before he could respond Sandy grinned. ‘Great. Then I want to try something while we do this.’ He grabbed a smiling cat pillow from beside his chair, that looked suspiciously like Mo’s face, holding it up to show the both of them. ‘The talking pillow.’

‘The what?’ Macaque said.

Sandy twirled the pillow with a flourish. ‘I've noticed that when people with grievances need to talk to each other there can be a tendency to interrupt, or talk over each other, or make side comments.’

Wukong huffed, ‘Yeah that sounds familiar.’

‘So,’ Sandy said. ‘The talking pillow. Whoever holds the pillow can talk, while the other one stays quiet. And then you swap. So both parties get to say their piece while getting a chance to be heard. How does that sound?’

Wukong nodded eagerly while Macaque rolled his eyes. ‘Oh great. Why not give Wukong a microphone while you’re at it?’

‘Mac,’ Wukong said. ‘Enough. We need to try this okay?’

‘Why? Are you incapable of listening otherwise?’

Sandy sighed while Wukong scowled. ‘I’ve been trying to listen, bud. But all I’ve been hearing is “It’s none of your business,” or “be quiet,” or “leave me alone.”’

‘Oh,’ Macaque said. ‘So you can hear me. You’re just choosing to ignore what I’m saying. Great job, thanks bud.’

Wukong growled, ‘I’m not going to drop this.’

‘Why is it so important?’ 

Because-’ Wukong paused, looking back to Sandy and the pillow in his hands. ‘Can I have a go with that first?’

Sandy looked down at the pillow, then back at them sheepishly. ‘Well, normally when we’re starting this kind of exercise, it’s quite useful to let the quieter person in the conversation go first.’

Wukong snorted, ‘He’s not quiet.’

Macaque sighed, ‘Let him have it.’

Sandy looked at Macaque, making a careful note of how his folded arms were starting to shift into him holding himself in comfort. ‘Are you sure?’

Macaque snorted, ‘It's fine. He’s not going to listen to anything I have to say when he’s this wound up anyway.’

‘What do you mean by-’ Wukong started to shout before he cut himself off. ‘Pick your battles, pick your battles, pick your battles.’ He retrieved the pillow from Sandy, settling down on the couch again while he started to fluff it on autopilot. ‘Alright. My turn to speak. I am worried about Macaque.’

Macaque sighed, ‘You don’t-’

‘Nope! Nuh uh,’ Wukong said. ‘I have the pillow, so you have to be quiet.’ Macaque growled in frustration but otherwise didn’t say another word. ‘Right. I am worried about Macaque, and I want to help, but he’s not letting me. Because he’s not letting me in.’

Sandy nodded, watching Macaque’s reactions out of the corner of his eye. ‘Okay, good. Can you give an example of something that’s causing you to worry about Mr Ma-quack?’

Macaque muttered something about being called Mr, but Wukong continued. ‘Well aside from avoiding me and the house again, the fact I think he’s barely sleeping, and how he’s started to shut out MK again? He’s now being weird about the troop.’

Macaque clicked his tongue in frustration. ‘I’m not-’

Wukong cuffed him with the pillow before he could fully interrupt, clearing his throat while Macaque grumbled. ‘I still have the pillow,’ Wukong said. ‘And yes you are being weird about the troop.’

‘How so?’ Sandy asked.

‘Where do I start?’ Wukong said. ‘Okay. Since he’s been back I know he’s had to put in a lot of work to be comfortable around them again. Which I’ve been helping with, and I’m happy to do so, might I add. I mediate with him and the monkeys, to make sure they don’t overwhelm him. And he was joining in with troop bonding time at least twice a week, which is great. And now we’re out of storm season, and we don’t need to worry about getting the guys into shelters or whatever, so I thought we would have a chance for Mac and the troop to get even closer. But no. No, apparently Mac wants to do the opposite. He’s started pulling back, like a lot. Everyone had noticed. And he won’t tell any of us why.’

Macaque muttered under his breath, his ears flicking again while Sandy watched. ‘Okay, I can see why that would cause concern. And I’m guessing you’ve brought this up already.’

Wukong nodded sadly. ‘He just tells me to drop it.’

Sandy winced, ‘Sometimes when big changes happen in a routine we can need an adjustment period, or to find extra ways to create moments to practice self care. As harsh as the words are, Mr Ma-quack might simply be needing space.’

Macaque lit up, gesturing at Sandy while clearly biting his tongue, but Wukong shook his head. ‘But it doesn’t feel like that. He’s left to take space before, and this feels different. It feels like he’s shutting me out. Even more than usual. And I didn’t even think that was possible.’ Macaque rolled his eyes, but Wukong continued without pausing. ‘Mac? I promised I would help you rejoin the troop. The little guys have loved having you back, and they’re worried about you. I’m worried about you. We all want to help you, I want to help you, I do. But I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.’ He looked over at Macaque, slowly moving to put the pillow between them. When he let go the tension was palpable between them, Wukong watching Macaque intently while the dark monkey seemed to lean as far away from him as he could. 

Sandy cleared his throat, ‘Mr King, does this mean you’ve said everything you want to say?’ Wukong nodded, earning a smile from Sandy. ‘Great. Then, when you’re ready Mr Ma-quack.’

‘I’m not-’ Macaque grumbled, biting his words back as he scowled in frustration. ‘This is pointless.’

Wukong frowned, as Sandy tried to not sigh. ‘Talking about your feelings isn’t pointless. Mr King is worried, and-’

‘Well he has no need to be,’ Macaque said. ‘I’m fine.’

‘No you’re not,’ Wukong said.

Macaque jabbed an angry finger at the pillow. ‘I thought you couldn’t talk if you weren’t holding it.’

‘Well neither are you, so…’

‘Fine,’ Macaque snapped. He snatched up the pillow, his claws threatening to pierce the fabric. ‘This is a waste of time. You don’t need to worry about me, and you don’t need to pry into my business.’

Wukong spluttered, opening his mouth to respond before he snapped his mouth shut. Sandy meanwhile held up his hands placatingly, desperately trying to think of a way to de-escalate the situation. ‘Alright, let’s try something else.’

Macaque scoffed, ‘Done with the pointless pillow thing now?’

‘Mac,’ Wukong said sharply.

Sandy sighed, ‘Mr Ma-quack-’

‘I told you to stop calling me that!’ Sandy jumped and Wukong flinched as Macaque suddenly yelled at them, springing to his feet as his anger spilled over. ‘I told you, and I keep telling you, to stop calling me Mr whatever! I’m not Mr anything! I’m just Macaque. The Six Eared Macaque. I don’t need another title, I don’t need you to call me anything fancy or make you act like I’m oh so important, because I’m not him!’ He threw the pillow back on the couch so it bounced onto Wukong’s lap, but no one reacted. They were too busy staring at Macaque in shock as he panted for breath. ‘I’m done with this,’ he said. 

‘What?’ Wukong said.

‘You heard me, I’m done.’

‘Mac, we still have time to-’

‘I don’t need more time here,’ Macaque snapped. ‘I don’t need to be counting the minutes on this couch, or breathing to quiet music, or worrying about your damn feelings. I need to be on the mountain.’ He took a breath, the anger making him shiver in place as his tail puffed with the same anger. ‘I’m not doing this today,’ he said quieter, and clearer, but barely calmer. ‘So I’m going home.’ He looked at Sandy, who was still staring at him shocked, then at Wukong. There was a challenge in his eye, one that held weight to what he said next. Like he was ready to judge Wukong for whatever he did next. ‘You coming?’

Wukong was silent, staring at Macaque with a thousand thoughts and emotions racing over his face. When he finally looked away it was to look at the pillow in his hands, before he turned to look at Sandy. Sandy finally roused from his shock enough to clear his throat and speak. ‘Mr King, if you want to carry on and practice some more exercises then I’m more than happy to…’

Wukong shook his head, putting down the pillow as he climbed off the couch. He scooped up the two journals that were resting on the table, stacking them so he could hug them to his chest before he looked at Macaque again. ‘Okay,’ he said quietly. ‘Lets go.’

The shadows all but threw Wukong back into his shack, making him stumble slightly onto the wooden floor on the other side. He looked around, seeing where he was, before he sighed. ‘Alright, what the hell was…’ he said as he turned to look at Macaque, but paused. He was alone in the room. He frowned, worry and panic flaring as he ran to the door. ‘Mac?’ Throwing the door open, Wukong was greeted with warm sunshine, gentle winds, and the distant calls of monkeys in the main forest. But there was no sign of Macaque. 

‘Seriously?’ he muttered to himself. ‘Mac!’ There was no answer, even as Wukong stepped off the porch and looked around the whole clearing. There was no dark fur, no extra shadows, no glowing violet eyes. Nothing. ‘Oh come on,’ Wukong shouted at the wind, ‘all that and then you run off anyway?’ Only a breeze responded, making Wukong growl. ‘Alright, fine. We don’t need to talk about it. But can you just come back and not disappear again? We’ll try something else! Just…’ he faltered, his frustration giving away with a sigh. ‘Just come back. Please, bud. Just, tell me how I can help.’

The silence held no answers for him. No solace, no comfort. All it did was make Wukong wilt, before his anger came back with a vengeance. ‘Fine,’ he muttered. ‘Guess I’ll just…gah!’ He stormed inside the house, dropping the journals on the table next to a pencil case MK had gotten him and a larger sketch pad. He stared at the pad, trying to work out if he could sit for long enough to draw his emotions out. No, no he would more likely break the crayons than do anything else. Maybe a flight would burn off his energy. And maybe he could fly all the way over to DBK’s fortress and pick a fight with him. That would let him get something out. Instead he grabbed his phone, almost cracking the thing with how tightly he held it as he punched in a number and put it to his ear.

It rang a few times before the other line answered. ‘Monkey King? Are you okay?’

‘How do you do the self care thing when you’re angry?’ Wukong said.

MK went silent on the phone, ‘What? What happened?’

‘Never mind that, just answer the question.’

‘Uh…’ MK dithered, making Wukong clench his jaw, ‘doesn’t Sandy have exercises for this?’

‘Maybe? I don’t know. How do you do it though?’

MK thought for a moment, ‘Usually I rant at Mei or Pigsy. Or do some sparring. Exercise. It tends to be better with company, otherwise I feel like I’m just bottling it up until I explode.’

Wukong nodded, ‘Yeah, exploding is the thing I probably shouldn’t do right now, but I’m really close.’

‘Did something happen?’ MK said. ‘Wait, did your session with Sandy finish early?’ Wukong scoffed, making MK hum. ‘Want to come get cheese tea with me and Mei and do a city race?’

It didn’t sound like the perfect answer to what he needed, like some of MK’s suggestions did. But it was an option, and it made him do something. And that was better than sitting here to do nothing but seethe while waiting for Macaque to get his act together. ‘Sure, kid. Sounds great. I’ll head out now.’

‘Great,’ MK said brightly. ‘Meet us at the noodle shop. I’ll get Mei to order your usual.’

Wukong nodded, trying to smile even as something sour twisted in his chest. ‘Thanks. See you soon.’ 

In the end, all the hangout did was burn off the worst of the energy. As nice as the tea was, and as good as it felt to get his blood pumping by flying through the city, it did nothing for the underlying rage still there. Wukong did try to vent by giving them the barest details of what happened. He was worried about Macaque, he tried to help, Macaque ended up snapping at both him and Sandy and then running off to hide. Again. MK wasn’t surprised by anything Wukong had said, after all he had been at some of the monkey troop hangouts and had noticed the same thing that Wukong had. Which was good in that it helped Wukong not feel like he was being the crazy one for noticing all of this. But despite his anger he didn’t want to share anymore with the pair of them. He knew that Macaque’s feelings about this were ridiculous, but if he had to deal with Macaque’s dumb ideas about not letting people into any of “their business,” then he guessed he would put up with it until Macaque finally saw sense. And if that meant keeping the details away from MK and Mei, then that was what he would have to do.

Still, all that meant was by the time he got home he was no less angry, he was just being tired and grumbling about it instead. It was dark by the time his nimbus landed back in his grove, and by the sounds of the mountain everyone else had already gone to sleep. Wukong huffed, continuing to grumble unintelligibly as he headed into the equally dark shack. He was ready to just collapse into bed face first, not even bothering to turn on the light in favour of just blindly walking through the shack to his room. He was too tired to even bother with the curtains, even if it meant dealing with the early morning sun waking him up in just a few hours time. Right now that wasn’t his problem. Right now he would just hide his face from the silver moonlight, maybe cover himself in the big blanket if Macaque hadn’t straight up taken it out of the nest, and…

His angry internal tirade stopped the second he looked at the bed. And saw the Macaque sized blanket pile on Wukong’s side of the nest. What he assumed was the head, because all of it was hidden under Macaque’s blanket, was even buried into Wukong’s biggest and best pillow. By rights Wukong should have been angry, or at least annoyed, but suddenly he didn’t know how to be. Not when that worry came back full force warning him that something was wrong. He climbed over the bed slowly, trying to not disturb the bed too much with his weight. Not until he was close enough to Macaque that he could carefully lift some of the blanket away. Just enough so that he could peek inside. 

Macaque was fast asleep. But not comfortably so. His entire body managed to be tense even while unconscious, and there was a deep crease in his brow. Now he was closer Wukong could see all six ears were out for once, twitching uncontrollably in his sleep. The sight made Wukong sigh, immediately causing Macaque to stir enough that he shifted on the pillow. So Wukong could see the dark patch on the pillow that Macaque’s fur had been hiding. 

‘Wukong?’ Macaque’s voice was quiet, tired from sleep and cracking slightly from stress.

Wukong gave him a small smile, ‘Hey bud.’

Tired golden eyes looked up at him, filled with emotions Macaque was too tired to hide. Sorrow, fear, guilt, all played out over his face. He finally looked away, having the awareness to at least look embarrassed. ‘Is this the part where you say I told you so?’

‘I could, couldn’t I?’ Wukong said. Instead he adjusted the blanket so it was still hooded over Macaque, while he was able to see the dark monkey’s face. Then he turned to wipe at his cheeks, rubbing away the now dried tear tracks as Macaque’s eyes began to threaten fresh ones. 

Neither of them said anything though, not until Wukong finally laid down, facing Macaque, while reaching for the hand clutching at his pillow. He covered it gently, rubbing his thumb over the knuckles while he watched Macaque carefully. Macaque stared at their hands, blinking back the tears before they could fall. ‘Is this where you ask me to talk about it?’

‘That depends,’ Wukong whispered. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’ Macaque shook his head quickly, making Wukong bite back a sigh. ‘Okay. Well, I still want to help you. So, can you tell me how I can do that at least?’

Macaque met Wukong’s eyes with a desperate look that made Wukong’s heart ache. He was silently pleading with Wukong for something, but with his lip quivering and his hand shaking under Wukong’s it seemed like he couldn’t put what he needed into words. So Wukong acted on instinct. He moved closer, shuffling so he could wrap both arms around Macaque and pull him tight into his chest. Immediately Macaque shuddered, moving to clutch at Wukong’s hoodie while burying his face into Wukong’s shoulder. Wukong shifted the two of them so they were both under the blanket, so he could rake his paws through Macaque’s mane, burying his face into the top of his head and filling his nose with the scent of plums and spices. 

‘I’m sorry,’ Macaque whispered.

‘I thought we agreed we weren’t saying that word to each other anymore?’ Wukong said quietly. Macaque flinched, even as Wukong continued to stroke through his fur, holding him tightly enough to make his spine pop. ‘Besides,’ Wukong said. ‘I’m used to your tantrums. Sandy’s the one you probably need to apologise to more.’

Macaque huffed, ‘Do I have to?’

Wukong shrugged, ‘I guess not. But he is our friend. And he is trying to help us.’

Macaque sniffed, ‘What if I messed it up too much though?’

‘I doubt it. It’s Sandy after all. Of all the people to snap at, Sandy will probably be one of the kinder ones about it.’ Still Macaque tensed in his embrace, making Wukong shush him gently. ‘Right now, just rest. We can talk about this in the morning.’

‘You’ll still be here?’ Macaque asked.

Wukong nodded, ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

‘You promise?’

‘I’m not the one trying to push everyone away here,’ Wukong said. ‘But yes. I promise. I’m not going anywhere. And right now, I’m not letting you go.’ That seemed to relax Macaque, to the point his ears were twitching less. ‘Now, close your eyes and get some damn sleep,’ Wukong said tiredly, closing his eyes as well. ‘And don’t run off in the morning, okay?’

He felt Macaque nod against his shoulder, and he began to slump more in Wukong’s arms as sleep started to take him again. ‘I don’t want to leave,’ Macaque muttered. ‘I want to stay.’

Wukong managed a smile at that. ‘Good. Me too.’ 

Chapter Text

The sudden knock on the door made Sandy startle out of his nap, flustering enough that he almost fell out of his seat and sprawled over the floor. Mo startled just as suddenly, making his displeasure known by yelling at the door from the top of Sandy’s armchair. Sandy grunted, clambering to his feet and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as another round of knocking started. He managed to call out that he was coming before a yawn slipped out, making the knocking stop for long enough that Sandy could undo the locks and peek out. At the sight of the familiar dark hair and yellow jacket his whole face lit up. ‘Hey Little Man! It’s good to see…’

Sandy trailed off when MK looked up at him. He didn’t look right. Between the tension in his shoulders, the arms folded tightly across his chest, and the scowl creasing his face, he didn’t look like him. Before Sandy could even open his mouth to ask what was going on his eyes flashed with purple light, making Sandy flinch in surprise as “MK” cleared his throat. ‘Can I come in?’

Sandy nodded, trying to give an encouraging smile even though it couldn’t meet his eyes. ‘Sure. Absolutely. No problem.’ 

He held the door open, letting “MK” step inside the boat with a quiet thanks. He closed the door quickly, hand hovering over the locks before he decided against it. He turned around to see “MK” was looking around at the room, with a grey furred cat coming over to investigate him. ‘So,’ Sandy said awkwardly, ‘could I get you some tea?’

The glamour dropped away, violet light replacing dark hair with black fur, while the yellow jacket shifted into dark armour with the familiar red scarf and cape. Of course it did nothing for the scowl, making Macaque look no less tense though as he looked at Sandy. ‘I’m good, thanks.’

‘Oh thank the Great Sage!’ Sandy gasped as he doubled over, ready to faint in relief.

Macaque raised an eyebrow, ‘You okay big guy?’

‘I thought it was you,’ Sandy said, ‘but then I realised I was just going off instinct, and…well if you had been one of MK’s enemies this would be turning into a very different conversation right now.’

Macaque chuckled nervously, ‘Well, uh…good instincts then.’

Sandy sighed in relief. ‘I definitely need tea now.’ He walked past Macaque to the kitchen, grabbing the kettle on autopilot. Macaque watched him for a second, torn between confusion and guilt, when Sandy spoke up. ‘You know, you didn’t have to pretend to be MK for me to let you in. You’re welcome anytime.’

Macaque blinked in surprise, looking away to hide his blush. ‘Good to know. It wasn’t for your benefit though.’

‘Oh?’

‘If anyone who might want to be our enemy someday has eyes out in the city they might be curious about what all of us are doing,’ Macaque said. ‘But MK visits you so often, no one would suspect a thing.’

‘Ah,’ Sandy said. ‘That is clever. But uh…is that kind of threat likely?’

‘Wukong managed to threaten, defeat or insult at least half of the demons and celestials currently alive,’ Macaque said. ‘And the kid has more than made his own name and reputation for himself through his deeds.’

‘Fair enough,’ Sandy laughed nervously. ‘Then, can I ask why you decided to visit? And not use your shadow portal trick to get here?’

Macaque winced, ‘I was…trying to not be rude.’

‘Oh,’ Sandy said, surprised. ‘Well…thank you. I appreciate that.’ He finished putting the lid on his freshly made pot of tea, bringing over his tray to the collection of couches and tables. ‘In that case, to what do me and Mo owe the pleasure?’

Macaque went quiet for a moment, watching Sandy carefully as he sat. When he did, Macaque moved over to his usual couch. But instead of curling up like normal Macaque perched on the edge of the cushion, staring at one of the books on the table. ‘I need to apologise,’ he said quietly. ‘For how I acted last time I was here.’

‘Oh,’ Sandy said. ‘Well there’s no need for that, I know as well as-’

‘Yes there is,’ Macaque said sharply. Sandy fell silent, watching carefully as Macaque silently wrestled with some unseen turmoil. ‘It wasn’t fair to lash out at you,’ Macaque finally said. ‘You’ve only been helping us, and to just snap at you out of nowhere…well I’m not proud of it.’ Sandy continued to watch Macaque, not saying a word as he sighed. ‘I need to also say that however angry and rude I was acting? I wasn’t actually angry at you. It was…other stuff. But I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, so I’m sorry.’

‘Ma-quack?’ Macaque finally looked up at Sandy, watching a small but reassuring smile grow behind his beard. ‘Thank you, I accept your apology.’ Macaque’s eyes widened in shock, making Sandy chuckle slightly. ‘And for what it’s worth, while I appreciate most of your anger wasn’t due to my actions, I am sorry for my part in it.’

‘Your what?’

‘You have said more than once about not being fond of being called Mr Ma-Quack,’ Sandy said. ‘And I should have respected that boundary. I’m sorry.’

Macaque, once again, felt lost. At the sincere and unabashed earnestness coming from Sandy. So, of course, his only reaction was to laugh nervously. ‘Oh come on, big guy. You didn’t actually do anything wrong. I was the jerk here.’

‘Maybe, maybe not,’ Sandy said. ‘But we both had our part to play in what happened the other day, so we should both take responsibility for our actions.’ Sandy said it so casually, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. But Macaque stared at him slack jawed, unable to process what this conversation had turned into. He only jerked back out of his spiraling and confused thoughts when the grey cat jumped onto his lap, butting their head against his front until he started petting them almost robotically. Sandy was, of course, humming to himself while pouring himself his first cup of tea. ‘You said you didn’t want tea, right?’

‘Huh? Oh,’ Macaque said, staring at the steaming teapot. ‘Right, yeah. Is it okay if I change my mind?’

‘Of course,’ Sandy said. ‘Let me get you a cup.’ He jumped to his feet, continuing to hum happily as Macaque’s attention drifted to the warm cat on his lap. At least the cat made sense here. Sandy’s behaviour, in comparison, was starting to make his head hurt. 

The big blue guy himself returned quickly with the cup and something hidden behind his back. It was when he sat down and presented the fresh cup of tea to Macaque that he finally spoke again. ‘So, did you want to take a moment? We can talk about what else happened the other day if you’re up for it.’

‘Like what?’

‘Well,’ Sandy said. ‘You said most of your anger wasn’t caused by me. So, what did cause it?’

Macaque froze, immediately looking at Sandy with a flash of panic. His ears flicked once, twice, three times, while the cat grumbled at the petting being halted. ‘No,’ Macaque said. ‘No I…I don’t think I want to talk about that right now.’

Sandy nodded somehow still being perfectly understanding. ‘Alright. Then in that case, can I show you something? I think you’ll like it.’ Macaque still looked tense, but his small nod made Sandy grin excitedly. Macaque couldn’t help but curl up slightly, pulling away as his shoulders hunched up to his ears. Sandy grabbed his phone, tapping it a couple of times before reaching behind him and pulling something out with a flourish. ‘Tada!’ 

Macaque’ head tilted in confusion and curiosity. ‘Headphones?’

Sandy blew a raspberry, ‘Not just headphones. No, these are some of the best things I bought this year.’ He handed them over, pointing out a button on one side for him to press. Macaque put them on awkwardly, watching Sandy out the corner of his eye as Sandy nodded in encouragement.

When Macaque pressed the button he flinched, immediately ripping the headphones off. ‘What the hell is that?’

‘Noise cancelling feature,’ Sandy said.

Macaque couldn’t help but scowl at him. ‘Explain. Now.’

‘Okay,’ Sandy said. ‘So I notice that when you’re feeling more tense in our sessions your ears do the cute flicking thing.’

‘It’s not cute.’

‘It is a little bit,’ Sandy said. ‘But then I remembered that you have six ears and that cool superhearing, and it came to me. You’re listening out for danger, right?’

Macaque’s scowl grew, ‘So what? Is that a crime now?’

‘Not at all,’ Sandy said. ‘But I knew a couple of people who just did not know how to ever switch that alert mode off. They would be vigilant and switched on all the time, and it stressed them out no end. Real bad for their blood pressure.’

‘What does that have to do with me?’ Macaque said.

‘They found some things that helped them relax and I thought you might like to try them,’ Sandy said. ‘Starting with these.’

Macaque looked at the headphones in his hands. ‘Big guy? You might not be aware of this, but I have this kind of trick already.’ He waved a hand over his ears, revealing a soft violet glow around them. ‘I nearly always have some sort of muffling spell, and I can make this stronger whenever I want to. No weird headphones necessary.’ 

‘Sure,’ Sandy said, ‘but can your fancy spell do this?’ He tapped his phone, and Macaque jumped as music came to life from the headphones. ‘Oooh,’ Sandy said, ‘that might be a bit loud for you, let me fix that.’ He lowered the volume enough that Macaque dared to bring the headphones close enough to actually put the headphones close to his ears. ‘What do you think?’ Sandy said.

‘I think you have a weird definition of “relaxing music,”’ Macaque said.

‘Nah, that’s not meant to be relaxing,’ Sandy said. ‘Not with that bass, it really gets your energy pumping.’ 

‘Why?’

‘Why what?’

‘Why would you want that?’

‘Because it’s fun!’ Sandy laughed. He was on his feet now, shredding on an imaginary guitar through a heavy riff that was playing through the headphones. ‘I tell ya, music like this really makes me feel alive.’

‘Seriously?’

‘Hey, if that’s not your style I respect it,’ Sandy said. ‘Everyone’s tastes are different.’ He picked up his phone to scroll through some pages, before tapping his screen decisively. Immediately the heavy guitar and deep bass vanished in exchange for slower familiar strings. ‘Here we go,’ Sandy said. ‘Something a bit more traditional.’ 

He watched Macaque expectantly and eagerly, until Macaque finally caved with a sigh. ‘I still don’t get what the plan is here,’ he said as he put one of the headphones to his ear.

‘Music is a powerful tool,’ Sandy said. ‘It can connect to emotions and memories, it can resonate with us in a way only art can. It can fill your senses and shake in your very chest to remind you just how alive you are. Sometimes you want it to calm you down, and sometimes you want it to match you where you’re at. If you’re angry you want the music to be angry, if you’re sad you want the music to be sad. Hearing someone put to words and a melody the state of mind you're in can really help you feel connected to something else, especially at a point when you might feel alone. And, at the same time, music can help shut out the background noise of the day that's stressing you out and help you rest.’

‘Even if it's fast angry music?’ Macaque said.

‘If that's what you need,’ Sandy said. ‘If it helps you switch off so you’re not always on alert, then great. Self care doesn’t have to always be relaxing and calm. Sometimes self care can be angry music that makes you feel like you want to break a tree.’ Macaque still looked unsure, while Sandy gave him an encouraging smile. ‘Do you think you want to try it out?’

Macaque sighed, ‘Sandy…’

‘You’re safe here.’ Macaque looked up at Sandy in surprise, the big man’s confidence not shaking for a moment. ‘You’re safe. You don't have to be vigilant all the time.’

Macaque looked unsure, looking between him and the door. ‘I should probably head back, actually.’

‘Well, Mr King is at the mountain, right?’ Sandy said. ‘So he can watch out for all the monkeys. MK is at Pigsy’s shop, Mei is probably at the arcade.’

‘Your point?’ Macaque said.

‘They’re all safe,’ Sandy said. ‘We are all safe. You are allowed to rest.’ Macaque didn’t look convinced, no matter how confident Sandy’s smile was. ‘How about this? Mo and I keep all our combined eyes and ears out for any kind of trouble, and you have some self care time. Try the headphones, find some music you like.’ Mo meowed behind Sandy, giving Macaque a salute while Sandy offered Macaque his phone.

He took the phone, still clearly unsure. ‘How long for?’

‘Let’s try it for just one song,’ Sandy said. ‘And then we’ll go from there.’

Macaque was clearly reluctant, but when he slowly nodded Sandy couldn’t help but grin in triumph. He clapped his hands, waiting for Mo to jump on his shoulder before he collected his cup of tea and got to his feet. ‘In that case, best go get to our post out on deck.’

‘Wait what?’ Macaque said. ‘You’re just going to let me stay in here alone?’

Sandy shrugged, ‘Do I need to keep an eye on you?’

‘Well, I’m not going to do anything if that’s what you mean.’

‘Great,’ Sandy said. ‘Then I’ll be outside.’

Macaque blinked at Sandy like he had grown two heads. ‘Just like that?’

‘Sure,’ Sandy said. ‘I trust you.’ Macaque didn’t know how to respond to that, unable to do anything but stare at Sandy as he headed to the door. ‘Let me know if you need anything, okay Ma-quack?’

He nodded dumbly, unable to look away until the door closed behind Sandy. His ears flicked to pick up the sound of him padding over the metal decking, and then the creak of a chair he had outside. After that there was nothing but the lap of the ocean, the cry of birds. And the chirps of the cats inside, all of them almost drowned out by the purring of the cat on his lap. Macaque awkwardly put the headphones on, fiddling with how they pressed against his sensitive ears and fur, then testing the button for the noise cancelling a couple of times. He had to take a deep breath when he picked up Sandy’s phone again, setting the noise cancelling on as he picked a random song from the traditional playlist Sandy had found. 

‘Just one song,’ Macaque muttered to himself. ‘You can just focus on one song. They’ll be okay for one song.’ 

Before he could back out he tapped the phone, bracing as the opening notes of some sort of flute started to play. He tossed the phone onto the other side of the couch on impulse, settling back onto the couch while the grey cat’s purrs only seemed to intensify as he tried to settle. Macaque closed his eyes, pressing the headphones to his ears as he tried desperately to ignore the thoughts immediately beginning to spiral. All he needed to do was listen to the music. He could trust the others to keep each other and the mountain safe. He just needed to do this for now. Just listen to the music, pet the cat that had apparently fallen asleep on him, and breathe. Once the song was done he could stop this and head back to the mountain, maybe tell Wukong he’d apologised to Sandy like he was supposed to and got a weird lesson out of it. Check in on the troop. Check if there were any weaknesses in the defences on the mountain…no. No he wasn’t supposed to be thinking about that right now. He just needed to listen to the music. And breathe. He needed to remember to breathe. 

The tea that Sandy had made was long gone when his second surprise visitor came. He had been out on the deck, humming to himself while sorting out a shipment of new paint for the ship, when he heard the flash of magic nearby. He had heard or witnessed that kind of magic enough times to know it could only belong to one of two people. So he wasn’t worried when he peeked over the side of the ship, or surprised at the sight of the orange hoodie, hood up of course.

Wukong climbed up onto the ship quickly, looking more than a little worried behind his human glamour when he fully laid eyes on Sandy. ‘Hey Mr Shi,’ Sandy said brightly.

‘Hey Big Guy,’ Wukong said. ‘Listen, have any of our mutual friends been around today?’

‘Oh yeah,’ Sandy said. ‘Just the one, he came around for a bit of a heart to heart.’

Wukong sighed in relief. ‘Okay good. Do you know where he is now?’

Sandy frowned, ‘Oh. Well I left him inside for some cat therapy time. Why?’

‘Sandy, he’s been gone for hours,’ Wukong said. ‘He said he was going to come back as soon as you guys had finished your chat.’

‘Oh,’ Sandy said. ‘Well he’s hopefully still this way.’

Wukong followed Sandy across the deck to the main door, which Sandy made sure to be careful with when opening. He poked his head through, looking around at the various cats still in the room, before his focus moved over to the couches. The sight had Sandy’s jaw drop in surprise, before he started to chuckle to himself. ‘Well good news, our missing friend isn’t missing.’

‘Really?’ Wukong said. He slipped past Sandy, pulling down his hood and dropping the glamour at the same time as he looked around. He quickly spotted what Sandy was staring at, the sight making Wukong gasp in shock. ‘Mac?’

The dark monkey was fast asleep. That was clear from how he was curled up over the couch, his arm pillowed under his head. The headphones had been knocked off in his sleep, leaving them balanced precariously over one ear and still playing some sort of slow stringed song. The grey cat was stretched out next to him, and a ginger kitten had decided to join the naptime by curling up into a small ball on Macaque’s hip. His journal had made its way here too, opened to a half scribbled in page and pinned under his other hand.

‘How did you manage to do that?’ Wukong whispered as he quietly headed over to the couch.

Sandy chuckled quietly, closing the door once Mo had followed them inside to investigate. ‘That wasn’t actually my goal. But I’m guessing my little plan worked.’

‘What plan?’

Sandy shrugged, ‘He needed some help to switch off and relax.’

The two of them were careful as they moved around Macaque. Wukong gently pulled the headphones off his head and retrieved the journal, making sure to close it before he was tempted to peek, while Sandy retrieved the tray and Macaque’s tea cup and relocated the cats that had joined Macaque’s nap. While they did, Wukong sighed at the sight of his friend, ‘I knew he was sleeping badly, but…’

Sandy looked over at them. ‘Do you want us to look at some things we can try for better sleep? A healthy sleep schedule does wonders for the rest of your health, you know.’

Wukong nodded, ‘Yeah. That might be a good idea.’ He finally reached out to brush a paw through Macaque’s mane, making him stir gently. ‘Hey bud.’

Macaque’s brow creased, and Wukong watched him slowly shift in place. ‘Shihou?’

Wukong couldn’t help but snort, ‘Really? What did I do this time to earn that name?’

Macaque barely stirred enough to squint his eyes open, before firmly closing them again. ‘Found an old song.’

‘You what?’

Sandy flushed with pride while Macaque hummed to himself. ‘Comfy.’

Wukong rolled his eyes, ‘Yeah? Well your bed with your stolen blanket’s comfier.’ Macaque grumbled, curling up tighter as Wukong sighed. ‘Come on bud, do I need to carry you to bed now?’ Macaque shook his head, making Wukong watch him in disbelief. ‘Are you sure?’ Macaque didn’t answer, his breathing starting to slow again as he relaxed back into sleep. Wukong rolled his eyes. ‘Wow. This is my reward for checking you’re not in trouble? Great, love this.’

Despite his complaints, Wukong was gentle with scooping Macaque up into his arms, making sure his cape was tucked away enough that he wouldn’t trip on it while moving. Sandy opened the door for them, giving them both a wave as they got back onto the deck. ‘Sandy?’ Wukong said. ‘Can you do me a favour?’

‘Sure,’ Sandy said. ‘What’s up?’

‘Well,’ Wukong said, ‘you know how he gets about the idea of showing any kind of vulnerability or weak moments, and uh…’

Sandy chuckled, ‘I won’t say a word about this to anyone. Promise.’

Wukong smiled, ‘Thanks Big Guy. And uh…are you both okay?’

Sandy nodded, ‘We got it all sorted. And I’m happy to have both of you for your next scheduled session.’

‘Great,’ Wukong said. ‘In that case, see you then. See if you can teach me how to get him to do this every night.’ 

‘I’ll do my best,’ Sandy laughed. ‘You two look after yourselves.’ He watched Wukong step onto his nimbus cloud, gathering Macaque close before the two of them flew off into the distance. Only when they were completely out of view did Sandy sigh. ‘Well Mo, looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us with these two.’ Mo meowed in response, clearly unimpressed with something while Sandy laughed. ‘You said it Mo. But, I think it will be worth it in the end.’

Chapter Text

There was one word that Wukong and Macaque had quickly learned they needed to be careful to say out loud. Especially when certain dragon ears were around to listen in. And careful they were, even when they were convinced she was too busy on her phone or cooing over monkeys to pay attention. But a slip up was far too easy, especially when talking about their progress with various points of therapy to MK. All it took was one conversation about Macaque’s reluctant acceptance to look into getting his own headphones and Wukong being interested in getting more art supplies for one of them to say the word that made Mei’s eyes burn in excitement and both monkeys regret their life decisions. Neither of them could agree who had said the fated word, and as much as they argued over it they knew that it truly didn’t matter all that much. Their fate was sealed the second that one of them had uttered the word “shopping.” 

Of course, MK joined them for moral support. Something that both monkeys were grateful for and knew they were ready to demand if he hadn’t volunteered it himself. So that was how the four of them found themselves in Megapolis’s biggest shopping district, with Mei ready to approach light speed with how much she was bouncing from shop to shop. Her phone was out, of course, documenting every moment of the four of them together while the monkeys looked on with a mixture of regret and resignation. Aside from MK, who was simply laughing nervously but otherwise just as excited as Mei. After all, he was going to be able to show Monkey King his favourite art shops for supplies, and he knew between him and Mei he would get Macaque kitted out with everything he needed for music. Even though Macaque complained about not wanting this to take all day and Wukong grumbling about getting hungry and not having enough peach flavoured food to get him through this, MK couldn’t hide his excitement about their day out even if he wanted to. 

The art shops were first, and despite Macaque’s grumbling he had managed to actually find himself some new notebooks and pens to use for his journaling and play writing projects, while Wukong spent their whole time dithering over which types of art he wanted to try. Crayons were fine, but painting was something he had never tried before, and that made it intriguing. But then he ended up torn with the choice between materials. Did he want calligraphy inks, watercolours, or something more modern like oil paints? And then there was the question of whether he should paint on paper, silk, canvas, stone. How far did he go into this? In the end he walked away with a palette of watercolour paints and a sampling of calligraphy inks, complete with brushes for both and other bits and bobs that were apparently “essential.” Macaque had no time to criticize him though. Not when Mei was already dragging them to the nearest tech shop.

‘Man,’ Wukong said, ‘consoles really change so quickly, huh?’

MK nodded, ‘Oh yeah, they definitely do.’

Wukong examined the various handheld games in front of him, before moving on to the larger consoles with controllers and other accessories. ‘So which one is the one I need for that game you like?’

MK paused, ‘Wait, really? You don’t need to get a whole new console just for one game, you know?’

‘Well is that mechy game on the one I have?’

‘Not the new one, no,’ MK said. ‘But just because I want the latest edition of Monkey Mech with the newly released limited edition cannon options and legendary skins doesn’t mean you have to get it too.’ Wukong’s eyes narrowed, and he looked over the consoles again. ‘Have you even played Monkey Mech?’ MK asked.

‘I’ve driven actual mechs,’ Wukong said. ‘I think I could work it out.’

‘Okay,’ MK said. ‘Well, if you want to try the game then just borrow one of my copies. Before you spend this kind of money on a new console you might not use.’

‘One of…how many copies of that game do you have?’

‘I feel like it’s dangerous to ask that question,’ MK said. Wukong gave him a pointed look, making MK whine. ‘Look, I need all of them okay? How else am I ever going to stand a chance at beating Mei?’

‘Well if it’s training you need,’ Wukong said, ‘then I’m happy to be a training partner for you.’

‘That’s great and thank you very much,’ MK said. ‘But you don’t need to upgrade your whole setup just for that.’ Wukong hummed, and MK sighed. ‘Is your current one broken?’

‘Oh no, it runs like a dream,’ Wukong said.

‘Then are there any games you can’t get on that one that you want?’

‘Is there a new Monkey King game?’ MK shook his head, making Wukong shrug. ‘Then I’ve probably got the games I need. Except for this mech game of yours.’

MK sighed, ‘What about just getting you a second controller for when I get the game? Or getting me a second controller for your setup.’

‘You have a mech game that will work on my console?’

‘Don’t doubt me,’ MK said. He moved over to the accessories and grabbed two very different controllers. ‘This can work?’

Wukong smiled. ‘If you say so. Although the idea of a new shiny toy isn’t a bad idea.’ MK sighed, making Wukong chuckle. ‘Relax kid. Didn’t Mei call this retail therapy or something?’

‘Just because she tagged the word “therapy” onto something doesn’t mean you should do it,’ MK said. ‘Especially if…wait, hang on,’ he looked around the aisle, his face suddenly dropping. ‘Where did the two of them go?’ 

Wukong and MK moved through the aisles quickly, looking around fervently until MK spotted the pair on the far side of the shop. Neither of them paid MK or Wukong attention when they approached though, and it was clear to see why. Both of them were wearing large headphones, with Mei miming playing a set of drums while bouncing in place. Macaque was much more still, his hands over the headphones as his eyes were closed, head bobbing occasionally to the music. Mei finally turned enough while bouncing that she caught sight of MK and Wukong, giggling to herself as she pulled the test headphones off. ‘Hey MK! Try this out, the sound quality is so clear!’

MK let her shove the headphones onto his head, giving it a couple of seconds before he immediately started moving to the music. Macaque finally noticed the movement, looking up slightly startled at MK’s sudden dancing and Wukong’s amusement. He yanked the headphones off, Wukong getting a chance to see all six ears before a small flash hid the extra pairs. ‘I thought you were looking at TVs,’ Macaque said.

MK shrugged, ‘TVs, computers, games consoles…’

‘Window shopping at best,’ Wukong said. ‘Find any headphones you like?’

Macaque shrugged, while Mei blew a raspberry, ‘Someone’s being picky.’

‘No I’m not.’

‘Yes you are,’ Mei said. She turned to point to each display set, listing off their flaws as she went. ‘Too quiet, too tinny, bad at the noise cancelling part, too tight, too rough on the ears, and these ones,’ she pointed at the ones on MK’s head, ‘have too many buttons.’

Macaque rolled his eyes, making MK snort and Mei sigh, while Wukong folded his arms, ‘Yeah, I’m not surprised.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘It means you’re picky,’ Wukong said.

‘What’s the point in buying headphones if I’m not going to use them because they don’t fit or sound right?’ Macaque said.

‘They sound fine to me,’ MK said.

Wukong shook his head, ‘Macaque can probably hear the electricity in the damn things if he focuses on them enough.’

‘Oh, he didn’t even need to for those ones,’ Mei said while pointing to a random set. ‘But still, the purple ones sound so good.’

‘I’m not getting them just because they’re purple,’ Macaque said, grabbing a new display set to try. ‘And those ones will not survive on my head for more than two minutes.’

‘Which ones were those?’ Wukong said quietly. Mei pointed to them, and Wukong picked them up and tried them on. Immediately he cringed and pulled them off. ‘Okay yeah, absolutely not.’

‘What?’ Mei laughed. ‘Why not?’

‘They’re going to pinch my ears,’ Wukong whined. MK grabbed them, trying them on as well before almost immediately yanking them off. ‘See?’

‘Man,’ Mei said, ‘do all monkeys have sensitive ears or something?’

‘I didn’t think so,’ MK said. ‘But maybe.’

‘Or maybe they’re just badly designed,’ Wukong said. He looked over at Macaque, watching the flash of his glamour just as he covered his ears with the headphones. ‘Only one of us actually has sensitive ears here. If it bugs us, Mac won’t give it the time of day.’

‘Noted,’ MK said. He grabbed another set, slipping them on, ‘Oh, these ones are more comfortable.’

‘Those are the tinny ones,’ Mei said.

MK focused for a moment, holding the headphones closer to his ears. ‘I think I can tell what he means?’

Mei scoffed, ‘Stop pretending he’s not being picky. He should just get some and see how he copes for like a week.’

‘Not all of us are rich like you,’ MK said.

‘That’s what a return policy is for,’ Mei said.

Wukong snorted, ‘Sure. After they’ve survived a week of forest, sand, wild monkeys, and Macaque himself.’

Mei opened her mouth, but faltered. ‘Fair point.’

They all looked at him, watching him for any reaction as he focused on the music, his eyes closed. Without a word Wukong could tell this pair was promising. He was focused, but any mild frustration that had been there a moment ago was now gone. He flicked through the buttons on the main display, with Mei explaining that the buttons changed the sample tracks that were played through all of the headphones. When he finally took them off and looked over the buttons and options on the headphones, it was with a small smile Wukong only took as encouraging.

‘Oh, is that a smile?’ Mei said. ‘Do we have a winner?’

‘Maybe,’ Macaque said. ‘They’re the most promising so far.’ He looked back at the display details, examining the various specs of it, when his eyes landed on the price. ‘Oh,’ he said, his smile dropping. ‘Nope, never mind.’

‘What?’ Mei despaired. ‘Seriously?’

Macaque shrugged, ‘It’s fine.’ He put them back, walking over to another counter with some more to try. ‘I figured this was just going to be more of a window shopping situation.’

Mei groaned in despair. ‘Oh come on. If you want them then I’ll buy them.’

Macaque chuckled, ‘Nah, I’m good. I learned enough times from Wukong how unwise it is to take wealth or treasure from the hoard of a dragon.’

Wukong frowned, opening his mouth to argue, when MK elbowed him. He quickly put a finger to his lips, then pointed at something on the wall behind the headphones in question. Wukong looked, his eyes widening at the poster on the wall showing the headphones in question in a limited edition violet tint. Without hesitation Wukong nodded to MK, pulling out his credit card to slip into MK’s hand. 

MK gave him a salute, hurrying away in such a way to make Macaque look up in suspicion. ‘What’s the kid doing?’

‘There was this game he wanted,’ Wukong said. ‘Limited edition thingy. He wanted to get in the queue before it sold out.’

Macaque narrowed his eyes, staring at Wukong intently, before shrugging. ‘Whatever.’ He slipped a new set of headphones on, making Mei sigh in frustration. All while Wukong watched MK out of the corner of his eye, already at the counter and pointing at something on the wall. Wukong couldn’t help but smile to himself as he watched Macaque quickly reject another set, turning to a new set that barely made it onto his head before he practically tossed them back onto the display.

‘You’re not going to believe this!’ MK gasped in excitement. The others had finally decided to abandon the hunt for headphones, finding MK waiting for them by the door with the bag outstretched to them as he jumped with glee.  ‘They were the last ones in the store!’

Wukong’s jaw dropped, ‘You’re kidding.’

Mei tilted her head in confusion, while Macaque gave him an amused smile. ‘Oh yeah, Wukong mentioned that. Which game was it?’

‘Game? What game?’ MK said.

Wukong bit his lip, while Mei and Macaque looked between the two of them. ‘Monkey King said you wanted a limited edition game?’ Mei said. ‘Which was weird, because the new Monkey Mech hasn’t been released yet and I know you were saving up for that.’

‘I don’t know about any game,’ MK said as he rifled through the bag before pulling out a box with a picture of a familiar set of headphones on the side. ‘But I did get these,’ MK said with a blinding grin as he held them out to Macaque. 

Mei gasped, ‘Are you serious?’

Macaque’s jaw dropped, ‘No way. Kid, you didn’t.’

‘Oh but I did,’ MK said, shoving the box into Macaque’s hands. ‘And it turns out they came in a limited edition purple. And these were the last purple ones in the store.’

Mei gasped, ‘Oh my stars, they were actually made for him weren’t they?’

‘Wait, hang on,’ Macaque said. ‘MK, don’t tell me you actually bought me these things out of your own pocket.’

‘Oh,’ MK said, ‘that reminds me.’ He fished through his pocket, pulling out a credit card with a flourish that he then held out for Wukong. ‘Here you go.’

‘Thank you,’ Wukong said smugly.

Macaque’s jaw snapped shut, his shock immediately flipping into a glare. ‘Wukong!’

‘Yeah bud?’

‘What are you doing? I can’t accept this.’

‘Sure you can,’ Wukong said. ‘It’s a present.’

‘What? No. I won’t owe you for this-’

‘You won’t owe me,’ Wukong said. ‘It’s a present. I’m not going to demand you owe me anything. Just make sure you use them, yeah?’

‘Wukong-’

Wukong sighed. ‘If it bothers you that much, then at some point get me back. Presents are always nice, and I love stuff. Then we’ll be even, yeah?’

Macaque went quiet, his anger fizzling out quickly. He looked at the box again, then back at Wukong. ‘I get you something you want and then we’re even?’

‘Yes. Sure. But you don’t have to,’ Wukong said. ‘Just enjoy them and we’ll be grand. Okay bud?’ Macaque didn’t respond, looking between Wukong and the box in his hands, while Wukong clapped his hands together. ‘Great! If that’s sorted, let’s get food. I’m starving.’

It wasn’t Macaque’s plan to use the headphones at first. He just needed to work out a way to convince Wukong to take them back to the store and get his money back. But somehow between MK opening up a whole new world of music to him, and the soft smile Wukong gave him while Mei was helping with getting the headphones set up and synced to his phone, any hope of making a plan to get out of this abandoned him. It felt weird, almost wrong, to let the three of them get away with doing this to him. He was sure Sandy would have a field day trying to get to the bottom of that feeling if he ever admitted to it. That didn’t stop this instinct he had to try and undo whatever this moment, this gesture was. Because it hung over his head in a way he didn’t understand but he felt threatened by. If anything, it felt like the promise Wukong had made about the immortal peaches being for him too. A promise Macaque had refused to act on, or even think about for months at this point. He couldn’t put into words why it was so important for him to not have these things over his head, but they were. And he didn’t like it.

But he was going to have to learn to live with it. He realised this when he had settled under a tree to listen to music and try a new journaling exercise Sandy had given him, when the next thing he knew he was waking up in bed. Wukong was practically skipping that morning, something which infuriated Macaque partly for the unneeded chipper attitude and partly because he knew exactly why. Something about the headphones, or the music they played, helped put him to sleep faster than anything else he had ever seen, and so far the sleep had managed to be peaceful. And Wukong knew it. Which meant he was stuck with them.

He did have to stop Wukong staring at him every time he pulled them out to use, insisting that not every song he listened to made him fall asleep and that there was literally nothing for Wukong to see otherwise. However, Wukong’s interest in Macaque’s reactions to different types of music did make him start to experiment. The peaceful stuff Sandy used to meditate didn’t really do anything for him. MK’s version of chill music was something called “lo-fi,” which Macaque still couldn’t understand the name of, but it was at least easy to have on to block out the world when he wanted to start working on one of his plays. Mei apparently didn’t have chill music, which made too much sense. The closest she got was gaming music that wasn’t specifically for a battle of some sort, which was nice. When the battle music didn’t suddenly come out of nowhere to make Macaque jump. But none of those put him to sleep. 

He figured it out by accident in the end. Sandy had been making them practice one of the communication exercises again, which had ended up being the ones he hated the most in recent sessions. Most of the stuff Sandy got him to do was in his head or his journal, it was all in his control and he could work through it and practice at his own pace. But the second that an exercise required him to work with Wukong that went out of the window every time. He didn’t want it to, but every time without fail one of them would start an argument that they couldn’t recover from. But this time it affected Macaque more than it normally would. It wasn’t anything that was specifically said. If anything he couldn’t even remember the details of the argument at this point. No, the thing that made this one hurt was the realisation that came with it. Because he realised that, however easy it used to be to be with and close to Wukong, that just didn’t seem to be possible anymore. And just like that, he was struck with that overwhelming heartache that came with missing what they had before. He had felt this plenty of times. But it didn’t make it any easier. 

So he tried to do that thing that Sandy had told him about. Find some music that made coping with these feelings a little more manageable. Macaque scrolled through all the playlists he had accumulated, getting more and more annoyed that he couldn’t find the right song, when a random shuffle brought him the perfect thing. As soon as the old flutes started playing and the strings stirred into a slow folk song, he sighed, some tension releasing that made his shoulders sag and the tightness in his chest ease. He was sitting under a tree in the grove, of course, looking up at the canopy giving him the perfect shade. And as the music played he was suddenly back in time, when this tree had been younger and the world had felt brighter and smaller. And next to him was a warm weight and soft ginger fur that pulled him in so easily, it was like gravity. He didn’t even realise that he had closed his eyes. He was just soaking up the warmth, letting the music drift over him while the echo of memories brought soft laughter and softer dreams.

‘No way.’

Wukong huffed in amusement, ‘I told you, bud.’ He glanced at MK, enjoying the shock playing out over his face, before turning back to the sight under the tree. Macaque was curled up in a groove in the roots, deeply asleep and looking more peaceful than he had been since…well, since the last time he had fallen asleep like this. No wonder MK’s jaw was on the floor, he had probably never seen this before.

‘So is he seriously just…out?’ MK whispered. ‘Like, won’t wake for anything?’

‘If it’s anything like last time? Then pretty much,’ Wukong said. ‘He might grumble for a moment, but it's literally just seconds.’

MK couldn’t take his eyes away from Macaque. ‘How?’

‘No clue,’ Wukong said. ‘Most music he listens to without having any kind of reaction like this. I think.’

‘Maybe it’s a hypnosis tape?’ MK said.

Wukong shrugged, stepping closer so he could reach around the roots to get to Macaque. ‘Let’s see.’ He carefully took off the headphones, making sure Macaque didn’t move a muscle before putting the headphones on his own head. ‘Huh,’ he said, frowning in confusion. ‘I don’t think this is a hypnosis tape.’

‘No?’

‘I think it’s folk music,’ Wukong said. ‘Or something like it. It’s got some old fashioned instruments in it anyway. Actually, it does sound a little bit like how humans played music back in the day, now I think about it.’ 

MK frowned, ‘Wait what? Really?’

Wukong took off the headphones to let them rest around his neck, watching Macaque thoughtfully. ‘Hmmm…maybe he was listening to something else and then the music switched to this,’ he said. ‘Either way, better give these back before he has a fit.’

‘Or tries to make you keep them,’ MK chuckled.

‘Yeah, that’s not happening,’ Wukong grunted. He tried to slip the headphones around Macaque’s neck carefully enough that he wouldn’t be disturbed, but he had barely finished adjusting Macaque’s scarf when his golden eyes started to blink open to meet Wukong’s. ‘Sun?’ he whispered tiredly.

‘Hey bud,’ Wukong said. ‘You okay?’

Macaque blinked sleepily while trying to focus on Wukong’s face and failing. But he did manage to smile, a small soft one that didn’t try to hide a thing. And the emotion that bled through stole Wukong’s breath away, making him freeze with his hand cupping Macaque’s cheek while MK’s jaw dropped behind them. ‘Yeah,’ Macaque whispered, his eyes finally closing as he nuzzled into Wukong’s touch. ‘I’m okay.’

It took everything in Wukong to not start crying. He had to blink back the tears, his heart twisting in his chest as his whole body shuddered in time with his shaky breath. It had been so long since Macaque had looked at him like that, or smiled at him like that. Did he even remember the last time he had seen that kind of smile on Macaque’s face? The closest had been after Wukong had fed him the water, when the aftermath left Macaque so exhausted and reeling from the whole experience he had no walls, no defences. When he thanked Wukong, had called him Shihou, and then pulled him into the nest and blankets for good measure. But this felt different somehow. He didn’t know why, but it did. And he couldn’t even begin to comprehend any of it.

‘Oh my Great Sage,’ MK whispered. ‘Did Macaque just smile at you? Is he feeling sick?’

Wukong shook his head, even though he wasn’t sure himself. He opened his mouth to try and answer MK, but a lump in his throat threatened to choke him if he dared to make a sound. So instead he acted on instinct, gathering Macaque up close to pick him up and carry him off to bed. Something in the back of his mind tried to remind him to shoo MK away before he got to that point, but the thought was immediately knocked out of his head when he felt Macaque tried to lean into him, burying his face into Wukong’s shoulder and neck for good measure. ‘Bud? What are you doing?’

‘Warm,’ Macaque mumbled. As if that explained everything. But Wukong couldn’t think of what else to ask, how else to phrase whatever this question was to get something satisfactory that wouldn’t blow his mind again. So he dropped it, letting Macaque nuzzle into his warmth as he turned in the direction of his shack. 

‘Alright kid,’ Wukong whispered. ‘Time to scarper. Apparently I have to put this one to bed again.’ MK didn’t respond, staring at Macaque while utterly dumbfounded. ‘Kid,’ Wukong said, getting MK to snap out of his stupor and look at him. ‘Did you hear me? I need you to head home.’

‘You sure?’ MK said. ‘I mean…do you need any help with this?’

Wukong shook his head, acting more confident than he felt. ‘This ain’t the first time a monkey has fallen asleep on me. I got this.’

‘Sure,’ MK said. ‘Just…make sure the two of you talk about this, yeah?’

‘We will,’ Wukong said. Probably. Maybe. If they could manage to say hi without snapping at each other.

‘Okay,’ MK said, still looking doubtful. ‘Well, you know where to find me if you need me.’

Wukong nodded, ‘I know. Thanks bud.’

Chapter Text

It was inevitable that, once Wukong and Macaque began to settle into a routine with therapy, that they would start to try to anticipate how each session with Sandy would go. Which meant that it was also inevitable that Sandy would pull the rug out from under them. Sandy had barely opened the door and welcomed them in before both of them could tell something was different this time. Or wrong. By rights Sandy wasn’t acting differently. He still welcomed them with a smile, offered tea, cooed over Mo, fiddled with his music player and everything else they were used to when they first arrived. But something in the energy had changed. Something that set both of their hackles up and had their tails curling nervously. They didn’t realise what was making them alarmed at first. Not until he sat down with the usual tea tray, with a new focus in his eyes that had them both silently panicking. Suddenly it was obvious. Sandy had a new plan for their therapy. And they both already knew they were going to hate it.

‘So,’ Sandy said. ‘I know we’ve been focusing so far on getting you practicing various individual and shared exercises, and I think that’s been going pretty well at this point. Which means, I would like to move onto the next stage.’

‘Which is?’ Macaque said. 

‘Bringing in focus,’ Sandy said. ‘Specifically on the source of the conflicts that are happening between the two of you.’

Macaque flinched, while Wukong looked between him and Sandy. ‘Wait, but the list…’

Sandy nodded, ‘I am aware of how you both feel about sharing the details of your history, so I won’t be asking you to do that. At least, not with me.’ He started rummaging around in a new bag, pulling out supplies as he continued to talk. ‘At some point I am sure that you will both need to come to terms with the darker parts of your respective histories, and it may very well be that you need to do this to both improve your personal wellbeing and quality of life and specifically your relationship with each other. That doesn’t need to happen with me, and I’m not ever going to push for that to happen. However, that doesn’t mean there aren't things that need to be worked on that I can’t help with.’

‘Like what?’ Macaque whispered.

Sandy pulled out the last of the supplies and moved to place them all on the table in front of Wukong and Macaque, revealing a fresh pile of flash cards and a selection of pens. ‘For today,’ Sandy said, ‘I think it would be good for us to address the “rules” the two of you made a while back.’

Wukong frowned, ‘Why?’

‘Because,’ Sandy said, pausing for a moment. ‘I am not saying this as a criticism or an attack on either of you. But right now, I worry that the rules in their current forms are not fit for purpose.’ Wukong and Macaque didn’t respond, at least not in words. Wukong was looking between the new supplies and Sandy while unable to hide his trepidation and worry. While Macaque was curled up tightly in the corner of the couch, staring at the table like it was going to attack him. ‘As I understand it,’ Sandy said, ‘the rules you two made were meant to be tools to help you to be comfortable around each other without crossing boundaries or hitting nerves. They were meant to be a framework and foundation from which you could rebuild your relationship. And at the moment, that isn’t happening. So, it seems like it would be useful and important to address that.’

‘How?’ Macaque said sharply. ‘We can barely have the most basic conversations at the moment without snapping or shouting at each other. How are we supposed to be able to deal with this right now?’

‘Yeah,’ Wukong said, ‘I’m with Mac. There’s no way we can deal with this yet. Maybe we need more practice with some of the techniques first.’

‘If that’s what you truly want to do, then we can,’ Sandy said. ‘However, in my honest opinion, that isn’t going to help at this point. Those techniques we have been practicing are so the two of you can have conversations like this. About the harder topics you haven’t felt able to address before. And at this point only focusing on practice is delaying the inevitable and drawing out the frustrations, because the source of the frustrations isn’t being dealt with.’

Macaque scowled, ‘The last time we tried a conversation like this I ended up blowing up at both of you. I don’t want to do that again.’

‘Okay, good,’ Sandy said. ‘That’s a good thing to recognise, because then we can work with it. At a point when this exercise gets too much for either of you we can slow down, have a break, or switch to something else. It isn’t a failure to have to take space from stuff like this. It’s you saying what you need to look after yourself.’

Wukong sagged, looking at the pile of flashcards, ‘How is this even going to work?’

‘Well,’ Sandy said. ‘I wanted to start with the rules that you two had agreed between yourselves already. And then we pull them back to work out why that rule was important for you two to implement. And then, once we have in mind what we want that rule, that tool, to help support, we can rework it together into something that won’t be hurting either of you. How does that sound?’

‘So…we’re not getting rid of them completely?’ Wukong said. 

‘Only if you both want to,’ Sandy said. ‘I just want us to start addressing where the problems are in what currently exists and remind us what each rule was supposed to be helping with.’

Macaque let out a long breath, closing his eyes as he was clearly trying to calm himself down. ‘Alright,’ he said quietly. ‘Let’s try it.’

Wukong looked at him in surprise. ‘Really?’

‘Believe it or not I don’t actually enjoy arguing about this stuff all the time,’ Macaque said. He uncurled enough to grab the flash cards and one of the pens, along with a board to lean on. ‘I assume you want me to do the “word thing” again?’ Wukong blushed, but nodded as Macaque prepped his pen. ‘Alright, where are we starting?’

Sandy gave them both an encouraging smile. ‘Okay, well first of all I think it’s good to have down the rules as you both currently understand them. Now this is important, and is going to be important to the whole exercise. At every stage of this, I want you both to agree on how you want what Ma-quack writes to be worded before he starts writing.’

Macaque frowned, ‘But it’s quicker and easier if I just get it down.’

‘I know,’ Sandy said. ‘But there’s two reasons for this. One, it needs to be collaborative. You both need to be contributing equally to this.’ Wukong scowled, opening his mouth to assumedly respond in some defensive way, but Sandy continued. ‘And two, you both need to agree on what needs to be written. Which means the two of you can’t assume what the other is thinking, or assume that the other knows what you are thinking. Everything will be said out loud, listened to, and understood, and then the words you write will be agreed between the two of you.’

Both Wukong and Macaque looked dubious. ‘You have met us, right?’ Wukong said.

Sandy chuckled, ‘Yes. And if you two could do this without issue then we wouldn’t be here. But we are, so let’s see what we can do to make this work.’ 

It shouldn’t have been a surprise that noting down the rules would have been the easiest part. It was perhaps a little unnerving at how little argument there was between them, especially when anything more than a “hello” could set one of them off at the moment. But they managed to actually follow the exercise with minimal fuss, and before they knew it there were a handful of cards with the agreements established.

• Monkey time with the troop at least once a week
• Outside of monkey time, Wukong helps mediate with the monkeys so they don’t overwhelm Macaque
• Macaque moves in to the shack/nest
• When Macaque takes time and space away from Wukong and the troop, he doesn’t disappear for too long without contact. Wukong is allowed to check in if there has been no contact for more than three days.
• When sharing a nest, Macaque gets the big blanket, and Wukong gets the big pillow.

‘Great!’ Sandy said when they showed the flash cards to him. ‘Now, I imagine the next part might cause some…discussion.’

‘That’s a generous word for it,’ Macaque muttered.

‘So, how about the goal for today’s session is to do the rest of the exercise for one of the rules?’ Sandy continued. Both monkeys nodded, making Sandy. ‘Okay, in that case, how about both of you pick one of those there cards for us to work through?’

‘Well,’ Wukong said, ‘they’re kind of grouped together.’

‘Yeah,’ Macaque said. He picked up one of the cards, ‘Like this one more of an add on than its own rule.’

‘How so?’ Sandy asked.

Macaque showed him the card, ‘It's just about a single blanket and pillow.’

Wukong snorted, ‘Sure, but we’re keeping it. I need to make sure you don’t steal the rest of the blankets.’

‘Is that what the rule’s intended for?’ Sandy said.

Wukong shrugged, ‘Nah. It was more of a joke.’

‘Then, why write it as a rule?’ Sandy asked. ‘Is it important to you?’

‘I guess,’ Macaque said.

‘Not really,’ Wukong said. Both monkeys looked at each other with surprise. ‘Or maybe it is?’ Wukong said in confusion.

‘Alright,’ Sandy said. ‘This feels like the perfect one to practice the exercise with. So, both of you tell us why the rule is or isn’t important to you. And, would you both be okay with Ma-quack starting?’

Macaque flinched. ‘Do I have to?’

‘No,’ Sandy said, ‘but I think it will be good for you to try.’

It was clear that Macaque was tense, glancing at Wukong for help before turning back to the card in his hand. ‘It’s going to sound childish.’

‘That’s okay,’ Sandy said. ‘As long as it's honest.’

He sighed, his shoulders sagging, ‘Well, for starters that blanket is comfy. And warm. And…that’s nice.’ Sandy nodded encouragingly, making Macaque swallow against his nerves. ‘And….well I guess it’s nice to know that it’s there and mine. It means that I know it's there when I need it.’

Sandy hummed thoughtfully as Macaque put the card down between them, ‘It sounds like establishing that one of the items in your shared nest is yours gives some reassurance?’ Macaque nodded, blushing furiously in embarrassment as he refused to look up from his lap. ‘I wonder,’ Sandy said, ‘if the reassurance it gives is because you know that you have the comfort available to you? Or is it perhaps the association to the nest itself? By knowing you have this blanket claimed as yours, as long as it is in the nest then you have a place in the nest too?’

Macaque shrugged, while Wukong raised an incredulous eyebrow at Sandy, ‘Of course he has a place in the nest, how is that a question?’

Sandy shrugged, ‘Sometimes something that is obvious to us isn’t obvious to others.’

‘Sure,’ Wukong said. ‘But it's our nest.’

‘It was yours first,’ Macaque said quietly.

‘So?’ Wukong said. ‘Now it's ours. It’s for both of us. It's never going to not belong to both of us.’ Macaque pulled a face at that, while Wukong picked up the card with the rule in question. ‘Honestly I never considered this as a proper rule. It was just an add on, a little joke.’

‘Really?’ Sandy said. ‘So, have you used Ma-quack’s blanket?’

Wukong thought for a moment, ‘Maybe a couple of times? But only when he’s not there. Besides, if we’re holding this up as a proper rule then Mac uses “my pillow” all the time.’

‘What?’ Macaque said. ‘No I don’t.’

‘Yes you do,’ Wukong laughed. ‘I’ve found you asleep on my pillow so many times. Or sometimes in the morning you’ve rolled onto it.’

Sandy hummed, ‘Is that a problem?’

Wukong shook his head. ‘Not at all. I don’t think you’re realising how big this thing is, there’s enough space for both of us to use it easily.’

Macaque scoffed, ‘Sure, if I want a full face of your morning breath to wake me up.’ 

‘Then stop rolling onto my pillow,’ Wukong chuckled. 

Sandy smiled, ‘Mr King? I just want to clarify, is that a joke? Or are you being serious with that request?’

‘Oh,’ Wukong said. ‘No, no that’s a joke. If I’m being serious about it…’ he paused, scratching the back of his neck nervously. ‘Honestly? I like it when it happens. I like being close. Sometimes our tails curl together in our sleep and…well it’s nice.’ Macaque blushed as the both of them remembered waking up feeling each other’s body heat, arms draped over each other, or with one of them using the other’s chest and stomach as a pillow. Wukong sighed, ‘But recently that’s been happening a lot less.’

Macaque looked away awkwardly, while Sandy thought for a moment. ‘Alright. The way that I see it, we can either come to a decision about this rule and move onto the next step, or we can expand this discussion to the main rule it's connected to. Which would you prefer to do?’

Both monkeys looked at the other cards, zeroing in on the main topic they have been dancing around. “Macaque moves into the shack/nest.” They were both clearly reluctant, but Macaque sighed first. ‘We’ll have to at some point,’ he said. ‘But Wukong should go first this time.’

Wukong shrugged, while Sandy nodded. ‘Alright, if you’re both okay with that. Mr King, when you’re ready.’

Wukong fell back onto the couch, leaning back so he could look up at the ceiling. ‘It wasn’t a rule at first,’ Wukong said. ‘I just…I wanted Mac home. That’s all it is.’

Sandy nodded, ‘In your mind, what does that look like?’

‘I never really thought about it that much,’ Wukong said.

‘Then let's think about it now,’ Sandy said. ‘In your ideal world, when you think of Ma-quack being home, what does that look like?’

The thoughts filled Wukong’s mind, making him have to bite his tongue so he didn’t blurt out something embarrassing. Like the idea of the two of them racing over the mountain, or telling stories under the canopies while Wukong could use Macaque’s lap as a pillow. Or Macaque putting on shadow plays again, or Wukong showing him the vast collection of his films and TV shows. Maybe the two of them playing games on Wukong’s games console. But the one image that stuck out in his head was the both of them in their nest. Macaque where he belonged, either in Wukong’s arms or his hand holding Wukong’s in his sleep.

‘Just…home,’ Wukong said. ‘Hanging out. Spending time together. It could be doing anything, I just want to do it together.’

‘Okay,’ Sandy said, ‘and when you say home, do you mean the mountain? The shack?’

This time Wukong blurted out the answer without thinking. ‘The nest.’

Macaque scoffed, ‘We can’t live in the nest, Wukong.’

‘I know that,’ Wukong snapped. ‘I don’t want to just lie in bed all day every day.’

‘You sure about that?’

‘Alright,’ Sandy said, cutting over the comments before they could build into an argument. ‘Let’s try and keep it calm and constructive, guys. Mr King, can you clarify what you mean?’

Wukong huffed, ‘Home isn’t the place you stay all day every day while you do nothing, you know? You go out, do stuff, and then when you’re done with that stuff you return home.’ 

Sandy hummed, ‘Is this a new outlook on what home is for you?’

‘Not really,’ Wukong said. ‘I mean, look at my adventures. Nearly all of them start with “Wukong left the mountain” and they end with “and then he went home to tell the monkeys about his adventures.”’ He pointed at Macaque for emphasis, who was unable to look away from the floor. ‘That’s what has always happened, and that’s what I want now. I guess.’

‘Ah, I see,’ Sandy said. ‘So is it the definition of home that has changed?’

Wukong shook his head, ‘No, I don’t think so.’

Macaque cleared his throat, looking away from both Wukong and Sandy. ‘We shared a nest a lot before the Brotherhood. It wasn’t a static one, and it wasn’t made of blankets and pillows. But…that was something we always did when we were together.’

Sandy looked between the two of them, a fresh wave of understanding washing over his face. ‘I see,’ Sandy said. ‘Mr King, I don’t want you to answer this question now, in fact you don’t ever need to tell me the answer. But I want you to think about this and answer it for yourself. You can record the answer in your journal if you want.’ Wukong nodded, watching him expectantly. ‘When you picture home, what does it look like? What are the important details? And who, if anyone, is in that picture to help it feel truly like home?’

Wukong’s eyes widened with both the weight of the question, and the kneejerk answer that suddenly felt heavy on his tongue. He glanced at Macaque, who was looking at the nearest window and not near any of them. Meanwhile Sandy cleared his throat and nodded, ‘Okay. Was there anything else you wanted to say about this rule Mr King?’ Wukong shook his head. ‘Great, thank you for that. So…Ma-quack? Are you ready to talk about this card?’

Macaque shrugged, ‘I don’t know where to start. Do I just respond to everything Wukong just said?’

‘Not necessarily,’ Sandy said. ‘In fact, I think it might be useful to start at where and how this agreement began for you. When Mr King suggested this, what was your first reaction?’

Relief. The answer came all too easily, but lodged in his throat before he could try and say it. Even though it was true. Despite the worry and trepidation that he felt far too frequently now, he couldn’t deny that the thought of Wukong wanting him back at the mountain for good made him feel relieved. But something in his very core refused to let him admit to something like that. If he did, then it would only make it worse when he lost it again. Because he would, he was bound to. It was one of those things that felt inevitable about life. Wukong would leave again. He would be abandoned and alone again. Betrayed again. This relief would be short lived, and whatever peace might be available in this moment would only cause more pain when he lost it again.

‘Ma-quack?’ Macaque glanced up, but he was barely able to meet Sandy’s eyes. ‘Are you okay?’ He shrugged, making Sandy hum. ‘Do you need a break?’ Macaque shook his head immediately at that. ‘Okay. Well, what are your thoughts right now? About how this rule began?’

‘I don’t know,’ Macaque said. ‘It was a lot of emotions at the time. I was mostly tired.’

‘I see,’ Sandy said. ‘Then let’s try this. Mr King gave an idea of what home might look like or feel like for him. What does home look like in your mind?’

‘I don’t know.’ He wasn’t lying. He knew what home used to look like before Wukong was imprisoned. He knew what home felt like before Erlang attacked. He knew who and what was the most important part of his home before he saw the Diyu. But now? Now he couldn’t picture it. ‘It’s been a long time. And it’s not really something I’ve thought about until…well…all this.’

Sandy nodded, ‘Then maybe we don’t focus on what it looks like. Let’s focus on what home should feel like in your mind.’

Dammit, why were all these questions so hard to answer? ‘I guess…warm.’ Macaque said quietly. ‘Peaceful. Safe.’

Wukong flinched, glancing at Macaque with a pained look on his face. Sandy nodded along with him, ‘Okay, that’s good.’

Macaque cringed, his tail beginning to puff up in agitation. ‘What does this have to do with this card? It’s just about Wukong inviting me back to the mountain. Or the shack I guess.’

‘Because Mr King has explained that the invite he extended was because he wanted you home,’ Sandy said. ‘This is what we mean by pulling back the rule to get to the core of it. We’ve now established that we aren’t just talking about the logistics of a nest, or a pillow. We’re talking about the two of you trying to find, or rebuild, a home that both of you want.’

Macaque swallowed, looking back down at the other cards between them. While thinking back to when it was originally agreed. It was after he had been avoiding everyone for a full two weeks, culminating in both MK hunting him down and then Macaque and Wukong having the main argument that toppled the dominoes that got them to this point. Everything had been laid out in a sense. Macaque had taken every slight Wukong had made against him and thrown it in his face, and somehow Wukong hadn’t pushed him away. Had still asked him to come back home. Admitted that, despite everything, Wukong had missed him. Had worried about him. Part of him recoiled at that, a mix of doubt, shame and fear bubbling up to try and make him pull back. From Wukong, from the truth. It made him want to run from this room, from the mountain in fact. Go back into the wilderness with nothing but his shadows and himself to rely on. He knew what to expect then. He knew what he could count on if he did that. And he wouldn’t have to face this pain and frustration anymore. The home Wukong had been promising him had felt impossible this whole time anyway. All he needed to do was stop denying it, admit how impossible this dream truly was, and move on. It was easier. And, if he was honest, it was less terrifying to just do that. Instead he picked up one of the cards, the one about being invited to the nest, scanning over the words again and again. It was such a short sentence, that made it sound so easy. Too easy. 

‘What if we can’t?’

The words were out of his mouth before he realised he was even speaking. Honestly his brain didn’t fully catch up until he heard the gasp from Wukong, felt him turn to stare at him. Macaque looked up, still in shock that the words had slipped out of his mouth, to be met with Wukong staring at him in disbelief. And heartbreak. ‘What do you mean?’ Wukong said quietly. ‘What…we can’t what?’

Macaque swallowed, ‘No. No, forget it.’

‘Ma-quack,’ Sandy said. ‘Please. Facing these questions, these issues, is a scary thing to do. But neither of you can move forward until you do.’

‘Well that’s stupid,’ Macaque said. ‘Who decided that’s how it works?’ He was staring at the card again, his thoughts echoing louder and louder. 

‘Bud?’ Wukong said. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I don’t know,’ Macaque said. ‘I’m just tired. Forget it.’

Sandy raised his hand, but Wukong spoke over him. ‘I can’t “just forget it.” What do you mean? We can’t what?’ 

Macaque shook his head, the card beginning to crumple in his hand as Sandy leaned forward, ‘Alright, I think we all need a minute.’

‘Why?’ Wukong snapped. ‘I’m not allowed to ask a question now?’

‘You absolutely are,’ Sandy said, ‘but we want to keep this constructive. And that’s hard when emotions are high.’

‘Well maybe they should be!’ Wukong shouted. ‘It's the only time he ever listens! It’s the only time he ever tells me anything!’

Sandy nodded, ‘I get the frustration, and the anger. I do. Acting on it, however, can quickly turn into lashing out, and that’s when we hurt the people around us.’ 

Wukong visibly flinched, looking at Sandy like he had slapped him. There was a beat of silence, before Wukong jumped to his feet, looking away from both of them. ‘I can’t do this,’ he whispered. Sandy reached out to try and calm him, but as he did there was a flare of celestial power. Macaque and Sandy both shielded their faces, looking up in time to see a golden bird with rainbow tail feathers flying out of the nearest open window. 

‘Dammit,’ Macaque hissed.

Sandy sighed, ‘Oh dear. That…definitely wasn’t part of the plan.’

Macaque looked at Sandy, desperate. ‘How do I fix this? I keep doing or saying things and…and it’s only after it happens I realise it’s hurt him. How do I fix this?’

Sandy gave Macaque a solemn look. ‘It won’t be easy, or quick. At least, not if you want it to be something that lasts.’ Macaque growled at that, pushing off the couch to begin to pace. ‘I think the immediate path needs two things,’ Sandy said. ‘A calmer mindset, and self-reflection.’

‘I can either be calm or work out how I messed this up, I can’t do both!’ Macaque snapped. ‘And besides, what good will that do? That doesn’t help me apologise. That doesn’t help me fix this, or make him come back.’

Sandy nodded, watching Macaque carefully. ‘There’s a reason that so many of our exercises ask us to be mindful and conscious of what we’re thinking and feeling. Thoughts, feelings and behaviour are all interconnected.’

‘Yeah, I know, we’ve done this one,’ Macaque said.

‘I know,’ Sandy said softly. ‘So let’s do it again now.’

‘Why? What good will it do? It’s not going to tell me how to get him back here, or make him not be angry at me. It’s just going to waste time while I…’ Macaque stopped, a lightbulb going off in his head. He saw it clearly in his head, a set of two branching paths. A clear choice to make. This was a chance to cut his losses. Disappear into shadow. Be alone again. It was easier, being alone. And it was so, so hard trying to be around the people he cared about. And the other path….he didn’t know what laid on the other side of that choice. Couldn’t picture it, couldn’t conceive it in any way. It made no sense for him to even try and humour it. Something crinkled in his hand, and he looked down at his fist. The flash card, now bent and crumpled, was poking out enough that he could read a single word. 

‘I need to go home.’ His voice was a whisper. But there was no doubt in his words.

Sandy was already on his feet and gathering up the flashcards both empty and full to hand over. ‘Here,’ he said. ‘Just in case you want to pick this up while you’re at home.’

Macaque scoffed as he took the cards. ‘That sounds like the worst thing to do.’

‘Ma-quack?’ Sandy said. ‘Remember. If you want to have people in your life, and especially if you want them to be close, you have to be willing to let them in. It requires a level of trust and vulnerability that seems scary, but without that you will always end up keeping people at a distance.’

Macaque stiffened, feeling his hackles raise, but he didn’t argue. He didn’t even say a word. He simply nodded at Sandy, before falling into shadow.  

Chapter Text

Wukong could fly home with his eyes closed. That’s how many times he had made the flight over the centuries, through every power available to him. He didn’t even need to think about it at this point. One minute he would set off, and the next the sight of the mountain would grow in front of him, the giant peaks stretching up towards the clouds. It was only when he was close enough to see the smog of the volcanoes that he could also discern the colour of the jungles. And even then his waterfall, and his troop, were hidden from all mortal eyes until the trees were below him. He had seen that view so many times. With so many emotions every time he returned.

But this time he didn’t look. He just flew, beating small wings against the ocean winds until the sound of the sea shifted to the roar of the volcano, then the calmer lapping of water on sand. He could have continued to fly over the trees, into and through the waterfall and to his temple and grove. But instead he dived without thinking, shifting out of his transformation just in time for his feet to hit the sand. He was panting, from the flight or from the turmoil shaking through him he couldn’t tell. Moving on autopilot until his leg hit against the root of a nearby tree. He collapsed against it, leaning against the rough bark while his chest was desperately trying to draw in breath. He was vaguely aware that part of him was panicking, making his heart race and the air refuse to cooperate in his lungs. And if he tried to focus on that he might be able to tell he was also angry, terrified, heartbroken, guilty, mixing into a cocktail of emotions that make his stomach roil and chest burn. But that awareness was held back by a haze of numbness. Making him barely anywhere of anything beyond the vice in his chest and the voices in his head circling again and again, getting louder and louder until he pressed his hands to his ears in the hopes of shutting them out. His claws dug into his scalp, cutting in a way that was almost as painful as the circlet had once been. He barely noticed though, curling up into a ball that couldn’t stop shaking. And still the voices got louder, drowning out every other sense he had. Repeating things he didn’t want to remember, not now and not ever. The sound of fighting, of crazy laughter, of cruel words and screams of pain. All looping him around to one conclusion that felt more certain with every passing second. Nothing he did now could undo what he did back then. Nothing he did would regain Macaque’s trust, or convince him to come home for good. Nothing could. It was impossible, and to try and hope or dream for it was crazy. Even for Wukong. He didn’t deserve it, deserve for him to come back. He was deluding himself into thinking otherwise. He was going to be alone again, to lose his home again. And he had no one to blame but himself.

A sudden featherlight touch silenced every hateful thought and made Wukong bolt up in shock. But Macaque didn’t pull away. Instead he met Wukong’s eyes, looking at him with a sobering expression that looked suspiciously like worry. Wukong tried to open his mouth, to say something but all his words had abandoned him. And his chest was still moving too quickly to let him actually catch his breath. Macaque sighed, shifting so he was kneeling in front of Wukong. The hand that had touched his slowly pulled it away from his head, and no matter how much stronger Wukong might have been physically he was helpless right now. Instead he let Macaque move him as he wished, bringing his hand closer until his palm was pressed flat against Macaque’s chest. He could feel Macaque’s heartbeat, the slow and composed breaths he was taking. It shook through him, making Wukong tremble more. 

But Macaque wasn’t done. One hand stayed over Wukong’s, while the other reached up to wipe against Wukong’s cheeks. Only then did Wukong notice that he had been crying. No, still was crying. Suddenly the hot tears burned his cheeks, making his face crumple as he leaned into Macaque’s palm. By the Gods, he was a selfish creature. He always had been, and no amount of lessons from his Master had truly knocked that particular flaw out of him. Because here he was again, being selfish and clinging to comfort he didn’t deserve. Clinging to a friend he didn’t deserve, who he should have been trying to comfort instead of the other way around. But that didn’t stop him reaching out for more, leaning into his Moon’s orbit until Macaque had his free arm around him. Wukong’s face was buried into his oversized scarf, his whole body shaking from sobs he couldn’t stop, as he clung to Macaque in turn.

‘Breathe, Wukong,’ Macaque whispered. ‘Come on, you do this for me all the time. You know how to do this.’

Wukong’s claws dug tighter into Macaque’s shirt, threatening to tear the back of the hanfu at the seams. ‘Mihou…’

Macaque shushed him gently. ‘We’ll have time to talk when you can actually string a sentence together. Right now just breathe.’ Wukong shook his head, only for Macaque to shush him again. ‘We have time, Wukong. Just follow my breathing.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Wukong managed to choke out. ‘I’m sorry.’

Macaque sagged, but the hand holding Wukong’s over his heart squeezed tighter. ‘I know. Now come on, you idiot. Don’t tell me you forgot how to do this.’

Wukong couldn’t help but laugh. Not at the words, but how little bite there was in them. If anything, Macaque’s tone was soft. Wukong could have even kidded himself into thinking there was fondness in Macaque’s voice. His laugh turned into a hum when he felt Macaque brush gentle claws through his mane, cutting through the worst of the shivers in his body. He had practically slipped off the root he had been sitting on, leaning instead into Macaque while the dark monkey caught him without a hint of complaint. Wukong knew he didn’t deserve this. But that if anything made him cling to Macaque tighter. Made him bury his face into Macaque’s scarf, wrap himself around Macaque as much as he could, and never want to let go.

When Wukong’s breathing had finally calmed and most of the tremors had faded, he finally let Macaque move. He didn’t move far thankfully, just enough to coax Wukong back to the spot he had been sitting. Once he was Macaque climbed back to his feet so he could lean past Wukong, holding up a water bottle when he came back into view.

‘Here,’ Macaque said. ‘It’s no tea but…well it will help. But have small sips.’

Wukong took it with a grateful nod, making sure to follow the instructions even when the cool water felt like a balm on his wrecked throat. When he finally lowered the bottle Macaque then presented a peach, which Wukong took without a word. Only then did Macaque move to sit again. This time on the tree root next to him, close enough that Wukong could lean against his shoulder. Which he did, again on an instinct he was too tired to question. 

The two of them fell into a strange silence, one that made them both feel tense but that neither one was willing to break. The only noise was from the rush of the waves, the distant calls of the troop, and Wukong quietly munching through his peach. It was when he was halfway through his snack that he noticed Macaque had only brought the one, to which Macaque only said that he wasn’t hungry. Wukong wanted to question that, or offer to get a snack for Macaque. After all, he needed to eat too. But that was the moment Wukong felt Macaque’s tail coil around his waist. It was such a light grip, but it held Wukong in place better than any mountain could. 

Still neither of them said a word. Not until Wukong was flicking the peach pit into the nearby trees, sniffling as he leaned more into Macaque’s firm weight. There was still a knot of emotion in his throat that had his voice frozen, with every second making that feeling worse. So he was both relieved and surprised when Macaque finally broke the silence.

‘You know what’s crazy?’ Macaque said. ‘When I’m writing out a play or performing I can talk about anything or put on any voice I want to without breaking a sweat. But the second I need to talk or think about any of this emotion and therapy stuff, I manage to always make a mess of it.’

Wukong huffed, ‘You could have fooled me. How much of that journal have you filled?’

Macaque sighed, ‘It feels different. But I guess that’s the point right? With the journal, I can say or do anything to it and there’s not going to be any consequences.’

Wukong frowned. ‘Consequences? Like what?’

Macaque smiled sadly, ‘See, this is what I mean. That question sounds simple, but even that’s got me clamming up.’ He looked up at Wukong, looking oddly vulnerable. ‘Is this what your stage fright feels like?’

‘Maybe,’ Wukong whispered. ‘The idea of performing in front of a crowd has me freezing up every time. And talking about this stuff…well Sandy admits it’s scary, right?’ Macaque nodded, making Wukong lean into him more. ‘Does it make it feel better or worse? Knowing that other people get scared like this when talking about this stuff?’

Macaque chuckled, ‘I don’t think it makes a difference, to be honest.’ He sniffed, looking out over the waves towards the volcanoes and the horizon beyond. ‘We don’t have to talk about it now.’

Wukong pulled a face. ‘We probably should though.’

‘Yeah. You’re right.’ Macaque shifted, making Wukong sit up and look at him in confusion. He saw Macaque rustle around in his hoodie, pulling the flashcards out from some hidden pocket. He shuffled through them slowly, until the crumpled card laid on the top. ‘Sandy’s not here,’ Macaque said, his voice rasping. ‘And we’ve both promised we’re not going anywhere. So…so we can say anything we need to right? Without…without worrying that anyone will judge us?’

Wukong shivered, but nodded as his tail moved to wrap around Macaque’s. Praying that the anchor from the touch will be enough for both of them. ‘Yeah. Yeah we can.’

‘Good,’ Macaque sniffed. ‘Then…who should go first?’

There was a moment when Wukong hesitated. Where he wondered if he should really do it. But the other option was him going first. And his heart still felt too raw for him to start sharing it so openly. ‘What did you mean when you said, “What if we can’t?”’

Immediately Macaque twitched, his tail curling against Wukong’s as if he was daring to tug it, and himself, away. But he didn’t. Instead he took in a shaky breath, letting it all out in one go before he tried to speak. ‘I guess it’s what I’m afraid of,’ he whispered. ‘About…trying to make a home again. For both of us.’

Wukong frowned. ‘Are you scared we can’t?’

‘I don’t know,’ Macaque said. ‘I think so. But I think I’m more scared that we can.’

Wukong’s frown only grew. ‘That…that makes so sense.’

‘Yes it does,’ Macaque whispered. ‘I’d have something to lose then.’ Wukong felt those words punch all the air out of his chest, while Macaque nervously continued. ‘Being alone sucks. I pretend it doesn’t, but it does. It always has. I just ignore that particular truth when I have no other choice. But having nothing to lose except your own life, and knowing your life is only in your hands…there’s a twisted comfort in it. It feels like the only way to make sure I’m not hurt again. And if I did get hurt…well then I’d have no one to blame but myself.’ 

Wukong’s shoulders sagged, fresh tears welling up as his heart twisted in pain for his friend. And no small amount of guilt. ‘Mac…’

‘For the longest time it felt impossible to find “home” again,’ Macaque said. ‘Even now I have my doubts. Something in my mind is telling me to give up on the whole idea but…but I can’t. And then I get scared. Because what if I try and chase it and I fail? Or what if I succeed and then lose it? I…I don’t know if I would survive losing all of this again.’

Wukong sniffed. He wanted to apologise. He wanted to beg for Macaque’s forgiveness, to promise that he would do everything in his power to make sure that never happened. But he had said those words before. And they had promised to stop apologising to each other. So the only other thing he could say was…. 

‘Me too.’ Macaque glanced at him, a little curious despite how much he was feeling exposed in the moment. ‘I think…I think losing everything again would make me lose myself,’ Wukong whispered. ‘We’ve lost so much. I’ve been the only one to survive while everyone I’ve loved has died again and again. And I know that’s because of my own actions, and I can’t take them back. But….being alone sucks. Being alone with nothing but ghosts is even worse.’ Wukong let out a shaky breath, wiping away the tears before they could fall properly. ‘Maybe MK’s natural lifespan will be like yours. Maybe the others will come back again in a few hundred years. Maybe I can wait for them to come back and…and we’ll have the chance for more adventures. But you’re different.’ Wukong’s breath hitched, his fingers digging into the bark of the root they were sitting on. ‘I was never supposed to lose you. And I can’t. I can’t lose you again.’

Macaque barely had to reach out for Wukong to pull him into another spine popping hug. One that Macaque returned almost as tightly, focusing both on holding Wukong close and making sure the two of them didn’t fall off the makeshift seat. Wukong didn’t care that he was crying again, not when Macaque was rubbing circles in his back and was humming in a way that Wukong could feel through every nerve. ‘I know it was my fault,’ Wukong whimpered. ‘And I know it’s selfish to ask you to come back.’

‘Wukong,’ Macaque sighed. ‘It would only be selfish if I didn’t want to.’ Wukong sat up straighter, staring at Macaque’s own glistening eyes. He hadn’t even noticed that Macaque had dropped the glamour around his ears, the six ears fluttering as Macaque gave him a sad smile. ‘You didn’t force me to stay here. And you didn’t force me to try this therapy thing. I wanted…well “want” is a strong word for agreeing to try therapy.’ Wukong managed a wet chuckle, and Macaque gave him a soft smile. ‘But that’s why I’m so scared. I want to stay. I want to come home. Even if it means dealing with your dumb movies and your bad morning breath.’

‘Okay. Hurtful.’ Wukong tried to pout, but it was clear his heart wasn’t in it. He was too busy trying not to smile while Macaque raised a knowing eyebrow at him. The two of them broke into laughter, letting themselves gravitate to each other until their heads were gently pressed together. Wukong sighed, closing his eyes with a relieved smile to revel in the moment. 

He didn’t notice how Macaque was watching him, how his eyes traced over Wukong’s ruddy face and tear stained mask. When Macaque cupped his face again to wipe away the new tears Wukong hummed, leaning into the touch in a way that made Macaque swallow, suddenly nervous again. He was clearly weighing something up, debating something Wukong was oblivious to. Until Macaque closed his eyes and nuzzled closer. ‘I feel like there are other things I should say,’ Macaque whispered. ‘But…’

‘Stage fright?’ Wukong could feel Macaque nod, making him smile despite himself. He shuffled closer, moving so his face was tucked into Macaque’s scarf again. ‘There,’ he said. ‘If it’s like stage fright, then it should help if there’s no one watching you.’

Macaque snorted at that, ‘You’re ridiculous.’

‘Excuse me, I am trying to help.’

‘And you’re definitely not trying to steal another scarf in the process?’

Wukong’s tail flicked, his heart skipping a beat. Had Macaque ever acknowledged that before? They had talked about it when he had amnesia, but aside from that? No, that was something for him to work out later. He shouldn’t let Macaque distract him. ‘Come on, get your stage fright in check before my neck starts aching.’

Macaque fell silent. This close Wukong could feel how Macaque’s heartrate had ticked up more than a bit. This must have been really getting to him. Before Wukong could change course though, Macaque finally spoke. ‘Do you think we can do it? Make this work?’

Wukong glanced up at Macaque, trying to get a read on what little of his face Wukong could see from this angle. ‘Do you think we can’t?’

Macaque sighed, ‘If I’m being honest? It feels impossible.’

For a moment both of them were silent. Feeling the weight of their doubts, their fears both spoken and unspoken, pressing against them to try and drown them. But when Wukong sat up it was with a more confident smile that only needed a little of his bravado to make happen. ‘Well. You know what I’m like with impossible things.’

Macaque rolled his eyes, ‘This isn’t a challenge you can just punch your way through.’

‘Watch me,’ Wukong smirked. He pressed his fist into his hand, watching Macaque with a knowing smirk. Waiting for him to scoff, or complain, or tease him. But instead Macaque sighed, sagging against the tree as he looked away from Wukong and up to the sky. ‘Mac?’

‘You can’t fight this one,’ Macaque said sadly. ‘Not with your fists.’

Wukong’s smile faltered. He dropped the pose to reach out for Macaque’s shoulder. ‘Just because I can’t use my brawn doesn’t mean I can’t fight.’

Macaque shook his head. ‘We’re talking about you fighting my doubts and fears. You can’t just do that.’

‘I’ll find a way,’ Wukong said. He leaned in, scooping Macaque closer to hold him in a tight hug. ‘And I won’t stop until I do. I just need you to give me a chance. Let me in. Please, bud.’ 

Macaque didn’t respond. Not in words at least. But he did turn into Wukong’s embrace, letting the king’s warmth slowly relax him as he closed his eyes. The silence that fell over them this time didn’t feel awkward or heavy. There was something fragile instead, a soft peace that settled like a blanket. It came with exhaustion and an ache that only an emotionally violent day could bring, but for the moment they revelled in their peace. Something that Wukong didn’t want to disturb.

He didn’t hear what Macaque said at first. His voice was too quiet, and the way he was leaning into Wukong managed to muffle whatever he said. But he said enough to pique Wukong’s curiosity, making him look down. Immediately he could tell Macaque was tense, the part of his face not hidden in Wukong’s shoulder was growing more and more red from embarrassment. ‘Mac? Did you say something?’

‘No.’

Wukong tutted, ‘Yeah you did. Come on, what was it?’ Macaque tried to shake his head, but Wukong wouldn’t let him hide in the moment. And he wouldn’t drop it himself, making Macaque blush more.

Until he finally caved. ‘Can we go home?’

Once again, all the air left Wukong’s lungs. His heart stopped for a second. His face burned from the old tears as his chin quivered. And he couldn’t stop the smile growing. ‘Yeah, bud. Course we can. Now?’ 

Macaque nodded sheepishly, refusing to look at Wukong until the ginger monkey moved. That was when Macaque saw the glowing smile that refused to shift, and felt Wukong gently tug him to his feet. Neither of them needed to say another word. Wukong simply pulled Macaque closer as the nimbus appeared for them to climb on, before the soft cloud whisked them away to the private grove.

Chapter Text

‘I hate these damn cards.’

Wukong chuckled as he looked up in time to see Macaque tearing another flash card up. ‘Hate’s a strong word, bud. Especially for a piece of paper.’

Macaque flopped back onto the grass, looking up at the sunlight peeking through the tree branches hanging over them. ‘How about despise?’

‘That sounds worse.’

‘Loathe.’

Wukong snorted, ‘Now you’re just trying to sound fancy.’ He grabbed the torn cards, adding them to a pile of scrap paper next to him. In front of him was a board he was using as an impromptu desk holding various paints and inks he was currently experimenting with. He picked up his brush, dabbing at the scrap card in front of him to watch the ink colours blend while he spoke. ‘Besides, what did the paper ever do to you?’

Macaque paused, humming while in thought. ‘Okay, fine. I hate this exercise.’

Wukong smirked, ‘Remember what Sandy said.’

‘He’s on thin ice as well.’

‘Just take a break,’ Wukong said. ‘Your headphones are literally right there. Go grab your new play to work on or something.’

Macaque didn’t move, grabbing blindly at the cards until he found the crumpled one, holding it up so he could see the watercolour stained card. ‘We should stop putting this off though.’

Wukong paused, looking up at Macaque to watch his pensive expression. It had been nearly a week since their conversation on the beach, and had both felt like no time at all and like it had been twice that long at least. It was weird. Mostly in a good way, if the lack of arguments was anything to go by. And the fact that Macaque hadn’t disappeared at all in that time. But there was also a sense of trepidation around them. Most of the week had the two of them sharing the smallest amount of small talk while staying in the same space, which only added to the strange energy around them. Sometimes the trepidation came out one of them reaching out without realising, or by them actively avoiding contact. Sometimes it came out in random bouts of nervous energy they couldn’t get rid of, and sometimes it came out in fatigue that could last a whole day. And apparently today, it was coming out in Macaque’s insistence on finishing Sandy’s latest exercise for them.

‘I don’t think we’re putting this off,’ Wukong said. ‘We’re just taking the time we need. It’s not a race.’

Macaque pulled a face, ‘And what about the next session with Sandy?’

Wukong smirked, ‘We tell him we haven’t fought in a week and watch him faint in shock.’

‘I mean, what about when we go to the next session and he wants to do this again?’

Wukong’s brush froze in mid air, missing how a drop of ink fell onto the wooden board. ‘You specifically want to finish this before we see him again?’ Macaque sighed, but otherwise didn’t respond. ‘Why?’

‘I don’t want him knowing our business,’ Macaque said. ‘You know this. It’s bad enough he knows about our living arrangements.’

Wukong rolled his eyes. ‘This again? People are allowed to know about us.’

‘They do,’ Macaque said. ‘But they don’t need to know everything.’

Wukong swallowed his next retort, even as his grip tightened around his brush. ‘So what? You want to rush through this exercise now so Sandy can’t hear it?’

‘Exactly.’

‘Alright.’ Wukong thought for a moment, ‘If we’re doing it so Sandy doesn’t know, then it’s just going to be for us. So we can put whatever we want, right?’

Macaque finally turned away from the tree canopy, looking over at Wukong, ‘Sure.’

‘Then we don’t need to worry about it being eloquent,’ Wukong said. ‘Or about how people might judge what we say. It’s just for us. It can say whatever we want.’

‘Like what?’

Wukong sat up properly, looking at the card in Macaque’s hand. ‘Well, I want it to say that you’ll come home.’ Macaque didn’t flinch, just. But he did frown at Wukong. ‘We know you want to, and that I want you to. And putting it in writing helps make it concrete. That’s half the reason why we write anything down right?’

Macaque didn’t respond. In fact he didn’t move until Wukong looked away and returned to his painting practice. He heard the rustling of Macaque moving but otherwise tried to ignore the scratch of pen on paper. That was until a card was slapped onto his desk so suddenly it made him jump. Macaque grumbled, but Wukong didn’t pay him any mind as he picked up the card, eyes scanning over the still fresh ink.

“Wukong and Macaque make a home together.”

Wukong had to blink back the sudden tears, even as he beamed at Macaque. The dark monkey was clearly blushing from nerves while he watched Wukong. ‘You’re way too excited about this.’

Wukong couldn’t deny it. His tail was wagging, every part of him felt jittery as he looked over Macaque’s words again and again. ‘I’m framing this.’

‘You’re doing no such thing.’ Macaque snatched the card out of his hand, but Wukong was still too happy to even pretend to pout. ‘Besides, this part isn’t why I hate this exercise.’

‘Oh? Then what is it?’

Macaque grabbed the rest of the old cards, showing them to Wukong. ‘They’re all grouped together, and I worked out why. This rule,’ he pointed to the old crinkled card and the new one for emphasis, ‘is what we want. The goal, the dream, whatever you want to call it. So these other ones need to be how we do it.’

Wukong looked at the other cards while that trepidation from the week came back with a vengeance. ‘Right. Okay. So how do we make a home?’

Macaque looked at Wukong pointedly. ‘Exactly.’

‘What?’

‘Wukong, half of the things you’d want for a “home” are things I can barely stand half the time, and the things I do to try and not go insane freak you out.’ Wukong frowned, looking at the cards again while Macaque sighed. ‘This is the thing I keep coming to, and the thought process is a dead end. We tried to find a compromise with the things we needed and it only made things worse. But I can’t work out what else to try.’

‘I mean,’ Wukong said, ‘we are meant to be doing this together.’

‘Alright then,’ Macaque said with a frustrated sneer. ‘Where do you think we should start?’

Wukong pulled a face, looking at the cards Macaque had gathered. The cards about the monkey troop were their own problem that he wasn’t going to touch right now, so he ignored those in favour of the other three. Well, the one. And Macaque wasn’t wrong about it. For whatever reason, Macaque would disappear off for days at a time with no real warning, and then would come back with some degree of frustration in his attitude, like the deal they made was inconveniencing him. Which would upset Wukong, which would make Macaque be weird, and then they would be lashing out at each other before they knew it. Sandy was right; that deal wasn’t working, or fit for purpose. But how did they fix it? What was the alternative? Well, Wukong knew how to start finding it. They needed to know why the deal had been important for each of them. Wukong needed to explain why he needed to be able to check in if Macaque went missing, and Macaque needed to explain why he needed space. But looking at the shadow monkey now, Wukong wasn’t sure how he wanted to bring that up. If he did, he would almost certainly risk their no argument streak. Suddenly he didn’t want to. He knew they would have to, but not right now. Not until Macaque actually had a chance to not only hear him, but be able to be honest about what he needed to say. So until then…

‘Got it,’ he said, clapping his hands together before climbing to his feet.

‘Uh, what?’

‘We need to work out where to start on building up new boundaries and rules that we can both feel comfortable with,’ Wukong said. ‘You don’t want Sandy to be too involved if you can help it because you don’t want him knowing “all our business,” but trying to think of other options and alternatives on your own is hard. So, research.’

‘What?’ Macaque looked at Wukong like he had grown two heads. ‘Research how?’

‘Well there’s this new fancy invention the humans have. It’s called talking.’

Macaque huffed, ‘Don’t start trying to act like you’re clever. It doesn’t suit you.’

Wukong waved him off, ‘We both have friends who are all completely different personalities and should probably clash with each other but somehow don’t. So. Let’s go find out what they do.’

Macaque frowned, turning the idea over in his head. ‘We can’t keep making these things the Kid’s problem.’

‘I know,’ Wukong said. ‘MK wasn’t actually who I had in mind.’ 

‘Run that by me again?’

Wukong grinned while Macaque tried not to cringe, both of them trying to gloss over the strange looks Pigsy and Tang were giving them. ‘You two have been friends since before MK came into the picture, even though Tang is a filthy freeloader-’

‘Excuse me!’

‘And Pigsy’s a hot-headed idiot.’

‘Oi!’

‘We just want to know how you do it.’

Macaque sighed, ‘Don’t drag me into this.’

Wukong waved him off while smiling at Pigsy expectantly. ‘You’re kidding,’ Pigsy said. ‘Is this some kind of weird interrogation for some reason?’

‘Call it research.’

‘For what?’ Tang exclaimed. He looked at Macaque as if it could help, but the resigned expression on the shadow monkey’s face only left him more confused. 

‘Did Sandy put you up to this?’ Pigsy said. ‘Or the Kid?’

‘No,’ Wukong said. ‘Just us.’

Macaque rolled his eyes, ‘Just you.’

‘Bah, don’t pretend you’re not at least a little curious how Tang has survived this long while still getting free noodles.’

‘Hey!’ Tang said. ‘I earn my noodles fair and square.’

‘Like hell you do,’ Pigsy grumbled. ‘That reminds me, I should try and calculate your latest tab, maybe I can use the money to get a new oven.’

Macaque snorted, ‘You think you’ll ever see that money?’

Tang pouted while Pigsy sighed, ‘Hey, a man can dream. But seriously, why do you want to get into this with us? If friendship’s the whole point, why not talk about this with MK and Mei?’

‘Because those two are peas in a pod,’ Wukong said. ‘And as great as that is, I was hoping more for some insight into the “opposites attract” kind of friendships.’

‘Then you should probably speak to them and Red Son,’ Tang said.

‘Isn’t he still holed up in his lab?’ Macaque said.

‘Yeah,’ Wukong winced, ‘let’s not disturb the one demon that might be able to find a clue about the Kid’s situation right now.’

Pigsy looked at the two of them. ‘Research…wait this is a Sandy thing.’

‘No-’

‘They’re using us for therapy homework!’ Pigsy said, pointing at the two of them.

Tang gasped, ‘Well I never!’

‘It’s not-’ Wukong started, wincing as he sensed Macaque deflate behind him. ‘Okay maybe it is. But Sandy didn’t tell us to. I really thought it might help.’

‘As a genuine question, how?’ Pigsy said. ‘Cos mine and Tang’s situation and your two’s deal in therapy ain’t the same thing at all.’

‘Besides,’ Tang said, ‘you two were friends before. And when Macaque had amnesia the two of you just stepped back into friendship so fast I thought I was in some sort of alternate reality.’

Macaque huffed, ‘Yeah, well things changed.’

Tang looked between the two of them while Pigsy sighed. ‘Did you two really change so much that you can’t just go back to how you were before?’

‘Yes,’ Macaque said.

‘And we don’t want to,’ Wukong added. Tang and Pigsy raised eyebrows at that while Wukong tried to not cringe at what he just admitted to. ‘We’re different. I’m different. And the things I did before that would hurt the people I care about I’m trying to not do anymore. But when I’m doing that and Mac’s dealing with his own thing, it’s not leaving a lot of stable ground from “the old days” for us to work from.’

Pigsy pulled a face, ‘You can’t base whatever this new friendship deal is off us.’

‘We’re not going to,’ Wukong said. ‘We just wanted some other perspectives.’

‘Sure,’ Pigsy said, ‘but I don’t think we can help you with your whole situation. I honestly couldn’t tell you why I let Tang get away with freeloading so much, it just happens now.’

‘I mean,’ Tang said, ‘there is a very careful balance between teasing and not pushing my luck. Which I have mastered.’

‘Like hell you have.’

‘And,’ Tang said, ‘I like to think I give to the shop in other ways. Like my reviews.’

‘If all your reviews are just about one shop and no one else reads them, they ain’t reviews. They’re a food diary and you’re just scamming me.’ Pigsy glowered at Tang while he shuffled nervously away from the counter, making Wukong and Macaque sigh. ‘Speaking of, are you planning on paying for your three noodle bowls today?’

‘Oh that,’ Tang chuckled nervously, ‘actually…MK said he would add it to my tab?’ Pigsy scowled at that, grumbling to himself while turning to march into the backroom. 

Once he was out of sight Tang sagged slightly, but not as much as Wukong practically wilted in disappointment. ‘Dammit,’ he muttered. ‘I really thought…’

‘I know,’ Macaque said. He knocked into Wukong slightly. ‘At least we can get some noodles while we’re here.’ Wukong nodded, moving aside enough so that Macaque could get a look at the menu.

When Tang spoke again, Macaque was the only one who heard it at first, ‘The freeloader thing is made up.’

‘What?’ Macaque said.

Tang shushed him, waving for him to keep his voice down. He looked over at the door Pigsy was in while Wukong and Macaque crept closer to listen to his whispers. ‘If you ever say any of this to anyone, never mind what Pigsy will do to you, I will curse both of you. Got it?’ They nodded, suddenly very interested and quiet while Tang sighed. ‘The freeloader thing is kind of a joke, kind of a cover. Mostly for Pigsy’s reputation.’

‘Why?’

‘Because he can’t be seen to be giving away food,’ Tang said. ‘The two of us came to an agreement years ago. Part of that deal is “free” food. I’m working for it, in a sense, but no one knew that. So, jabs about my imaginary tab.’

‘Seriously?’ Wukong hissed. ‘How do I get in on this deal?’

Tang said, ‘You probably can’t. One, because Pigsy knows you’re rich. And two…well MK’s grown up now.’

‘Eh?’

Macaque’s eyes lit up with the realisation. ‘He paid you to look after him.’

Tang held up his hand in a so-so gesture. ‘Kind of. Not exactly.’ He looked at the door again, hearing Pigsy clanging around in the back room before turning back to the conversation. ‘At first, the free food he gave me was because he felt sorry for me. I was a very broke library intern with barely enough money for cheap tea. It started with him literally feeding me broth so I didn’t freeze in the winter. Because a nerd shaped icicle in his shop would be bad for business or something.’

‘Or something,’ Wukong scoffed. ‘He’s always been a secret softie.’

‘Well,’ Tang said, ‘that was when MK showed up. And something in him said he couldn’t leave the kid alone. When there were no missing person reports for him, Pigsy adopted him just like that.’ He snapped his fingers for emphasis, before sighing. ‘And then money got real tight real quick. He couldn’t look after MK all hours and also run the shop. MK needed clothes, food, supplies for school. All of that was money he didn’t have. But also, a lost orphan that’s secretly a mystical monkey without your knowledge isn’t the easiest child to raise.’

Macaque nodded, ‘He needed help.’

Tang nodded, ‘He needed help. And I was a broke library intern. I had time to walk MK to and from school, and I could be a second pair of eyes on him in the shop so Pigsy could focus on the dinner rush.’

Wukong frowned. ‘I dunno, the Pigsy from the Journey was always a little too proud to admit to needing help like that.’

‘And he was now,’ Tang said. ‘But he needed it. And MK needed it. But, he couldn’t afford a babysitter or nanny.’

‘So the food was a trade,’ Macaque said. ‘Whenever you looked after MK in the shop you were fed for your trouble.’

‘It wasn’t a trouble,’ Tang said. ‘It was hard keeping up with him sometimes, but then I had a friend who loved stories about the Monkey King as much as I did. And Pigsy’s food is delicious, so that really does make up for it.’

Wukong sighed, nodding to himself. ‘Pigsy’s proud. He wouldn’t want anyone to know he might be struggling. Especially MK.’

Tang nodded, ‘It’s a miracle I knew, frankly. But I did. And when I offered help he didn’t refuse. Somehow. And now here we are.’ He sighed, looking at the door to the back again. ‘On the surface, our friendship looks like it doesn’t make sense. He’s a hot headed cook and I’m a food based scam artist, how could that ever survive? But that’s not what we are. We were two people in trouble who could help each other. And everything kind of grew from there. Relationship wise.’

Another notable clang from the back was followed by Pigsy’s voice getting closer to the door, causing Wukong and Macaque to slink away from Tang in time for the chef to come back in while none the wiser. He dumped the sack of rice flour on the counter, before looking up at Wukong and Macaque. ‘Oh. I thought you’d be gone by now.’

‘Not without noodles,’ Wukong grinned. ‘If the kitchen’s still open that is.’

‘As long as you’re paying,’ Pigsy said. ‘Watch this Tang. This is how you’re supposed to get food from a respected business.’

Tang rolled his eyes while Wukong chuckled, and Macaque glanced at the scholar. He caught Macaque’s gaze and shrugged, the two of them sharing a smile while Wukong started to list off his rather large order.

They were down the street and heading to an alleyway to make a shadow portal from when Wukong spoke up. ‘We could do that.’

‘What?’ Macaque said.

Wukong took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. ‘Jangles said they were two people who helped each other. That’s how their whole friendship started. That…we could do that.’

Macaque paused, thinking carefully for a moment. ‘You’re not wrong,’ he said, ‘but it’s not going to be as easy as he makes it sound.’

‘I know,’ Wukong said. ‘It means admitting when we’re in trouble. When we need help. And it means letting other people help us.’ He watched Macaque, trying to not stare too much even as he saw Macaque’s brow furrow. ‘It might help if there is a specific thing we can help with. Like Tang helped with MK, and Pigsy fed him. It’s a regular thing. Which would help make it normal.’

‘Okay, but what kind of things like that are there for us?’

Wukong shrugged, ‘I think…something like monkey time. Or something that has the same energy. It’s not a constant thing, but it’s regular enough that you can expect it. And then you notice when it’s not there, so then you know that something’s wrong.’ Macaque hummed, clearly thinking about options while trying to hide the dregs of doubt he had. ‘It’s something to work on,’ Wukong said. ‘And, as much as you don’t want him knowing our business, Sandy might have some decent suggestions for us based on what he does know.’

‘He’ll probably suggest shared meals,’ Macaque said. ‘Time to sit down and talk about our day. As if we don’t spend all our time together.’

Wukong shrugged, ‘Monkeys are social. We like doing things together in groups. Even eating.’

‘Guess I’m more shadow than monkey then.’

Wukong bit back the sigh he had, instead stepping closer to wrap an arm around Macaque’s shoulders. ‘We’ll bring the monkey out of you yet, bud.’

Macaque chose not to respond, instead opening a portal under their feet for them to fall through. When they appeared on the other side however Macaque immediately straightened, ears twitching as he looked around. He stepped out of Wukong’s embrace, leaving the golden monkey watching him in confusion. That turned into alarm when the glamour around Macaque’s ears shattered and one pair started to glow brighter than the others.

‘Mac? What’s going on?’

‘Quiet.’

‘But-’

‘Wukong shut up right now,’ Macaque hissed. He was scowling, concentrating hard while Wukong slowly dropped the food bag, ready to jump into action at the word. The way Macaque was acting, Wukong couldn’t help but assume the worst. Was there going to be an attack? Another demon threat? Was MK in trouble? The questions were right on his tongue but he made himself bite them back. If he distracted Macaque while he was divining then at best he’d trigger a headache from him being caught listening between two times. At worst…

‘Do we have supplies to build a nursery?’ Macaque said.

Wukong blinked in surprise at the sudden shift. A nursery? But he was acting like they were in danger. ‘Uh…for the troop? Yeah I have supplies.’

‘Good. We need to get it ready now.’

‘Now? Wait,’ Wukong gasped, suddenly excited, ‘Baby Season’s starting now?’

‘The first cub’s going to be here within a day,’ Macaque said. 

He opened his mouth to say something else, but Wukong wouldn’t let him. He was too busy backflipping in excitement. “Yes! Finally!’ he laughed. ‘Right, okay. Blankets and towels are in the temple, we’ve got time to build some nests up and…oh! MK! I said I’d call him!’ Macaque sighed as Wukong gathered up the food. ‘Do you think he’ll be able to make it down? I don’t know what shift Pigsy has him on, but he was so excited about this.’

‘Wukong-’

‘Okay, I’ll call the Kid now and let him know, and then we’ll get the supplies. This is so exciting!’ Wukong raced off, whooping as he did so while Macaque slumped. He clearly wanted to shout after Wukong, but stopped himself. Instead he looked past the trees towards the entrance to the temple. With his ears twitching in worry again.

Chapter Text

‘I am so excited!’

Wukong grinned at MK, amused by the way the young monkey was literally bouncing around him as his tail wagged in excitement. ‘I’m glad you're excited bud, but we should probably set some expectations.’

‘How so?’

‘Well this isn’t just all cute fun times. The mothers are going to be snippy at best.’

‘Don’t care,’ MK grinned. ‘They’re allowed.’

‘This whole process is going to be gross. For multiple days.’

‘I know. That’s why you made me wear old clothes right?’ MK gestured at the threadbare tee shirt and torn joggers he was wearing. ‘You said, and I quote, “something I don’t mind being ruined.”’

‘Okay, but if they get territorial and decide to not let you be close you’ll probably be bored.’

MK shrugged, ‘Then I’ll entertain the little ones. I don’t think you understand how much you can’t burst my bubble with this. It's baby monkeys! Come on!’

Wukong laughed. ‘Alright then, come on. We can’t leave the poor Mamas waiting.’ 

He handed MK one of the baskets of towels and blankets, before grabbing his own and they set out from the porch. Already the nearby trees were filled with the sound of monkey chatter, which both grew and focused when Wukong and MK came into view. The trio that were obsessed with MK’s grooming habits immediately jumped onto him, making him giggle as they started picking through his fur. A couple of little ones landed on Wukong too, inspecting the basket while Wukong looked around at the trees. He could already spy a couple of the expectant mothers in the canopy, near the main clearing that had been the designated nursery for the past few…decades. Centuries in fact. He stopped at the edge of the clearing, gesturing for MK to drop his supplies next to his before pulling off his boots. 

‘Alright kid,’ he said. ‘Shoes off. We’re going full monkey today.’

MK looked up at the trees at the gathering troop members. ‘Are we going to be in the trees?’

‘For part of this, yeah,’ Wukong said. ‘We’ll make nests in the trees and on the ground, just in case. There’s quite a few expectant mothers this year, so we’ll have our work cut out for us.’

MK nodded, still beaming at Wukong. ‘Got it. Where am I starting?’

Wukong chuckled, unable to hide his own excitement. At the troop growing, the prospect of new monkeys. At teaching MK something new. It was mixing together into something that threatened to make him pop. Instead he pulled MK into a brief but tight hug, humming at MK’s excited chirps. ‘Let's get some blanket nests down here so we’ve got some comfy places for the Mothers. And then I’ll teach you how to weave a nest out of branches.’

One by one the two of them dotted makeshift nests around the clearing, keeping them close to the shade of the trees while Wukong showed MK how to fold and shift the fabric into a comfortable space for a monkey or two. A couple of them immediately got claimed by younger monkeys, before the ones that were clearly pregnant chased them out. There was activity over their heads as well of various troop members chittering and moving through the tree branches. And the whole time MK was listening intently to Wukong’s advice, his tips about approaching the expectant mothers, and about what this was likely going to look like. What the different monkeys would be doing around the nursery while the mothers gathered to have their cubs, and how the two of them would likely be involved. He got MK to practice some of the calls that the monkeys often made, explaining that they were calls to indicate that they were safe and calm down the mothers if they were in distress. And when they weren’t caring for the mothers, they would be keeping a watch out on the troop to make sure nothing untoward happened.

‘So we’re kind of like bodyguards,’ MK said.

‘A little bit, actually,’ Wukong said. ‘We might also be babysitting and herding the young ones, reassuring the mothers, things like that.’ MK nodded, while Wukong grabbed another blanket. ‘The main thing is making a space where the troop feel safe, so that none of the mothers are stressed. The less stressful we make it, the easier and safer the birth. In a general sense, anyway.’

MK nodded, ‘That makes sense. Do you do this for every Baby Season?’ Wukong nodded, making MK pause. ‘What about…uh…’

‘What’s up?’

MK suddenly looked nervous, licking his lips as he tried to push on. ‘What about when you were off on your adventures? And when you were trapped under the mountain?’

‘Oh,’ Wukong said. ‘Well…that’s part of the reason why I had a Court. To manage these kinds of things while I was gone.’

MK’s face suddenly fell, his tail tucking up sadly. ‘Right. Sorry.’

‘Hey, don’t apologise,’ Wukong said. ‘It’s okay to ask questions.’

MK gave him a sheepish smile. ‘Are you sure?’

‘I’m happy for you to ask questions, bud,’ Wukong said. ‘Even about the sad stuff.’

MK nodded, turning back to the blanket they were folding together. He still looked a little more somber, and with another question bugging him. Whatever it was about though Wukong couldn’t be sure. Not when a shadow portal appeared in the clearing to interrupt their conversation. Wukong raised an eyebrow at that, tutting at whichever monkeys had managed to convince Macaque to be their ride to this part of the mountain. That was until he stepped through, and Wukong saw which monkeys were with him.

‘Hey Mac,’ MK said, keeping his voice quiet even as he greeted him with a happy tone. 

Macaque looked up, barely able to hide his stress and worry as he cradled one of the monkeys close to his chest, while she clung to his front with an iron grip. A second clearly pregnant mother was on his shoulder and looking around at the canopy with a keen attention, while a third trotted next to him. ‘Hey kiddo,’ he whispered. ‘You got here fast.’

MK shrugged, glancing at Wukong to try and work out what was going on. But Wukong’s expression had fallen to be a mirror of Macaque’s at the sight of the three mothers he had brought through, shifting to sorrow as Macaque moved to a tree on the opposite side of the clearing to slide down against. ‘Monkey King?’ MK whispered. ‘What’s going on?’

The monkey clinging to Macaque’s front barely shifted as Macaque moved to gently start rubbing her back, cooing in the way that Wukong had been showing MK a little while ago. The one on his shoulder slowly clambered down to investigate a nest next to the tree Macaque had chosen. While the third one, who was either the bravest or the least bothered out of the three, made a beeline for Wukong. ‘Hey there Mama,’ Wukong said, trying for a smile as she approached. ‘I didn’t know you three were having cubs this year.’ She chirped in response, climbing onto Wukong’s lap without any hesitation before curling up against his warmth. ‘If I did I’d have kept a closer eye on you,’ Wukong muttered, earning a sniping chitter from her as she got herself comfortable. ‘Sure, okay,’ Wukong smiled. ‘Any of the other Old Guard having cubs this year?’

‘Old Guard?’ MK said.

‘Oh right,’ Wukong said. ‘So, do you remember the story of how I took my name out of the book of the Dead?’ MK nodded, ‘Well I didn’t just take out my name.’

MK gasped, ‘I remember! You managed to find a whole bunch of the other monkeys and crossed their names out too, right?’

Wukong nodded, ‘Well. Between that, the peach orchard, and a few parties I’ve had here with stolen celestial wine…’

MK’s jaw dropped. ‘Immortal monkey troop,’ he whispered.

‘Immortal monkey troop,’ Wukong grinned. ‘Not all of them, though.’

‘Right,’ MK said. ‘Because any new monkeys that are born aren’t automatically immortal I guess.’ Wukong nodded, and MK turned his attention back to the monkey who was now staring at him. ‘So are you an immortal monkey then?’ He asked her, earning a chitter from her.

‘One of the first ones,’ Wukong said. ‘She probably still remembers the old Court and everything.’

MK grinned, ‘Okay, I definitely need to learn more monkey language. And then you can tell me all of Monkey King’s secrets.’

‘Oi!’ MK and the monkey both sniggered at Wukong’s pout, which he refused to stop even when the monkey started chirping and chittering at him. ‘I don’t think I want to introduce you now,’ Wukong grumbled.

‘Oh no please,’ MK said. ‘Please, Monkey King.’

The monkey chirped too, making Wukong sigh. ‘Fine, fine. I’ll introduce you to the rest of the elders as you meet them,’ he said to MK. ‘But for now, this is Huan. The one in the nest over there is Yi, and the one Mac is looking after is called Xue.’ 

MK nodded while Wukong turned to Huan to explain who MK was. As he did though one of the younger monkeys swung in to land on MK’s head, making him scowl at the sound he was making. ‘I thought I told you I don’t like that name?’

Huan immediately perked up, repeating the sound as she looked at Wukong for clarity. “Prince? He is your Prince?”

Wukong glanced at MK, watching him grumble at the monkey’s title for him. “He’s my Heir.” He and MK both jumped in surprise at Huan’s sudden delighted cackle, Wukong trying to shush her before she could make herself too excited. “Alright, take it easy, you maniac. I’m not letting you have your cub literally on my lap.”

“He’s your Heir! The Little Prince! He’s the Little Prince!”

Wukong shrugged, “Sure, although calling him a cub will make him grumpy. Besides, we're still working out the details of the whole Heir situation.”

“How did this happen?”

Wukong shrugged, “Someone Celestial thought it was a good idea to make a new stone monkey.”

“And?”

“And what? No one knew about him until recently.”

She scowled at that, muttering under her breath with a chitter that Wukong could have sworn was calling him stupid. Before Wukong could prod her about the possible insult she leaned out towards MK with a mix of curiosity and wonder. “Where has he been hiding?”

“Not hiding,” Wukong said, “at least not on purpose. He lives in the city on the other side of the ocean.”

“When is he moving to the mountain?”

At that Wukong faltered, trying to bite back a sigh. “He has a home somewhere else.”

“With other monkeys?”

“No. But with good souls. They raised him well.” Huan grumbled at that, making MK look at them again while clearly nervous. “He visits a lot though. To learn about the troop.”

Huan perked up at that. “Is he joining the troop?” she asked.

“He’s trying to,” Wukong said. “That’s why he’s here. He wants to help with the nursery.”

‘Monkey King?’ Wukong looked up at MK, who was watching the two of them nervously. ‘Are you guys talking about me?’

Wukong beamed, ‘Only good things.’ Huan chirped in time, her tail curling in amusement as MK only grew more nervous. ‘Right, you think you can sort out the last of the blankets?’

‘Sure,’ MK said. ‘But what are you going to do?’

Wukong looked down at Huan as she got herself comfortable. ‘First rule of the nursery. We don’t move the mothers if we can help it.’

MK looked at Huan, watching her rub at her stomach as Wukong started to gently stroke her back. ‘Monkey Mamas operate on the same rule as cats, got it.’ He grabbed the rest of the blankets, moving around Wukong to a couple of trees over while he started practising the various monkey noises Wukong had shown him. 

Wukong couldn’t help but smile at the sight, the sound of MK practising making his heart swell. “See?” He said to Huan. “He’s a good kid.” Huan chirped in approval, making Wukong hum happily. “I hope the troop lets him help.”

Huan hummed, “Do you think he can help Xue?”

Wukong’s smile vanished, and he glanced over at Macaque. Xue was finally starting to look less tense, while Macaque was half shielding her with his arms. He was in old pelts Wukong hadn’t seen in centuries, clothes that Wukong didn’t even know had survived all this time. But his focus was less on that and more on the expression on Macaque’s face. He was staring off into space, which only seemed to highlight how haunted Macaque looked. Even when he focused back on the present and moved to let Yi curl up against him as well, that expression didn’t shift. It made Wukong wilt, even as Huan cooed on his lap to get his attention. He got why the three elders were at varying levels of nervousness and worry, and why Xue specifically was so freaked out. But why was Macaque feeling it too? Had he heard something that had him worried? Or was it something else? 

It had been a long time since Macaque had been part of Baby Season on the mountain, or been involved in the nursery. And it was even louder than he remembered. The cacophony of the troop in the trees nearby was only made worse by his lack of exposure after so many years away. And while he had been visiting the troop a lot since he got back, the troop on a normal day and the troop in the middle of this season were two entirely different experiences. And this was just on the first day, when there was the mix of excitement and stress, of expectant parents being territorial of nests and trees. Soon enough the new cubs themselves would add to the mix, adding cries of hunger, tiredness, pain if they got hurt. At least one of them would fall out of their nest or lose their parent, and that would add a whole other scale to the noise. One that Macaque was already dreading. But it would be fine. As long as the troop was safe, and the mothers and cubs came out of this ordeal healthy, then he could cope with the rest of it. 

That was until he found the three elders. They had been hiding in the mountain, chittering nervously until Macaque had found them. Huan immediately relaxed in his presence, immediately calling for his help to get them to the others. Yi was also happy to see him, her chitters still nervous as she was asking about the others in the troop, about Wukong, if the nests were ready yet. And then there was Xue. The poor girl had worked herself up into such a panicked state it took all three of them to calm her down enough for her to agree to leave the mountain. Even then, she only would if Macaque promised to guard her. She didn’t want to leave the mountain otherwise. Which made sense, considering everything. But Macaque still felt the dread he was feeling grow into something almost unmanageable when she started to cling to him. It hurt, seeing her still suffer after all these years. But that pain came with the knowledge of why she was suffering, which brought its own heartache.

That was how he found himself inside the nursery, listening to the building of nests above their heads while it was taking everything in him to stay calm enough to try and soothe Xue. Yi was helping now as well, taking a moment to groom her while Macaque let them both use him as a pillow. The whole time he was trying to remember how to breathe. In and out, counting himself in time with the waves by the beach. If he could keep his breathing in time with the waves, then he could stay calm. Then he could keep the others calm. Then they would be able to get through this. 

‘Hey Mac?’ The whisper from MK pulled him out of his thoughts enough to make him look over. The young man was still holding two of the blankets Wukong was using for nests on the ground while standing a fair few feet away from him. He smiled nervously while looking between Macaque and the monkeys on his lap. ‘Just to check, how close would be too close to be making nests? I don’t want to spook anymore.’

Macaque managed a chuckle despite himself, a sound that had Yi looking up curiously. She peeked around Xue at MK, earning a smile and small wave from him while Macaque looked at the nearby trees. ‘That one should be good,’ he said quietly while pointing at a tree between the two of them. MK nodded, treading over carefully before kneeling down to start folding up the blankets into a final nest. He hummed while he did so, making Macaque’s ears flick at the sound. ‘Hang on, are you trying to make monkey calls?’

‘Uh,’ MK said, ‘Monkey King showed me some of the sounds to tell people everything is safe. And I wanted to practice.’

Macaque snorted, ‘That’s adorable.’

‘Hey!’

Yi tugged on the front of Macaque’s shirt to get his attention. “A new monkey? Who is he?”

Macaque looked over at MK, making sure that he was too focused on his task to notice their conversation. Even if it was in monkey. “He’s Wukong’s cub.”

Xue straightened in surprise and looked up at Macaque in confusion, before her and Yi both turned to look at MK. They watched him build the blanket nest, his tongue peeking out in concentration as he worked. He didn’t notice their attention while Xue and Yi hummed and chittered to themselves. Apparently the young man was a mystery to them, which proved to be a very useful distraction from their current situation and worries. Macaque was only half paying attention to what they said though, with the rest of his focus on listening out with the progress on the other nests and checking everyone else was safe. 

‘There we go!’ MK’s voice pulled Macaque’s attention away enough for him to look over. MK was kneeling next to another small but comfortable looking blanket pile, admiring his work while smiling at Macaque. ‘What do you think?’

Macaque nodded, ‘Looks good. Bit small for me, but for one of these guys it should do the trick.’ Yi looked around at MK again, trying to inspect the nest from afar.

‘Oh,’ MK said, ‘if they want to test it I can move away.’ He started to shuffle backwards but Yi immediately chittered disapprovingly, making MK confused and Macaque watch her in amusement. She climbed off his lap, making her way over to the nest as MK watched with clear anticipation. It was easy for her to climb in, and she circled around it a couple of times while testing the fabric with her paws. When she settled down and made moves to get properly comfortable MK beamed, his whole face lighting up as he looked up at Macaque, then at Wukong. ‘Monkey King!’ he hissed excitedly. ‘Monkey King, look!’

Wukong looked up from where he and Huan had been having another conversation, giving MK a proud smile when he saw Yi settle. ‘Nice job bud,’ he said. ‘When Huan moves we’ll help with the tree nests, yeah?’

MK nodded, bouncing in excitement while the three mothers watched him with varying degrees of curiosity and excitement. Huan turned back to Wukong to continue their chittering conversation, while Yi got MK’s attention enough to try and call him closer so he could be investigated without her having to move. And Xue was muttering to herself, to the point Macaque only picked up half of what she said at best. Her curiosity about MK was all encompassing at the moment, but whatever theories she was making she was muttering so quietly Macaque couldn’t keep track. Especially while he was trying to listen out for everything else. He missed when Huan came over to them to discuss the matter of the New Prince with Xue, and he vaguely noticed when Wukong interrupted the impromptu grooming session Yi was giving MK to get him up in the trees. But that was fine. The girls would get his attention if they needed him. This way, he could focus on listening out for any threats, and making sure that none of the other mothers were having any problems. 

Whatever confidence MK might have had about building nests after his attempts with the blankets vanished the second he saw what went into the branch based counterparts. All the able-bodied monkeys were a flurry of activity around him, jumping between branches with sticks, leaves, vines, all sorts of stuff, while others were weaving them into complex nests of various sizes. He could barely keep track of all the movement, and when Wukong nudged him to follow he looked very much out of his depth. Still he followed, listening to everything Wukong said about building a nest. He followed every instruction Wukong gave diligently, from testing branches to collect to how to knot vines and twine to keep the branches together. He was utterly focused when holding the nest frames together while watching Wukong and the smaller monkeys weave around his hands, watching with wonder at how the nests formed in no time at all.

By the last one of the day, however, his attention had started to wander. Not so much that he was getting in the way, but enough that Wukong could tell his thoughts were drifting onto something else. Something that had him looking worried.

‘Monkey King?’ He finally said. ‘You said I could ask about sad stuff, right?’

‘Uh oh,’ Wukong said. ‘Are you about to make me regret that?’

MK shrugged sheepishly. ‘It’s just…when Mac appeared with the “Old Guard” you both looked really worried. And…well Xue seems really spooked.’

Wukong sighed, but didn’t answer at first. Not until he had finished the final knots and they were turning to fill the inside of the nest with leaves and moss. ‘Of the current troop, I’d say 2/3rds of them are currently immortal. Most of those are from peaches and wine. Out of the immortal ones, about half of them are old enough to…to remember the attack on the mountain.’

MK froze, clearly calculating in his head. ‘Wait, how big is the troop now compared to its size before the attack?’

Wukong shook his head, ‘We are almost as big as we were. But it's taken a while.’

‘Seriously?’ MK whispered in horror. ‘How many….that’s so many monkeys.’ Wukong nodded sadly, making MK sigh. ‘They remember the fire then?’

Wukong nodded, ‘I don’t know the details. They don’t like to talk about it. But what I do know is that ever since then, at least since I’ve been back, a lot of the elders struggle to carry cubs to term.’

‘What? Why?’

‘I told you bud,’ Wukong said, ‘the less stressed they are, the safer the birth.’ MK deflated, tears springing to his eyes as Wukong continued. ‘They used to try, but at some point in the pregnancy or labour they’d make themselves sick, and then there would be complications.’

MK sniffed, wiping at his nose. ‘When was the last time they tried?’

‘Elders in general? A couple of them try every few years. But for Xue…it's been decades since she last tried at least. Yi and Huan have tried more recently, but even then. I think it's safe to say they haven’t tried since before you hatched.’

‘That’s so long,’ MK whispered.

Wukong nodded. ‘The three of them started to foster cubs. Sometimes cubs are rejected by their parents, or there are accidents. But you always knew the three of them would have any orphans in their nest by the end of the day.’

MK nodded, blinking away any tears before they could fall. ‘And now all three of them are trying together. How can we help?’

‘Honestly?’ Wukong said, ‘I think just your mere existence is already helping.’ MK tilted his head in confusion, making Wukong chuckle. ‘You’re a new topic of conversation for them.’

‘Really?’

‘Huan wouldn’t shut up about my “Little Prince,” and I know for a fact she went to Xue to gossip.’

MK pouted, ‘I’m not little. Or a Prince.’

‘If you say so,’ Wukong grinned. ‘But your presence is distracting them. Which is good, it keeps their minds off their worries.’

‘So, just be me then?’ Wukong nodded, even as MK looked doubtful. ‘Will that be enough?’

‘Works for me,’ Wukong said. He finished adding the last of the leaves in time for another pregnant monkey to come and inspect their work. ‘Alright,’ Wukong said. ‘We can try and make some more nests tomorrow, but it’s getting a bit late now.’

MK looked up, seeing the colours of sunset painted over the skyline. ‘Oh, I promised Mei monkey pictures.’ He scrambled to his feet, pulling out his phone while looking around for some victims. 

‘Well you do that, and I’ll get your bed ready.’

‘Monkey King?’ Wukong paused, eyeing MK’s sheepish look with a growing amusement. ‘I know what the answer might be with the whole deal we’ve got with the nests, but what exactly are the options when it comes to beds?’

Wukong raised an amused eyebrow. ‘Do you want a hammock bed?’

‘Yes please.’

He chuckled, ‘Anything for my “Little Prince.”’ MK scowled, making Wukong laugh as he moved to climb down from the tree.

Chapter Text

The hammock bed was absolutely the correct call. Once it was set up and MK was inside the hammock, he couldn’t stop chirping happily as the bed swayed. It was so cute Wukong had to climb into the hammock as well, taking the moment to tease MK while pulling him into a hug that had him giggling and chirping even more. Before he knew it MK was falling asleep against him, nuzzling in a way that made something warm glow in Wukong’s chest. The two of them were so warm and content, nestled against each other with the soft sounds of the sleeping troop around them. Wukong kept half an ear out on the troop in case something happened, and a couple of pained chitters from some of the parents to be did stir him a couple of times in the night, but otherwise the night was peaceful. 

And so was the morning. The troop woke slowly with the soft rays of sunlight cutting through the canopy, their first chirps and calls focused on finding food. Or wanting more sleep. The parents to be were already checking their nests and each other, muttering to each other about how soon the cubs might be arriving. And Wukong was waking up with a soft sigh, perfectly warm and comfortable as he woke up next to his kid. Part of him didn’t want to move. Instead he wanted to nuzzle and fuss over his cub, a thought that had Wukong trilling with delight. But he had royal duties to attend to for once. And apparently, so did MK. 

‘Morning sleepyhead,’ he whispered happily as he got MK to stir. ‘Time to get up.’

MK grumbled, trying to hide his face from the light, ‘Five more minutes.’

Wukong chuckled, ‘That’s a dangerous game to play. The troop will eat your breakfast if you sleep in.’ MK only grumbled in response, which turned into a full whine when Wukong shifted enough to shake the hammock. He sat up to stretch while looking around at the monkeys that were already showing themselves. Some of them were climbing between the branches, some were getting started on an early morning grooming session. And some were still asleep, both in the trees and in the blanket nests made up on the floor. The sight of sleeping monkeys curled up against each other made Wukong’s heart melt, and when he spotted Huan and Yi’s nest specifically he huffed in relief at how peaceful they looked while asleep. His focus tracked over to Xue, his relief compounding when he saw Xue curled up on Macaque’s lap and still deeply asleep. But that relief couldn’t last.

Macaque looked haggard. His eyes were bloodshot, face lined with exhaustion. And for once he had all six ears out around the troop, but that meant Wukong could see all six ears flexing and fluttering. Listening. Probably to everything on the mountain. Possibly to what might be coming when the mothers went into labour. But either way it was clear Macaque had been up all night.

Wukong barely bit back a frustrated growl, but he grumbled enough that MK perked up, turning in confusion to see what had caused his sudden change in mood. But Wukong was vaulting out of the hammock before MK could even open his mouth. Without a word Wukong prowled over to Macaque, scowling at him while Macaque sighed.

‘If you’re going to start, make sure you at least keep your voice down,’ he whispered.

‘Did you get any sleep last night?’ Wukong hissed.

Macaque shrugged, ‘Someone needed to keep a lookout.’

‘We have lookouts,’ Wukong whispered. ‘The younger ones are being lookouts at night.’

‘Yeah, well they can miss things.’

Wukong bit back the snapping response that was right on his tongue. He could feel himself getting more heated, but that energy right now would only stress everyone out. Especially the elders. Instead he stepped away, trying to take a slow breath that could hopefully calm him down. ‘Whatever. I’m going to get food for the troop. You’d better get some sleep later.’

‘Is that an order, Your Majesty?’

‘Alright you know what-’ Wukong snapped, before clenching his jaw shut. ‘No. No you’re not getting me into a fight. Not right now.’ He turned away from Macaque, missing both his scowl and how Xue started to stir on his lap. Instead he marched across the clearing to gather his baskets, barely stopping himself from stomping in anger.

‘Monkey King?’ MK’s quiet whisper made Wukong glance over, seeing MK now sitting up in the hammock while rubbing at one of his eyes. ‘What’s wrong?’

Wukong scoffed, ‘Just the usual. Don’t worry about it.’ MK frowned, looking over at Macaque while Wukong sighed. ‘Keep an eye on the troop. I’m going to get breakfast for everyone, but I’ll be close enough to hear if there’s a problem. Just shout if you need me, okay?’ MK nodded, waving as Wukong headed into the trees. He wouldn’t take too long. He’d be back in good time with breakfast and to help out the mothers to be. But right now he needed a moment alone. A moment to calm down. And maybe a moment for Macaque to get his act together while he wasn’t there.

The baskets he brought back were full for all of two minutes. The loud cheers from the monkeys woke up anyone else who might have been sleeping or resting, and Wukong immediately had to start wrestling monkeys off him while trying to get to the centre of the clearing. MK jumped up to help, the two of them getting the monkeys organised enough to start handing out the food. MK grabbed one of the baskets to take to the mothers that refused to leave their nests, while Wukong bartered with the others to make sure that everyone got some. Soon enough all the monkeys were chittering happily while munching on various types of fruit, while Wukong quietly kept a few pieces back. MK hopped down, clearly proud with his empty basket, and immediately told Wukong about how none of the mothers had been nervous or hostile with him, and a couple had even seemed friendly. Wukong offered him the basket, letting MK grab a banana before he turned to the final group. Huan and Yi had moved over to Macaque, the three of them watching Wukong eagerly as he stepped over and offered them what was left in the basket. Huan immediately grabbed a piece for Xue, handing it to her before grabbing her own, while Yi took a moment to contemplate before grabbing a peach herself. Leaving just a plum in the bottom of the basket, and the three elders looking at Macaque expectantly. But Macaque didn’t respond. He didn’t even look up at Wukong’s presence. He just stared off into the distance, his ears still flicking. 

‘Uh, Mac?’ MK said. ‘I think they left the plum for you.’

Macaque shook his head. ‘Not hungry.’

Wukong scowled. ‘Seriously?’

‘What? Are you going to order me to eat now?’

‘Maybe I should,’ Wukong said. ‘You need to eat.’

‘I’m fine.’

‘Mac-’

‘The others need the food more,’ Macaque said.

‘Then I will get more food,’ Wukong said. ‘We are literally on Flower Fruit Mountain. The mountain of flowers and fruit. We have enough food to feed twenty troops. So eat the damn fruit.’

Macaque rolled his eyes, ‘You’re being dramatic.’

‘I’m being realistic!’

‘I thought I told you to keep your voice down?’ Macaque hissed.

The elders all chittered in worry, while Wukong gritted his teeth. ‘Then stop fighting me on the most basic stuff. Seriously, bud.’

Macaque opened his mouth to argue, but MK stepped between them before he could. In one quick motion he crouched and swiped up the plum, holding it out for Macaque. ‘Come on Mac. It’s too early to start fighting. Just have some breakfast, okay?’

Macaque sighed, ‘Kid-’

‘You can’t protect her unless you eat.’ His words struck both Wukong and Macaque dumb, Wukong’s jaw dropping while Macaque’s shoulders sagged. But MK wasn’t done. ‘You want to protect the troop? Awesome. But if you don’t eat or sleep then you’ll make yourself sick. And then you can’t protect anyone. Not without someone getting hurt.’ 

Macaque swallowed, staring at MK with a pained expression while his jaw clenched. Suddenly Xue chirped in Macaque’s lap, making Macaque flinch as he looked down at her. Huan and Yi quickly joined in, the three of them all chittering at Macaque, while MK had to smother a smirk. ‘Alright, fine,’ Macaque sighed, snatching the fruit out of MK’s outstretched hand. ‘Fine, if it will shut you up.’ He looked away from all of their stares, which didn’t stop until he finally bit into the plum.

When he did, MK sighed in relief. ‘Thanks, bud.’ He stood up, stretching for a moment while turning to Wukong. ‘Alright. Did you want me to help around here? Or I can go out on my nimbus, do some scouting, make sure everything’s all safe and stuff.’

Wukong opened his mouth, before glancing at Macaque. He was clearly still listening based on how tense he was, and that only cemented Wukong’s decision. After all, Macaque had a much harder time saying no to the Kid. ‘Yeah, that sounds great,’ Wukong said. ‘Think you can take a couple of the young ones with you?’

MK nodded with a grin, letting Wukong ruffle his fur for a moment before moving away while straightening his bandana. ‘Hey, Lieutenant Monkey! I’ve got a mission for you!’

Wukong huffed in amusement, listening to Huan and Xue chitter happily while watching MK scoop up a monkey that immediately perched on his shoulder. When the two of them flew off Wukong finally turned to look at Macaque. ‘Well. The Kid’s on lookout duty, and I’m going to build some more nests and watch out for everyone here. Guess the only thing you need to do right now is rest.’ 

Macaque didn’t answer, or even look up. Not when Wukong moved away or jumped into a nearby tree, or when the elders prompted him to eat some more of his apparent breakfast. He ate, even though he could barely taste it. Even though the act of chewing itself was making him nauseous. But he made himself eat. Because the kid was right. Even if his mind was telling him to leave it for the mothers and the cubs, and was telling him to count rations just in case. The kid was right. He was no good to anyone half starved and exhausted. 

MK made sure to take his time with his supposed patrol. He wasn’t being lazy about it by any means, especially with Lieutenant Monkey keeping him company. But he could only be so thorough when investigating a relative paradise for dangers. Still, he didn’t want to rush back. If he went back too soon he was bound to make Macaque worry, and that would be the opposite of helpful. So instead he flew slowly, letting his monkey companion chitter on his shoulder while he kept a keen eye out. And while trying to parse some meaning in the monkey’s sounds and noises. He had hoped to be able to pick up more than he had from his now regular monkey time with Wukong and the troop. But monkey language was surprisingly hard to learn. That didn’t stop him from trying though, and from chattering back at him while they flew around. And when they were finally done, they chattered all the way back to the nursery.

At first MK couldn’t see Wukong. But his location was immediately apparent when MK heard a disgruntled monkey cry somewhere in the trees. Immediately he tensed, some part of him wanting to rush over to help. But he held himself back, looking at the others milling around. None of them looked worried. In fact those who weren’t still building nests were acting like they normally would. Napping, playing, grooming. Just monkey things. So MK stayed put. After all, he didn’t want to spook anyone by rushing in, even if it was to help. If Monkey King needed help he would shout for it he was sure, from Macaque if not from him. But the shadow monkey was curled up in his spot, clearly fast asleep with the three elders relaxing on him in various ways. 

Before he knew it MK was walking over to the small group, waving at them as he got closer. Huan chirped happily at the sight of him, with Yi and Xue looking at him with that same curiosity. ‘Hi guys,’ he whispered. ‘Are you all okay?’ They all trilled, making MK beam at them. ‘Great. Just so you know? I uh…am still learning what most of the monkey calls mean. What all of them mean, actually. Monkey language is hard.’

Huan chittered in a way that MK recognised as a laugh, while Yi shuffled to pat a space next to them. MK took his cue, settling down to sit next to Macaque so that the others could lean against him as well. ‘Good news,’ MK said. ‘I checked the whole mountain. And there is nothing dangerous, untoward, or threatening to be seen.’ Huan cooed, while Yi seemed to huff in relief. ‘I guess the first baby of the season is coming, huh? Is it good or bad to be first, I wonder?’

Xue finally spoke up, trilling at him in a soft spoken, almost sad way that had MK nodding. ‘Yeah, I guess it’s scary no matter what, right?’ All three of them nodded, making MK’s smile falter. ‘Is that why you’re staying near Mac? With his ears, he can probably hear the babies right?’ Yi muttered something with a nervous tone, while Huan stretched out her paw for MK’s. He offered her a hand, letting her guide until he was gently touching her stomach. There MK could immediately feel the flutters and movements of the unborn cub, the sensation making him gasp. ‘Whoa, no way!’ he whispered, scooching closer in excitement while Huan hummed. ‘This is so cool. They’ve got a lot of energy, huh?’ Huan chirped, and MK could have sworn there was pride in her tone, while Xue hummed at the group. She was still curled into Macaque, but she stretched out one arm towards MK, and he offered her his other hand in turn. Her bump was also active, making MK grin. ‘Wait, your babies are moving differently. Huan’s is all fast and fluttery, but Xue’s is slower. Stronger though. Like I can feel a foot.’ All three of them chittered, while MK winced. ‘This must be painful, huh?’

“We’re used to it.”

MK straightened, looking at Huan in shock. She had chirped, he knew she had chirped. But somehow that particular sound had made sense. If he had it right. But he was almost sure he did. Before he could push it though Macaque grumbled, making all the monkeys spin to look at him. Yi chirped, making Macaque hum while Xue reached out to stroke his arm gently. Macaque sighed, slumping again against the tree. MK shuffled closer, letting Macaque lean against him as he got comfortable in his sleep.

‘So,’ MK whispered, ‘are you staying here to make sure he sleeps?’ Huan nodded while Yi chittered again. ‘Good call,’ MK grinned. ‘He’s really bad at looking after himself, huh?’ Yi yawned, making MK smile. ‘Hey, if you want to join him in a nap then go for it. I won’t be offended.’ Yi looked at the nest she and Huan had been using, then back at Macaque and Xue while humming to herself. ‘Oh, I can bring the nest closer? If that would help?’ MK said. Yi lit up, her and Huan both clapping and chirping as MK grinned and scrambled up to get the pile of blankets without disturbing Macaque. He dragged them into place, adjusting them to make sure they were comfortable while Yi and Huan immediately climbed in. Huan turned to start grooming Yi, the two of them cooing at each other, while MK watched them with pride. 

By the time Wukong came down from the canopy the scene around MK looked very different. Macaque had at some point shifted enough in his sleep that he ended up lying on the ground fully, so he was curling around and into the blanket nest Huan and Yi were resting in. Yi had settled against him to nap as well, while Huan was slowly grooming Macaque’s mane. Xue had moved to be sat on MK’s lap now, with the young man curled around her protectively while he also showed her how to take pictures of the other monkeys running around on his phone.

‘You guys okay over here?’ Wukong said.

MK looked up and grinned, ‘Yeah, we’re just relaxing. Getting some good shots for Mei.’ Xue chirped with him, clearly focused on the gadget in front of her. Wukong raised a curious eyebrow at her, to which MK shrugged. ‘Apparently I’m a good backup seat.’

Wukong looked over at Macaque, his face falling at the scowl etched into the dark monkey’s brow. Even in his sleep. ‘How long has he been asleep?’

MK looked at him, then at his phone to check the time. ‘A couple of hours at least. He was asleep when I got back and I stayed out for a fair while. Had to be thorough, you know?’

Huan huffed, grumbling to Wukong as she continued to comb through his fur. “He basically passed out while eating breakfast. The idiot never learns.”

Wukong rolled his eyes, while MK looked between the two of them. Xue chirped to get Wukong’s attention. ‘Right,’ Wukong said, ‘we should focus on the good news.’

‘Good news?’ MK gasped, his whole face lighting up. ‘Are there cubs?’

Wukong nodded, beaming at MK’s excited chitters. ‘Two of them now. Babies and Mamas are all safe and healthy. Resting, of course. One of the mothers is an old hat at this and already has the baby feeding. But I’ll need to check on the other one in a little bit, she’s a bit newer at the whole baby game.’ MK grinned, his tail wagging wildly to show his excitement. Somehow he didn’t end up bouncing around the clearing, although Wukong suspected that was only because of Xue. And even then it was a close call. ‘When I go to check on them, do you want to come?’

‘Can I?’ MK gasped. ‘I mean, I absolutely want to, but don’t want to spook anyone, especially if the Mama is tired or recovering or whatever.’

‘It’s fine,’ Wukong chuckled. ‘They’ll let you know if they don’t want you close. But from where I’m standing, you seem to be a natural at this.’

MK looked down at Xue, then back up at Monkey King with a sheepish smile. ‘I just like cuddles.’

‘I’m aware.’

Xue suddenly chittered, pointing past Wukong at a pair of young monkeys wrestling under a tree. MK looked at what she was pointing at, then beamed. ‘You’re absolutely right.’ He set up his phone so that Xue could see what he was doing, giving Wukong a chance to get out of the way while Xue cooed over the young monkeys playing, watching them for a moment before she looked at what MK was doing. 

Wukong couldn’t help the smile breaking on his face, watching the two of them mutter over the cubs while taking pictures. When the cubs ran off Wukong moved to sit next to MK. ‘So? Can I see your work so far?’

Xue hummed happily as MK showed Wukong the pictures they had been taking, adding in chitters and comments about some of the pictures and the cubs in them as MK flicked through the album. When her favourite appeared, one of three of the cubs sleeping on top of each other, she suddenly chirped loudly while tapping on the screen. Wukong chuckled at her excitement, while MK proclaimed that she would be a professional at this rate.

‘What’s going on?’ All the monkeys turned at the sound of the groggy voice, MK wincing at the sight of Macaque rubbing at his eyes.

‘Oh no,’ MK said. ‘Sorry. We just got excited.’ Xue cooed quietly, also apologising while Huan sighed at the two of them. ‘Don’t worry, you can go back to sleep. We’ve got everything handled.’

Unfortunately Macaque was already making efforts to move, shaking his head at MK’s suggestion. ‘No need, I’ve slept enough.’

Before he could sit up however, Huan started hissing at him, “Don’t move yet! Yi’s still resting.”

Macaque looked down at the sleeping monkey still curled up against him while sighing. ‘Alright, fine.’ He settled down, making MK and Xue both relax as he wrapped an arm around Yi. ‘Anyway, have I missed anything?’

‘Oh,’ MK said, ‘the mountain’s all good. Nothing dangerous or untoward going on.’

‘And,’ Wukong said, ‘we have our first babies of the Season.’

MK nodded, immediately lighting up at the thought of them. ‘Yeah, there’s two so far, and Monkey King is going to introduce me later.’

 ‘Nice,’ Macaque said. ‘And right on time too.’ He looked at Xue again, his brow raising in curiosity at her settled on MK’s lap. ‘What’s got you in a good mood?’

She sat up in excitement, pointing at MK’s phone while trilling. “Little Prince showed me his box. He can capture images with it, and we were making images of the young ones.”

Macaque looked at MK’s phone curiously, until MK turned it to show the picture of the sleeping cubs. ‘Ah,’ he said. ‘He’s got you on that too, huh?’ Xue nodded, continuing to chirp excitedly while Macaque watched with some relief. MK giggled, letting her have the phone so she could swipe through the album, making more comments on each of the cubs as she went.

‘Well she’s going to be entertained for a while,’ Wukong smiled. ‘You sure you don’t need more sleep?’ Macaque shrugged, his eyes starting to droop as he listened to Xue’s happy chirps. ‘We’ll wake you if we need help.’

‘I’m good,’ Macaque muttered. Huan returned to her grooming while humming, which only made Macaque relax more. ‘I don’t need more sleep.’

Wukong smiled knowingly, choosing not to argue while he watched Macaque grumble, until he was slumbering again. ‘Good job,’ he whispered to Huan. She trilled proudly while Wukong looked at Xue. ‘Alright, at what point am I allowed to have my cub back? I’ve got royal duties to show him.’

Xue suddenly tensed, looking at Wukong in alarm. The sight immediately made him wilt, but before he could apologise (or she could panic) MK wrapped her in a bigger hug. She chirped nervously, to which MK began to cooing gently. ‘It’s okay,’ he whispered. ‘It’s okay, I’ll stay here as long as you want, okay?’ She nodded, nuzzling into his chest while reaching for one of his arms to tug. 

Wukong sighed, ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.’ He watched MK continue to reassure her, and watched MK move as Xue wanted. Until the young monkey’s hand was pressed against her bump, and Wukong’s jaw dropped in shock.

MK hummed to himself, before nodding with a big smile. ‘Yep. The baby’s still trying to pick a fight. Nice and strong.’ Xue chirped, a noise MK responded to with nothing but confidence. ‘I’m sure.’

‘Kid?’ Wukong said, and MK turned at the wonder in his voice. Wukong’s eyes were glistening, and his shock was morphing into gratitude and relief. ‘How did you do that?’

‘Do what?’

‘Xue doesn’t let anyone touch her. Not at this stage.’ MK sat up in surprise, while Wukong gave them both a watery smile. ‘Sometimes these two can get away with it, but most of the time it either distresses her or she just refuses.’

‘Really?’ MK said. ‘But we were comparing them all earlier.’ Wukong’s surprise only grew while Xue cooed in agreement. ‘Huan’s is all fluttery like they’re trying to fidget, but Xue’s has got stronger kicks, and Yi’s I think was napping, but we checked again before she had her nap and it was trying to do flips in there.’

Wukong chuckled, more in disbelief than actual humour. That…wow.’

MK turned to Xue, who looked at him like everything was perfectly normal and not as miraculous as Wukong was making it sound. ‘This is good,’ he said, ‘right?’

‘Probably,’ Wukong said.

‘Yeah, in fact it's great,’ MK nodded. ‘This must mean they feel comfortable, and safe. Right, Mama?’ he said while turning to Xue.

She cooed, nuzzling into MK’s fur while stroking his arm. “We’re safe,” she chirped. “And Little Prince protects us.”

Wukong tried to pout, but he didn’t have it in him. ‘Just MK? What about me?’

Huan piped up, “You’re being the King to everyone. Macaque is protecting us. But Little Prince can protect Macaque.”

Wukong actually frowned at that, slipping into his own calls. “I’m protecting him too.”

Huan shook her head, “You try, but he won’t let you. But he lets Little Prince. If you trust Prince, and Macaque trusts Prince, then we can.”

“And he’s soft,” Xue added. She nuzzled into him again, cooing as MK watched them all in confusion. “Soft, warm, fun. A good cub.”

Wukong narrowed his eyes at Xue, feeling a sudden wave of suspicion as she nestled against him. Before he gasped with a sudden realisation. ‘Wait a minute, you’re trying to adopt him!’

Macaque flinched at the sudden shout, while Xue and Huan both cackled at Wukong’s outburst and MK only looked more confused. ‘What?’ MK said.

‘She’s scent marking you,’ Wukong said, now trying to fight off a wave of anger and possessiveness over his cub. ‘She’s trying to adopt you as a cub. But you can’t adopt him because he’s my cub.’

Huan trilled something lighthearted about him not being claimed, while MK only looked more confused. ‘Wait, what? Adopt? How?’

Macaque yawned, watching Xue continue to giggle on his lap. ‘It's how monkeys mark their family members,’ he said. ‘They mark each other with their scent. Parents mark cubs, mates mark each other, it’s a bonding thing.’

MK suddenly blushed, looking between Macaque and Wukong. ‘And any monkey can adopt any cub like that?’

‘In theory,’ Macaque said. ‘Most don’t. These three are famous for adopting orphans though.’

Wukong scowled at that, ‘He’s not an orphan. He’s mine.’

MK glanced down at Xue. ‘Is that why you guys let me touch your bumps?’

Macaque’s eyes shot wide open at that. ‘Wait, she let you do what?’

Yi jolted awake at Macaque’s shout, but Huan was laughing too much to tell any of them off. Meanwhile Wukong gestured at Xue, only getting more animated with every passing second. ‘That’s what I said!’

‘Okay,’ MK said, turning to Huan and Xue. ‘I don’t fully get what you two did or said? But whatever it is, you’ve officially broken both of them.’ Huan only cackled more, while Xue trilled in delight, both of them thoroughly enjoying the chaos around them.

Chapter Text

The next few days in the nursery were manic, to say the least. In a good way for some. Wukong was finally able to introduce MK to some of the newborns, something that made MK try to suppress every reaction under the sun until he was finally able to tearfully whisper that he loved them. The cubs were very curious about MK and Wukong as well, although they weren’t interested in going far from their mothers at all. Which was fine. Because they didn’t have time to spend their afternoons trying to befriend every cub that was born. Not when more kept coming. MK and Wukong would take it in turns to go out for fruit supplies, with MK often going with the assistance of the younger monkeys, while the other would keep a lookout on any changes with the nests and the expectant parents. Wukong also helped MK get close to more than one birth, with him even able to help a couple of the more jittery mothers who needed comfort. There was even one where MK helped the mother manoeuvre into a position so that Wukong could get where he needed to for offering help with the delivery. At night he would inevitably be woken up by someone crying out from a nest, or from Wukong climbing out of the hammock to help someone. And in the day he would grab naps when he can. As long as Wukong or the mothers or Macaque weren’t sleeping near him, of course. Wukong needed more than a few naps to keep up with Baby Season, which only spurred MK on to try and help even more. And he loved every minute of it.

Which, unfortunately, couldn’t be said for everyone. It was lucky that MK was there, because Wukong had an extra pair of hands he normally wouldn’t have. And it also meant that, as much as part of Macaque wanted to help the others in the troop, he could focus on the three elders. Who needed the help, especially Xue, to stay calm and relaxed. While Wukong and MK were dragged into more and more jobs and duties, Macaque was the one who could stay with them and reassure them. And ignore their complaints that he needed to sleep more. Frankly, he would sleep when the Season was over and he could finally get away from all the noise. But between the pained and scared screams of labouring mothers, the grating chirps of the newborns, and the constant cacophony of the rest of the troop moving around the nests while arguing about territory and food, it was clear he would never be able to get more than an hour’s sleep here. And that was just the problems in the environment. There was also the mess of his head that got worse with every passing day. Something he was trying desperately to ignore. He couldn’t worry about his own problems right now. The elders needed him. MK needed him. And, as much as every interaction with him grated on every last nerve, Wukong would probably need him at some point. He didn’t have time to worry about anything else. Especially old wounds and dark memories. 

But Wukong noticed. Of course Wukong noticed. And if it was any other time he would do something about it. But he couldn’t afford to press Macaque too far and have a resulting explosion of emotions that would scare every mother in the nursery. And he didn’t have the time to try and do it gently. Not when he was being pulled between every other mother in the troop. It was the price of being the King, and a responsibility he now took seriously. But at times like this he didn’t realise just how much of everything else he had to put on hold. MK was obviously learning plenty about the monkey troop, and he had been picking up more monkey calls every day. But both of them had been too busy to even think about training. And Macaque…well he wanted to help his old friend. Of course he wanted to help. He thought he could count on two hands the amount of hours the monkey had slept since the Season had started, and that sleep was never at night. It was only in daylight hours, when Wukong or MK were close enough and still enough to watch the elders. And it never seemed restful. He didn’t know if it was because of the noise in the nursery or something else, but the longer it went on, the more Wukong needed to know. So when the chance came for him to find out, he took it. 

It was the fourth day of the Baby Season, and after an early morning birth and a decent nap, Wukong was working out the logistics of acquiring lunch. He checked in on the nests, noting that all of the new families were settling well and those still waiting for their cubs were showing no signs of labour starting. Which left him peeking through the branches at MK and Macaque, who were hanging out under one of the trees with the elders relaxing on and near them. Wukong was debating the best way to interrupt them to ask about lunch, or if it was better to just sneak off alone and return with food, when he saw MK jump in surprise. The cause of which was made clear when he tugged his phone out of his pocket. At the sight of the phone all the elders perked up, crowding around him while Xue even trotted off Macaque’s lap to sit with MK. He answered the phone, and immediately Wukong could hear Mei’s voice coming through the device, and he saw Macaque try not to wince at the sudden noise. And just like that, the plan was cemented in his mind. After all, he couldn’t pass up such a perfect opportunity.

When he landed in the clearing and stepped closer, Wukong could hear other voices coming from the phone, while MK was clearly making introductions. ‘And this is Xue,’ he said while gesturing to the monkey on his lap.

‘Awww!’ Mei squeed. ‘You guys look so cozy!’

‘Is that the word?’ Pigsy said from behind her. ‘I was going to say he looked a mess.’

‘We’re in nature, Pigsy!’ MK laughed. ‘Living with the troop, helping with the nests. And I’ve got a hammock bed.’

Mei snorted, ‘You’re obsessed, Monkey Man.’ 

Huan chirped to get MK’s attention. ‘Right, sure,’ he said. ‘So this is Mei at the front. She’s my best friend.’

‘Wait, they can understand us?’ Mei said.

‘Of course they can,’ MK said. ‘They’re immortal monkeys.’

‘Immortal monkeys?!’

‘Hey,’ Macaque grumbled, ‘Keep the shrieking to a minimum please.’

‘Right,’ MK said, ‘we need to try and keep the Mamas calm and relaxed. So no stress, and no spooking them.’

Mei nodded, ‘Got it. Okay. So….immortal monkeys. That’s totally cool and a completely normal thing that exists.’

Wukong leaned over to wave at the camera, ‘If they have a name they’re immortal.’

He saw that behind Mei was both Pigsy and Tang, leaning against the main bar in the noodle shop. Tang specifically was wide eyed and looking more excited by the minute. ‘Oh that’s fascinating. So how many named monkeys are on the mountain? Do you remember them all?’

‘Do that later,’ MK said while Huan was clearly muttering in a disgruntled way. ‘Introductions. So that’s Mei, the chef is Pigsy, that’s my Dad, and the one who’s got the book is Mr Tang.’

Xue scowled at that, while Huan started yelling in a way that made MK jump in alarm. When Wukong heard what she was saying however he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. ‘Oh my stars, you can’t call him that.’

‘Who?’ MK said.

Macaque also had to bite back a chuckle as all three of the elders turned to Wukong to complain. ‘I don’t care,’ Wukong laughed. ‘He’s not a thief, he’s MK’s dad.’

Pigsy stood up straight, his face scrunching in anger, ‘Thief?!’

‘Yeah, no,’ MK said, ‘He didn’t steal me, he adopted me.’ Yi leaned in to argue again, but MK shook his head. ‘No, because Monkey King didn’t know about me back then. Pigsy found me and took me in. So he’s Dadsy. It's like what you do with the orphans.’ She quietened at that, while Huan continued to quietly grumble to herself. Xue however seemed to lighten up, chittering to MK again. He nodded, ‘Yeah, and they’ve all protected the mountain before.’

‘Wait, you understood that?’ Tang said.

‘Like a third at best,’ MK said. ‘But I can work out the vibe of what they’re saying even if the actual translation isn’t there.’

‘So what was the vibe of that one?’ Mei asked.

‘They’re trying to work out if you’re friends,’ MK said. ‘I think. Did I get that right?’

Wukong shrugged. ‘Close enough. Although I don’t think they’re sold yet.’

Pigsy looked in the direction of the monkey on his lap with a growing frown, ‘Are they really that bothered about me?’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ Wukong said. ‘Monkeys tend to use all their senses when they meet someone. So they’ll be guarded until they get a chance to meet you face to face.’

MK nodded, ‘Besides, I think it just adds on to their main gripe at the moment.’

‘Which is?’ Pigsy said.

‘I wasn’t here,’ MK shrugged. ‘It’s been bothering them all week, based on how much they’ve been trying to adopt me.’

‘Eh?’

At the mention of adoption Xue immediately started to nuzzle against MK, making him giggle as Huan attempted to climb onto his lap to join in. ‘Like this.’

Wukong grumbled, ‘Stop stealing my cub.’

Xue cackled, making Mei snort. ‘Well, that’s you told.’

‘And my cue to not get distracted,’ Wukong said. ‘Especially when there’s lunch to acquire.’

‘You better be feeding my kid right!’ Pigsy shouted, a shout that the elders repeated.

‘Course I am,’ Wukong said. He gestured to Macaque, making him look up in confusion. ‘Come on, before the Mamas get hangry.’

Macaque froze, as did the others. The chittering around MK stopped, while all four of them looked between Wukong and Macaque. ‘What?’ Macaque said.

‘What do you mean “what?” We need to get food.’

‘Since when is that a two person job?’

‘Since we need a third basket,’ Wukong said. ‘And we need to start making up backup bottles for the newborns.’ 

Mei gasped, ‘Oh my stars are you going to feed the babies?’

‘Only if we have to,’ MK said, still watching the interaction tensely.

‘Right,’ Wukong said. ‘And a second pair of hands will make it quicker. So while MK’s watching things here, we’ll go get food.’

Macaque scowled at him. ‘You really expect me to believe you can’t do all of that on your own?’

‘I mean,’ MK said, ‘it’ll be good to get a break from the noise. Get some quiet time. Stretch your muscles. Right?’ 

Macaque levied his scowl at MK, who didn’t flinch even while Huan grumbled at Macaque’s glare. Finally Macaque huffed, and when he climbed to his feet MK and the others couldn’t hide their relief. ‘Fine,’ Macaque muttered, ‘but no dawdling.’ 

He strode past Wukong, almost barging their shoulders together while Wukong sighed. ‘Wouldn’t dream of it, bud.’

The two of them left quickly with baskets in tow, the others all being silent until they vanished from view. When MK and the elders visibly sighed, Mei finally spoke up. ‘Okay. What was that about?’

‘I’ll tell you later,’ MK said. ‘For now, want to hear about the cubs we have so far?’

Macaque quickly showed that he meant what he said about not wanting to dawdle. He was already in the fruit trees before Wukong had a chance to sort out the baskets, picking through the branches for decent offerings. All without saying a word. It made Wukong sigh, but he followed Macaque from the ground as they started to collect various samplings of fruit. All while trying to work out what to say first.

‘I can hear you thinking.’ Wukong jumped at that, looking up at Macaque. He hadn’t paused in his foraging, but did glance down at Wukong before he continued with a clipped tone. ‘Whatever it is, just get it out of your system already.’

‘If you insist,’ Wukong sighed. ‘I’m worried.’

‘Oh wow, how original.’

‘About you.’

He didn’t need to see Macaque to know he had sneered at that. ‘That’s not necessary.’

‘I disagree.’

‘If you say so.’ A now full basket dropped out of the trees with a shadowy paw, waiting for Wukong to replace it with an empty one. ‘What did I say about dawdling?’

Wukong swapped the baskets out, watching it get whisked away at lightning speed. ‘I'm allowed to be worried about you, you know?’ 

‘Or, hear me out here,’ Macaque said, ‘you can focus your time and energy on the mothers. You know, the ones who actually need it.’

Wukong scowled, ‘And who helps you?’

‘I don’t need help.’

‘I’ll believe that when I see you properly sleep again.’ 

Macaque huffed, moving higher into the trees while inspecting fruit. ‘We need lookouts.’

‘We have lookouts. And you can sleep during the day.’

‘Not with that racket I can’t.’

‘Then why don’t you take some time away to rest?’

Macaque’s face suddenly appeared in the branches, eyes flashing dangerously as he stared at Wukong. ‘What did you just say?’

‘You heard,’ Wukong said. ‘You could barely manage a full day with the troop before all of this, and now you’re living in the heart of the nursery without any kind of break. Even MK needs a break from it, and he’s the loudest, most energetic person I know.’

Macaque jumped down from the trees, fangs fully bared as he looked at Wukong. ‘You cannot be serious right now.’

‘About you needing to sleep? Yeah I am.’

‘I can’t leave the nursery,’ Macaque said. ‘Not the cubs, not the mothers, not anyone. Not until this is done.’

‘That is ridiculous. You’re going to make yourself sick,’ Wukong said.

‘Three of the elders are pregnant at the same time,’ Macaque snapped. ‘They are terrified and barely want to leave my side. They cry all hours of the night and need me to constantly check that their babies still have heartbeats. And are in the right position to come out safely. But you want me to get some downtime “away from the nursery.” And the mothers get to….what? Learn to deal with it? Carry on like they aren’t scared of what could happen to these cubs?’

‘What…’ Wukong started, but stopped himself. He couldn’t get distracted. Not right now. ‘They’re fine with MK. In fact they love him. Xue even fell asleep on him yesterday.’

‘Because I was there,’ Macaque said.

‘No, because they felt safe. With MK. So they can stay with him and you can get some rest for a few hours.’

‘Absolutely not,’ Macaque said.

‘Mac-’

‘I am not abandoning them when they need me,’ Macaque hissed. ‘And that is final.’

‘It’s not abandoning them,’ Wukong said.

Macaque scoffed, ‘Sure. If you say so.’

He turned to jump back into the trees, but Wukong followed him before he could. ‘How are you supposed to be able to help them if you refuse to look after yourself? Don’t think I haven’t noticed they keep having to make you eat at mealtimes.’

‘That’s none of your business,’ Macaque said.

‘You are my friend. That makes it my business.’

‘You should have bigger concerns. Like the troop.’

‘You’re a member of this troop.’

‘Then let me do my job!’ Macaque snapped. ‘I’m the warrior, your first and now only General for a Court that doesn’t exist anymore. And there is a whole troop over there of monkeys that can’t protect themselves when a Celestial or a demon points their attention this way. So shut up about my business, when I have it handled, and let me do my damn job and keep them safe!’ Macaque pulled back, panting slightly, while Wukong stared at him in shock. In fact they both stared at each other, Wukong reeling while Macaque looked ready to challenge him to argue back.

Which, once he had recovered, was a challenge he was ready to meet. ‘Protecting the troop isn’t just your responsibility. I’m the King.’

‘But you can’t be everywhere,’ Macaque said. ‘You can’t protect all of them all the time.’

‘And you can?’

For a second Macaque flinched. For a second the pain and heartbreak flashed across his face, making him look like he was about to crumple. But then it was gone, replaced by a twisted snarl that leered closer so he was inches away from Wukong’s face, eyes glowing violet and dangerous. ‘Screw you, Sun Wukong.’ He tossed his basket onto the floor by Wukong’s feet, making the fruit spill out and roll away. ‘Get your own damn fruit.’

Wukong didn’t stop him from storming away. He didn’t move or say anything, in fact. Instead he bit his lip, squeezing his hands into fists so tight he shook. Dammit, he messed that up royally. So badly he didn’t even know where to begin with fixing it. So he stayed still. Frozen. It was that or scream, or curl up on the floor, or find Macaque to yell at him right back. It was taking everything in him to just breathe. In and out. Breathe in through the anger and fear and worry and frustration, and out again. He squeezed his eyes shut before he could feel tears start to form, clenching his jaw so tight his teeth might crack. He was trying to help Macaque, so why did it keep going so wrong? What was he doing wrong? Was it him? Was it Macaque? Or both of them perhaps. Perhaps this is what Macaque meant by this whole idea being impossible. But he had to keep trying. If he didn’t…well, if he didn’t…

A sudden hand grabbed his wrist, snapping Wukong out of his thoughts while making him look up in alarm. ‘What…Mac?’

The shadow monkey’s anger had gone. His power was flaring, but it was to pull shadows around them, forming a portal under their feet. And his anger had gone. He was scared. ‘Something’s wrong,’ he whispered, and without a chance to say or ask anything else, the two of them fell into shadow. 

The nursery was quieter when they got back. Not from complete silence, but from something missing. The monkeys were milling around the trees, young ones playing while new mothers tended to needy cubs. A few spotted Wukong and Macaque and immediately ran over for food, but they didn’t pay attention. They were too busy staring at the nest the elders were using. That was now empty. With no MK or mothers in sight.

‘Where are they?’ Wukong said.

‘We shouldn’t have left,’ Macaque whispered. Wukong stepped forward, dropping the lone basket in his hand while Macaque pulled away. ‘Why…why did we both leave? What if something happened to them? What if-’

‘Mac,’ Wukong said. ‘That wasn’t rhetorical. You can hear everything, so where are they?’

‘You expect me to find them with all that screaming going on?’ Macaque hissed while gesturing at the cubs in the trees. ‘I can barely hear you!’

Wukong looked around. ‘The Kid knows not to move them. So he wouldn’t have unless he had to. But the others are here and fine, so…’

The two of them came to the conclusion at the same time. ‘One of them must have gone into labour,’ Macaque whispered.

‘They’ll want a nest,’ Wukong said. ‘Maybe MK carried them-’

‘No,’ Macaque said. ‘If I wasn’t here they'd want to hide in the mountain.’

‘That is too far for labouring mothers to travel,’ Wukong said.

‘But MK wouldn’t know that!’

A trill interrupted both of them, and they looked up at the trees. One of the younger monkeys was watching them, tail swishing nervously, “Are you looking for Prince?”

Wukong nodded, ‘Yeah. Yeah we are. Do you know where he is?’

‘Is he with the elders?’ Macaque asked.

The monkey nodded, his tail curling as he hopped onto another branch. “This way, follow me.”

Wukong was off like a bolt, vaulting into the trees to follow the monkey guide. The shadows flared around him, letting Macaque stay close while Wukong climbed and hopped from branch to branch. Until they were climbing higher than any of the current nests were. Wukong’s confusion vanished though when he saw the younger monkey pointing ahead at a large nest. And inside…

‘Kid!’

MK looked up, sagging with relief at the sight of Wukong climbing closer. ‘Monkey King,’ he said. ‘I know you said not to move them, and I’m sorry, but they were insisting we come up here, and-’

‘Don’t worry,’ Wukong said, ‘you did good.’ He looked at the nest they had found, and for a second marvelled at how big it was. And old. But he could see where a couple of the younger ones that were hanging around were fixing up the holes and sides, while Yi was adding in a fresh layer of comfy looking moss and leaves. Xue was nestled against MK’s side, cooing gently but not looking at Wukong. Or MK. Her attention refused to move away from Huan. She was curled up in MK’s lap, shivering against him while he curled around her, crying quietly as her tail twitched in distress. ‘Oh Huan,’ Wukong said. ‘It’s okay, it’s okay. Your baby’s going to be okay.’

‘It’s coming soon,’ MK said. ‘She just froze, and then she started freaking out.’ Wukong nodded, while MK ran a paw through her fur comfortingly. ‘When I suggested finding a birthing nest Xue and Yi immediately insisted on finding this one. And I called some of the little guys to help fix it up.’

‘You did well,’ Wukong said. ‘I’m so sorry, we should have been here.’

MK shook his head, ‘It’s okay. You’re here now.’ Xue chirped in agreement, while Huan hid her face in MK’s chest. ‘Huan? Do you want Monkey King to check your baby’s okay?’

He climbed into the nest slowly, testing the strength of the nest carefully while getting closer to the group. Once he was in front of MK he leaned around enough that he could see some of Huan’s profile, while his eyes glowed gold. It wasn’t a perfect answer, his Gold Vision couldn’t answer everything, but it would give what he hoped was enough details.

‘There we go,’ he whispered. ‘We’re definitely meeting your baby today.’

There was a shift of air behind MK, and he glanced back enough to see that Macaque had appeared behind him. All his emotions were on display, making MK frown in worry at the panic and fear on Macaque’s face. ‘How did you get up here?’ he asked.

‘Oh. Nimbus cloud,’ MK said. ‘We went slow and careful, didn’t we Mamas?’

Yi chirped in agreement, while Xue nuzzled against his arm. “Good Prince. He did so good.”

Wukong smiled. ‘Well Xue’s got nothing but praise for you.’ MK blushed at that, while Wukong looked around at the nest. ‘When did you guys even make this? I didn’t know it existed.’

Xue hummed over an answer, but before she could respond Huan jolted, which renewed her cries as she scrambled to hold onto MK tighter. Macaque flinched, Wukong straightened in panic. But MK renewed his hug, humming gently as he slowly rocked with her. ‘It’s okay, Mama,’ MK whispered. ‘I know it’s scary, but you’re okay. Baby’s okay.’

Wukong reached over to help, gently stroking her fur while she shivered in MK’s lap. ‘She’s going to need to move soon,’ Wukong whispered. ‘She’ll need more space for actual labour.’

‘She’s fine for now,’ MK whispered.

‘Kid-’

‘If she stays right here the worst that happens is me and my clothes need a bath,’ MK said. ‘And if that’s what needs to happen to make sure all their babies are okay then that’s fine. But I’m not making her move otherwise.’ He nuzzled against her head, making her lean into him more. ‘She can move when she’s ready.’

Wukong sighed, ‘MK…’

‘When I’m scared,’ MK said, ‘it helps me to make a plan. Helps me feel like I’m in control even if it doesn’t deal with the fear completely, because I still get to choose what to do next. And if that will help me, then it will help them. So that’s what we’re going to do, right Mamas?’

Xue and Yi chirped in agreement, making Wukong look around at them all in surprise. He watched Yi continue to weave fresh bedding into the old nest, and Xue fuss over Huan. Both clearly nervous. But not panicked like they were last time they tried this. Clearly the Kid was onto something. ‘Alright,’ Wukong said. ‘Then what’s the plan, Mamas?’

Yi finally looked up from her work to address Wukong while Xue turned to Macaque. “If King and Macaque stay, then plan is better. Right now, we make the nest comfortable and ready. King, Little Prince and Macaque monitor. Let us move and rest as we need. Stay close, help with birth.’

Well that was all stuff Wukong was going to do anyway. He always did. It was weird to specifically call it a “plan” when there was nothing special about it. But he didn’t argue. Instead he nodded along while Xue moved closer to Macaque, chirping in worry. ‘Got it,’ Wukong said. ‘Then, what am I doing first?’

“Nest!” Yi chirped. “And food for later.”

Wukong cringed at that. ‘Right. I left the basket down there. Hang on,’ he pulled a hair from his mane, blowing on it to send a clone flying off for food supplies. Once it was gone he turned to help with patching up the holes in the nest, while MK started to quietly hum to Huan. 

A sad trill from Xue drew his attention however, and he looked up to see that she was trying to get Macaque’s attention. But he was staring into space, that haunted look back on his face as his ears fluttered and glowed. When MK reached out for his hand Macaque violently flinched, making him and Xue pull back. ‘Sorry,’ MK said, ‘sorry, I didn’t mean to spook you.’

‘MK…’ Macaque whispered.

‘Yeah,’ MK said. ‘Who else would it be? Come on, it's more comfy in the nest.’ He tugged on Macaque’s arm gently, but Macaque didn’t move until Wukong appeared. Between the two of them Macaque was coaxed into the nest and to slowly settle. Once he was sat next to MK Xue wasted no time in claiming her spot, cooing quietly from his lap while Wukong gave Macaque an intense look. ‘Stop trying to listen ahead.’

‘What?’ Macaque said.

‘Oh,’ MK said, ‘is that why he was spacing out?’

‘I wasn’t,’ Macaque said. ‘I’m fine, I need-’

‘No,’ Wukong said. ‘Whatever happens here happens. But you’re not listening ahead right now.’

‘But-’

‘That’s an order,’ Wukong snapped. Macaque blinked in surprise, as did MK, but Wukong didn’t show any signs of hesitating. ‘If you try and divine right now you are going to be distracted at best. At worst you’re going to hurt yourself. So don’t.’

Macaque shook his head, ‘Wukong, we need to know what’s going to happen.’

‘But we need you here more,’ Wukong said. ‘Here. In the present. With us.’ Macaque wilted, looking away from Wukong in defeat. And worry. Wukong softened slightly, the sternness replaced by worry as a headache already began to crease Macaque’s brow. ‘You’ll help them more if you focus on what's happening now. Not on what will happen to them.’

Macaque didn’t argue. Or respond at all, aside from a single nod that had Wukong sighing in relief. Xue cooed at Macaque as Wukong stepped away, turning to intercept the clone that had appeared with a basket of fresh food. While he did MK nudged into Macaque’s shoulder, smiling as Macaque leaned back. ‘Thank you.’

‘For what?’

‘Being here. Helping. Teaching me how to help them.’

Macaque paused, looking at MK properly. He was wrapped around Huan, stroking her fur gently while she nestled against him. But his attention was turned to Macaque, with a small but grateful smile. Something that broke through the fuzz and static in his mind enough to make him smile back. ‘Hey, someone has to be a decent mentor for you.’

Xue cooed, stroking Macaque’s arm as he moved to wrap her in a soft embrace. For a moment they fell into a comfortable silence, watching Wukong and Yi sort through the fruit to hand out. MK grabbed a banana for Huan, breaking off pieces to slowly feed her while Macaque and Xue grabbed plums with minimal fuss. It was when they were halfway through eating that MK spoke up again. ‘Mac? I have a question.’

‘Hmm?’

‘What happens if they decide to literally give birth in our laps?’

Wukong snorted, Xue chittered, Huan cooed, and Macaque managed a small amused huff. ‘Be ready to catch.’

Chapter Text

One of the main things MK had to learn about labour was that it wasn’t quick. Even for immortal monkeys. Without Macaque able (or being allowed) to predict the likely timeline of events they had no idea how long this could take. But the chances were that they could be in the nest for a while. The rest of the troop didn’t need such constant monitoring, of course. Wukong could keep an eye on multiple nests at varying stages and then only step in when specifically needed. But with the elders it was different. If left alone they would be too scared to manage the labour without making themselves, or the babies, sick. And when you fed into that how long labour could potentially be, it made their stress and fear that much more dangerous. The longer the labour dragged on, the more chance they had to become stressed and ill, the greater chance there was of complications. And all of this would be bad enough if there was just one cub coming. But that would be too easy.

‘You’re kidding me.’ Wukong was staring at the three of them now that he’d had a chance to examine them all. While Huan was the furthest along, it was clear that Xue and Yi weren’t far behind her. ‘Of course. Of course you all had to trigger each other’s labour.’

Huan was whining, with Yi not far behind her. Macaque had gone pale, his hands now trembling slightly as he tried to soothe a nervously chattering Xue. MK was apparently the only one of them who was excited by this. ‘Wait, can we call them triplets if they're born on the same day?’

‘Kid…’

‘No I’ve got a better one! If the elders are the Old Guard then their cubs can be the New Guard!’

Wukong sighed, ‘We've got to get the cubs here first.’

‘I know,’ MK said, ‘but we’ve got this.’

Macaque shook his head, ‘Kiddo-’

‘We have three mothers who have three healthy pregnancies,’ MK said. ‘And I know they’re healthy because you just said their heartbeats are strong, and Monkey King can tell they’re in a good position. Huan’s looks to be coming first, Yi and Xue will definitely tell us when things change. And there's three of us. We got this.’ He looked at the mothers with a wide grin. ‘We’ve got this Mamas.You’ve got this. You’re going to meet your babies soon.’

Wukong looked over Huan again while she chirped quietly at MK. MK renewed his cuddles, knowing that she needed comfort. But he couldn’t understand the actual question she posed. So Wukong was the one who answered. ‘We won’t leave your sides. That’s a promise.’

‘We’ll need more food,’ Macaque said.

MK craned his neck to look through the canopy to the floor below. ‘I reckon I can make a clone last long enough to get us food.’ Huan chittered, getting MK’s attention as she pawed at his shirt. ‘You hungry?’

She shook her head, chittering again while reaching up to touch his throat. Wukong opened his mouth to translate, but somehow MK understood. ‘Oh, right. Sure. Same song as before?’

She nodded, giving MK a nervous smile before tucking her head in to press against his chest. He began to stroke her back gently, waiting until she was comfortable before he started humming. Xue and Yi perked up as well, turning to listen to him eagerly as he hummed a lullaby. Wukong’s eyes slowly widened as he began to recognise the tune, looking at Macaque to see if he was feeling just as surprised. Which he was, to an extent. But more than that, Macaque watched MK in wonder. His ears flicked, but it was clear he wasn’t trying to listen past this moment to find the others, or threats, or the future. Instead he was focused on this, on MK humming with a soft smile, while the mothers all cooed. Wukong quietly summoned some clones to check on the rest of the troop and grab more supplies, but otherwise everyone was quiet. Listening to the old lullaby. Wukong even started to hum along with him, making the elders chirp in excitement, while Macaque leaned into MK again. 

And no one interrupted. Not until MK finally finished. ‘There,’ he said. ‘How was that?’

The mothers all cooed happily, even Huan, while Wukong watched him with a smile. ‘Where did you even learn that song?’

‘Oh I’ve always known it,’ MK said. ‘Tang or Pigsy must have taught me when I was a kid.’

‘I didn’t know anyone still knew that song,’ Macaque whispered.

‘Really? How come?’

‘It was one of the first songs Wukong brought back to the mountain,’ Macaque said. ‘He picked it up from a human village.’

MK lit up at that, ‘Wait, it’s that old?’

‘Yeah,’ Wukong said. ‘I don’t think I can remember the words anymore though. I haven’t sung it properly in a long time. Or heard it in fact.’

MK gasped. ‘Wait, if we can find the words somehow, can you sing it for us?’ All the monkeys perked up at that, making Wukong blush and fluster for a moment. ‘Please?’

‘I…I don’t know,’ Wukong said, ‘It’s been so long. We’d probably need to translate it so you can understand it, and that will be so much work.’

Macaque snorted, ‘Good luck getting him to sing in front of a crowd, Kiddo.’

‘Hey, he did the play!’

‘Barely,’ Wukong sighed.

Yi sat up, chirping curiously, making MK grin. ‘Wait, do you want to hear about the play?’ She nodded, with Xue joining in with excited chitters. MK and Macaque looked at Wukong expectantly, making him wilt under the spotlight. The moment was broken however when Huan suddenly shouted in discomfort. Everyone turned to her, and MK reached up to try and stroke her again. But she pushed his hand away, and instead slowly climbed off his lap to start pacing around the nest. ‘You okay, Mama?’ MK asked.

Wukong nodded. ‘This happens. Sometimes moving helps with the labour pains, or the labour itself. Or she could be looking for a good spot.’

Huan hummed, looking around the sizable nest. Wukong kept his distance, but Yi wandered over to rub against her, the two mothers chirping at each other in a quiet conversation. Wukong quirked a small smile at their comments, ‘Who picked the nest again, Kid?’

‘Uh, all of them, kinda,’ MK said. ‘Yi was trying to actually give directions. Why?’

‘They just have comments,’ Wukong said. ‘Good ones.’ MK smiled, his tail swishing happily as Huan tested some of the nest. Wukong’s eyes glowed and he leaned down to try and get a good look at Huan’s bump. When he did his smile faded and he tensed, something that Macaque noticed more than the others. ‘Is the baby coming, Mama?’

Huan nodded, cooing nervously, and MK gasped. He immediately sat straighter, scooting closer to Wukong while he looked around. ‘Alright. Well this is your plan, Huan. How do you want to do this?’

In the end Yi answered. She started making suggestions of where Huan could rest, but she clearly wanted to keep moving. Yi then suggested how Huan could sit, stand, crouch, lie down, all of which Huan rejected. It was when Wukong offered a hand she finally started to agree, but she didn’t take his hand. Instead she grabbed his arm, using it to try and lever herself up. Wukong quickly worked out what she was planning, and presented both arms so she could brace herself.

‘Hey Kid?’ Wukong said. ‘How do you feel about catching a baby?’

‘Uh…’ MK said. ‘I mean, I’ve watched you do it, so sure. Uh…how do I…where should I be?’

Xue responded, climbing off of Macaque’s lap while gesturing for him to move forward. He hesitated, for only a moment. But long enough for Wukong to see the flash of fear, of dread, of worry, all come back full force. But then he moved, sitting closer to Huan while she braced against Wukong again. He couldn’t hide the tremble in his hands, but he still reached out to stroke her back, humming gently as she whined. It was a tuneless melody, but it somehow helped them focus. Xue and Yi moved over to MK, letting him comfort them while they both watched. ‘She’s got this,’ MK whispered to them. ‘She’s got this. I know it.’

Huan shouted, making Macaque tense while Wukong started to breathe faster despite his attempts to keep calm. Xue trilled, then began to hum while tugging on MK’s shirt. He took the hint and started humming again, louder this time. Xue and Yi chirped at them, then started cooing themselves. Trying to sing along to his lullaby while Huan started to push. Wukong took a settling breath, bracing himself again so Huan could push against him without issue. And Macaque squeezed his eyes shut, tuning in to just focus on the song while ignoring the cries of Huan, and all the other cries echoing in his ears. When he opened his eyes again he was humming along with MK, preparing himself for the moment.

The song didn’t stop. Not until Huan’s cries were replaced by new ones. High pitched, newborn screams that made everyone freeze. Huan finally stopped pushing, falling to the nest in exhaustion while Wukong fussed over her. And Macaque stayed frozen, staring at the small, wriggling, screaming ball of fur in his hands. 

‘She did it,’ MK whispered. His whole body lit up, in time for Wukong to look at the baby and gasp. It was loud, strong, healthy. And here. Finally here. Xue and Yi screamed in delight first, hopping off MK’s lap to move closer while Huan clambered to her feet. She had no qualms in snatching the cub away from Macaque, who finally blinked back out of his shock. They watched Huan gather the baby close, chittering keenly while clearly checking over every limb and part of their face. Only then did she move aside, nestling away from the others against the wall of the nest, and position the baby for their first feed.

‘She did it!’ MK shouted, laughing as both fists punched the air. Wukong chuckled, mostly in shock and wonder, watching Huan and the baby settle. Watching her slowly start to clean the baby clinging to her chest. ‘I knew she would,’ MK said, still cackling and clearly wanting to vault out of the nest to flip in joy. But he didn’t, not when Xue approached him with an equally overjoyed chitter. ‘I know! I know, she has her baby!’ Xue patted her stomach, looking up at MK hopefully in a way that made him tear up. ‘Are you excited to meet your baby now?’ She nodded, trilling while MK giggled. 

Wukong’s shock finally cleared enough that he wasn’t just frozen in place. He plucked a hair, shifting it into a cloth to slowly wipe his hands while watching mother and cub in awe. It had been so long. Centuries in fact. But now, finally, she had done it. ‘Well done, Mama,’ he whispered, blinking away a tear or two. He turned to Macaque, expecting to see the same awe Wukong was feeling. Or perhaps relief. But there was neither. He was staring at his hands, or rather the mess on his hands, without moving an inch. There was a vacant look on his face, one that raised Wukong’s hackles. He shuffled closer, reaching out carefully to touch Macaque’s arm. 

But the shadow monkey still flinched, looking up at him with nothing but confusion. ‘Wukong…you’re here?’

‘Yeah bud,’ he said quietly.

‘How?’

Wukong didn’t answer that at first. Instead he tried to hide the growing sense of horror by summoning a fresh towel. He took Macaque’s hands one by one and carefully mopped them up, hushing Macaque gently when he whimpered. ‘Look to your left,’ Wukong said quietly.

Macaque did, and Wukong could sense his confusion at the scene he was watching. ‘The kid…’

‘Yeah,’ Wukong said. ‘MK’s here. I’m here. We’re all here.’

Macaque sagged, while his breathing also started to speed up again. ‘I thought…no. It’s MK’s first Baby Season.’ Wukong nodded, and Macaque finally moved. Specifically to rub at his temples, his face creasing in pain and exhaustion. ‘Where’s Huan?’

‘To your right,’ Wukong said. ‘Along with a very hungry cub.’

Macaque looked over, and Wukong could feel the fresh sense of panic and worry. ‘The baby’s okay?’

‘They are.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Well I’m not going to try and get too close to Huan yet,’ Wukong said. ‘But she checked the baby over and seemed happy. And they didn’t stop crying until she started feeding them.’

‘Crying,’ Macaque muttered.

Wukong nodded, ‘They’ve got a good set of lungs, and strong vocal cords. The baby is fine. So is Mama.’

Macaque finally slumped, his full body falling into Wukong’s weight. Wukong caught him, of course, in surprise more than anything. He was a dead weight against Wukong’s chest, but when Wukong brought a hand up to stroke through his mane, he could feel Macaque shivering uncontrollably. Wukong quickly glanced at MK, checking that he and the elders were alright, before he turned back to wrap Macaque in a tight hug. ‘We’re okay,’ he whispered. ‘We’re all okay. And so are you, bud.’ Macaque nodded, but the shivering only got worse.

‘Monkey King?’ Wukong looked up at MK’s voice, seeing the worry on the young man’s face. ‘Are you guys okay?’

‘Yeah,’ Wukong nodded. ‘We’re okay. Mac’s just tired I think.’

‘What, like an adrenaline drop?’

‘Kinda,’ Wukong nodded. He smiled at Yi and Xue. ‘How are you two doing?’ Xue and Yi both chirped positive answers, even if Yi was complaining about more pain. ‘Okay, good,’ Wukong said. ‘It sounds like we might have some chill time. I’ll get Mac to have some rest.’

MK nodded, ‘Okay. We’ll let you know when we need help. Right Mamas?’

Yi chirped in agreement while Xue reached up to try and demand another song from MK. Giving Wukong the perfect chance to maneuver Macaque to the other side of the nest. The dark monkey went willingly, moving just enough for Wukong to see how drained and stressed he looked, before he hid his face in Wukong’s shoulder again. ‘The troops okay?’ He whispered, and Wukong nodded. ‘The mothers…and the cubs.’

‘All okay,’ Wukong said. ‘All safe and healthy.’

‘You’re here.’

Wukong had to close his eyes to try and stop the tears. ‘I’m here,’ he whispered, leaning in to gently stroke Macaque’s petal shaped ears. ‘I’m here. I’m back. And I’m not leaving again.’

‘Never?’

‘I’m not leaving you again,’ Wukong whispered. ‘Not until you want me to leave.’

Macaque shook his head, clinging to Wukong’s shirt tighter. ‘Don’t,’ he whimpered, ‘please don’t. Not again.’

‘I won’t,’ Wukong whispered. ‘I promise.’

The last of the three cubs came that night. And all of them proved to be fine and healthy. Even though Yi’s fear had her freeze in the moment she needed to start pushing, and Xue’s terrified cries left Macaque physically cringing while he held her. Because of course he did. Even though he was trembling from both exhaustion and pain, when Xue asked for help he of course gave it without hesitation. All while MK helped to comfort her and Wukong helped get the baby out safely. 

It was when they were finally done that a pair of clones brought them more food and fresh clothes, while the mothers soothed and checked over their own and each other’s babies. MK was enraptured by watching the newborns in their first moments of life, fussing over the now six chirping and tired monkeys. Giving Wukong the chance to look after Macaque. It was clear that each birth had been that little bit worse to go through, but even as Wukong helped him dress and clean up, Macaque kept wanting to check everyone over. For wounds, or threats, or blood. And he couldn’t calm down, still tense and trembling with no sign of being able to relax, or stars forbid rest. When Wukong offered his own muffling spell Macaque snapped in panic, insisting that he needed to be alert. He needed to listen out for any threats, any problems that might happen. The price they paid if they didn’t was one he refused to allow to happen. And he refused to budge, ready to even push Wukong away and leave this nest to go find a spot where he could work without interruption.

Until Wukong broke the glamour on his eyes, their fire red glow washing over Macaque and the nest. ‘I’ll keep watch,’ Wukong said. ‘I’ll take the watch tonight. Me and MK. You rest. Tomorrow is going to be just as busy, and we need you rested for it.’

Macaque didn’t respond. Not to argue, or to agree. But when Wukong brought his hands up to cast the muffling spell Macaque didn’t stop him. He weaved the spell slowly, so Macaque didn’t panic at the sudden loss of sound. So he saw that every layer had Macaque sagging just that little bit more. His eyes were already closed before the spell was finished, and he was limp against Wukong when the golden monkey moved to stroke a hand through his fur. Every breath was haggard, and every movement was slow and clumsy as he finally let Wukong coax him to lie down. When his breathing finally started to shift into a calmer rhythm he was curled up in the nest, breathing in time with Wukong’s paw combing through his mane. And while Wukong kept his promise and kept watch, he also showed no sign of leaving Macaque’s side.

That was left for MK, who quietly climbed and flew through the trees to monitor everyone else in the nursery. The other young scouts were still awake, and chirped encouraging sounds at MK as he went past, but everyone else was either asleep or watching over their own nests and trees. When he was able to confirm they were all fine and undisturbed, he moved on to the grove proper, flying out until he was past the waterfall before he was satisfied. The mountain, for all intents and purposes, was asleep. At peace. With nothing untoward or out of place to threaten them.

When he returned to Wukong to say as much the moon was high in the sky, and MK interrupted himself more than once with a wide yawn that had Wukong chuckling quietly. He pulled MK into a one armed hug, feeling the young monkey lean against him with a soft and happy hum. For a moment the both of them watched the pile of sleeping monkeys on the other side of the large nest, where the cubs had been placed together with the mothers using their bodies to form a ring around them. But then MK turned to look at Macaque, who had at some point shifted to use Wukong’s lap as a pillow. He had clearly drifted into a deep sleep, but the scowl that still lined his face gave the impression it wasn’t fully peaceful. If anything, the golden glow around his ears highlighted the lines in his face to make him look gaunt. Almost ill. Wukong was still gently stroking his fur, occasionally scratching at a spot here and there that made Macaque hum in his sleep. But it wasn’t enough to ease whatever was going on in his dreams.

‘Monkey King?’ MK whispered. ‘What’s wrong with Mac?’

Wukong hummed to himself for a moment. ‘He’s just tired.’

‘That’s not “tired,”’ MK said. Wukong sighed, ready to tell MK to drop it and go to sleep, when he continued. ‘It’s about the fire, isn’t it?’ 

Wukong froze, looking at MK in confusion, ‘How did you work that out?’

‘I mean, it’s kind of obvious,’ MK said. ‘You said that the elders had struggled with pregnancy and Baby Season since the attack. But Macaque lived through it too. So it makes sense he would struggle as well.’

‘I…its not quite the same,’ Wukong said.

MK shrugged, ‘Maybe it is. They all lived through the fire. They saw what happened here, right?’

Wukong frowned, ‘How much do you know about that attack?’

‘Only what you and Macaque have told me.’

‘What did Macaque tell you?’ Wukong said in surprise.

MK thought for a moment, ‘Well, Shen led a bunch of Celestials to attack the mountain. They destroyed your Court and burned down half the forest. Macaque called for help but the Brotherhood didn’t answer, which I’m still mad about by the way. And the troop that survived hid behind the waterfall.’ MK paused, swallowing while glancing at the basket still half full of fruit. ‘They had to steal food and save the seeds as well. To grow the forest back.’

Wukong stared silently at MK. Not in shock at what he had said, after all Wukong knew it all himself. From the state he found the mountain in, and from what the troop had told him when he returned. The shock was from the fact that MK had said it. MK knew it, in a detail that Wukong didn’t realise he had. When had Macaque told him so much of it? Why had Macaque told him?

But while Wukong tried to get over his shock, MK continued. ‘It must be scary, terrifying even. To have to live through that. And then…how do you feel safe again after that?’ He curled up, hugging his knees while looking at the pile of monkeys again. ‘If something happened to Pigsy’s shop, I don’t know what I’d do. I know it’s not the same thing, but…’

‘It is,’ Wukong said. ‘It’s home. And the idea of someone or something destroying your home is…’

MK nodded, leaning into Wukong again. ‘Terrifying.’

Wukong swallowed thickly, blinking back tears before MK had a chance to notice. They fell into a silence, not an awkward one. But one that hung heavy, that neither of them wanted to disturb. Macaque grumbled in his sleep, prompting Wukong to start combing through his fur again. He hadn’t noticed how tense Macaque had gotten until he began to slump again, leaning into Wukong’s touch blindly. MK leaned in at the same time, making Wukong hold him tightly with his free arm. He couldn’t fight off the sudden shiver running through him, not even when MK started sleepily humming. Wukong nuzzled him gently, smiling at the small chirps that slipped from his throat even as they made his heart ache. He couldn’t even pinpoint why. There was just something raw in the moment, something that made his old heart pang with grief.

‘Monkey King?’

Wukong sniffed, turning to look at MK. Who looked half asleep on his shoulder. ‘You okay there bud?’ MK nodded, yawning again, while Wukong chuckled. ‘You can get some rest. I’ll let you know if I need you.’

‘I wanna help Mac.’

Wukong smiled, ‘I think you already are, bud.’

‘No, properly help.’

Wukong nodded. ‘Yeah, I know the feeling. For now, get some rest. We’ll see what tomorrow brings, yeah?’

MK nodded, rolling off Wukong’s shoulder so he could lie down, curling up against the back of the nest. ‘I’ll take the next watch.’

‘Got it,’ Wukong smiled. ‘Now go to sleep.’ 

There was no argument. MK barely managed a murmur before sleep took him. Which was when Wukong sighed heavily, looking up at the clear sky above them. The moon shone brightly, bathing them all in silver light that had him blinking back tears. All while he continued to run his fingers through Macaque’s fur. Maybe after Baby Season was done Macaque would let Wukong groom him properly, not just to get the knots and twigs out of his fur but to properly tend to it so his fur and mane shone like silk. Maybe he wouldn’t let Wukong that close. Maybe he would disappear again when the Season was done, for a month this time. And Wukong wouldn’t blame him. Hell, he might even encourage it. Not because he didn’t want to see Macaque, because he did. And if Macaque took him up on it then he would definitely miss the grumpy shadow monkey. But he needed Macaque to be okay more than he needed to specifically keep him here. And if some privacy and isolation, or some time away from the mountain and its constant noise, was what he needed then Wukong couldn’t deny him that. Whatever his friend needed, Wukong was more than willing to give it to him.

Chapter Text

The world finally felt safe. And warm. It wrapped around Macaque and easily lulled him into a dreamless sleep. Or the warmth chased away any dreams he did have. Anytime he started to rouse, whether calmly or with a dangerous pace to his heart and chest, that warmth captured him and immediately had him sinking into softness. Sometimes someone else was with him to run a paw through his fur, or to be a furnace he could lean into and melt. Sometimes he was alone, but that didn’t stop him feeling any less safe. That feeling was always there, always permeating the air around him. So Macaque could finally let go of his worries and rest. 

 And that was still the case when he woke up fully. Not to say that he felt back to normal. In fact he was vaguely aware of how sluggish and heavy his mind and body both felt. But that seemed less important than the warmth, which Macaque could now turn to see was from his favourite blanket. And the softness, which was now revealed to be a worn hammock and Wukong’s biggest pillow. And all of it was bathed in a golden glow, making Macaque look up. He was cocooned in golden light, in fact the whole hammock was. With the golden light collecting to a seal on the highest central point of the cocoon. The sight of it struck him utterly dumb, confused to the point his already sluggish thoughts stalled utterly. That was until a ripple appeared in the light. Suddenly he was alert, following the direction of the ripples to try and find the source. 

‘Xue?’

The old monkey was halfway through the golden barrier when she looked up, lighting up at the sight of him awake. Immediately she scampered through the rest of the barrier and over the hammock until she landed next to him, immediately nuzzling and cooing in relief and reassurance in equal measure. It was reflex that told Macaque to hug her, even though his arms still felt almost too heavy to lift. It was instinct that made Macaque move to curl around her, holding her close while her form cut through the numbness enough to make him shiver. He could barely translate the meaning in Xue’s trills and coos, but the comfort in the sounds washed over him all the same to leave him feeling relieved, even if every other fibre in him was tired and raw.

‘You’re okay,’ he whispered. 

Xue trilled happily, “We are. Us and our babies.” She giggled, patting Macaque excitedly as he began to smile. “Our babies are here!”

‘You’re not sick of them yet then?’ Macaque chuckled tiredly.

Xue shook her head, “Yi’s is going to be a night scout, I can tell. She refuses to sleep when the moon is out. Huan has another fighter, he’s already so fierce. And my little baby. So playful. He loves playing with Little Prince.”

Macaque frowned in confusion, ‘You figured that out quickly, they were only born…’ The thought suddenly hit him, and he began to sit up with a growing horror. ‘How long was I asleep?’

Xue chirped, climbing onto his chest proper to stop him moving. “No, no rushing. You stay, and rest.” She patted Macaque’s fur, refusing to move away until he settled again. “You still need more time to recover.”

‘Well how long have I already had?’

Xue sighed, “You slept for two suns and moons.”

‘What?!’

“You needed it,” Xue continued. “You were sick. You didn’t sleep enough, and the Season has been painful for all of us.”

Macaque shook his head. ‘You should have woken me. I can’t just miss two days of the Season to sleep. Something could go wrong, or-’

Xue reached out to touch his cheek, a touch that silenced him completely. “You are a strong warrior. And a brave protector. But you are not the only protector anymore. We are not alone anymore. King is back, and has been for very long now. Half of the troop can’t remember a time he wasn’t here. And Little Prince is here now too. They will help us, and help you. So let them help. They will protect us while you recover, and then you can help if they need rest. We are troop. We are family. And family works together.” 

At any other time Macaque would probably continue to argue. But right now he was too exhausted. So instead he slumped, sinking back into the hammock and Wukong’s oversized pillow. Xue continued to coo, stroking through the fur she could reach to try and soothe the shivers running through Macaque. While he stared straight ahead. Past the golden sigil was the thick forest canopy, swaying in time with a gentle breeze. Above their heads he could see paws scampering and tails flicking, telltale signs of monkeys playing above their heads. Something was odd about the scene, something gnawing at him, but he couldn’t work it out. Any thoughts he had felt like they were moving through honey, leaving him tired and confused. 

Xue turned to see what he was looking at, cooing happily when she saw the waving tails. “How cute! Do you have a box like Little Prince? We could make more pictures."

The thought gnawing at him suddenly clicked into place, his moment of realisation immediately turning into more confusion. ‘I can’t hear them.’ He touched his ears, trying to feel for any spell on his ears. But there was no glamour, no muffling enchantments, nothing. Not even his own. But the monkeys above them somehow made no sound. And now he realised what the problem was, it only unnerved him more. There was no sound of wind, no calls from the rest of the troop, no mile a minute chatter from MK. It was silent.

Except for Xue. Who trilled in amusement while her tail pointed at the sigil. “King made it. The bubble keeps everything quiet. So you could sleep.”

Macaque reached up to test the magic of the seal, immediately feeling the layers of muffling magic weaved around the whole hammock. ‘This feels excessive,’ he grumbled.

“It worked.” 

‘It made me sleep for way too long.’

“You needed it.” Xue hummed smugly. Without any warning she hopped off his chest, climbing past his face to be above him. He watched her, and saw above the hammock and the silence bubble was a small basket hanging from a small branch. Xue climbed up to it, pondering for a moment before grabbing a banana.

Macaque sighed when she was back in the bubble. ‘How much food is in that thing?’

“Enough,” Xue said. “And a photo box. Is it yours? Can we make pictures of the young ones?”

‘Maybe later.’ Macaque reached out for the banana, but Xue didn’t hand it over. Instead she started to peel it herself, making Macaque pause. ‘Oh, right. Sorry, I thought you…’ she interrupted by breaking off a piece and holding it out towards him, making him scowl. ‘I’m not a cub. I don’t need fussing over.’

“You do when you’re ill,” Xue trilled.

‘I’m fine now.’

“When you can rebuild your magics I’ll believe you. Until then, rest and eat.”

Macaque startled, reaching up to touch where his spells would be. Six ears, that was by design. He already knew his muffling spell had broken at some point. But he touched his face, flinching at the twisted scar around his eye. Xue chirped, and he looked at her in panic. She didn’t know what happened. He never told her, or anyone in the troop. Did she know now? No, Wukong wouldn’t have told anyone. Would he?

Xue cooed, her hand touching his cheek to get his attention. Her other hand still had the banana, and she held it out the second she thought she had his attention. “Eat.”

‘Who saw this?’ Macaque whispered, his fingers still tracing over the scar.

Xue hummed to herself. “Me and the girls. King. Prince. Maybe one of the scouts. King kept most of the troop away from you so they couldn’t disturb you.”

Couldn’t disturb him? Or couldn’t ask awkward questions? Either way, Macaque couldn’t deny he did feel relieved with that confirmation that the truth wasn’t out. For the moment at least. He gingerly reached for the banana, nibbling at it while Xue hummed. “It looks like it hurts,” she said, examining the scar. “But it’s old too.” Macaque didn’t answer, trying to focus on the food instead of her quiet chittering. “What happened?”

‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ he growled. Xue cooed sadly, but nodded in understanding. She touched his cheek again, this time just below the scar, before pulling away. “Another reason to rest. You need your strength back to deal with the noise of the troop.”

‘What does that have to do with my eye?’ Macaque asked. He felt like he knew what Xue was hinting at, but the exhaustion was still making every thought too hard and slow to crystallise. 

“If that eye is as damaged as I suspect, you will need your other senses more, yes? To offset the blind spot.” 

Macaque didn’t answer, although his expression was probably answer enough. Instead he fiddled with the blanket, trying to make sure he didn’t lose too much of that warmth that was seeping into his tired bones, while Xue patiently fed him pieces of fruit. Once the banana was gone she left to fetch a plum, even though Macaque could feel the fogginess of sleep returning. Some part of him tried to fight it, wanting to insist that he didn’t need more sleep, and needed to get up and do something to help. But that voice couldn’t stop his eyes growing heavy, or the wave of sleepy energy inviting him to rest. When Xue returned she was cooing again, her tone reassuring, while she gently stroked the fur she could reach. All to coax him back to sleep. 

The next time he awoke he was alone again. Still warm, and wrapped in softness. Still safe. And his mind was working a little faster this time. Fast enough for him to quickly realise that night had fallen, and based on the lack of movement in the trees, the troop was resting too. He peeked over the edge of the hammock to investigate the clearing. Immediately he saw the elders in their blanket nest, curled up around the babies in the middle. Only one of the babies was wide awake, half climbed on Yi to look up and around at the night time scene around them. Night scout indeed. Macaque huffed in amusement, shuffling to sit up himself. From here he could reach the basket, testing the seal carefully before pushing through. It offered no resistance to his hand, letting him pass with just a tingle of magic. So objects could pass through the sound, and people. He wasn’t trapped in here. It was literally just a bubble of quiet. That settled some part of him he was too tired to examine, instead focusing on grabbing the basket to investigate its contents. “Enough” food was apparently 7 pieces of fruit, which didn’t count the two Xue had fished from here earlier, along with his phone and headphones. He grabbed a mango and his phone, peeling enough of the mango to start eating before he checked his phone for messages. Which he did have. From MK.

“Hey bud! Hope you don’t mind we got some of your stuff, I thought you might like to have your music when you woke up to help you feel better, and Monkey King kept going on about you needing to be comfortable. So now you have your own sound proof nest! Me and Monkey King have got a new routine with watches and stuff, and now that the elders are recovered from labour they’re helping out too with supervising the younger scouts. So you don’t need to worry about anyone slacking off. Everyone is fine and safe, and all the cubs so far are safe too (and cute. So cute. I can’t wait for you to meet Xue’s baby, one of their chirps sounds like a giggle) and Monkey King is saying this has been a really good Season so far. So all this to say, we’re fine, the elders and Monkey King are worried about you (I mean, I’m worried about you too, but they’re extra worried about you) and want you to feel better soon. Try not to break the seal, you can move in and out of the hammock bed without needing to anyway, but if you break it Monkey King is going to stress out. He’s really worried about you. Anyway, yeah. Rest up, I’ll catch you up when you’re feeling better. Kbyeeee!”

Macaque couldn’t stop the smile curling on his face, chuckling as he read the message over again. It felt weird to have all this attention and care, in a way that left his heart aching. He looked around for MK, quickly spotting another hammock nearby with a tuft of dark brown fur poking out. And above the hammock on a large branch was Wukong, looking between MK below and out across the trees. Even from this distance Macaque could see that Wukong’s eyes were glowing, allowing him to scan through the branches to see each of the nests. He was awake? Macaque frowned at that, looking around the rest of the trees to see if he could spot any of the other younger scouts. Why was Wukong still up? And keeping watch? Before he could try to work out an answer, Macaque saw Wukong look over to his hammock and do a double take. Suddenly he was gone, and Macaque could see some of the branches bowing and swaying in time with hurried movement before Wukong appeared again. In the branches right above his head. Macaque rolled his eyes, giving Wukong a reluctant wave while considering how rude it would be for him to mime that Wukong should leave him alone. But when he looked up again Wukong had lit up, a smile growing on his face, and Macaque could see the telltale flick of his tail wagging. That, if nothing else, made him sigh in resignation. And he shuffled in the hammock, hanging to one side while fixing the blanket. The invitation was silent, but clear. And one Wukong didn’t hesitate to take. 

Macaque grumbled the second Wukong was inside the hammock, even though he could tell he was melting into the furry furnace that was the King. ‘You’re awake,’ Wukong whispered in delight. ‘How are you feeling? You’re looking better.’

‘Coddled,’ Macaque said, trying to glare at Wukong while being wrapped in his arms. ‘Between you and Xue you’d think I was made of paper.’

Wukong shrugged, ‘I can’t apologise, I’m not sorry.’

‘Was all the fruit necessary?’

‘Oh that was the Kid,’ Wukong said. ‘He figured you’d be hungry.’

‘Not that hungry,’ Macaque said. He grabbed the basket to offer it to Wukong, letting him grab a banana. ‘Why are you up anyway?’

‘I’m keeping watch.’ Macaque looked up at Wukong in surprise, making him chuckle. ‘I told you I would.’

‘I thought you were just saying that,’ Macaque said. ‘Besides, that was two nights ago. Three?’

Wukong shrugged, ‘Don’t worry about it.’

‘What about sleep?’ Macaque said. ‘Xue literally just told me off for this.’

‘I am sleeping,’ Wukong said. ‘I get a few hours after breakfast, MK or one of the elders wakes me up for lunch, and then I get another nap before it gets dark.’ Macaque scowled, but Wukong ignored it. ‘Besides, it helps that a lot of the mothers have had their cubs. I reckon the bulk of the Season will be done by next week.’

‘So you’re allowed to not sleep now?’

‘Okay, I know you’re not comparing me taking night watches to your refusal to look after yourself,’ Wukong said.

‘So you can't admit that it’s at least a little bit hypocritical?’

‘It’s not,’ Wukong said, starting to frown. ‘MK’s helping me. You insisted on doing it all alone. I’m making sure to eat. You tried to refuse because everyone else needed it more than you.’

‘They do,’ Macaque said.

‘Mac? I promise there is enough food.’ Macaque looked away from Wukong’s golden eyes, trying not to squirm even as Wukong’s words made him cringe. ‘You saw the fruit trees yourself the other day. We have enough food. And shelter. For the whole troop and then some. We’d have enough if the troop doubled in size tomorrow.’

‘But what if-’

‘There is no hypothetical that could happen that would stop that from being the case,’ Wukong said. ‘You’re here, I’m here, the kid’s here. We won’t let that happen.’ Macaque wilted, letting Wukong pull him tighter against him. ‘I told you I’m not going anywhere. And I meant it.’

Those words made Macaque realise that he might actually be as fragile as Wukong and Xue had been treating him. Because the way those words struck him made that old wound in his heart split open again. And he was still too tired to stop the tears, or to quash the need he had to bury himself into Wukong’s warmth. So he did, turning enough so he could hide his face in Wukong’s chest, gripping onto his shirt with claws that threatened to tear the fabric. It wasn’t fair that such warmth could make him shiver, but when Wukong’s embrace tightened around him Macaque couldn’t stop himself from trembling. When Wukong started to comb through his mane Macaque couldn’t stop the hitch in his voice, as he let Wukong pull him more onto his chest. He felt Wukong hum comfortingly against him, but it couldn’t cut through the now open wound, the torrent of grief and pain. It only made that pain worse.

‘Mac,’ Wukong whispered. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’

‘About what?’

Wukong sighed, ‘The fire.’ Macaque flinched, immediately shaking his head as Wukong hushed him. ‘It might help.’

‘No, no I can’t-’

‘No one will hear it but me,’ Wukong said. ‘The barrier goes both ways, so you can’t hear outside and anything outside can't hear us.’ Macaque choked on a sob, making Wukong hush him gently. ‘Please, let me help bud.’

‘You can’t,’ Macaque sobbed. ‘Not with this. It happened, and it's done, and no one can change it.’

‘Then let me help you carry it,’ Wukong said. ‘Maybe it will feel less painful if you share it. Maybe it won’t. But it’s worth a try.’ Macaque didn’t answer. Instead he squeezed his eyes shut, ears flicking in discomfort. ‘Seriously? Mac, the bubble means you can’t hear anything. Don’t start trying to listen past it, you’ll give yourself a headache.’

Macaque shook his head. ‘That’s why you can’t help. You can’t hear them.’

Wukong frowned, ‘Hear what?’

‘The screams,’ Macaque whispered. ‘Every time someone in the troop shouts or cries I hear them. And they won’t stop. They won’t leave me alone. They scream, and cry, but I can't help them. I can’t save them. I…I can’t…’

Wukong pulled him into a tighter hug, letting Macaque sob into his shoulder. ‘Then tell me about them,’ Wukong whispered, his voice hitching. ‘You shouldn’t carry this alone. I’m their King, so let me be their King. Let me help.’

The fire was everywhere, casting out heat and smoke everywhere it touched. It made trees crackle and the air roar. Ash got stuck in his nose and lungs. But Macaque didn’t stop. He and his shadows raced through what remained of the trees, his shadows dragging monkeys to safety as he faced those damned soldiers one by one. His lantern flared, shadow claimed, and another body joined the army to hide the survivors. He dived out of a shadow in time to tackle another enemy to the ground, claws digging into armour plates to rip them away. The Celestial fought back, only to hit shadow and empty air, before a spiked staff was aimed for their face. Then Macaque was off again, six ears flaring to listen past the flames, past the shouts and yells of the invaders, to find the rest of the troop. Another Celestial charged out of a tree only for Macaque to catch them in the light of the lantern, dragging them in to join the others trapped in the magical glass. Each one empowered him, stretching his shadows further. And enraged him more. 

That was when he heard the cracking of wood and a scream that had him slip into a portal on reflex. Coming out the other side, the sight made him snarl. A Celestial was pulling their sword out of a newly collapse branch, turning to look at someone pinned under the large collapsed beam of wood. Macaque’s staff met the back of their head, staff clanging against their helmet to make them collapse into a heap. But Macaque was already vaulting over the branch. He saw two monkey heads, connected to bodies completely trapped under the log, and moved without thinking. The shadows wrapped around the monkeys as Macaque dived in, gently catching their wounded forms and wrapping them in his arms. Only then did he see who it was.

‘Xue?’ he whispered.

She whimpered, looking up at Macaque in pain while trying to cling weakly to the cub lying against her chest. “Macaque. Hurts.”

‘I know,’ Macaque said gently. ‘I know, but I’ve got you now.’ He looked around, listening out for any more voices of the troop. But he couldn’t find them. It felt wrong, but he couldn’t stay out here. He needed to get Xue and her cub to safety too. 

The shadows pulled them into a portal, and suddenly the sounds and smells of the fire vanished. Macaque stepped into Wukong’s temple under the mountain, looking around at all the monkeys as they turned in his direction. A lot more than Xue was hurt. He could see splashes of blood on fur, limping limbs. He could hear coughs and cries of pain and fear. But not at many as he expected. He started to count the faces he could see, his heart freezing more with every passing second. This was only half of the troop. Where were the others? Who had he missed? Had they found somewhere else to hide? His ears flicked and glowed, trying to work out where they could be. When that didn’t work he cast his senses ahead to work out a path in the future that would let him find the missing monkeys. But the number of monkeys in this chamber didn’t change. And no monkey cries echoed from anywhere else on the mountain. Not until this danger was long gone. Not until the King returned home. This…no. This couldn’t be it. This couldn’t be everyone that survived.

Xue suddenly screamed in his arms, and Macaque looked down. She was running her hands over her cub, even though she was still shivering from the pain, and nearly shaking him in her desperation. But he was still. Macaque lowered her to the ground, giving them both room to move as he gently laid the cub back in his arms. They were limp. Silent. Chest still. Heart quiet.

“Wake up,” Xue shouted, “Wake up little one, please!”

‘Oh no,’ Macaque said. He pressed his ears to his chest. Even though he didn’t need to. He already knew the truth. But he had to check. Had to be sure. Had to try and work out a way to undo this if he could.

Xue screamed again, some of the monkeys backing away as a couple of the elders moved closer. “Name him!” she shouted, looking at Macaque. 

‘What?’

“If he’s named he will live. King named us, and we lived. And you are King’s General. So name him!”

Macaque shook his head, his face crumpling. ‘That’s not how it works. The immortality comes first. The name won’t give him immortality. He…I’m so sorry Xue.’

She screamed, in rage and grief while snatching her cub away. One of the other elders came closer, Huan, who looked between Xue and Macaque. ‘Where are the others? The Generals?’

The words wouldn’t come at first. Macaque tried to open his mouth, but tears only pricked at his eyes instead. His voice broke, his shoulders shaking as the reality crashed over him. ‘This…this is everyone I could find.’

Huan froze, the other monkeys around them chirping in worry. There were no other Generals. No Court. There were cubs around who were crying for their mothers with no answer, and other monkeys in a similar state of denial or mourning to Xue. But Huan stepped closer, not ready to accept this truth yet. “Bao. My Bao. King named him, made him General. He is still out there. He must be.”

He hated to do it. But Macaque shook his head, face creasing as the tears finally fell. ‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered. ‘I couldn’t help them in time. I…I didn’t…’

“Where’s King?”

Macaque froze at the question, looking up in horror as others began to agree and echo the question again. And again. Where was their King? He could stop this, could protect them and scare away these attackers. But where was he? And Macaque had no answer that was good enough. He couldn’t say that the same people who were attacking now were the reason why Wukong was trapped in a mountain for potentially an eternity. That the only reason why they attacked was because they knew Wukong couldn’t stop them. It was the truth, but it wouldn’t help. But there was no other answer he could offer. Nothing that could undo this. 

Wukong’s grip on Macaque didn’t loosen for one second. Not when the dark monkey was shivering and sobbing into his shirt, and not when his crying finally petered out from exhaustion. In fact, feeling Macaque all but lying on his chest made Wukong hold onto him tighter. He tried to keep his breathing steady. He didn’t want to disturb Macaque after all. He needed his rest. So he tried to keep his breathing steady, even as his own tears refused to stop. His hands fiddled with Macaque’s mane, ready to start grooming him again. But that would require Wukong to let him go. And he wasn’t ready to do that yet. He needed to feel his Moon in his arms, his poor Moon. Wukong already hated Erlang for the attack on the mountain a thousand times over, but hearing the story again broke him. Especially from Macaque. Who was, Wukong realised, the only reason why they had any troop left. He was the only reason why any of the troop survived. Why enough fruit and seeds survived for them to regrow. And his return to the mountain was the only reason why Xue, Huan and Yi had new and healthy cubs right now. Because there was no other reason why they would try again after so long. They had been waiting for him to come back. Because even though the troop had always looked to Wukong, the elders remembered who was here when they needed it most.

It should have been me, Wukong thought to himself. He should have been the one who was here. He should have faced Erlang and the horrors he brought. Not his friend. Not alone. Erlang’s ire should have never been aimed at his troop, but when it was Wukong should have been the one to meet it. He knew why he wasn’t here, and he understood that this was part of the reason why Erlang felt able to enact this horror. But that rationalisation didn’t help the overwhelming feeling of guilt clawing through his chest. He should have been here.

Macaque hummed, breaking Wukong out of his thoughts enough to look down at his friend. He watched Macaque shuffle, no, nuzzle into his shoulder. It was a slow and tired action, one that almost had Macaque butting into Wukong’s chin. Like a cat asking for fusses. Wukong obliged, shifting enough that he could reach to comb his claws through Macaque’s fur. Immediately he sighed in his sleep, sinking into Wukong’s hot form. Wukong’s other hand twitched the blanket up, carefully making sure that Macaque was covered and comfortable. He tried to not flinch when he felt Macaque’s tail sleepily brush against his. But his tail did coil around Macaque’s without a thought behind it. He settled quickly, leaving Wukong to watch him in silence. 

He sighed, finally looking away to turn his attention to the sky. He didn’t need his Gold Vision to see the wards. He could feel his magic wrapped around the land, from the volcanoes to the other side of the island. But after hearing Macaque’s story, somehow it didn’t feel like enough. Yes, it had kept Erlang at bay the last time he attacked. But that was just him and his hound. If he brought another Celestial army…what if they did break through? Wukong’s gaze drifted back to the treeline, Gold Vision flaring to show the monkeys still at peace throughout the nests. He couldn’t let them down again. If something like that ever happened again, he needed to make sure there were contingencies. Protections. Safeguards. Maybe Macaque would have some suggestions. That thought immediately made Wukong smile, even as it wavered with his other emotions. Yeah, he would do that. When the Baby Season was over and they were rested, he and Macaque could come up with some ideas on how to secure the mountain. Hopefully it would help Macaque calm down and feel safer, and it would definitely help with Wukong’s guilt over the past. Already just the plan of it was beginning to settle something in him. He couldn’t undo the past, he knew he couldn’t. But he could learn from it. They could learn from it. And take the steps they needed to so it wouldn’t happen again. And hopefully, those steps would be enough to at least get them on the path to healing the rest. 

Chapter Text

The morning was bright and peaceful. As it always was on the mountain. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, making monkeys both old and young stir. Mothers throughout the trees roused with the cries from their new cubs who begged for food, or to explore, while others began to move from nest to nest to check on the troop as a whole. One of the scouts jumped into MK’s nest, waking him up with a groan and a plea for five more minutes that the monkeys ignored. When he rolled out of the hammock the nearby monkeys immediately started shouting while gesturing at the baskets, but MK was too busy trying to wake up enough to look around at the clearing. The elders were in their nest, already fussing over their drowsy cubs which MK couldn’t help but smile at. He listened out for the others, trying to pick out any signs of distress. When he couldn't hear any he then looked over to Macaque’s hammock, hoping that Macaque was looking more rested. He didn’t expect to see Wukong in the hammock too, but there he was. Fast asleep, with Macaque asleep on his chest. MK cooed at how adorable they looked, but he didn’t linger. Lieutenant Monkey was already climbing onto his shoulder, and the three monkeys that loved to groom him were waiting by the baskets. He could admire them being cute later, and maybe even get a picture of them. But first, breakfast.

When MK returned however, laden with baskets that everyone immediately started crowding around, he could see the moment was gone. Wukong was still completely passed out, but Macaque was stirring enough to try and detangle himself from the sleepy embrace he had found himself in. MK smiled, but looked away before he could get caught staring. Instead he focused on the breakfast, making sure to share out the fruit among the troop fairly. With Lieutenant Monkey’s help of course, who was much tougher on some monkeys than MK was. By the time he was delivering fruit to the elders and cooing over their bemused looking cubs, Macaque had managed to fully pick his way out of the hammock and was walking over to them. He still looked exhausted, in that bone dead tired way that MK recognised. But his glamour had returned and MK could see a violet glow around his ears. It must have been the muffling spell Monkey King had been talking about. Good. He clearly needed it.

‘Morning, sleepyhead,’ MK grinned.

 Macaque grunted, holding out the basket that had been left for him. ‘Was all the fruit necessary?’

‘You might have been hungry,’ MK said. ‘And I felt bad that you were missing meals.’ Macaque rolled his eyes as MK finished giving out the fruit to Huan, straightening enough to grab a banana at the bottom of the basket. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Peachy,’ Macaque grumbled. He set the basket on the ground, ignoring how the others immediately started investigating it. ‘But I need to get out of that hammock or I might sleep forever.’

MK nodded, ‘Yeah, that sounds familiar. Depression nap, am I right? The good news is you’re looking better.’ He held out his basket, of which there were two pieces of fruit inside. A mango and a peach. Macaque took the basket, grabbing the mango without hesitation, while MK continued. ‘So, I don’t know if you checked your phone or not, but…’

‘I did,’ Macaque said. ‘Thanks for the message by the way.’

‘Great!’ MK said. ‘In that case, Monkey King will probably be asleep now until lunch if the past couple of days are anything to go by. I’ve had to wake him up a few times for Mamas who need help, but otherwise that’s all good. Then we fetch lunch, wake him up, I play with some of the little ones while Monkey King checks up on the other nests, he has another nap around dinner time and then he’s been doing watches at night.’

Macaque nodded. ‘And he’s actually been sleeping?’

MK sighed, ‘Yeah. It’s actually kinda hard to wake him when it’s not an emergency.’

Macaque huffed. That sounded familiar. ‘Alright. Is this you telling me I’m not allowed to help, or…’

‘I mean, you can if you want,’ MK said. ‘I can’t stop you.’

Huan chimed in, making both of the monkeys look at her, “I can. So you’d better not make yourself sick again.”

Macaque winced, ‘Noted.’ He looked around at the trees. ‘I haven’t actually checked in on most of the nests in a while.’

‘We can do that now,’ MK said. ‘There’s so many cubs to introduce you to. They. Are. Adorable!’ Xue chirped, catching MK’s attention. ‘Of course, yours is the most adorable.’

She wasn’t looking at MK however. She was stepping out of the nest, her cub clinging to her chest, while she looked at Macaque expectantly. He tensed, after all he couldn’t not, but he crouched down all the same. When she got close enough she grabbed his knee, coaxing him to sit down fully, before she climbed onto his lap. She cooed softly, settling in while brushing her paws over her wide eyed cub who was already staring at Macaque. And Macaque stared back, unable to stop the tears gathering as the cub reached out to grab his shirt. The little one chirped, a high pitched squeak that made MK melt and Xue ruffle in pride. The little cub was curious, and with his mother right there he slowly gained the bravery to climb off her and onto Macaque. Who was holding his breath the entire time. The cub quickly climbed up until he found fur, and on instinct Macaque’s hands came up to catch him just in case. But he didn’t need the assistance, already his grip was strong. Like this Macaque could feel the strong but fragile body, the thin soft fur, and the tight grip of tiny paws. MK was cooing over them, his phone out to snap a thousand pictures. But Macaque didn’t even notice. Every one of his senses was on the tiny cub gripping onto him and chirping. Happy chirps that almost sounded like giggles. Happy chirps that were asking to play. Xue cooed in time, encouraging them both to play, while watching Macaque expectantly. He had to wipe away the tears tracing down his cheeks before they landed on the cub, but otherwise he couldn’t move. The awe, the relief, the wonder in his moment that was threatening to shift into joy. It was everything Macaque didn’t know how to accept was true. Not without thinking there would be a catch or something that would shift and snatch this precious feeling away. But he clung onto it all the same, even managing a smile despite himself. 

‘Sure,’ he whispered to the cub. ‘We can play.’

By the time Wukong woke the middle of the clearing had turned into an impromptu play creche. At first the scene made Wukong rub his eyes in disbelief, then pinch himself just in case. But no. He wasn’t dreaming. He rolled out of the hammock and sound bubble to investigate further, and it was when the sound hit him that he started to believe what he was seeing. The newborns were playing, rolling and tumbling over each other and their mothers nearby. Not all of their mothers were involved, with some watching from a distance and some finding spots where they could nap in peace. But enough were there to entertain. That wasn’t what had Wukong marvelling though. It was how the babies gathered around Macaque. He had seen them play with MK, and even now they were clinging to him, sleeping on him, or chirping as they tried to chase each other around him. But there was another small group of them around Macaque. Xue’s cub was asleep against her chest while she was nestled in his lap, but Huan’s baby was scaling up Macaque’s back. Another couple were trying to catch his tail that kept curling just out of their reach. Even the shadow clones were joining in, racing along the ground for cubs to try and pounce on them. And Macaque had another cub nestled in his arms, chirping and trilling while Macaque stared at them in wonder. 

MK spotted Wukong first and shouted his name, to which many of the mothers turned to see him, greeting him warmly as he approached. But his attention was fixed on Macaque. He looked up too, and Wukong could see the dried tear tracks over his cheeks, and the slightest quiver in his chin. But the smile was there, even if it was wavering from tears he was holding back, and Wukong could feel the palpable relief in the air.

‘Hey guys,’ Wukong said. ‘Am I on lunch duty today then?’

‘Maybe,’ MK said. ‘I blame Xue’s cub. He started the game, and then all the others wanted to join in.’

Xue didn’t show a shred of guilt. In fact she puffed up in pride while Wukong chuckled. ‘That’s fine. Stretching my legs will help wake me up.’

‘Do you need help?’ Macaque asked quietly. So quietly Wukong almost missed it. He looked at Macaque, seeing his tail slow enough for the cubs to catch it for just a moment as Huan’s cub was clambering onto his shoulder. The shadows still danced across the floor, and the cub in his arms had started to nuzzle against his chest. He was watching Wukong carefully, bracing himself for whatever Wukong might say.

‘If you want to help you can,’ Wukong said, ‘but if you want to stay here and be attacked by tiny cubs then I won’t stop you.’

Macaque looked down at the small cub in his arms, not able to stop the smile growing slowly. Especially when Huan’s cub settled on his shoulder as a proper perch. MK cooed, raising his phone to snap another picture, and Wukong made a mental note to ask MK for that later. For now though, he had food to collect. 

—

When the Season ended, it wasn’t with a declaration or a party. It was a slow process over a few days, which was started by MK coming to Wukong and Macaque with a panicked tone while he explained that some of the mothers were leaving the nests. To which Wukong smiled calmly, pulling MK into a cuddle to help calm him down and explain. This Nursery was only needed for the Season itself, which was actually having the babies. Once the babies were here and everyone proved to be settled and healthy the mothers would often leave to return to their own nests, spreading out across the forest and mountain as they pleased. For them to be leaving now was a good thing. The three of them had done what they needed to help the mothers feel safe and ready to raise their babies, and that was what they were setting off to do. He expected MK to be relieved, or even excited about that prospect. But he wilted, a whine in the back of his throat as he watched the remaining mothers forlornly. It was his first Baby Season, but apparently MK wasn’t ready for it to end yet. Wukong reminded him that there would be a new Season next year, but that didn’t help. The elders came over, cooing worriedly over the Little Prince being sad, which is when MK managed to put it into words. Aside from the young ones here and there and a few grooming sessions he had managed to get to, he had never seen the troop. Not properly. Not the elders, and the mothers, and the newborns. And now he had lived with them, and started to feel like a proper member of the troop. But if the Season was ending, then they would return to their parts of the mountain. And MK would return to the city. Return home. And sure, he missed Pigsy, Tang and Mei. He missed noodles, his games and his delivery bike. But he wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the troop yet. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye to whatever this Season had given him.  

The elders looked at each other knowingly, but didn’t respond. Wukong tried to reassure MK that the Season ending didn’t stop him from being a member of the troop, and didn’t change the fact that he would now be welcome in every part of the forest. In fact, he would now find those hidden monkeys coming out to greet him every chance they got. Because he was now troop, he had proved it over and over again these past few days. And the others wouldn’t forget that. Or him. And he would always have a place here on the mountain. But as much as MK nodded and gave Wukong a small smile, and as much as the elders insisted on cuddling him, the dour mood that had sunk in didn’t shift.

Not until Macaque stole his phone. The shadows let him swipe it so easily MK didn’t notice until he stepped away from the group while scrolling on the device. But before MK could start complaining Macaque turned, pointing the phone camera at the group. Xue immediately squealed in delight while Wukong tugged MK into a full body hug, making him laugh despite himself as the mothers settled on the two of them. And Macaque snapped away, smirking at Wukong and MK laughing and the others chittering in glee and excitement. When Macaque finally declared he was done he handed the phone back, letting all of them admire the photos as he spoke. ‘There you go. Proof.’

‘Of what?’

‘Of your first Baby Season,’ Macaque said. MK looked up at him in surprise, while Macaque shrugged. ‘If your fancy phone camera has taught me anything, it's that it’s nice to have the pictures to look back on.’

MK looked down at the phone again, while Xue and Yi cooed and trilled over the phone. Xue had started to swipe at the screen, showing all the other photos MK had been taking during the season. Looking back at them made MK smile, even though his lip started to quiver. Wukong nuzzled against him, Huan reached out to stroke his arm, and Macaque sat down to join them. ‘I don’t want it to end yet,’ MK whimpered.

The elders cooed in agreement, which Macaque translated for MK to make him smile sadly. ‘Neither do I,’ Wukong whispered. ‘I’ve loved having you here. Seeing you join the troop, it’s been a joy. And it was your first Baby Season!’ MK sniffled, making Wukong sigh. ‘I’m so lucky I get to have you as a student. And as my kid. I try not to be greedy about it, but…I do miss you when you’re not here.’

‘And I miss the peace,’ Macaque said. ‘When you’re here Wukong’s attention can be on something else besides bothering me.’

Wukong flicked him with his tail, while the elders added their own comforting trills and chirps. One of the cubs started crawling up MK’s shirt, making him chuckle as they cheeped at him. ‘I’ll miss you too, little guy,’ MK said. ‘How much are you going to grow in a week?’

‘They do grow quickly,’ Macaque said, making MK pout. ‘I’m sure Wukong will take more pictures for you.’

Xue grumbled, “You can too. I know you have a picture box.”

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Macaque said. 

Wukong snorted, letting MK settle on his chest while looking out at the clearing around them. ‘There will be a few days of the Season yet, so you can get more pictures and cuddles in.’ MK nodded, while Wukong smiled. ‘The little ones are going to grow, but they’re not going anywhere. And they’re going to love to play with you every time you visit.’ 

So the Season ended. Slowly, with a few monkeys at a time trailing away from the nursery and back to their usual haunts, with MK saying goodbye to each one he could. Until they were left with hammocks to take down and blankets to tidy away. And three elders ready to follow them back into Wukong’s grove. Wukong was the one most surprised by their decision to move their nest into this part of the mountain, after all aside from Baby Season Wukong barely saw them anymore. The three of them preferred to hide either in the mountain itself or in an outcrop with as much cover as possible. In comparison, living in the grove would have them practically be in the open. But already the three of them were chattering about wanting to watch the Little Prince’s training and see how strong he was, and help teach him important monkey and troop things Wukong had apparently been neglecting. So MK watched them pick out a new spot to move their nest to, before getting himself ready for the trip home. He promised Wukong and Macaque that he would bring noodles and tea the next time he visited, if they didn’t directly put in an order first, and with him freshly washed and dressed in much cleaner clothes, MK disappeared into the distance with a wave and a whistle of his cloud. 

With MK gone, the grove fell quiet again. Quieter than it had been in days, in fact. The hectic energy of the Nursery had gone with the bulk of the troop, leaving just the sounds of the elders settling into their new nest, and the wind blowing through the trees. In a way it was peaceful, a calm returning to the grove after so many days of dealing with the frantic and emotional time of Baby Season. But at the same time, it was unnerving. Wukong dared to glance at Macaque, who was pointedly not looking in his direction, while the two of them scanned the area.

‘So I should-’

‘Can we-’

Both of them snapped their mouths shut and looked at each other awkwardly. ‘You go first,’ Wukong said.

Macaque shook his head, ‘I wasn’t really going to say anything.’

‘Oh,’ Wukong said, trying not to flush awkwardly. ‘Well…I was going to say I should get the blankets tidied up.’

Macaque nodded, ‘Okay. Do you need help?’

‘It’s up to you,’ Wukong said. ‘I’m mainly doing it now so the new neighbours don’t judge me.’ Macaque looked at the mothers settling in, while Wukong cleared his throat. ‘I’m not going to demand company, but I won’t refuse it either. Y’know?’

‘It’s quiet.’

Wukong looked at Macaque in surprise. All six of his ears were still out. Ears that twitched once, twice, and then stilled as he looked away. ‘Yeah,’ Wukong said. ‘It is. Which means it’s peaceful, right?’ Macaque hummed, and Wukong had to bite back some snippy remark about not neglecting his health again. Instead he grabbed the first basket of blankets, huffing to himself. ‘I’ve actually had a thought about that. If you want to…’

A telltale flare of magic made Wukong turn around in time to see the shadow portal close up, leaving him alone in the grove. He sighed, trying not to feel too betrayed at the sight. ‘Yeah, should have known that was coming.’

Macaque wasn’t planning on leaving. Not now, not tomorrow, and not in a month’s time. And he wasn’t planning on disappearing on Wukong again. He just needed….something. Something that felt like a break, but wasn’t quite a break. Maybe. He couldn’t put it into words either. He was doing better than he had been a few days prior, but he hadn’t been able to shake the exhaustion and lethargy yet. And beyond that there was still something unsettled in him. Something niggling in the back of his mind that kept him on edge. Even though he could hear peace falling over the mountain, with various monkeys caught between playing and grooming and resting. They were fine. And they would continue to be fine. But that wasn’t enough to make Macaque feel better. He probably needed to switch off, but not in a way that just meant sleep. He could probably do with grabbing his journal, since he hadn’t picked it up since the Baby Season started, but that didn’t feel right either. Music might help, but he couldn’t shake the need to be able to hear if anything broke the newfound peace on the mountain. So he closed his eyes, letting the shadows carry him to the thing some part of him knew he needed but couldn’t put into words. Not until he stepped out of the portal and opened his eyes. 

The smell of the hot springs hit him before the sight of them did. Various deep, steaming pools of water surrounded by rocks and plantlife. Just the sight of them made Macaque’s shoulders drop in relief, and without hesitation he was already shedding his clothes as he approached his favourite pool. One that was deep, and one of the hotter ones. The second he finished testing the water with his tail to confirm it was as hot as he remembered Macaque was sliding into the water, his sigh turning into a small groan at the feeling of the hot water soaking into his tired muscles. Between the hot water, the quiet, peaceful babble of the bubbles, and the sharp distinct smell in his nose that always reminded him of this place, Macaque couldn’t help but relax. Yep. This was paradise. In the distance there were the telltale sounds of the troop, but they sounded so far away now. Present enough to reassure him they were fine, but far enough away they could fade into the background. The water rippled in a steady and lulling rhythm, letting Macaque sink further into the pool until his head was the only thing not submerged. That was leaning back to rest against the rocks. Here he could close his eyes and let out a sigh that carried all the tension out of him. Here it was safe to let go of all of the stress he had been carrying for weeks at this point. They had gotten through the Baby Season, and it was a successful one. There would be other things to check on over the next few weeks among the troop, but for now? For now he could rest. And relax. 

Macaque idly started to wonder if playing music here would break the mood or enhance it, when the sound of a rustle in the grass had his eyes snapping open and him spinning to look over his shoulder. Wukong was frozen in place, staring at Macaque in surprise more than anything. ‘Oh,’ Wukong said. ‘I…I thought you’d left.’

Internally Macaque cringed, in that way that made his hackles want to pick up defensively. But he somehow bit back on his immediate snappy remark, and reached for a response that was at least civil. ‘I wanted to make a claim on the good pool,’ he said gruffly. ‘Before any of the others showed up.’

‘Ah,’ Wukong said. ‘Well, lucky for you we have different ideas on what makes a good pool.’ He stepped away, and Macaque now saw the bundle of towels in his arms as he headed over to one of the much shallower pools. One with lots of rocks under the water to serve as seats and benches. He was humming to himself as he set up his stuff, making Macaque look away as he blushed. His mouth opened, but once again he found no words coming to mind. All of them were locked away behind the lump in his throat that made him feel like a frayed nerve all over again. He heard the soft splash of Wukong slipping into the water, and the dramatic groan he made at the hot water soaking into his own limbs. ‘Oh yeah, that’s the stuff,’ Wukong sighed, leaning back against the pool. ‘We’ve definitely earned this.’

Macaque nodded, shuffling so his back was to Wukong. He was now tense in the water, curling up instinctively while Wukong hummed quietly behind him. Why was he suddenly so nervous? He shared a nest with the King for Heaven’s sake, why would this freak him out? It wasn’t even like this was the first time they had used the pools together, before the Brotherhood they would always…oh. That was it, wasn’t it? Macaque finally glanced over at Wukong, eyes tracing over how his arms were propped up on the side of the pools, his head tilted back to use his towel as a pillow of sorts. His eyes were closed, perfectly peaceful, still humming tunelessly. There were a lot of things he and Wukong used to do that they didn’t anymore. Some of it they had started to reclaim, like the nest. Eating together. They were even doing new things, like when they had worked on that play together. And Wukong had picked up painting again, often working on his pictures while Macaque either wrote in his journal, or drafted a new play, or something else. Parallel play, Sandy had called it, and it seemed to work for whatever their new dynamic was becoming. But this was one of the things they hadn’t broached yet. 

Before everything happened, Macaque would love to use these pools. More than Wukong did, although with Wukong’s aversion to water that made sense. Even then though, the two of them would often be here. If Wukong did join in then the two of them would play, or relax, or groom each other. And even if he didn’t he would still make time to groom Macaque’s mane, and talk about his adventures, or the latest drama in the troop, or some new thing the humans had done that had fascinated him. It was innocent. Peaceful. Fun. Although back then Macaque knew that his own occasional blushes weren’t always from the heat of the pools. His body tensed at the thought, while at the same time he suddenly had an itch in his fingers. When he looked at Wukong again, the King hadn’t moved a muscle. Frankly he could have fallen asleep like that. But now Macaque was looking closer he could see the telltale signs of knots in his fur around the back of his neck. Of course the knots were there, shirt collars were very unforgiving for fur in that regard. That itch in his fingers grew, but Macaque held himself back. It had been a long time. Not counting the times he groomed Wukong while he had amnesia. And even then, none of those times had really been around here. Wukong had stayed away when Macaque had used the pools, and neither of them had really mentioned that since. Which meant…that Wukong probably didn’t want to have this specific thing back. But then again, Wukong had taken to petting Macaque while cuddling. It wasn’t grooming per se, but it was still close. More intimate than just a hug between casual friends would be. 

Screw it. Macaque made up his mind suddenly and splashed out of the pool, watching carefully in case Wukong looked up. But the golden monkey didn’t even flinch, leaving Macaque both relieved and rolling his eyes. Still he committed, climbing out of the pool and walking the short distance to Wukong’s pool to slip in quickly. If Wukong didn’t want him to do this, Wukong could tell him.

‘Hmm?’ Wukong finally stirred at the disturbance in the water, peeking one bleary eye open. When he saw Macaque settling himself on the underwater bench Wukong suddenly jumped up in shock. ‘Mac? What?’

Macaque snorted, even as he had to shield his face from the sudden splash of water. ‘Smooth. Alright, turn around.’

‘What?’

‘There’s some knots in your fur,’ Macaque said. ‘Turn around.’

Wukong stared at him, his mouth working like a fish. It was only when Macaque looked at him pointedly and mimed him turning that Wukong finally obeyed, slowly spinning on the spot while his shoulders tensed. Macaque shuffled closer, the ripple of the water making Wukong jump. ‘Wow, really?’ Macaque said. ‘Am I that scary?’

‘Oh shut up,’ Wukong said. ‘If I acted like this your tail would puff up like a cat’s. But no, no Macaque gets to be broody and mysterious and doesn’t actually have to use his words or give a heads up because - what are you doing?’

Macaque had brought a hand up to gently claw through Wukong’s mane, testing the thick fur while swallowing down the sudden rush of nerves. His heart was hammering, and his red mask was definitely darker right now, thank the Stars Wukong couldn’t see. But instead of all of that, he made himself focus on his task. ‘What does it look like?’ Macaque said. ‘There’s knots in here too. Probably easier to just groom all of you.’

‘What?’ Wukong squeaked. ‘Wait, hang on, Mac…’

Macaque flinched, pulling away while Wukong moved to glance back. ‘Unless you don’t want me to?’ he said. ‘You should get it sorted though. The messy fur look isn’t really in right now.’

‘I…uh…’ Wukong faltered, swallowing while his tail swished nervously underwater. ‘I mean…I’m not against the idea. But…why?’

Macaque shrugged, ‘Why not?’

‘Don’t pretend this is just a normal thing for us,’ Wukong said. ‘Why have you suddenly decided to groom me in the middle of a bath?’

‘You don’t have to make it into a big thing,’ Macaque said. ‘It’s grooming. We’ve done it before loads of times.’ Wukong opened his mouth, but Macaque cut over him. ‘Do you want me to help with the knots or not?’

Wukong paused, finally moving his hand to feel for the patch of fur in question. He almost immediately tugged on one by accident, making himself wince. ‘Stupid collar,’ he grumbled to himself. Macaque reached over, gently testing one of the knots in his claws, while Wukong mulled it over. ‘You get why this feels weird, right? If nothing else, I thought you wanted to be left alone. Especially after how stressful the Baby Season was.’

Stressful was certainly a word for it. One that made Macaque look away awkwardly while he tried to work out what to say. ‘Being alone and having quiet are two different things,’ he finally said. ‘And sometimes I want both, but…sometimes I don’t.’ He tried not to cringe, even though he knew it wasn’t a full answer. It didn’t explain why he specifically wanted to do this instead of just relaxing in their own individual pools. And it didn’t get into the growing realisation Macaque was having of why he wanted to groom him. Because some part of him had apparently decided this would be a good way to thank Wukong for looking after him, with the hammock and the bubble of quiet, along with everything else. And now that he had realised that, Macaque was suddenly all too ready to flee the pool, moment be damned. 

But Wukong moved first. He turned slowly, facing away from Macaque while trying to settle his shoulders. ‘I mean…if you want to,’ Wukong said nervously, ‘then I would appreciate the help.’

Macaque didn’t give a verbal response. But he did slowly slide closer again, the water rippling around them in time with their movements while Macaque reached up to comb a hand through Wukong’s fur again. He started slowly, running careful but nimble fingers through his mane bit by bit, gently easing out any knots he found. Soon Wukong started to hum tunelessly again while Macaque fell into a slow rhythm that started to lull Wukong into a much more relaxed state. When Macaque checked, Wukong’s eyes were closed again, that peaceful expression back on his face. But this time with a soft smile that squeezed at Macaque’s heart in a way that made his blood pressure spike. But he didn’t pause, or even falter, in his actions. In a way he was just as lulled into this moment as Wukong was. One that felt more comfortable with each passing minute. Different, very different to how grooming each other had felt when they were young. But that only made Macaque want to keep this moment intact and uninterrupted for as long as possible. 

Chapter Text

There was no life left in the forest. Black and grey trees stretched out of the ash and mulch, the charred limbs twisted and bare. Cold. Dead. There was no whistle when the wind blew through them, just cutting blades of air with no relief. And there was no other sound. No waterfall rushing, no gulls singing. No monkeys calling. The silence was deafening, but the reason for the silence was the thing that threatened to smother him. Because he hadn’t gone deaf. He knew, in that way you always know in dreams. There was just nothing to hear. The world had gone silent. Cold. Dead.

Macaque didn’t want to turn around. The second that he knew he had to, he didn't want to. But he couldn’t stop his body from moving, from taking in more of the horrific scene around him. Until he was looking behind him, wanting to close his eyes to hide. Because he didn’t want to see. It wasn’t possible, it couldn’t be possible. But his eyes stayed open. And he couldn’t deny it. The mountain was gone. And the waterfall with it. The temple, the grove, the sanctuary where he had hidden the troop. It was all a pile of rubble. Gone. The troop…had they been inside? Is that why he couldn’t hear them? Had he…he had. He was the Six Eared Macaque, the Warrior, the first general of Sun Wukong. He was meant to be the troop’s protector. And he had failed. It was gone. All gone.

A single movement made him look away from the horror. And right into the eyes of the person responsible. Erlang Shen was untouched, not even a blemish from the smoke and ash on him. His armour gleamed in the harsh light, his wicked sword held loosely at his side. He didn’t open his mouth, but Macaque heard the words all too clearly. ‘Did you really think Wukong would be the only one to face justice for your crimes?’

Macaque blinked, and suddenly it wasn’t just him and Erlang in the dead forest. Azure. Peng. Yellowtusk. Even Bull. Their old words echoing over each other even though none of them moved to speak.

‘If you’re not with us, then you’re against us.’

‘You’ve always been the most cowardly of the bunch.’

‘It is not enough to just be loyal to your King. You are part of this Brotherhood too.’

‘To idolise such a fool, I will never understand what you see in him.’

Macaque turned on the spot, the last of his air leaving his lungs. Wukong was here too. Staring at him without a word, a cold look in his golden eyes. Gold like the circlet glowing around his head.

‘Wukong?’ Macaque whimpered. ‘Wukong, please.’

There were no words. No half remembered lines. Just the sound of Wukong picking up his staff. Macaque wanted to run. To hide. To close his eyes. But he couldn’t move. He couldn’t do anything but watch the butt of the staff rush towards his face.

Consciousness rushed in with a gasp that made Macaque’s lungs burn and his body shudder. He blinked against the darkness, clinging blindly to whatever was around him. Anything that would help him hide from the cold, the fear, the dread. Suddenly he was pinned against a furnace, held tight in a grip he tried to thrash against. His shadows gathered in an instant, ready for him to portal away and escape. Until he registered more than just potential danger. Peaches. Fur. Warmth. Things that made him collapse into Wukong’s arms, still trembling uncontrollably as he panted for breath. He squeezed his eyes shut, burying his face into Wukong’s shoulder as the golden monkey gently shushed and cooed. Gentle claws started running through his mane, which somehow both added to the shivers and made Macaque start to relax. Or the closest he could get in his current state. All six of his ears were twitching, trying to listen past Wukong’s soothing noises and his own desperate panting to catch anything and everything happening on the mountain. A smattering of quiet heartbeats from the troop were scattered through the trees, Macaque counting them as his senses passed over all of them.

And Wukong didn’t stop him. Not until his ears began to glow in the darkness. ‘Mac,’ Wukong whispered. ‘That’s not going to help.’

‘I need to know,’ Macaque whimpered. ‘If something is coming we need to be prepared, we need-’

‘We are.’

‘You don’t know that!’

Wukong squeezed him tighter, the hand that was stroking through his fur moving to brush against the glowing ears. ‘We’re safe. The mountain is safe. Our troop is safe.’ 

Macaque shook his head, his ears glowing brighter as time began to stretch forward. New words, new whispers, began to press against his ears. Friendly voices at first, then strangers. Music and engines and cheers and shouts. All stretching ahead. Pulling his senses further and further away from the present and into whispers that threatened to trap him in a labyrinth of time.

‘Mihou! Stop!’

Macaque’s eyes snapped open and he sucked in a new cold breath. Wukong was panting too, hovering over him. That was when Macaque realised he was being pinned to the bed. Wukong’s grip was firm around his wrists, the stone monkey’s weight on his waist. Trapping him utterly. Macaque could have portalled away of course. Or summoned a shadow clone to pull Wukong off him. But something wet splashed onto his face before he could. Macaque looked up, finally noticing Wukong’s tears reflecting the glow from his eyes. He could feel Wukong’s hands trembling as they pinned him.

‘Don’t do that,’ Wukong said, his voice thick with unshed tears. ‘Don’t…don’t start listening like that. Not right now. It’s just gonna hurt you.’

Macaque scowled despite himself. ‘I had it under control.’

‘It didn’t sound like it,’ Wukong said.

Macaque looked away, trying to not feel too guilty. ‘It doesn’t actually hurt.’

‘Liar,’ Wukong said. ‘Give it ten minutes and you’ll have a headache at least.’

‘You don’t know that.’

‘You were screaming,’ Wukong said. ‘Please, bud. You don’t need to listen ahead. Not right now.’

‘But-’

‘Trust me,’ Wukong said. ‘Whatever you’re scared of isn’t going to happen. Whatever you were dreaming about is just that. A dream. Not a premonition. It was just a bad dream.’ Macaque scoffed, looking away from Wukong with a scowl. But he also finally started to relax, the tension leaving his muscles bit by bit. The sight made Wukong sigh in relief, finally letting him go enough to wipe at his own face. ‘Thank you,’ Wukong whispered.

Macaque grumbled, taking the chance to look around the bed for his blanket. Instead he saw pillows and blankets scattered and tangled together in a wild mess. ‘What did you do to the nest?’

‘What did I do?’

‘Whatever,’ Macaque said. ‘Just…get off me so I can put it back.’

Wukong frowned, ‘How about you take a minute to breathe.’

‘I can do that when I’m comfortable,’ Macaque snapped. ‘But right now there’s a big blubbering rock on me and I’m cold.’

Wukong didn’t respond. Not straight away. Instead he stared at Macaque, like his gold vision could unlock all his secrets. Macaque rolled his eyes and was ready to slip into shadow when Wukong finally moved. He grabbed Macaque’s blanket, shaking it out of its tangle before moving it around his own shoulders. Macaque tried not to flinch when Wukong moved to lie next to him, shifting the blanket to cover both of them completely.

‘What are you doing?’

Wukong sniffed, ‘Getting you comfortable.’

Macaque raised an incredulous brow. ‘You know that’s not what I meant. Why are we suddenly sharing a blanket?’

‘So we can cuddle.’

Macaque tried not to bristle at that. ‘I don’t remember saying I wanted to cuddle.’

‘Well I do.’ Suddenly Wukong was moving to half lie on his chest, tucking himself into Macaque’s side while his free arm draped over Macaque. Macaque scowled, already opening his mouth to start complaining, when Wukong spoke again. ‘Just for a little bit. Please.’

The anger fizzled away as quickly as it came, making Macaque look at him with a more somber expression. Now they were still he could feel that Wukong was still trembling. And he knew better than to assume it was from the cold. Some cynical part of his mind told him to ignore the old king, and the scared part of him told him to run before he could get used to this comfort. But he was already slowly wrapping Wukong in his arms. When he started to comb through Wukong’s fur the golden monkey started to hum, leaning into the touch in a way that made Macaque’s heart skip. This was happening more and more. These moments that made Macaque feel exposed, that made the still angry part of him want to pull away.

But instead he spoke. ‘For what it's worth, I didn’t mean to wake you up.’

Wukong shook his head, making Macaque frown. ‘It’s okay. You didn’t.’

Macaque looked down at Wukong, who suddenly felt so much more tense. ‘Bad dreams?’ Wukong nodded, making Macaque chuckle sadly. ‘We really are a mess. I thought Sandy’s sessions were meant to make them better, not worse.’

‘Yeah, but then Baby Season happened. And we haven’t seen him since.’

Macaque scowled at himself, ‘The troop having cubs is not meant to be nightmare inducing.’

Wukong didn’t answer at first. Instead his arm tightened around Macaque, his head gently butting into Macaque’s chin. ‘Maybe we should talk about it.’

‘We did talk about it,’ Macaque said. ‘Apparently it’s not the magic medicine everyone seems to think it is.’

‘Then maybe telling Sandy can help,’ Wukong said. ‘And before you start going on about people knowing “our business,” Erlang’s attack on the mountain is one of the things in the book, so he can find out about that regardless.’

Macaque grumbled, ‘Barely. It’s basically a footnote.’

‘Well that’s because…’ Wukong started, but trailed off. The unsaid words hung heavy between them as Wukong slowly settled back on Macaque’s chest. He idly started fiddling with the sleeve of Macaque’s bed shirt, barely holding back a whine when Macaque held him tighter.

‘Do you want to talk about your dream?’ Macaque whispered. Wukong shook his head, tears welling again as his arm tightened around Macaque’s waist. He felt Macaque’s tail curl around him, which his tail coiled against on instinct. He shifted to try and hide his face in Macaque’s chest, whining when Macaque continued to pet him. From there they fell into a tired silence that made the minutes skip by without them noticing. It was almost comfortable despite the heavy weight from the interrupted sleep. And the tension that was starting to build in Macaque’s shoulders, making his grip on Wukong tighten enough for him to look up. The sight of Macaque screwing his face made Wukong sigh. ‘How’s your head?’ He whispered.

‘Peachy,’ Macaque said through gritted teeth.

Wukong didn’t argue. Or disagree. Instead he slipped off Macaque’s chest, moving up so he was leaning over Macaque again. Every movement was slow so he could try and stay quiet, but the rustle of fabric and blankets was enough to make Macaque wince and squeeze his eyes closed. Wukong leaned over to gently rub Macaque’s temples. He took his time, moving periodically to slowly massage Macaque’s head, around his ears, until the shadow monkey finally started to relax.

‘You should go to sleep,’ Macaque murmured.

Wukong shook his head. ‘I’m good,’ he whispered. ‘Not tired.’

‘Wukong…’

‘I can nap later,’ Wukong said, keeping his voice low. 

Macaque clearly wanted to argue. But he was either too tired or in too much pain to try. So instead he grumbled while turning into Wukong’s warmth, nuzzling into his shoulder while Wukong wrapped him up in a tight hug, one hand still gently massaging his head. The threat of their nightmares and their horrors still hung over both of them. But still they both sank into something warm and comfortable, wrapped up in each other. Until the sun finally came up.

—

The main problem with sharing this particular issue with Sandy wasn’t about the need for trust. At this point, Sandy had proven himself trustworthy enough to be able to hear this at least. No, the main problem was the telling itself. Wukong could describe what happened in the vaguest notes, enough to give Sandy a scope of the damage he came back to when he returned home. But only Macaque knew the details. And the second he even thought about saying it out loud he clammed up. Every time. Not only that, but the moment those memories pressed back to the forefront of his mind Macaque would tense, pushing back tears while also ready to dive into shadows at a moment’s notice. To hide or to go to the rest of the troop Wukong wasn’t sure. But it was clear that saying it out loud was something Macaque couldn’t do yet, no matter how much he agreed that Sandy knowing might help. He tried to work through these feelings in his journal, which had officially been dusted off and was back in use. But he just kept ending up in spirals that made him angry, or terrified, or grieving again. When Wukong asked to understand why it was so hard Macaque even threw the journal in his face so the golden monkey could see the spiral for himself. But Wukong didn’t even need to open the journal before they both had the same brainwave.

Which was how they ended up sitting on Sandy’s couch, tea in hand, while watching Sandy silently read extracts from Macaque’s journal, set out on their own neat pages. At first he had a couple of questions, trying to clarify what Macaque meant by “Court” and “Generals,” and a reminder on which Celestial was Erlang Shen. However he quickly fell into silence, slowly working his way through the pages with a growing horror and sorrow. More than once he had to take a break to get a fresh tissue, while Mo meowed sadly next to him. Each pause and turn of the page had Macaque more and more tense, while Wukong had abandoned any pretense of space on the couch to crawl onto Macaque’s side so he could lean into the shadow monkey comfortingly. But neither of them broke the silence. Not until Sandy was done.

‘Okay,’ Sandy said, his voice rough and threatening to break as he put down the pages. ‘Wow. That…’ he faltered, hands trembling as one went to cover his mouth. Mo meowed in worry and grabbed another tissue for him, which he took with his free hand. ‘I’m sorry,’ he mumbled, ‘this isn’t professional. I just…the little monkeys!’

Wukong and Macaque watched him in alarm, then looked at each other. While Macaque clearly was in no position to move, Wukong slowly got up to walk around the coffee table. He leaned in, a hand on Sandy’s shoulder, while sighing. ‘Sorry, Big Guy. We didn’t mean to upset you.’

Sandy shook his head. ‘No, don’t apologise. This is important. I…I just need a minute.’ He paused, breath hitching as he looked at the pages again. ‘They were your family. And that was your home. That…what an awful thing for someone to do.’

‘Yeah, it sucked,’ Macaque muttered, watching Sandy while clearly uncomfortable. 

Sandy heaved in a deep breath. ‘Oh man. If that Shen guy ever shows his face again, you let me know. No one hurts little animals on my watch.’

Wukong chuckled, ‘Got it, thanks Big Guy.’

Sandy nodded, his moment of resolution crumbled with his chin quivering again. ‘I need some more tea.’

Wukong offered to help him brew it, but Sandy insisted on him sitting down while making the fresh pot himself. Before long he was back in the living area, pouring fresh cups of tea for them to nurse. Sandy didn’t, however. The first two cups went back like shots, with him only slowing down on the third one, which he finally started to sip. Once he did he leaned back, taking another minute to compose himself with a few calming breaths. Once he did, and he had wiped away the last of his tears, he finally faced the two monkeys with something more similar to his usual calm and steady attitude. 

‘Okay. I know I like to start these by finding some focus on your current thoughts and feelings, but I need to say this first. I…I am so sorry that this happened to your home. And your troop. And…I’m sorry that this happened to you, Ma-quack.’ Macaque flinched at that, making Wukong lean into him more, but Sandy continued. ‘No one should have to go through something so painful. And no one should feel like they have to deal with the aftermath of something like that alone.’

Macaque looked away, his jaw clenched against the lump forming in his throat, while Wukong nodded. ‘Thanks, Big Guy.’

Sandy gave them a small smile before continuing. ‘There are a few ways we can approach something like this in therapy, and we would likely need to do more than one. However, I need an idea of what the main focuses are for the both of you with this. This is a very traumatic thing that happened, and it can cause a lot of emotions and feelings that can linger. In this case, for a long time. So It would be good to get a sense of where that impact currently is for each of you, and what the focuses need to be.’

Wukong nodded, ‘Well, it came up because of Baby Season. At least, that’s where it did for me.’ Sandy nodded, gesturing for Wukong to continue. ‘Three of the elders, who lived through that, had cubs this year. And…well these will be the first cubs they have successfully had since the attack.’

Sandy’s eyes widened, going slackjawed for a minute. ‘Really? We…this was a long time ago, right?’

‘It was before the Journey with the Companions,’ Wukong said. ‘By a fair bit.’ His tail brushed against Macaque’s leg, both to soothe Macaque and himself. ‘They’ve tried since but…well it’s never gone well.’

‘They gave up for a while after the attack,’ Macaque muttered. ‘Some of the mothers were able to feel safe enough to have new cubs. But most of them struggled. Those three…two of them had lost newborns in the fire. The third lost a son who had been made into a General.’

Wukong’s face fell, ‘Xue and Yi had newborns?’ Macaque nodded, making Wukong sigh. ‘How long had it been? Between the Baby Season and the attack?’

‘Three months,’ Macaque said. Wukong cringed, while Macaque began to stare off into the distance. ‘And then they started to care for the orphans before they’d had any time to actually grieve.’

‘What about you?’ Sandy said. ‘Have you two taken time to grieve this?’

Macaque huffed, ‘There were more important things. Like keeping the troop alive. And then…then I wasn’t there for a while.’

Wukong flinched at that, while Sandy nodded. ‘While you’re still in that danger or crisis zone and mentality, it’s hard to give the time to deal with that kind of emotional turmoil. It can feel like any energy not expended to being vigilant and keeping focused on the task at hand is energy wasted. Especially when lives are on the line.’ Macaque nodded, making Sandy hum to himself. ‘Unresolved grief left for a long time can compound and start to infect other aspects of our life. It can affect old and new relationships, it can affect our ability to respond to stressful and intense situations that run along a similar nature. As can trauma. So I think both the grief and trauma will need to be addressed, so we can help both of you process this.’ Both monkeys nodded, making Sandy smile. ‘Okay, good. Is there anything else we think we need to lay out here?’

Wukong sighed, ‘Do you think dealing with just those things will help with the uh…sleep problem?’

Sandy took a moment to ponder it, ‘Well that depends on how and why your sleep is being impacted. Is it getting to sleep that’s the problem, or staying asleep?’

‘It’s dreams,’ Wukong said. ‘Bad ones. For both of us.’

Sandy nodded, ‘That makes sense. Dreams are a way for our mind to try and process events that happen to us while awake. If we are struggling to process something then nightmares can be common. MK struggles with this too sometimes.’

‘Is this where you get us to keep a dream journal?’ Macaque grumbled.

‘It might help,’ Sandy said. ‘There is a whole area of psychology and schools of thought around analyzing dreams and the symbols in them. It can be quite interesting, and effective.’

Wukong frowned, ‘I think I know what mine are about.’

‘Same.’

‘Well,’ Sandy said, ‘would you mind giving me an idea? You don’t have to right now, of course. But it’s an important conversation to have.’

Both of them fell silent, not looking at each other or Sandy. Macaque was staring at a couple of cats that were playing behind Sandy’s chair, while Wukong looked over at the nearby shelves. It was Wukong who spoke first. Quietly, with a voice shaking from pent up emotion. ‘I’m trapped under the mountain,’ he said, making Macaque and Sandy both look at him. ‘It’s cold, and dark. And I’m alone. And then one by one, the people I…’ he paused, swallowing down a knot of emotion while he started to well up, ‘the people I care about, who have been hurt, all appear. Azure is breaking apart, Mei is covered in Samadhi Fire, the kid…the kid has the stones. And Mac…’ he caught himself, glancing at Macaque with a barely hidden jolt of panic. One that made Macaque curl his tail around Wukong’s ankle comfortingly. He could only imagine the state a dream version of himself would be in.

‘I see the mountain broken,’ Macaque said, his voice rasping. ‘Not just the forest. The whole mountain. The waterfall, the peaks, all of it is just rubble. It’s gone. And I’m alone except for Erlang. And the Brotherhood.’ The last word he spat out, making Sandy raise an eyebrow. ‘Saying things they said back in the day, echoing until I wake up.’ Sure he was editing the ending, but Wukong didn’t need to know how he appeared in Macaque’s dreams. And Sandy definitely didn’t.

‘That’s…wow,’ Sandy said. ‘I see why those would cause distress.’ He looked at the both of them, watching them silently comfort each other. The sight couldn’t help but make a smile curl in the corner of his mouth. They had already made such progress in a relatively short time. Well, short for ancient mystical monkeys. But this was just the short term bonding. The long term building was the real challenge. But for that to truly begin… 

‘I have a question,’ Sandy said. ‘Well, more of a suggestion. One that I don’t want you to respond to straight away. Instead I want you to go away and think about it. Talk it out between yourselves, with other people if you want.’

‘You’re making me nervous now,’ Wukong chuckled.

‘I wonder if we should change up the structure of our therapy sessions,’ Sandy said. ‘Don’t get me wrong, the progress you are both making, individually and together, is remarkable. You are doing a lot of good work. However, the more we get into this the more I’m starting to see just how different your needs are in terms of therapy.’

‘How so?’ Macaque said.

‘Well, if we use these dreams as an example,’ Sandy said. ‘Both of you are suffering from nightmares and need help with it. But Ma-quack’s dreams speak to underlying fears and old emotions and tensions you haven’t been able to internally resolve. While Mr King…well a central issue for you seems to be guilt.’

Wukong blinked in surprise, while Macaque watched them carefully. ‘What?’ Wukong laughed, ‘Oh come on, no way. They’re just dreams. Bad memories. I’ve dealt with my guilt.’

‘Maybe, maybe not,’ Sandy said. ‘But I think it needs exploring all the same.’ Wukong’s attempt at humour quickly faded as the panic settled in, while Sandy turned to address both of them. ‘I want to keep up with the group sessions. There is a lot of good that can come from these. But I am also wondering if you would consider each of you meeting me one on one.’

‘What?!’ Macaque snapped.

‘No way,’ Wukong said. ‘We said we were going to do this together.’

‘And you are,’ Sandy said. ‘But together does not always mean you always need to do the same thing, and you do not always need to physically be together for it to work. Take any of our plans when facing an enemy. The two of you have different strengths and work with different tactics when facing a threat. It’s the same idea here. You have different ways of looking at the world, and you need help in different areas. Inevitably I’m going to end up having a session where we will only be focused on one of you, and the other one will be sitting here with no real opportunity to join in.’

‘That’s fine by me,’ Wukong said.

‘Yeah,’ Macaque said. ‘In fact, be my guest. Talk to Wukong. I’ll journal or something. Maybe pet a cat.’

Sandy sighed. ‘The other thing to consider,’ he said, ‘is how personal these sessions and conversations can get. We might get to a point, while exploring your respective issues, where you come to something you don’t want to say in front of the other person here.’

Macaque froze up, his six ears flicking in discomfort, while Wukong snapped his mouth shut. The two of them silently seethed for a moment, trying to work out how to put that turmoil into words without snapping either each other’s or Sandy’s heads off. And somehow, Wukong got there first. ‘It’s Mac,’ he said lowly. ‘If I don’t want to say it to him, I won’t want to say it to anyone.’

Sandy raised his eyebrows in surprise, ‘Ma-quack knows that much about you?’

‘He was my closest friend,’ Wukong said. ‘I would tell him everything. And aside from maybe my Master? There’s no one else I’ve trusted more.’ 

The shock that spilled over Sandy’s face was nothing in comparison to the stunned silence that came from Macaque. Complete with stuttering heartbeat and goosebumps. Sandy cleared his throat, recovering enough to return to his calm tone while Macaque continued to stare at Wukong. ‘Alright,’ he said. ‘If that is truly what you want, then we will carry on as we have been. However, I do want you both to think about this for more than a few seconds. Sleep on it, meditate on it. And then at the next one of these sessions, we’ll come to a final decision then.’

Wukong huffed, while Macaque vaguely nodded. Sandy smiled, moving to refresh their tea cups while turning the conversation back to what was left of this session. Wukong calmed himself down enough to respond to Sandy’s comments and questions earnestly. But Macaque had no chance. His focus on anything other than Wukong’s declaration had been utterly decimated, and showed no signs of recovery. 

Chapter Text

Having been less than a day after the last session with Sandy, Wukong and Macaque should have probably been mulling over Sandy’s suggestion. Or if not that, then working on some other sort of exercise. Meditating. Resting. But instead Wukong had a strange energy around him, making him clearly restless as he tried to work out how to say something to Macaque. The dark monkey decided not to rush him, instead focusing on his current script in the shade of a nearby tree. He tried to ignore Wukong’s pattering nearby. It would have been easier to ignore him if he grabbed his headphones, but Macaque still felt awkward listening to music right now. Just in case something happened. So he sat there slowly writing out the latest scene, when Wukong finally appeared in front of him. No longer restless, but still anxious.

‘Should I worry about what you’re about to say?’ Macaque said, while not looking up.

Wukong took a slow breath, letting it out calmly. ‘I have an idea,’ he said, ‘and I think it will help. But I don’t want you to freak out when I say it.’

Macaque finally looked up at Wukong, eyebrows quirked in confusion. ‘What? Why would I freak out?’

‘You might not,’ Wukong said. ‘But also…okay I’m just going to say it.’ Macaque put down his book, now frowning as Wukong knelt in front of him. ‘I want us to check the defences of the mountain. Together.’

Macaque blinked, his face immediately smoothing over to hide any emotion he might be feeling. ‘Why would we need to?’

‘It’s not that we need to,’ Wukong said. ‘But I think it will help.’

‘Help what?’

Wukong paused, thinking over his words carefully. ‘Again, I don’t want you to freak out. So just let me finish the whole thought, okay?’

‘Wukong? I am not fragile. Whatever you have to say, just say it.’

‘Okay, fine. I got the idea during Baby Season.’ Macaque flinched, his tail twitching to show his immediate displeasure, but Wukong barrelled on regardless. ‘Specifically it was when we shared the hammock that one night. You…you told me what happened during the attack and when you fell asleep again I was thinking about the wards, and the troop. And then I thought it would help to check everything over. With you.’

‘Why?’

‘For a lot of reasons,’ Wukong said. ‘For one, if we go over that stuff we can check it’s working how we need it to. And you have different ideas to me, so you might think of a way to strengthen something or find a weakness I missed.’

‘A weakness?!’

‘Not that I think there is any!’ Wukong said. ‘The wards kept Erlang out last time. And his mutt.’

‘But it might not keep out more of them?’ Macaque said.

‘I don’t know,’ Wukong said. ‘That’s why I want to check.’

Macaque couldn’t help the scowl growing on his face. ‘You promised the mountain is safe. You’ve been promising it this whole time.’

‘I know,’ Wukong said. ‘And I believe it is. But at the same time, would you feel safer just relying on my word? Or seeing it for yourself? And besides, there’s things I can do to defend the mountain. But there’s different things you can do. So if you want to add to the defences and the security, then we can.’ 

Macaque didn’t answer at first. But his immediate defensive frustration was starting to abate, while he watched Wukong carefully. ‘Like what?’

‘I don’t know yet,’ Wukong said. But off the top of my head? You can move people faster than I can, what with your portals.’ Macaque looked at Wukong with uncertainty, making him sigh. ‘Let's just start with checking everything. See what we’re working with and go from there.’

Macaque huffed, ‘Well I’m going to have to now.’ He climbed to his feet, brushing himself down while watching Wukong out of the corner of his good eye. ‘This is one way to make sure I won’t sleep until this is done.’

Wukong sighed, ‘See, this? This is why I told you to not freak out.’ 

Aside from a couple of grumbles here and there, Macaque actually held back the worst of the responses that came to his mind. Partly because he had managed to recognise somewhere between the conversation and leaving the grove that any reactions he had now were because he was panicking again, and he had been working hard to not let his negative emotions be the reason why he was lashing out. And partly because he wanted to focus on the task at hand instead. Especially when they were starting with one of the natural defences that they had very little control over. The line of volcanoes formed a natural barrier and deterrent to most people, with the combination of ash and lava making countless threats and traps. It couldn’t keep away everything though, as proven by the various threats in the past. The problem was that it couldn’t really be made to be more dangerous. Not easily anyway. Still, they hiked over the volcanic peaks, Wukong with a whistle and Macaque with a keen eye, to see if the scenery itself could give them some inspiration. 

Which is when Macaque finally posed a thought. If someone was as resistant to the elements as the two of them proved to be, they would have little trouble walking through here without a literal volcanic eruption to stop them. And while they couldn’t make the volcanoes constantly erupt, they could block the path through in other ways.

‘You want to make a super volcano?’

Macaque sighed at Wukong, ‘No. That’s the opposite of helpful.’

‘Then what will filling the whole place with rocks do?’

‘Not the whole place. But rocks at strategic points will break the valley effect going on. It will block the path, add obstacles. Make people more likely to get trapped.’

Wukong looked at the areas between the peaks that Macaque was gesturing to. And now that Macaque had pointed it out, he could see the paths being talked about. Gaps between two volcanoes that formed both wide and narrow paths, or small sloping hills where lava had cooled back into rivers of rock. Wukong agreed, and the two of them started to plan out which areas needed the rock barriers, and how they were going to get the rocks in. While Wukong commented that his super volcano suggestion was cooler, he all too readily helped Macaque with getting the acquired rocks where they needed. It took a little while, but eventually enough of the rocks were in place that Macaque felt at least a little satisfied. They pulled back, checking over and admiring their work respectively, while Wukong subtly watched Macaque to see if this plan was helping yet.

Once that was done they flew into Wukong’s temple, walking past the halls filled with his hoard to get to the source of the barrier wards Wukong had erected. In a lone room, upon a small altar, was a single glowing orb emblazoned with sigils of protection and warding. Wukong took over testing this, checking its strength and ensuring there were no holes or weaknesses, while Macaque watched him carefully. Wukong soon started to hum while he worked, a quiet sound that filled the room and made Macaque’s ears twitch. Not uncomfortably so. In fact, as he hummed the tension in Macaque’s shoulders started to ease, so slowly you could barely notice what was happening. So when Wukong stepped away with a satisfied grin and offered to let Macaque look, he did so without a single gripe or comment. That was until he started to examine the ward.

‘Wait, hang on,’ Macaque said. ‘Other people can influence this ward.’

Wukong shrugged, ‘No, not really.’

Macaque gave Wukong an incredulous expression. ‘Yes they can. This is not a “Wukong only” spell. Anyone who you decide holds a title in your Court could mess with this.’

‘Yeah,’ Wukong said. ‘Which was an upgrade from the “ally” loophole I had. Remember?’

Right. The two of them had looked at this before. Back when he had amnesia. He tended to not think back on that time, but right now he couldn’t help but remember. He and Wukong discussed how such a loophole could have left the mountain open to former allies turned enemies, but that Wukong didn’t want to leave it so that only he could determine the nature of the wards. After all, the mountain was Macaque’s home as much as it was his. And maybe one day, if MK called the mountain home, then he should have a say too. Macaque now blushed as he remembered being the one of them to suggest calling on the now old Court to help them define the spell’s new parameters. It seemed like the best idea at the time. But now that Macaque had all his memories back it felt like he knew better. 

‘Wukong,’ he said. ‘The more people who can mess with this ward, the more chance there is to weaken or break it. This should really only be able to take influence from you.’

Wukong shrugged, ‘Nah, it’s fine.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Macaque said. He held the ward in both of his hands, ‘I could break this right now if I wanted to.’

Wukong turned to look at him carefully. ‘I mean, you could. But are you going to?’

Macaque faltered at that, suddenly holding the orb much more carefully. ‘I…well…’

Wukong gave him a small smile. ‘That’s what I thought.’ He carefully took the orb from Macaque, putting it back on its altar with a gentle hand. ‘Right now the only people who can influence this spell are in this room,’ he said. ‘If MK ever decides he wants to take his title, then that will be three. And all three of us will want to protect our home. So that sounds good to me.’

Macaque sighed. ‘All you need is to give one title to the wrong person-’

‘Then I’ll be careful with the titles I give out,’ Wukong said.

Macaque shook his head, ‘If that’s what you’re thinking, then declare it something more specific that’s harder to change. Like family.’

‘Define family,’ Wukong said. ‘At one point in time we were in a Brotherhood with Bull. Should Bull be able to mess with this?’

‘Then…make it royal family,’ Macaque said. ‘Then it’s just you, and maybe MK one day.’

Wukong frowned, ‘No. No, I’d rather you have some say in this.’

‘Why is it so important that I can influence this?’

‘It just is,’ Wukong said.

Macaque scowled, ‘Well I’d rather you not leave that kind of loophole.’

Wukong shook his head. ‘No. No it’s important that you can fix this if you need to.’

Macaque gritted his teeth, ‘If you give me that power right now? Then I’m adding a lockdown seal. One that can only be used by you and me.’

‘Lockdown seal? What would that do?’

‘If we activated it, then it would block access to the mountain for everyone,’ Macaque said. ‘Anyone not already on the mountain, or who didn’t have express permission from one of us, would hit the wards. And they wouldn’t be getting through.’

The two of them fell silent, watching each other carefully. Wukong was trying to get a read on Macaque’s claim, while Macaque was daring Wukong to pick up the challenge. Because the way that Macaque saw it, either Wukong would refuse to let him add such a thing, which would prove that Wukong’s claimed sentiment wasn’t true, or…

‘Okay.’ Wukong stepped aside, gesturing for Macaque to approach the altar.

‘What?’

‘What do you mean “what?”’ Wukong said. ‘I told you. If you thought there was something needed to improve the defences then we’d do it. So go on.’

‘You…you’d actually let me change your wards?’ Macaque said. Wukong nodded, making Macaque feel only more confused. ‘You’re going to trust me with your spell?’

‘Mac,’ Wukong said more quietly now. ‘If you need to add an additional seal to the wards to feel safer, then go for it. Frankly, it sounds like a good backup plan.’

Macaque stepped forward, still watching Wukong out of the corner of his eye. Like he was waiting for Wukong to change his mind, or reveal this was some sort of trick. But there was no inkling of anything like that from Wukong. Only an expectant expression while he waited for Macaque to start. The violet magic flared, which made Wukong start to smile. Before he could change his mind or lose his nerve, Macaque began to weave the addition to the ward. He wanted it to be done quickly, but all the same he didn’t rush it. After all, he had just been talking to Wukong about being careful and precise. He would be a hypocrite if he didn’t do the same. So he meticulously weaved the power, reinforcing the ward and empowering it with his own magic for a time when it was needed. Only to be activated by himself, Wukong, and one other person.

‘You added MK?’ Wukong said, when Macaque stepped away.

‘No,’ Macaque said, ‘I added your recognised Heir.’

Wukong’s frown vanished with a wave of understanding. ‘He has to accept the Prince title first. Clever.’

Macaque nodded. ‘It’s mainly to give you time to show him this thing before he starts inviting everyone and their cat over.’

Wukong snorted, ‘He’s not that bad.’ 

Whatever reservations there were left about this conversation were utterly gone, along with any lingering awkwardness. Adding his addition to the wards had clearly unlocked something in Macaque, and now he was almost eager to add more defences and protections to the mountain to keep it safe. He kept coming back to the question of how to get shadow portals to trigger across the mountain without him needing to actively focus on conjuring them. It was an idea that Wukong had suggested almost idly at first, but the more the two of them thought about it, the better the idea seemed. Wukong tried to offer help here or there, but both of them knew that Macaque needed to lead on this. He just needed to work out how. While he did they checked over the rest of the mountain, from the mundane defences to combat storm season to the seals around the waterfall. Wukong even started going through his hoard to start seeing if anything else needed additional protections. 

All while Macaque twisted shadows around his fingers, casting them through his lantern. The shadow clones weaved around it, letting Macaque hold it aloft with just his magic. Lanterns were a surprisingly good channel for his shadows. Perhaps it was because they were supposed to cast light, and shadows and light were intertwined. Perhaps that was the answer. Lanterns throughout the mountain. But how could he make them work?

‘Alright!’ Wukong collapsed next to Macaque on the step he had found, brushing the worst of the dust out of his fur. ‘I’ve hit my limit for cleaning today. If I sneeze anymore I’m going to lose my sense of smell!’ He grinned at Macaque, who hadn’t even looked up at Wukong’s interruption. ‘You alright there bud?’

‘Hmm?’

‘Wow, you are distracted.’

‘Not distracted. Thinking.’ Macaque let the shadow clones disappear from view, threading his fingers together as he stared at the lantern intently.

‘I can see that,’ Wukong said. ‘Want to say the thought out loud?’

Macaque sighed, ‘I can cast shadows through lanterns. They can be a good focal point, and I could place them around the mountain to make portals from.’

‘Oh great!’ Wukong said. ‘I think I have some spare lanterns around here somewhere.’

‘But there’s a problem with that plan,’ Macaque continued. ‘Right now I could only trigger that kind of effect manually.’

‘That's bad?’

‘What if something happens if we’re not here?’ Macaque said. Wukong’s face fell, and Macaque turned back to the lantern. ‘I think it needs to be an automatic effect. But then I need to work out a suitable trigger. And either individually enchant each lantern or put all the lanterns into some sort of collective network to have them trigger at the same time.’

‘This is starting to sound complicated,’ Wukong said. ‘Would knowing how I built the wards helped?’

Macaque looked at Wukong curiously. It would probably help to know that, but now that Macaque’s mind had clicked back onto the wards, he could only focus on one thought. ‘Why did you insist that I could change your wards?’ 

‘...What?’ 

‘The wards for the mountain. You insisted that I should be able to influence them, even though it risked weakening them. Why?’

Wukong spluttered, ‘I thought we were thinking about shadow portals right now.’

‘Answer the question.’

‘Okay, fine!’ Wukong said. ‘But I already told you. This is your home too. You should have as much a say as I do.’

‘You’re the King.’

‘And you’re my first General,’ Wukong said. ‘And my oldest friend. And one of the oldest members of the troop. How many more reasons do you need?’

Macaque huffed, ‘You need better ones. None of that explains why you would let me change your wards. I could do anything to them.’

‘Sure,’ Wukong said, ‘but I trust you.’ Macaque looked at him in disbelief, making Wukong scoff. ‘Oh my stars, we’re now questioning why I trust you?’

‘I guess we are,’ Macaque said. ‘Because it doesn’t make sense.’

‘Yes it does,’ Wukong said. ‘You’ve proven I can trust you. So I’m going to trust you.’

Macaque rolled his eyes, ‘I swear, your bar for this is under the ocean.’

‘Oh come on.’

‘I tried to kill you,’ Macaque said. 

Wukong scoffed, ‘Yeah, you and practically every other demon and celestial in existence.’

‘I stole your power from MK.’

‘And didn’t do a very good job of keeping it stolen,’ Wukong muttered.

‘I fought for the Lady Bone Demon.’

‘Wasn’t she controlling you with that “debt?”’ Wukong said.

‘I made the gang forge the Samadhi Fire. And hurt Mei. And MK again.’

Wukong opened his mouth, but faltered. ‘Okay. Yeah. That was a screw up.’

Macaque looked at him incredulously, ‘That’s all you have to say about that?’

‘Look,’ Wukong said. ‘If we’re going to play that game then we have to admit that we have both made mistakes. We’ve both done things that have hurt each other and the people around us. And I personally don’t want to be holding those things over your head forever. What you want to do with the mistakes I made is your business, but for me? I’d rather have you back in my life. And part of that means learning to forgive you for what happened in the past, and part of that means learning to trust you again. And when it comes to the mountain and the troop? I know I can trust you.’ Wukong looked at Macaque, frowning at the doubt still plain on his face. ‘You might not like that answer, but it’s the truth.’

Macaque had to look away from Wukong’s keen stare, watching the shadows swirl in the lantern. It’s not that he didn’t like the answer. It’s that he couldn’t believe it. Not after everything he did. Not after everything they had both been through. ‘You make it sound easy,’ Macaque muttered.

‘Would it help you to know it wasn’t?’ Wukong said. Macaque glanced up, watching Wukong finally start to get nervous at this conversation. ‘I’m still figuring out some of it, how to forgive you for some parts. But I see how much you’re working to do better, and how hard you work to protect the troop, and the Kid. Hell, you took a blow from that Soul Collector demon for him.’

‘Don’t remind me,’ Macaque grumbled.

Wukong smiled sadly, ‘Okay. But that’s why I can trust you now. Because even though we’ve both changed, and even though things between us are complicated, I can see that you still care about the same things you used to. Even if you try to pretend you don’t sometimes. And as long as you do, then I know I can trust you.’

Macaque had no response for that. There was no argument to pose against Wukong’s stance that wasn’t irrational, but at the same time Macaque just couldn’t comprehend it. No matter how easy or hard it might have been for Wukong, that level of trust Macaque just didn’t know how to have. So he couldn’t understand how Wukong especially could have that level of trust in him of all people. Wukong nudged him, but Macaque barely stirred in response. 

‘Bud?’ Wukong said. ‘I can see you thinking. What’s wrong?’

Macaque suddenly shook his head, blinking himself out of that train of thought. Maybe he should consider that individual chat with Sandy. Just once. Just to see if he could help explain how trusting someone who once betrayed you was possible. ‘The lanterns,’ Macaque said, focusing again on the shadows.

‘Right,’ Wukong said, a little flatter than before. ‘We’re back on this then.’

‘You said you could explain how you built the wards,’ Macaque said. ‘That…that might be a good place to start.’

Wukong straightened in surprise, a slow smile growing on his face. ‘Sure. Absolutely I can.’

The next time MK showed up for training (laden with freshly cooked noodles and tea) Macaque was nowhere to be seen at first. At the question of where he was Wukong shrugged and muttered something about mapping spots on the mountain, but for what MK didn’t know. And the combination of Wukong diving into his training and the elders coming out to greet him was enough of a distraction at first that he didn’t think of the follow up. Not until he and Wukong were in the middle of practicing, which is when the excited cries from the elders distracted them. Macaque had appeared, giving the mothers a small smile as a lantern hovered in his hands. Not his lantern, that was attached to his hip. But this one was still being imbued with shadowy magics while the monkeys watched. Even when the spell finished MK could see a glimmer of the magic on the lantern, even without his Golden Vision.

‘Ah,’ Wukong said. ‘I didn’t realise he had gotten that far.’

‘That far? With what?’ MK said.

‘I’ll let him explain,’ Wukong said. The two of them watched Macaque head over to the elder’s nest, hanging the lantern so it was over the entrance to their little outcrop. A flick of the wrist conjured a portal directly below the lantern, making the mothers coo in awe while the cubs crept forward in curiosity. He closed it before they could get too close however, leaving a few quiet comments to the mothers before leaving them to admire their new addition. 

When he turned around MK was surprised to see him look at him in confusion. ‘Oh,’ he said. ‘I didn’t realise it was training time.’

‘Hey Mac,’ MK said. ‘Didn’t you hear me show up?’

‘I’ve been busy,’ Macaque said.

Wukong rolled his eyes, ‘So busy you missed fresh noodles. Don’t worry, I was nice and saved you some.’

Macaque waved them away, ‘Let me finish this first, I’m almost done.’

MK deflated, while Wukong grumbled. ‘How about “Thanks for bringing me lunch, MK”? And also, how about having lunch?’ 

Macaque scowled at Wukong, as he gestured at the bags on the porch. But he knew better than to argue at this point. So he gave MK a quiet thanks as he headed towards the porch step, grabbing the leftover box to heat up while Wukong and MK continued with their set. He tried to eat quickly, but MK and Wukong finished quicker. And MK was apparently very curious about the lantern he had just hung up. Macaque started to briefly explain how he was planning on setting up those lanterns across the mountain so that, at a moment’s notice, shadow portals could be made to take the troop into the mountain to hide. Now he had the enchantment working he had given the elders the first one, but was planning on hanging at least a few more before he then primed them to trigger as it were.

‘What’s the trigger?’ MK asked.

Wukong grinned, ‘Oh, this bit was my idea.’ He chuckled at Macaque’s glare. ‘You remember the wards around the mountain? Macaque’s going to add the trigger part of the spell to the wards. So if the wards go off, the lanterns activate.’

‘Oh cool!’ MK said. ‘That gives them time to escape then.’

‘Exactly,’ Wukong said. ‘And the sigil on the waterfall is its own deal entirely, so they’ll be completely safe in the temple.’

MK beamed, ‘Wow. That’s kind of a relief, actually.’

‘How so?’ Macaque asked

‘Well,’ MK said, ‘After that time that Erlang showed up here, I’ve been a little nervous about the wards? Not that they’re weak, but more that he really wanted to get through.’

‘Yeah, and then he has to face us on the other side,’ Wukong chuckled.

MK nodded, ‘True. While you’re here. But uh…I’m not saying I’m waiting for another end of the world thing to happen? But at this point it’s better to be prepared if another one does happen, right?’

Macaque and Wukong glanced at each other, seeing the same worry in each other for a moment, before they both turned to smile at MK. ‘You’re not wrong,’ Macaque said.

‘But at the same time, don’t start worrying about any other world ending threats right now,’ Wukong said. ‘If something comes, we’ll be ready for it. But in the meantime, you need to be having fun and enjoying yourself. That’s what life’s all about.’

MK nodded, ‘I know.’ He stretched, watching Macaque finish the last of his tea. ‘Do you need any help with the lanterns?’

Macaque was about to refuse, but Wukong was already jumping to his feet. ‘Great idea! You’re going to need the extra hands, right?’

Macaque sighed, ‘If you insist.’

Apparently, MK’s idea of a few lanterns and Macaque’s idea of a few lanterns were very different numbers. Once MK saw the multiple boxes of lanterns Macaque was planning on using his normally enthusiastic energy did dim for a few seconds. But he stayed committed, him and Wukong trailing behind Macaque through the forest and over the peaks with the boxes in tow. They talked quietly, and MK took the opportunity to greet all of the troop again, while Macaque enchanted each lantern in turn. Considering that they started to help at noon, it seemed quite ridiculous for the early signs of sunset to be in the sky when the three of them went into the temple for the final step. But any complaints MK had about being tired and his feet or arms turning into jelly vanished when he saw the ward spell for the first time. Wukong had to stop him from trying to poke it, while Macaque approached the spell while gathering his violet magic in his hands. This time the two of them were silent as they watched Macaque work, watching as small motes of violet light lit up one by one, connecting together to form a constellation. Once they did, Macaque gently planted the network constellation into the main ward spell, watching both the golden orb and the violet power of the lockdown seal flare in sync as the new magic was added.

‘There,’ Macaque said. ‘Want to check?’

Wukong nodded, stepping forward to examine it. ‘Nicely done,’ he said. ‘Fits in nice and snug.’ He gestured for MK, encouraging him to reach out to test the magic with his own. At his touch the orb flared, making MK gasp in awe. ‘You feel that?’ Wukong said. ‘The tingle?’

MK nodded, ‘It feels like it’s pushing against me.’

Macaque raised an eyebrow at that, while Wukong nodded. ‘I figured. The tingle is the magic of this spell. The push is because not just anyone can influence this thing. I mean, can you imagine if anyone could just walk in here and turn the wards off?’ He guided MK to focus on a specific part of the orb, letting him focus until his eyes started to glow. ‘There. That part says who is permitted to influence this spell.’

MK focused for a moment, needing to concentrate in order to work out how to read the sigil. ‘The Court?’ MK said. ‘Wait, I thought the Court…’

‘As long as there is a King, the King will have a Court,’ Macaque said. ‘Even if it’s a Court of one.’

‘Or two,’ Wukong smirked.

MK gasped. ‘Macaque can add to the spell because he’s a General!’

Wukong nodded. ‘Right. So…about that title the troop keeps giving you.’ MK froze up, letting Wukong wrap an arm around his shoulders. ‘It’s not recognised yet, don’t worry. But. It will be good for you to know that at some point, if you accept that title, then this spell will recognise that.’

MK paled at that. ‘Really? Just like that.’

‘Just like that,’ Wukong said. ‘But again, there’s levels to it. I need to announce you, it needs to be made official with the Celestial Bureaucracy, all that stuff. So you can’t accidentally become the Prince, no matter what the troop calls you. ‘Kay bud?’ MK nodded, still clearly freaked out as Wukong tightened his grip on him in a comforting way.

‘If…that does happen,’ MK said. ‘Then what will that do?’

‘For the most part, nothing,’ Wukong said. ‘It gives a few perks though. You’ll always be permitted to enter the mountain, even when others aren’t. If this sigil needs empowering then you can do that. And you can also change it, add to it, things like that.’

‘But I recommend not doing that without some study into sigils,’ Macaque said. ‘The more we add, the more complicated it gets.’

‘Just tell me to leave it alone,’ MK said. ‘That’s easier. And a lot less scary.’

Wukong snorted, ‘Where’s the fun in that?’

‘You need a new definition of fun,’ Macaque grumbled. 

Wukong waved him off, letting MK step enough away from the sigil that he didn’t need to feel so scared about accidentally breaking it, while continuing on about some of the other cool things the wards can do, and how else they might be able to use the concept of the Court to do cool things between the three of them on the mountain. But Macaque wasn’t paying attention anymore. He was watching the sigil, specifically the constellation of lanterns now planted inside, all glowing with his power. He could see the connections between them, while also able to sense how those same connections webbed out across the mountain. He expected to be tired after that much enchanting, and at some point he was sure the exhaustion would hit. But right now the shadows thrummed against his fingers, in time with his breath. That felt the closest to calm he’d had in a while. He had gotten used to the jittery energy that seemed to constantly fuel him, to the point he was acutely aware of its absence. But with that came relief. When he would eventually have to explain it to Sandy later, he would admit that knowing his magic was now planted on the mountain, in a way that couldn’t be removed, was reassuring. It meant that the troop was that much safer if the worst were to happen, and so was he. So was home.

Chapter Text

The effects of Macaque’s additions to the wards were felt immediately, even if the new lanterns and their portals hadn’t actually been triggered yet. The most obvious one being just how tired Macaque was afterwards. The amount of times he was found asleep in the days after the lanterns had been set up had Wukong more than a little concerned. Even if it was cute to see Macaque napping near the elders nest, with some combination of the newborns nestled on him. He was thankfully easy to wake, but even awake he looked two shades away from keeling over with exhaustion. Wukong tried desperately to find the balance between keeping an eye on him while not getting caught hovering. He knew he slipped up more than a few times, but the fact that Macaque was too tired to notice or care only alarmed him even more. It took far too much prompting and needling to get Macaque to wake for long enough to eat, but when it started to work Wukong breathed a sigh of relief. He could tell when the worst of the exhaustion started to pass when Macaque had enough energy to complain about him fussing, which was both a good sign and a perfect way to make Wukong grumble and argue about how he was perfectly justified in worrying, thank you very much. 

But Macaque did recover, slowly at first and then all at once. After a week he was almost back to normal and could finally claim that Wukong was the lazier one based on the number of naps they respectively had. Which was when the bigger side effect of the new safety measures was felt. The first day that Wukong saw Macaque using his headphones again he almost choked on his peach in shock. The peach he recovered from quickly, but the shock itself took a lot longer. He ended up staring at Macaque for far too long, watching him nestled under a tree while reading an old book. He was….well, content. It was obvious, from the relaxed slouch in his shoulders to the casual curling in his tail. The sight of it had Wukong torn between somersaulting in celebration and crying in relief. So he ended up frozen, watching Macaque while he lounged and read. Relaxed. At peace. 

After that Macaque was seen with his headphones more and more. Thankfully after the first time Wukong composed himself enough to at least pretend to be calm about it, even though he couldn’t hide his relieved smile or the gleeful flick of his tail. He wasn’t the only one to notice either. When MK would come around the two of them would end up talking about the new music Macaque had been trying, with each new song or artist ending up on a rating scale Wukong didn’t have the first clue about. The elders were curious too, although at first their confusion at the new device was marred with worry that something was wrong with Macaque’s ears. Wukong stayed close, listening to Macaque explaining how the headphones worked and what they were used for, with Macaque even showing them how to play the music. Unfortunately, the second the phone came out Xue was immediately distracted by asking to take more pictures. But surprisingly, Macaque humoured her, letting her use the camera to get new shots of the cubs, and the grove, and even Wukong when they spotted him loitering. The elders giggled at Wukong’s pout, while Macaque looked unimpressed at Wukong’s attempts to snoop. But they quickly moved on, with Macaque trying to get back to listening to his music while Wukong shooed them off. His attempts never worked for long though, with Wukong inevitably seeing the trio and their cubs around Macaque more and more. The younger ones who often hung out around the grove would join in too, until Wukong would often see at least some number of monkeys playing or napping near whichever spot Macaque had chosen for the day. Sometimes one of them would inevitably be on Macaque’s shoulder, to look at what he was reading or curious about his music and headphones. Which Macaque insisted was fine. And when Wukong watched them, he had to agree. But more than that, he wanted to join in. 

The first time Wukong came to sit with the gathered group, he decided to leave the paints packed away. After all, if the monkey cubs didn’t get into them then one of the older ones inevitably would. But the sight of his sketch pad and pencils was enough to draw everyone’s attention and make all of them flock to him in curiosity. All except Macaque, who simply rolled his eyes and returned to his music. Wukong showed some of his favourite drawings to them, letting them coo in awe at the depictions of the waterfall and grove, the jungle, even the city had made its way into his sketch book. But most of the pictures were portraits. MK, of course, was in here more than once. As were sketches of some of the monkeys, with some pages dedicated to practicing and others building more detailed scenes of them sleeping and playing. He tried to skip over more than a few of Macaque, mainly so they wouldn’t realise just how many of him there were. But Xue put an end to that the second she glimpsed one that had her immediately shrieking into Wukong’s ear in excitement. 

The noise was enough to make Macaque look up from his writing, and even pull away his headphones. ‘What’s all the noise about?’

Xue immediately started to chatter excitedly, but Wukong tried to talk over her. ‘Nothing! It’s just a sketch of the cubs, you know what she’s like with pictures.’

Macaque raised his eyebrow as the others all started to disagree and accuse Wukong of lying and hiding something. Which, with Wukong pinning his sketch book to his chest, seemed to not only be true, but make Macaque more curious. Wukong paled when Macaque removed his headphones properly, nestling them around his neck, and put down his notebook and pen. ‘Alright. Let me see.’

‘What? No!’

‘Why not? Everyone else has.’

Wukong pouted, ‘That’s Xue’s fault. They weren’t supposed to. It’s not done yet.’

‘But they have. Come on, I want to see.’

‘No!’

Macaque snorted, ‘You should know better than anyone how tempting it is to do something after someone has told you no.’ 

Without warning Macaque slipped into a portal, making Wukong sit up in panic. ‘Mac?’ He looked around, even peering around the tree he was leaning away. ‘Bud, what are you doing?’

That answer came the second the pad was whipped out of his hands, making Wukong spin around to see Macaque reclining against a tree, sketch pad in hand. His smug smile only lasted until he turned the book around to see the picture. At which point it vanished in a bolt of surprise. Wukong scrambled to his feet, opening his mouth to try and say something, anything to explain this. But his words abandoned him utterly, leaving him standing there with mouth agape as he stared at Macaque. Who wasn’t looking away from the picture.

‘You drew this?’ Macaque finally asked, in a voice barely above a whisper that was filled with awe. 

Wukong gulped, not knowing how to process that. Or the blush darkening under Macaque’s face mask. He just looked between Macaque and the drawing of him. Macaque was asleep in the sketch, propped up to be leaning against one of the craggy cliff faces. In his lap were two small cubs that were also asleep, with a third curled up on his shoulder and using his scarf as a pillow. Somehow one of his hands looked to be shielding the cubs even in his sleep. The scene was peaceful, and one that Wukong normally got a warm glow in his chest when he looked at it. But none of that was here now.

‘It…it’s not done,’ he said quietly, his hands shaking slightly when he reached out for the book. 

Macaque finally looked up, and if that alone didn’t make Wukong freeze in place then Macaque’s expression would. There was confusion, yes, but the awe was almost blinding. ‘Not done?’ Macaque whispered. ‘What…what does that mean? It looks…’

‘Oh, well,’ Wukong laughed nervously, ‘the ones that I end up liking I paint.’

Macaque flinched at that, then suddenly moved to flip through the other pages. ‘There are others you’ve painted?’

‘Whoa whoa whoa!’ Wukong snatched the pad out of Macaque’s hand, blushing furiously as he refused to look at Macaque’s confusion. ‘You can’t just go through someone’s sketch book without asking!’

‘Sorry,’ Macaque said, and Wukong was surprised to hear the sincerity in his voice. ‘I…I guess I didn’t realise…why did you draw that?’

Wukong’s whole face was burning, ‘I wasn’t watching you when I drew it, okay? I took a picture because it was a cute moment, and then I used it as a reference. There was no staring or watching you sleep involved.’

‘Okay,’ Macaque said, and his all too calm reaction only made Wukong feel more hysterical. ‘But why draw it?’

‘Because…it was cute,’ he said quietly. ‘And it made me happy. And I like drawing things that make me happy.’

‘That made you that happy?’ Macaque said. Wukong looked away, refusing to see any of the judgement that was about to inevitably surface. But if it was there, it wasn’t obvious in Macaque’s voice. ‘What else have you drawn? Or painted. I…if I’m allowed to see a painted one…’

He could have said no. He could have said it was private and turned away from the conversation. Instead he turned back to the start of the pad, carefully flicking through the pages to find a picture that felt safe sharing. As soon as he saw one with MK he decided to show that one, not registering who else was in that portrait until Macaque’s eyes widened. Yes, MK was in it. Laughing, in his monkey form, with Wukong’s arm wrapped around him. But on Wukong’s other side was Macaque, who was wearing that familiar smirk while tucked into his side so Wukong could hold both of them. Behind them the sky was filled with the colours of sunset, and there were the signs of a blanket wrapped around the three of them. 

‘Oh,’ Macaque breathed. Wukong’s whole face felt on fire, but Macaque’s wasn’t far behind him. ‘That….that’s pretty good.’

Wukong immediately stopped cringing, looking at Macaque in surprise. A sincere apology and an earnest compliment? What was happening right now? ‘Really?’

‘Yeah,’ Macaque said, swallowing slightly. ‘You uh…you got the Kid’s mannerisms down pretty perfect actually.’

Wukong chuckled nervously, turning the picture back around to look at it himself. He couldn’t help but smile, that warm glow appearing in his chest again. ‘Thanks. Uh…I’m pretty proud of this one.’

Macaque nodded, ‘You should be. I mean…uh…’ Wukong glanced up in time to see Macaque’s blush deepen as he looked away awkwardly. ‘I’m…going to get a new pen. For my writing. And some water.’

‘Okay,’ Wukong said quietly. There was more he wanted to say, but his thoughts were tumbling too much to make any sense of them. And Macaque turned away too quickly to step into a shadow portal for him to get out another word. Wukong was left in a daze, even when Huan hopped onto his shoulder, cooing gentle questions at him. But he barely heard her, his mind too full with trying to work out what had just happened. And why he couldn’t get Macaque’s compliment out of his head. 

A tap to his face finally drew his attention to Huan, who was starting to huff in annoyance at being ignored. “What just happened?”

Wukong chuckled nervously, that was a very good question. One he would love the answer to. ‘Mac just needed a drink. He’ll be back soon.’

“That’s not what I asked,” Huan said. 

Wukong ignored her on purpose that time, making her grumble as he turned back to sit at his spot. The others gathered, Xue and Yi joining in with asking him questions that he wanted to ignore. “What happened? Where’s Macaque? Why is your face so red? Did Macaque like the picture?”

‘Alright that’s enough,’ Wukong said sharply. ‘Drop this and I’ll draw a picture of the babies.’

Yue immediately squealed in delight, clapping in agreement while the other two sighed. But Wukong was already picking up his pencils, focusing on the babies who were rolling around and playing close by. Wukong didn’t need to think about what just happened, or how the mental image of Macaque’s blush kept making his heart flutter. He just needed to focus on the very cute cubs. And his sketch pad. He didn’t need to think about anything else.

Only that was easier said than done. Especially when, while Wukong was halfway through his sketch, a sudden clattering made him jump and all the other monkeys scatter. He looked up, his surprise only growing when he saw Macaque set down a low wooden table.

‘Mac? What?’

‘Here,’ Macaque said. ‘It’s…um…well I’m not using it anymore, and you need a more stable place to work.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Wukong said. ‘What is it?’

‘It's a writing desk,’ Macaque said. He looked away from Wukong, but he could tell that Macaque was still blushing around his mask. ‘To help with your painting.’

Wukong shuffled closer to the table to examine it properly. The dark wood had an old varnish that was cracked in places, but that did nothing to ruin the delicate filigree around the edge of the table and up the short legs. ‘This is an antique,’ Wukong muttered.

Macaque’s fur puffed up defensively. ‘So is most of your hoard.’

‘That…I wasn’t saying that as a bad thing,’ Wukong said. ‘But these kinds of things can be delicate when they're old.’

‘Which is why I made it Wukong proof.’

Wukong finally reached out to touch it, running his fingers over the filigree. And he realised Macaque was right. The table was imbued with magic to strengthen it, to the point Wukong could jump on it and he was confident it would stay intact. All so he could paint? He looked up at Macaque, his surprise and confusion melting away at the sight of Macaque’s awkward stance. Was Macaque…trying to do something nice for him? That thought left something warm in his chest, and he couldn’t stop the smile curling on his face. ‘You’re giving me a painting table?’

Macaque shrugged, turning away from Wukong so he couldn’t see his face. But the flicking of his ears told Wukong that he was only feeling more awkward with every passing moment. ‘It will be more stable to paint on than that weird board you’re using. But if you don’t-’

‘Thank you,’ Wukong said softly. Macaque stilled, his ears flaring in surprise. Seeing all six of them flare suddenly made Wukong realise, when was the last time Macaque had glamoured them away? He put that thought to the side, focusing instead on grabbing his pencils to lay them out on his new table. ‘This is going to be great,’ Wukong said, flicking his pad open to a new page while he tested leaning on the new table, pencil in hand. He got himself comfortable, his smile growing as he tested sketching at the new angle.

Macaque nodded, glancing over his shoulder to see Wukong’s giant grin and tail waving happily. ‘Alright then,’ he muttered. He padded over to his spot, picking up his notebook and pen while debating if he should leave or not. His face was still horrifically flushed, which he didn’t want Wukong to see right now. But something in him didn’t want to disappear yet. He was waiting for something else, but he wasn’t sure what.

‘You should get one of these too,’ Wukong said. ‘For writing your plays.’

‘I have other desks,’ Macaque said. ‘But a full day at one of those makes my back twinge, so…’

‘Oh good point,’ Wukong said, and he shifted to stretch for a moment. ‘Gotta watch out for that.’ He immediately went back to his pad, engrossed again in his sketching. Macaque watched him for a moment, his tail curling nervously. It would be easy to leave. And Wukong seemed to be in a mood where he didn’t mind either way. But that, more than anything, encouraged Macaque to slowly sit against his chosen tree again. Xue immediately hopped up onto his shoulder, cooing gently in his ear, while Macaque fiddled with his notebook. Without a word he grabbed his headphones, gently putting them over his ears to restart his music. Maybe that would calm him down. Maybe.

Chapter Text

Sandy didn’t bring up the idea of individual sessions again. Not after Wukong and Macaque confirmed in no uncertain terms that they didn’t want or need to meet him individually. In fact, Wukong went into quite a lot of detail to explain exactly why their group sessions were perfectly fine and nothing about their arrangement needed changing, thank you very much. Macaque’s objection was much shorter, and came with an edge that clearly assumed some level of pushback, maybe even an argument about it. But that pushback never came. Instead, when they both finished and silence fell over the boat, Sandy responded with his usual calm and patient smile that completely disarmed both of the monkeys. 

‘Okay,’ Sandy said. ‘We’ll stick with this arrangement then. Now, for the session today…’

‘Whoa whoa whoa, hang on Big Guy,’ Wukong said, while staring at him in disbelief. An expression that Macaque mirrored perfectly. ‘What do you mean “Okay?” That…that’s it? That can’t be it.’

Sandy shrugged, ‘If you’ve made your decision then you’ve made your decision. I asked you to go away and think on it, and you did. And you’re both in agreement. So I’ll respect the decision you have both made.’

‘Just like that?’ Macaque said. ‘We’re not talking about it, or discussing it? You don’t want to try and convince us to try it?’

‘Do you want to talk about it?’ Sandy asked.

‘No!’ Macaque scowled.

‘Then we won’t,’ Sandy said with a smile. 

‘Why not?’ Wukong said.

Sandy sighed, ‘I know there have been times when we have had difficult conversations that you didn’t necessarily want to do, but there was still a level of agreement that those discussions would happen. The topics we’ve covered, the questions we’ve asked, they are all things that you have been willing to engage with, even if there was some reluctance or emotional pushback. But that isn’t what this is. You don’t want to talk about it, and you don’t want to try it. So we won’t.’

Both of the monkeys stared at Sandy in silence, clearly stunned with disbelief. ‘Just like that?’ Wukong whispered.

‘Just like that,’ Sandy said. ‘This is your healing journey. I can help, I can make suggestions, but I cannot force you to do anything you don’t want to do. You are the ones in control. The course you want to set is the one we will follow.’

And with that it was decided. Wukong and Macaque would carry on with their paired sessions, with Sandy guiding them as best as he could. He celebrated the news that Macaque was using his headphones and music again, and silently gushed over Wukong talking about the newly gifted painting table. He let them talk about their worries and frustrations, whether it was with the troop, MK, or each other, He coached them through old and new exercises, to focus on trust, listening, boundaries, everything he could. And the whole time he kept to his word. There were no orders, only instructions on things that everyone had already agreed to. And once Wukong and Macaque had said no about something he didn’t bring it up again. Not until they did. Not until one of them was ready to talk about it. 

—

The sunny day above the city was the perfect weather to start building a new vehicle. So that is exactly what Sandy had decided to do. The deck of his boat had a series of brand new crates that had already been cracked open, Sandy humming as he moved between the crates and the worktable he had set up. Sheets of metal were waiting for the welding torch, with wires and cables sorted so they were in neat untangled piles. But his immediate focus was the half constructed engine in front of him. He had his arms full of various metal pieces, laying them out one by one next to the engine shell. Mo reclined nearby, debating between watching Sandy’s latest project and closing his eyes to fully recline in the sunshine. When he saw Sandy pull out the electric tools he grumbled, hopping up to seek either a quieter spot or ear defenders, while Sandy continued with testing the tools one by one. Happy with his setup, he set down one of the drills, not realising how heavy it was until it shook the whole table and made one of the pieces topple over and roll off the table. Before he could reach out for it though a hand caught it, making Sandy jump in surprise. The man standing in front of him was vaguely familiar, especially his black hair and carefully styled beard, and the slightly cocky smile. But for the life of him Sandy couldn’t place the guy. 

‘Hey Big Guy,’ the man said, in a voice that was also familiar, ‘lose something?’

Sandy scanned over the man, taking in the black tailored coat, the red scarf with headphones nestled in them, and the amused tilt of his head, and laughed nervously. He was sure that he knew this guy. ‘Hi. Uh…nice catch. Thanks.’

The man quirked his brow, and his eyes flashed with a violet power that made Sandy’s eyes widen with realisation. ‘You okay there?’

‘Oh!’ Sandy said. Relief flooded him, making him laugh, ‘Hey friend. I really should have recognised you sooner, huh?’

Macaque shrugged, offering out the part. ‘I wouldn’t worry about it. Now, what are you doing?’

Sandy took the engine part, using it to gesture at the table. ‘Building an engine.’

Macaque chuckled, ‘Of course you are. Should I come back? Or…’

‘Oh no,’ Sandy said. ‘I’m always happy for company. Although some of these tools do get loud.’ Macaque tapped his headphones in response, making Sandy nod. ‘Alrighty then. What can I do for you today?’

Macaque paused, eyes flicking out past the ship and over to the city. Sandy paused, watching as Macaque’s smile dimmed for just a moment. If he wasn’t glamoured, Sandy was sure he would see Macaque’s ears flick at least twice. ‘That can wait,’ he said. ‘I’m more curious about this now.’

Sandy smiled, hiding the immediate concern he felt. If Macaque was here to talk about something, he probably wouldn’t want to until they had some privacy inside the boat. And if Sandy made a big deal out of it by suggesting they head inside now then Macaque would only be more likely to shut down and become defensive. So instead he nodded and picked up his drill. ‘In that case, let me show you how fun it is to build one of these bad boys.’

A couple of hours later, after Macaque had been roped into a lesson on engine building and the two of them were covered in oil for their trouble, Sandy and Macaque were able to traipse inside the boat. Sandy was glowing with pride at Macaque building his first engine, while Macaque was already moaning at the prospect of having to get engine oil out of fur. Sandy let him have the run of the shower first, to thank him for his help, while talking about busting out his fanciest tea to celebrate the occasion. Before long, the two of them were deglamoured and clean, nestled in their usual spots with freshly brewed tea. Macaque had swapped out the modern tailored clothes for the more comfortable “therapy” hoodie Sandy was used to seeing him in, but looked noticeably more awkward for his trouble. So Sandy focused on small talk. He got them talking about music, vehicle plans, even the new play Macaque was writing. All to give him space, in the hopes it would help Macaque build up the courage to talk about why he was really here. 

By the time he did Sandy was finishing the last of his tea, while Macaque was staring into his now lukewarm cup. ‘I want to ask you something. But I don’t want you to start assuming anything or jumping to conclusions, okay?’

Sandy nodded, ‘Got it.’

‘I mean it,’ Macaque said. ‘This is just a question, a hypothetical at best. In fact it's not even that.’

‘Understood,’ Sandy smiled. ‘So, how can I help?’

Macaque sighed, ‘It’s about…when you suggested individual sessions.’ Sandy nodded, but didn’t interrupt. He knew better than that at this point. ‘I’ve been wondering what it would look like. And how it would help. And why it would be different from what we currently do. And…well you seem to think it would be better, so I guess I want to know why.’

‘It’s not that it would be better,’ Sandy said. ‘Individual therapy and group sessions, which is close to what we do now, have different good sides and down sides. When it comes to therapy based around helping a relationship, it’s good to see everyone in the same space together. It’s the best way to look at your dynamic, to help with building trust again, all of that stuff.’

‘Sure,’ Macaque said. ‘So then…why suggest individual therapy as well?

At this Sandy hummed, taking the time to pause and think through everything properly. He had already finished his tea, but rolled the small cup between his hands while pondering the best answer. ‘There will be a few things that are different, that I think could help,’ he said. ‘For one, there would be absolute privacy. Everything shared with me would be entirely confidential, even from each other. With that, the second thing would be that we would have an opportunity to focus on you as an individual, rather than you as part of a pair. And thirdly, no audience means no interruptions.’ 

Macaque cringed at the final comment, but elected to skip over it before he reacted defensively. ‘That second one. The focus thing. What is there to talk about that isn’t to do with Wukong?’

‘Well part of that is up to you,’ Sandy said. ‘But you are more than your relationship with Mr King.’

‘Sure, but that’s the main problem right now.’

‘Is it?’ Sandy said. ‘There’s the nightmares, the troop, your worry about MK, your habit of constant vigilance-’

Macaque scowled, ‘Okay, I get it.’

Sandy winced, ‘Sorry. That came out harsh. But moving away from the more personal stuff, Mr King isn’t the only relationship you have. And he also isn’t the only relationship that’s had conflict in it.’

Macaque looked away, looking more tense with every passing second, ‘I know I hurt you and your friends, but-’

‘Oh no,’ Sandy said. ‘I wasn’t saying that as an accusation. And you’ve been thoroughly forgiven at this point, by the whole gang. I was just trying to show a comparison between the relationship and dynamic between Mr King and…say MK. And then we could go one step further and compare those with Mr Lion.’

Macaque frowned, ‘Mr…wait do you mean Azure?’

Sandy nodded, ‘There has been conflict with Mr King, MK, the Brotherhood. But two of those were given the grace to build or even rebuild a friendship, while the Brotherhood never got that chance from you.’

Macaque scoffed, ‘Are we really comparing MK and Azure right now? They couldn’t be more different.’

‘And those differences are important to you,’ Sandy said. ‘How you interact with people says a lot about who you choose to be, but so does who you choose to interact with. It gives an idea of who and what you value, especially in the case where people have gone from enemies to friends.’ 

‘I think that says more about MK than anything,’ Macaque said. ‘He’s the one that’s befriended all of his villains. And he’s the one who was so insistent on befriending me. I was more than happy to just disappear back into the shadows, but the Kid…’

‘Really?’ Sandy said. ‘See, that’s interesting.’

‘How?’

Sandy chuckled, ‘Right now you are discussing different types of therapy with me, with the overall goal being to restore your friendship with Mr King. But that doesn’t align with what you just said. So, what changed?’ Macaque’s face fell, and he looked away while thinking intently, a fresh frown curling onto his face. ‘You don’t have to answer that now,’ Sandy said. ‘This is…more of an example. Of what a one on one session could look like. We talk about these things that you never normally talk about, and we bring a new light and focus on it to try and better understand what’s going on underneath your surface level thoughts and understanding.’

Macaque nodded, still frowning, ‘And we can’t do that in front of Wukong because?’

‘Well, then we come back to the part about the audience. And the interruption.’ Sandy looked over his tea pot, mulling over if he should make a fresh brew. ‘Here’s a thought exercise. If Mr King had heard you say that you were happy to disappear back into the shadows, how do you think he would respond? If anything?’

Macaque sighed, ‘He’d probably freak out. I’d have to clarify that this was what I was thinking back before the Brotherhood came back, and even then he’d be worrying. He’d probably start checking on me more, wanting to make sure I’m not thinking about running off. Which, I’m not.’

Sandy nodded, ‘So, second part of this exercise. If Mr King had been here, would you have made that comment in the first place?’

Macaque thought for a moment. And then cringed at the realisation. ‘I think it’s a 50/50. I mean, I could have said that MK befriends all his villains. But I don’t need to remind Wukong of my more annoying habits.’

Sandy nodded again. ‘That. That is why I think individual sessions could be good. Sometimes you need to be able to get things off your chest, or mull them over and work them out for your own understanding, without worrying about the reactions of the people around you. And Mr King cares a lot, I’m never going to say he doesn’t. But that also makes him have the tendency to be quite reactive. It can have its place, don’t get me wrong. But it’s not something you need all the time.’

Macaque sighed, ‘Like when we were talking about the rules, with the flash cards.’

‘Exactly,’ Sandy said. ‘It was a very tense and emotional conversation on both sides, and both of you got to a level of vulnerability that can feel very uncomfortable. This is why I say we can take our time and breaks when we need to, because to push and push through those parts without actively practicing self care can cause more harm than good. But in that case, by trying to explore what I suspect is a core fear for you, we accidentally triggered a reaction from Mr King. If we had been in a private conversation and you had asked that question, the only person to react would have been me.’

‘And how would you have reacted?’ Macaque said. ‘To that question?’

Sandy hummed, ‘I would have asked if we can explore that question some more. See if we can…actually.’ He picked up the tea pot, giving Macaque a broad smile that raised his hackles in worry. ‘I’ve got an idea. How about I make us another pot of tea, and then we trial it? We can wind back to that conversation, and I can show you how a therapy session like this can go. If you don’t like it, then we stop, and we never have to do it again.’

Macaque looked between Sandy’s smile and the teapot, his shoulders curling up as he only got more tense. But despite that he gave a shaky nod, one that made Sandy beam in pride. He was immediately on his feet, talking about brewing up another pot of his special tea blend since it was apparently the occasion for it, while Mo hopped onto his seat to keep it warm. At the same time the grey cat came over to Macaque, trilling in a way that Macaque was starting to recognise as curiosity. He shifted so that the cat could move onto his lap, an offer that they took immediately. By the time Sandy got back with the fresh tea the cat was curled up on Macaque’s lap, eyes closed and purring, while Macaque was petting them gently. Sandy was humming as he poured out the fresh tea and settled back into his seat, with Mo jumping up onto his shoulder to settle properly.

‘Alright,’ Sandy said. ‘So, if you’re ready, let’s think about that question.’

‘Actually,’ Macaque said quietly, ‘if we’re only going to be trying this once…I think there’s something else I would rather talk about.’

‘Oh. Well of course,’ Sandy said. ‘Like I said, we can talk about whatever you want to talk about.’

Macaque nodded, looking at the cat on his lap while his mind whirred. Sandy had said various times that he wasn’t here to judge or react, but Macaque still felt like he needed to work out the correct way to word this. But the longer he tried to work it out, the more tense he felt. Until he decided to just ask the question. ‘How do you trust someone after they’ve hurt you?’

Sandy blinked in surprise. ‘That is a very good question. Do you want me to answer that now? Or would you rather we talk about why you have that question?’

Macaque scoffed sadly, ‘That should be obvious.’

‘You would think,’ Sandy said. ‘But what can seem obvious to us won’t be obvious to other people. Everyone has different perspectives, priorities, tolerances. You’re asking about trusting someone. Is this about you learning to trust someone who has hurt you in the past, or trying to work out how someone you have hurt could learn to trust you?’

‘Both.’

Sandy nodded, but couldn’t hide the frown that started to form. ‘Both? That’s…not the answer I expected. Or the answer I would have assumed.’

‘Really? What would you have assumed?’

‘Well…’ Sandy paused, thinking for a moment. ‘I would have thought the first one. That you wanted to learn how to trust others even though you find it difficult. Especially with Mr King.’

Macaque raised an eyebrow, ‘You think that’s the only important thing?’

‘Not at all,’ Sandy said. ‘More that, with the question of others trusting you…well I guess I made my own assumption there.’ Macaque raised an amused eyebrow, making Sandy chuckle. ‘I cannot speak for everyone. But for me, I feel like the harm caused in the past isn’t as great as the actions you’ve taken to make amends, and to help us. You have protected MK many times now, and that goes a long way to showing us you can be trusted. At least, it shows me. To hold onto any past hurt or harm at the expense of what I can witness in the present…well that’s going to only perpetuate the hurt. For you, for me, and for all our friends. And more than that, I truly believe you deserve another chance. So does MK. So does Mr King. And so far, you haven’t proven us wrong.’

Macaque scowled, ‘But what if I do? You don’t know I won’t change my mind and betray you.’

Sandy nodded, ‘That’s true. You have that option. Is that something that worries you? That you will extend your trust to others and then they will hurt you somehow?’

Macaque winced, looking away from Sandy awkwardly, ‘I…not that you would, you’re too good.’

‘That wasn’t an accusation,’ Sandy said softly. ‘I’m just trying to understand.’

Macaque shrugged, ‘Well…I’ve been burned before. Gave all my trust, all my everything, and then…saw it all get thrown in my face.’

‘Do you want to talk about that?’ Sandy asked. ‘I know you don’t like talking about your history in detail, so you can say as much or as little as you want. And remember, everything is confidential.’ 

Macaque pondered for a moment, before finally looking at Sandy with uncertainty. ‘How much do you know about The Journey to the West?’ 

It turns out, once Macaque felt safe enough to share, that he had a lot to say. He started by sharing a little bit of what life had been like while Wukong was off seeking power and immortality, describing how his own life seemed to have pockets of excitement and adventure, only for the rest of the time for him to be left alone with the troop and the Court. And he mentioned how lonely that was sometimes, but it was something he was happy to deal with for his friend’s sake. And then came the Brotherhood, and that brought what he thought was new friendships, and new tensions with so many personalities vying for power, and fame, and changing the status quo, at the risk of safety and losing everything. He explained how it hurt to see Wukong imprisoned, but when Wukong lashed out at him for it Macaque only fought back just as hard and then left him alone. Which was when Erlang came. Macaque could feel himself getting more emotional now, but he carried on regardless, describing how he tried to reach out to the Brotherhood for help, only to be ignored. How it took a year for any of them to respond, at which point he and the troop lived on a ruin of an island, with the troop too scared to leave the mountain. And how over the next 500 years Macaque did what he could to try and restore the island, planting new seeds and clearing out the dead parts of the jungle. Every day convincing himself it would be worth it when Wukong got home. That Wukong would break out one day, return home, and the two of them would plan how to make everyone who hurt them pay. But it never happened. Wukong never came home. Instead, Macaque found out from the Brotherhood that Wukong had been freed, and was now on another adventure. With a mortal monk, and members of the Celestial Host. He was off on another adventure, and he had never reached out. Never said anything to Macaque to let him know what was going on. No. No he had to find out from that damn Peng. 

At that Macaque got too angry to speak. Besides, he couldn’t say much more without getting into the parts he didn’t want Sandy to know. He would find a way to deal with his feelings around his attack on the monk and how that led to his death. But it wouldn't be with Sandy. And it wouldn't be right now. Instead he slumped on the couch, his anger and pain smouldering in his chest until it made him shiver. The cat was awake again, and taking the opportunity to headbutt his chest while purring even louder. Sandy, who had been silent this entire time, took the moment of quiet to pour new cups of tea for the both of them. Macaque grabbed his cup on autopilot, but didn’t try to drink it. Instead he stared at the fragrant drink, as if it could provide an answer to help the heartache he now felt all over again. 

Fortunately, that was Sandy’s job. ‘You were abandoned.’

Macaque looked up at him, eyes wide with shock. Of all the responses Sandy could have said, Macaque didn’t expect that. He expected some talk about feelings, or explaining what could have happened to the Brotherhood, or to Wukong, to justify why he had been left alone. But no. Sandy just said the truth. Bluntly. And that alone made something click in his mind in time with the old wound opening again. ‘Yeah,’ Macaque whispered. ‘Yes. Exactly. I…I know that for a lot of that time Wukong didn’t have any choice in it, but even then-’

Sandy didn’t normally interrupt, so when he did Macaque felt even more confused and surprised. ‘Let’s not do that,’ Sandy said. ‘Not right now. The explanation, the conversation, the rationalisation can come later. But first the emotion needs to be felt. Felt without anyone trying to diminish it. Not even you.’

‘But…but it was so long ago.’

‘And yet it still hurts you,’ Sandy said. ‘When you get a cut, or a scrape, you need to clean the wound. If it’s cleaned quickly it can heal in a few days. If it isn’t cleaned, it runs the risk of becoming infected. If it’s infected and still isn’t treated, then it can fester. The wound gets worse and worse, it can spread to other areas of the body. It can poison your very blood. In the very worst cases, it can kill you. The same applies to emotional wounds. You might not see them, but they can be just as deadly if left untreated.’

Macaque shivered at that. Did Sandy know he had died? Had he worked it out? ‘Wow. And they call me dramatic,’ he chuckled nervously.

‘It’s the truth,’ Sandy said. ‘And I don’t want that to happen to you. But we can’t resolve emotional pain without first acknowledging it. And that requires you to feel it.’

‘The last time I did that I turned bitter,’ Macaque whispered. ‘And then you…and the kid…’

Sandy shook his head, ‘That was because it festered. It was left untreated. The bitterness was what your pain and heartache was twisted into, perhaps as a form of survival. It was a way to take all that pain and sorrow and point it in a direction, to find someone to blame for your situation. And then if there is a face, a person that can be blamed, then they can be punished.’

Macaque flinched. Sandy was right. How was he so right about this? Macaque hadn’t even told him the worst of what happened, how was he hitting the nail on the head every time? ‘I’m not going down that road again. It doesn’t end anywhere good.’

‘Good,’ Sandy said. ‘The bitterness won’t help, and neither will seeking revenge. Sometimes we feel like we need justice or retribution for the slights made against us. But more often than not, that path only leads to more pain, more trouble, more escalation, until it reaches a breaking point. It’s healthier to be able to let the pain go, but you’re not there yet. You want to be, I can tell that. But in order to do that, you need to make time and effort to heal. And that means acknowledging what happened. Feeling the emotions. Even if they get overwhelming.’ 

Macaque sniffed, blinking away the first of his tears before they could fall. ‘I’ve had enough time to deal with it. More than most get.’

‘Ma-quack,’ Sandy said quietly but firmly. ‘You lived through an attempted genocide. One you ended up standing against alone.’ Macaque’s face fell, the horror of Sandy’s words finally hitting him, as the truth threatened to split his heart open again. ‘You ended up being the only one to step up to protect and lead your troop and ensure their survival at the expense of your own health. When you asked for help from people you thought were friends, brothers even, you were ignored. And you couldn’t let yourself feel that pain because you believed that, in order to be strong enough for your troop, you had to put up a strong front and never stop fighting. Your vigilance became necessary, to protect the last of the home and family you had. And the one solace, the one hope you had at that time was taken from you when Mr King was freed from the mountain and didn’t return home.’

Macaque didn’t answer. Didn’t move, didn’t even blink. And he didn’t try to stop the tears that were now falling. He didn’t react when Sandy moved around the table, or presented the box of tissues. He couldn’t do anything. He was feeling too much to the point that he had gone numb. To the point he couldn’t parse out what the feelings actually were anymore. Not until the first tissue was gently pressed into his hand. Then it all rushed in at once, making his face twist and voice crack. ‘It’s not fair,’ he finally whimpered.

Sandy shook his head, ‘No, it’s not.’

Macaque’s breath shuddered now, getting louder as the anger seeped through. ‘I gave them everything!’

The shout made the grey cat startle awake and bolt. But Sandy didn’t flinch at all. He just watched Macaque with sorrow. And understanding.‘I know you did.’

‘The troop were innocent!’

‘They were.’

‘What gives them the right to look down on us?’

‘Nothing,’ Sandy said. ‘They don’t have that right. No one does.’

‘Why do they get to just ignore me, forget about me, leave me abandoned while my home burns! And then call me when they need something? Why is that okay? Who said that was allowed?’

‘It shouldn’t be,’ Sandy said calmly. ‘It’s not fair. Not to you.’

‘You’re damn right it’s not fair!’ Macaque shouted. ‘And Wukong? I waited for centuries! And he didn’t send any word. No message that he was out. Nothing about what he was doing or why. I was supposed to be his friend. We were supposed to be his family. Who treats family like that?’ 

Sandy nodded, ‘It hurts. And it isn’t fair. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and kindness, no matter who they are. That is something you’ve been denied for a long time.’

Macaque laughed coldly, his voice dripping with venom while the pain bubbled underneath. ‘This is why I hate them,’ he said. ‘The Brotherhood. They’re hypocrites. Liars. They talk about the greater good and working for the innocent, and for people who can’t protect themselves. And then did nothing when innocents were being slaughtered because I hadn’t agreed with them.’

‘They didn’t seem like the best people,’ Sandy said. ‘They may have had good intentions once. But by the time I met them…well their ideals seemed rather twisted.’

‘Heaven isn’t much better,’ Macaque said. ‘But at least with Heaven you know they’re going to put their agenda before yours. But they were supposed to be my brothers. We were supposed to help each other! And I did help them!’ Sandy nodded, but didn’t add much more. Not while Macaque was panting, working himself up more and more. ‘Wukong had an excuse during the attack. He was trapped. If he knew about it and had been able to get out he would have been there in seconds. They were our people. That was our home. In fact I bet if he had found out about the attack while he was imprisoned he would have broken the mountain trying to get out.’

Sandy chuckled, ‘I can see that happening.’

‘So why didn’t he show that kind of care for me?’ Macaque snapped. ‘Why did he blame me for his imprisonment? Why did he never send a message when he got out? Why did he act like some damn pilgrimage for some stupid scrolls of paper was more important than everything I had given him?’

Sandy, again, didn’t answer. Instead he watched Macaque slump back, his chest heaving as he panted for breath while he still seethed. Without a word Sandy grabbed Macaque’s cup of tea, offering it out with a small smile. Macaque took it, sipping at it until it was half gone before Sandy finally spoke. ‘Okay, lid is officially off on bottling the feelings. Which is good. Now, what are we feeling right now?’

‘Angry.’

Sandy nodded, ‘Anything else?’

Macaque sighed, slumping further into the cushions. ‘Hurt. Kind of sad, but more than that. Something deeper than just sad.’

‘Sorrow? Grief?’

Macaque nodded, ‘Yeah. Grief.’

‘What are we grieving?’

Macaque sniffed, looking at the grey cat that was moving to sit next to him again. ‘The lost monkeys. The days where everything was just…bright and easy.’ A thought snagged in his mind, unfurling bit by bit to bring a slow revelation that felt heavy in his chest. ‘I…I think I’m grieving the old me,’ he whispered. ‘The me who could trust and…and love. It was easy back then. It felt like none of the people who I cared about could ever hurt me.’

Sandy sighed, ‘Grieving an old life is normal. Especially after intense turmoil and trauma. Even if you find peace again, you carry the weight from that turmoil with you. The world might go back to something that was similar to the life you had before, but it feels different. You are changed by the things you do and the things that happen to you, for better and for worse. In a sense, you could say that the “old you” died when you were betrayed.’ 

Macaque flinched. Sandy didn’t realise just how right he was. But now wasn’t the time to correct him. Not when Sandy was starting to build back up to a point. ‘You asked me how you could trust someone again after they had betrayed you,’ he said. ‘Well, the answer is that it depends on the people. It depends on you, and the person who did the betrayal. How big was the betrayal, how deep did it go? Was it a clear line of right and wrong, or did both sides cause hurt? What is being done now to earn that trust again? And what needs to be done to heal the wounds that the original betrayal left?’

Macaque sniffed. ‘Well, the Brotherhood have no chance now.’

Sandy smirked, ‘I figured. What with the surviving members being in prison and all. Although, wasn’t Mr Bull King in the Brotherhood?’

‘Yeah, but he left before I did,’ Macaque said. ‘I only had time to get one message out, so I sent it to the three. I don’t know if Bull even knows about the attack.’

Sandy nodded, ‘Noted. Well, that answers one. What about Mr King?’

Macaque sighed, leaning back to look away from Sandy. To think. Wukong had already been doing a lot. On some days, it was too much. On other days Macaque craved it. The care that Wukong now showed, even if Macaque called it fussing. But none of that could build up to trust again. No matter what Wukong did, there was something in the back of Macaque’s mind that was braced. Ready for the next betrayal to come. ‘I don’t know,’ he finally said. ‘Sometimes I feel like I’m waiting for Wukong to turn on me again. To change his mind, or abandon me, or chase me off the mountain.’

‘Do you really think he would?’

‘I mean…probably not?’ Macaque said. ‘If you list everything, all the signs point to Wukong wanting me to stay forever. But…but I can’t shake the feeling that something is bound to make me lose it all again.’

‘That makes sense,’ Sandy said. ‘You went through a violent upheaval. And you never fully recovered. I think, until you do, trust is going to be a hard thing for you to learn to do. With anyone, not just Mr King.’

Macaque scowled. Sandy was probably right, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear. ‘At this point, can’t we just actually break my leg?’ Macaque said. ‘I’m pretty sure it will heal quicker than all this therapy stuff is taking.’

Sandy chuckled, an actual bright chuckle for the first time in what felt like hours. He reached over to grab his tea cup, raising it to toast Macaque. ‘I believe we just did. Now it’s time for the cast.’ 

Chapter Text

No matter what happened, Wukong was not going to panic. After all, there was no need to. The mountain was back to its peaceful days after the chaos of the Baby Season, MK’s training was going better than ever, and Macaque hadn’t run away yet. Sure, he had started to avoid Wukong’s hut and favourite tree for the past week. Well, “avoid.” During the day he would be hiding elsewhere, with Wukong sometimes spotting him near the elders and their cubs. And on the days that Wukong didn't see him at all he would inevitably return smelling of candles and his hands smudged with ink. So Wukong knew he had been in his study. And regardless of where Macaque had been during the day, every night without fail he would come back to their bed. To their nest. His solid weight next to Wukong was almost enough to calm him. So with all that said, there was no need for Wukong to panic. Sure, all of this had changed literally the day Macaque had returned to the mountain having been crying, and looking truly sorrowful. But Macaque would tell him when he was ready. And until then, Wukong was not going to panic. He was going to be calm, and patient, and everything else Macaque needed him to be. He was going to be everything Macaque needed, and then Macaque wouldn’t leave again. He could do that. As long as he didn’t panic.

This mantra lasted until the next time Wukong and Macaque met Sandy. The boat was the same as it always was, with the cats fussing over the monkeys when they arrived and Sandy brewing a fresh pot of tea. The grey cat jumped onto Macaque’s shoulders like clockwork, headbutting him while Macaque shifted the headphones around his neck to give the cat the space to nuzzle in. Wukong cooed over the kittens, letting them rub around his legs and ankles while slowly picking his way to the couch. The small ginger one joined him today, ready to blend into his hoodie when they curled up against his stomach, with Macaque one step behind. Wukong pointedly didn’t look at the grave expression Macaque had as he sat, curling up in his usual spot with his tail wrapping around his legs while he hugged his knees. 

Sandy returned with his usual cheerful whistle and usual tea tray. Instead of one large pot this time however, he had brewed three smaller pots of tea. Personal ones. Before Wukong could ask, Sandy laid them out on the small table, making sure to pour each cup in turn from their designated tea pot.

‘Personal tea?’ Wukong said. ‘Since when has that been an option?’

Sandy grabbed his cup, smiling as he sat down. ‘I hope you don’t mind. I’ve been having a little flare up, so I needed something a little more medicinal rather than our calming blends.’

Wukong sat up, ‘Flare up? Where? Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine,’ Sandy said. ‘It happens sometimes.’

‘Is it your leg?’ Macaque muttered, giving a ghost of a smile despite his mood.

To which Sandy sighed, ‘Has MK got you on that too?’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Macaque said. He grabbed his cup, curling up while bracing it in both hands. Wukong did the same, but paused when he caught the smell of the tea floating from Macaque’s cup. They normally had the same tea, to the point that Wukong had never questioned it. And even now Wukong’s was the calming blend he always had, sweetened with a little honey. But Macaque’s tea smelled of jasmine and spices that made his nose tickle.

He looked at Macaque in confusion, but Sandy spoke before he could build the question together. ‘Alright,’ Sandy said. ‘Shall we start with our normal check-in?’

‘Hmm?’ Wukong said. ‘Oh. Yeah. Well, things are…’ he trailed off, looking at Macaque again. Wukong was utterly confused. And worried. And had no idea what to do about any of it. The last time he had told Sandy that he was worried about Macaque the session had exploded in their faces. The last time Macaque had been pushed to talk here, he had said something that made the both of them spiral. And those weighed heavy on his mind now, making him stumble on what was normally a very simple first step with these sessions. What did he say? And how did he say it in a way that would mean they wouldn’t start things off badly today? He couldn’t lie, but how could he frame the truth in a good and not worrisome way?

Thankfully, but in a way that made Wukong’s worry worse, Macaque beat him to it. ‘You can say I’ve been avoiding the grove, you know?’

Wukong blanched, while Sandy’s eyebrows raised. ‘Have you been?’

‘He hasn’t really-’

‘Kind of.’ Wukong’s face fell, as Macaque continued. ‘A little bit. It’s…been hard.’

Sandy nodded in understanding, while Wukong chuckled nervously. ‘Oh please. Compared to how it used to be, this barely counts.’

Macaque shrugged, while Sandy hummed. ‘Then how would you describe it Mr King?’

‘He…well,’ Wukong stumbled, mind racing again. ‘He’s not been avoiding the nest at night, which is good. And I’ve seen him with the new neighbours a bit. And when he hasn’t been he’s been in his study, which has been close. So, you know. He’s probably taking more space and time on his own, and I’m probably seeing him less. But that doesn’t mean he’s avoiding the grove.’ 

Macaque frowned, ‘How did you know I’ve been in my study?’

‘You’ve had ink on your hands,’ Wukong said. The second the words were out of his mouth he blushed uncontrollably, but Macaque only raised an eyebrow. ‘And…well your study has a specific smell from all the candles. And it gets into your clothes.’ 

Already Wukong could imagine the snide comment from Macaque about stalking him or something, but it never came. Instead Macaque sighed, actually sighed, and curled up tighter with his tea. Wukong’s fur puffed in alarm as Sandy cleared his throat. ‘Mr King? If you want to discuss this routine change honestly and how it’s affected you, now would be an ideal time.’

Wukong blew a raspberry at that, ‘Who said that it affected me?’

‘Well,’ Sandy said, ‘Normally when the routine that the two of you have changes or Ma-quack pulls away it can cause some sour feelings for both of you. So if that has happened this time…’

‘I just worry,’ Wukong said. ‘But come on, Mac’s my friend. When do I not worry about him?’ Somehow Sandy didn’t sigh at that. Just. But Macaque had no such qualms, which made Wukong scowl at him despite his worry. ‘But if Mac’s going to be all glum and emo about this, then maybe we should talk about it. Because yeah, he’s clearly not okay.’

Sandy looked between the two monkeys with concern, ‘If you’re sure?’ he said to Macaque, who nodded once. ‘Alright. In that case, let’s start with Ma-quack. What’s been going on? You said things have been hard?’ Macaque nodded again, fiddling with the cup of the strangely fragrant tea that still had Wukong on edge. ‘Alright, do you mind telling me when this started?’

‘Last week,’ Wukong said.

‘After our chat,’ Macaque added quietly.

Sandy nodded in understanding, while Wukong straightened in shock. ‘That is understandable. Do you want to talk about any of this now?’

‘What happened last week?’ Wukong said. Sandy looked at him in surprise, while Wukong looked between him and Macaque’s quiet guilt. ‘What chat? What happened?’

‘I said I was going to go to the city for something,’ Macaque said. ‘Remember?’

Wukong blinked, his mind whirring faster than he could keep up. ‘And you came here?’ Macaque nodded. ‘And had a chat? And…’ he paused, catching up to the realisation in time with a surge of hurt, of panic. Of anger. He turned back to Sandy, his tail starting to puff up as a snarl caught in his throat. ‘This was your fault?’

Sandy blinked in shock, ‘Excuse me?’

‘Macaque’s been off all week,’ Wukong growled, ‘because of you? What did you do?’ The silence between Sandy and Macaque hung heavy in the room. Wukong scowled and jumped to his feet, making the ginger kitten fall from his lap before fleeing. ‘What did you do to Mac?’

Sandy’s hands immediately went up in a motion to surrender while Macaque followed Wukong, shrugging the grey cat off his shoulders in the process, to grab Wukong’s wrist in a bid to keep him at bay. ‘Wukong, stop. He didn’t do anything.’

‘He made you cry!’ Wukong shouted.

‘No he didn’t,’ Macaque hissed. ‘We had a conversation. It was a heavy one. I got upset.’

Wukong snarled, ‘What kind of things is he saying to make you upset like that?’

‘By all the Hells,’ Macaque sighed. ‘Stop being an idiot for five seconds.’

‘Then tell me what-!’

‘It was a therapy session!’ Macaque shouted. Wukong pulled back, making Macaque sigh. ‘I came here to ask Sandy a question. It turned into a therapy talk. It got heavy. That’s all. He didn’t do anything bad, so stop trying to rip his head off!’ 

Wukong’s heart dropped into his stomach, making him shiver even as his face creased in anger again. ‘You’re meeting Sandy alone for therapy? And you didn’t tell me?’

‘I did it once,’ Macaque said. ‘Just to try it.’

‘Uh huh? And how did that go for you?’ Wukong snarled. Macaque’s brow furrowed, but Wukong wasn’t done. ‘What happened to doing this together?’

‘We are.’

‘How can we when you’re sneaking off for secret therapy?’ Wukong said, gesturing at Sandy for emphasis. ‘How can we when you’re not telling me what’s wrong?’

‘You don’t need to know everything,’ Macaque said.

‘I have been begging for weeks,’ Wukong said, ‘for you to let me help you. The past week I have been dying to ask you what’s wrong, and I’ve been trying so hard to give you space. To be patient. To let you come to me when you’re ready. But this whole time, you decided that you wanted to trust Sandy instead?’

Macaque huffed, ‘Need I remind you that all of this was your idea. You came up with the idea to try therapy. And you suggested we go to Sandy. Now I’m doing that and you’re mad at me?’

‘We’re supposed to do this together!’

‘Guys…’

‘We are!’ Macaque shouted back. ‘We’re doing this together! And I’ve been trying my best with all of this. But clearly I am more broken than you, so it makes sense that I might need a bit more help with it!’

Wukong’s eyes went wide, his nostrils flaring in rage. ‘Who said you’re broken?’

‘No one! It’s obvious!’ Macaque said. ‘I’m the one who nearly drove myself insane over Baby Season! I’m the one with the trust issues that I keep projecting onto everyone else! I’m the one who can’t stop sabotaging all the good stuff in my life because some twisted thought in my head is convinced that I’m going to lose it regardless! So yeah, I’m broken. And it hurts you, and maybe other stuff you’ve got going on hurts you as well. But you are clearly not as messed up as I am.’

Sandy was finally able to cut in, ‘Now guys, we’ve said before that we don’t want to compare ourselves. We are all facing our own battles and problems, and we all need help in different ways.’ 

Macaque stepped back with a huff, but Wukong barely heard him. ‘You’re not broken. You’re not allowed to say that you’re broken.’

‘Then what would you call it?’ Macaque hissed. 

‘Guys,’ Sandy said, ‘please. Remember what we say about high emotions. We want you to be able to listen to each other, but that needs us to be calmer and receptive instead of having these high emotions that make us aggressive or defensive.’

‘Oh here we go,’ Wukong said, ‘time for another breathing exercise, right?’

Macaque scowled, ‘Wukong-’

‘No it’s fine,’ Wukong snarled. ‘The only progress we ever make is when arguments happen, but sure. Let’s get the music on, and then Macaque can start bottling everything up again.’

‘That’s not fair,’ Macaque said. ‘You can’t be mad when I keep quiet and then also be mad when I start trying to talk to people about my problems. It doesn’t work like that.’ 

‘I’m allowed to be upset when you make a promise about something and then go behind my back,’ Wukong snapped. 

Macaque opened his mouth, but closed it again. His scowl didn’t shift, but Wukong watched as he made himself take a deep breath, his shoulders lowering when he slowly let it out. ‘I don’t want to argue,’ Macaque said. ‘And right now anything we say to each other will turn into an argument. So we should stop.’ Wukong blinked in shock, his heart twisting as something frozen ran through him, as Macaque turned and sat back down. Sandy stared at him with an entirely different reaction, his delighted surprise bleeding into pride, while Macaque took another slow breath. ‘I think I need a break from this today,’ he said quietly, letting the grey cat hop back up onto his lap.

Sandy nodded, ‘Of course. We don’t want to push too far too fast. Looking after ourselves is the most important thing.’ He beamed at Macaque, earning a small huff in turn, while Wukong stepped back. ‘If you want, we can just spend this time practising-’

‘I’m not doing this,’ Wukong whispered. ‘You can do what you want. But I’m not going to sit here and pretend that everything is okay after all of that.’ 

Without another word Wukong stormed away from Sandy and Macaque, almost ripping the door of its hinges with how roughly he yanked it open, slamming it hard enough to make the windows in the ship all shake in their frames. Macaque slumped, his face falling into his hands, as Sandy winced at the ring of the glass in the windows. Silence fell over them quickly, aside from the calls and chirps of the cats that were around. The grey cat was still on Macaque’s lap, curling up to start purring in earnest, but Macaque didn’t pay it any attention. Instead he was frozen in place, hunched over with his face still in his hands. His ears twitched as the whistle of Wukong’s nimbus cloud got quieter and quieter, beelining in the direction of home. He didn’t pay any attention to the scrape of Sandy’s chair as he got up, or the soft mewl from the grey cat as Sandy came to join them on the couch.

‘Ma-quack?’ Sandy said quietly. ‘I appreciate that you are hurting, but I just want to say. I am so proud of you right now.’

Macaque laughed coldly, finally moving enough so that he could peek up at Sandy with eyes already glistening with unshed tears. ‘Why? I messed up, again.’

Sandy shook his head, ‘Maybe you made a mistake, or maybe you didn’t. But what you definitely did was regulate yourself. Stepping back from an argument like that, well I’ve never seen that from you before. All these lessons we’ve been having, I just saw you use them all in one fell swoop. You recognised a harmful behaviour and were able to correct it, you realised what you needed in the moment for your own health, and then you were able to tell us what you needed, all while actively centering yourself.’ Sandy beamed at him, bringing a large hand up to gently rest against Macaque’s back in an encouraging way. ‘You did brilliantly. And I’m so proud of you.’

For once, Wukong didn’t want to see Macaque. Didn’t want to find him, didn’t want Macaque to follow him home. Didn’t want anything from the shadow monkey. In fact, he didn’t want to see anyone. When his phone buzzed he ignored it, when some of the other monkeys came poking around he hid in his shack. He was two steps away from hiding from his nest in fact. But his TV promised some level of distraction at least. So that was what he did instead. Watching reruns of Monkey Cop again, with no plans to move from the couch. And why would he need to? He had all the peach chips in his house stacked on the table, along with various cans of soda to wash it down. He had pillows, and blankets, and all the mind numbing TV he could want. He missed when night came, the room darkening until the only light came from the screen while he reached for his snacks blindly . 

And that was where he stayed, sprawled out on his couch in the dark. Until there was a knock at the door, so sudden it made Wukong almost break the couch with how violently he jumped. The chip bag he had been eating from flew into the air as he scrambled to sit up, staring at the door with his tail twitching nervously. Who the hell did he know who would bother him at this time? And who would knock while doing it? A second rap came, one that sounded more anxious, and suddenly Wukong was up. He switched on a lamp, flooding the room with a soft glow as he padded to the door. He had just enough time and sense to dust the crumbs from his mouth and front before pulling the door open, not afraid to hide his confused frown. That turned into an irritated scowl when he saw the familiar black fur and dark purple hoodie. ‘Why are you knocking?’ he said.

Macaque glanced up sheepishly, ‘Can I come in?’

Wukong sighed, ‘Do whatever you want. It’s what you normally do.’ He stepped away from the door, leaving it open for Macaque to follow and close it behind him. He didn’t watch what Macaque did, he was too busy cleaning up the spilled chips in a half baked attempt to salvage them. ‘I’m not done with the TV, and I’m not going to turn it down, so if you’re planning to sleep-’

‘Can we talk?’ Macaque’s voice was oddly quiet, and in normal circumstances it would raise Wukong’s hackles and make him worried all over again. But right now all it did was make Wukong roll his eyes. ‘If it’s too late now, then I get it. But if not…’

‘Oh, so now you want to talk,’ Wukong sneered. ‘Great. Good for you. What about?’

Macaque sighed, looking at how Wukong would rather bend to pick up every stray chip individually instead of turning to look at him while talking. ‘It…I would like to apologise. But we promised we weren’t going to say sorry to each other anymore. Unless…you want me to...’

Wukong stilled, his tail curling in agitation. ‘Just say what you want to say, Mac. Or don’t. I don’t care.’

Macaque cringed. He faltered once, twice, all while Wukong continued to move around and pretend to clean instead of looking at him. ‘You were right.’

His voice was quiet. Over the sound of the TV it was almost too quiet, in fact. But it was clear Wukong heard it by his sudden flinch. He spun around, mouth open in shock as he stared at Macaque. ‘What did you just say?’ he whispered.

Macaque licked his lips, letting out a breath slowly. ‘You were right. I should have told you sooner, about the chat with Sandy. We promised we would work on things together, and…I didn’t mean to hurt you with that. It wasn’t fair to you.’

For a moment Wukong’s shoulders slumped. For a moment the rubbish he had been collecting fell out of his hands. For a moment the words shivered against him, making something pang in his chest. And then it iced over, turning into something hard as Wukong scoffed. In the moment all the lessons that he had learned from Sandy, from his Master, from MK, even from Macaque himself, none of them mattered. None of them were even remembered. All he could think of was how hurt he was. How the past weeks and months he had given everything to try and rebuild this relationship and he had nothing to show for it. Suddenly he didn’t care about consequences. He was hurting, and he needed it to stop. He didn’t care how. 

‘Wow,’ Wukong said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, ‘and here I thought I’d never hear those words from your mouth. You know, because you’re the smart one who always knows everything.’ 

Macaque wilted, ‘Really? You’re not done fighting about this?’ 

‘Oh don’t act like you’re innocent,’ Wukong said. ‘This all started because you were going behind my back, remember?’

Macaque cringed, clearly biting back a reaction, ‘And I just said that was wrong of me. If you want me to apologise-’

‘The apology falls flat if I have to ask for it,’ Wukong sneered.

Macaque faltered, finally scowling as his own hackles raised. ‘I only said that because we agreed that we wouldn’t say the word sorry anymore. Because we were saying it too much.’ Wukong simply shrugged at that, making Macaque grind his teeth together. ‘I get that I screwed up? But that doesn’t mean I deserve the Ass King treatment.’

‘Oh I see,’ Wukong said. ‘So you can treat me like a punching bag, but the second I stop playing nice you get your feelings hurt?’

‘What the hell are you talking about?’

‘I have done so much to try and help you,’ Wukong snapped. ‘And you can’t even respect me enough to keep me in the loop and tell me what’s wrong. I still don’t know what Sandy did to make you mope for a whole week…’

Macaque’s expression darkened, ‘Mope?’

‘And that’s a whole separate thing to the fact that you didn’t tell me you suddenly decided to try personal therapy.’

‘One,’ Macaque growled, ‘that is none of your business.’

‘How is it none-’

‘And two,’ Macaque said, barrelling right over Wukong, ‘I didn’t plan any of that. Sandy didn’t plan any of that. One minute he’s teaching me how to build an engine, the next we’re having an impromptu therapy talk.’

‘How do you do that by accident?’

Because it’s Sandy,’ Macaque snapped. ‘The guy could make Li Jing spill his guts out on that couch if he had the chance.’

Wukong suddenly startled, going pale with a terrifying thought. Did Macaque spill his guts? What about? What did Sandy now know about him? ‘Wait, what did you tell him?’

Macaque rolled his eyes. ‘Only the safe stuff.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘What do you take me for?’ Macaque said incredulously. ‘Everything I said he either already knew or it’s in the book.’

Any relief Wukong felt at that was overshadowed by the rest of his frustrations bubbling to the surface all at once. ‘What happened to “I don’t want anyone to know my business?” Or does that only apply to me now?’

Macaque cringed and looked away, ‘Well maybe I was wrong about that too.’

Wukong’s mouth fell open. ‘Oh my stars! Praise the Heavens! A miracle has happened. We need to mark this on the calendar.’

Macaque rolled his eyes and turned to the door, ‘Forget it. If you’re not going to do this-’

‘Hey,’ Wukong snapped. ‘I thought you wanted to talk. So come on, let's talk.’

‘Well are you going to shut up and listen or are you going to keep being a jerk?’

‘What’s the matter?’ Wukong sneered. ‘Want to take it in turns? Shall we pick out a talking pillow so I can let you dance around everything again without being called out?’

‘Stop it,’ Macaque winced.

‘No, no, I mean it,’ Wukong said. ‘Let’s do this like Sandy does it, seeing as he knows everything and always knows exactly how to practice “healthy communication” without any issues. Come on, let’s pick something out. And then I can bare my heart again while you refuse to say a single thing that’s wrong with you-’

‘I was grieving!’ Macaque snapped. With words so loud they cut over the TV that was still blaring with some sort of cop car chase. The words silenced Wukong, making him step back and look at Macaque, finally properly look at him. He had never moved away from the door, which was now all too obvious with the shadow tendrils that were splayed over it, and the shadow clone that had its hand braced on the handle. Ready to pull it open at a moment's notice. Macaque himself was shivering, holding himself in that self soothing way Wukong would catch him doing while asleep. And he was panting, like he had just been going all out in the most deadly fight imaginable. 

He watched Macaque take a shaky breath, not daring to interrupt as Macaque spoke much quieter now. ‘I never actually did that. Not without it twisting into something hateful and bitter. Not without wanting to take my pain out on the whole world. All this time and…and I never…’

Wukong couldn’t help himself. The question slipped out without him even thinking about it. ‘How?’

‘What do you mean how?’ Macaque snapped, but any anger in his tone was drowned out by the heartbreak in his voice. ‘I never had time. I never gave myself the time. I…I couldn’t afford to.’

Wukong slumped, his own anger fizzling away to leave behind something heavy and cloying that sank into him bit by bit. Guilt. ‘Mihou…’

‘I lost you first,’ Macaque continued, his voice thick with unshed tears. ‘And I didn’t grieve that because I was too busy being angry at the fight. And then the Brotherhood turned their backs on me, and I was angry about that. And then Erlang came and….and Sandy called it a genocide. Which is right. He’s right. It was. And I couldn’t even begin to process what Shen did because the rest of the troop needed me.’

Wukong stared at Macaque, the guilt and horror growing until he trembled. He wanted to reach out. To be closer so he could wipe away Mihou’s tears now that they were falling. To try and wipe away every piece of hurt. But he was frozen in place, not even blinking. Letting Macaque carry on uninterrupted.

‘And then I found out you were out of the mountain. And I was already angry and bitter. And you never told me you were free. I had to find out from Peng of all people. So then I went after you, and I died, and…’

‘Mihou,’ Wukong whispered. ‘I’m…’

‘You can’t grieve when you’re dead,’ Macaque whimpered. ‘Not without that place stripping everything out of you. All that anger and rage that I needed, it would have been fed into the void. And I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t give it up. I needed it. I had been angry for so long, I would have been nothing without it.’ 

Wukong’s face creased, his own tears now staining his face mask and catching into his fur. His mouth was open, but no words could come out. There was nothing he could say. Nothing to make it better. Nothing to take Macaque’s pain away. And man, did that realisation make his own guilt feel even worse.

But Macaque wasn’t done. ‘And I never let myself grieve when I came back. Because I still needed that anger, and that hate. But I don’t want to be angry anymore. I don’t…I don’t want to feel this pain anymore. And I don’t want it to happen again. I don’t want to lose anything else.’ Macaque finally met Wukong’s eyes, the two of them seeing each other’s heartbreak plain as day. ‘I’ve lost so much,’ Macaque whispered, barely audible over the TV. ‘We’ve lost so much. I…I don’t…’

Wukong was suddenly a blur. One minute he was staring at Macaque, face red from his own tears, the next he was tackling him so hard the two of them slammed into the door. Without thinking Wukong’s tail came up to turn the lock on the door, while the rest of him held Macaque so close, and so tight. Like he was afraid if he didn’t then Macaque would disappear into shadow. ‘I did it again,’ Wukong whimpered. ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.’ Macaque held him just as tightly, sobbing silently into Wukong’s shoulder. ‘I’m such an idiot,’ Wukong whispered. ‘I promised myself I wouldn’t lash out like that anymore, especially to you, and I knew you were hurting but instead I-’

‘Shut up,’ Macaque hissed. There was no heat in it. Not when Macaque shifted to squeeze Wukong even tighter, tight enough to break ribs if Wukong was anyone else. ‘Shut up. Stop talking.’

‘But-’

‘I don’t care,’ Macaque said. He nuzzled into Wukong’s shoulder, almost muffling his words. ‘I don’t care. I’ll forgive you. I know I will. I just need to know I can stay.’

Wukong felt his heart break all over again, moving to stroke his paw through his Moon’s fur as he desperately nodded. ‘Stay,’ Wukong whimpered. ‘Please. Please don’t leave. Don’t leave me alone again.’

Chapter Text

For a while, it seemed like neither of the monkeys were going to move. Not to turn off the TV, or to tidy. Not even to drag the other to bed. That was until there was a sudden low grumble that made Wukong jump and Macaque stiffen. Wukong finally pulled back enough to look around, trying to work out where that sound had come from. All while Macaque grew more rigid and nervous in his embrace. When Wukong finally turned back to him, he immediately noticed how embarrassed Macaque looked, making Wukong frown. ‘Wait, was that noise you?’

‘No?’

Another rumble immediately sounded in response, making Macaque flinch and Wukong look down. Was…was that Macaque’s stomach? ‘When was the last time you ate?’ Wukong asked.

Macaque shrugged, ‘A while? Maybe? I wasn’t hungry.’ Wukong immediately gave him an unimpressed scowl, and Macaque sighed. ‘I’ll go find some fruit, it’s fine, I…’

‘Shut up,’ Wukong said. Without warning he grabbed Macaque’s hand and dragged him into the living room proper, maneuvering him to the couch before pushing him to sit. Macaque put up no fight, which was both surprising and something Wukong didn’t have the capacity to question. Instead his tail grabbed the remote to turn off the TV while Wukong looked around at the room, his focus zeroing on the kitchenette. ‘I’ve got some leftover noodles, wait here.’

He hurried away from where Macaque sat completely stunned, diving into the kitchen to get to work. The noodles needed to be reheated, and while Wukong had emptied the cupboards for his peach chips he had left pretty much everything else behind. So he gathered together plums, mangos, and a packet of salted crackers that Macaque had started to like as a snack. All of this got set up on the low table, while empty chip packets and crumbs got cleaned away and the untouched peach chips were tidied up enough to make space for Macaque’s food. When Wukong emerged with his final offering, the piping hot bowl of noodles and broth balanced in his hands, he finally looked up at Macaque. The dark monkey had curled himself up in the far corner of the couch, his arms and tail wrapped around his knees so tightly he trembled slightly, while staring at the now black TV screen. Whereas before Wukong had been in a rush to clean and sort out the snacks, he now approached more slowly. Trying to seem calmer than he was. 

He waited until he was sat next to Macaque, his tail brushing against Macaque’s in what he hoped was a comforting way, before he spoke. ‘You will feel better if you eat.’

At first Macaque didn’t respond. Not until Wukong shuffled closer, hoping that the smell of the warm food would encourage him to move. He ended up pressed against Macaque’s form, and he almost immediately felt how Macaque melted against him. As soon as Wukong felt Macaque lean into him his heart fluttered, even as he chuckled. ‘Come on, Mac. I’m not going to feed you, you know?’

Macaque huffed, almost ready to grumble. But he didn’t. Instead he shifted enough to take the bowl and chopsticks, slowly stirring the noodles. When he took his first bite Wukong finally relaxed enough to grab his own food, opening a fresh bag of peach chips to pick at. The two of them ate in silence, their tails curling together without any thought. The air still felt heavy around them, from tensions and emotions that were still unresolved. But it was something that neither of them dared to broach. Not until Macaque’s bowl was empty and he was swapping it for a large, ripe plum. It was only then that Wukong dared to wrap an arm around Macaque again, which turned into two when Macaque immediately twisted to bury himself in Wukong’s chest again. 

This time, when Wukong asked him about what had happened with Sandy, Macaque told him everything. He repeated what Sandy said about the differences between personal therapy and therapy together, about how the trial session went, what Macaque had told him and how Sandy had acted with it. He described how it felt to have Sandy recontextualise the parts of his life he knew about, how it left him reeling, but validated, but it also somehow tore open those old wounds and made him feel them just as keenly as when everything first happened. And then he got to the aftermath. Of the week avoiding the grove.

‘I wasn’t planning on staying away,’ Macaque said. ‘But every time I came close I kept being reminded of every bad thing that has happened. Not just the things that happened to me, but the things that I did. The pain that I felt and that I caused. And then I would think about how life was before I lost you and…and then I would have to leave.’

Wukong nodded. Now he knew it all, he thought he could get it now. ‘It sounds like a lot.’ Macaque nodded. ‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner?’

Macaque sighed, ‘Because you seemed so…fine. When I saw you it was with MK, or you were letting the young ones play on you, or you were painting. I kept seeing you, and you looked so…content. I guess I didn’t want to drag the mood down.’

Wukong squeezed him tighter at that. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he whispered. ‘No good mood I’m in is going to be more important than making sure you’re okay.’

‘But that’s the thing,’ Macaque said. ‘If I had told you, you would have tried to fix it. And you can’t fix this one.’

‘Watch me,’ Wukong said with a huff.

‘You can’t fix my emotions for me,’ Macaque said. ‘Feeling them, and processing them. That is something I have to do. You can’t do it for me.’

Wukong scowled. Did he have to make so much sense right now? ‘That doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.’

Macaque opened his mouth, and then faltered. ‘I know. But you already do too much.’

Wukong shook his head, ‘I like making sure you’re okay. And if there’s something I can help with then I want to. I am the King after all.’

‘And who does that for you?’ Macaque said. Wukong stilled, every fibre in his being actively fighting against the urge to tighten his grip on Macaque’s form. He felt Macaque nuzzle against him, making him squeeze his eyes closed while Macaque continued. ‘You might be okay more often than I am, but I know that you struggle too. Your nightmares aren’t getting any better, and I know there are days you are still scared about something bad happening to MK.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Wukong whispered.

‘Your texts to Pigsy say otherwise,’ Macaque said. Wukong huffed and hid his face in Macaque’s mane, prompting Macaque to start stroking through the fur he could reach. ‘You’re allowed to not be okay as well, Wukong. It would be weird if you didn’t ever have problems. But who helps you when you need it if you constantly insist on helping everyone else? I know you want to help me, but you cannot have the energy to do that for literally every minute of every day.’

Wukong wasn’t sure how he bit back the whine in his throat. But he somehow did. ‘I need you to be okay,’ he mumbled. ‘If you’re okay I can deal with everything else.’ Macaque sighed, but Wukong pressed on. ‘Do you remember what you said back then? When I was trapped under the mountain?’

Macaque wilted, ‘I was angry. It was a long time ago, we’re not-’

‘You were right,’ Wukong said. ‘If I hadn’t kept chasing power, if I had stopped and decided I had enough, then so many of those terrible things wouldn’t have happened.’ Macaque opened his mouth to argue, but Wukong carried on. ‘If I hadn’t challenged the Emperor then I’d have never been imprisoned. So the mountain would have never been attacked. So then you wouldn’t have come after me, and we wouldn’t have fought. I…I wouldn’t have killed you. If I had just stopped then.’ Wukong blinked out the tears in his eyes, trying to hold Macaque closer. ‘It was my fault. All of it. And I can’t undo what I did. I can’t take that back. But maybe if I can make things okay for you now, if I can help…’

‘You do,’ Macaque said. Wukong squeezed him tighter, barely holding back the whimper in his voice. ‘But that can’t fix everything for both of us.’

‘Say’s who?’ Wukong whined.

Macaque huffed in amusement. ‘Well for starters, you don’t get to take all the blame here.’ Wukong scowled, but Macaque carried on before he could interrupt. ‘You didn’t make the Emperor imprison you. You didn’t make Erlang attack us. And you didn’t make me attack the pilgrims. And if we’re going back to the fight back under the mountain, well you were the one who was imprisoned. If I hadn’t been so prideful or stubborn, then I could have come back. To try and make things right before they all went wrong.’ Wukong started to shiver at Macaque’s words, failing to stop his own tears from falling. ‘You can’t act like you’re the only one at fault,’ Macaque said. ‘You can’t act like you’re the only one who needs to make amends. And you can’t act like my wellbeing is more important than yours. Especially when you’re hurting as much as I am.’

Wukong tried for a humorous snort, but it sounded more like a sob when it caught in his throat. ‘Oh please,’ he said, ‘I’m Sun Wukong. As if anything could hurt me.’

Perhaps if tears weren’t staining his face and making his voice wobble, his declaration might have been more believable. But then again, with the look Macaque gave him, maybe not. He reached up to brush a hand through Wukong’s mane, his thumb grazing over his forehead and the glamour that hid one of his most prominent scars. ‘Out of everyone in all the Realms,’ Macaque whispered, ‘I know better than anyone that you can be hurt. I’ve seen it enough times, and heard it even more. So don’t you dare try to say otherwise.’ Wukong’s breath hitched, making Macaque move to nuzzle against his face in an effort to comfort him. He almost flinched at the faint metallic smell that mixed with the now comforting scent of earth and peaches, but persisted by leaning even closer. ‘You want me to be okay? And to not be hurting? Fine. But I don’t want to see you hurt either.’

Wukong shook his head, his grip on Macaque tightening as he squeezed his eyes shut against the tears that refused to stop. He didn’t notice falling through the shadow portal until he landed on something bouncy, the scent and softness of the bed wrapping around the two of them. Like this Wukong could hug Macaque with his whole body, his arms and legs tight around the shadow monkey while shadow clones stretched out across the bed, grabbing pillows and blankets, with some stretching out past the bedroom to retrieve the food left behind. 

Before long the two of them were coccooned in blankets and each other, Macaque cooing gently as he ran his paws through Wukong’s mane. The pile of fruit, chips and crackers were laid out on one of the bedside tables, barely visible in the darkness now that the lights were off and curtains closed. And for now abandoned while the monkeys were so wrapped up in each other. Wukong’s sobs had managed to subside and Macaque had wiped away both of their tears, leaving them both quiet and still. Macaque, for his part, looked to be three shades away from sleep. But Wukong was too tense for that. His tail kept twitching under the blankets, his brow furrowed, his fists tight in Macaque’s hoodie. But he still kept quiet, trying to at least leave Macaque to sleep.

Macaque, however, wouldn’t let him. ‘I can hear you fretting.’

Wukong sighed. ‘I did it again.’

‘Did what?’

‘You were upset,’ Wukong said. ‘But I made it about me again. I should be comforting you, not the other way around.’

‘You did,’ Macaque mumbled. ‘You made me noodles.’

‘Leftover noodles,’ Wukong scowled. ‘That doesn’t count.’

‘Sure it does. And you got me my crackers.’

‘Mac-’

Macaque sighed, opening his eyes to look at Wukong again. ‘We are allowed to help each other. Which means, I’m allowed to help you too.’

Wukong frowned, ‘That’s not the point.’

‘Yes it is,’ Macaque said. ‘Yes I was upset. But so were you. Why else would you pick a fight like that?’ 

Wukong pouted, hiding his face in Macaque’s chest. ‘I still shouldn’t have treated you like that. And I was sulking, you actually needed help.’

Macaque stayed silent for a moment, combing his fingers through Wukong’s fur again. ‘You’re not going to drop this,’ he muttered. ‘Alright, fine.’

Macaque shifted, making Wukong look up in confusion. ‘What? What are you doing?’

Macaque slowly sat up, drawing one of the blankets around himself as he turned on the nearby lamp. Wukong squinted against the sudden light, peeking enough to see Macaque turn to look at him pointedly. ‘What would count as you helping me right now?’

Wukong stared at Macaque in surprise, scrabbling to sit up as well as his mind suddenly reeled with options. He had already gotten Macaque food, which had been eaten, and they were in their nest. Their comfortable, warm nest that was as safe as Wukong could make it. Could it be made safer? Maybe Wukong should ward the shack to help with that. But that wasn’t something to do in the middle of the night. He scratched at the back of his neck in thought, trying to think even as his head still tingled from where Macaque had been petting him. Suddenly the idea hit him all at once. Something he had been wanting to do for weeks. He just hadn’t known how to bring it up. ‘Can I help with your grooming?’ Wukong asked.

Macaque raised a curious eyebrow, running a hand through his mane. ‘Do I look like that much of a mess?’

‘Not like that,’ Wukong said. ‘I mean, you look fine. But when was the last time someone had groomed you?’

‘The little ones do a fair bit,’ Macaque said, a bite to his tone now. ‘Whether I want them to or not.’

Wukong snorted, ‘Alright. Well when was the last time someone was gentle while they groomed you?’

Macaque thought for a moment, then shrugged. ‘Sure. Now? Or should we sleep first?’

Wukong swallowed. It was late. They should sleep. But at the same time, there was an itch in his fingers now. One that begged for him to run his hands through that jet black fur. Wukong managed a small smirk despite his lingering mood, ‘Bet I can get you to fall asleep while grooming you.’

Macaque huffed in amusement, ‘I’ll take that bet.’ He shrugged off the blanket, shifting on the bed so that Wukong could comfortably sit behind him. ‘What do I win when I stay awake through this whole grooming ritual of yours?’

Wukong hummed as he moved into position, carefully testing Macaque’s mane with his fingers. ‘You…can see my sketch book,’ he said. ‘But when I win, I get to read that new play you're writing.’

‘You’re on,’ Macaque smirked.

Normally, the giddy and excited energy bubbling through Wukong would make him charge through and dive into whatever his current goal was, regardless of the context. But this time, it ran through his body as he knelt into the right position, shuffling closer so Macaque was almost flush against him. But the second his claws started to gently comb through Macaque’s fur to pick out the dirt and ease out the knots, that giddiness immediately shifted into something softer. Something that made this moment feel even more precious than it was as Wukong started to carefully go over Macaque’s mane, inch by inch. Quickly Macaque was humming, a content trill slipping out now and then that made Wukong feel like he was glowing. He should have done this sooner. He knew how soft Macaque’s fur could be, but feeling it practically turn into silk with his attention was something else entirely. Something he once knew, but had almost forgotten. A part of his mind drifted back through old memories of when he would do this often, when their laughter was easier, more innocent. When Macaque’s smiles were kind and frequent. He turned to the fur around Macaque’s ears, careful to not disturb the sensitive, velvet soft appendages. They flicked against his gentle touch, and Wukong was suddenly struck with the days where Macaque would let him touch them freely, where Wukong would beg to see all six of the ears unglamoured so he could admire how pretty they were. Such precious moments. That he had taken for granted at the time. Wukong turned to another section, diligent in his efforts even as a sharp and heavy feeling sliced through him. He had taken so much for granted. Back when he was young. So many moments and days where everything was peaceful except for the trouble and fun he made. Even something like this he had never fully appreciated back then. Instead, he had assumed that it was something that he would never lose. That he would have it forever. His mountain, his Court. His Moon. 

The urge to hold Macaque again was so sudden and strong, he couldn’t fight it even if he wanted to. His arms wrapped around Macaque’s shoulders, pulling him tight against Wukong’s chest. Macaque stayed fully relaxed, eyes closed as a smile ghosted over his lips. He felt Wukong nuzzle into his mane, making him chuckle. ‘Done already?’ Wukong huffed, making Macaque grin in earnest. ‘Does that mean I win the bet?’

‘I don’t want you to avoid the grove,’ Wukong whispered. The light humour around Macaque immediately vanished along with his smile, and he couldn’t help but sigh. ‘I know you can’t be here all the time,’ Wukong said. ‘But this place should be your home. But if you are avoiding it...’

‘It’s your grove,’ Macaque said quietly.

‘It’s our grove,’ Wukong said. ‘It has our nest, and our shack. It has my art supplies and your journals, my peaches and your crackers. It’s ours. All of it.’ Macaque slumped, letting Wukong take his weight. ‘But it doesn’t feel like that if you’re avoiding the place.’

‘I didn’t avoid the nest,’ Macaque whispered. ‘I came back every night.’

‘I know,’ Wukong said. His embrace tightened, making Macaque twist enough to nuzzle back against his face. ‘But this whole grove should be your home. I want it to feel like home for you.’ Wukong’s eyes widened as he realised what he said. That was it. The wrong feeling he had. He had finally put it into words. ‘I want the whole mountain to feel like home for you,’ Wukong whispered. ‘I want it to feel safe, and warm, and everything else it should. And if it doesn’t then…then I need to fix that.’

Macaque frowned, ‘That’s not on you to “fix.” That isn’t something I think you even can fix.’

Wukong shook his head, ‘No, no I have to.’

‘Why? Why does it have to be you?’

‘Because,’ Wukong faltered, swallowing against the sudden rush of nerves that tried to choke him and make him stumble over his words. ‘Because this place doesn’t feel like home without you. It…it isn’t home. When you’re gone.’

The silence hung heavy between them. Wukong for his part had squeezed his eyes closed and was hiding his flushed face in Macaque’s shoulder. Right in the blind spot of his bad eye. In normal circumstances Macaque might give a sharp comment on that, but he was too stunned by Wukong’s confession. When he finally moved, it prompted Wukong to tighten his grip and whine slightly. But Macaque persisted, slowly but stubbornly turning until he could see Wukong.

‘What do you mean?’ Wukong looked up at the quiet, hoarse voice. Macaque had done his best to school his expression, but he couldn’t hide the crack of emotional turmoil in his voice. ‘What…does that mean? I mean, you can’t need me here that badly.’

Wukong had to squeeze his eyes shut again. The truth bubbled in his chest, making his heart pound so violently he was sure Macaque could hear it. Some hysterical part of him wondered if Macaque could read his feelings in the pace of his heart, in every unsteady breath his presence caused. But that wasn’t enough for him to admit to the truth. Even if he was Sun Wukong, Great Sage Equal to Heaven. He had never been brave enough to say that. ‘You’re my oldest friend,’ he managed to whisper. ‘My brother.’ He didn’t dare look at Macaque, so he missed the flash of pain across Macaque’s face, the slight quiver in his chin as he tried to blink back a fresh wave of tears. ‘And I need you. When you’re not here, the world feels wrong. Like something important is missing.’

Macaque sighed, ‘Like your shadow?’

More like my heart. ‘More like an arm,’ Wukong said. ‘Everything feels off, I’m off balance. And there’s a memory that my arm used to be there. I can still feel what it used to feel like. And it hurts, like there’s an ache I can’t shift.’

Macaque managed to compose himself enough to raise an amused eyebrow. ‘Are you trying to claim that missing me is like phantom limb pain?’ 

Wukong tried to pout at the humour in Macaque’s voice, but he couldn’t. Not when Macaque’s tail curled up playfully to tease him, and not when he felt the shiver of laughter roll through Macaque’s chest. He loved hearing Macaque laugh. He didn’t hear it enough now. But instead of focusing on that (or maybe because of it) he made himself huff. ‘Don’t laugh, I’m being serious.’

Macaque couldn’t hold the laughter back at that. The sound filled the room, wrapping around Wukong to make him smirk despite himself. ‘You’re ridiculous,’ Macaque said. ‘Oh Gods, you’d be insufferable if you only had one arm.’

‘Hey!’

‘What? I’m not wrong! You wouldn’t be able to fight properly, you couldn’t hoard anywhere near as many peaches-’

‘Who says I couldn’t fight with one arm?!’ Wukong shouted. ‘I absolutely could! And still kick everyone's butts!’

‘And the peaches?’

‘I’d recruit Nimbus to help,’ Wukong said matter of factly. He would turn away to pout properly, but that would require him to let go of Macaque. And he could still feel Macaque’s laughter run through his shoulders and chest and into Wukong’s core, shaking loose all the raw and aching emotions he normally didn’t look at. He wanted to ignore them, but he could feel them making tears prick at his eyes, and made him hold Macaque tighter. 

Macaque’s laughter faltered as he saw the new cloud of emotion pass over the golden monkey. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘I’ve missed this,’ Wukong whispered. ‘The talking, and teasing, and jokes. Staying up late eating food and planning pranks. We don’t really do that anymore.’

Macaque’s shoulders sank, and he looked at Wukong in understanding. ‘That’s what the past week has been like,’ he said. ‘The smallest thing suddenly reminds me of the old days, or something bad. And then my mood sours, and then the thoughts spiral, and…’ he sighed, grabbing Wukong’s tail that was curling against him to start gently grooming it. Wukong opened his mouth to try and respond, but there was nothing he could say. Nothing that hadn’t already been said. So he stayed silent, expecting the conversation to end until the morning. Only Macaque managed to find something else to say. ‘It doesn’t always feel like that,’ he whispered. ‘Sometimes the mountain does feel safe, and peaceful. Sometimes it even does in the grove.’ 

Wukong immediately perked up at that, even managing a small smile, ‘Wait, really?’ Macaque nodded, making him beam in earnest. ‘Well that’s great. We just need to work out what’s going on when you feel like that and then do it more.’

Macaque shook his head, ‘It’s not that simple.’

‘Sure it is.’

‘It’s been harder since last week,’ Macaque said. ‘Whatever old wounds I ripped open again need time to heal. And until then it’s not easy to be here. There’s nothing wrong with the mountain, or the grove. It’s me.’

Just as easily as Wukong’s smile came, a fresh scowl now creased his face. ‘Well that won’t do.’

‘Maybe not,’ Macaque sighed. ‘But there’s no way to fix it. I need time. I need to process whatever pain and emotions these are. I need to grieve, actually grieve, without letting it turn me hateful again.’

Wukong hummed, mulling it over in his mind. Grief. He had dealt with grief before. And he had managed to cope with it. At least, a lot of his grief didn’t sting as keenly anymore, turning into a quieter ache that would flare up at an anniversary, or when he saw Tang’s book or art of the Journey. But how did he deal with it?

‘Maybe going to a shrine would help?’ Wukong said. He looked up in time to see Macaque glance at him, his silent question evident on his face. ‘What? You know, a shrine. Like the humans do.’

‘What for?’ Macaque said.

‘They use them to pray,’ Wukong said.

‘I know that,’ Macaque said. ‘What would praying to the gods do?’

‘Oh no,’ Wukong said, ‘I was thinking of one of the ancestral ones. Where they honour the dead.’ Wukong looked away, deep in thought, and missed the grave look dawning on Macaque’s face. ‘I know there’s a big one in the city. Never been myself, and it would be weird to go without having people or monkeys there to honour. But it might be worth a shot to try once? I mean, we could skip that and just build one here, but we’d have to make it so the young ones can’t break it. And if we were offering incense then we need to be careful to not start any fires or burn any curious paws. But if you wanted to try it as a concept then we could go to the city first, see how it goes?’ He finally looked back at Macaque, and startled at the fresh tears falling down his face. ‘Mac? What? What happened?’

‘We…we can do that?’ Macaque said. ‘A…a shrine for the dead?’

Wukong frowned, ‘Of course. We can do whatever we want.’ Macaque squeezed his eyes shut, turning to pin Wukong in a tight hug. The sudden movement made the two of them topple and fall into the pillows, but they barely noticed. Wukong was too busy staring at Macaque, his brief alarm quickly turning into understanding. ‘Do you want a shrine in the grove?’ Macaque nodded, burying his face into Wukong’s chest to muffle his sad chirps and whimpers. ‘Will that help?’ Macaque nodded again, stilling only when Wukong started to brush fingers through his fur again. ‘Okay,’ Wukong whispered. ‘We can do that. We can absolutely do that.’ Maybe he should have done that sooner. Maybe the other elders would appreciate such a concept too. But he stopped that train of thought before his dwelling could turn into something darker. There was no point thinking about that. Besides, he was doing it now. And perhaps Macaque building the shrine would help as much as the shrine itself. Maybe. He hoped. 

Chapter Text

The two monkeys did visit the City’s ancestral hall in the end. Only once, and not to pray. Instead they went for “field research,” as Wukong called it with his typical excitable energy back in place while they both prepared their glamours for the trip. Macaque was a lot more sombre when they entered, looking about at the ornate building and the regal decorations. Only the best for the ancestors, of course. The hall was quiet, even with people passing back and forth around them. Wukong immediately started to admire the artwork on the walls, while Macaque tried to not notice the whispers going on throughout the building. Those weren’t for him after all. Instead he made his way through, reading the various inscriptions on the walls, until the two of them started to come towards the main altars. They could tell the age of the stones by their wear and colour, and Macaque could see the number of different hands that had added names and deeds over the centuries. But while Macaque stared at those, Wukong's attention turned to the offerings people were leaving. Incense was being lit, the smoking perfume curling through the air, while others were leaving small plates of food on the altars as part of their prayers. Wukong watched, gears already turning on how to replicate that for their own shrine. Food was in enough abundance that it wouldn’t be a problem, even if the young monkeys stole the offerings at all. But the incense was another problem entirely. He supposed that they didn’t have to do that, after all it was a very human custom. But when he remembered performing these ceremonies with Master Tripitaka and the others, he had to admit that it did help. It became a ritual, where every action in it had meaning and purpose. And that helped. But no ritual was worth harming the forest again, or the monkeys in it. Even by accident. 

It was something that Wukong continued to think on while Macaque started to plan out a shrine in earnest. During the day he would scout out good spots in the mountain and trees, and at night he wrote plans. Names of the immortal monkeys and demons that fell. Noting suggestions of how to honour the unnamed monkeys that had been lost. They had no names for any stones after all, but they needed to be remembered and honoured just the same. It was when Macaque wanted to work out how to style the stones with the names, and Wukong had to admit his knowledge of safe fire enchantments was lacking, that they both came to the same conclusion; this wasn’t going to be something they would be able to do alone. 

The second that MK found out what they were planning he was chomping at the bit to help. Mei, of course, was half a step behind him (and insisted it had nothing to do with wanting to meet more of the monkey troop). Sandy was absolutely more than willing to assist, and the promise of learning potential untold historical moments had Tang appearing in record time, with Pigsy not far behind. Wukong and Sandy started by picking up the task of scoping out areas to lay out the shrine, while also picking out some large stones appropriate to have the names carved on. MK, Pigsy and Mei led on preparing the stones, chipping at them until the sides were smooth enough to take the carvings of the various names and deeds. Deeds that Macaque had already written out on various lists, with Wukong helping with reciting some of his favourite tales by the various members of the troop and Court. But transferring them onto the stone was another thing entirely. 

Macaque’s original plan had been to paint the words onto the stone, and then carve them in properly with a chisel so that they could last. But he was only halfway through painting the deed of the third name on the stone when the tremble in his hands made him drop his brush. Part of him didn’t want to start crying around the others, even if it was from something they would completely understand. But when Tang picked up the brush in an offer to help he couldn’t stop the silent tears from beginning to fall. Especially when Tang looked at the number of pages Macaque had prepared and his face paled.

‘So many names,’ he whispered, looking at Macaque with a quiet horror. ‘These were…were these really all the monkeys that died in Erlang’s attack?’

Macaque shook his head, ‘These are only the named ones.’ Tang gasped, and Macaque sighed. ‘And they didn’t all die from the attack itself. Some of them died after. From wounds. Or they got ill. Or because…we didn’t have enough food. Some were taken by poachers, and…’

Tang’s face creased in pain. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said, tears gathering in his eyes that held a golden glow. ‘I…the book never really shows what happened like this.’

‘I know,’ Macaque muttered. ‘It leaves quite a bit out.’

Tang didn’t try to say anything else at that. Instead he wiped away the tears before they could fall, gathering the brush and paint to start carefully and diligently adding every last character and name Macaque had given him. 

Carving the names took everyone. There were multiple stones to work on, and everyone was being more careful than normal to not break the stone itself. Sandy armed everyone with tea and blankets, while Pigsy kept everyone’s strength up with food he kept cooking up over multiple days. Nearly all of them had cried at least once by the end of the ordeal, but no one had let anyone cry alone. The elder mothers came to investigate more than once, their growing cubs clinging to their backs to make MK and Mei fawn over the cuteness. Sandy often shared quiet words with Macaque, while Tang presented enchantments he had found to create a fire that would snuff out the moment it spread past a certain circle. Something Wukong and Tang took over testing to make sure that the spell worked perfectly. 

It was weird to celebrate when the stones were done. But when they were and everyone was moving them to the copse of trees that had been chosen to be the shrine, Macaque couldn’t help but smile slightly. Yes, the monkeys were still gone. Just as dead as they had been for centuries. But seeing their names written in stone that would last as long as the mountain itself, it shifted the ache in his chest. Made some of the weight and guilt begin to lift off his shoulders even as his heart ached. He ended up carrying one of the stones, with Wukong carrying two, and MK a fourth. Sandy followed with the table that would be turned into their altar, with Mei, Tang and Pigsy bringing the rest of the supplies. Decorations to hang from the trees, incense for the table, a basket of fruit to lay out as offerings. The silence was heavy around everyone as they moved through the copse, to the small overhang in the mountain to act as a shelter for the altar itself. And the quiet continued as they set up the supplies. The table went up, with Tang and Pigsy arranging the decorations and incense holders. While Sandy, Wukong, MK and Mei placed the stones where they were needed and got to decorating the trees. But once Macaque’s stone was in place he disappeared. Not for good, thankfully. But because there was one final thing a shrine on Flower Fruit Mountain needed. And he knew the perfect person to help them with it.

‘Wow!’ Macaque smirked at the delighted gasp, watching the young girl skip out of the portal and onto the idyllic beach. She giggled as she looked from the sand to the nearby trees and vines, and beyond to the mountain peaks stretching above the canopy. ‘This place is beautiful.’

Macaque shrugged. ‘Yeah, it’s not bad.’

Bai He turned to him with a bright grin. ‘And you live here?’

Macaque nodded and pointed towards the mountain. ‘Past the waterfall, through the temple and into Monkey King’s grove.’ He looked at her, smiling at how her eyes shone in wonder. ‘Now, do you want to take the shortcut or the scenic route?’

‘Is the scenic route through the jungle?’ Bai He said excitedly. ‘Because yes. I want to do that one. I want to see everything!’

Macaque chuckled, ‘You got it.’

The second they stepped into the jungle Bai He paused, her eyes widening as a soft green glow began to shine from her core. Deeper in colour than Mei’s jade dragon, and one that carried a soft warmth with it. ‘Whoa,’ she whispered, her power gathering in her hands as one raised to touch a nearby tree.

‘You okay?’ Macaque said.

Bai He nodded, looking around in awe. ‘Yeah. Just…I haven’t seen trees this old before. I mean, I know I haven’t seen a lot of trees in the grand scheme of things. And most of them are in the city parks, and my Mum’s backyard. But still. These are…’ she trailed off, turning her attention from the bark to the leaves and vines.

Macaque chuckled, ‘Old?’

‘Ancient,’ Bai He whispered. ‘Like, older than old. Even the leaves feel old, and they never feel old. They fade and fall within a year, but these ones? These feel different.’

Macaque hummed, ‘Odd. They still act like normal trees. Yellowing leaves, flowers turning into fruit.’

‘It must be the roots,’ Bai He said. ‘A good root system can survive anything. You chop down the tree? If the stump is there and the roots can be fed then they can grow right back.’ She paused, suddenly looking at Macaque awkwardly. ‘You knew that. I don’t need to tell you that. Sorry.’

Macaque gave her a gentle smile. ‘Don’t worry about it. Honestly? It’s reassuring to hear after everything.’

Bai He sobered up slightly. ‘Right. The uh…shrine you’re making.’ She watched Macaque carefully, partly out of nervousness but also out of worry. ‘Did you want to talk about that? I mean, I can guess why you’re making one, but…’

Macaque shrugged, ‘We don’t have to. It was a long time ago.’ Bai He didn’t argue, but she also didn’t stop staring at Macaque in worry, making him sigh. ‘What do you know about the Journey to the West?’

‘Only what MK and Mr Tang have told me,’ Bai He said. ‘My teacher at school tried to teach us some parts? But then all the boys started trying to act out all the fights Monkey King did. And that didn’t end well. So the book went away again.’

Macaque nodded in understanding, but didn’t respond at first. They continued to walk through the forest instead, Bai He acting like she was silently greeting every tree she passed, while Macaque looked around at the blooming flowers and the monkeys following in the high branches. They were nearly at the waterfall when Macaque finally spoke. ‘There was an attack,’ he said quietly. ‘Someone….tried to burn down the mountain.’ Bai He looked at him sadly, but there was no shock in her expression, making Macaque raise an eyebrow. ‘I expected you to be more surprised.’

Bai He shrugged, ‘I mean, the trees…’

Macaque snorted, ‘Wait, the trees talk to you?’

‘Don’t be silly,’ Bai He said, ‘trees don’t talk.’ Macaque watched her in amusement while she laid her hand on a nearby tree. ‘They remember though. Not like we do, but they remember things.’

‘And you can see what they remember now?’ Bai He nodded, and Macaque couldn’t help but frown. ‘So…they showed you the fire?’

‘Kind of,’ Bai He said. ‘Impressions of it, mostly. For them it was a really long time ago. Like, a really really really long time. They’ve grown a lot since then. And healed too.’ 

Macaque huffed, ‘Well it’s lucky for some.’ 

‘They remember things different,’ Bai He said. ‘They’ll remember when a tree falls, but then they’ll remember the new ones that grow in its place. But…well people aren’t like that.’ Bai He looked at Macaque again, sadly this time. ‘I would imagine that losing the monkeys in your gang-’

‘Troop,’ Macaque whispered. ‘It’s called a troop.’

‘Sorry,’ Bai He said. ‘But, I bet that losing monkeys in your troop is a lot like losing your family. And not at all like trees losing other trees.’ 

Macaque didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. Not with the somber look on his face. Instead he rounded a final bend in the trees to lead Bai He to the river up to the waterfall. 

All conversation had to stop at that point. While Macaque had no problem with stepping over the wet river stones to approach the waterfall, Bai He needed a lot more help to balance. The two of them slowly hopscotched over the stones, Bai He concentrating intently on her footing while Macaque’s senses were fully trained on her. He couldn’t have her slipping after all. So it wasn’t until they were close enough to feel the mist from the waterfall that the two of them looked up, Bai He with excitement at first and Macaque with a small smile. But they both switched to matching looks of confusion when they saw that they weren’t alone.

‘Wukong?’

The Monkey King turned around at Macaque's voice, the pensive expression immediately breaking into a grin. ‘I knew it. You know, I just had a hunch.’

Bai He drew closer to Macaque unconsciously, both in confusion and trepidation at facing Wukong so closely. Macaque however sighed, ‘What happened to setting up the shrine?’

‘It’s done’ Wukong said. ‘Jangles is just testing the fire safety wards and then we're good to go. And when you and Bai He didn’t shadow portal straight to the grove, I figured you were giving her a tour.’

Macaque bristled, ‘So what if I was?’

‘Uh huh,’ Wukong said. ‘And uh…how were you going to get past the waterfall? Only the Monkey King can.’

‘Shadow. Like I always do.’

Wukong smirked and looked at Bai He, ‘Want to see the proper deal, kid?’

Bai He looked between Wukong and Macaque uncertainly, ‘I uh…I don’t mind. Mr Monkey King sir.’

‘Really? Is now the time to show off?’ Macaque said.

Wukong snorted, ‘When is it not the time to show off?’ Without waiting for an answer he spun on the spot and raised his hand, the seal appearing for a moment before responding to his presence. With a great thundering noise the water began to move, the waterfall parting like a curtain to reveal the ancient caves within. Wukong looked back in time to see Macaque roll his eyes and the shocked awe on Bai He’s face. Wukong grinned, and with a flourish and a bow gestured to the entrance. ‘After you.’

Bai He’s awe didn’t end. Not at the sight of the cave’s elaborate tunnels, the great grand doors to the inner temple, or the path that led her to the grove beyond. Wukong looked more than a little smug at her reaction, which only made Macaque look more unimpressed at him. Which carried on until they turned towards the newly decorated copse of trees. Immediately Wukong sobered up on the approach, while Bai He began to realise where they were headed and a fresh bout of nerves ran through her. Macaque however turned his attention to the decorations that had been added. Ribbons tied around trunks marked the path to the shrine, with soft chimes now hanging from the branches sang with the stir of the breeze and the shake of monkeys climbing over branches. The chatter from the gang was close, but quiet. Already they were treating this place like a true shrine, trying to honour it appropriately. Macaque tried to not tear up at that, even as they passed a tree and saw the group introducing themselves to the monkey elders that had found their way here. Xue and her cub were sitting on Mei’s shoulder, making her hold her breath in delight so she didn’t squeal and scare her off. Yi was perched on a nearby branch with her cub on her back, chattering in Sandy’s direction as he regarded her with rapt attention. And Huan was holding hers while in MK’s arms and MK was introducing her to Pigsy and Tang. While full monkey himself of course.

Bai He’s eyes widened at the sight of MK while Wukong chuckled, ‘Finally got a chance to size Pigsy up then?’

Huan huffed and looked at Wukong, “The thief is not supposed to be likeable.”

Wukong grinned knowingly, ‘But?’

“He loves Little Prince. And keeps feeding him. He acts like the perfect guardian. How dare he, he’s our cub.”

“My cub, you mean,” Wukong chirped back. “And he might be my cub, but he was Pigsy’s kid first.”

“No. He wasn’t.”

Xue suddenly cooed at the sight of Bai He, pointing towards her with a loud chatter that made Mei turn around and grin. ‘There she is! How’s it hanging, girl?’

‘Uh,’ Bai He said, looking around at everyone while lingering on monkey MK. ‘Okay.’

‘Oh, oops,’ MK winced. ‘I forgot to tell you this bit didn’t I?’

Bai He watched MK’s tail curl nervously, ‘Well…you’ve been busy…’

‘Tell her later,’ Mei said excitedly. ‘Right now is flower time!’

Bai He smiled nervously. ‘Right. Well uh…I do need…I mean….if you have any other clippings of the flowers you want, that will make it a lot easier.’

Macaque went into his hanfu, rummaging through one of his secret pockets before pulling out a small bag. ‘Would seeds do?’

At the sight of the bag Bai He gasped, lighting up immediately as she reached for the bag eagerly. As soon as she had it she opened it, pulling out one of the seeds to inspect. She held it carefully with her thumb and forefinger, while holding it up to the light. ‘Perfect,’ she whispered. ‘These are perfect. Right,’ she turned around, all her nerves vanishing under a new wave of excitement and confidence. ‘Where do you want them?’

MK and Mei immediately took over, guiding Bai He over to each of the stones while describing how the flowers wanted to look. And the more blooms she could make the better, MK explained, as the flowers were going to honour the monkeys who had never been named before they died. Bai He listened intently, nodding along while planting seeds as she went. She didn’t do much. Each seed she planted was pushed into the earth by a single thumb or finger, with no hole or well made. But every time she left behind a small glow of magic. One that didn't fade even as she made her way around the entire shrine. Everyone was watching her just as intently, so much in fact that no one noticed Macaque step away to a nearby tree, or the slight knock of stone on wood as he fiddled with something on some nearby branches. 

He was back before anyone else noticed. And just in time to see Bai He plant the last seed and move into the middle of the small clearing. ‘Alright,’ she said. ‘As big as I can, right?’

‘Safely, please,’ Macaque said. ‘As big as you can safely get. I don’t want you hurting yourself.’

She smiled at him and nodded. ‘I got this. The seeds will be doing most of the heavy lifting.’ Without another word she moved to her knees, her hands already glowing when she placed them on the floor. Her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath. For a moment nothing happened. For two moments, three. And then Wukong saw it. The first seed glowing in earnest. Then another. Then another. Until half of the clearing floor was aglow with Bai He’s warm green energy. She let out the deep breath she had been holding, and suddenly everything moved at once. Shoots shot from the glowing ground. That turned into sprouts. That turned into leaves. The plants all climbed, dancing towards the sky while weaving over the name stones and around trees. When they got to the branches they wrapped around those too, climbing more and more until the canopy above their heads was full of them. All white blooms of various types, stretching for the sun and carrying that green glow with them. 

Everyone stared at the spectacle completely breathless, wearing various looks of wonder and joy at the sight. And no one moved when the light faded from the flowers. Not until Bai He opened her eyes to look around at her work. ‘How’s that? Did you want more? Or did the flowers need to be bigger? Or…’

'It's perfect,’ Wukong whispered. He was staring at the nearest stone, now adorned with a crown of flowers, as tears pricked at his eyes. ‘I…yeah. Perfect. Better than I imagined.’

Macaque had no luck holding back his own tears. Instead he moved past Wukong, past MK, to be right in front of Bai He. In one swift move he was on one knee and pulling her into a tight hug, one that she returned as tightly as she could. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered. ‘I…thank you.’

Bai He smiled, ‘Of course. You’re my friend. I’m happy to help.’

Macaque shifted just enough that the two of them could kneel more comfortably while embraced, but otherwise didn’t move away. And neither did she. Not when Tang and Pigsy started talking about laying out offerings, or when MK and Mei started showing the elder monkeys the names meant on the stone. He only moved when a hand found his shoulder, and he looked up to see Wukong. Smiling sadly. Macaque opened his mouth, but no words could escape his throat. But judging by the look on Wukong’s face, the words weren’t necessary. Macaque didn’t need to thank him. Wukong was clearly just as grateful that this shrine now existed. Instead Wukong gave him a small nod, before slowly moving away to the main altar. Macaque briefly saw the flash of Tang’s wards as Wukong stepped through them, Wukong not even flinching as he approached the table. A small lantern had already been lit, and from a pot nearby Wukong grabbed three incense sticks, lighting them one by one. With that he knelt, bringing his hands together with the incense pinned between his fingers, for a silent prayer. 

Macaque felt Bai He turn in his embrace, but didn’t look at her until she spoke. ‘Do you want to pray as well?’

Macaque nodded, and slowly the two separated. Bai He stood first, giving Macaque a big smile before moving past him to scurry over to where MK and Mei were. At that Macaque let out a long breath that made him sag, and climbed to his own feet. He was careful, almost silent when he stepped over the ward, watching Wukong carefully to see how he was holding the incense, measuring his bowed head and stillness without a word. Slowly, carefully, Macaque reached out to claim his own incense sticks and light them, moving to kneel next to Wukong. Once he was happy that he had copied Wukong’s form well enough he finally closed his eyes, letting himself focus on his own prayer. 

Chapter Text

‘And this one,’ MK whispered, ‘is for the Generals.’ Now that the shrine was finished and Wukong and Macaque were using it in earnest, the others milled about quietly. Pigsy had already had a quiet argument with more than one young monkey who had been stealing the fruit offerings, while Tang and Sandy finished laying the fruit out. All while MK and Mei, and then Bai He, showed the three elders the stones with all the names and deeds on them. More than a few of the names had made one of the monkeys coo or whine, so MK had ended up still holding Huan, while Yi watched everything from the flower covered branches, and Xue stayed on Mei’s shoulder. And now they were at the final stone, with MK pointing at the words across the top that recounted how these names bravely defended the Court of the Monkey King until their last moments. At the mention of the word General Huan immediately sat up to attention, chattering as she reached out for the stone. 

Her chittering made Mei watch her curiously as Bai He tilted her head in confusion. ‘Is she okay?’

MK nodded slowly, while Mei shrugged. ‘She doesn’t sound like an upset monkey. I think. But only two people here know what she’s actually saying and uh…’ she looked past Bai He to the pair that were praying.

Bai He looked at MK, ‘Wait, you can’t speak monkey?’

‘It’s harder than it looks,’ MK said. ‘It’s an actual language you know? And it’s not anything like Chinese.’ Mei snorted, but MK ignored her in favour of watching Huan run her small hands over the symbols. ‘I think she’s looking for someone. On the stone.’

Huan chirped in agreement, making Mei gasp. ‘Wait, really? I mean, yeah you’d know them, but…who are you looking for? An old boyfriend? Do monkeys have boyfriends and girlfriends?’

‘They’re called mates,’ MK said as Huan chittered unhappily and shook her head. She tried again, repeating a sound that MK couldn’t grasp. ‘Huan, I don’t know that word. Do you want to wait for Monkey King?’

She huffed, and chirped with another sound. One that made MK freeze, his eyes widening in realisation. He knew exactly what that sound meant. “Cub. My cub.”

MK didn’t explain to Mei. Instead he sat to attention, staring at the stone full of names and deeds. He raised a hand to touch it, while Huan watched carefully, ‘I can read the names,’ MK said. ‘You let me know when I find the right name, okay?’

Huan nodded, while Mei and Bai He watched in confusion and curiosity. ‘You understood that?’ Bai He asked. 

‘Who are you looking for?’ Mei said.

‘Her cub,’ MK said. The two girl’s eyes widened, and they looked at each other as MK started to read. 

‘But…her cub is on her back,’ Bai He. ‘Aren’t they?’

‘Immortal monkeys,’ Mei said, making Bai He’s jaw drop. ‘So lots of time to have a lot of cubs. But a General? Now that’s-’

‘Guys!’ MK hissed, ‘Can you be quiet? Please?’ He turned back to the stone, slowly running his hands over the names. ‘Okay. So there’s Li, Guo, Haoyu, Chen, Bao, Lin-’

Huan sat up, immediately shouting as she patted on the stone. MK jumped at the shout, looking between Huan and the stone. ‘Is it Lin?’ She shook her head with a grumble, making MK look up at the list again. ‘Bao?’

Huan nodded, repeating the same sound she made earlier. MK immediately pointed to his name, helping Huan get into the position to brush her fingers over the name herself. Mei leaned in on MK’s other side, reading the rest of the line out loud. ‘General Bao. Written with the character for “precious”. Honoured with his title after he saved three cubs that had fallen in the river. Died in battle with a Celestial. Two nests with cubs were able to survive because of his efforts.’ Bai He sniffed, immediately tearing up, as the girls watched Xue and Yi move from their spots to comfort Huan. She was crying now, a quiet, sad sound as she stroked the name on the stone. Not wanting to move away for anything. Xue took her cub, and Yi cooed something softly, but Huan wouldn’t look away from the name. She didn’t even acknowledge what the others were saying.

‘Huan?’ MK said quietly. ‘Do you want a hug?’ She chirped and dived into MK’s arms, wrapping her own around his neck as he scooped her up. ‘Do you want the lullaby?’

Huan nodded, and MK began to hum softly. The other elders gathered on his lap to slowly stroke Huan’s fur, and Mei moved to lean against MK’s shoulders. The lullaby was soft and slow, but in the small and quiet shrine it carried, so other young monkeys paused in their fruit pilfering to listen. Huan’s cub yawned at the lullaby, reaching for her mother to fall asleep on. Xue didn’t let her go though, cooing and coaxing her to fall asleep on her chest. Wukong and Macaque paused in their prayers to turn and watch the scene, while Pigsy, Tang and Sandy abandoned their offerings to watch, all of them still and silent.

When the lullaby ended, Sandy broke the silence with a small sniff. ‘That was beautiful!’

Tang smiled sadly as he saw MK check on the monkey clinging to him, ‘You know, like this? I could believe the “Prince” thing the monkeys call him.’

Pigsy hummed, scowling in concern at his son, ‘Where did he get that song from?’

Tang shrugged, ‘Monkey King must have taught him.’ He looked at Pigsy knowingly. ‘You want to check on him?’

Pigsy glanced towards the altar, where Wukong was starting to climb to his feet, and shook his head. ‘Nah. Better not upset that monkey more than she already is.’

‘Why that monkey?’ Sandy asked.

Tang barely muffled a laugh behind his hand. ‘Oh you missed it earlier. MK introduced us and…well when she saw Pigsy she wasn’t convinced.’

‘That’s a mild way of putting it,’ Pigsy said. ‘She hates me.’

‘She doesn’t hate you.’

‘She’s somehow convinced herself that I stole their Prince. So yeah. She hates me.’ Pigsy grumbled, ‘Come on, there’s still more fruit here. And you lot,’ he said while pointing to the trees, ‘better not steal it this time.’

‘You should check on them.’

Wukong looked at Macaque in surprise. The black furred monkey had still wet tear tracks over his cheeks, ones that Wukong wanted to reach a hand out to brush away. But he held back, instead turning to finish his prayer and deposit the burning incense in the holder. Macaque copied him, the sticks mingling together as Macaque finally wiped at his face.

Which was finally when Wukong spoke. ‘Are you sure?’

Macaque nodded, ‘I’m okay here. It sounds like the kid needs you.’ His ears twitched, and he glanced over at Tang and Pigsy’s quiet conversation as Wukong climbed to his feet. He was quiet as he walked over to the group gathered in front of the stone, Bai He noticing him first. In fact, the others didn’t look up until Wukong reached out to touch a hand to MK’s free shoulder. ‘You guys okay?’

He didn’t know why he asked. It was clear that they weren’t. Mei was still sniffling as she scrubbed at her face, and MK had matching tears on his face that Wukong didn’t hesitate to wipe away this time. Xue and Yi started cooing at him, while MK spoke. And all three of them said the same thing. ‘We were showing the mothers the stones, and when we got to this one…Huan wanted to find Bao.’

Wukong’s shoulders sank, and he sighed as he sat down properly. ‘Did she tell you who he was?’

‘Her cub?’ MK said. Wukong nodded, and MK cringed again. ‘I know you guys lost so much, but seeing it like this…’

‘Thank you,’ Wukong whispered. ‘Thank you for showing them.’ He looked at the names on the nearest stone. The monkeys and demons that died fighting. Protecting his troop. That bubble of guilt came back, which Wukong quickly ignored in favour of pulling MK into a one armed hug. ‘I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to having to show them the names. So thank you.’

MK sniffed, while Mei gave a watery smile, ‘What are friends for? Right?’

Wukong smiled and nodded, looking at his kid before turning to the other monkeys still around MK. Yi was examining the flowers around the stone, Xue was lulling Huan’s cub to sleep while her own watched from her back, and Huan herself was nuzzling into MK’s neck. In other circumstances Wukong would tell her off. But he didn’t have it in him to do that today. Instead he reached out to stroke her back, making her look up at him.

Wukong opened his mouth to speak, but Huan got there first. “Protect him.”

Wukong frowned, “Who?”

“Little Prince,” Huan said. Wukong paled as Huan continued. “You cannot lose him. We cannot lose him. Don’t let his name join the stone. Please. Please, King.”

Wukong opened his mouth, even though he was too stunned to answer, when Yi joined in. “He is King’s cub. He is strong like King. And King cannot die to anything, so Little Prince can’t die either. Right?”

At some point when the mothers started chirping in earnest Mei gestured for Bai He to give the monkeys some space. But none of them noticed, not when Xue turned to face the stunned Monkey King. “He is still young. He still needs protecting. So does Macaque. So does King.”

‘Monkey King?’ Wukong jolted at the sudden human words and looked at MK, who was watching him in worry. ‘What are they saying? I know they’re talking about me.’

‘They…’ Wukong faltered, the grief and fear threatening to choke him as he tried to take a calming breath. ‘They…are saying how much they love you. How they want you safe. The troop safe.’

MK welled up again at that, curling around Huan tighter while leaning more into Wukong’s embrace. ‘I love them too,’ MK whispered. ‘Even if they do keep trying to steal me from you.’

Wukong smiled slightly at that, tucking MK against him so he could nuzzle into his mane. ‘Good,’ he whispered. ‘I’m glad. And proud. I…I’m so proud of you, bud.’ The arm around MK’s shoulders squeezed him a little tighter, especially when a quiet, familiar chirp slipped from MK’s lips. One that made Wukong answer his cub’s call on instinct. He felt Xue and Yi climb on their laps, but he paid them no mind. And he ignored the glances from the rest of the gang. Instead he closed his eyes, letting all the emotions in him flow without restraint. Sorrow for his lost Court and Troop members. Worry for Macaque, who hadn’t moved from the altar. Grief for the elders who were mourning all over again. And love. Love for every person in this little copse of trees. Especially the one in his arms. And the one who he desperately wanted to drag into this hug. He prayed all over again that Macaque wouldn’t avoid the nest tonight. After all, Macaque and MK were the two people he could never lose again.

The baskets had been emptied and the offerings swiped long before Wukong and MK were willing to move out of their embrace. The mothers stayed with them, right until Huan’s cub woke up and immediately started crying for her mother. Huan reluctantly moved away from MK, but as soon as her cub was in arms reach she swiped her up quickly with a soothing coo and rumble for the cub to curl into. With his hands free MK was finally able to wipe at his face, which Wukong helped with while ignoring his own dried tears. Wukong climbed to his feet first with MK only a step behind. Once he was on his feet Mei was there to immediately tackle him, making MK giggle as Mei wrapped her arms and legs around him while talking about if they had time for a sparring match while they were here. Wukong watched affectionately, letting Xue hop onto his shoulder as he looked around at the others. Macaque hadn’t moved from the altar, but he wasn’t alone. Bai He was leaning against him, while Sandy crouched on the other side talking in quiet words Wukong couldn’t hear. MK carried Mei over to Pigsy and Tang, where Mei hopped off so that the two of them could wrap MK in a hug. Xue cooed at the sight, while Wukong smiled in earnest. Like this, he could understand the kid’s sentiment about wanting nothing to change. It would have to, if nothing else so Wukong didn’t get bored. But right now, the moment was perfect. In a way that Wukong wanted to capture and put it in a jar, like it was a band of fireflies, so he could always cherish it. 

That was when a breeze rolled through the trees, one that made the bells and decorations chime throughout the trees. And something clattered against bark. Something that made everyone jump and Wukong frown in confusion. None of their decorations should sound like that. He followed the clattering past the others, to a space a little away from the main stones. MK was a step behind him, as was Mei, but Wukong saw the intrusion first. Hanging from a branch was a row of flat stones, all tied together with rope to link together into a chain. 

‘Uh…’ Wukong said, ‘who added that?’

Mei shrugged, while MK shook his head. ‘Wasn’t us.’

Wukong approached, his eyes glowing gold to check for any magic. Or traps. But there was nothing of the kind. It was just stone. Styled to look like a series of hanging signs. He grabbed the bottom stone to stop it from rapping against the tree trunk, which is when he realised the twist in the rope wasn’t intentional. The thing had turned around. He spun it carefully, still cautious about something springing out at him. 

But nothing like that happened. Instead he revealed the front side, which had been carved. Decorations similar to those on the naming stones in the shrine formed a border around the stone to frame a name. Well, a name for each one. The breath was immediately punched out of Wukong’s lungs when he saw the names, the shock hitting him so hard he didn’t notice the first tears escape.

Tang Sanzang

Zhu Bajie

Sha Wujing

Ao Lie

MK gasped behind him as Wukong slowly unhooked the signs, unable to take his eyes away from the stones. He vaguely heard the footsteps and whispers behind him, drawing him out of his shock enough to finally react. ‘Who did this?’

He looked up to see everyone was looking at him. The three around the altar hadn’t moved, but were all watching with a mix of emotions between them. Mei was whispering to Pigsy and Tang, making Pigsy scowl and Tang’s eyes widen, while MK looked at the stones with as much surprise as Wukong felt. But without the grief and pain raking through his chest all over again. ‘Well don’t look at us,’ Pigsy said. ‘Who would have even had time to do that?’

‘Don’t play with me,’ Wukong growled, making Pigsy’s hackles raise and Tang step back. ‘Who did this? And who brought it here?’

MK was the only one of them who didn’t balk at the growl, stepping closer to examine the stones. Meanwhile Tang spoke. ‘Monkey King, please. None of us would do anything like that without asking you first.’

‘Well someone did.’

‘Monkey King,’ MK said, ‘we didn’t do this.’ He touched one of the stones, pointing at the characters again. ‘This isn’t Mr Tang’s writing.’

Wukong blinked, ‘What?’

‘Yeah,’ MK said. ‘He doesn’t write his characters like that. I should know, we carved enough of them on the stones. And it’s not me or Mei, because we would have added pictures or something.’

Wukong looked at the stones again, trying to ignore the names themselves to study the handwriting like MK did. He was right. Tang hadn’t done these. But the swirl on certain lines, that was something he did recognise. The characters were modern, but the style of them was much older, looking more fitting for ancient texts than a newly crafted stone. The realisation hit him suddenly, and he looked up at the altar. The three of them hadn’t moved. Bai He looked confused, Sandy looked surprised. But Macaque. That expression on his face. It was like he was bracing for something. The shadow monkey suddenly turned away, making something in Wukong’s stomach twist. 

The voices picked up around him, but Wukong didn’t respond to any of them. He didn’t even hear them. Instead he marched across the clearing, making everyone jump and Bai He shuffle back as he got closer, only stopping when he was directly behind Macaque.

Sandy watched the two of them carefully, before turning to Macaque. ‘Are you sure you don’t want-’

‘It’s fine,’ Macaque said. ‘This needs to be a private conversation I think.’

Sandy nodded, standing to usher Bai He away. The flash of the wards signalled their leaving, as did Sandy quietly suggesting to the gang to give the two monkeys space. Macaque watched out of the corner of his eye as the group slowly left, MK lingering last as he watched the two monkeys with clear worry, before he cleared out as well. Leaving them well and truly alone in the shrine. Except for the elders, who watched from the canopy above.

Only then did Macaque sigh. ‘Alright. I can’t tell if you want to talk, or hit me, or-’

‘Did you do this?’ Wukong whispered, gesturing with the signs. Macaque barely glanced at the stones, but nodded quickly. ‘Why?’

Macaque shrugged. ‘This place is meant to honour the dead, right?’

Wukong flinched, tears gathering again. ‘Our dead.’

‘This is your shrine.’

‘Our shrine.’

‘It was your idea.’

‘Yeah,’ Wukong said, ‘which I made for you. To help you. If…I…’

Macaque looked up at Wukong sadly, ‘Do you not want them here?’

Wukong squeezed his eyes closed, ‘Of course I do,’ he whispered. ‘But after everything…I didn’t think…’

They fell into silence for a moment. Two moments. Long enough for a new breeze to brush past them, making Macaque’s cloak billow and Wukong’s phoenix feathers dance in the air. Macaque was quiet when he spoke again, his voice thick from some emotion he couldn’t control. ‘You cared about them. They were important to you.’

Wukong snapped up to stare at Macaque again. ‘What? But you…’

‘My opinions on your original companions are not likely to change anytime soon,’ Macaque said. ‘And while I like the guys they are now, if their original spirits appeared for any reason I’m probably not going to be that friendly.’

Wukong managed to snort despite himself, ‘Understatement.’

‘I’m not going to forgive them,’ Macaque said. ‘Not for hurting you. Or for using you, because they did. At least at first. And not for keeping you away from home when we needed you. But…I know you counted them as friends at some point. And I know that as much as they used you, they taught you a lot. You probably couldn’t be the mentor that you are now without them. And you definitely wouldn’t have suggested therapy without meeting them.’ Macaque sighed, looking up at the altar again. ‘I won’t be praying to them. Or for them. But they mattered to you. I figured you deserved the option. And you never asked to add them here, so…’ Macaque trailed off, and then shrugged. As if that was a suitable way to end the point. As if he wasn’t shaking Wukong to his very core. He couldn’t tell if his heartache was from grief or something else, but it bubbled over in the same way regardless. In shuddering tears that made him shiver from head to toe and froze him in place. 

Macaque didn’t say anything else. But he did reach out a hand to gently grasp Wukong’s fingers. He didn’t even need to pull him down. Just the touch made Wukong collapse to his knees, dropping the signs to wrap both arms around Macaque. Macaque pulled him closer, letting Wukong sob into his shoulder while he began to comb a gentle paw through his fur. 

‘Thank you,’ Wukong choked out, his voice muffled by Macaque’s scarf. ‘Thank you.’

Macaque huffed in amusement, or maybe affection, and closed his eyes while gathering Wukong closer. He didn’t answer in words. He didn’t need to. The embrace, the hand combing through his fur, the moment was enough. Or at least, he hoped it was. 

Chapter Text

The new shrine had visitors every day. Troop members both young and old could be seen there constantly, both to investigate the new decorations and to remember the Court of old. And to watch the others use it. MK would visit to pay his respects whenever he came to train, and Wukong got into the habit of doing the same every morning, making sure to leave offerings for the fallen Court and his Companions. But it was no surprise that Macaque was there the most. To pray, to grieve, but often just to sit in the quiet. Wukong would go to pray and already find Macaque there, leaning against one of the trees with notebook or journal in hand. He would be absent from the rest of the mountain and grove for most of the day, only for someone to see him stepping out of the trees leading to the shrine when evening came. But it didn’t take long to show that it was helping. When he was around he seemed…lighter. Not necessarily happier. But the severe edge that he always wore started to soften. MK saw it in the way he more readily let the young monkeys play around him, and the moments he would scoop one up to groom them. Mei saw it in how he let himself be dragged into selfies with not even a scowl to throw at the culprits. Wukong, of course, noticed the most. He noticed the soft smiles he gave to the troop, his willingness to sit with Wukong when they were alone. And Macaque started reaching out more in their nest, capturing Wukong’s hand, or arm, or sometimes his tail in his sleep. A week after the shrine had been built Wukong even found a sleeping Macaque wrapped around him and fully rolled over to Wukong’s side of the bed, making his heart stutter enough to make Macaque’s ears flick and him nuzzle sleepily into Wukong’s form. And Wukong could have exploded with happiness when it wasn’t a one off, waking up giddy every morning for nearly another week when he found Macaque in the same position. Wrapped around him, or having tugged Wukong to him until he was lying on the shadow monkey’s chest. Wukong’s face ached from how much he was smiling these days, but he couldn’t stop himself. 

His smile dimmed, however, when Macaque came to him with a serious energy about him and the line Wukong hated most. ‘I need to tell you something.’

Wukong tried to make it look like it didn’t affect him. He really did. But he couldn't help the nervous smile or anxious flicking of his tail. ‘Sure, bud. What’s up?’

 Macaque was clearly nervous too. Which didn’t help. But he didn’t give himself a chance to hesitate. ‘I’m going to have more talks with Sandy. The….therapy ones. Alone.’

Wukong couldn’t stop his reaction this time. His fur puffed and tail whipped, but he barely noticed what with how it felt like his blood froze in his veins. ‘What? Why? I…I thought…’

‘I need it,’ Macaque said. ‘It’s not because of you. But….I mean one conversation with Sandy and now look at me. I’ve stopped avoiding the grove, I’m feeling better about playing with the cubs, and I’m not feeling as angry anymore.’

Wukong scowled, ‘Oh what, so that has nothing to do with me?’

‘What? No. Don’t put words in my mouth,’ Macaque said. ‘The shrine wouldn’t exist if you hadn’t suggested it. I wouldn’t have a nest and a roof now without you.’

‘Exactly,’ Wukong said. ‘So why does Sandy-’

‘Without Sandy I wouldn't have acknowledged my grief,’ Macaque said. ‘It would have stayed bottled up and twisting me up. I need you, but right now…I think I need Sandy’s help too.’

‘With what?’

‘Stuff,’ Macaque said. ‘Reflection. Perspective.’

Wukong scowled, ‘I can do that. You know I can do that right? My meditation-’

‘You help in different ways,’ Macaque said. ‘You try to fix things. Sandy is good to talk to.’

‘And I’m not?’ Wukong said.

‘Wukong!’ Macaque groaned. ‘Please, stop taking this as an attack.’ Wukong huffed, folding his arms as he looked away from Macaque. ‘This isn’t meant like that.’

‘Then how is it meant?’ Wukong said.

Macaque scowled, before scoffing and vanishing into a portal. The sight of him disappearing had Wukong jump in surprise, a flash of horror running through him to make him leap to his feet and prepare to track and chase down the shadow monkey. But before he could take a step the portal reappeared and Macaque stepped out, holding a ball of string that he held out to Wukong. ‘Alright. Pretend this is my mind.’

Wukong blinked, swallowing against the fear clawing at his throat. But he tried to focus on the ball of thread instead, realising quickly that it was a tangle of embroidery and sewing threads. All in different colours. All knotted together. Macaque continued talking while stepping closer to Wukong and pointing to different threads, ‘This part is old memories. This part’s my anger. This part is the people I love. And this is how it feels like my mind is. Jumbled. Knotted. A mess.’ He finally looked at Wukong, his keen golden eyes meeting Wukong’s so he couldn’t look away. ‘If I told you I needed help with this, what would you do?’

This was a test. Wukong could feel the expectation, the judgement already. But he refused to cower, snatching the tangle out of Macaque’s hand and immediately turning to find the first thread. ‘Start the timer then.’

‘What timer?’

Wukong looked at Macaque with a frown. ‘The timer…to see how quickly I can undo the tangle.’

Macaque huffed in amusement, ‘That’s not what this is.’ He took the ball back, ignoring how Wukong bristled at him. ‘I’m not trying to test how good you are at fixing things. I just wanted to prove something.’

‘What?’

‘I asked for help,’ Macaque said, ‘and your reaction was to try and take the problem and fix it yourself. But you can’t do that with my actual mind.’ Macaque turned the ball in his hands, looking for a loose thread he can start to try and unknot. ‘You can’t touch my thoughts. Or my memories. The only person who can interact with them like that is me.’

Wukong looked between Macaque’s face and the ball in his hands, trying to get a lid on his emotions before he exploded. Or cried. Or both. ‘What does this have to do with Sandy?’

‘Sandy doesn’t try to take the problems and fix them,’ Macaque said. He rummaged in his pockets to pull out his phone, turning on the light with a tap of the screen. He then handed it to Wukong, guiding his hand so that the light was pointed at the tangle of thread. ‘He does this.’

‘Does what?’

‘This,’ Macaque gestured at the light illuminating the knots in his hand. ‘He makes it easier to see what’s going on. He gives advice on how to deal with this knot, or that thread. He makes me see the problems I didn’t even want to look at, but I need to if I’m going to fix them.’ 

Macaque started to tease at a knot in earnest, but Wukong only watched him sadly. ‘I can do that,’ he muttered. ‘If that’s what you need, then I can do that. You don’t-‘

‘I’m not replacing you,’ Macaque said, meeting Wukong’s eyes just as Wukong flinched at his words. ‘I can’t, even if I wanted to. Which I don’t. And there are things you can do to help that Sandy can’t.’

Wukong perked up at that, blinking back the wetness in his eyes, ‘Like what?’ 

Macaque responded by teasing out a thread enough that it dangled loose from the tangle, almost loose enough to drop away entirely. But instead, Macaque gathered it up and offered it out for Wukong to take. Which he did, with a silent question on his face. ‘That’s my grief,’ Macaque said. ‘Sandy shone the light on it. And I got it untangled enough. But you helped me carry it when I needed you.’

Wukong teared up in earnest at that as he tried to stop his chin from wobbling. But when Macaque lowered the ball of thread Wukong couldn’t stop himself from barrelling into him to squeeze him tight while Macaque wrapped him up in a comforting hug. ‘I’m supposed to be helping you,’ he mumbled into Macaque’s scarf.

‘You are,’ Macaque whispered. ‘You have. But I need to help myself too. And Sandy has the roadmap. That’s all this is.’ Wukong nodded, but with the way his claws clung to Macaque’s hanfu it was clear he wasn’t convinced. ‘I’m not replacing you,’ Macaque said. ‘And I’m not going to hide things anymore. Whatever I’m going to talk about with Sandy, you either already know or I’ll tell you as well.’

‘Are you going to tell him everything?’ Wukong whispered, not trying to hide the terror in his voice.

Macaque shook his head, feeling Wukong sag against him even as his arms held Macaque tighter. ‘I’m not going to tell him about that,’ Macaque whispered. ‘But that’s part of the reason why I need to talk to him more. If he can teach me how to deal with the other knots, the other pain and regrets…’

Wukong sniffed, twisting to glance up at Macaque, ‘Then…the other stuff…’

‘Will be practice,’ Macaque said. ‘Once I know what to do, I’ll be able to do the rest without him.’ Wukong still didn’t look convinced, making Macaque wilt. ‘Think of it like private coaching. He’s already been a coach for us for our sessions. I’m just getting more of that.’

Wukong’s face creased again, ‘We’re supposed to be doing this together.’

‘We are,’ Macaque said. ‘We’re doing it for us. But I also need to do it for myself. And you need to do this for you. And sometimes, that means private training.’ He let Wukong bury his face in his scarf again, moving to start stroking Wukong’s mane again. He tried to not cringe when his claws met a patch of fur that was stiff and tacky, like it was almost glued together. But he ignored it, and the slight smell of rust, combing through it carefully while nuzzling his face into Wukong’s mane. ‘You can try it as well, you know,’ Macaque said. ‘See what all the fuss is about.’

Wukong cringed. In a way that told Macaque that was the last thing he was going to do. But he didn’t say that. Instead he mumbled something that would have been unintelligible to anyone else. ‘I’ll think about it.’

In Wukong’s defence, he did think about it. More than once. Enough to make him scratch his head in frustration when he was alone. Enough to make him stare off at nothing instead of sketching or painting. Enough to leave him lying in bed, wide awake while staring up at the ceiling. When other people were around he didn’t. Training with MK took as much of his focus as it always took, and whenever he was hanging out with people, chatting with them or watching the kids play, then he would make sure to enjoy the moment. But as soon as he was alone again those thoughts came back. Sometimes for him to ponder. Sometimes niggling at him, making him scowl and huff at nothing in particular except for his own offensive thoughts. But he definitely did think about it.

And the next time the two of them went to Sandy’s for their joint session, it was all he could think about. It bubbled under his skin as Sandy welcomed them in and started making tea. It itched as the cats came over to fuss them, the same grey cat hopping into Macaque’s arms. And by the time they had sat down and Sandy was pouring tea, the thought had found words that were caught in Wukong’s throat, desperate to get out. And he could only hold it down for so long.

‘What does it look like?’ Wukong said, his voice sharper than it should have been as he looked up at Sandy. ‘When you do these kind of sessions privately?’

Sandy froze, tea pot held in the air, while Macaque sighed, ‘Wukong, we’ve talked about this.’

‘You have,’ Wukong said. He nodded in Sandy’s direction, ‘I want to hear it from him.’

Sandy paused, before nodding and setting the teapot back down. He took a sip of his cup, letting out a slow breath as he collected his thoughts. ‘A lot of it looks like this,’ he said while gesturing to the setup. ‘There is tea, and conversation. I check in, ask questions. We practice exercises.’

‘Then what’s different?’ Wukong said. ‘What’s so different it needs to be alone?’

Sandy sighed, ‘That is entirely up to whoever I am holding a session for. In MK’s case, we talk about his recent drawings, a challenge he’s had, a worry he needs help with.’

Wukong frowned, ‘What, stuff he doesn’t tell anyone else?’

‘Not necessarily,’ Sandy said. ‘It’s more…an opportunity to let MK get the worry, the thought, the whatever the problem is, out without being scared he’s going to be judged. Or that people are going to worry and start smothering him. Like that time when Pigsy took his bike. It’s an opportunity for him to figure out how to solve his own problems while feeling safe to offload the weight of whatever he is carrying. Sometimes that means giving him the courage to tell his problems to others. Sometimes that means giving him a tool for him to manage it alone. Sometimes it's something else.’

Wukong frowned, ‘But…that’s what you do with us already.’

Sandy nodded, ‘Yes. And no. In your two’s cases, when we do this together we inevitably lean into the focus of your relationship. The goal of your joint therapy is to repair it, so it makes sense that it would be such a focus. But that focus, that filter, is always there when we meet like this. Sometimes it’s worth looking away from that. At the bigger picture. At something that can seem unrelated but is having an impact all the same. And those things can feel safer to look at for the first time when alone.’

It made sense. Rationally, Sandy’s words made sense. But something in Wukong couldn’t accept them. Not yet. ‘But he’s not alone.’

Macaque sighed, ‘Wukong…’

‘You’re not alone though,’ Wukong said. ‘If you are in a therapy session, with Sandy, then you’re not alone.’

‘He meant in private,’ Macaque said. ‘You know what he means.’

‘But it’s not in private if Sandy is here,’ Wukong said.

‘Oh by the stars,’ Macaque sighed, ‘why is it so important that you are the first person to know anything going on with me right now?’

‘Why do you want to be hiding things from me?’ Wukong snapped.

‘I’m not!’ Macaque said. ‘You know more about me than Sandy does! You were there for most of it!’

‘Then why-’

Macaque clapped his hands together, taking a deep breath to try and calm himself down. ‘We can’t keep having this conversation,’ he said quietly. ‘We’re going around the same points again and again, and whatever answer you’re getting clearly isn’t enough. Ask the question you want to ask so we can actually deal with this.’ 

‘It’s not a question,’ Wukong said. ‘It’s the fact that you know everything about me-’

‘No I don’t,’ Macaque laughed.

Wukong scowled, ‘Yes you do. You know everything that ever happened to me. Hell, if you listened right you could probably find out things about me that haven’t even happened yet.’

‘And you know all those things about me!’ Macaque shouted. ‘That doesn’t mean you know everything about me, and it doesn’t mean I know everything about you.’ 

Wukong scoffed, ‘Oh come on. I’m not hiding anything.’

‘I didn’t suggest you were hiding anything,’ Macaque said. ‘But that doesn’t mean I know everything. Because there are things you haven’t told me. Not because you’re hiding them, but because it’s just stuff we haven’t talked about.’

‘Like what?’

Macaque snapped his mouth shut as he clearly started weighing up a thought. Sandy raised his hand, but Macaque huffed before he could. ‘Alright, fine.’ He suddenly shifted in place, turning to face Wukong head on. ‘How did it feel to be trapped in the mountain?’ Wukong flinched, his eyes widening as Macaque gave him an unrelenting stare. ‘What was it like to travel with the pilgrims? To wear the circlet? How did it feel when you realised for the first time that MK was your kid?’ 

Wukong opened his mouth, trying to find the words to give Macaque an answer. Or to tell him to stop. But something swelled in his throat, threatening to choke him. His fear. Or a sob. He wasn’t sure. But whatever it was, it was clearly on his face, reflecting in the shimmer collecting in his eyes, to make Macaque visibly soften. He spoke again, softer this time. ‘I don’t need to know those things. Not if you don’t want me to. I want to hear about them, but only when you want to share them. I want to help you with them if you need help. But if you want to talk to someone else about those things, then that’s fine. It doesn’t have to be my business.’ Wukong looked away, letting Macaque move close enough for his tail to brush against Wukong’s. ‘But that’s what I mean. When I say we don’t know everything about each other. When I say that I need to work those kind of things out for myself. Because I can’t expect you to deal with all of your problems and also take on all of mine when I don’t even know how I feel about half of it.’

Wukong’s chin quivered, and he shook his head, ‘But I’m supposed to know everything about you.’

Macaque huffed, ‘Wukong. How can you know things about me that I don’t even know myself? I was angry, and twisted. I had no idea that any of that was because I was grieving until I actually looked at it. And looking at it was something I didn’t want to do. How could you have known that I was grieving before I did?’ 

That wasn’t enough. It made sense. But it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to settle this need, this ache that was pounding through Wukong’s chest. ‘How can I help if I don’t know what’s wrong? How can I fix it if I don’t know what’s broken?’

‘This isn’t just on you to fix,’ Macaque said.

‘Yes it is!’

‘Why?’ Wukong blinked in surprise at the question, looking at Sandy in shock. Sandy watched him, not with judgement but with sadness. ‘Why is it so important for you to be responsible for fixing Ma-Quack’s pain?’

Wukong swallowed, the answer trying to choke him as fresh tears pricked at his eyes. He couldn’t say it. Not to Sandy. Not to anyone. ‘It just is.’

Sandy watched him carefully, even when Wukong looked away from the both of them. ‘So if I understand this right. You feel responsible for easing Ma-Quack’s pain and problems. So you want to know what is wrong so that you can “fix” it yourself.’ Wukong cringed, but nodded along, ignoring how Macaque sighed again. But Sandy was the one who responded first. ‘In your mind, what happens if Ma-Quack resolves his problems on his own? What happens if you don’t, or even can’t help.’

‘That’s not an option,’ Wukong whispered. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, making him cringe.

But Sandy took it in stride. ‘Why? Is there something you’re scared of happening if he did?’

Wukong grimaced, staring at a speck on the floor instead of either of the people in the room. ‘I have to help. I have to fix it. I won’t get another chance if I mess up. I…I have to make this count. I have to help. I have to fix it.’

Sandy looked between the two monkeys, from Macaque’s clear worry to Wukong’s barely contained turmoil. ‘Is this all to make sure that Ma-Quack stays?’ Wukong flinched, squeezing his eyes shut. But he slowly nodded, making Sandy sigh. ‘Mr King,’ Sandy said, sitting forward so he was leaning on his knees, ‘I promise you. I am not trying to replace you. I am not trying to outdo you, or…or do anything that would hurt either of you. All this work that you’ve been doing here, and that Ma-Quack has been doing here, it is something that I see as an honour. To help both of you. I would not insult that honour or either of you by turning that into an opportunity to ruin your friendship, especially when it has just started to grow stronger again.’

Wukong sniffed, glancing up at Sandy with a fresh wave of guilt. ‘I didn’t mean to insult you.’

‘I know,’ Sandy said with a smile. ‘It is clear you care. Especially about Ma-Quack. This relationship you have, it’s really important to you. It makes sense that if you want nothing more than to help your friend, then seeing someone else try to help him might feel like a threat.’ Sandy glanced again at Macaque, then back at Wukong. ‘I know I said that I wouldn’t raise the topic of individual sessions again. And I won’t properly at least. But I will remind you that you are welcome to change your mind at any time.’

Wukong pulled a face at that, looking around at the room. ‘Maybe if I could just listen in-’

‘Mr King? I’m sorry, but no,’ Sandy said. ‘That defeats the purpose of it being a private session. The same respect would be given to you, Ma-Quack wouldn’t be allowed to listen in on any private sessions you had. Even with his magic ears.’

Macaque sighed and nodded, ‘Yeah. I get it.’ 

‘But I do worry,’ Sandy said, ‘about what the underlying fear is that is driving this current need you have. We can discuss it privately, we can discuss it here and now, or you can reflect on it in your own time if you want. But I would recommend it being addressed sooner rather than later.’

Wukong frowned, ‘Why?’

‘Did Ma-Quack explain my analogy about tending to wounds? The longer they are left untreated, the more they fester?’ Wukong nodded, making Sandy smile. ‘Well, that is what I am worrying might be starting to happen here. An old wound has resurfaced, or a new one has appeared, and it's starting to fester. In Ma-Quack, it twisted into anger and bitterness. But for you, maybe it’s twisting into this need to be so present and helpful.’

‘You’re making it sound like a bad thing,’ Wukong said.

‘Anything in excess can be harmful,’ Sandy said. ‘Too much training can damage a muscle or a joint. Too much food, even if it's healthy, can make you sick. It’s good to want to help your friends and loved ones, but desiring that at the expense of your health and their privacy, it’s a breeding ground for conflict. For unhealthy habits. For all the work you’ve put in so far to come undone. And I don’t want to see that happen.’

‘What do you think is happening here?’ Wukong asked.

‘Probably the same thing as me,’ Macaque sighed. ‘That you’re going to make yourself sick trying to save me.’

Wukong swallowed, looking at Macaque in panic. ‘Mac, I…’

Macaque leaned in, understanding and worry both written on his face while silencing him with that single touch. ‘Remember during the Baby Season? All of you made me rest, and eat, even though I didn’t want to?’ Wukong nodded, letting Macaque’s warm arm wrap around him. ‘Well, this is your turn to get the lesson. I couldn’t protect the mothers if I didn’t eat or sleep. And you can’t help me and my problems, if you’re not looking after yourself.’ 

Wukong’s face creased, and he turned to hide his face in Macaque’s shoulder. “I can’t.”

“You can,” Macaque chittered quietly. “Not only that, but I need you to. I’m just as scared of losing you as you are of losing me. Please, Shihou.” Wukong shook his head, but Macaque only sighed. “I know you feel responsible for my pain. And I’m almost positive that’s why you’re trying so hard right now. But please, bud-”

“I am responsible,” Wukong chirped back. “The fight…what I did…”

“And what about what I did?” Macaque shot back. “Does that mean I’m responsible for all of your pain?” Wukong froze up in Macaque’s arms, not daring to move or even respond even as Macaque moved to wrap him up properly. “You have hurt me. But I have also hurt you. We both need to take responsibility for the hurt we caused. Both of us. But you’re trying to take it all on yourself, and that’s not right. Or fair. And it’s only going to break you.” Wukong felt Macaque’s arms tighten around him, felt claws start to comb through his hair, and Macaque’s tail curl around his. “I need you here, Sun. Alive, and safe, and not sick or driving yourself insane. Please.”

Wukong sniffed, finally moving enough to curl into Macaque embrace. He knew he was being selfish again. He knew he was taking advantage again. And he knew he didn’t deserve any of this. But that, more than anything, made him lean in more. Made him nuzzle into Macaque’s warmth, into that precious scent of plums and spices. And made him pray, again, that Macaque wouldn’t figure out just how much Wukong didn’t deserve any kindness like this. 

Chapter Text

It felt wrong to be in Sandy’s boat alone. And no, the cats didn’t count. No matter how cute they were. Two of them came to sit with Wukong when he settled in his normal spot on the couch, the ginger kitten he liked was purring against him while Macaque’s grey friend settled into the shadow monkey’s normal spot on the couch. It was very cute. Sweet even. But it still felt wrong. Wukong watched the other cats pad around, watched Sandy pour cups of freshly brewed peach tea. But even the presence of peach tea wasn’t enough to settle Wukong. If anything, it only made that feeling of wrongness worse. 

‘Alright then,’ Sandy said, settling into his armchair with his typical bright beam. ‘Shall we start with our normal check in?’

‘This feels weird.’

Somehow, despite Wukong knowing he was being petty on some level, Sandy simply smiled and nodded in understanding. ‘That isn’t surprising. I know you’ve had reservations about trying this.’

‘It’s not even that,’ Wukong said. ‘It’s just…this couch is really big. You know? Normally it doesn’t feel this big.’ Sandy looked at the couch, humming to himself, while Wukong only tensed more. ‘Can we get started now? Get this over with.’

‘Of course,’ Sandy said with a smile. ‘So. How have things been?’

‘Fine,’ Wukong shrugged.

Sandy nodded, ‘Are you having any problems with anything?’

‘Nope,’ Wukong said. ‘Everything is good.’ Sandy nodded again, watching Wukong carefully as he fidgeted uncomfortably. ‘When are you starting properly?’

‘We have,’ Sandy said.

Wukong frowned, ‘Wait, what?’

‘We do this all the time,’ Sandy said. ‘I check in, you let me know what has been bothering you, and we work out what we want to focus on.’

‘Well yeah, but…’

Sandy raised an eyebrow at him, ‘It’s true that Ma-Quack isn’t here. But that doesn’t mean that everything else needs to change in how these sessions work.’ Wukong only frowned at that, making Sandy nod to himself. ‘Alright, well let’s find something to focus on. How is the mountain doing?’

‘It’s fine,’ Wukong said. ‘The new protections are working great.’

‘And the troop?’

‘Same as always,’ Wukong shrugged. ‘The elders love seeing MK when he comes around, and more of the troop have been coming around when he visits to see him. Which…is actually really cute.’

Sandy smiled at that, ‘That sounds adorable.’

‘It is,’ Wukong said, starting to smile despite himself. ‘He has been bonding with them so much when he comes around, you’d never believe he had spent most of his life not living with the troop. And they’ve accepted him so well, it honestly feels like a miracle.’

‘That’s great to hear,’ Sandy said. ‘How have your exercises been going?’

‘Still journaling every day,’ Wukong said.

‘And your sleep? How has that been recently?’

If Sandy hadn’t been watching Wukong so closely, he might have missed the small flinch, or how his jaw clenched when he spoke. ‘Yep. That’s fine too.’

‘Really?’ Sandy said. ‘I know that nightmares have been a problem for a while.’

‘Well, sure,’ Wukong frowned. ‘The nightmares are still happening, I guess. But there’s nothing new about that. They’ve not changed at all. And I’m still getting sleep. So it’s fine.’

Sandy hummed to himself. ‘When you say they haven’t changed, are we just talking about how regular they are? Or are we saying they are more of a recurring dream situation?’

Wukong huffed, ‘I don’t really pay attention to how much they change, Big Guy.’

Sandy hummed again, having a sip of his tea while he thought. ‘Perhaps it might be worth tracking them a little more, especially if they are still happening on a regular basis.’

Wukong immediately grumbled. ‘Really? A dream journal? Do I have to?’

‘Not at all,’ Sandy said. ‘But I would be curious as to why that idea puts you off so much. Your regular journaling is something you love to do.’

‘Well yeah,’ Wukong said, ‘because I draw my journal.’

Sandy frowned in confusion, ‘I think I’m missing the point.’

‘I draw my journal,’ Wukong said. ‘So I draw things that make me happy. Oddly enough, drawing nightmares would do the opposite.’

Sandy’s confusion only grew at that. ‘Hang on, you only draw happy things?’ Wukong nodded. ‘So your journal is filled with…’

‘Happy memories,’ Wukong said. ‘You did say we could use our journal however we wanted, right? And you also suggested recording positive and good memories to make them more concrete.’

‘I did,’ Sandy said, barely stopping himself from sighing. ‘I did say that.’ His mind was suddenly a flurry, playing over all his sessions and conversations with Wukong, to try and work out when exactly he had managed to miss this. ‘So, when you are having a bad time, how do you process that?’

Wukong shrugged, ‘Meditate. Talk to MK or Mac about it. And focus on more important things.’

‘Like what?’

‘Like fun stuff. Training. Monkey time. Naps. You know, the self care stuff.’

Sandy tried to keep his face calm, even as his suspicion began to grow. Because Wukong was acting differently. Normally Wukong wouldn’t stop talking in these sessions. He would be eager to try a new exercise, or eager to talk through the latest problem that had occurred. The revelation hit Sandy all at once. All this time, when had Wukong ever talked about a problem that didn’t involve Macaque? It was either the way that Macaque had been acting, or worry about him, or a problem they were both facing in equal measure. Had…had Wukong been avoiding all of his own problems to focus solely on Macaque? 

Well. That wouldn’t do. ‘Mr King,’ Sandy said. ‘I know that you are very uncomfortable right now. And I know that sharing problems can be hard. But after the conversation we had at your last session with Ma-Quack, I do think that there are a lot of underlying issues that you need help with that we haven’t been able to address yet.’

Wukong scowled at that, ‘Like what?’

‘Well that’s the thing,’ Sandy said. ‘I’m starting to realise how little context I have for these issues. I suspect that a core problem for you is guilt, but I don’t know where that feeling comes from. You have a need to protect and care for the people close to you, to the point of potential self-neglect, but I don’t actually know why. And then there’s the tendency to hide your emotions, only for them to be released in moments of anger when you hit a breaking point, as it were.’

Wukong curled up more with every word, his scowl growing as Sandy spoke. ‘There’s nothing wrong with wanting to care about other people. In fact I reckon it’s actually a good thing.’

‘It is,’ Sandy said. ‘But not at the expense of your own health.’

Wukong scoffed. ‘Oh please. I’m Sun Wukong. The Monkey King. Great Sage Equal to Heaven. I’m immortal several times over. If you’re trying to imply that I could be hurt by anything-’

‘Mr King,’ Sandy said, ‘I have seen you hurt. You were hurt when we were on the run from the Bone Demon Lady. When Mr Jing put the circlet on you, you were in pain every time it was used. I’ve seen you try to sacrifice yourself for MK, and for Ma-Quack. I have seen you worry about your friends and troop and heard about some of the nightmares that plague you. You are indeed all of those titles you earned. But you are also a living, intelligent creature. That means you feel pain like everyone else.’ Wukong faltered, making Sandy hold back a sigh. ‘When one of your friends is in pain, you want to help, right? Well, I am also your friend. And I want to help you. Because I can tell you are in pain.’

In this moment, Sandy was struck by how alike Wukong and Macaque actually were. He had curled up in the corner of the couch, holding himself with his tail wrapped around his legs, a position that Macaque had been in so many times. And just like Macaque, Sandy couldn’t tell if Wukong was going to flip into anger to defend himself or bolt. ‘I can handle it,’ Wukong whispered. ‘I can handle my stuff.’

‘I’m sure you can,’ Sandy said. ‘But you don’t have to handle it alone. We don’t let Ma-Quack handle it alone, or MK. You deserve the same kindness.’ Wukong flinched, visibly flinched, making Sandy frown in worry. But he filed that worry away for later. Now was not the time to probe that reaction. ‘I would like to suggest something,’ Sandy said, ‘an activity we can try.’

Wukong finally glanced at Sandy. ‘What?’

‘Well, you might like it,’ Sandy said. ‘It might feel odd. But I think it will be very useful in the long run. Hang on, let me check if I have the right supplies.’

Sandy felt Wukong track his every movement as he got up and started looking through nearby shelves, draws, boxes. He didn’t bring attention to it though, humming to himself as he felt Wukong’s golden stare on him. He wouldn’t be surprised if Wukong didn’t blink while watching him. But he hadn’t moved an inch when Sandy came back, his arms full with supplies. He started laying out sketchpads and paper, pencils, stickers, and small bundles of what looks like monthly calendar trackers. ‘Here we go,’ Sandy said. ‘How would you feel about trying some proper art therapy?’ 

Wukong frowned, ‘What do you mean “proper” art therapy? I draw all the time.’

Sandy nodded, ‘I know. But this art therapy will be…a little different. We’re not just drawing things that make us happy. We will be expressing all of our emotions through drawing.’ Wukong didn’t look convinced, even as Sandy sat down and grabbed some paper and a pencil. ‘Would you like to draw in silence? Or shall we talk and draw?’

Even with Wukong’s reservations, he accepted the new activity quickly. After all, he would have to sit closer to the table to be able to draw. Which meant being off the couch that felt too big and empty. And if they were drawing, then Sandy’s questions would stop for a little while. All while Wukong wouldn’t have to leave early and make Mac worry. So he got himself comfortable on the floor, grabbed a pad and started to draw. On autopilot he started drawing monkeys, a simple sketch of two cubs playing together, then of two curled up together while sleeping. Then he did a quick sketch of his waterfall, capturing some of the forest around it and the winding river before Sandy checked in. He cooed over the baby monkeys, and admired the detail on the waterfall while showing Wukong what he called “his warm up exercise”. A sketch of a sleeping Mo, which as Wukong looked he had literally drawn based on how Mo was curled up nearby. 

With those done Sandy gestured for them to be put to the side, Wukong grabbing a fresh sheet of paper while Sandy started to explain what the proper exercise was. ‘I know that you like to draw things that make you happy. But for this, I want you to draw something else. Typically this kind of exercise would have people express their emotions through art, but I have a feeling that if I ask you to do that, you will default right back to your normal preferences.’ Wukong scowled at being called out so easily, while Sandy continued. ‘So instead I’m going to ask you to draw people, or situations, that you didn’t like. Things that made you sad, or scared, or angry, when they happened.’

Wukong scowled, ‘Why?’

‘It will help,’ Sandy said. ‘It’s a different way to get out an emotion that might be otherwise bottled up or difficult to process. However, I will suggest we start with a lighter one. So, how about you pick something that used to upset you, but now when you look back it doesn’t really bother you anymore. Or if it does, then it’s only in the moment, and it’s one you can easily move on from.’ 

Wukong looked away in thought, trying to think of something that would fit the bill. ‘And what are you going to do?’

Sandy grabbed a fresh piece of paper and his pencil, giving Wukong a giant grin. ‘The same.’

Somehow that made Wukong blink in surprise. But also a knot of tension released at the same time. Sandy was doing this exercise with him? Somehow that made Wukong feel less exposed, less in the spotlight. And it made it a little easier for Wukong to pick up his pencil and begin to draw.

Wukong didn’t want to spend a lot of time on this. The drawing had a lot less detail than his art normally did. But there was enough there for Sandy to instantly recognise who he had drawn. ‘Oh,’ Sandy said. ‘Is that the Bone Demon Lady?’

Wukong nodded, while glaring at the page. ‘Yeah. She sucked. But she’s dead now, thank the stars.’ 

Sandy hummed in understanding, ‘Okay. Yeah, this will be perfect. In that case, would you be happy explaining some of the picture? Or perhaps why you drew her first for this exercise?’

Wukong shrugged, ‘She was the first thing that came to mind that fit I guess. I hated her. She tried to kill my kid. She used and tortured Mac. And, let’s not get into how it felt to have her possess me. That was a new kind of hell I never want to relive.’ He shuddered at the thought, the memory, while glaring at the picture all over again. Maybe he had overegged how evil her grin was. Maybe drawing her in just the bone face made her even creepier than she needed to be. But it felt correct, to highlight just how cruel and villainous she was. ‘I get why my Master wanted to give her the chance to earn redemption. He wanted to do that with everyone. And I wouldn’t be here right now if he hadn’t tried to give me that same chance. But some people? Don’t deserve it.’

Sandy nodded, ‘I wonder. How would you define who does and doesn’t deserve redemption?’

Wukong thought for a moment. ‘Well, I guess it depends what you do with that second chance. Some people don’t want to be better. Some people just want to bide their time until they can try again, and be that much worse the second time. Or try and get vengeance. They don’t try to change. They get the chance to be better and waste it.’ Sandy nodded again, while Wukong shook himself out of his thoughts. ‘Alright, your turn. What did you draw?’

Sandy smiled slightly, and showed a much cruder sketch of two children that looked to be fighting. ‘My childhood bully.’

Wukong’s jaw dropped. ‘Wait, you were bullied?!’ Sandy chuckled at Wukong’s reaction while the monkey sat up straighter. ‘How? I mean, you’re huge!’

‘I wasn’t always quite this big, Mr King,’ Sandy laughed. ‘And children can be cruel to those who are different. In my case, I’m the descendent of a water demon, and that leaves its features as it were. They were often a point of ridicule and mocking. But this kid,’ Sandy gestured with the paper, ‘he made it into a sport.’

Wukong’s tail flicked in agitation, ‘Need me to teach him a lesson?’

Sandy laughed properly at that. ‘No need, but thank you for the offer. It was a long time ago, and I’ve worked on my anger from back then. And my self esteem. Now, it’s just a bad memory. But one I don’t need to linger on.’ And with that, Sandy took up the paper and slowly but purposefully tore it in half.

‘Uh,’ Wukong said, watching in confusion as Sandy gathered the pieces to tear it up again. ‘What are you doing, Big Guy?’

Sandy ripped the pieces again, tossing them into the air to scatter onto the floor, before smirking at Wukong. ‘The final part of the exercise.’

Wukong’s eyes widened, and he looked at the picture of Lady Bone Demon. ‘Wait, you want me to rip it?’ Sandy hummed in confirmation, making Wukong pick it up. ‘Are you sure? I mean, don’t you need to keep an idea of what I draw? Like the journal does? Or-’

‘Mr King?’ Sandy said. ‘Rip the picture.’

Wukong only hesitated for one more moment. Then he gripped the page and quickly ripped it in half, watching as the face of Lady Bone Demon was ruined in the process. Her sinister smile was broken, her skull now distorted with it being complete. A bubble of emotion welled up in his chest, making him grin, then chuckle, then break into a proper giggle. ‘Okay wait,’ Wukong said. ‘Why did that feel good?’

Sandy smiled knowingly, ‘Catharsis, perhaps?’

Wukong grinned, gathering up the page to rip it again. Then again. He kept going until the paper was the size of confetti, before he copied Sandy and tossed it into the air around him. The ice demon was unrecognisable in the scraps of paper that danced around him, making Wukong laugh in a way that let all the tension in him ease.

‘How does that feel?’ Sandy said.’

‘Good,’ Wukong laughed. ‘Really good.’ He sat up, eyes now dancing with delight as he spotted the rest of the stack of paper on the table. ‘Can we do that again?’

Sandy chuckled, grabbing a fresh sheet while Wukong snatched up his pencil again. ‘Of course we can.’ 

The exercise continued to the point that both Wukong and Sandy lost track of time. Soon enough the floor around both of them was littered with scraps of paper from various drawings. Sandy had drawn some other people from his past, a picture of a wrecked motorcycle, and a bridge tunnel within the city that he briefly explained was the setting for a lot of his darkest moments. And all of them were torn into small scraps of paper, with only small sections of the original picture able to be discerned. Wukong, however, turned every picture he had drawn into confetti. The Brotherhood were shredded. Li Jing was unrecognisable. Some other demons and celestials also appeared, and all of their images shared the same fate. But his latest sketch made him vibrate in excitement at the prospect of destroying it.

‘Alright,’ Wukong slapped the finished sketch on the table. ‘This guy? This ass? I only wish I could do in real life what I’m about to do to his picture.’

Sandy looked at the tall, regal looking Celestial, and the large dog at his side. ‘Who is this one?’

This, my good Sandy, is none other than Erlang Shen,’ Wukong hissed. Sandy’s eyes widened in recognition, and he reached out to take the picture so he could examine it more closely. ‘Remember the late Jade Emperor? That guy is his nephew. And his dog? Tried to eat me when we fought because it was the only way he stood a chance at beating me.’

‘Eat you?’ Sandy said.

‘Well he bit my leg,’ Wukong said, ‘but that thing can grow to be the size of a kaiju. And he got the dog to do that. Because he is a cheat.’

Sandy looked over the picture again. ‘This is the person that set fire to the mountain?’

Wukong nodded, ‘And that’s not the only thing he’s done, trust me. Remember when Mac lost his memories? And he started to hunt down that Soul Collector Demon same time as we were?’ Sandy nodded, frowning in concern. ‘Well after MK and his buds kicked her ass, and…everything else happened that made us all leave super quick, he showed up. In front of DBK, PIF and all of those rescued Soul Collector victims. And drew his weapon on them.’

‘He did what?’

I know!’ Wukong said. ‘But that’s not the half of it! We get Mac better, Mac gets me better, we’re recovering and letting things get back to normal. And then he shows up at the mountain wanting blood.’ Sandy’s jaw dropped, making Wukong only more amped up. ‘The guy’s mere presence set off the wards to keep out danger, which is all the warning I need to know that he was up to no good. But his dog was in war form. Again. So then MK, Mei and Mac go to shoo him off, because I wasn’t there, I was doing something else and didn’t even know he had shown up.’ Wukong slammed his hands on the table again, making it groan against the pressure. ‘This guy? Hurt MK and Macaque. With a magical blade. That would stop a wound from healing. If I didn’t have any of Guanyin’s waters, those wounds would have just kept bleeding with no way of stopping them.’

Sandy paled at that, the picture creasing in his grip. ‘What happened to him?’

Wukong growled, folding his arms in frustration. ‘I only got one scratch on him. Frankly I should have killed him the second I laid my eyes on him. And I almost did. But then Nezha showed up and said that I couldn’t. “Oh no Wukong! You can’t kill him Wukong! You’ll start a war with Heaven if you do that Wukong! Don’t be a bad monkey again Wukong!”’ Wukong scoffed, making Sandy raise an eyebrow. ‘Once again, someone else is saving Erlang’s ass and letting him get away with whatever he wants because no one actually cares what he does to “just some monkeys.”’

‘Is that what you were told?’ Sandy said. ‘Did someone actually say that to you?’

‘In more words,’ Wukong grumbled.

Sandy huffed in frustration, looking at the picture again. He would keep an eye out for this face. But right now, there was something more important that needed to happen to this picture. He held it out for Wukong, ‘Are you ready?’

Wukong looked up to see the page being offered, and immediately grinned. He was ruthless in how he tore through Erlang’s face, using his claws to shred the page to ribbons and then tearing again. It was practically dust when he was done, while a vindictive smile graced his face as he looked at Sandy again. ‘One day, I’m going to do that to the real thing. And it is going to be so satisfying.’ 

Sandy hummed, watching Wukong carefully. ‘What if he ever wanted redemption?’

Wukong snorted, ‘He doesn’t. If anything, time has just made him worse. He’s had centuries to apologise, but instead he threatens my kid and my M…Mac. I will make him bleed for that one day. Count on it.’ Sandy didn’t respond, letting Wukong grab another piece of paper and a fresh pencil. ‘Alright, ready for another one?’

Sandy chuckled, but shook his head. ‘Not quite.’ Wukong faltered, while Sandy grabbed his own piece of paper. ‘We’ve covered quite a few people or encounters that have caused you anger, and frustration. Situations which you have been able to fight and overcome in some way, or have enough distance that they don’t cause you the same pain they might have done once. I feel quite happy that you can process those emotions pretty well, in fact. So, I think we need to focus on something else with this next one.’

‘Like what?’

‘Something that…well,’ Sandy paused in thought, trying to work out the best way to say what he had to say. ‘Something that you can’t do that with yet. Something which hasn’t been overcome, or something that causes active pain when you think about it.’ Wukong immediately looked unsure, even with Sandy trying to give him a reassuring look. ‘It will otherwise go the same way. We both draw, we talk about our picture, and then we rip it up.’

Wukong frowned, ‘What kind of thing do you want me to draw here?’

Sandy shrugged, ‘What kind of thing upsets you when you think about it?’

‘Great question,’ Wukong grumbled, ‘but I tend to not think of things that upset me, so how can I tell you what does?’

Sandy thought for a moment. ‘Would you feel comfortable drawing something from your dreams?’ Wukong went pale at that, causing Sandy to put his hands up placatingly. ‘It doesn’t have to be all of it. I know a lot of things can happen in dreams, and some of it can be more difficult to think about than others. So…let’s just pick one image. One moment that you would feel okay sharing like this.’

Wukong swallowed, then looked down at the fresh page. All of his confidence, his race to dive into the next sketch, was now gone. But still he picked up the pencil, fiddling with it a little bit, before leaning down to begin the next exercise. He went through the part of his nightmares he could remember, vetoing most of them quickly. Anything involving Macaque was something he wasn’t going to bring up like this, especially when it involved the version of Macaque that visited him in his nightmares. MK…well those were memories he had to relive, or twisted versions of them. Him and MK at the Pillar. MK frozen in ice by Lady Bone Demon, or possessed like Wukong had once been. MK with a scar over his right eye and a familiar hateful look in his eyes. MK siding with the Brotherhood, or impaled by Azure’s sword. Dark words filtered through, from memories and dreams both. None of that was stuff that Wukong wanted to share with Sandy, especially not like this. To bring those images to life, to act as if they actually had power or mattered. He didn’t want to do that. So then he was only really left with one option. So that is what he began to draw.

The sketch had barely begun before Wukong faltered for the first time. It was just a few lines to map out the space, but already Wukong’s hand began to tremble. But Sandy hadn’t noticed, and Wukong was committed. So he continued. The rough shapes of the rocks and cave had started to form when Wukong shivered, making Sandy look up. ‘Mr King? Are you okay?’

‘I don’t like this,’ Wukong muttered. It sounded childish, but he didn’t care.

Sandy looked over Wukong carefully, ‘Do you need to take a break?’

Did he? Probably. But if he did that then he would never finish this picture. Part of Wukong didn’t care, but Sandy was watching. ‘How important is it to finish this?’ Wukong asked.

Sandy sat up properly, looking at the rough sketch Wukong had so far. ‘It’s up to you. We have done a lot today, so we can call it here if you want.’

‘And then what would happen?’ Wukong asked. ‘Next time, I mean.’

‘Well,’ Sandy said, ‘it would probably be helpful to come back to this in some way. To discuss it after there’s been some time and space to reflect.’

No. No, Wukong didn’t want to do that. It was bad enough he had to relive this place in his nightmares. He didn’t want to have to drag it up multiple times with Sandy. So he huffed and turned back to the paper, focusing back on the sketch. Even though every line he added made his tail lash in discomfort. Even though he could feel how cold and uncomfortable the stone was around his body. Even though every passing second made it harder and harder to just focus on the paper. And not the memory now standing so vivid in his mind.

‘Mr King? What’s wrong?’

Wukong didn’t respond. Or even acknowledge Sandy had spoken. He was staring at the paper without seeing it. Instead there was just dark stone in his vision, whether his eyes were open or closed. And he couldn’t move.

‘Mr King.’ Sandy’s hand on his back broke Wukong out of his spell enough to make him jolt and back away from the table, staring wide eyed at the table with a broken pencil and the cave and the glowing golden chains hanging everywhere. He curled up on instinct, his tail curling around his legs to make himself as small as possible. He grabbed at his mane, palms covering his ears to hide from the sound of cruel laughter and sizzling metal, while his claws dug into his mane.

Sandy hadn’t moved away from him, planting his large hand on Wukong’s back again in comfort. ‘Mr King, talk to me. What’s wrong?’

Wukong could only shake his head. Sandy shouldn’t be here. Sandy wasn’t here. He knew Sandy couldn’t be at the mountain, couldn’t be with him in this prison. Only one friend ever visited him here. And he was gone. Gone, with his shadows and peaches and promises to stay by Wukong’s side. Gone because Wukong pushed him away when he was only trying to help. But Wukong couldn’t say any of that. The words evaded him, his voice locked up, and all the sorrow and anger and fear was filling his chest until there was nothing left.

‘Okay,’ Sandy said calmly, ‘let’s try this. Try naming five things you can see.’

‘See?’ Wukong whispered, his voice rasping. Sandy nodded, his hand rubbing Wukong’s back in encouragement. ‘Uh…your beard.’

Sandy nodded, ‘Yeah, that’s good. What else?’

‘Um…the table,’ Wukong murmured. ‘Cats. Pencils. Tea cup.’

‘Great,’ Sandy said. ‘That was great. Now, how about four things you can feel?’

Feel? Wukong could feel the cold of the stone making him shiver, the ache from blisters in his mouth. ‘Your hand,’ he whispered. ‘The floor. It…it’s cold here.’

Sandy frowned at that. Wukong never complained about the cold. In fact, it wasn’t cold on his boat right now. If anything he typically kept this room quite toasty. But still he moved to grab a blanket from the couch to wrap around Wukong’s shoulders, bringing up a corner to brush against Wukong’s hands and face to add more grounding sensations. ‘How about this?’

Wukong’s brow furrowed, both in concentration and distress. ‘Soft…a blanket?’

‘Good,’ Sandy said. ‘Now, one more thing you can feel.’

‘I said four things.’

‘Just one more for me.’

Wukong swallowed, trying to cast his senses out. Which was the moment the grey cat butted into his leg with a quiet trill. ‘Was that a cat?’ Wukong whispered. ‘Does that count?’

‘It does,’ Sandy said, petting the grey cat in a silent thanks. ‘Okay, now name three things you can hear.’

‘There’s nothing here,’ Wukong whispered. ‘Just echoes.’

‘That’s not right,’ Sandy said. ‘Maybe that was true once, but that’s not what I hear here. What can you hear in this moment?’

Wukong swallowed, ‘Cats. You. Uh…your music.’ 

Sandy nodded, ‘Great. Now two things you can smell.’

‘Peaches,’ Wukong said. ‘And pencil shavings.’

‘Excellent,’ Sandy said. ‘You’re almost done. Name one thing you can taste.’

Wukong grimaced and pulled away. ‘I don’t want to.’

‘Please, Mr King. Just name one thing you can taste.’

Wukong shook his head, curling up tighter. ‘It tastes like blood.’

Sandy frowned. ‘What does? Did you bite your tongue?’

Wukong grimaced. ‘Stop it. You made your point.’ His eyes were squeezed shut, and he was trying to pull away from an old memory and failing. One where someone was holding up a metal pellet, glowing from how hot it was. He barely felt Sandy put the cup of now tepid tea to his lips, but even as he swallowed he couldn’t taste the peaches. Only copper. Copper and blood.

That was until something metal and cold was pressed to his lips, and his eyes flew open in surprise as something cold and sweet and fizzy hit his tongue. He jumped, barely catching Sandy’s hand as he pulled away with the can of soda, but he just managed to swallow instead of spitting the drink everywhere.

‘Mr King?’ Sandy’s voice drew Wukong’s attention, and he looked at the blue guy in confusion. ‘Let’s try that again. What can you taste?’

Wukong licked his lips, his confusion only growing as the flavour sank into his tongue and drew out another completely different memory. ‘Is that the Kid’s soda?’ Sandy visibly sighed with relief and nodded, which only made Wukong more confused. ‘Why do you have his soda?’

‘I keep a stash in case he comes around to visit,’ Sandy said. He handed Wukong the drink, encouraging him to have another sip. ‘For now just focus on this. Describe the taste for me.’

Wukong looked at the can, his free hand still buried into his mane as he gingerly had another sip. It was the same artificial sweetness it always tasted like. The fun part was that it was fizzy, but its claims to taste like mango were sorely lacking. Wukong said as much, each word making Sandy more relaxed as he finally started to step away. Wukong didn’t notice Sandy grab the remote for his speaker until the quiet music suddenly grew louder, and Wukong looked up to watch him. Sandy grabbed the half finished drawings and tucked them away face down, before setting another blank page out in what had been Wukong’s spot. ‘I’m sorry,’ Sandy said. ‘I hadn’t intended for any of this exercise to trigger that kind of reaction. I was hoping that it would be therapeutic, not dangerous.’

Wukong looked between Sandy and the blank page, a new frown beginning to form. ‘You want me to do that again?’

‘No,’ Sandy said. ‘Not right now. That is there for if you want to draw something else. Nothing related to that exercise of course. You don’t have to though. If you’ve had enough of drawing right now then I would understand.’

Wukong looked at the page again, his brow furrowing more as his thoughts moved from the chaotic jumble of panic and pain to something more focused. The exercise. He hadn’t finished it. ‘Where’s the other one?’ he whispered. The drawing I was doing?’

Sandy blinked at Wukong in surprise, but fished it out all the same and held it out for him. Wukong moved enough to be able to grab it, barely feeling the dull ache in his head now that his trembling hand had moved away from his mane to take the paper. He turned it to look at the drawing, coldly taking in the detail of the cave that he had gotten to.

‘If you don’t mind me asking,’ Sandy said, ‘what was that place?’

‘My prison,’ Wuong whispered. ‘From when I fought Heaven and lost.’

Sandy blinked in surprise. ‘Why…why would you pick that for the exercise? I said that it could be something from your dreams that you felt safe sharing.’

‘This was the safest thing I could think of,’ Wukong muttered. Before Sandy could respond to that, Wukong tore the page. One, twice, only three times. It dropped to the floor in recognisable chunks around him, while Wukong huffed. Tearing the other drawings had given him catharsis. Or vindication. Or some sort of release. But there was none of that with this one. That heavy, hollow feeling sitting in his chest hadn’t shifted at all. And the echo of the silent cave still rang in his ears.

Chapter Text

There was a tension in the air as Macaque waited for Wukong to come back. Even though he tried his best to ignore it. He had spent the morning in the shrine praying, and then had taken his time checking in with the mothers and other monkeys nearby. And now he was in the shack, curled up in the armchair Wukong had let him move into the small house. Listening to music and reading through his play. But he knew he was waiting. Waiting for Wukong to come back, either in tears like Macaque had been, or raging at something Sandy had done. Or maybe he would burst through the door completely blasé and claim the whole thing had been a waste of time. But either way, here Macaque was. Waiting for Wukong to come back to declare his verdict on private therapy. Macaque already knew that whatever Wukong said, it wasn’t going to change his own mind on the idea. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous about what Wukong was going to say. Or how Wukong was doing after going through it all alone for the first time. 

But that was something Macaque couldn’t do anything about until Wukong was back. So he instead focused on his music, working on the narration for his latest scene, and trying his hardest to relax in the circumstances. He couldn’t help but twitch his tail in anticipation when he heard the telltale whistle of Wukong’s nimbus over his music, and when Wukong’s feet hit the porch Macaque was already pulling the headphones off his ears.

‘So,’ Macaque said when the door opened, ‘how did it…Wukong?’ The golden monkey barely looked up at him, glowering at the floor with an expression that made Macaque’s blood freeze. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘I’m never doing that again,’ Wukong growled. He slammed the door shut so hard that it rattled in the frame, and Macaque winced at the sound of wood splintering. 

‘That bad, huh?’ he said. ‘What happened?’

‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ Wukong grumbled. He still didn’t look at Macaque, instead stomping to the couch to flop onto it and curl up to face away from the rest of the room.

Macaque frowned, abandoning his notebook to move closer to the couch. There was an urge in him to reach out, to try and offer some comfort. But that expression. Things never went well for Macaque when Wukong had that look on his face, something that the primal part of his brain recognised all too well. His shadows had gathered closer on reflex, ready for him to run if he needed to. Just in case this turned. Just in case Wukong turned on him. Macaque could admit that it was fear that held him a few steps away. But it wasn’t as strong as his worry. Especially when he watched Wukong begin to shiver as he started to cling to his head, gripping at his mane just above his ears. He couldn’t leave Wukong alone like this. But he didn’t want to get caught in the fallout either.

Wukong jolted when the blanket landed on him, making him scramble to sit up. ‘What?’

‘You looked cold.’ Wukong looked up in time to see Macaque shrug, standing ten paces away from the couch. ‘Which is a crazy thought by the way, considering how you’re literally a furnace.’

‘A blanket?’ Wukong said.

Macaque raised an eyebrow to hide the spike of worry. ‘Very astute.’

Wukong sniffed, moving enough to touch the dark blanket piled on top of him. ‘This is yours.’

Macaque snorted, ‘Don’t act like your current favourite thing isn’t to steal it.’ His attempts at humour fizzled however when Wukong started trembling again, his face crumpling as he stayed sat and staring at the blanket. ‘Whoa, hey,’ Mac said, voice more gentle than it had been for a while, especially when talking to Wukong. He caught the whimper that slipped out of Wukong’s throat, and closed the distance in three steps. ‘Its okay,’ Mac whispered. ‘The talks with Sandy can be a lot, huh?’

Wukong nodded, but clearly didn’t trust his voice enough to speak. But his tail did the talking for him, wrapping around Macaque’s wrist with a desperate tug. Macaque tried to hide his worried sigh with a chuckle. ‘If you want to cuddle then you need to scooch over.’

The couch was probably too small for them both to lie on it like this. But they didn’t care. Wukong shuffled to the back of the couch while Macaque moved the blanket to cover both of them, trying to stay calm despite how Wukong kept trembling against him. But when he laid down and gathered Wukong against his chest, something hit Macaque’s nose that made his stomach twist in horror. Blood. Fresh blood. He couldn’t see any, but the smell was unmistakable. And clinging to Wukong’s mane. Macaque was moving before he realised what he was doing, brushing a gentle paw through Wukong’s fur. He tried to hush Wukong gently when the touch made him tremble and whimper that much more, even when his hand found something that made him freeze. Hot, wet, and sticking to strands of hair. He still couldn’t see the blood. Not until he pulled his hand away enough to see it glistening on his fingers. 

‘Wukong,’ Macaque whispered, not trusting his voice to work any louder without cracking, ‘do you need to talk-’

Wukong didn’t let him finish before shaking his head, burying his face in Macaque’s chest. Macaque grimaced, heart aching at Wukong coming apart in his arms. And he couldn’t take his eyes away from the blood now drying on his fingers and staining Wukong’s claws. Suddenly everything slotted into the place. All the times he caught a whiff of something metallic around Wukong. The patches of fur that had been glued together by something he couldn’t see. This had been going on for a while. How long? When had he noticed this first? How long had Wukong been struggling like this? And how had Macaque never realised what was going on before? Suddenly he was struck with the memory of the last time he had seen Wukong break down like this. On the beach. Back when Macaque finally admitted just how scared he was of losing the fragile hope that was them rebuilding a home together. That…did he smell blood then? He couldn’t remember. He was too focused on getting Wukong calmed down, and all he could remember smelling was seawater and peach. Nothing like this. Had…had he ever noticed Wukong acting like that since? Was that why he had freaked out so much at the offer of Macaque grooming him? So many questions, questions that threatened to make Macaque spiral in a hundred different ways. But he couldn’t let himself. Not right now. He needed to focus up, so he could try and help Wukong now.

‘I’ve got an idea,’ Macaque said.

Wukong shook his head again, ‘I’m sick of ideas.’

Macaque frowned. ‘You sure?’ Wukong shook his head again, making Macaque sigh. ‘What about if I agreed to watch that stupid show of yours?’

He felt, more than saw, Wukong peek out from where he was hiding in Macaque’s scarf. ‘Monkey Cop?’ Wukong whispered. ‘You’d watch Monkey Cop with me?’

Macaque smirked, ‘If we do my idea first.’ Wukong whined, his tail flicking unhappily, but he hadn’t refused yet. Which meant that he was at least listening. And that was half the battle right now. ‘It’s not even a big deal,’ Macaque said, ‘I was just thinking that when I had a crappy time at therapy, a soak in the springs helped me feel better. Let me feel like I was washing all the gross feelings off.’

Wukong was silent for a moment, clearly thinking. ‘A bath in the springs.’ Macaque nodded, feeling the gears turning in Wukong’s head. ‘And then Monkey Cop?’

‘With peach chips,’ Macaque grinned. But Wukong grimaced and shook his head, making Macaque falter in confusion. ‘Wait, you don’t want peach chips?’

‘Not hungry,’ Wukong said. 

‘Not even for normal peaches?’ Wukong shook his head again, making Macaque splutter. ‘But you’re always hungry.’

‘Well I’m not now!’

Macaque had to bite down his immediate reaction, brain whirring as he tried to calm his panic down enough to let him think of another idea. No peaches? Since when did Wukong not want peaches?! ‘Alright, then no peaches. What about a nest on the couch to watch TV from?’ Immediately the tension in Wukong started to deflate again, and he nodded again. He curled more into Macaque’s chest, letting Macaque wrap him up tighter in his embrace while the shadows opened up to carry them to the mountain’s hot pools.

Wukong didn’t say a word at the pools. Not about Sandy, or the session, or anything. He seemed to barely have the focus to wash himself, instead letting Macaque groom him again. He didn’t notice when Macaque carefully scooped up the hot water to run through his mane in an effort to wash out the blood, or when the grooming was finished and Macaque instead turned to wrap Wukong up in a tight hug. Normally Wukong would declare he was done in the water and hop out while Macaque grumbled about barely having enough time for a proper soak. But this time Macaque had to be the one to leave first, gathering the towels to coax Wukong into so they could dry and brush his fur. 

When they returned to the couch, dressed in their pajamas, it was with Macaque having gathered a few choice blankets and pillows to build a nest around Wukong. All while Wukong didn’t move. Not until Macaque climbed into the nest, his phone and the TV remote in hand, in time for Wukong to pull him into a tight hug. Macaque let him without complaint, turning on the TV in time to see the opening credits of Monkey Cop appear on the screen. Wukong chirped at the familiar music, the closest he had made to a happy sound since he had gotten back from Sandy’s, while Macaque wrapped his arms around him. His tail curled around Macaque, his head nestled against his chest as Macaque pulled one of the blankets closer, and returned to stroking a paw through Wukong’s mane. Wukong didn’t notice Macaque use the phone behind his head, carefully typing with one hand in the search engine while Wukong slowly settled against him. Macaque did glance over at the TV occasionally, enough to follow whatever inane basic plot was going on. But the bulk of his focus was on the many articles and web pages that had popped up on his phone. Realistically, Sandy would know where to start with this. But Macaque knew the King well enough to know that sharing something like this? Was the last thing he was going to do. 

The Monkey Cop marathon had just ended its fourth episode when Wukong shifted against Macaque. The shadow monkey hummed at him, letting Wukong nuzzle into his shoulder while Macaque’s ears twitched in time with Wukong’s breathing. He felt calmer in Macaque’s arms. Not by a lot, but the trembling had mostly stopped, and the tension in his grip had eased as well. Wukong yawned, making Macaque chuckle despite himself. ‘Long day?’

Wukong hummed, nuzzling into Macaque more. ‘Did I mention therapy sucks?’

Macaque huffed in amusement. ‘It may have come up, yeah.’ Wukong grumbled, pushing Macaque to lie further back on the couch so he could recline more. He was definitely acting more like himself, if a tired and grumpy version of himself. And that was enough to ease that knot of worry in Macaque’s stomach just a bit. And now that Wukong was acting more himself, whatever the worst of that episode was had hopefully passed as well. Which made Macaque more confident in the other idea he had thought up. ‘Hey bud, would you mind if I ordered noodles?’

Wukong’s tail immediately flicked in interest, and Wukong looked up at him with wide eyes. ‘You want noodles?’

‘Yeah,’ Macaque said. ‘I kinda forgot to get lunch again.’

Wukong sighed, ‘Mac…’

‘I know,’ Macaque said. ‘Which is why I’m ordering something now. If you’re okay with it.’

Wukong’s tail twitched again, which combined with the slow purrlike rumble in his chest showed his feelings all too clearly. ‘Think the kid will be able to stay and watch an episode?’

‘I think if this show is on when he arrives we’ll never be able to get him to leave,’ Macaque said. Wukong beamed at that thought, his tail wagging happily while Macaque rolled his eyes. ‘I’m taking that to mean I can order dinner then.’

Wukong nodded, but then sat up. ‘I’m still not hungry.’

‘Okay,’ Macaque said. ‘Is that, no food at all? Or…one bowl just in case smelling my food changes your mind?’ 

Wukong’s face screwed up at that, and Macaque couldn’t help but frown at the disgusted expression on his face. ‘No. No food.’

Macaque hummed, ‘Alright. But just to warn you, MK’s probably going to ask why.’

Wukong grumbled at that. ‘Then we tell him I’m ill or something.’

‘And then he’ll insist on bringing you soup to get your strength up.’

‘But I don’t want soup.’ Wukong said. 

Macaque hummed, ‘How would you feel about leftover noodles tomorrow?’

Wukong grimaced again, but the expression was markedly less intense. ‘I might want noodles tomorrow. Why?’

Macaque shrugged, ‘If you don’t want the kid worrying, then ordering like normal won’t make him suspect anything is wrong. And then you can save it for when you do fancy it.’ Wukong thought for a moment, and then slowly nodded. He laid back on Macaque's chest, turning back to the TV while not noticing Macaque’s triumphant smile. He brought up a text chat that the kid responded to immediately with excitement at the idea of dinner and Monkey Cop. ‘The kid’s offered to bring drinks too,’ Macaque said. ‘Is it safe to assume we’re not in the mood for tea either?’

Wukong nodded, ‘Soda would be fine.’

‘What kind?’

‘Kid’s choice.’ 

Macaque nodded, finishing up the conversation before finally putting down the phone and wrapping both arms around Wukong. His mind was still a whir of information, of questions, of worry and guilt and everything else. But he tried to put all of that to the side, letting Wukong’s weight be his focus instead. He started grooming Wukong again, not even to tidy the fur. Just for the need to do something with his hands. Wukong quietly trilled in response, leaning into Macaque’s touch where he was carefully and gently working over Wukong’s mane. He felt Wukong yawn again, but didn’t stop him running his fingers through the now clean and still damp fur. The trills from Wukong trailed off, morphing into a soft, rhythmic breathing that Macaque’s grooming easily matched. Until Wukong was softly snoring against his chest, making Macaque chuckle in amusement. ‘Should have seen that coming,’ Macaque muttered to himself. This would be the point where he would normally make a comment or joke. Even if Wukong wasn’t awake to hear it. But he wasn’t in the mood to even think of one today. He was too full of worry. No. No this was fear. For most of his younger life Macaque hated the idea of Wukong being hurt, even when Wukong came back with no scratches and only cooler powers after every fight and adventure. For a few centuries Macaque wanted nothing more than to see Wukong suffer, but only by his hand. And now he was past that. He was now able to admit to himself that he cared for Wukong. That he probably never stopped on some level. That….that those old feelings Macaque had never said out loud had only seemed to get stronger with time. Even if he never truly admitted what those feelings were. All that to say, Macaque was once again back on his younger self’s page. He hated the idea of Wukong being hurt. To see that Wukong had hurt himself? That he had probably done it before, and could have been doing it for months or even years with no one noticing? That thought terrified the shadow monkey. Because, what else had Wukong been thinking, or planning, or doing, to hurt himself when no one noticed? Or when no one was here to notice?

Neither of the monkeys paid attention to how much time had passed. The light had dimmed in the room as the sun had started to set. But that just meant that Macaque had flicked the closest light on so he could read his phone without issue, while Wukong continued to sleep through the TV. So the first actual clue they had to the time was when Macaque heard a familiar nimbus whistling through the air. This time when footsteps hit the porch Macaque cast a shadow out to open the door before the loud knock could come. He smirked when MK staggered through the door, hand raised to knock on a door that wasn’t there. The kid giggled and spun to look at the couch. ‘You know, if you-’

Macaque hushed MK quickly, pointing at the still asleep Wukong on his chest. ‘Voice down, kid.’

‘Awwww!’ MK’s whole face lit up in glee at the sight on the couch, ‘You guys look so cute!’

‘No pictures.’

Immediately MK pouted, making Macaque snort. Yeah, this is definitely what Wukong needed. His kid being peak MK was bound to cheer him up. ‘Fine,’ MK pouted. ‘But don’t think I won’t hold your noodles for ransom.’

‘Excuse me, I paid for them. That would be stealing.’

MK grumbled, moving to the low table to start laying out everything in the bags. Five takeaway bowls of noodles, two boxes of dumplings and rolls, cans of soda for all three of them, and many, many, many bags of chips.

‘Seriously? Peach chips?’

‘Not all peach chips,’ MK said. ‘I also got mango ones. And regular ones.’ Macaque rolled his eyes affectionately, making MK huff at him. ‘Don’t act like that, they’ll get eaten.’

‘By who?’

‘Us. And if we don’t then they won’t exactly go bad for a while. Besides, Monkey King loves peach chips. I gotta bring them at this point, it's tradition.’ MK grinned at Macaque’s eye roll, glancing down at the sleeping Monkey King. Only to do a double take at the sight of Wukong staring at him. ‘Oh, sorry!’ MK winced. ‘Did I wake you up?’

‘Kid?’ Wukong’s voice was rough, and far too quiet.

So quiet that MK's face fell when he heard it. ‘Hey, what’s wrong?’

Macaque sighed, ‘He did his first solo chat with Sandy.’

MK hissed in sympathy. ‘Was it that bad?’ Macaque shrugged, while MK looked at the TV that was still playing. ‘I was wondering what had convinced Mac to start watching Monkey Cop.’

‘Watch is a strong word for what I’ve been doing,’ Macaque muttered.

MK was suddenly a flurry of movement, shrugging off his jacket and pulling the table closer while he shifted to monkey form in a flash of gold light. ‘Alright, scooch,’ he said. ‘Let me get in the monkey pile.’

Macaque looked at the couch, frowning slightly. ‘Maybe we should move the nest to the floor. Just so the couch doesn’t break under the weight of two stone monkeys.’

‘Three.’

‘I’m not stone,’ Macaque chuckled. ‘I was born from wind and shadow, bud.’

‘Oh cool!’ MK said, as he put a hand on Wukong to brace himself for climbing into the nest. ‘Does that mean-’

Wukong was suddenly a blur of movement, so fast and surprising that Macaque and MK couldn’t process what he was doing quickly enough. One second he was gone from Macaque’s chest, the blankets flying around him. The next he had dragged MK into the nest, wrapping him in a full body hug that had him both sprawled and pinned on the couch. Macaque recovered first, with a sigh and a hand on Wukong’s shoulder before turning to the food on the table. He had started to open the noodle bowls by the time MK had realised what had happened and leaned into the hug, trilling at Wukong. ‘Monkey King? It’s okay. We’re okay.’

Wukong couldn’t help the sad chirp that almost sounded like a whimper, making MK’s tail flick in worry and Macaque glance back at the two of them with a frown. ‘I’m sorry,’ Wukong whispered. ‘It…I…’

‘Bad day?’ MK asked. Wukong nodded, making MK hum softly. ‘It okay. I get it. But I promise we’re okay. We’re safe, okay?’ Wukong squeezed MK tighter, making MK coo at him reassuringly. Macaque couldn’t help but smile when MK started cooing in the way Wukong had taught him during Baby Season, repeating the sounds that told everyone they were safe. On instinct Macaque reached his tail out to brush against Wukong in comfort, feeling him tremble as the two tails wrapped together. 

‘Wukong,’ Macaque said. ‘You’ll need to put the kid down so he can eat.’ He rolled his eyes at the small growl from Wukong, turning around with a noodle bowl loaded with some of the dumplings. ‘At least let him have his hands back.’

‘It’s okay,’ MK said. ‘This is kinda comfy, actually.’

‘And how are the two of you going to watch Monkey Cop like that?’

Macaque raised an eyebrow at the sight of MK twisting to peek out from behind Wukong, getting a glance at the young monkey’s grin as he saw Macaque holding out the bowl. ‘I don’t know about you, but I can see fine,’ the Kid said.

Macaque rolled his eyes, ‘Alright fine. But the kid needs to eat before he leaves, or Pigsy will have both our heads.’ 

Wukong huffed. But finally moved. The three of them found a way to settle, Wukong still half wrapped around MK while the young man’s hands had been freed enough for him to start tucking into his noodles, a bag of open mango chips beside the two of them. On Wukong’s other side Macaque was leaning against him, slowly making his way through his own food while letting the noise of the TV be drowned out by MK’s chatter about his latest antics in the city, and the quiet hums Wukong made in response. Part of him still wanted to encourage Wukong to eat, but he didn’t dare disturb the moment. Besides, MK was much more likely to be successful at that than him right now. 

Chapter Text

‘How is Monkey King doing?’

Macaque tried to not cringe at the question, instead giving MK a small shrug. ‘He’s fine. Sleeping in like he normally does.’

It was a simple lie. One that would be easily believable, especially when Macaque said it with his normal confidence and air. But from the frown MK aimed at Macaque, it was clear he didn’t believe it. ‘Are you sure? Because the mothers are acting worried.’

Of course they are. And they had every right to be, considering how little they had seen the King in the days since his private session with Sandy. Macaque still didn’t know what had happened there, since Wukong refused to talk about it. But he did know that whatever it was? Wukong wasn’t coping with it at all. But it felt wrong to dump all of that on MK, especially when he was meant to be focusing on his training today. So instead Macaque shrugged, ‘You know what they’re like. They worry over every monkey they meet. Even us.’ MK didn’t look convinced, making Macaque roll his eyes. ‘Alright, I’ll go get the lazy one up. You get warmed up.’

‘Are you sure I can’t help?’ MK said. ‘And if Monkey King is struggling and he isn’t up for training, then we can do something else. Maybe-’

‘I’m sure he’s fine,’ Macaque said. ‘And if you really want to come with, you can.’ MK perked up, before immediately narrowing his eyes in suspicion. All while not noticing the extra shadows extend from his feet. He did however spot the moment Macaque’s smirk appeared, ‘If you can get past Rumble and Savage that is.’

MK was suddenly in the air, hand up to reach for his staff while the two shadow clones stretched out of the ground to reach for him. MK flipped over them with a flick of his tail, spinning the staff to knock them back before it had even finished growing, while he looked at Macaque incredulously. ‘Mac! What?’

‘Enjoy your warmup!’ Without a chance for MK to chase him Macaque vanished into his own shadow, letting the sounds of MK starting to spar against the shadows turn into a more distant background noise. While Macaque focused instead on the bed he was standing next to. 

He could just about see a tuft of red fur buried under blankets and sheets. Fur that groaned when Macaque leaned in to pull the sheets back. ‘If you ask me about breakfast again, I swear to Nuwa-’

‘Don’t worry,’ Macaque sighed. ‘I don't feel like wasting my breath with that right now.’ Wukong huffed and curled more into the bed, so his face was completely hidden in his pillows. ‘How did you sleep?’

‘Great,’ Wukong grumbled. ‘Now leave me alone.’

Macaque bit back the first five responses that popped in his head, gritting his teeth as he did so. Frankly he deserved a medal for being so restrained right now. ‘Wukong, whatever’s going on-’

‘I said,’ Wukong growled, ‘leave me alone.’

‘Do you even know what day it is right now?’

‘I don’t care,’ Wukong snapped.

‘It’s the Kid’s training day.’

At first there was silence. So much so in fact, that Macaque thought that Wukong hadn’t heard him. Or had ignored him. Or had sunk so far into whatever this depression was that even the promise of training with MK wouldn’t drag him out of it. But then Wukong shot upright, sitting up so fast that Macaque had to blink in surprise. ‘What?’ Wukong said. ‘No it isn’t. It’s only been-’

‘Three days,’ Macaque said. ‘Of you not leaving the bed. Which means training day.’

Wukong snatched up his phone from the bedside table, groaning when he saw the damn thing’s battery had died at some point. Macaque pulled out his phone without a word, letting Wukong see the screen, and the date. And the time. Wukong was suddenly leaping out of the bed with a yelp. ‘How the hell did that happen? I need to get ready, MK will be here any moment-’

‘He’s already here,’ Macaque said. Wukong froze in his tracks, staring at Macaque wide eyed while the dark monkey shrugged. ‘He came to say hi this morning in the shrine. I’ve left Rumble and Savage with him so he can warm up.’

‘What? Why?’

‘Because if I didn’t he would have followed me to help wake you up,’ Macaque said. Wukong paled at that, making Macaque roll his eyes. ‘I know. You’re welcome. The main thing is you can wash the depression spiral off you before you go see him. He’ll be distracted for at least another few minutes.’

Wukong nodded, moving with less panic but still in a rush to grab semi-clean clothes that were nearby. Macaque opened the curtains, and the window itself, while he heard Wukong moving around. ‘Mac?’ He glanced back, seeing Wukong look at him nervously. ‘Uh…thanks for covering for me.’

Macaque shrugged. ‘Sure. But once the Kid is gone? We need to work this out properly.’ Wukong flinched, making Macaque sigh. ‘I’m not saying tell me everything now. But we need to work out a plan. One that isn’t “hide in bed for a week”. If nothing else it makes the pillows gross.’ Wukong huffed, looking worried as he glanced at the bed again. ‘But that’s for later,’ Macaque said. ‘Right now. Shower. Clean. Entertain your damn cub.’ Wukong did turn to do just that, but not before giving Macaque a small thankful smile as he slipped out of the bedroom. 

Once Macaque heard the bathroom door close and the shower turn on he moved to the bed proper, letting out a long and slow breath to settle himself. It wasn’t as strong as it had been at night, but now that Macaque was seeking it out, he could smell the telltale scent of old blood on the sheets. He had never questioned Wukong periodically taking certain items from the nest out to clean them before, but now it made sense. He tracked them down quickly, spotting dark splotches on a couple of the blankets used as actual bedding. And on Wukong’s favourite pillow, the dark browny-red patch standing stark against the lovely orange colour Wukong loved so much. The sight made Macaque sigh, that kernel of dread that had made root in his chest twisting as he picked up the pillow and added it to the pile. He was thorough, picking over both sides of the bed and checking all the bedding and pillows for any sign or whiff of blood. And once he had collected them all, and Wukong had stepped outside to be tackled into a hug by MK, Macaque took all of the bedding through a shadow to the pools. Here he was alone, thankfully. He didn’t need to explain to any of the troop why he was filling a bucket with water from the pools, or why he started dipping the sheets in to scrub at them one by one with soap and a brush. Sheets that were clearly from his and Wukong’s shared nest, if the combined scents were anything to go by. Once they were dry and back in the nest they would pick those same scents back up quickly. But that still didn’t mean that Macaque wanted to explain this to anyone. Or explain why he was doing this in the first place. So instead he sat alone, in silence except for the occasional checking in on Wukong and MK’s training session. Washing each blanket and pillow one by one until the stains no longer existed.

By the time Macaque was done and the bedding had dried, he had just enough time to put everything back in the bed before MK left for the evening. And just enough time, in this case, meant that Macaque was in the middle of fluffing up Wukong’s pillow when the bedroom door creaked open, and Macaque flinched in time with seeing Wukong freeze in the doorway. ‘Uh…’ Wukong looked between Macaque and the bedding, trying to hide his panic with a nervous chuckle, ‘what are you doing bud?’

‘Making the bed,’ Macaque said. He tried to sound matter of fact, even though he was just as frozen in place as Wukong seemed to be. 

‘I…uh…why?’ Wukong looked at the pillow nervously. ‘I mean, not that you can’t but…but that’s my side of the bed. So you don’t have to. You know?’

Macaque nodded, ‘Sure.’ He dropped the pillow on the bed and moved to leave, letting Wukong rush to the bed at the same time. ‘I’m going to get some snacks.’

Wukong didn’t seem to hear him, clambering over the bed while Macaque left to gather supplies. When Macaque came back however, holding a bowl of fruit and crackers in one hand and his journaling supplies tucked against his chest, Wukong’s attention was all focused on him. ‘What did you do?’

Macaque shrugged, putting down his supplies on his bedside table while not looking at Wukong. ‘I told you. I made the bed.’

Wukong swallowed, looking between Macaque and the pillow now in his hands. ‘I…did…uh…’

‘Wukong? Just spit it out.’

‘Did you wash this?’
Macaque didn’t respond at first. First he climbed into the bed, then moved the bowl of food to be between them with the peaches turned to be in arms reach for Wukong, and then the journaling supplies. Wukong noticed that the notebook Macaque had was new. It was plainer than their normal notebooks were, and when Macaque opened it the pages were empty. With each double page showing one lined page and one blank page. ‘Alright,’ Macaque said. ‘We need to talk. About a lot of things. But to start…I’m worried.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Wukong said. 

‘I’m talking about you,’ Macaque said. ‘Whatever happened at Sandys-’

Wukong’s expression immediately darkened, his claws digging into the pillow. ‘I don’t want to talk about that.’

‘If you insist,’ Macaque sighed. ‘But even then. Since that happened you haven’t left the bed until today. You’ve been eating less than I have. Literally the only thing that’s dragged you out of whatever this is has been the Kid, but he can’t be here all the time.’ Macaque put the notebook out, with both a set of pens and a set of pencils available. ‘I can’t make you talk about what you don’t want to talk about. But I also can’t stand by and watch you…do whatever you’ve been doing for the past three days. So, I have an idea.’

‘Mac.’ Wukong sounded hoarse when he spoke, the desperation in his voice silenced Macaque, making him look up at the King now watching him in pain. ‘Did you wash this?’ Macaque nodded, making Wukong’s tail curl in worry. ‘Why?’

Macaque let out a slow breath. ‘Do you really want me to say it first? Do you really want to start the conversation here?’

‘Why did you wash it?’

‘Because…’ Macaque paused, still hesitating even though Wukong was silently pleading with him, ‘because I found blood on it.’

Wukong flinched. Cringed. Twisted himself up while baring his fangs. ‘What do you mean? What were you looking for? What were you doing going through my things-’

‘Don’t,’ Macaque said calmly. ‘Don’t start a fight right now. Not over this. I don’t want to fight with you over this.’ Wukong snapped his mouth shut, but didn’t stop glaring at Macaque. ‘And I wasn’t going through your things. I smelled the blood when I woke you up. So I dug out whatever was dirty and washed it.’

‘Why?’ Wukong didn’t whisper as much as hiss the question, equal parts angry and terrified. It was the terror that was stopping Macaque from freaking out at the rage in Wukong’s voice. ‘What…what do you think is going on?’

Macaque swallowed carefully. ‘Would you rather me answer that? Or would you rather just tell me what’s going on with you?’ Wukong finally tore his stare away from Macaque and moved to leave the bed, when Macaque spoke again. ‘I’m worried about you, bud.’

‘Why?’

‘What do you mean why?’ Macaque said. ‘Because you’re my friend. Because you’ve spent months fighting and working for us to be friends again. And it’s finally working, so don’t be surprised when it means that I now want to help you.’ Wukong huffed, and Macaque saw his hands clench, claws braced and hand tensing. Like he wanted to fight something. Macaque genuinely couldn’t work out who Wukong wanted to dig his claws into in the moment before Wukong snatched up his favourite pillow and squeezed it in a grip that would break most people. ‘Am I allowed to help you?’ Macaque said.

‘Do whatever you want,’ Wukong mumbled.

Macaque nodded, moving to show Wukong the notebook. ‘Alright. My suggestion. You need to get your thoughts out of your head.’

‘Why?’

‘Because if you weren’t immortal then I genuinely think they might kill you,’ Macaque said. He tried to keep calm, but all the worry and dread he had been feeling finally made itself known with a crack in his voice. ‘And just because you are immortal doesn’t mean that thoughts like that stop being dangerous.’ 

Wukong tried to scoff, but it turned into a sneer instead. ‘Seriously? How weak do you-’

‘Those thoughts are dangerous,’ Macaque said. ‘If I was having dangerous thoughts, you would help me. If MK was having dangerous thoughts you would help him. You are having dangerous thoughts. Ignoring them won’t help. Hiding from them won’t help.’

‘I’m not hiding!’

‘Then face them,’ Macaque said with a voice that was far calmer than he felt. And far calmer than Wukong’s reaction. Wukong shivered, his grip on the pillow tightening so that the seams on it strained and the fabric creaked in his grip. ‘Even if they hurt,’ Macaque said. ‘Even if they’re terrifying.’

‘You don’t know-’

‘The only chance,’ Macaque said, ‘you have to take control of them again is to face them. If they’re stuck in your head they get louder until it’s all you can hear. You need to get them out of your head.’

‘I don’t-’

‘Which is why I have this,’ Macaque said, pointing at the notebook. ‘All your thoughts can go in here. If you want to draw them you can draw them. But if you don’t, then say them. And then I’ll write them down.’ He watched Wukong stare at the notebook, face crumpling in fear. ‘We always used to do this. Share what was going on in our heads. And all your thoughts, your dreams, your stories, I’d write them down.’

‘For your plays,’ Wukong spat. ‘You can’t do that. Not with this. You won’t want-’

‘I won’t,’ Macaque said. ‘I won’t share it with anyone. But that doesn’t mean I can’t write it.’ 

‘Like what?’ Wukong snapped.

‘Anything,’ Macaque said. ‘Anything you want.’ 

Wukong shook his head, ‘You won’t want to.’

Macaque furrowed his brow. ‘Try me.’ He moved as if to shuffle closer, but the full body flinch from Wukong stopped him. ‘Wukong…’

‘You won’t want to,’ Wukong whispered, a whimper making his voice crack. 

‘I won’t want to what?’ Macaque asked, but Wukong didn’t respond. He only looked away to the window that was still open to let in the late evening breeze. His tail curled against him, and every fibre in him looked like he was bracing to leave. But instead he stayed sat. Frozen in place. Unable to look at Macaque. 

Until he heard the quiet scratch of pen on paper. Wukong looked up then, to see that Macaque had picked up the notebook and was writing on the first page. ‘What are you doing?’ Macaque turned around the notebook, and Wukong’s eyes widened when he saw four words. Macaque won’t want to. Before Wukong could ask what he was doing Macaque settled the notebook back on his lap, grabbing a cracker to nibble on while looking at Wukong expectantly. Wukong grimaced, shaking his head again. ‘I don’t want to do this.’ Immediately Macaque started writing Wukong’s words, the golden monkey watching them appear on the paper. ‘I don’t…I don’t want to feel like this anymore.’ Again, Macaque wrote it down, making Wukong’s lip start to tremble. ‘I don’t know what to do.’ Macaque started to write but Wukong stopped him first. ‘Mac. Please. I…I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do.’

‘Well, what do you want?’ Macaque said.

‘To do what you did,’ Wukong said, tears starting to fall properly. ‘You watched our home burn, and our troop die, but you came back. You fought me and died. And you came back, and…and faced it. Even though it hurt. And I don’t know how. I don’t know how you did it. And I’m sat here, feeling my worst moments trying to drown me, and I don’t know what to do. I…’

He trailed off when he felt Macaque’s arm touch his, and he fell into Macaque’s arms. For a moment Macaque was quiet, the food and notebook abandoned for trying to soothe Wukong’s sobs. But then he responded. ‘I had you,’ he whispered. ‘And the Kid, and Mei. Sandy. The troop. It was a fight. It still is a fight, and it’s painful. And tiring. But I have something to fight for. And I’m not fighting it alone, because you’re here for me.’

Wukong whimpered, ‘What are you fighting for?’

Macaque squeezed him tighter, leaning in to whisper. ‘Home.’ 

Wukong whined, moving to cling to Macaque desperately. ‘I can’t sleep,’ Wukong cried. ‘I can’t…everytime I close my eyes there’s just…everything. Everything horrible that happened. Everything horrible I did. I thought they were bad before, but now…now it’s all I see. And they won’t leave me alone.’

Macaque hummed in worry. ‘And this is because of what happened at Sandy’s?’

‘He wanted me to draw things that hurt,’ Wukong said. ‘So…so I can process the pain or something. And apparently I wasn’t doing it right because everything I did was too easy, so he got me to draw something from my dreams, and…it felt like I was back.’

‘Back where?’

‘Under the mountain,’ Wukong whimpered. ‘With the cold, and the dark. And it hurt. And I couldn’t move, I couldn’t get out, I couldn’t-’ his voice broke with a sob as he buried his face in Macaque’s shoulder, shuddering from the tears. 

‘You’re out now,’ Macaque whispered. ‘You’re out. You’re home. We’re both home.’ Wukong nodded, but it did nothing for the body shaking sobs. ‘Trying saying that,’ Macaque said. ‘With me. Say “I’m home.”’

‘I’m home,’ Wukong choked, feeling Macaque cooing in encouragement. ‘I’m home, I’m home. I’m out. I’m home. We’re home.’

‘Yeah we are,’ Macaque said. ‘We’re home, and we’re safe.’

‘We’re safe,’ Wukong whimpered. ‘We’re safe. We’re home.’

Eventually Wukong managed to calm down enough to breathe. And wipe away the tears. When Macaque offered him some water Wukong took it, and when Macaque offered the bowl of food Wukong accepted a peach without argument this time. He looked up at Macaque with a small smile, suddenly noticing the other Macaque sat on the bed. ‘Two of you?’ Macaque smirked and looked at his copy, who suddenly took on a shadowy hue. Even then though, the notebook on its lap didn’t shift, and the pen was still writing. ‘Wait,’ Wukong frowned, ‘has it been writing down everything that’s happened?’

‘I said I’d write down your thoughts,’ Macaque said. ‘We can destroy those pages if you want to though.’

Wukong reached out a hand, and the shadow passed the notebook over before slinking into Macaque’s form. Wukong didn’t pay it any mind though, all of his attention on the notebook while Macaque started to wipe away at the tear tracks on his face. ‘You actually got everything,’ Wukong said.

‘I said I would.’

‘But it makes no sense!’

Macaque shrugged, ‘It doesn’t need to. It’s for you. I’m just the one using the pen. But it’s for you.’ Wukong read over the lines again, while Macaque watched him with a carefully calm expression. ‘Does it help? Reading it back?’

‘Maybe,’ Wukong murmured. ‘I don’t know. I’m tired.’ He tossed the notebook onto the bed, looking at the peach in his hands. Macaque had grabbed another cracker, still close enough for Wukong to lean against if he needed to. ‘Why did you wash my bedding?’ Wukong said. ‘And don’t just say whatever you said before. I want an actual answer.’

Macaque hummed, ‘It’s better to clean blood when it’s more fresh. I can’t imagine you’d have been happy if the pillow had been stained for good.’

‘No, I-’ Wukong huffed, frowning at the jumble that were his thoughts. ‘You washed my bedding. Why didn’t you just leave it for me? And don’t say it was because you didn’t want to leave it to dry.’

Macaque sighed, leaning in to nuzzle into Wukong’s shoulder. ‘I’ve been wanting to help you since you came back from Sandy’s upset. And I haven’t known how to. This felt like something I could do to help.’

‘But…but it was my mess.’

‘Doesn’t mean I can’t help with it,’ Macaque said. ‘And with how rough everything’s been, I figured that it would be one less thing for you to think about.’ Wukong looked at Macaque in confusion, making the shadow monkey give him an incredulous look. ‘I am allowed to look out for you, you know?’

‘But why would you?’

‘Don’t act like this is something new,’ Macaque said. ‘We’ve had each other’s back before.’

‘Well yeah,’ Wukong said. ‘Before everything happened.’

Macaque’s face fell, and he looked away in thought. ‘I guess…if we’re doing a full second chance for each other. Rebuilding home. Then it just made sense to me that it would be the next step. That’s what friends do, right?’

Wukong could feel himself tearing up again. In fact he had to look away to stop a fresh round of tears. All the guilt and regret was clawing up his throat again. But he had enough about him to be able to reframe it slightly. Just so that Macaque didn’t worry as much as he could do. ‘I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve that. A second chance, I mean.’

He missed the sad smile on Macaque’s face, but not how Macaque leaned in to nuzzle into his mane. That, for the moment, only smelled of earth and peaches. ‘I think I need to remind you,’ Macaque said, ‘that you put the second chance on the table first.’

‘What?’ Wukong said. ‘When?’

‘When you asked me to come home,’ Macaque said. 

Wukong shook his head, ‘No, none of this would have been possible if you hadn’t tried first.’

‘When the hell did I do that?’

‘When you helped the Kid pull me out of the Scroll,’ Wukong said. ‘And when you helped him fight Lady Bone Demon when I couldn’t. I’d have never let you near him otherwise. And I’m glad you did, because if we hadn't had you back in some way, then you wouldn’t have been able to help with Li Jing. Or break me out of the spell that the Hundred Eyed Demon did. Or saved the kid. Twice, might I add. Once from the Soul Collector, and once from himself, and-’

Macaque snorted, ‘You’re making me sound like a real altruist right now. I think the lack of peaches has starved what’s left of your brain.’

‘Oi!’

Macaque sniggered, his tail bumping into Wukong’s playfully while the golden monkey pouted at him. ‘Shut up and eat your peach, then we can get some sleep.’ Wukong’s smile immediately faltered, and he looked away from Macaque sheepishly. Somehow Macaque didn’t freak out. And somehow, his mind that was still whirring a mile a minute over worry managed to throw out a solution almost immediately. ‘Maybe it would help if you try the thing that helps me sleep.’

‘Your music?’ Wukong asked. Macaque nodded, and immediately Wukong gasped in both realisation and delight. ‘Wait, you’re going to share the music that puts you to sleep?’

‘Only if you promise not to abuse it,’ Macaque said. Wukong nodded eagerly, and Macaque rolled his eyes at the sudden delight lighting up the King’s face. He slowly set the bedroom to rights, from the window and curtains to the pillows to their sleep clothes, while Wukong finished off what he could manage from the bowl of food. Once they were curled up in bed Wukong watched in anticipation while Macaque scrolled through the playlists on his phone. He hit one, the sound of traditional strings and flutes immediately coming from the phone, as Macaque laid the phone on the bedside table next to Wukong.

‘Folk music?’

Macaque shrugged, ‘I think it reminds me of the old days. Helps me feel peaceful and stuff.’ He settled down quickly and, before Wukong could react, he pulled the monkey to lie on his chest. Wukong spluttered while Macaque got himself comfortable with a hum. ‘Just try it. Think of the old days. Where the world was only the size of this mountain.’

Wukong tried. He tried to settle. He tried to think about old easy days on the mountain, or newer easy days as well. Anything that might give him that sense of peace. But it didn’t work. Not until Wukong shifted to feel Macaque’s calm heartbeat under his ear. Immediately Wukong focused on that instead, feeling the remaining tension ease out of him in time with the strong and steady drum in Macaque’s chest. Before he knew it, Wukong’s eyes were closed and the night was promising to give him a dreamless sleep.

—

After the ending of their last meeting, Sandy fully expected Wukong to never come back. Not just with the personal sessions, but all of it. The joint sessions were probably off the table as well. It wasn’t the worst encounter he had witnessed as a therapist, but it was definitely up there. And he had gotten enough of a handle of Wukong’s character now to know that the temptation for him to ignore and bury would be much too high. Which was harmful, and regression in a way Sandy didn’t want him to go through. But he actually had very little power to change that. If Wukong didn’t want to listen? Then that power would change to zero. 

So he was shocked when he opened the door to his boat and saw two (glamoured) monkeys waiting for him. 

‘Hey Big Guy,’ Macaque said with a chuckle. He raised an eyebrow at the wide eyed look Sandy was giving them, looking up at the sky for a second. ‘We didn’t get the wrong time, did we?’

Sandy blinked out of his shock, laughing nervously as he stepped aside. ‘Not at all. I just…come in. Make yourselves comfortable.’

As soon as the door was closed the glamours dropped while Sandy rushed off to grab the kettle. This was shocking. Miraculous. So different to what Sandy was sure was going to happen that he hadn’t even started to brew the tea! He was a flurry in the kitchen, almost dropping his tea pot in his rush. When he turned back, it was to see Macaque flicking on the music speaker while watching him in amusement, and Wukong sitting on the floor to let the cats start to climb on him. Sandy apologised multiple times for the time it was taking to brew the tea, feeling more awkward with each passing second at the two monkeys staying quiet. One watching him, and one avoiding looking at him.

It was only when Sandy was finally pouring out the tea that one of them finally spoke. Which was Macaque quietly coaxing Wukong to sit on the couch with a calico kitten he was carefully cuddling. Once they were sat Sandy finally let out a breath, looking uncharacteristically anxious while looking between the two monkeys. ‘Alright,’ he said, ‘before we begin, I just need to say that…Mr King. I am so sorry for what happened last time. It is never my intention to push someone past their comfort levels to the point of causing harm. And that is what happened. I should have been more attentive to what was going on in the moment. So I-’

‘Sandy?’ He paused at Macaque’s voice, watching Macaque look between the two of them. ‘Remember what you told us about over apologising?’

Wukong huffed, making Sandy watch him in alarm as Wukong looked away awkwardly. ‘It’s okay. You didn’t know.’

‘Perhaps,’ Sandy said, ‘but I-’

‘I told Macaque what happened,’ Wukong muttered. ‘And…well he pointed out I should have stopped sooner. And could have. Or explained why…anyway.’ He coughed, clearly feeling awkward while Sandy looked between the two monkeys in confusion.

‘Big Guy?’ Macaque said, getting his attention with a nod. ‘I don’t know how the prospect of private sessions with both of us will look in the future? But right now, the both of us still have a lot to work through, alone and together, and we can’t do it alone. Are you still happy to help us?’

Sandy blinked in surprise. Today was just giving miracle after miracle, wasn’t it? ‘Of course I am,’ he said. ‘Like I’ve said before, I see it as an honour to go on this journey with you both. So, if we’ve all ready,’ he paused, waiting for the two of them to nod at him, before giving a much more relaxed smile, ‘let’s start with our check in. How has this week been for the both of you?’

Chapter Text

Telling Sandy the truth had never been more terrifying than it was in this moment. But in Wukong’s defence, normally when he didn’t want to tell Sandy something Macaque was on the same page. It was a secret they held between them. Something that they both promised to not reveal to everyone. But this time Macaque wasn’t on that page with him. He wouldn’t tell Sandy without him, or anyone else for that matter. And he had already covered for Wukong more than once to help him hide…this. Now that he knew, anyway. But Wukong could tell that Macaque didn’t want to. He hadn’t suggested bringing it up to Sandy. Or anyone else. But Wukong knew his Moon well enough to know he was worrying, and knew that there was something he wanted to say but never did. It was a look in his eyes. A twist of worry in the corner of mouth. One that happened every time he caught Wukong scratching at his scalp, or noticed the iron-like smell of blood around the King. A couple of times Macaque had made suggestions for things to help, and he clearly wanted to say more. But he stopped himself. From worry, or fear, Wukong wasn’t sure. But that was what made him seriously consider coming clean in the end. The idea of Macaque being scared again? Because of him? Wukong already felt guilty enough. If that happened, he didn’t know how he would cope.

So it was when they were back at Sandy’s a few weeks after Wukong’s first (and only) foray into private sessions that he finally brought it up. Sandy had done his normal check in, and was sharing the options they had to focus on for that week, when Wukong gathered up the courage to speak. ‘Actually, Sandy,’ he said, voice already strained from fear and panic, while he looked between the blue guy and the ginger cat in his lap, ‘I uh…I think…I need help. With something else.’

‘Wukong?’ He looked up at Macaque’s voice, seeing the confusion on the shadow’s face. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Of course, Mr King,’ Sandy said. ‘If you’re bringing it up here, are you happy to share it with both of us? Or do you need to say it in private?’

Wukong squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. ‘Mac already knows. He…I…’

‘It’s alright,’ Sandy said. ‘Take you time. Breathe. Don’t worry about the words not coming out perfectly. It’s more important to share, even if it sounds harsh or rough at first.’

Wukong nodded, but kept his eyes squeezed shut. Even when Macaque’s tail brushed against his in encouragement. ‘I…my claws are sharp.’ There was no immediate response, the heavy silence filling the room until Wukong had to break it. ‘What I mean is…my claws are sharp. Like, really sharp. They can cut through wood, and metal, and…when they scratch skin they can cut that too. More than skin, if I’m being honest.’

‘I see,’ Sandy’s voice was calm. Too calm. Wukong cringed at it, feeling static run under his fur again, and that familiar pounding in his head that came in time with his heartbeat as his hand moved impulsively to scratch at his scalp. ‘Mr King, are we talking about hypothetical harm you could do with your claws? Or real harm?’

‘Real,’ Wukong whispered. 

‘Okay,’ Sandy said, still infuriatingly calm. ‘Then, who is being hurt?’

Wukong flinched at the question, at the calm energy from Sandy and the worry bleeding through from Macaque. It made the pounding in his head louder, and the denial lodge in Wukong’s throat. No one was being hurt. Not really. Yes, if anyone else faced his claws and strength then they would be needing a healer quickly. But he’s Sun Wukong. He can handle anything. And it’s not really harm. In fact it helps. It helps his mind be quiet, and it stops the constant throbbing pain in his head and the thoughts when they become deafening. And if Wukong’s being really honest, then it’s actually a good thing. It’s good that he should be-

‘Wukong.’ Macaque’s voice broke through the spiralling thoughts, in time for Wukong to feel Macaque gently tug at his hand. The hand now buried in his scalp, clutching at a circlet that was no longer there. ‘Wukong, it’s okay. Let go. Let go, bud.’

Wukong swallowed, unable to stop the shivering as he slowly withdrew his claws. He barely felt the hot blood soak into his fur, brushing against the glamouring magic that hid it even now. Instead he focused on Macaque gently taking his hands, and the damp cloth pressed against his fingers. ‘Don’t,’ Macaque said, making Wukong jump at the sudden harsher tone in Macaque’s voice. ‘I’ve got it.’

‘Are you sure?’ Wukong looked up at Sandy, seeing him holding another damp cloth that was stretched out to the two of them. 

And he saw the moment Macaque snatched it out of his hand. ‘I’m sure,’ he said, just as harshly, before turning back to bring one of the cloths up to start dabbing at Wukong’s head. ‘Bud, this will be easier if I can see what I’m doing.’

Wukong squeezed his eyes shut again. He didn’t want to. He didn’t want to show Macaque, or Sandy, or anyone. But the sooner he did, the sooner Macaque would be done. So the glamour shimmered and broke, revealing the various scars on Wukong’s face. The biggest one being across his forehead from where the old circlet had been. And away from his face, within the golden fur, were two small patches of fresh blood. 

‘Mr King?’ Wukong looked up at Sandy’s voice, seeing that he had moved to crouch in front of the two of them. Somehow Sandy didn’t flinch at the now fiery red eyes Wukong was staring at him with, although his signature smile was also gone at this moment. ‘I first want to say, thank you for trusting me with this. I know it couldn’t have been easy. And I also want to remind you that I am here to help you. So I can try and help you with this as well. But in order to do that, I’m going to need to ask you questions that neither of you are going to like. Are you okay with that?’ Wukong shivered, already feeling regret at saying anything. But he nodded, earning a small smile from Sandy. ‘Thank you, friend. For now, I think we need to focus on finding a calmer state if we can.’

With that Sandy turned around to grab Wukong’s tea cup, only to make Wukong shake his head. ‘Oh, no. No tea.’

Sandy looked at him in surprise, ‘Are you sure?’ Wukong nodded, looking away sheepishly. ‘Then, shall I get some water? Or soda?’

‘Soda,’ Wukong whispered. ‘Please.’

By the time Sandy came back with two cans of soda Macaque had finished mopping up the worst of Wukong’s fur, and had shifted Wukong to lean against him so Macaque could start grooming his mane to help with the now wet patches. Somehow the ginger kitten hadn’t been chased off, letting Wukong gingerly pet them even when Sandy held out the drink for him. But instead of Sandy heading back to his seat he moved to sit on the floor, getting comfortable in front of the couch to look up at Wukong. ‘How are you two doing?’

Wukong shrugged, his red stare locked on the kitten instead of looking at anyone else. Macaque didn’t look up either, focusing on combing his fingers through Wukong’s damp fur, but he did at least respond. ‘I’m fine. I’m just…worried.’

Sandy nodded, turning to focus on Wukong. ‘Are we ready to talk more about this?’ Wukong shrugged again, opening the can without a word while Sandy let out a slow breath to steady himself. ‘Alright. Mr King, I think I need to establish the scale of this problem first.’ Wukong finally glanced up at him, seeing some of the weight of the topic line Sandy’s face before he continued. ‘My priority, right now, needs to be to establish that you are both safe. And then once we’ve established that, to help you work out how to stay safe.’

‘Safe?’ Wukong said. ‘Who’s not safe?’

‘Mr King, I just saw you-’

‘That doesn’t mean I’m not safe,’ Wukong said. ‘I mean it’s me.’

Sandy nodded, thinking for a moment. ‘I still need to check. So, please try and stay calm here, okay? And be honest, please.’ Wukong nodded, his frown matched by Macaque’s as Sandy took a sip of his tea. ‘Some people who perform acts of self harm-’

‘That’s not what this is,’ Wukong said. ‘I’m-’

‘Please let me finish,’ Sandy said calmly. ‘We can argue on the definition of what you have been doing afterwards, but there are enough parallels with what I just saw and common forms of self harm, that for now it’s the best language I have. And it’s going to be necessary for my point.’ Wukong scowled, but didn’t interrupt as Sandy continued. ‘Some people who perform acts of self harm, aren’t just doing it for the harm element. They are seeking escape, or relief, or sometimes an end to the pain. Sometimes, that leads them to seeking that end permanently.’

‘Uh…did you forget I’m immortal?’ Wukong said. 

Sandy shook his head. ‘No, but that’s my question. Even with your immortality, is that something that you have thought about as an option?’

‘What are you talking about?’ Macaque asked. ‘What option?’

Sandy looked a lot more awkward than they had seen him before, but he shook it off quickly to focus. ‘Mr King, have you had any thoughts about wanting to die?’ 

Both of the monkeys stared at Sandy in silence. Wukong in confusion, and Macaque in horror. In fact, Macaque’s attempts to groom Wukong had halted in the silence that stretched from the question. But the silence only lasted for a moment. And broke with Wukong shaking his head. ‘No. No, absolutely not.’ He went to continue, but the sigh of relief from Macaque distracted him, with Macaque wrapping Wukong in a tight hug before the king had a chance to turn and look at him. ‘What’s wrong? Did…did you really think that’s what was going on?’

‘The thought crossed my mind,’ Macaque murmured into Wukong’s shoulder. He buried himself into Wukong’s shoulder and neck, letting Wukong nuzzle against him. ‘And sure, why would you ever want that? But I never imagined you’d do this, so…’

Wukong winced, another stabbing bolt of guilt making his head throb. ‘No. No I…I did everything I could to escape death. Why would I want to die now?’

‘I’m not saying you do,’ Sandy said, getting both of the monkeys' attention. ‘It’s just something I had to check. Like I say, there is a crossover between people who self harm and people who have those kind of thoughts or wishes. It’s reassuring to hear that you aren’t in that crossover.’

‘Okay, good,’ Wukong said. ‘Is that all you needed to check? Because if so-’

‘Not quite,’ Sandy said. ‘I appreciate that this won’t be easy to talk about, but it’s necessary to understand what’s going on.’ Wukong sighed, but nodded for Sandy to continue. ‘This behaviour, how far has it gone in the past? As in, has this ever been more extreme?’ 

Macaque raised an eyebrow, ‘What the hell does that mean? Are you saying this isn’t?’

‘Let me find an example.’ Sandy had another sip of tea, his hand surprisingly steady considering how nervous he sounded. ‘A common form of self harm, our parallel, is cutting. It can start small, and then snowball. For humans and mortal demons, it can escalate to the point that an act of self harm can unintentionally become lethal.’

Wukong cringed, ‘Mortals are fragile like that.’

‘I guess what I’m asking is, has this clawing ever been focused somewhere else? Where it could cause more risk of further harm?’

Wukong shook his head. ‘No. There would be no point.’

Sandy raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘I see. Then, what is the point? Are you trying to do something specific?’

Yes. The answer lodged in Wukong’s throat, making him sip on the soda before it could choke him. He couldn’t say that. Not right now. But what did he say? ‘It’s my head that hurts,’ he finally whispered. ‘It’s my head that’s loud.’

‘And doing this makes it quiet?’

‘I didn’t draw blood at first,’ Wukong whispered. ‘At first I…I guess I was squeezing my head? To try and relieve the pressure. Scratching was almost an accident but…’ he swallowed back the next words. The ones that explained how calming it felt. How right it felt. ‘It made everything quiet. So then next time, it was easier to just scratch the ache away.’

Sandy nodded, ‘Some people, when they get into habits like this, report that there is a euphoria, or a relief, that comes from the act. Or the pain helps them focus when they feel trapped and disconnected. Some people are in so much emotional pain that they want a physical wound or scar so their pain can be seen.’

‘Well that’s not me,’ Wukong said.

‘That’s true,’ Sandy said. ‘I often forget that you’re wearing a glamour.’

‘That’s kind of the point.’

Sandy nodded, ‘The other examples I gave, is there any resonance with those?’ Wukong nodded awkwardly, ‘Okay. Can I ask when this first started? And how?’

‘I haven’t needed to for a long time,’ Wukong said. ‘It's just…the nightmares…’

Macaque frowned, ‘What does that mean?’

Sandy nodded, ‘Periods of higher emotional turmoil make us more likely to use or rely on habits like this. And it’s easy to return to them after you’ve tried them once.’

‘No not that,’ Macaque said. ‘You said you haven’t done this in a long time. So you’ve done this before? When? Why?’

Wukong flinched, ‘It…’

‘Wukong-’

‘Ma-Quack?’ Sandy said. ‘I understand that you’re hurting here too. Believe me, I do. But please. This cannot be therapeutic if Mr King is feeling attacked.’ Macaque opened his mouth to argue, but bit back the impulse with a growl, tearing his glare away from both of them. ‘Thank you,’ Sandy said calmly. ‘Alright, Mr King. Do you think we can explore Ma-Quack’s question? Can you remember how this habit started? What were you going through at the time?’

‘I don’t know,’ Wukong said. ‘I was back home. The world was safe, the dangerous demons had been stopped for the most part. I can’t even remember if this started before or after I imprisoned DBK.’

‘Okay, let’s explore this,’ Sandy said. ‘You had been on the journey in your book by this point?’ Wukong nodded, looking more and more uncomfortable as he sensed Macaque connecting dots Wukong didn’t want him to see. ‘Alright. The journey is done. You are home. The mountain at this point needs healing, the troop are still recovering. Can you remember how you felt at that point?’

Wukong closed his eyes. Not to remember, but to try and hold back the wave of tears before they started. ‘Alone,’ he whimpered. His voice caught, a surge of emotions bubbling in his throat to make his face burn. ‘Everyone was gone. Everyone was gone, and dead, and I was alone. And I had no one to blame but myself.’

‘How so?’ Sandy asked.

‘They were dead,’ Wukong said. ‘Dead, and gone somewhere I can’t go. Not like they can. Because I chased immortality, because I was so scared of going to the Diyu and being unmade that I never considered I would be left behind.’

Sandy nodded in understanding, ‘Did you want to follow them?’

Wukong shook his head. ‘No. I wanted them to come back. And…and stay. I would have done anything to make that happen. I’d have taught them Subhodi’s secrets, or stolen Lao Tzu’s pills for them. They just had to give the word and I would have given them immortality in a heartbeat. As many immortalities as they wanted.’

Sandy hummed, ‘Did you mention this to your friends?’

Wukong nodded, his face creasing as the old heartbreaking conversations echoed in his head again. ‘I asked them. I begged them. But they didn’t want it. Master wanted to reincarnate, to seek Enlightenment. And they all wanted to follow him. But I couldn’t…I couldn’t go with them.’ The hot tears burned his face, almost as painful as the pounding that had returned in his head. He ignored how Macaque grabbed his wrist as he clutched at his head again, or how Sandy glanced between Wukong and Macaque, clearly thinking.

‘What about Ma-Quack?’

Wukong sobbed, his whole body shivering against Macaque’s hands trying to soothe him. ‘It was my fault,’ he whispered. ‘My fault, my fault.’ His claws dug in tighter as Macaque pulled Wukong into his arms, bracing all his weight as Wukong blindly curled into him. Sandy tried to encourage him to breathe, to try and ground himself in the present. But Wukong couldn’t hear him. Not really. Not over those same cycling thoughts deafening him. Not over the memories coming back, showing him things he didn’t want to think about ever again but could never escape. The blood. The broken face. The still, cold body. His fault. All his fault. And he hadn’t been punished for it yet. Not properly. Not enough. No matter how hard he worked to redeem himself, how much he punished himself for betraying his Moon. It would never be enough. 

When Wukong came round, it was slowly. With an exhaustion that had sunk down to his bones, and a brain full of fog. Somehow his hands were clean. And his mane had mostly dried, with a gentle hand carding through his fur. For a moment he thought he was home. For a moment, he thought Macaque must have scurried him away through shadows to their sanctuary. But then a very unmonkeylike chirp caught Wukong’s attention, and he glanced up to see the ginger kitten watching him attentively, ears twitching curiously. 

‘Cute,’ Wukong murmured, his voice rasping, and he felt Macaque perk up to attention underneath him.

‘Hey sleepyhead,’ Macaque whispered. ‘How are you feeling?’

Wukong furrowed his brow, twisting to hide his face in Macaque’s chest. ‘Can we go home?’

‘Soon,’ Macaque said. Wukong whined, making Macaque huffed in agreement. ‘I know. Sandy said he needed to do one more thing and then we can go.’

‘I’m tired of talking,’ Wukong grumbled.

‘He’s promised you don’t have to,’ Macaque said. ‘No more questions. Honestly, if he tried more questions we would have already left.’

Wukong managed a small smile at that, moving to nudge his head into Macaque’s chin, and cooing when Macaque nuzzled into him. ‘Thank you, bud.’ Another cat meowed and he looked around, frowning at the absence of a certain large blue man around. ‘Where is Sandy?’

‘Outside,’ Macaque said. ‘He said he wanted to give us some privacy.’ He watched Wukong shuffle to sit up a bit more, but still thoroughly leaning against Macaque. ‘If you don’t want to, we can just leave. We don’t have to stay and hear this.’

Wukong shook his head. ‘If we leave he’ll only bring it up next time. Let’s just get this over with.’

Macaque decided to not point out that this would be something he was likely to bring up anyway, and instead sent a shadow through the floor and under the door to the daylight outside. It was only a minute later when the door opened and Sandy peeked in, still looking exactly how he normally did. Bright eyes, soft smile, with nothing but kindness. ‘Hey there, friends,’ he said with a smile. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Tired,’ Wukong grumbled.

Sandy nodded in understanding as he stepped inside. ‘That’s understandable. I won’t keep you both for long.’ He walked over to a nearby shelf, flicking through a folder for some papers and leaflets that he then held out for Wukong to take. ‘I know we didn’t get the chance to discuss the definition of your habit, but like I say. There are parallels to self harm. So I think treating it in a similar way will help.’

Macaque peeked over Wukong’s shoulder to look at the leaflets. ‘Safety plan?’ Macaque said with a raised eyebrow.

‘What?’ Wukong said. ‘But we already covered this. I’m perfectly safe.’

‘It may be a bit of a misnomer in this case,’ Sandy said. ‘But it’s still useful to look at. The idea is that addressing a behaviour like this requires a plan to help you focus on what you want, and how you want to get there.’

‘Why does that need a specific kind of plan?’ Macaque asked.

‘We’ve covered before that certain behaviours and actions we do can be difficult to change,’ Sandy said. ‘In this case, just stopping a behaviour like this without replacing it with anything is almost guaranteed to make it happen again, or even escalate. So, we introduce a plan. Activities to direct the urges into something more therapeutic, or to practice the will needed to stop the behaviour in small periods. It will all look like small things, but then they will build up into healthier practices.’ 

Wukong flicked through the pages without looking, while Macaque read snippets in interest. ‘Do I have to?’ Wukong said.

‘No,’ Sandy said. ‘In the same way that you don’t have to journal, or meditate, or do the other exercises we talk about. But those all help you in various ways. So will this.’

Macaque nodded, ‘Thanks Big Guy. We’ll probably look at this tomorrow.’

‘Absolutely take your time,’ Sandy said. ‘And make sure to be gentle with yourselves today. Some self care is very much needed for both of you.’

Wukong nodded as familiar shadows wrapped around him, the sensation comforting in the moment. And then they fell away from Sandy’s boat and into blankets and pillows. Wukong sighed, ready to melt into the nest and comfort it promised, when he was pulled into a tighter embrace that pinned his whole body to the bed. He couldn’t help but chirp happily, nuzzling into Macaque’s shoulder while wrapping his tail around the shadow monkey’s waist. 

Which was when he noticed the shiver in Macaque’s arms. Wukong blinked his eyes open, confused as he realised the trembling wasn’t just in his arms, but his shoulders. His chest. Macaque was shuddering from head to toe, while holding Wukong in a vice grip that might crush a lesser creature. ‘Mac?’ Wukong said. ‘Mihou?’

‘It’s okay,’ Macaque muttered, which Wukong realised was said through a clenched jaw. ‘Your leaflets are in the other room. Right now, just rest.’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I’m fine,’ Macaque said, again through gritted teeth.

Wukong grumbled, shifting in Macaque’s grip enough to be able to look up at him. The glowering rage painted on Macaque’s face was enough to make Wukong’s heart go still. He had seen that anger before. And it ended terribly for both of them. ‘Mihou, bud, what’s going on? Did something happen while I was out of it?’

Macaque shook his head, staring at something past Wukong’s shoulder. ‘Don’t worry about it. Just get some rest.’

‘Mac, seriously-’

‘Wukong I need you to drop this right now!’ Macaque snapped.

Wukong’s eyes widened in shock. Then narrowed. Like hell was he going to let Macaque seethe in silence alone. Wukong tried to sit up, but Macaque refused to move, to the point that the two of them just rolled in place. ‘Tell me what’s going on.’

‘I told you I’m fine!’

‘Then why do you look like you want to rip someone in half?’ Wukong snapped back. Macaque’s jaw clenched, and Wukong could feel Macaque bury his face in Wukong’s mane. ‘Or should the question be, who do you want to rip in half?’

‘Shihou, please…’

‘No,’ Wukong shook his head. ‘You need to tell me right now. Because you’re clearly angry, and-’

‘Not at you.’

Wukong closed his eyes, swallowing down the relief and the fluttering in his chest to try and stay focused. ‘Well that’s good. Glad about that. But you’re mad at someone, and if you’re going to wait until I’m asleep to go and hunt them down to the ends of the earth then I at least should know who they are.’

Macaque scoffed. ‘I don’t need to. I know where they are.’

‘That doesn’t make me feel much better,’ Wukong said. ‘Seriously, what the hell did I miss?’

Macaque sighed bitterly, trying to move Wukong to tuck him against his chest again. But Wukong only pushed the hand away, moving to try and meet Macaque’s eyes with his own glare. It was only when he did that he realised that Macaque’s golden eyes were reflecting back the fiery red light from Wukong’s own. Instinctively Wukong brought a hand up to his face, half expecting (and half hoping) to feel the familiar glamour tingle against his fingers. But it wasn’t there. Just scars. Pieces began to click together in Wukong’s mind, of Macaque mopping up the blood from his mane and the prolonged grooming session. And when he did piece them together, it formed a conclusion that made Wukong pale in panic. While still staring at Macaque.

Who only sighed. ‘Did you know that the scratches from your claws also leave scars?’ Wukong swallowed, but couldn’t compel his mouth to open. ‘And did you know where those scars are under your fur? The old ones, as well as the new ones.’ Wukong was shivering now, trying to shake his head. As if that would undo this whole conversation, this whole moment. But instead Macaque just scoffed. ‘Of course you do. You knew exactly what you were doing.’

Finally Wukong found his voice. ‘Mac…’

‘It’s the circlet,’ Macaque said. ‘Isn’t it?’

‘It’s not like that.’

‘Are you sure? Because from where I’m sitting,’ Macaque said as his fur began to puff up in rage, ‘you’re either trying to replicate the sensation of the circlet. Or you’re trying to give yourself homemade acupuncture because of actual pressure building in your head.’

‘Mihou…’

‘Which, considering those people tried to crush your skull, is probably an anticipated side effect,’ Macaque spat out. ‘So yeah, I want to find that arrogant ass who thinks he’s so much better than us and rip his face off. That sound good to you?’

Wukong shook his head. ‘You can’t.’

Macaque laughed coldly, ‘Say’s who?’

‘Mac, the last time you went after someone when you were this angry, it ended badly for both of us.’

‘Well are you going to try and stop me this time?’ Macaque asked pointedly. Wukong flinched at the barb, while Macaque only shifted to sit up properly. ‘It’s no less than what he deserves.’

‘I get that you hate the guy, but-’

‘Don’t act like you don’t too.’

Wukong suddenly blinked in confusion. ‘Wait, who are you talking about?’

‘Li Jing,’ Macaque said. ‘Who are you talking about?’

Wukong frowned in confusion. ‘Wait, Li Jing? Why?’

‘Because he-!’ Macaque snapped, before clapping his hands together while trying to take a deep and calming breath. ‘The timeline of events. The monk puts the original circlet on you. You wear it for multiple years. It gets removed, you start hurting yourself for the first time, at some point you stop. And then, based on what you said earlier, you don’t start again until recently. And recently a certain Celestial wannabe Emperor put the circlet back on you. And then you wore it and felt it while trying to stop your kid dying from the Apocalypse. Which, might I add, you still have nightmares about.’

Wukong sighed, ‘Mac-’

‘It seems to me that these two things are connected,’ Macaque said. ‘And while I hate the monk the most in this moment? I can’t get at the monk. Because he’s not around anymore. Glasses is. And Glasses is great. Love Glasses, he has dumb and corny jokes. He is not the monk. So the only person who I can make pay for doing this to you is, right now, preparing for a Celestial Council meeting.’

‘You can’t fight Li Jing.’

Macaque snorted, ‘Watch me.’

Wukong blinked, mostly in confusion, while a small amount of dread was slowly growing in his stomach. ‘If you try to attack Li Jing, you’re going to end up facing all of Heaven.’

‘Wait, we’re worried about Heaven now? Really?’

‘We are when we know what they do to people who fight them,’ Wukong said. ‘Being imprisoned by them is not fun. Trust me.’

Macaque scowled, ‘What kind of rookie apprentice do you take me for? I can get my way through Heaven’s defences to Li Jing without breaking a sweat.’

Wukong’s face screwed up, and he shook his head. ‘No. Absolutely not. You’re not doing this.’

Macaque’s scowl grew, as his eyes flashed a dangerous violet light. ‘Do you really want to try and stop me?’

‘I want you to snap out of this!’ Wukong said. ‘We’ve done this dance too many times. It doesn’t end well. Please, let it go.’

Macaque growled. ‘So they can get away with it again?’

‘If it means you here and safe? Then yes.’

‘I can handle it-’

‘It’s not worth the risk!’ Wukong shouted. ‘No amount of retribution or justice is worth the risk of losing you again!’

‘And they don’t get to hurt you!’ Macaque shouted. 

Wukong couldn’t help the gasp of surprise. ‘What?’

Macaque’s rage stuttered, only for a moment. But when he recovered he leaned in, meeting Wukong’s fiery red eyes with a hard glare. ‘No one. Is allowed. To hurt you.’

The statement felt ridiculous. For so many reasons. But that was possibly the reason why it made Wukong tear up so quickly, as the sheer ridiculousness barrelled him through so many emotions of confusion and worry and glee and affection, that he couldn’t stop his chin from quivering when he tried to respond. ‘And I can’t lose you. Not now. I only just got you back.’

Macaque shivered, his violent rage bleeding away at Wukong’s words to leave him scanning over the golden monkey awkwardly instead of meeting his eyes. ‘I don’t like that they get to keep poking, and demanding, and torturing you, and they never get consequences.’

Wukong had to smile at that. There was even a giddy chuckle caught in his throat. Macaque cared. He actually cared again. And was ready to fight for him. How had Wukong managed that? He definitely didn’t deserve it. But with the glee running through him that wasn’t how that thought stayed. Instead it quickly morphed into something lighter. More hopeful. How did I get so lucky? ‘I get that,’ Wukong finally said. ‘But giving them consequences means they’ll escalate. And I don’t want that. Not now. They’ll try and hurt you, and then if they come after the troop, or MK…’ 

Macaque immediately sobered up at Wukong’s words as he trailed off. The rage was still there, but the violet light in his eyes died, eyes that now looked away from Wukong and to the bed. His tail flicked, and suddenly a thunk sounded on the bedside table behind Wukong. He looked around and saw a fruit bowl spinning into place, having just been slid out of a shadow portal. ‘Okay,’ Macaque whispered, and Wukong turned back in time to see him lean closer and rest his head on Wukong’s shoulder. ‘I’ll stay. It’s fighting against every instinct I have. But I’ll stay.’

Wukong beamed, blinking by the tears before they could fall and failing. ‘Thank you, bud.’ He sniffed, looking around at the food, then at the bed. ‘I think we both need a nap now.’ Macaque nodded tiredly, and Wukong quickly pulled them both back into the blankets. Macaque grabbed his favourite one to spread over the both of them while Wukong curled up to lie on Macaque’s chest. So far, it had been the best thing he had found to help with any nightmares, and he was taking full advantage. Before long, they were both nestled up, with Wukong closing his eyes while letting out a deep sigh. There was still a tremble of anger in Macaque’s arms as he held Wukong, even when Wukong sleepily trilled about it being safe. Even when Wukong managed to doze off with a smile on his face Macaque was still trembling. And when Wukong was starting to snore against him, Macaque finally moved to wipe at the silent tears streaking down his face. 

Chapter Text

‘I hate this.’

Macaque snorted, glancing up from his chair to smirk at Wukong, who was draped over his table while glaring at the papers scattered under him. ‘Hate is a strong word, bud.’

‘It’s true though,’ Wukong grumbled.

‘Do you need a hand?’ Wukong muttered under his breath, making Macaque chuckle, ‘Alright, move over.’

Wukong sat up enough to shuffle to the side of the table, draping himself again just as Macaque knelt next to him and started to tidy the leaflets. ‘Maybe we just tell Sandy I did this stupid plan thing, and then rip it all up, and he will never know. That would be fun.’

Macaque started reading through the leaflets, letting Wukong continue to complain without interruption. And it was all the same that he had heard before. He didn’t need a safety plan. He wasn’t fragile or in danger. Everything needed to stop telling him to talk about his thoughts, or write them down, because he had already done that bit. And all the other suggestions that were made were either condescending or built for weird people. And Macaque had to agree with at least some of it. But he looked past the therapy jargon Wukong wanted to ignore to try and pick out the parts that could actually be useful.

All while Wukong continued. ‘And I mean seriously, who would be feeling that bad and decide that it was a good time to clean?!’

Macaque chuckled again, ‘If you did that then I would definitely be worried.’

‘I know right? It’s…wait what are you implying?’

‘That you need to bathe more,’ Macaque said, not looking up at the offended gasp Wukong made. ‘That’s a point…they mention drawing here. When was the last time you drew anything?’

Wukong shrugged, ‘Haven’t felt like it.’

Macaque frowned, ‘Wait, seriously?’ Wukong shrugged again. ‘I thought you were in the middle of another secret portrait?’

‘Well I’ve not been in the mood,’ Wukong grumbled. ‘Besides, that idea says to draw something that makes you angry or sad and then rip up the paper. And I don’t fancy doing that again.’

Macaque hummed, ‘Maybe you should.’

‘What?’

‘Not with the prison. Obviously. But didn’t you say there were a bunch of other stuff you did draw fine?’ Wukong pouted, turning away from Macaque in a huff. ‘Or you could go back to drawing your normal stuff. The monkeys, the Kid. Fruit trees.’

‘But that’s effort!’ Wukong whined. 

Macaque narrowed his eyes in thought, looking between Wukong and the papers in front of him. Within the pages was a worksheet of sorts, one that showed how to make a safety plan and the kind of questions to ask. Macaque whispered the questions to himself, committing them to sound in case he needed them later, before standing up. ‘I have an idea.’

Wukong turned to glance at Macaque as he stood up. ‘Are you going to make me do the stupid plan?’

Macaque grabbed the journals from their shelf, along with some blank paper, and laid them out again on the table. ‘Not quite,’ Macaque said, and he handed Wukong the worksheet. ‘Rip it up.’

Wukong raised an eyebrow. ‘What?’

‘You’re right,’ Macaque said. ‘A safety plan for a several-times immortal being sounds backwards and a waste of time. And half of those questions are weird therapy jargon. So we don’t need it.’ He settled back down, smirking at the sound of paper ripping and pieces spinning through the air, along with a heavy sigh from Wukong. When Macaque had grabbed a fresh piece of paper and looked over at Wukong, he was already looking a little lighter. 

But still confused. ‘Alright, I’ll bite,’ he said. ‘What’s your plan if it’s not “do the safety thing”?’

‘We’re going to make cheat sheets,’ Macaque said. ‘For both of us.’

Wukong’s brow only furrowed more. ‘Cheat sheets for what?’ Macaque grabbed a pen, along with one of the leaflets, and started sectioning the paper into smaller grids. Wukong then saw him add titles to each of the boxes, looking between the leaflet he was referring to and the page he was starting to fill. ‘When I’m angry, when I’m sad, what is this?’

Macaque finally looked up at Wukong. ‘When I’m sad, what do I do?’

‘Uhh…go to the shrine. Hide at the pools. Journal your feelings. Why?’ Wukong watched him turn back to the page and start to fill in that box. Not only with the things Wukong said, but other things. About the music playlists he liked in those moments, and seeking out warm and dark spaces. And then Macaque moved onto another box, filling in the same information for when he was angry, and Wukong’s eyes widened in realisation. ‘This is…how you cope with the bad stuff.’ Macaque nodded, and Wukong looked in confusion. ‘But why write it?’

‘Cheat sheet,’ Macaque said. ‘In case I need it later.’

‘But you know what will make you feel better,’ Wukong said.

Macaque hummed, ‘Sure. Right now I do. But what if a chat with Sandy drags out something bad and I don’t have the energy to journal? Or practice a play? Having the other options to refer to will help when I’m feeling stuck.’

Wukong went quiet, watching some more until Macaque filled the page. ‘Cool idea, bud. But there’s a problem with that. If I get that feeling? The…scratching one? There’s only one thing that I know helps. And it’s the one thing I’m “not supposed to do” anymore.’ 

Macaque shoved the now finished paper over. ‘And if you look at mine, you’ll notice that the section on feeling angry doesn’t mention anything about vengeance or retribution.’ Macaque smiled at Wukong, his look softening as he saw how unsure Wukong seemed to be. ‘It’s not something you need to try. And it’s not something you need to know how to fill now. I just thought it was the main useful part of these leaflets. At least for the first stage.’

Wukong grumbled, ‘Are you talking about the “know your triggers” thing?’ Macaque gave an awkward shrug, making Wukong sigh. ‘I hate this. What is a trigger, anyway?’

‘Self reflection is hard,’ Macaque said.

‘Are you sure?’ Wukong said. ‘You make it look easy.’

Macaque couldn’t help but laugh at that. ‘Are you serious? ‘Do you remember how I came back the first time I spoke with Sandy?’

Wukong winced, ‘I mean…’

‘It’s been hell! It’s tiring, and frustrating. And you make breakthroughs, only to realise the breakthrough is only a stage it in and there’s another dozen afterwards. And all of that is just with the stuff I’m acknowledging. Sandy has started calling me out an embarrassing number of times at this point, on things I didn’t even realise were a thing until he said it.’ Macaque looked at the page he had written, letting out a slow breath. ‘It’s not easy. None of this has been easy. But so far, I think you were right to suggest it. It’s finally starting to be worth it.’

Wukong glanced up at Macaque, a small sheepish smile curling on his face. ‘You’re not just saying that, right?’

‘As if I would,’ Macaque grinned. ‘I don’t need your ego growing any bigger.’

‘Hey!’

Macaque sniggered, letting Wukong shove him, before shoving back. It almost broke into a play fight, but somehow the tangle of limbs quickly turned into an embrace, where Wukong leaned into Macaque while Macaque curled his tail around Wukong’s waist comfortingly. ‘You know how to reflect on yourself. And look inward. You meditate, I see you do it all the time.’

‘Sure,’ Wukong muttered, ‘but it’s not helping all that much, is it?’

Macaque hummed, thinking for a moment. ‘For me, the problem hasn’t been my ability to. It’s been the fact that I didn’t want to look at it. And when I do, I don’t always want to share what I find.’

‘Like what?’ Wukong asked.

‘Like…’ Macaque looked away to think of an example, while trying desperately to not blush at the very obvious answer he would never share. ‘Like telling Sandy about me and the pilgrims. I can look at it now, and I’m starting to look at it more objectively than I have done before. But saying what happened is still hard. And even if I could, that doesn’t mean I want to share it with Sandy.’

Wukong hummed, looking down at the pages on the table again. That ugly knot of twisted feelings was starting to roil in his chest again, and the temptation to ignore it and let himself be numb again was strong. But he pushed past that with a sigh. ‘Alright. Let’s try your cheat sheet plan.’

Macaque tried to bite back a triumphant smile, but he couldn’t hide the joy and relief in his voice. ‘You sure?’

Wukong nodded. ‘Yeah. If nothing else it will shut Sandy up, right?’

Macaque rolled his eyes. ‘I probably should have led with that.’ 

Making the physical sheet was one thing. Filling it in was something else entirely. They tried going through the self help leaflets for inspiration, doodling pictures of what would help, but all it did was make Wukong huff and feel more frustrated. In the end, the two of them were surrounded by more scattered pieces of paper, with Wukong using Macaque’s lap as a pillow while complaining about this exercise having no right being this hard. Macaque, as promised, had fished out Wukong’s journal and was writing out the current tirade, his tail curled around Wukong’s hands to encourage him to groom the appendage instead of scratching at his latest claw marks. Which was working surprisingly well, actually. With the side effect of Wukong ranting for far longer than he normally would. But eventually he was done, and when Macaque finished the final characters he offered the book out for Wukong to read through. He did take it, but even as his gaze scanned over the pages he took none of the words in.

‘I can’t believe I’m about to say this,’ Macaque said, ‘but have you considered that you’re thinking too hard about this?’

Wukong gasped, looking up at Macaque with a playful smile growing. ‘Are you implying that I’m thinking? I didn’t think I was capable.’

‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,’ Macaque said, turning to look at the table while Wukong smirked at him. ‘Clearly you’re not good at it.’

‘Okay, hurtful.’ Macaque chuckled, letting Wukong pretend to pout as he looked back at the notebook. But reading over his latest tirade wasn’t helping. Having the tirade wasn’t helping. Nothing he had been doing for days, or maybe weeks at this point, was helping. He knew it needed to be done, but it was getting so much harder every day when none of it was helping. Which was leading Wukong to a single, fed up thought. ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’

‘Bud,’ Macaque said, ‘you’re the only person making you do this right now.’

‘But I don’t want to do this in front of Sandy,’ Wukong sighed. ‘And the more I drag it out the worse it’s going to feel. I just want to get it done, and then when Sandy asks about it I can put this cheat sheet in front of his face and then he won’t ask about this again.’

‘You sure? Or will he just ask how the plan has been going?’

Wukong groaned, ‘He’s going to ask me to “track my progress” isn’t he?’ Macaque shrugged, making Wukong turn to hide his face in Macaque’s lap. ‘This is ridiculous. I didn’t need any of this last time.’

‘What did help last time?’ Macaque asked.

‘I honestly don’t know,’ Wukong said. When you’re alone on the mountain except for monkeys, it's hard to keep track of anything. The days all blend together. You know this. It's paradise, but time doesn’t exist. I swear I blinked and humans had jumped forward by a century.’

Macaque sighed, ‘And you can’t really do that now. Not with….’ He trailed off, his ears twitching once. Twice. Suddenly he moved, making Wukong look up in confusion as he gathered the leaflets together with the journals.

‘What’s going on?’

‘MK,’ Macaque said, grabbing the notebook from Wukong’s hand to add to the stack. ‘He’s flying over now.’

‘What?’ Wukong sat up in shock, watching the shadow portal swallow the stack of paper and dump them on their shelf. Except for Macaque’s own journal, which he now pulled closer. ‘How far away is he?’

The thud of feet landing on ground made Wukong look around in panic, as Macaque shoved the TV remote in his hands. Wukong quickly turned it on, having enough time to lie back down on Macaque’s lap before the door slammed open. ‘Monkey King!’

‘Hey bud,’ Wukong said, flicking through the channels while glancing up at MK. Who was panting and grinning from ear to ear. ‘We don’t have training today. Everything ok?’

Before he could answer Mei stepped in from behind him, raising her eyebrow at the two monkeys on the floor. ‘Uh…what are you guys doing?’

‘Watching TV,’ Wukong gestured at the TV with the remote, hoping to any stars watching that he sounded casual right now.

‘I mean, why are you two sitting like that?’ Mei asked.

This time Macaque spoke while not looking up from his journal, ‘He wants to annoy me. Clearly.’

‘Guys shut up!’ MK shouted, but only because he was vibrating in excitement. ‘Monkey King, you need to get that new game console.’

‘What?’ Wukong said, finally sitting up, ‘why?’

‘Because they’ve released a new game,’ MK said, ‘I don’t know how I missed it until now, but they released a new edition of Ultimate Fighter.’

‘Uh huh,’ Wukong said, ‘and why do I care about that?’

‘Because,’ Mei said. ‘It's a Mystical Legends edition. So all the characters you can play as are-’

‘Magical fighting legends from across history!’ MK cut in excitedly. ‘Including you guys!’

Wukong lit up, ‘Wait, there’s a new game with me in it?’

‘Not just you,’ Mei said. ‘Mac’s in it too.’

Macaque blinked in surprise, as Wukong’s jaw dropped. ‘Excuse me, what?’ Macaque said. ‘How?’

‘Don’t know, don’t care,’ MK grinned, ‘but we’re going to buy it now! You’re coming right?’

Macaque moved to speak, or ask something else, but Wukong got there first. ‘Oh absolutely we are,’ he grinned. ‘I need to see how good they made me look.’

Before they knew it the four of them were in a familiar tech store, with MK and Mei picking out the best console and accessories for Wukong while the two monkeys, in glamour, looked over the game. The cover indeed showed a selection of celestial and demonic legends from various centuries and even millenia old tales. And on the cover, clear as day, were both Wukong and Macaque among the ensemble cast.

‘How?’ Macaque asked. ‘How did I get featured in this?’

‘Who cares?’ Mei said. ‘The important thing is that you are. And that is cool.’

Macaque grumbled, ‘I had no idea about this.’

‘Neither did I,’ Wukong said. ‘Apparently I need to talk to my lawyer.’

Macaque snorted, ‘For what?’

‘Royalties,’ Wukong said while looking at the back of the game. ‘If they use any depictions of me, my face, or…yeah here. “Characters from the legendary Journey To The West.” I should be getting royalties for that too. So yeah, my lawyer’s getting an email when we get back.’ 

Macaque rolled his eyes, ‘Wow. Your ego needs feeding with money now too?’

‘You joke,’ Wukong said, ‘but maybe if you tried to claim royalties on this then you won’t be broke anymore.’ 

Macaque scowled, ignoring Mei’s muffled snigger and MK’s awkward look. ‘I still don’t understand how I ended up in this. I’m not even in the book.’

Wukong started reading the back again, ‘It looks like they’ve taken other legends too.’

‘Yeah, that’s how this kind of game works,’ Mei said. ‘They take characters from different stories and smash them all together. In this case, legends. I think I saw Nezhy is in this one too. Should we get him a copy?’

‘Erlang’s in this?’ Wukong groaned, sticking his tongue out in disgust. ‘I need to kill him so hard his character code breaks.’

‘Oh man,’ MK sighed, ‘do you ever think that one day these games might have me and Mei in them? That would be so cool.’

Mei grinned, ‘Yeah it would.’

‘You want to be in a video game?’ Macaque asked.

‘Are you kidding?’ MK said. ‘Absolutely I would. There would be kids out there playing a game about me? And getting to hear me say badass catchphrases? That would be so cool.’

‘And I’d want to see how they depicted us,’ Mei said. ‘Am I powerful? Mysterious? Do they remember to add the motorbike?’

‘Uh…’ Wukong said, while not looking up from the game, ‘yeah. About that.’ He glanced at the others staring at him, before clearing his throat. ‘“For a limited time, unlock the library of ‘Modern Legends,’ including the fearsome White Dragon racer Mei Long, the fiery progeny of the Bull family Red Son, and Hero of Megapolis MK the Monkey Kid.”’

All three of them stared at Wukong in silence, the shock seeming to even stop the store’s quiet music. ‘Huh,’ Macaque finally said, ‘guess the kid needs a lawyer too.’

‘Wait,’ MK said, ‘we’re in the game?’

‘Apparently,’ Wukong said. ‘Did you know anything about this?’

MK shook his head as Mei snapped her jaw shut, suddenly resolute. ‘I’m buying ten.’

‘What?’ MK said, his shock morphing into excitement. ‘Are you serious? This is…what?’

‘This is incredible!’ Mei said. ‘This game better be perfect! If it’s not, I’m having words.’

‘Would that be with actual words, or your sword?’ Macaque said.

‘Both. Obviously.’

Wukong chuckled, trying to not look too worried as he watched MK struggle to process. ‘You okay, bud?’

‘We’re in a game together?’ MK whispered. ‘We’re both in this game?’

Wukong gave him a small smile and nodded, catching MK as he barrelled into Wukong. ‘Guess we’re all getting the game then? You picked out the right console for me?’ MK nodded, tightening his grip around Wukong’s shoulders. ‘Thanks bud. Now come on, let’s get you a copy before Mei grabs them all.’

Despite Mei’s best attempts, she did not in fact buy every copy of the game in the store. In fact, every one of them walked out with a copy, and with Wukong admiring the new console that had been picked out. Everyone that is, except Macaque. Who insisted that he was perfectly happy without the game being in his life and instead let the rest of them talk his six ears off about it. That was until MK insisted that they needed to find something that Macaque wanted to buy. Which, unfortunately for Macaque, unlocked Mei’s shopping mode, and she immediately became a dragon on a mission. The four of them started exploring the city, trying to find some inspiration for what Macaque might want to buy. But they were quickly distracted by seeing people putting up lanterns, banners and streamers, across every street they entered. The high street saw the most of it, with the already busy traffic slowing to a crawl while workers moved around the cars to put up decorations on every building, pole and streetlight. 

‘Oh cool,’ Mei said, ‘they’re already getting ready for the parade.’

‘What parade?’ Macaque asked. 

‘New Years parade,’ MK answered while looking around curiously.

‘Oh wow,’ Wukong said, ‘that’s come around quick. When is it again? In a week?’

‘In three days,’ MK laughed.

Mei nodded, ‘Yep. And someone better not miss it this time.’

Macaque raised an eyebrow while MK put his hands up in surrender. ‘Oh come on, Mei, I’m not that bad.’

‘You’ve missed the parade for at least three years now.’

‘What? Why?’ Macaque asked.

MK chuckled nervously while looking between them all, while Wukong’s face fell in realisation. And guilt. ‘Bud. If you wanted to see the parade you could have just said. You don’t need to miss something that cool just for me.’

Macaque blinked in surprise, ‘Wait, you don’t come here for New Years?’

Wukong shrugged, ‘Nah, I’m good. I can see the fireworks perfectly well from the mountain, and they’re always the best part.’

Macaque narrowed his eyes, both in suspicion and with a kernel of an idea starting to form, while Mei managed to grab a flyer from nearby and present it to the monkeys. ‘Maybe back in olden times. But the celebrations are insane nowadays! You are seriously missing out, the whole city gets involved.’

Macaque took the flyer to read while Wukong winced, ‘I don’t know, Mei. That sounds really loud. And then we’d have to fly back to the mountain after midnight, and night flying over the ocean can get really weird. But you should go,’ he turned to MK. ‘Don’t miss out just for me, okay bud?’

‘But…’ MK said, faltering as he looked between Wukong, Mei and Macaque while clearly unsure. When he met Macaque’s eyes however, the shadow monkey gave him a cunning smile, winking from behind Wukong to both of the kids. 

At first MK looked only confused, but Mei caught on immediately. ‘Listen to your mentor MK. He clearly knows what he’s talking about. And the Zero Gravity Arcade are leading the main stage in the plaza this year! You can’t miss that!’

MK sighed, then nodded, ‘Okay, yeah. If Monkey King is okay with it, then sure. It actually does make it easier as well with Pigsy’s shop, because he’s trying to work out if he wants to open for a half day or be closed, and if I’m here then that will help if he does open, and…yeah.’

‘And Zero Gravity Arcade New Years party,’ Mei said pointedly.

‘That too,’ MK smirked. 

Wukong smiled at the two kids, turning to look at Macaque. ‘You know, we could get some New Years stuff in. Get some rice cakes, set up something comfy to watch the fireworks from. If you wanted, you could even put on a play for the troop, and then-’

Macaque’s eyes widened and he looked up suddenly. ‘That’s it.’

‘What’s it?’

He grinned, ‘I can finally put this “Macaque shopping mission” to bed,’ he said. ‘I need some shadow play supplies.’

‘Oooh,’ Mei said. ‘That sounds fun.’

‘What kind of supplies?’ Wukong said. 

‘Well the old sheet I used as a screen is not fit for purpose anymore,’ Macaque said. ‘But maybe I can get a proper screen this time. It can’t be a permanent one because of the troop, so something that is big but can also be put away.’

‘Why not make something permanent?’ MK asked. ‘I mean, it’s not like you’ll stop using it.’

‘Maybe,’ Macaque said. ‘One day. But until then, let’s focus on a screen.’

Mei and MK looked at each other with a shrug, while they all missed Wukong getting his own moment of clarity, one that he tried to hide with a smile. ‘In that case, let’s go0 shopping. Before he changes his mind.’

Macaque looked at Wukong with a suspicious glare. ‘You’re not buying this one for me.’

‘If you insist.’ 

Chapter Text

The celebration of New Years crept up on the city, and the mountain, quicker than anyone realised. One minute Wukong and Macaque were going home, with Wukong talking about plans of what they could do around the mountain to watch the celebrations, and MK and Mei went to the rest of the gang with talks of what they were going to do for the parade and other citywide festivities. And the next, the day was upon them. On the mountain there was no sign that it was anything other than a normal day, with the troop waking up completely oblivious to the events of the city across the ocean, never mind the events of celestial bodies that marked the passage of time. Wukong woke up, slowly and with a grumble about wanting five more minutes. And his grumbling only got worse when Macaque chuckled at him burying his face in the pillows.

‘Morning sleepyhead. Are you planning on getting up at all today?’

Wukong huffed, ‘Tired.’

‘I can see that,’ Macaque said. ‘Come on, if you sleep all day you’re going to miss New Years.’

Wukong peeked one sleepy eye open to look at Macaque curiously. ‘Wait, you want to celebrate? When I suggested stuff to do you weren’t interested.’

‘Who said I wasn’t interested?’ That made Wukong look up at Macaque properly. But in suspicion. He was planning something. He knew Macaque well enough, and he knew exactly how to read that tone in his voice and the certain curl to his smile. But Wukong was too tired to work out anything else, instead watching silently as Macaque climbed out of bed with a stretch and a yawn. ‘Alright. Once you finish waking up, I’ll be in the grove.’

Yep. Definitely up to something. What other reason would Macaque have to leave literally before breakfast to do his morning prayers? Which, now that Wukong thought about it, was a common thing that Macaque did. But still, this time it felt suspicious! Suspicious enough that Wukong shrugged off the blankets, along with the last of his sleep, and climbed out of bed to get dressed and follow Macaque. He wasn’t going to let the shadow monkey spring his trap that easily. 

If only the universe seemed to agree. The second Wukong stepped outside the monkey elders were on him, chirping something about him being overdue a good grooming session. It didn’t matter that he was the King, and was clearly flustered about being bombarded with fingers tugging at his fur so early in the morning. And it didn’t matter that he was physically strong enough to get them all off him in seconds. At this moment, the mothers had decided that he needed to be groomed. And despite his protests, Wukong couldn’t bring himself to argue with them. 

It was only when Macaque appeared with a knowing smile, and the mothers immediately vacated Wukong’s personal space at Macaque’s approach, that he began to suspect why the mothers insisted on grooming him there and then. ‘Did you tell them to do that?’

‘Do what?’ Macaque said. But he continued before Wukong could respond. ‘Anyway, the elders did a good job. You actually look only half wild today.’

‘Oh ha ha,’ Wukong said. ‘What is this all about?’

‘Don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Macaque said, with a smug grin that made Wukong scowl.

‘Fine,’ Wukong huffed. ‘Keep being weird. I’m going to work out how to get some rice cakes.’

‘What?’

‘For New Years,’ Wukong said, looking at Macaque in suspicion. ‘Unless you don’t want to celebrate and just wanted to annoy me.’

Macaque smirked, moving to pat Wukong on the shoulder. ‘No no, I do want to celebrate. I just have something else in mind.’

Normally Macaque wouldn’t be able to push Wukong over. But this time, he had the advantage of making the ground disappear as he did. Wukong toppled forward, reaching out for something to grab as shadows filled his vision, only to spit him out somewhere completely different. But familiar.

Wukong didn’t have time to look around at the shop, however. Not when Tang shrieked in shock at his sudden presence. ‘Monkey King?!’

‘Tang?’ Wukong looked up at Pigsy appearing from the back room, huffing at Tang’s noise. ‘What the hell needs you to shriek like….Monkey King?’

‘Don’t ask me,’ Wukong said. ‘This was Mac's idea.’

All three of them turned when the nearest shadow started laughing, and Macaque appeared while holding his hands up in apology. ‘Sorry, Jangles. I didn’t mean to give you a heart attack. But the look on your face was…’ 

He broke into another peal of laughter, ignoring how Wukong folded his arms with a glare. ‘Are you done?’

‘Alright,’ Pigsy said, ‘it wasn’t that funny.’ Macaque took a breath to calm himself, wiping away a tear while Pigsy leaned on the counter. ‘What are you two doing here?’

‘Celebrating New Years,’ Macaque said.

Wukong blinked in surprise, while Pigsy and Tang looked at them in confusion. ‘Wait,’ Tang said, ‘I thought you’d stay on the mountain for New Years. Isn’t that what you normally do?’

Macaque shrugged, ‘I’m going to be honest? It’s been a while since I celebrated New Years properly. Felt like doing something new.’

‘Well good for you,’ Pigsy said, ‘but bad news, I’m not actually opening the shop today.’

‘That’s fine,’ Macaque said. ‘We won’t be staying.’

‘Wait, what?’ Wukong said. ‘What are we doing?’

Macaque’s ears twitched, and he grinned. ‘That’s up to them.’

‘Who?’

The door slammed open in response, making everyone spin around in time to see Mei stepping through the threshold holding two trays of drinks. ‘Whaddup party people?’

Macaque smirked, ‘You’re late.’

MK suddenly poked up from behind Mei’s shoulder, looking over at Wukong in surprise as Mei blew a raspberry. ‘Barely. Besides, I needed to get supplies. You’re all welcome, by the way.’ 

‘Monkey King!’ MK was a blur, barrelling into Wukong so quickly he barely had time to catch him. ‘I didn’t know you were coming!’

‘Neither did I, bud,’ Wukong chuckled while squeezing MK in a hug. ‘It’s good to see you, though.’

‘Oh hey guys,’ Sandy said, crouching to step through the door with a beam and a wave. ‘Happy New Year's Eve.’

Macaque waved back while MK finally put Wukong down enough to look at the two of them. ‘What are you guys doing here?’

Macaque gestured to Mei, who finished handing out the drinks while clearing her throat. ‘Well first thing’s first, we got to scout out the Plaza.’

‘Huh?’ Wukong said.

‘It’s going to be crucial to work out where everything is before it fills with people,’ Mei said.

‘For what?’ Wukong said.

‘For New Years. Keep up, Monkey King.’

MK giggled and looked at Wukong. ‘The city is putting on events all day for New Years. There’s performances, competitions-’

‘We are all entering the dance competition!’ Mei shouted. ‘No exceptions. Not even for Pigsy.’

Pigsy snorted in disgust while MK continued, ‘And there will be food and gift stalls, the Zero Gravity Arcade is hosting a party after the parade-’

‘Right!’ Tang said. ‘The parade. This year, can we please get back in time to set up some seats on the roof? Being in the crowd is so awkward and cramped.’

Mei snorted, ‘What? Don’t want to throw someone in the air again because they stepped on your foot?’

Tang huffed and looked away with a pout, ‘That was an accident. And they really should have watched their step.’

‘We should set up on the roof though,’ MK said. ‘We need a good spot for the fireworks.’

‘Way ahead of you,’ Mei said. ‘Sandy and I have already prepared some things so we can lounge in comfort. After the dance party.’

MK was vibrating in excitement. ‘This is going to be so cool!’ He said. ‘Pigsy’s entering the cooking competition, and we get to play games and eat good food and, and, and….this is so cool!’

Macaque chuckled, looking at Wukong for his response. He was expecting excitement, or at least the normal amused affection Wukong always had for MK. But that wasn’t what he saw. Any attempt at a smile Wukong was making was clearly a mask to hide whatever was making him look so lost. 

‘Well!’ Sandy said, ‘We’d better get started on this scouting business that Mei’s cooking up so we don’t miss Pigsy’s competition. Shall we?’

At the mention of that Mei got very demanding very quickly, threatening to drag everyone out of the shop one by one if they slowed her down too much. MK, of course, was laughing the whole time and let Mei drag him to the front, while Tang and Pigsy quickly followed with quiet conversation, letting Sandy get close to the monkeys to chat while the shop was locked up. ‘Do you guys need some time? You can catch up to us later if you want.’

‘Maybe,’ Macaque said. ‘We’ll be right behind you.’

Sandy gave them an understanding smile and nod, but he was barely ten steps away when Wukong turned to hiss at Macaque. ‘What are we doing here?’

Macaque sighed, ‘We’re celebrating New Years.’ Wukong opened his mouth, but Macaque spoke over him first. ‘If you really don’t want to do this, then we don’t have to. We can go home right now. But I genuinely thought you would enjoy this. You used to love seeing human festivals.’

Wukong sighed, looking away from Macaque awkwardly, ‘That was a long time ago.’