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MK poked at his face.
Poked again.
The soft pinkish orange mask that framed his eyes did not come off on his fingers.
He reached his hands over to the side. Pulled on the side burns that now framed his face.
Yeah. Yeah, they were still there.
He pulled the sleeve of his jacket up, looking at the fur that he saw glitch onto his arm multiple times.
It was still there.
"I… think it may be permanent, kiddo," Macaque said behind him. "... color's good on you?"
"What?" MK looked back, staring at the immortal standing behind him in the doorway to the bathroom in confusion.
"Your, uh, your face mark," Macaque continued. It was so obvious to MK that he was feeling as uncertain and awkward as the Monkie Kid was. A far cry from the usual snarky and assured dramatic and theatrical man that MK was used to. "Looks. Good, with your... fur and all that."
MK nodded slowly, turning back to the bathroom mirror to stare at himself again.
He almost couldn't believe he was looking at himself. But it was him. His face was staring back at him. It just.. had a few extra features.
A few... monkey demon features.
This was the first time he had been able to actually get a good look at himself since the... what was it that happened in the scroll? Glitching? Glamour glitching, that's what he thought Macaque called it. He had a glamour on.
He'd... always had a glamour on and he never knew it. Pigsy never knew it. Macaque never knew it. Sun Wukong...
No one knew. No one knew until the ink demon curse had done something to make it crack. Macaque called it an embedded mental glamour, something someone else had to have put on MK since he was born given the strength. Someone had done that to him without him knowing for his entire life.
Someone who no one knew.
Correction. Given his encounter with a certain ancient teacher, MK was pretty damn sure there was ONE person who at least had a guess. But would he actually be forthcoming with the information? Probably not.
The only thing anyone seemed to be forthcoming with lately were their own opinions.
He tried not to think about the fight they were all in only a few hours ago. How Yellowtusk and Peng had come to capture them on orders of the Azure Emperor. Of course Azure Lion would have started to call himself that, when MK looked back on the situation he could see how self-important the man who may have once been his Sworn Uncle thought of himself. That was probably why he sent his Sworn Brothers down to capture them instead of capturing the group himself.
More important things for the new emperor to handle.
He tried not to think about how Yellowtusk made him question who he was and where he came from, tried no to think about how the elephant had questioned where his fur and tail had gone since their last encounter. Yellowtusk, however, hadn't been the problem. He was more muscle then banter, only hitting where it hurt at just the right moment when pointing out how MK's "true form" could have been an asset logically in battle and questioning why he would refuse to use it.
It was Peng that caused his current predicament.
"I know why you're not using it," they had said with the sneer they wore when they hurt his friends in their first meeting. "You don't want us to think of, what? Your mentor? Brother? Your father?"
MK has screamed that Sun Wukong was not, in fact, his father.
And then.
"Does it really matter? It doesn't change the fact we know what you are. Just like him? You're a MONSTER."
MK didn't know exactly what happened after that. Just that... he changed. The same glitching happened and he felt something shatter and then he just.
Couldn't change back.
At least Yellowtusk and Peng had retreated, so afraid of the burst of power that the shattering of his glamour had let out. MK couldn't help it, it had burst out of him unbidden and sent everyone flying away.
He still felt bad for Nezha, who was standing closest to him outside Peng. But, unlike the bird, he had someone to catch him as he went flying back (MK felt he needed to thank Sandy for being a literal wall of a man). Peng had to be picked up Yellowtusk as he ran, nearly knocked unconscious by being sent into a nearby wall.
The worst part about all of this was that the thing they were trying to get, the artifact they were sure might be the thing to fix the slab... hadn't even worked in the end.
A waste of time that only earned MK more questions and a form he did not feel comfortable in.
He traced the marking around his eyes, noting that the color was… very similar to Sun Wukong’s own…
... Master Subohdi had said he was born of Sun Wukong's rock, but not in the same way... could Peng have been right about them being related in some way?
"Macaque?" MK asked softly. "Is this… who I am? Is this who I really am? Was the other me just… fake?"
"Kiddo, you…" Macaque said with a sigh. "I wasn't ready for an existential crisis, mother of f-"
"Was Peng right?" MK continued. "Am I a monster?"
"NO," Macaque countered instantly. "Bird brain can stuff it, they have no idea what they're talking about. You're MK. Always have been, always will be."
"I only have that nickname because Tang thought it was cute when I would get excited about the Monkey King," MK said with a half-hearted laugh. "That isn't even the name Pigsy gave me."
"Doesn't have to be your given name," Macaque said with a shrug. "You chose it out of all the ones given to you, that means you are MK. Simple as that."
"I guess," MK muttered. He reached up, scratching at his side burns.
They felt so odd against his cheeks. He'd never liked having longer hair for some reason, the feeling of it on his neck and face uncomfortable for him. That was why he kept his hair shorter, pulled up with his headband and the hair gel Tang had introduced him to.
He winched as some kind of chirp came out of his mouth in response to his scratching.
It was only a few months ago that MK had been trying to mimic the chirping of the monkeys on Mount Huaguo. He would have been ecstatic if that sound came out of his mouth then. If he had discovered this form at another moment, long before this.
MK didn't realize he started crying until he looked back up and saw a few tears rolling down his face.
"I… come here, sit on the floor," Macaque said softly, suddenly. He waved his hand, gesturing for the other to follow him.
MK looked at him wearily, unsure of how willing he was to move from his spot in front of the mirror. But eventually he gave in, turning away and leaving the bathroom.
The other sat on the couch, tail thumping on the couch beside him as he gestured to the floor in front of him.
"Back to me, sit however you like."
"Uh... o-ok..." MK said softly in confusion.
He sat down as instructed, his legs crossed comfortably. His tail didn't seem to know exactly where to go, and he didn't blame it, swishing and thumping against the floor in agitation.
"If you get uncomfortable you need to let me know," Macaque said.
MK didn't get the chance to ask him what he meant before the older monkey demon's hands were on his head.
No.
In his hair.
It only took a few seconds for MK to realize what the other was attempting to do, the motions and the way he carefully picked and parted his hair all too familiar. It was something that Sun Wukong had done to him multiple times when he and MK had thought he was just a normal human.
MK's tail slowed down in it's thumping, instead slowing down to swish at his side calmly. He thought he might want to do something about that in the future, the idea of his tail giving so much of his inner emotions away in battle making him concerned. Besides, he would need to learn how to use it properly to grab things and the like anyway.
They sat there for a while, Macaque grooming through his hair and picking out all the dirt and knots leftover from their battle earlier in the day while MK just. Let him. It was odd to remember that Macaque had once been one of his first major enemies. He manipulated MK to steal his powers (though, as explained in a long conversation later, that was not his original plan). He tormented his friends in the shadow play (though he refused to explain why he really let them all go in the end). He'd worked with the Lady Bone Demon (the fact he actually had no choice and was desperately trying to escape her hold on him was picked up by everyone once they thought about the ritual and his actions during it, though Mei's continued distrust of him after that was still validated by everyone whenever she questioned why he was helping them now... even by Macaque, actually).
But now they sat there in Sun Wukong's living room. Where Macaque had just recently had him play a game in his own weird attempt to give him a life lesson. One on the couch and one on the floor.
One would think they had been friends much longer with how comfortable MK was becoming as the hands worked through his hair and removed his headband. He didn't bother to stop the other, not when he felt how carefully he removed it and watched how he carefully folded it on the couch next to him.
"I'm sorry you couldn't have your first proper social grooming session with…" Macaque trailed off, hands stuttering in their movement for just a moment before picking up where they left off.
"It's ok," MK said with a chuckle. "Monkey King did this so much before we found out about all… this that it probably wouldn't feel any different."
"And this does?" Macaque asked tentatively.
"Yeah," MK said with a slight nod. "Like… like I have 2 different brothers doing i-OW! Macaque, what the hell!?"
"Sorry!" The word was said too fast, too loud, foreign in the darker haired monkey's voice. "... I just… didn't expect… I have no idea why you've been so chill with me out of everyone, MK, then you pull out the family comparing card? Brother, really?"
"Would uncle be better?" MK offered smoothly. "Weird estranged uncle that shows up at family reunions."
"THAT'S NOT THE- the point, kiddo…" Macaque trailed off, sighing as he went back to his work.
MK smiled at the lone monkey that always hung around him or Macaque always climbed into his lap, curling up and going to sleep. MK felt his hands itch to groom through his fur, instincts catching up to him. But he didn't want to disturb the little one or do something wrong in accident...
He saw Macaque's tail come around to tap him on the shoulder.
"We'll get him back," Macaque said firmly.
"How do you know?" MK asked.
"He's Sun Wukong," Macaque chuckled, gesturing to the cottage they resided in. "He's gotten himself out of worse than this, that means we can get him back. Besides, would Peng and Yellowtusk have been sent after us if we DIDN'T possibly get close to something Azure thought would work?"
"Maybe," MK admitted with a nod. He looked down, realizing his fingers had started running through the fur on Macaque’s tail as he looked for knots or bugs without even thinking about it. "...thanks for trying to make me feel better."
"Don't think too much about it," Macaque said as he finished his grooming through his hair. "Jeez, MK, how much product do you use in your hair? My hands feel gross."
"I'm sorry for wanting to look COOL," MK countered with a haughty chuckle. "Besides, I picked it up from my... dad."
"Tang?" Macaque inquired.
"Yeah," MK confirmed with a hum. "Feels weird to call him dad and not Mr. Tang. Pigsy and I never really called each other father and son openly until now."
"Things change, kid," Macaque said with a chuckle as he stood up. He made a pointed effort to keep his hands airborne and far away from his clothes.
"Does this mean I should call you Uncle Mac?" MK asked as he stood as well, gently placing the sleeping monkey on the couch. "Or something else?"
"Absolutely neither," Macaque said, his tone light with a chuckle under it. "I'm just Macaque, your not so friendly neighborhood shadow demon. Now I'm gonna wash my hands and get something to eat, I'm starving. You want me to grab you anything before your friends get in here?"
"Pigsy's making us food, you know," MK said with a raise of his brow.
"... he's making you food," Macaque said with a confused tone.
"Us," MK corrected. "You're part of the group, you know."
"... oh," Macaque said in a tone MK didn't know how to place. He had a far off look on his face for a moment, not looking at MK despite looking in his direction, before his eyes widened in some form of surprise. "Uh. Still washing my hands, BYE."
Mk didn't even have the chance to yell out a "wait" before Macaque vanished into a nearby shadow.
"That guy knows how to make an exit," came not even 5 seconds later, Pigsy's voice shocking MK into a yelp.
"How long were you standing there!?" MK asked, hand on his chest. His heart was racing, the relaxing mood from earlier shattered in an instant.
"Since around 'Uncle Mac'," Pigsy answered with a smirk. "You'd probably have more luck callin' him Mac and Cheese with all the walls that guy has up. What were you two doin' in here anyway? You... you good, son?"
"Yeah," MK answered honestly. "Yeah, like I said, I just needed some time to think. Macaque helped me out with that, pulled me out of my head when I started overthinking all... all that stuff from earlier."
"With the bird brain?" Pigsy asked with a snort and a growl. He'd been angry since they came back, since MK changed even. He'd been high-strung and on edge, snipping at everyone that he needed time alone and that time was best spent cooking. Usually Pigsy let his answer out openly, but this quiet anger? This meant he was way more upset than he wanted anyone to know. "When we get our hands on that jerk I'm gonna turn them into fried chicken. Or at least make them think I'm gonna. Then we're gonna get some answers about all... this."
"Do you… would you be less upset if I was a pig demo-"
"NO," Pigsy said instantly. Firmly. "No, MK, that's not what I'm upset about. I'm... I'm sorry if me snapping about wantin' to be alone and all made you think that. I'm not upset you're a monkey or at you. I'm upset you had to find all this out like… like this. I'm upset because my son deserved better than this."
MK didn't realize he was crying again until his dad wiped the tears running down his face away. Until he pulled MK into a hug and tucked his face into his shoulder and let him cry more.
"You deserved to know all this sooner, kid," Pigsy said. "But it doesn't change anything."
"Except that I have fur," MK muttered into Pigsy’s shoulders. "And a tail."
"Not literally, ya doofus," Pigsy said with a chuckle.
The two stood there for a moment, just hugging each other as tightly as they could. It reminded MK of when he was smaller, when he was younger, of when Pigsy would comfort him after a mean kid bullied him for not being able to ride his skateboard as well as the other kids (and now that he thought about it, his balance was way better now that he had a tail... huh).
"Food's ready," Pigsy said after they finally pulled away from each other. "We kinda made up a table outside for everyone to eat together, I just need to grab some stuff from Monkey King's kitchen first. I'll meet you outside."
"OK, dad," MK said with a smile.
~
Pigsy watched as MK rushed outside, ears perked as he listened carefully for the sound of the door to shut and rushing water to turn off.
"You too, 6 Eared Pain In My Ass," Pigsy said with his arms crossed and foot tapping. "MK wasn't lying when he said the food was for you too."
There was silence for a moment and the chef worried that, once again, the shadow monkey had decided to escape an awkward situation of having to interact with the man (who had thrown a spatula at him, to be fair). But he didn't have to wait long, noticing a shadow growing close to the window before Macaque popped himself back out to watch MK reunite with his friends outside.
"... he's a good kid," Macaque said softly. "Almost too good... almost."
"Means I did something right by him," Pigsy said softly. "I... wasn't the perfect dad, but I tried my best."
"Must have worked out somehow," Macaque mused. He was... oddly subdued compared to his normal bombastic nature. "... How... I know it's not the same but like..."
"You wanna know how to be a good guardian," Pigsy said. Not even asked, it was a statement.
"Hate to admit it, but... Kid's grown on me," Macaque said slowly. "He's one of the only people even to try to give me a chance, even if I was a jerk to him. Now I'm worried about him, and... with Wukong gone there isn't anyone to show him the ropes of being one of us."
"Then it sounds like you need to learn how to dad from a dad."
"I am NOT going to be his dad," Macaque snapped instantly. "I would rather he call me UNCLE any day."
"Then I guess Uncle Mac and Cheese better get his ass out to the table and interact with everyone else."
It was so worth seeing the offended look at the immortal's face.
An hour after everyone else went to bed Pigsy found a visitor outside the room he and Tang were sharing, asking him how to cut fruit for his new family member.