Chapter Text
Over 500 years ago~~~~~~
Xiaotian and Red Son were currently weaving baskets under a tree close to Xiaotian’s uncle’s farm. Well, Xiaotian was weaving while Red Son watched since he kept accidentally burning his work.
“What are your parents like?” Xiaotian looked up at Red Son curiously as he weaved the material in his hands.
“My parents? Why do you ask?” Red Son looked at his love with surprise.
“Well, you already met my parents (unfortunately) and my uncle. So what is your family like?”
“Hmmm. Well, I pray to the heavens that you never meet my uncle. He has no respect for anyone, only for himself.” Red Son grumbled as he fuddled with his necklace.
“My parents though, they are very… traditional.” Red Son hesitated to choose the right words.
Xiaotian looked at Red Son in confusion.
“Traditional?”
“Well, more demon traditional. For example, if I took you to see them, they would either think you are an afternoon snack, I have lost my mind, or I am making you my concubine.”
“Wait, what?!” Xiaotian was shocked by that statement, he almost dropped his project.
“I’m not kidding about that last part. Even though I’m not an adult yet, they keep bringing up marriage and grandchildren. It’s humiliating.” Red Son said as his hair started to steam and his face turned red as his hair.
His parents have been on him to start courting ever since he came of age to. Well, his father was the one who was pushing it more. However, his mother has been bugging him about it in her own way. For example, that morning a week ago, where she told him that one of the heirs of the bear demon clan was his age and was single. Ugh, he wanted to barf. Xiaotian is way more fun and loving than that bimbo bear.
“Aww, it just means they care about you!” Xiaotian smiled as he continued to weave his basket.
Red Son’s expression turned sour and he grumbled sarcastically, “Yeah…right.”
“Huh?”
“I mean yeah, right. But, if we did go see them one day. I promise, I will not let them hurt you.” Red Son looked up at Xiaotian with a serious expression as he held one of Xiaotian’s hand.
“Well, when we do meet them, I am sure they’ll like me in no time!” Xiaotian smiled at Red Son’s as he went back to weaving.
“We’ll see about that...” Red Son looked down at his necklace as he traced his family’s symbol on it with his thumb.
Present day~~~~~~
Iron Fan couldn’t believe her eyes. Out of all the people in this forsaken city to be reincarnated, it had to be that human.
The same foolish, weak, mortal that her son has cried over for the past 500 years is now sitting right in front of her.
She was going to chew her son out for his inventions attacking his father but it now seems that she has to deal with this mortal all over again on top of that.
“So… I see you have returned.”, said Iron Fan as she glared at MK.
The boy tilted his head, giving her a confused look.
“What are you talking about?”, he shifted his hold on the art kit.
Iron Fan blinked and raised her eyebrow, studying the mortal in front of her.
“Oh, you don’t remember, probably for the best. Even now, you are a distraction to my son.” Iron fan started to raise her fan at the human.
Before he could speak, the bedroom door opened as Red Son walked in.
“MK, I just wanted you to know that dinner was ready-“, said Red Son until he stopped like a deer in headlights when he saw his mother.
Red Son quickly regains his composure, and ran in front of MK, shielding him from his mother.
“Mother, unless you are here to surrender, I advise that you get out right now.”, said Red Son as he glared back at Iron Fan.
“What- No! We need to discuss about this childish rebellion! How dare you attack your father!? Betraying us like this! For that mortal again!”, shouted Iron Fan as she pointed to MK with her fan.
“I don’t have time to deal with you right now! This is your final warning. Leave. Now.”, said Red Son coldly as his hands burst into flames while he took a fighting stance.
Iron Fan was surprised by her son’s boldness, but knew that her son would not back down.
She glared at the duo and raised his fan. “This isn’t over.”, She sneered as the wind picked up again and she disappeared in a gust of wind.
Red Son signed in relief and turned to MK with a concerned expression.
“Are you ok? Did she hurt you?” Red Son looked MK over. Luckily, he didn’t see any scratches or bruises. And his clothes didn’t look torn or ripped.
MK gave a confused look but smiled. “No, she didn’t. But what was she talking about?”
Red Son looked startled, wondered what the heck his mother said to MK. “Nothing! Don’t worry about it! It’s in the past…”
MK didn’t seemed convinced but decided to let it go. For now at least. “Ok, if you say so…”
Red Son took a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Dinner is ready, and I thought we could watch a movie to pass the time.”
“Oh! I’d like that.”
“And I thought I show you around, but be careful around Hei Hei. She is cautious around strangers. It might be a good thing to leave your gift in here for now, in case things go sideways.”
MK gave a confused look and asked, “Hei Hei?”
“Oh, my pet chicken. She’s nice, but can be overprotective.”
“Aww, I’m sure she will like me in no time!” MK walked out of the room with Red Son.
They made their way to the kitchen, which was full of the latest technology in kitchenware and facilities that would make Pigsy jealous. However, even though the kitchen looked brand new, it still though had an old look to it.
Red Son was surprisingly a great cook and even though the food was a bit spicy, MK still enjoyed it. Red Son apologized profusely and forgot that not everyone can eat as much spice as him, and gave MK some milk to help with the heat. MK tried to tell Red Son he was fine but Red Son insisted just in case.
Red Son looked embarrassed and he watched MK drink his glass. ‘Well, I guess that is another thing he has in common with Xiaotian.’ He remembered how Xiaotian loved the food he made when Red Son visited. Even though he wasn’t as good of a cook back then. But he soon felt better when he gave a small kiss to MK to make him feel better from the spice.
After dinner, Red Son showed MK around his place, which was a lot bigger than MK thought. Almost everything, including the furniture, was decorated with shades of red, orange, yellow, and a bit of gold. MK asked why and Red Son sheepishly answered, “Oh, they’re my favorite colors. I used to like purple but not as much anymore.” Fair enough.
Red Son showed MK each room, including the bathroom just in case, and then showed his workshop/garage. The garage was full of different vehicles that Red Son tinkered and repaired, and included a few work tables that housed his inventions, which mesmerized MK.
“Wow! This place is huge! My friend Mei would love to see these vehicles! Probably would love to race them too!” MK looked at Red Son’s inferno truck in awe.
Red Son blushed, “The few vehicles I made and have here are the ones I tinker with the most. The one you’re looking at has at least one complex transformation. It has a race car that can detach from it.”
“Wow! That’s amazing- Wait, you made these!? All by yourself!” MK looked at Red Son excitedly with stars in eyes.
Red Son blushed more as steam omitted from his hair, “Uh, yes I did. Well, with the help of some of my bull clones anyway. At least to get the tools and parts for them.”
“Whoa! Maybe you can help fix my noodle cart! It’s been going through some problems lately.”
Red Son paused and gave MK a confused look. “Wait, you mean that beat up tuk-tuk that was parked in front of the construction site?”
“Yeah! That’s one!”
Red Son looked at MK with a blank stare, then slowly put his hands together as he took a deep breath. “I have to be honest. It would be better if you bought a new one and use the old one for spare parts.”
MK gave him a shocked look as his eyes widened. “What! I can’t do that! Well, I don’t think Pigsy will do that. But maybe you can look at it at least? For me~.”, said MK as he gave Red Son his signature puppy dog eyes.
Red Son was blushing again. “Ugh, fine. I can see at least what problems it has, but it probably at least needs a new engine. Anyway, we should continue the tour. However, just you are aware. Hei Hei is in the next room so just be prepared.”
The two of them went to the next room, which was Red Son’s office. There were bookshelves lined up against the walls; full of scrolls, papers, and old looking books. It also had an expensive burgundy desk in the middle of the room with a black office chair behind it. The desk was neat and clean but MK noticed quite a few documents and blue prints on it. MK could see next to Red’s desk was a beautiful white chicken sitting on an expensive pillow. Surprisingly to Red Son, she didn’t run up to MK and start trying to claw his eyes out.
Luckily, after MK gave her some treats, compliments, and pets; Hei Hei grew to love MK over the rest of the afternoon. Soon, she was demanding to sit on his lap and for him to brush her feathers while they watched a movie after the tour. This surprised Red Son since Hei Hei attacks anything that moves, even the poor delivery man.
MK insisted they watched ‘Monkey Cop’, saying that it was one of his favorites. Red Son wasn’t a fan of it, but he wanted MK to feel comfortable after this stressful day. Unfortunately he couldn’t get close to MK on the couch for a while because Hei Hei kept stealing his attention away. Great, it seems now he has to fight his own pet chicken for MK’s attention.
Thankfully, MK still talked to Red Son by explaining parts of the movie or quoting his favorite scenes. He had to admit, it was delightful to watch MK be a bit in his element. Watching him smile and laugh through the movie. Learning about him all over again. It was difficult to try not to compare him to Xiaotian. He had to remember, MK wasn’t Xiaotian. MK is only his reincarnation, nothing else. He knew he had to break that habit soon, or it would get worse. He remembered seeing that in many celestial and demon relationships, where they obsessed over the past and refused to let it go.
At least while the movie played out, they finally had some “ahem” alone time when Hei Hei finally called it a night and went back to her nest. During that time, he did learn that MK was also a great kisser.
As the credits finally rolled, Red Son looked back at MK, seeing that he fell asleep. He carefully woke him a little to at least help him back to the guest room. As MK went to bed, Red Son sighed in relief as he turned in for the night. The courtship seems to be going well so far, but this was only day one. He tossed and turned on his bed as he knew this won’t be easy with the threat of his parents, especially now with his mother’s surprise “visit”. Now, all he could do now is to hope that the future won’t be cut short again.
The next morning~~~~~~
The duo drove to Pigsy’s noodles early the next morning (much to MK’s whining of wanting to sleep in), but unfortunately for them, Pigsy was not in a happy mood, not at all. Once the two of them stepped inside the restaurant, a wooden spoon almost decapitated Red Son.
“How dare you courtnap my kid?!”, yelled Pigsy as literal steam came out of his ears and snout with MK watched in concern behind Red Son. MK was a bit nervous for Red Son since he never seen Pigsy this angry before, but a small part of him as happy to know that Pigsy cared about him enough for his safety. But that didn’t stop him from fidgeting with Monkey King’s staff.
“I assure you that MK was safe with me. I didn’t want him to get entangled with my parents.” Red Son’s tried to keep his voice neutral against the raging hog in front of him.
“That still gave you no right to kidnap him like a wild demon!!!”, yelled Pigsy as his face turned more red.
Red Son took a deep death and tried to keep his voice level, grinding his teeth as he said, “Again, I apologize for that, I usually have my instincts under control but my mother was there and my father was about to be freed! What was I supposed to do? Leave him there like a sacrificial lamb?!”
“Uh, yeah, I would have not liked that!” MK tried to speak up. He personally was glad that Red Son’s got him out of there before Demon bull king could rip him to shreds. Even though it wasn’t the best way he went about it.
“That is still no excuse! You should have brought him here!”
“During a mandatory evacuation? While my father was tearing the city apart?!” Red Son tried to use the techniques that Guanyin taught him to work with his temper. But this demon pig was not helping with his own stubbornness and he could feel himself slipping.
“You’re lucky those robots of yours helped defeat the Demon Bull King, but that doesn’t mean I trust you! Now what’s with the staff?” Pigsy seemed to finally calm down a bit, thanks to Tang finally trying to anchor Pigsy down from his temper as he looked that the staff with confusion.
Red Son looked back at MK and said, “Believe it or not. This was the same staff that imprisoned my father. Sun Wukong’s staff. For some reason, MK can wield it.”
MK presented the staff for everyone to see, until it magically grew longer and broke one of the tables.
MK looked shocked then sheepishly at Pigsy with an apologetic smile “Oops, sorry”
Red Son sighed and said, “I can pay for that.”
Pigsy was not happy that one of his tables was broken. Tang however was a joyful bubbly mess as he stared at the staff in MK’s hands with stars in his eyes.
“M-M-Monkey King’s staff!! The legends are true! I knew it all along!”
Pigsy sighed and said, “Well, if it really is his staff then we should get it back to that ape as soon as possible. I don’t want the kid to break any more tables.”
MK chuckled nervously at that comment. “Hehe…right.”
Red Son pulled out his wallet and handed some bills to Pigsy for the table. “I can offer you a boat to deliver the staff back to Sun Wukong.”
Pigsy glared and scoffed at him. “We don’t need your charity, I already know a guy that can take us there. So we don’t need your help.”
‘Said the demon pig who just took hundred dollars from me’ Red Son glared and raised his brow at Pigsy, but relented “Fair enough. Now then-“
Red Son’s phone started to ring like crazy. “One moment please. Hello? Zhi? What- Please calm down- They what?! Ok- Ok, I will be right there.”
Red Son sighed and turned back to the group. “I apologize that I can’t go with you but I promise that I will come back later.” Red Son turned to MK and quickly gave him a beck on the cheek before he rush out of the restaurant. Mostly to avoid the demon pig’s wrath.
Pigsy glared and growled at the red-haired demon as he drove away. “Ugh. I don’t truth that guy. And if he knew what’s good for him, he’d better not come back!”
MK looked at Pigsy with a lovely dovey smile. “Aw come on Pigsy! He’s actually really nice, smart, a genius, a great cook-“
MK was interrupted by Mei who burst through the door. “Hellllooooo everyone!~” She then looked around the room in shock. “Wow, what did I miss?”
Tang looked up at her and said, “MK’s new boyfriend came and dropped him off. And we need to go to flower fruit mountain to return that staff.” He said as he pointed at the staff then continued to eat his noodles.
“Ugh! I missed meeting him!? That sucks! I had my shovel talk speech all planned out and everything!”
MK looked at her in shock. “What?!”
“Oh yeah! Pigsy called me yesterday and muttered about you getting courtnapped. I would have come earlier, but my parents forced me to follow the mandatory evacuation and wait until it was safe.” Mei then leaned closer to MK with a mischievous smile.
“Sooo, was he cute?” MK tried to hide his blush but Mei saw it and gasped.
“Did you guys kiss?!”
MK’s face got redder “Mei!”
“So you did!”
Pigsy then shouted, not wanting to be front of this. “All right! All right! Let’s get a move on! The sooner we return that trouble magnet, the better!” Pigsy walked outside with Tang following him.
“Woo hoo! Road trip! Let’s go!”, shouted Mei as she grabbed MK and ran outside to catch up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was breakfast time in the Demon Bull King’s lair while Demon Bull King was fidgeting with one of the bandages on his arm. The lair wasn’t much, it was a basic, empty cavern area that luckily had ceilings high enough for him to walk around, and currently had a table and chairs for them to eat for now. His wife said that they would work on their current living space soon.
“My love, please don’t mess with it, it won’t heal if you do.”, said Iron Fan as she looked up at her husband.
Demon Bull King scoffed and looked back down at his dish and continued to eat, fuming about yesterday’s events.
He couldn’t believe this. After being imprisoned for 500 years, not only that he learns their own son had betrayed them, but he used his own inventions to attack his own father! Not only that, he also learned that his humiliation was shown on this “TV” to the whole city!
This was unacceptable! Distasteful! Embarrassing! Ugh! He was going to them pay! This whole city is going to pay! Starting with that human who held Wukong’s staff, and their son.
To be honest, it did bother him, knowing that their son betrayed them. What happened that made their own son switch sides and become their enemy? Before he was imprisoned, he remembered that his son was close to his family and loyal to it. Although, he also remembered that their son went to go study in heaven under Guanyin before his imprisonment. Did something happen while he was up there? Did those heavenly idiots turn their own son against them?!
Also the human that his wife told him about, is a major threat. If that human can lift the staff, who knows what else he can do. Especially if the human somehow has Wukong’s powers. Ugh, he really hoped to never see that monkey again anytime soon. Although, it was surprising that Wukong didn’t show up when he was freed and destroying the city. Tsk, maybe that bimbo baboon finally got lazy or something and let someone else clean up the mess.
Princess Iron Fan finished her dish and looked up at her husband again. She can sense her husband’s frustration and knew something must be done. She took a hold on her husband’s hand and looked up at him. “Don’t worry my love, I have already started our plan for us moving forward. I was able to get some labor for us, and I know what our next step should be.”