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“So, what,” began MK as he stared down at the broken stone in his hands. “We’re like… brothers?”
Wukong scrunched up his nose at the idea. That title rubbed him the wrong way, and even if it was a totally normal thing to be, he’d rather not have his relationship with MK defined (and tainted) by it. He’d had just enough of brothers to last a lifetime.
“I guess if you wanted to use silly mortal ideas to explain such magical phenomena as not one, but two intelligent stone monkeys being birthed from the same magical rock imbued with the energy of heaven and earth, then sure, we’re brothers,” said Wukong, hoping his tone would indicate he’d rather be anything but.
MK gave him a rueful smile. “Fair enough. What are we then?”
Wukong relaxed the slightest bit, felt his fur settle, before closing the distance between them. He set a hesitant, gentle arm around MK’s shoulders and relaxed further as MK leaned into his side.
“We’re whatever we want to be, bud," Wukong began, squeezing MK closer. "It doesn’t matter how we’re technically related or what have you. All that matters is what we want to take from it.”
MK nodded thoughtfully, glancing down at the stone in his hands.
Wukong understood his need to have definitive answers; Heaven knew Wukong had often questioned why he was so different so very long ago, when he finally noticed the differences between him and the other monkeys of the mountain (which, admittedly, had taken a long, long time). It had caused him an amount of heartache being so alone before he eventually realized it made him special, and of course that train of thought led to some of his more embarrassing pursuits, if Wukong was being completely honest. Wicked cool pursuits that people still talk about, but embarrassing now that he’s had time to reflect and change.
He’s glad he’s here for MK, though. He won’t let MK go through the same loneliness. Not anymore.
MK nodded suddenly, seemingly coming to a decision. He bent forward and placed the broken stone back onto its pedestal, of sorts, and Wukong pulled his arm back.
“You ready?”
“Yeah,” MK said. “Let’s get out of here.”
They both summoned their clouds, MK a bit shakily, and both started the journey back to Wukong’s hut. As they did, Wukong called out, “What decision you come to?”
MK shrugged. “Nothing, really. Just that you were right and my feelings don’t have to change one way or another.”
Wukong hummed, a teasing smirk coming to his face. “Oh? And what feelings are those?”
MK flushed before he shot a grin back at his mentor. “Oh, you know, that we’re sucky mentor and brilliant student who is being stagnated by said sucky mentor’s terrible lessons.”
Wukong let out a purposefully overdramatic gasp that had MK laughing. “Why, you little—!”
He shifted his cloud abruptly and shot after MK, who let out a shriek and immediately started flying away, his laughter still ringing out in the open air around them. Wukong would deny it purely to keep MK’s ego from inflating too big, but he was actually having a bit of a hard time keeping up with the kid. While Wukong had needed to learn how to travel at such speeds using cloud somersaults, MK seemed to be naturally gifted in speed. It made Wukong relieved to know they weren’t just carbon copies of each other, that MK had qualities that set him apart from Wukong.
That he wouldn’t overshadow his precious, heroic kid.
Eventually Wukong did manage to catch up to MK, simply by feinting to the right, causing MK to burst toward the left, and managing to snag the kid by the back of his jacket. MK choked in surprise before shrieking as Wukong pinned him to his side and began to noogie his hair.
“Make fun of my teaching skills, eh? As if I’m not the greatest teacher in all the realms!”
“Su-Subodhi has that title!” MK snarked back, giggling and tugging on Wukong’s arm. His legs were kicking about in the air and his tail batted against Wukong’s calf, sometimes brushing against Wukong’s tail, which was wagging incessantly. Wukong let out another loud gasp.
“You two-timed me again?! With my own teacher at that! Oh! Oh! Jail for MK! Jail for MK for a thousand years!”
“Who taught you about Miette?!”
Wukong let out a boisterous laugh as MK continued his struggles, eventually managing to get free when he sunk his fangs into Wukong’s arm, startling him into letting go. MK dropped from Wukong’s cloud onto his own and shot off again, sticking his tongue out at Wukong and flapping his hands by his ears.
“Oho, you get back here!” Wukong cried and sped after him, a wonderfully warm, light feeling blooming and spreading through his chest and whole being.
Yeah, he thought quietly to himself as he chased after his beloved successor, it didn’t matter what they are or who they were before. It doesn’t matter where they came from or what their supposed purpose was. All that mattered was what they wanted now and what they could build for the future.
And if that present and future kept MK and him exactly like this? With no more pain or strife, just joy and companionship and family and—and love?
Then Wukong wouldn’t want it any other way.