Chapter Text
Red Son found himself laying on his back in his bed; the little cow was the only thing on his mind. It was such a simple innocuous act, he taught MK how to play the crane, so he gave him his first prize.
It was his first prize ever though, and he seemed so bent out of shape that he was so horrible at it. Red’s hands found his phone and quickly he opened his messages, nothing new. He began to type, then decided it didn’t matter enough.
The toy didn’t matter as much as the fact that he won it himself.
There was nothing more behind it.
Then why did holding it give him that warmth again.
He rolled over so he was face down in one of his pillows, a deep sigh resonated through it. He knew he should get up, there was a long list of projects he needed work on. As he went through it, his mind drifted to MK’s question of if he could design him a vehicle. He’d never seen the delivery boy drive anything other than his delivery cart or the mechs he made with the power of the staff, it’d truly be an act of charity if he made him something.
No
He can make himself something if he truly needs it. But that sort of thing was something he only did if he was backed into a corner. But he could do it whenever he wanted, he doesn’t need anything from you.
He pushed himself up and out of bed, heading out of the room and toward his workshop. The little cow, not leaving his hands as he walked. He knew neither of his parents would be up yet, his mother, though always punctual, was not a morning person. His father was a tried and true night owl, the whole reason their restaurant didn’t serve breakfast, as he didn’t tend to rise until noon at the earliest. Neither trait was lost on their son, but he started to wake before them on purpose, the time alone was something he was thankful for.
As much as he loved his parents, he needed a few hours before they woke. They meant well with their doting, but they both lacked the tact it took to approach any subject without just outright asking. Constantly during meals, they offered suitor after suitor for him but he refused each and every time, any treaty could be made without a marriage. For two people who both abandoned everything for the sake of love, neither of them seemed to understand that he wanted to find his own true love. He wanted to have the joy they share when they’re together.
His thoughts were interrupted by a vibration of his phone in his pocket.
‘ MK : thanks for doing the driving yesterday
Red : I would not get in your noodle car even if you paid me to.
Red : But you are welcome.’ Neither of them knew what else to say. Was that truly all that needed to be said?
MK shook his head softly, he’d woken up earlier than usual in hopes they could actually talk, but when he actually tried to do so, he didn’t have much to say.
‘ MK : i really enjoy being around you.
Red : You are, more tolerable than I thought you’d be.
MK : we close at 7 today if you want to hang out again’ He figured he was pushing it, not only would Red Son have to make the whole drive back out to the city, but he had to actually want to go out again. MK wanted badly to have another good, normal, night, to have a fully normal life. Maybe this was all a horrible idea, pretending with someone who still walks the thin line between friend and foe. Maybe Red Son only agreed to play this game for the sake of shutting him up, but then why did he keep saying yes afterwards?
‘ Red : What would we be doing?’
That one message spurred on another incredible night, and after that came another, and another, and they continued like that for a while, spending almost every night together for weeks on end. Mei joined them from time to time, making incredibly strange jokes that would turn MK bright red any time she came along.
Of course making friends and going out much more than he used to caused a few changes to his perfectly planned schedule. Of course he was used to the drive into the city and back, he and his father did it nearly everyday for the restaurant, but it used to be there, work, back, simple. Now though he wouldn’t return home until long after his father, and this brought new questions from his parents.
“Your son was late again.” His mother sneered as he and DBK sat down at the table to eat with her. She’d had a very important diplomatic brunch for the two of them to attend and he arrived late. To a brunch hosted in his own house.
“Again! How many more times will you allow this before you enact some consequence.”
“That’s why I’m telling you .” She sneered at her son, who shrunk in his seat, “What do you do all night that’s more important than us? You finish with work then you don’t come home until long past midnight, then rise with your father. You didn’t used to be like this.” Red Son tried his hardest to find the right words, but even if he could find a gentle way to say it, the words wouldn’t come out. “Honestly, how much more of a waste of space do you have to be? You refuse to get married, you refuse to conquer the world by yourself, the least you can do is show up but you can’t even do that much.”
“I don’t enjoy those parties anyway, I never have. All you ever want to do is show me off to whatever powerful demon colleague has a child my age, but you know I’m not interested in any marriage yet. Maybe if you let me get to know my options I’d finally choose one, but you don’t even offer me that much.” He scoffed.
“Insolent child ! Do not talk down to your mother like that!” His father stood to address their disrespectful son. “When you live in this house you will follow our rules and traditions. If you want to act like a rebellious child, I suggest you find another place to lay your head.” His ponytail came alight, but his father didn’t see it as a threat, not making a move until Red made one of his own. He quickly smoothed his hair down and collapsed back into himself, hunching over the food.
“It’s not your business where I go, I am an adult.”
“You’re right, you’re an adult, you don’t have to tell us anything, but you don’t have to stay here either.” That was no empty threat, like he said, he was old enough to be out of their hair at this point, and until he became useful again, they could be rid of him whenever they felt like it.
He knew he had to come clean about it all at some point, but with them riled up like this, he wasn’t sure honesty was the best idea at this point.
The next time he and MK hung out, he concocted something like a plan to come clean, but still not tell them he was friends with the enemy. They’d decided on a ‘ hang-in ’, their name for when MK was too tired to go out so they stayed at his apartment and Red made some nice meal with whatever MK had on hand.
“Do you have a name other than MK?” It seemed out of the blue for him to finally question it after not doing so for however long they’d been friends.
“Kinda? Well, yes, I do but no one uses it other than Pigsy and Tang when I was younger and fucked up to a royal degree. It’s funny, Mei and I actually switched names because we both were trying to pick new names at the same time.”
“Pick new names?”
“Oh, I never told you? I’m transgender.”
“What is that?” It was to the point, he truly didn’t know what that meant.
“Is that not like, a thing demons do? I figured you’d know what it was cause you’re fairly technologically literate but if you don’t it’s not a huge deal. I was born a girl, but that wasn’t right for me so I transitioned and I live as a guy now.”
“You’re just, allowed to stop being the gender you are?”
“Yeah man! There’s surgeries and hormone treatments, and like, clothes that can help you present the way you see yourself. I’m actually getting my first surgery done in a couple months.” He grinned as he thought about the surgery, but Red Son stood, flabbergasted. How could humans come up with something like that before demons did. “You asked what my name is and I completely changed the subject. Qi Xiaotian is what’s on legal records, but I go by MK because Pigsy wouldn’t let me legally change my name to MK. He thought it was childish and I would outgrow it, look at me now.” He leaned back and grinned some more, obviously proud of himself for proving his demonic parental figure wrong.
“Right.” Red laughed lightly, “I just, I still haven’t told my parents that I have befriended you and dragon girl, I wanted to ask your permission to tell them I made friends with ‘Qi Xiaotian’ rather than, The Monkie Kid. I feel it would be easier to tell them that way, so they’ll technically know the truth and stop asking, but they don’t really know .”
“That’s fine! If it’s that important to you that they know about it, then by all means, tell them I’m just Xiaotian, monkey demon completely separate from the Monkie King.” he turned away for a moment, “I don’t know why you want to tell them, you’re an adult by demon standards right?”
“I am an adult, but, their current rule is that while I continue to live with them, I must follow their rules.”
“Man that’s Pigsy’s rules too, of course I already told him we hang out, it’s kinda hard to hide a volatile, hot headed fire demon from the guy right below you. But he still wasn’t exactly happy about it, he made me buy a fire extinguisher to keep in my room." He laughed at his father figure’s actions, they seemed foolish now seeing Red Son standing at the kitchen counter in MK’s only apron. His hair sat, normally, his signature ponytail still tied tightly, but it didn’t stand up on end as it usually did. Red had explained before that his hair stood on end the way it did because of the constant stress he was under; If he was honest it wasn’t stress in most cases, it was fear, anxiety, that lurking feeling that everyone was staring, that anything he did was to be quickly criticized. In any case his hair hanging down at his shoulders was a clear sign that MK made him feel safe.
The only time he’d ever light up in MK’s house were the few moments that just barely crossed the line, were just a touch too tender, moments where he couldn’t stay calm. Moments like a few hours later when they were done eating, and sitting comfortably on the couch, both of them were half asleep. MK had just come back from the bathroom and paused when he got to the couch, Red Son was laid out across it, planning on sitting back up once the other had come back.
“I’m cuddling with you.” He wasn’t giving Red a choice in the matter as he laid down on top of him. He pressed his face into Red Son’s chest and sighed deeply. “You’re warm, and you smell nice.”
A few stray hairs came alight, but Red was too tired to fully grasp the situation so he just wrapped his arms around MK as he started to doze off.
If he was actually awake, he would be soooo normal about that.