Chapter Text
Like all stories start out, this one like the rest started with a man and a woman. A man with dark brown hair and gold-like eyes, he paved his own path in the business industry, worked hard to gain his position. At the start of the journey, came a talented woman with beautiful orange hair and a beautiful smile. With her sweet words and shining efforts, she as well had caught up to the man’s position. The man and woman were an unstoppable force when they had teamed up. They brought the company they’re working for to high ranks, promotions after promotions were given to them as they continued.
During their working life, they had grown from rivals to being lovers, oftenly getting encouraged to finally try out the dating scene. They experimented, went out on a pleasant date, and they worked just as well like they worked in the office. Life gave them more obstacles, but they both had overcome it with valiant effort and their bond strong. Soon, they were set to matrimony, it was a no brainer for the people around them who had witnessed their bond. They were truly a match made in heaven.
Their marriage was beautiful, but quiet. The bride was adorned with white, her husband stood in the aisle, he felt like he fell for her once again. Her hair is up in an intricate up-do, her makeup natural. The husband’s hair slicked back, his suit white to match his wife’s. Their marriage was quiet, but their love for each other oh so genuine. Colleagues, families, and friends were invited to witness the glory of them being bound for life till death.
Some years went by, the couple clearly had never left their honeymoon phase. Soon, another had joined them.
Sun Wukong. A wonderful boy with orange hair just like his mother’s, bright golden eyes just like his father’s. He was a bubbly boy, the now parents claim to adore their boy so much. Once the boy had reached the age of four, his parents fully went back into working, taking long business trips and leaving the boy with a nanny.
As they went to work, they were unaware how much their boy was neglected by his nanny. At the young age of four, Sun Wukong learned to do things around the house. His nanny didn’t always leave him alone, she mostly comes by to check up on Sun Wukong and refill the groceries. She at least had the liberty to teach him things that had worked around the house, to which Sun Wukong quickly learned and soaked up the information like a sponge.
It took the small boy two years to get used to doing all the chores by himself, his nanny sometimes punishes him for missing a chore or failing to cook a meal. At six years old, he has grown accustomed to cleaning the house and preparing his own meals. He thought nothing of it, assuming the other children were also ‘taught’ like he was. He sometimes envies his classmates, they were picked up by their mother or fathers, while he walked home by himself.
He is pleased whenever his parents manage to come home, though their visits were always stretched far out in the months over the year, but his parents were home. His mother picking him up from school during the days they were not off to business trips were always the highlight of his weeks for him, especially when his classmates always seemed curious why he was never picked up by his mommy or daddy.
Sun Wukong learned to not mind, he was not the only child to have a parent working far, as some classmates sympathised with him that they also had a parent working overseas.
Sun Wukong’s life changed when his parents came home suddenly when he was twelve. His mother seemed excited and his father overjoyed, Sun Wukong asked what was going on. He also wanted to experience the joy they are sharing, his mother excitedly told him it's a surprise. Sun Wukong himself grew excited as well at the aspect of a ‘surprise’ his mother seemed so ecstatic about.
His parents sat him down on the couch, and so his mother dropped the bomb.
“Dear, you are gonna be a big brother!” His mother told him, her eyes bright and her cheeks pink. Sun Wukong remembers sitting there, in numb shock, as he processed the concept of being an older sibling. At the time, Sun Wukong thought his parents were gonna bring him out for a vacation or going to an amusement park, to spend some family time together for the first time. Certainly not a.. Baby sibling. Does that mean the new addition would steal the scraps of attention he could barely get from his mother and father?
Sun Wukong immediately didn’t like the news, but upon looking at the excited, expectant, and fond looks of his parents, he couldn’t help but react the way they wanted. A big smile spreads on his cheeks, he shuts his eyes and cheers. He didn’t want to lie, but he also didn’t want to ruin the moment where both of them finally looked at him so happily. He was upset for several months about the topic, watching as his mother’s belly grew and grew during her pregnancy.
Like a good son, he accommodated his mother while his father took up the work and went on business trips. Albeit shorter trips, as he insisted he wanted to be present in his wife’s checkups. Sun Wukong comes home one day, his graded test papers at hand to see his parents celebrating. Confused, he went over and asked what had happened.
His parents had found out the gender of his baby sibling, and were ecstatic to find out the baby is a boy. His father was overjoyed, his mother as well, but Sun Wukong could tell his mother wanted a girl, as he saw her whispering to her growing belly that the baby will be a girl. He celebrated with them, and surprisingly his parents brought him out to a nice restaurant to eat at.
Sun Wukong enjoyed the night to the fullest, as he finally experienced what family time was like. His parents were more than happy to indulge him, as his mother fondly told his father how good Wukong was to her by getting her every need and cleaning the house so she could rest. He had glowed under the praise of his parents, he was so deprived from the sweet words he rarely got to hear.
Sun Wukong finally ended his school year, and his baby brother was born in the middle of summer. He visited his mother in the morning, noticing both her and his father were exhausted, but happy at the sight of the sleeping baby resting on the side of his mother. Sun Wukong was told not to touch the infant, so he settled on closely watching the child.
In his opinion, his baby brother was ugly. He was small, barely had any hair, also pink and ugly. His father laughed when Sun Wukong’s nose scrunched up in disgust, telling him that it would go away once Qi Xiaotian grew a little older. Sun Wukong watched his mother and new sibling as his father went out to get some food, the now big brother watched his brother occasionally squirm and coo.
“I know you don’t like your brother.” His mother spoke, tired, but looking oh so fond. Sun Wukong was taken aback, wholly not expecting his mother to speak up nor call him out. Will he be scolded?
“But I hope you can be a good big brother to him, okay?” She smiled, Sun Wukong didn’t answer. Some relationships take time to grow, and their mother hopes that her two children will get along well. As a mother, she knew that Sun Wukong was not pleased upon learning he would be having a sibling, her boy is certainly a horrible liar.
Sun Wukong spent his summer barely getting any sleep, as his new brother woke up the whole house with his crying. For such a small thing, he had quite the pair of lungs. His school year started up again, and Sun Wukong spent it frowning and grumpy. He eventually lightened up some upon befriending a classmate. His name is Macaque and Sun Wukong had almost clicked with him at the start of school.
Five months passed, and Qi Xiaotian had grown a bit more in five months. He was certainly bigger and his hair grew quite fast. It was evident he was a copy of their father, a contrast when Sun Wukong looked exactly like his mother. He spent the past five months ignoring his brother, but then his mother was too exhausted for anything and asked for Sun Wukong to hold and watch over his brother.
She taught him how to properly hold the infant, and Sun Wukong learned quickly. Soon enough, he was sitting on the couch and maintaining eye contact with Qi Xiaotian. Sun Wukong felt his eyes burn, eventually caving from the silly challenge and blinked. When he opened his eyes again, Qi Xiaotian mimicked his brother and blinked.
Unconsciously, a small smile spread across his lips. Qi Xiaotian brightened at the sight, as the baby excitedly giggled and squirmed in Sun Wukong’s arms. Wukong did not anticipate his reaction, panicking to hold the baby in a secure hold, Qi Xiaotian seemed to be pleased with this and giggled harder. Sun Wukong could only watch his happy brother with wide eyes, unbeknownst to him that a warm, fond feeling made home in his heart.
On the day forward, Sun Wukong grew closer to his brother. No longer did he avoid the baby, especially when Qi Xiaotian would calm down from crying and seemed ecstatic when Sun Wukong came into his vision. His mother was relieved at the sight of her boys getting along.
Three more months went by, and the mother was ready to go back to working once again. She left her sons with a sad goodbye, telling Sun Wukong everything by how his bottles were made and how Qi Xiaotian can be dropped off by a daycare when Sun Wukong goes to school. With his eight month old baby brother in his arms, both of them waved goodbye to their parents, Sun Wukong holding Xiaotian’s tiny fist and making it wave gently. The baby didn’t even seem affected by their parents leaving, all too distracted with being his older brother.
Sun Wukong thought he would be devastated at the sight of his parents leaving once more, after getting used to his mother staying around for almost two years, but he couldn’t feel any sort of loneliness. Not when his brother is in his arms, ready to brighten his day with a gummy smile and boundless energy. Of course it would not always be easy for Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong would wake up at four in the morning, two hours before he was supposed to get up for school, because of Xiaotian crying. He was frustrated for a while before coincidentally finding a solution. He brought Xiaotian to his room, bringing along Xiaotian’s monkey plushie, pacifier, and those long pillows to shield the baby from falling off. He settled Xiaotian next to the wall, handed him his pacifier and plushie, placing the pillow in between them before Sun Wukong drifted off again.
He woke up at six am again, and was extremely pleased to find out Xiaotian slept peacefully. He left the baby alone to continue his slumber, getting up and getting ready for school. That became their routine, just the two of them in the house. Sun Wukong would go to school, Xiaotian would be dropped off in daycare till Sun Wukong picks him up again.
MK’s first word wasn’t mommy or daddy to their parent’s disappointment, but had called out to Sun Wukong as ‘Bubba!’ when the older boy had gotten home from school. Sun Wukong immediately melted as he felt the immense love and adoration at his baby brother’s call, instantly kidnapping his brother from his parents and peppered kisses on the baby’s face. After MK’s first birthday, their parents’ visits grew sparse, till it turned to them visiting once or twice a year. Sun Wukong merely chalked it up to more work, as the company they helped raise kept growing and growing.
Years passed by, Sun Wukong is now seventeen, and Qi Xiaotian, who insists on being called MK, is now five years old. For all of MK’s life, he was always around Sun Wukong. He knows he has a mommy and daddy, but Wukong told him they were busy with work, making Wukong his main caretaker. MK didn’t need his mommy or daddy, he always has his bubba around to give him all the love he needs.
Sun Wukong attended his school teacher meetings in place of his mommy and daddy, and was there to pick him up from school before going back to his school. He cooks yummy food and brings MK out to the park to play, teaches him how to play sports and draws with MK. MK wasn’t lonely, not when he was around his big brother.
MK is rather observant for a child, so when he began to remember things, he remembered how sometimes his bubba had weird colours in his face. Sometimes MK would see Sun Wukong with a few bandages on his face, or walk weirdly. MK asked about it one time during drawing time, but his bubba merely grinned and told him that he beat up bad guys. MK’s eyes shone, his bubba was a hero! He talked about it in school, his teachers merely shrugged it off and smiled as they listened to the child babble.
One day, his bubba had come to pick him up, but MK noticed that his bubba was upset.
“Bubba?” He asked, wide golden eyes looked up at Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong seemed far too lost in his thoughts, MK pouted and shook the older’s hand. Sun Wukong snapped out of his trance, looking down at his brother with a smile.
“Ah, yes? Did you need something MK?” He asks, a smile too wide plastered in his lips. MK tilted his head, Sun Wukong compared the sight to a puppy’s.
“Is bubba sad?” MK whispered, Sun Wukong’s eyes widened. His smile fell, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. Sun Wukong took a deep breath, before smiling once more.
“I’m alright, bub.” He assured him. MK opened his mouth to ask again, only for Sun Wukong to shock him as he suddenly picked up MK and swung him around.
“Anyways!” Sun Wukong piped up, “Have you thought about what you want for dinner?” The older asks, effectively distracting MK.
“I want noodles!” MK gushed, throwing his small arms up in the air.
“Ohh? You want noodles, you want to order from Mr. Pigsy’s?” Sun Wukong asks, bouncing his brother. In quick work, MK squealed happily as he sat on Sun Wukong’s shoulders, wide eyes marvelling at the tall heights. Both brother’s went home and ordered some noodles.
Sun Wukong decided to drop out of attending school physically, switching to homeschool in the middle of junior year. His parents had thrown a fuss, telling their son why he wanted to miss out on the last year of highschool, and how attending school physically was fun and he won’t experience it again. Sun Wukong merely smiled, and told them he had problems and wanted to stay at home, it would also be easier to care for MK that way.
His parents had caved in, and allowed Sun Wukong to be homeschooled. It was in fact easier, as Sun Wukong had his own schedule and did his work diligently, while taking care of his brother and the house. Qi Xiaotian was pleased to find out he gets to spend more time with his brother, as Sun Wukong doesn’t have to return to school when he can have school at home. Sun Wukong asked if MK wanted the same thing, to which MK declined because he didn’t want to leave his friend, Mei, alone at school.
So this became their new routine, Sun Wukong admits that he enjoyed this more than he thought. After the complications of attending school himself, learning at home was more in tune with him. Soon his junior year ended, and he started his senior year, all in all it was going great.
It was peaceful, Sun Wukong prays for it to stay that way.
Until MK came home with someone Sun Wukong didn’t want to see.