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Soft flower petals drifted down, occasionally falling onto the ground around the two monkeys that had crept away many hours ago into the secluded area, just below where the mountain sat
Wukong breathed in, carefully as to not disturb the one who had willingly came back to him. He couldn't pretend he hadn't been surprised when Macaque had seeked him to talk about their past.
At some point, it had led to this situation, Macaque allowing Wukong to groom through his black hair. Which looked as though it had not been properly cared for since... well, he didn't fully know as Macaque had refused to tell him. But Wukong had a decent guess at a point it had begun.
The tension between them was briefly melting with the help of the murmur of a distant brook and the call of birds.
This wouldn't fix everything, Buddah knows that this would barely fix anything to begin with, but it was a start at it. A strangely good start, despite the yelling a hour or two ago where Wukong thought that Macaque was about to drive himself to tears with it.
He paused and blinked to keep the sun from fully blinding him in its descent downwards in the sky. Then a quiet sigh was breathed out and Wukong froze for a second as Macaque shifted before settling back into laying on Wukong's legs.
For a tense moment, seemingly for the both of them, Wukong didnt move. Then he slowly moved his hands again. Back to the motions of running them through Macaque's hair, something that was achingly familiar to him.
Wukong should be expecting for Macaque to suddenly lash out at him. Should be expecting this to all end in a trick to get Wukong into a peaceful state to kill him.
But Wukong had missed this for far too long for him to think of Macaque killing him at this time.
His hands began to wander, no further then the top of Macaque's back, up and down. Simply just brushing them against the other. Sometimes catching against the still knotted parts of his hair before Wukong careful pried his claws free.
The stone monkey was so focused on it, that he was startled when a hand grasped at his wrist to stop where he was soothingly scratching at Macaque's hair. Wukong didn't flinch when yellow eyes stared at him with narrowed pupils.
Wukong couldn't tell if Macaque was trying to glare at him and was simply dazed from the affection, or if he was-
Macaque voice was quiet, however Wukong could hear a strange softness that usually wasnt associated with him when he spoke, "you're putting me to sleep..stop."
...ah so he was slowly falling asleep with Wukong's petting.
Wukong's fought back a smug response, instead only allowing a grin onto his face. He wiggled his wrist free, which Macaque did not attempt to stop. Wukong then shifted his hand to a lower position, pressed right below his ear.
The response from it was immediate with the very slight tilt of the shadow monkey's head, which became clearer when Wukong begain to scratch there. Macaque's eyes closing for a brief second from it.
Macaque's body weight was starting to rest more and more onto Wukong's lap, along with his eyes closing in lazy blinks. His eyes eventually closing completely after another mintue. His breathing slowed and Wukong could watch his chest rise and fall with each breath.
It was so soothing to see that Wukong nearly missed the slight rumble starting in Macaque's chest. Wukong contuined what he had been doing before and he did not have to wait long to be rewarded with a proper purr vibrating through Macaque's body.
Wukong glanced away, seeing the moon starting to appear as the sun dipped below the horizon. He hadn't even noticed how quick the time had begun to pass.
Then he looked back at Macaque, his hands no longer moving and instead just resting on him. The quiet purrs continuing in the other's sleep still.
A relived purr that Wukong couldn't help made it's way out. He had missed this too much and he hadn't even realized until this moment.