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Flying back home on his nimbus always gave MK an unfortunate amount of thinking time and today, in particular, his thoughts were threatening to spiral.
He'd been forced to come to terms with a lot of earth shattering revelations recently - a lot of them to do with monkeys in one form or another - and he thought he deserved a pat on the back for how well he'd, sort of, handled them all overall.
Sure, maybe he still wasn't quite there with the whole "monkey form" thing yet but he was working on it!
The point was though that he'd dealt with much bigger bombshells than the one he was currently facing and he couldn't understand why this one was so difficult to accept in comparison.
But for as long as he could remember it had simply been one of the fundamental, universal truths - the sky was blue, water was wet and Pigsy and Mr. Tang were married in all but name.
He could admit that he had never really given much thought to Pigsy's love life but then why would he? What was there to think about? He and Mr. Tang had a happy and steadfast relationship and that was all there was to it.
That's what he'd always believed at least, but an off-handed comment had revealed that that apparently wasn't the case at all!
Or well, it sort of wasn't the case?
Mei had confidently declared what they had must be a "QPR" instead and while that sounded pretty cool, it was the reassurance that they had some sort of special relationship that was stopping him from just curling in a ball and crying for reasons he couldn't really understand.
It would be different if he'd learnt that Pigsy and Mr. Tang were "breaking up", then he could have been justifiably distraught at his impending status as a child of divorce, but literally nothing had changed about their relationship.
It felt like it had changed everything though, compounding the ever lurking fear that everything he knew was wrong. And it was one thing to have doubts about who he was but to have doubts about who Pigsy was on top of that?
He couldn't handle it.
Pigsy and Pigsy's Noodles were literally the only two constants of his life and he needed them to stay that way.
He wouldn't be able to keep it together otherwise.
His home had to be there waiting for him.
And it was, he desperately tried to reason with himself, it would be coming into view any second now and then he would find Pigsy downstairs, cooking in the restaurant, blissfully unaware of the small drama his relationship status had caused on the island today.
So what if Pigsy and Mr. Tang had a different label for their relationship than he thought they did? It didn't change anything between them and it definitely didn't change anything about him, Pigsy or his home.
See, there was Pigsy's Noodles now, exactly as he'd left it!
...
He frowned as he squinted at the roof.
Was that Pigsy sitting by the door?
Alright, that was a little unexpected but he must have just needed some fresh air! And why not the roof? It was probably a tiny bit more peaceful than standing out on the street after all. Yup, totally fine, no cause for alarm here.
And then he got close enough to see what Pigsy was doing.
Motivated by incredulous betrayal he jumped to his feet and urged his nimbus on faster, calling out Pigsy's name sharply.
Pigsy had enough time to jump to his own feet in alarm and look around wildy before he was slammed into in a puff of clouds. MK wasn't sure if it had been shock or instinct that had him immediately drop the cigarette in his hand upon impact but either way he was glad that it couldn't burn either of them as they tumbled gracelessly to the ground.
But it wasn't far enough away to save it from his wrath, and he wasted no time clambering up and stomping on the cigarette with extreme prejudice. If he'd been able to manage it without putting a hole through the building he would have used his eye lasers to vaporise it but as it was he just kicked it angrily away from him.
He redirected his glare at Pigsy, who returned it as he picked himself off the floor and rubbed at where his head had hit the concrete.
He didn't give him the chance to be the one to give a lecture, gesturing emphatically in the direction he'd kicked the cigarette as he needlessly accused, "You smoke!?"
Agitated, he began to pace as he ranted, "I can't believe this! The amount of times you lectured me about smoking! You told me that if I ever even thought about trying it you'd sell my signed Monkey King poster and use the money to go to Huāguǒ Land without me! And you made me look at all those horrifying pictures! I thought I was going to die if I so much as looked at a cigarette! And here you are-!"
Pigsy cut in, "Alright, I get it! I'm a hypocrite! You can stop!"
Incredulous, he responded, "Stop? Oh, I don't think so! I was traumatised! And you-"
Pigsy hauled him forward by his t-shirt and all but growled in his face, "You think this is something I'm proud of? Hiding up here smoking? As if I don't feel bad enough - I don't need a fucking lecture from you on top of it!"
He recoiled at the smell of cigarettes on his breath and knocked his hand away as he took several steps back and retorted, "You're getting a lecture whether you like it or not! How long has this been going on?"
Pigsy didn't even get a chance to respond before MK stormed away to get a closer look at the spot where he'd been sitting. A loose brick that had been pulled out had caught his eye and upon closer inspection, it was clear that the hole behind it was being used to hide the ashtray and tobacco pouch currently lying beside it for the world to see.
The sight of it did nothing to calm him down and he whipped back around to yell again, "How long have you been hiding this?"
Pigsy threw his hands up, "What does it even matter? As if I'm going to be able to keep it up now! You and that fucking Golden Vision will make sure of that no doubt!"
Damn right, this wasn't going to be allowed to continue! As if Pigsy risking his life to save the world wasn't bad enough! He wasn't going to let something as pointless and stupid as smoking be what cut their time together short!
He wasn't nearly ready to back down however, "You're not getting off that easy! I want to know - how long has this been going on?"
Pigsy's temper was clearly a hair away from being ignited but he managed to respond through gritted teeth, "You want to know? Fine! I started when I was fourteen! Happy?"
His ears were ringing as his breathing started to pick up and he could feel his eyes burn as the reality of what that meant hit him.
He brought his hands to his eyes as he cried out, "Is everything I know a lie!?"
Pigsy sounded alarmed, "Wh-? MK, what are you-"
"First it was me and then it was you and Mr. Tang and now- and now you and-! Nothing is how it's supposed to be! You're not supposed to smoke! I'm not supposed to be a monkey! I- You-"
He felt a hand on his shoulder, "Ok, ok, slow down. C'mon, let's just sit down and talk about it, alright?"
He let Pigsy lead him to the wall next to the door and once he'd sat down, he curled his arms around his knees and buried his head against them, trying in vain to pull himself together. It was all for naught though, and the tears finally falling in earnest when Pigsy rubbed at his back.
"Let it out, kid."
It took a little while for him to calm down and he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed as he wiped his eyes, "Sorry. That was so dumb. Crying over cigarettes."
Pigsy huffed as he leaned back against the wall, "Oh yeah, that's what you were upset about. C'mon, kid, that was obviously just the final straw, that had clearly been building up for a while."
He couldn't quite meet Pigsy's eyes as he half-admitted, "Maybe..." But he was quick to sit up straight and clarify, "But I am still upset about the smoking! Pigsy! It's so bad for you! Our lives are dangerous enough! You need to be on top form! You can't be hacking up a lung in the middle of a fight!"
Pigsy held his hands up, "Trust me, I know. And I've been trying to stop for the best part of two decades but I've actually been pretty successful - I hardly ever smoke these days, I swear. Just every once in a while if something stressful happens. And before you get into your head - no, just now had nothing to do with you."
Nervously he asked, "Then why were you smoking?"
Pigsy seemed to weigh his words, before he answered, "You didn't know them but I found out earlier that someone I used to know had passed away and... It was just a bit of a shock."
Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't that and he felt like a heel for going off on him before he'd had the whole story. Sure, everything he'd said still stood but could he have picked a worse time?
Unsure of how to respond, he tried, "Oh. I- I'm sorry... Were they a friend...?"
Pigsy sighed, "Wouldn't call them that, no. Just someone I used to work with a long time ago. We hadn't really kept in touch so I'm not, y'know, devastated or anything but it did take me off guard."
He groaned and buried his head in his hands, "And then I came out of nowhere and tackled you to the ground before having a breakdown. I'm so sorry. I suck so bad."
Pigsy huffed a little as he rubbed at the lump on the back of his head, "Yeah, you got me good but let's just call it even. You couldn't have known and it's my own fault for keeping the smoking a secret. I always knew it would catch up to me sooner or later."
He glanced at the hole in the wall that had kept Pigsy's secret and asked, "Why did you hide it then?"
He raised an eyebrow, "What besides from not wanting to be a bad influence on you?" He then shrugged and admitted, "Your grandma hated me smoking as well. You think the lectures I gave you were bad? They had nothing on the shit she used to give me. It was just easier this way. And, like I said, it really wasn't often enough that it was hard to hide."
As unhappy as he was that Pigsy smoked, there was a guilty part of him that was glad he hadn't taken up the habit because of him - either before or after he'd picked up the staff. Although there was no way he hadn't contributed to Pigsy's need for a cigarette over the years.
He couldn't get over the fact that he'd never even suspected that he smoked. Was Pigsy just that good at hiding it or had he just been shockingly unobservant? He couldn't help but feel it was the latter given what else he'd been oblivious to growing up.
"Does Mr. Tang know?"
Pigsy looked a little confused by the question but he answered honestly, "Er, yeah, he knows. He's sat up here with me a couple of times. Never smoked himself though if that's what you're worried about?"
There was no part of him that believed Mr. Tang smoked, he probably wouldn't believe it even if he was stood smoking right in front of him, but he supposed it was nice to have it confirmed.
That wasn't the problem though.
"Why didn't you tell me you and Mr. Tang weren't dating?"
Pigsy stared at him blankly before slowly repeating, "Why didn't I tell you we weren't dating?"
He nodded, "Yeah! All my life I thought you two were, like, married and today I found out you aren't even dating! Why wouldn't you tell me that?"
Pigsy looked like he was doing his best not to have an aneurysm, and with a forced calm and patience he explained, "MK, people don't generally need to announce that they're not in a relationship when they've never been in one."
He had to concede that point but still he argued, "But you act like you're dating! Mei and Sandy couldn't believe it either!"
Pigsy's eye twitched, "Alright, how about you tell me exactly what happened on the island today?"
Taking a deep breath, he recounted the day, "Ok, so, Mei's cousin is having a baby, right? And Liu was super interested and was asking all these questions about her family, because she'd been reading all these books on family and childhood development and stuff like that recently. And that got us talking about how limited those books can be with, y'know, diversity and stuff so I mentioned how I was raised by you and grandma and how you're basically married to Mr. Tang. But then Mr. Tang was, like, all shocked? And then we started arguing about who would be the best man for both of you when you did get married and-"
Pigsy held up a hand to stop him, "Stop, go back. What exactly did Tang say?"
"Er... Well, first he said that you weren't married, then that you weren't dating and then that it was complicated and that you never gave it a label? Oh, and that you don't like men? And then Mei said you were in a QPR? Which is like a friendship/relationship combo thing, I think? Honestly, it sounds pretty neat! But not what I thought you two had going on, and not what he thought you had going on either by the sounds of it either, but-"
Pigsy held up his hand again, "Alright, I think that's enough. I've got the gist." He then groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "Where do I even start...?"
A little too hopeful, he suggested, "By telling me that you've got a plan to propose to Mr. Tang?"
Pigsy pushed him over with a shove to his face, "Alright, let's get one thing straight right off the bat - I'm not getting married. To anyone. And no amount of money or torture could ever convince otherwise. You got that?"
He held up his hands as best he could from his awkward position on the floor, "Got it. Not happening. No weddings here."
He pushed himself as Pigsy sagged back against the wall and grumbled, "Marriage... Ugh. I can already see how that conversation is going to go..."
He then addressed MK, "Alright, look, Tang and I... Have something, alright? I don't know what it is but whatever it is, it works and we're both happy with it and that's all you need to know."
Technically, that was all he needed to know but it was still hard to believe that he'd been wrong about what their relationship was in the first place and for so long as well.
Reluctantly, he responded, "I guess..."
Pigsy eyed him curiously, "You're really that upset up over the fact we're not dating?"
"I mean, sort of? I just always thought you were together, like together-together, and it's really throwing me for a loop that you aren't. Like, how could I have missed that? Although, it couldn't have been obvious, right? I mean, Sandy and Mei..."
Pigsy looked like he was trying not to cringe and MK felt any faith he had left in his observation skills leave him, "How obvious was it?"
Pigsy rubbed at the back of his head, "Well, you have met a couple of Tang's boyfriends over the years..."
He buried his face in his hands, as he groaned, "No..."
Pigsy pat his back in commiseration, "It's not that bad. You didn't see them that often. It's not that surprising you don't remember them..."
His attempt to make him feel better wasn't working and while he felt stupid for not noticing, he also felt weirdly betrayed by the fact that Mr. Tang had dated other people.
He peaked an eye out between his fingers, "He's not dated anyone recently, has he?"
To his relief, Pigsy shook his head, "Nah, he hasn't for a good few years now."
And he was sure that aligned with an increase in physical affection he'd noticed between the two of them in the last couple of years - couch cuddles, sleepovers, those kinds of things. Not that that mattered but he'd be lying if he said it didn't make him feel a tiny bit better.
He pulled his hands away from his face and responded, "Well, that's something I guess. Would have been pretty bad not to have realised a member of my hero team was dating someone else, right?"
Pigsy just shrugged, "Don't see how it makes a difference but then I don't really get why this is bothering you so much in the first place."
He fidgeted with his hands for a long moment before deciding he wanted to at least try explaining it to him, "It's not so much that you two aren't dating that's the problem as much as it's the fact that I didn't notice? Like, it's another thing I was so sure about but it turns out that I got it totally wrong. And I just... I feel like I'm starting to doubt everything that I thought I knew and I can't help but feel that the answers were staring me in the face the whole time and I just missed them."
Pigsy seemed to give it some serious thought before he asked, "This is about your monkey form, isn't it?"
He curled in on himself slightly, "I mean, it's not just that but... Yeah, that's definitely the biggest thing that I got wrong."
Pigsy frowned at him, "You didn't get it "wrong" - there was no way you could have known you were anything but human."
He argued, "But how can I be sure of that? What if I just missed all the signs?"
Pigsy shook his head, "Because it wouldn't have just been you that would have missed them - I would've had to have missed them, and so would grandma and Tang and Mei and the school and everyone else. If there had been any hint that you had a secret monkey form then someone would have noticed. I would have noticed."
He'd never really considered that fact before but still he retorted, "But it's not like someone was with me every second of the day! I'm the only one that was there for all of it, I should have noticed."
Getting agitated, Pigsy responded, "Noticed what? What "signs" do you possibly think you could have missed? Were you randomly growing patches of fur or sporting a tail? Were you compelled to swing from the lights when I wasn't looking?"
Louder than he meant, he burst out, "I- I don't know! I don't know what the signs were but they had to have been there!"
"No, they don't! Because they weren't! Kid, I'm telling you there's no way you could have known but even if there had been "signs" it wouldn't have changed anything!"
Incredulous, he responded, "What!? Pigsy, it would have changed everything! I could have figured out what I am by now, I could have realised that I was meant to be the Monkey King's successor way sooner! I could have been training with him from the very beginning and then I would have actually been ready to save the world instead of bumbling through being a hero and making everything worse!"
Pigsy looked taken aback, "What are you talking about? "Making everything worse"? The world wouldn't still be here without everything you've done!"
"The world wouldn't have been in danger in the first place if it hadn't been for me! Spider Queen, the Lady Bone Demon, Azure - I gave them what they needed! Without me none of their plans would have worked!"
Pigsy looked at him like he'd grown an extra head, "You can't seriously think that? MK, those nutjobs would have found a way to make their plans work whether you had been there or not!"
He'd heard it all before a hundred times from Wukong, from Mei, from all of his friends to at least some degree but nothing they could say could drown out the Lady Bone Demon's final words or the Ink Demon's cruel taunts.
He shook his head, "But if I had been ready I could have stopped their plans before they even had a chance to try them! I would have been smarter, stronger and I could have kept you all safe!"
A hand gripped his shoulder, "MK, you can't think like this. What happened, happened and obsessing over the what-ifs will drive you crazy. And you have to remember that you did keep us all safe, you kept the whole world safe, and no-one is sitting around thinking you could have done a better job."
He'd been given a lot of "focus what you can change and not on what you can't" talks recently and he really was trying to take that advice to heart - it was why he spent every moment he could training for whatever came next - but he just couldn't shake the feeling he could have done better if he'd only known what he was.
He made himself small as he looked away and quietly admitted, "I know. But I just want all of this to make sense... Why did all of this start after I picked up the staff? No-one was trying to destroy the world before that. I just want to know who I am, what I am, and why I seem to be at the middle of all of this."
Pigsy took a deep breath, "I know, kid. And I wish I had answers for you but the only thing I know for sure is who you are and that's MK."
He made it sound so easy, as if what he was didn't change everything.
If he couldn't look at his monkey form in the mirror and recognise himself then how could Pigsy look at him and see his son?
The answer to that question had plagued him since he'd discovered his new form and he knew it would only continue to haunt him until he faced it head on.
So gathering all the courage he had, he looked Pigsy in the eye as he let his monkey form take hold. As steadily as he could, he asked, "You really look at me like this and still think I'm just MK?"
Pigsy didn't shy away from his stare, "It doesn't matter what you look like, you'll always be MK to me. Human, demon, monkey - it doesn't matter."
Frustrated tears sprung to his eyes, "It does matter! This isn't me! I- I don't want this to be me!"
Pigsy squeezed his shoulder, "But it is you. Look, I get that there's a hundred reasons why you wouldn't want to be a demon but-"
Panicked, he blurted out, "It's not like that!"
Pigsy looked doubtful but he didn't call him out, instead asking, "Then what is it?"
He stumbled over his words, "It's- I- Ok, it's a little bit like that. I mean, I've seen how humans treat you and other demons and yeah, that scares me but that's not- that's not why-"
He cut himself off with a frustrated sound.
There was so much about this new form that scared him and trying to put it all into words felt impossible but deep down he knew what he was most afraid of.
Staring down at the fur peaking out from his sleeves, he admitted, "The more things change, the more I change, the more afraid I am that I'll lose you."
Clearly trying to lighten the mood, Pigsy responded, "Lose me? Heh, c'mon, kid, give me some credit. I've got powers of my own, y'know. I'm not going anywhere without a fight. Whatever comes next, I'll-"
His eyes burned as he hunched over, "No. You don't understand. I- Obviously, I'm afraid that you'll- But that's- Pigsy, I don't belong here."
"What?"
"I-I'm dangerous! And I'm not the person you thought I was!" He gestured to himself, "This isn't who you raised and one day you're going to realise you're better off without me and-"
The chop to the top of his head didn't actually hurt but the shock of it had him yelping as he brought his hands up to protect the nonexistent bump.
He couldn't help but cower slightly at the fury in Pigsy's eyes, "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not sending you away? Almost eighteen years and you still haven't gotten that through your thick skull! MK, no matter what happens this is your home, it will always be your home, I don't what I can do to make that any clearer!"
He removed his hands from his head and argued back, "Pigsy, look at me! This isn't the same as when I was some terrified kid! I'm dangerous! You can't just ignore that!"
"The only one in any danger here is you! And I couldn't ignore that if I tried! Throwing yourself head first into danger, bottling up how you're feeling, freaking out over the tiniest things... The stress will get me before you ever do! Do you have any idea how much I worry about you?"
Pigsy barreled on before he could even try to get a word in, "And all of this "not who I raised" bullshit! You having a tail doesn't change the fact you were my kid, that you still are my kid! I fed you, I dressed you, I-I did everything I could to take care of you and- and if that wasn't enough then I- I'm sorry. I-"
Eyes the sizes of saucers, MK frantically waved his hands in front of him, "No! No, no, no, that's not what I meant! That's not what I meant at all! You did enough! You did more than enough! More than I could have ever asked for! You didn't ask for me to show up on your doorstep but you still..."
He'd still taken care of him, he'd still worked himself to the bone to try and give him everything he needed, and he knew with absolute certainty that if he'd shown up at his door looking like this then that wouldn't have changed.
His eyes watered, "There's nothing I could do to ever repay you for everything you've done for me."
Pigsy wasn't looking very dry eyed either as he threw an arm around him and pulled him close to his side, "I'd do it all again, kid. I mean, I wouldn't let Tang be your babysitter a second time round but apart from that I wouldn't change a thing."
He laughed wetly as he wiped at his eye, "You're so mean to him."
"He gives as good as he gets. But trust me, he deserves it. You have no idea how much he's cost me in noodles and Monkey King merch over the years."
He gave another small laugh, shaking his head, before sobering, "You really mean it? You'd do it all again even knowing what you know now?"
Pigsy huffed, "Especially knowing what I know now - someone has to be here to talk some sense into you and make sure you're eating right!"
He didn't think Pigsy would ever know how comforting his dedication to food was, if there really was one constant he could trust had always been real, it was that.
Nothing felt more like home than a bowl of Pigsy's noodles.
He smile was brief but genuine before he sagged against Pigsy and admitted, "I'm just... so scared of all these changes. And even more scared of what might change next, with me, with the world... And sometimes, I just want to go back to when it all made sense."
Pigsy's heavy sigh rustled his hair, "I know. And I won't pretend everything that's happened hasn't scared me too or that I'm not worried about what'll happen next. But change isn't always bad, kid. I mean, if we went back to a time before you picked up the staff Sandy might never have become a part of our lives and that just doesn't bear thinking about."
He'd almost forgotten that Sandy hadn't always been there and, Pigsy was right, he definitely wouldn't want go back to a time without him.
And even for all his complicated feelings about Wukong, he didn't think he'd ever want to be without him or the island or the monkeys or all the other friends he'd made since picking up the staff.
He'd had plenty of awful experiences these last two years and while it sometimes felt like nothing good had come of him picking up the staff, that definitely wasn't the case.
He sniffled slightly, "You would've never met Cháng'é."
Pigsy ruffled his hair, "And you might never have learnt to cook. But look at you now - making noodles from scratch like a pro. Heh, we should take another trip to the moon so you can show her, I bet she'll be impressed!"
A similar breakdown a few months ago had resulted in a sharp increase in father-son bonding time, and now they spent at least one evening together every week cooking and it was undeniably one of the best changes that could have happened.
Not only could he now make a decent meal but those stolen moments of normalcy had been doing more for his sanity than he could ever put into words.
He smiled as he teased, "You just want to see her again and get another shot at being on TV. But you know, maybe it would be nice to visit her. It must get lonely up there, right? We could message her and see if she'd be up for it?"
Clearly trying to play it cool, Pigsy wiped the excited look off his face and coughed, "I'm sure she'd appreciate that. Er, would be great if we could find another way to get there this time though."
Personally, he didn't mind going by rocket but he nodded agreeably, "I'll look into it. I bet Red Son or Macaque could get us there. Might be a bit far for Mr. Tang...?"
Pigsy huffed, "He'd probably faint just at the thought of it."
He nodded, making a note to look into arranging a trip to the moon. Before internally laughing a little at how crazy a sentence that would have been not even a year ago.
There was silence for a moment as they reached the end of the tangent and he knew Pigsy was waiting for him to steer the conversation wherever he needed it.
He picked up his tail and started tentatively ringing it between his hands, "I'm sorry about all of this. About freaking out and dumping this all on you."
Pigsy gently scuffed the side of his head, "That's what I'm here for. And talks about changing bodies is, in fact, in the job description."
It surprised a small laugh out of him before he grimaced in memory of the sex talks he'd been forced to endure, "Please, not again."
Pigsy hummed, "Well, I don't know. I might have to ask some other monkey demons if there's anything specific you need to know - the sex talk does have different appendices for different demons."
He cringed, "I don't know which monkey I'd prefer you ask least."
Pigsy huffed in agreement before a little more seriously he said, "I know I'm making light of it but you can talk to me about being a demon, y'know? I mean, you can talk to me about anything but I know this isn't easy." Reluctantly, he added, "Being a demon isn't easy even if you were born one."
Especially for a demon in a human city.
He hadn't experienced anyone treating him badly, yet, but his father was a demon, and despite Pigsy's best efforts to shield him from it, he'd seen firsthand how some humans treated demons.
And he'd be lying if he said that didn't factor into his anxiety but there was a bigger hurdle to jump before he tackled that.
Slowly he tried to explain, "Ever since I discovered this new form, I've just tried to think of it as another power and not as who I'm supposed to be. But deep down I... I know it is. And I know that I'm holding myself back by being so afraid of it. But it's not really the form itself as much as how it will change how people look at me, how you'll look at me... And I know you said that it doesn't change how you see me but it's just hard to get my brain to believe that."
It wasn't that he doubted Pigsy's words but the fear of losing his home had existed long before he picked up the staff. As a kid, he'd been terrified that either someone would take him away, his "real" family or someone else, or that Pigsy would realise that he didn't want him.
And no amount of logic or reassurances could make that fear disappear completely.
Pigsy sighed, "Well, I think there's only one way I'm going to be able to prove that your monkey form doesn't change how I feel..."
He took a deep breath and nodded, "And that's by acting giving you the chance to prove it. So... if it's ok with you that is, then I want to try and spend more time in my monkey form. You know, around the house and maybe- maybe in the restaurant if I'm feeling brave."
Pigsy didn't give him much time to regret those words as he huffed, "Of course it's ok with me. And the first big thing that isn't changing is that all the house rules still apply - clothes are still mandatory."
He laughed a little shakily before pretending to be offended, "You think because I'm a- a monkey demon I'll just start running about naked?"
"I've met Ma."
"She doesn't represent all monkey demons! No other monkey demon we know does that!"
He was ninety percent sure that everyone on the island didn't ditch their clothes the moment the "mainlanders" left. They certainly weren't bothered by nudity but, apart from Ma, he thought they were all pretty happy wearing clothes.
Pigsy grinned, "Either way, the rule applies. And if it turns out that you shed then you're cleaning up all the fur." He then posed thoughtfully, "Actually, maybe we should invest in some hairnets or something for when you're in the kitchen..."
He supposed that Pigsy's feelings not changing didn't change the fact that his monkey form had some practicalities to consider but he appreciated how easily Pigsy was able to bring it up.
Trying to roll with the attempt at lighthearted normalcy, he responded, "Liu and Beng cook all the time and I don't remember having to pick out any fur...?"
Pigsy shrugged, "Guess we'll just have to ask, I'm sure they'll be thrilled to answer any questions you have."
He nodded, he was sure they would be. Everyone on the island was always pleased to see his monkey form and they'd be beyond excited to hear that he wanted to try and embrace it, even a tiny bit, more.
With a groan, Pigsy stood up, "Alright, c'mon, we're talking about food when we could be making it and I'm getting too old to be sitting on the floor like this. Let's take a breather and refuel before we try this again."
This was how most important talks played out between the two of them - a barely coherent, emotionally charged outburst or argument, a meal and then a much calmer conversation about the big issues unearthed during the initial talk.
And while not a perfect system, it seemed to work for them.
So he took the offered hand and hoisted himself up. But as soon as he was on his feet, he threw his arms around Pigsy and held him as tightly as he could, as he said, "I'm sorry I'm such a mess."
After recovering from the initial impact, Pigsy returned his hold, "Heh, like father, like son."
He laughed as he let go, "What? Not going to blame Mr. Tang for that too?"
"Oh, he definitely had a hand in it but I'm big enough to accept my share of the blame." He then shook his head in fond disbelief, "I can't believe you finding out me and Tang aren't dating is what's led to you wanting to try out your monkey form more. I'm not even surprised - it's always been him putting monkeys on your mind."
He laughed, "And this why if you do it all again you have to have him be my babysitter! He's a crucial part of my character development!"
Pigsy snorted, "Never tell him you said that, I'll never hear the end of it. Now, c'mon, food and then we'll talk more. Don't think we're just glazing over the "making things worse" comment."
He cringed slightly but he still dutifully made his way to the door only pausing as he realised that Pigsy had stopped to put away the ashtray and tobacco pouch, looking slightly sheepish as he did so.
The shoe on the other foot, he retorted, "Don't think we're just going to glaze over the "I'm a hypocrite" comment either."
Pigsy sighed as he walked over, "Yeah, yeah, alright, I had that coming. Just get moving. We'll take turns being the overbearing father."
A little gleefully, he shouted, "Me first! My disappointed dad impression is spot on!"
And hopefully he could eat up enough time with that so he wouldn't have to reprise the very familiar role of chastised son but he knew that was wishful thinking.
Although, later that evening when Pigsy noticed him staring at his reflection in the darkened window he was glad to have them be firmly put back in their respective roles of father and son when Pigsy ruffled his hair and told him to stop making eyes at himself and help him with the dishes.
It felt exactly like home should, even if it looked a little different than it used to.