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The calm before the storm. Sun Wukong knew this was the calm before the storm. Even Macaque had said it himself. But for now, they would chill at the beach, eat peaches, and relax, they didn’t need to think about what was to come. Not Red Son, not Mei, and especially not Mk. He hasn’t been sleeping he can tell. Though he didn’t know why
Now, don't get him wrong, Sun Wukong is not stupid. Anything but, sure he's reckless but he's getting over that. So when Mk kept showing up to training already bone tired and wearing his binder -the monkey didn't shame but Mk could hurt his ribs doing that- for the tenth time in a row he had to do something.
“Ok, bud.” the king said to his cub student “Rest day, no offense, but you look like shit”
“No- no” the cub student protested “We can still train in fine! See!” Mk stated as he pulled his staff from his ear
“Nice try, bud, but you need sleep. I have monkie cop on DVD” Sun spoke finally convincing the cub. Monkey King wrapped his tail around the young one's waist picking him up with little effort. The staff forgotten in the dirt
Once in the little house, a nest was already made, he had set Mk into the nest while he went to collect snacks. In the kitchen, he collects peaches -the normal ones- grapes, and other fruits and chips. Including his favorite peach chips. When he returns the monkey finds his cub already curled up staring at the TV playing the second season of monkie cop, the kids' favorite season.
Setting the basket at the side of the nest on Mks's side, Wukong let Mo come to him. He didn't want to push but when it was clear Mk wasn't going to talk about the giant elephant -or rather monkey- in the room, he brought it up first
“Bud-”
“No, not now.”
Or at least tried to.
“Bud we need to talk about this. Please this is worrying everyone” Monkey King was trying. He was. Everyone was so worried, the anxious text from Mei via cat memes that he needed Red Son to help decipher
“I'm fine, nothing is wrong. Everything is back to normal” Mk spoke opening a bag of peach chips, avoiding eye contact glaring daggers into the TV like it had personally hurt him
“Bud, everything isn't back to normal. You are overworking yourself, are you even sleeping?” at that Mk looked guilty “Mk, bud, why aren't you sleeping?” The ginger-haired monkey put a hand to his cubs student's cheek, lightly turning his head to look at him. Tears were filling his yes, his. cubs' eyes, on buddha how bad did he let this get
“Bud what's going on, talk to me,” Mk said nothing before, yellow, a flash of yellow then his monkey form was out. His fur was all knotted, tail flicking violently. Now Mk was panicking, he had sat up hands covering his ears
“I'm human! I'm human!” the cub chanted like a prayer sun sat up with him pulling him into a hug “Bud talk to me, talk to me please”
A other flicker
Yellow
Mk was now without his fur and fangs, back to ‘normal’
“Mk” Sun said sifting his cub into a hug that was more like a cradle “What's wrong”
The cub looked up to his mentor
“I don't know what's happening to me, Monkey King. I feel like a monster. Chaos. I don't want to be chaos. I just want to go back to normal. Without this form.” a pause but Wukong let him continue “I hate how it feels so right. It feels so right to be like that but it's so wrong. I- I feel so wrong. Why can't I just feel normal, Monkey King?”
At this, the king broke. Pulling his cub closer, his head in Mks hair
“No kid. No, you are not a monster, listen to me. You are normal. Do you think I'm a monster?” he asked
“No of course-”
“Then you aren't either kid. No one will blame you for being yourself. Fur and all not Mei, not Pigsy, not Tang, not Red Boy, not even me.”
“Really?” MK pulled back enough to look up at him, uh, how didn't he motive he was already back into his monkey form “Yes really.”
Mk cuddled back into his mentor. They were lying down now, the kinds hands grooming his fur on the backside of his head soothing Mk to sleep. The show played on in the background. From the corner of the King's eye, he saw a shadow disappearing.