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When Wukong and Míhóu first got together, it was something without a label and before the golden furred monkey even had any of his titles, back when it was simply Shí Hóu and Míhóu, two monkeys that were different from the other monkey demons on Flower Fruit Mountain.
It had started with accidental confessions between the two of them and hidden kisses and meet ups.
⸻
Peaches
⸻
Míhóu liked kissing Shí Hóu. It was always just quick pecks and some smoother longer ones, since they weren’t ready for the rest of their Troupe to find out about their relationship, due to the fact that some of them were still weary of the black furred monkey demon.
“Shí Hóu…are you here?” He was at their usual spot, the moon high above his head as he glanced around, looking for the familiar golden fur that shone, even in the darkest of hours. “Shí Hóu, if you’re hiding from me and trying to scare me, I’m leaving!”
“Sorry, sorry! I was late!” He heard the shorter squeak, dropping down from a branch above them. “I was grabbing some snacks, since we were hungry last time when we ran over time!”
Míhóu snickered, glancing at the absurd amount of peaches in the curly furred monkey’s arms, some almost falling, if his tail didn’t catch some of them and place them back in his stacked arms. “Look at you, thinking ahead for once.”
“Oh, shut up.” snorted the ginger back, golden eyes glinting mischievously as he settled down in front of the stone they’d used as their meet up spot, settling the peaches down in front of himself, while his darker counterpart settled next to him, their tails intertwining immediately. “Here ya go!”
Míhóu smiled and took the proffered peach as Shí Hóu instantly picked one up and took a bite out of it, tail wagging (and dragging Míhóu’s tail with it as well) as he rocked back and forth happily. “Man, these always taste so good!”
“You just love peaches, Peaches.” teased Míhóu, eyes trained on his lover as peach juice ran down his chin and the way his fangs poked out slightly with his smile. He was lightly shoved by the shorter simian, only for him to wrap an arm around his mate and press their lips together, Shí Hóu’s tail stiffening, before he melted into the kiss, leaning more into it.
The dark furred monkey broke the kiss, licking his lips right afterwards with a smirk as Shí Hóu tried to gain his bearings. “Well, I can see why you like them, but…I think I prefer the taste from you personally.”
Shí Hóu’s face was a brilliant red, almost shining with the amount of blood rushing to his face. “I…What?! You can’t just-Míhóu!”
The dark furred monkey laughed, pulling his partner closer and nuzzling his neck affectionately as he pouted in his arms, only relenting with a purr when his Warrior pressed their lips together sweetly once more.
⸻
Plums
⸻
After the fall of the Demon King of Confusion, they were officially accepted by the troupe and not just as part of the troupe, but also with their relationship and their new titles.
Shí Hóu, otherwise known as Sun Wukong and the Monkey King, along with Liù’ěr Míhóu, his Warrior and advisor.
They worked hard to make sure everything would be done to help their troupe rebuild after their final battle and that they would be okay after everything they’d gone through.
And for Míhóu, that meant for his King as well.
Despite the grin and caring hands that he showed his subjects, Míhóu knew he was just as tired and hurt from what they experienced. No one noticed the flinches and weariness that seemed to follow their new king aside from his lover, who was always observing and watching, never wanting to see his king or their people hurt after everything they’d been through.
Which is why tonight he planned a nice little date at their hideout, once all the patrols were off and their citizens were resting.
“Why hello there, my King.” He purred as he saw his tired lover already at their spot, golden eyes flicking towards him, a smile already pulling at his lips.
“Now, now, my Warrior, you know between us there are no titles.” The curly haired simian chuckled, running his fingers through his shoulder length mane. “I’m merely…”
“My Shí Hóu.” Míhóu was already by his side, tail wrapping with the golden monkey’s and his arm around his waist, claws gently kneading at the toned stomach underneath. “My simple Shí Hóu.”
At the sound of his birth name, it seemed like something cracked with the newly crowned Monkey King’s façade of cheerfulness and his eyes widened as little tears filled his eyes and he slumped against the dark furred monkey’s side. “Yes…I’m simply Shí Hóu with you as you are simply Míhóu to me. No one grand and no one that must be the newest pillar of strength and support.”
“Sounds like a line you picked up from Shifu Subodhi.” Míhóu commented idly, hand moving to run through the shoulder length curls that he adored so much. “Tell me, my Shí Hóu, why hide your feelings to our people?”
Wukong looked down at the plum that he’d grabbed from the pile that the Shadow had already prepared for them. “Because they’ve already put me on this pedestal. One that if I fall from, they will wonder if they made the right choice in their king. One that, if something should go wrong and I don’t have the correct answer for it, then they will panic and believe that we will all…”
His fear of mortality showed once more as he stopped before he could utter the word at the end of his statement.
“Even if you cannot tell our people, the least you can do for your own sake is tell me.” Míhóu pressed his lips against Wukong’s forehead, taking a bite of the plum in his lover’s hand. “That way as your advisor, I know exactly how to help you and as your lover and Warrior, I know how to protect you. Though you are the King and there isn’t anything that can best you as of this moment, I still would like to protect you from any hurt that could attempt to befall you. That includes your own mind and thoughts.”
Golden eyes met violet and the two leaned in, their lips brushing together sweetly, before pushing together more hungrily. Hungry to forget about the mountain of problems they still had to sort through the next day, hungry to know that each other is still alive and well after the hard battles that they fought.
Hungry to know that they would always be there for one another.
When they parted, Wukong looked down at the plum still in his hand. “Though not as sweet as peaches, I can’t say plums are too far down my list of favorite fruits.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Míhóu ticked an eyebrow up. Plums were his favorite, but he didn’t know the King liked many fruits aside from peaches. “And why would that be?”
“Well, how could I not like them when they remind me of my Warrior and my better half?” teased Wukong, leaning up to nip at Míhóu’s chin teasingly.
Much like their past kisses of mixing flavors of fruit (usually where Míhóu had the upper hand and Wukong was left a blushing stuttering mess), the darker simian’s fur fluffed around his neck and face, his tan skin and dark red face mask turning just a shade darker as he blushed heavily from the words, shoving his face into his neck in embarrassment. “You’re such an idiot, Shí Hóu.”
“But I’m your idiot!” chittered the golden monkey, leaning into his Warrior’s side as they basked in the calmness of the night, enjoying each other's presence.
⸻
Apricots
⸻
Wukong looked around wildly, golden eyes shining in the daylight as he gazed around for his beloved Shadow. He had just returned from his journey to Dìyù and was excited to show the one he loved that not even death could take the King away from him, nor would it take his Warrior from him or even most of his subjects.
In his trip to the Dìyù, he’d managed to erase as many names of his troupe as he could, along with his own and Míhóu’s, meaning they were all immortal and that was just another power boost to them, meaning they were a step closer to lounging around and worrying about nothing soon enough.
This was all to keep their peaceful days just that, peaceful and full of warmth. The only thing the golden monkey wanted more than anything else in the world.
“Míhóu?” His eyes roamed over all the excited faces, before he found himself lifted off his feet and he was pulled into a firm hug, instantly knowing who it was. “Plum!”
“Oh my Stars, Peaches…!” gasped the dark furred simian, his face pressed firmly into the crook of Wukong’s neck as he held him tightly to his chest. “I was so worried when…when…”
“I know, I know…” He crooned back gently, his hands moving to cup his warrior’s face and pull him out of his hiding spot. “I’m sorry, but I’m back and nothing is separating us again! Not even death!”
“W-What? Wukong, what are you talking about?” Míhóu’s violet eyes met Wukong’s determined golden ones. “Death comes for everyone, it’s how the cycle of rebirth works…the only way you can avoid it is…”
His eyes glanced up at the sky above and Wukong snorted, rolling his eyes. “Please…they dragged my soul to Dìyù and I was just being my cheeky self…causing some harmless mischief.”
Before the Shadow could ask anymore questions, they were interrupted by Beng, who called loudly to everyone. “Our King has returned, it is time for us to celebrate!”
The two found themselves seated at their banquet table, fruits and veggies based dishes all around them as their people cheered, laughed and enjoyed themselves. Wukong helped himself to some apricots, humming at the sweet yet slightly tart taste, though he could feel Míhóu’s gaze boring a hole into the side of his head.
“Alright,” He sighed, popping another apricot into his mouth. “Go on, interrogate me to your heart's content.”
“What did you mean when you said ‘some harmless mischief’?” Was Míhóu’s first question, gaze searching and worry eating away at him.
“Well, I…I fought my way out of Dìyù to return to you guys.” explained Wukong, his gaze going slightly distant as he remembered the darkness of Dìyù and the way the guards dragged him kicking and screaming, all looking too gleeful at taking the young stone monkey. “I told them I couldn’t stay down there when you all needed me…but when I broke away from the guards, I ended up finding the scrolls that say when you die.”
His heart thudded loudly in his chest as he remembered the frigid temperatures of Dìyù, the way no matter how much he moved, he couldn’t seem to keep any heat in him, despite running slightly warmer than normal, a paw moving into his own brought him back to the present and he took a shuddering breath, sending a grateful smile towards his lover. “I saw all of our days, and…I couldn’t allow that, so…I took it into my own hands.”
“Wukong…” breathed Míhóu, his expression unreadable to his golden counterpart.
“I-I know that some of you guys might’ve wanted to join the rebirth cycle, but I couldn’t handle that! I wouldn’t let them take you!” Wukong’s eyes turned wild as he turned to Míhóu, his paws suddenly gripping his own. “Some of those numbers were too close to each other and not that far from now! I-I know it was selfish to let my fear of death do that, but I don’t regret a damn thing!”
“Oh, Peaches…” Míhóu’s tail wrapped around Wukong’s tenderly, leaning in to brush their lips together, the sweet and tart apricot flowing between the two. “I understand and I’m not mad, but you’re going to have to tell Ma, Beng, Ba and Liu. They deserve to know as your generals.”
Wukong nodded, leaning his head on his shoulders as he watched his people thrive and celebrate the return of their King and the prosperity that must mean for them. “I just want to protect them anyway I can…”
“I know, Peaches…” The two savored each other's company as they continued to sit back and watch.
⸻
Strawberries
⸻
Míhóu didn’t trust Azure Lion and his little brotherhood that were currently in their cave, waiting for an audience with the Monkey King.
Demon Bull King he knew personally, as did Wukong, and they were on great terms with them, but that didn’t mean they would simply trust the former Celestials that he brought with them (he still remembered Wukong’s anger and indignant behavior when he returned from his tryst in heaven with barrels full of Heavenly Peach Wine, some pills that he thought seemed interesting from some lab up there and Heavenly Peaches, annoyed that they’d placed him as a Bìmǎwēn of all things. The audacity of Heaven, if you asked the dark furred simian).
“And this is Liù’ěr Míhóu, the Monkey King’s trusted advisor and Warrior.” Demon Bull introduced him, Míhóu baring his teeth in a threatening grin, showing he wasn’t truly happy about them being here and would rather they would be anywhere except here.
“Doesn’t seem like much.” The eagle sniffed and Míhóu made sure to bare his toothy grin his way next and more purposefully, the shadows around him rising with hungry grins and little giggles, causing the golden winged avian to take a step back slightly.
“Now, now Brother.” Azure Lion stepped forward once more, his purple eyes taking in the shorter demon's defensive posture. “We’re terribly sorry to intrude, Míhóu-,”
“That’s Advisor Liù’ěr or simply Warrior to you .” hissed the shorter, causing the lion to wince at the blunt words.
“Sorry, Advisor Liù’ěr, but we heard about the Monkey King’s stunt in Heaven and thought it would be the perfect time to make our acquaintance with him, especially after hearing about his amazing leading and fighting abilities from Brother Bull.”
“Is that so?” Violet eyes shot towards DBK, who winced slightly with an apologetic grin. “I don’t know what we could possibly offer you, since a king can’t very well leave his people and home alone, open to attacks.”
“We would simply like an audience with him to at least plead our cause and case to him.” pressed the big cat, trying to appear unbothered by Míhóu’s skepticism, but obviously he thought the six petal shaped ears on his head were just for show, since he instantly heard the way his heart rate picked up in annoyance.
“I’ll see. Generals Ma and Liu, watch our guests, while I go and fetch Wukong.” He ordered, the two monkey demons nodding sharply, before turning to the four standing at the cave’s entrance, before lifting his own hand and opening the waterfall, before glancing back once more. “Demon Bull, get over here. You have some explaining to do.”
The larger winced again, this time more openly and followed behind him, giving a nod towards Azure Lion and the others as he did so. Once the cave sealed once more, Míhóu whirled on the giant bull, eyes narrowed in a glare. “What in the name of Dìyù did you think you were doing not only talking about Wukong to these guys, that we’ve never even met, but then bringing them to Flower Fruit Mountain?!”
“Listen, they have a good idea going on.” promised the bull, yellow eyes meeting violet. “They want to overthrow Heaven and have been planning a rebellion. Azure knows that the Jade Emperor cares for no one, but himself, not even the mortals. That they see us demons as nothing more than pets and animals with barely any sentience.”
“I am more aware about what Heaven thinks of us monkeys!” spat Míhóu, his eyes blazing as the shadows rose up around him with his emotions. “They had a monkey, our King, up with the horses merely due to not respecting us and going by some damned myth about monkey menstrual cycles keeping horses from getting sick.”
Bull King winced at his words, but Míhóu wasn’t done. “So, yes, we know what they think of us, but have you thought about what Wukong joining some rebellion could mean for our people?”
Bull King opened his mouth to argue or defend himself, but the sound of feet pattering their way caused the argument to halt as Wukong poked his head around the corner, dressed in a beautiful black robe with red lining, looking more like a wife waiting at home for his husband than a violent King that would stop at nothing to protect his kingdom, his long curls now reaching his back flowing down freely.
“Míhóu, what’s wrong? I could hear you yelling…” Golden eyes took in the scene in front of the ginger monkey. “Dàgē? What are you doing here?”
“Wukong, may I talk to you privately?” Míhóu asked, shooting Demon Bull King a look. “Dàgē can wait right here, like a good asshole and we’ll be back.”
Wukong raised an eyebrow, but nodded, turning and leading the way back to his chambers, though Míhóu heard their older brother grumble something about ‘being a good asshole and pissing on his floors’...or something to that effect. Once alone in the King’s room, Wukong looked into his Warrior’s eyes. “Alright, start from the beginning.”
And he did. Starting from how Azure Lion wanted to start a rebellion against Heaven, how he claimed that he learned about Wukong and his Kingdom from Demon Bull, but how when he said that part, his heart jolted which Míhóu heard, meaning he was lying and how they were here to try and plead their case to get them to join the fight with them.
Wukong pursed his lips, eyes narrowing in thought as he bounced the idea around in his head, settling onto his bed and pulling Míhóu with him. “You don’t trust them?”
“He’s lied about how he truly heard about you, I can’t trust anything he says now.” Míhóu knew it was harsh, but he’d grown up in harsher conditions before Wukong warmed his life up with the troupe. “Even if he had good intentions, a liar is always a liar.”
Wukong nodded at his words, looking down contemplatively. “So, we can do this the long haul way. I don’t want to turn them away without even giving them a chance to explain themselves to me personally, but I understand everything you’re saying, my Shadow.”
Míhóu frowned, but he knew his king had a good point. If they turned him away without Wukong even taking an audience with them, it wouldn’t look good if they came to attack later because of this. “And if they press for you to join them on this foolish tryst?”
“We’ll have to see if they can convince me of that.” Wukong’s smile was more of a vicious grimace as he turned with a flare of his long hair and robes, before he paused and turned to press their lips together, his lover’s eyes widening and tail stiffening, until he relaxed into the kiss with a rumble of approval.
Instead of the usual peach taste that typically accompanied Wukong’s kisses, the golden furred monkey taste of sweet and tangy strawberries, almost addicting to the dark furred simian as he tried to press forward for more, only for his monarch to pull away with a teasing smile. “Not now, my Warrior. We have guests waiting for my appearance, no?”
With those words, the shorter primate left with his tail flicking towards Míhóu, almost beckoning him and his own began wagging fiercely at his teasing love.
“Oh, the things he does to me.” He murmured into the quiet of the room, before quickly following after the other, almost walking on air.
⸻
Cherry
⸻
Let it be known to all that Míhóu didn’t like Azure Lion when they first met and he liked him even less after he started coming by daily to talk with his King about preparations to take down the Jade Emperor.
At first, Wukong didn’t seem interested in the lion’s little deal about taking down the Heavens and having him be the new Jade Emperor and ruling over the three realms, until the former Celestial brought them to a village that seemed almost abandoned and desolate, before they caught sight of the humans living in poverty.
That had tugged at the King’s strings as he took in the sights in front of him. What kind of leader, what kind of King, would leave their people to suffer like this? He fought death and their people just to return to his people…and others would sit back and watch them suffer instead?
Míhóu didn’t agree with it at first, deeming it a lost cost in the long run, but unable to deny his king from doing something he felt was right, simply went along with it, but didn’t trust them. At the first sign of trouble, he was pulling himself and his lover out of the situation and back to safety.
“Tell us more about the time you backtalked the Jade Emperor, Wukong.” The lion pressed, purple eyes locked almost lovingly on the short monkey demon, who had obviously had a bit too much to drink of the cherry wine that had been given out with their meal for the night, if the flush on his cheeks was anything to go by.
Míhóu tuned out the story, instead taking another sip of his wine and narrowing his eyes at Azure, when his hand wrapped around Wukong’s waist trying to keep him steady as he stumbled back to his chair.
He knew that Azure Lion had his eye on Wukong for more than just a potential brother when they first met. Demon Bull had explained to him later that the former Celestial had found out about the Monkey King, known to only care about his people and home, back when he was still a part of Heavens ranks and when the stone monkey had been a student of Subodhi’s teachings.
It made the dark furred simian highly aware of the true reasoning for him to be part of this rebellion and it wasn’t just Wukong’s strength that got his attention. Despite how some of the Celestials in Heaven saw Azure, Peng and Yellowtusk, at the end of the day they were still demons and they still had demon instincts.
Which included the need and want for a strong mate, which he could tell the former Celestial saw his King.
His Shí Hóu. His Peaches.
It made Míhóu pissed beyond belief, but he reigned it in…he’d show Azure who truly held Wukong’s affection and heart if he continued throughout the night.
“Míhóu~!” Wukong warbled, a delighted smile on his face as he drunkenly sat on his lap, tail wagging a mile a minute, while his arms wrapped around his Shadow’s neck. “My Shadow!”
“Yes, Peaches?” He chuckled, his own arms wrapping around the golden furred monkey demon’s waist as he chirped and nuzzled his neck with a drunken kind of finesse. “How much have you had tonight?”
“Not enough!” He hiccuped, before breaking out into little giggles as he leaned back to grin broadly at Míhóu. “Now, kisses!”
“K-Kisses?!” Azure choked out as Yellowtusk and Peng raised eyebrows in their direction, while Demon Bull huffed under his breath, eyes dancing in amusement.
“Yes! Kisses!” Wukong didn’t wait for Míhóu to respond, already moving to press their lips together and the tart taste of cherry exploded in the Warrior’s mouth more than it had prior to the kiss. The taller monkey didn’t stop it, instead pulling the other closer and allowing his tongue to dip into his mouth, swallowing the moan that Wukong let out, opening his eyes and allowing them to meet Azure’s angered and jealous eyes, a small smirk coming to his lips.
So, yes, while he didn’t like that they were allied with the Brotherhood, that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy his lover’s kisses and attention, unlike Azure, who now had to swallow all his feelings down.
Good.
⸻
Salt
⸻
The rebellion had been going well…until it suddenly wasn’t. They were surrounded, Yellowtusk and Demon Bull were injured, Peng had already flown off somewhere that Míhóu couldn’t hear, while Azure and Wukong were somewhere he couldn’t see them, though he could hear their heartbeats, Azure’s heartbeat was stuttering and tripping over itself, while Wukong’s was the speed of a hummingbirds, before it stuttered harshly (and Míhóu’s own heart tripped at the sound, worry eating away at him).
His petal shaped ears fanned out and began to glow as he used them to try and hear what was going on to Wukong, as he continued to bare his fangs at the guards around them, before he finally heard the Jade Emperor’s voice.
“If you surrender, I’ll allow your accomplices to escape.” No…
“You promise? They’ll all be allowed to leave?” Don’t do it, Peaches…
“I swear on my immortality.” You fucking sack of shit…!
“I…I surrender…” Shí Hóu!
With a snarl, Míhóu waved his arms and the room fell into the shadows as he dragged the last of his companions that he could hear and still save into the portal and away from the love of his life. When they finally dropped out of the shadows of the trees on Flower Fruit Mountain, he fell to his knees as a whimper slipped out.
“Míhóu…” Demon Bull was over by his side, the wound on his shoulder bleeding sluggishly as he dropped next to his sworn brother, looking over him to try and find the cause for his pain. “Why…?”
Míhóu looked down at the blue scarf around his shoulders and neck, the one Wukong usually wore…the one that still had his scent on it, before he brought it to his lips and kissed it gently, the taste of his tears making the kiss salty and lonely.
A befitting taste for the Warrior, who felt like he couldn’t protect his King.
⸻
Smoke
⸻
Wukong’s body burned and ached in ways he didn’t think it could…he lost count of how long he’d been in Heaven, but all he knew was that the Brotherhood and his lover had escaped. The diamond hooks in his shoulders burned with each small tug he did subconsciously (apparently heaving after each execution attempt was considered too far for the snare keeping him there). His once full and fluffy golden curls were singed on the edges from the electrocution attempt and stars still danced in his vision whenever his head whipped around too fast at an approaching person, even if they passed by him without any disturbances.
He just wanted to go home.
This all started as a way to protect his people and the people of the mortal realm, why did he have to suffer like this?
‘At least Míhóu got away.’ He thought solemnly, blinking in confusion as a large machine was dragged out and placed not too far away from him, the lid on it being opened as the scientist he’d seen around walked forward and lit something inside of it, before standing back and watching as the fire slowly came to life. ‘What’s their next move?’
“Well, monkey, we’ll see how you do after we melt you and your immortalities down to nothing.” sneered one of the guards as they began to untie the snare, but left the hooks in his shoulders, using them like some sort of leash and attempting to drag him forward.
“No!” He screeched, followed with a chirp of fear as he jerked in their hold, trying to pull himself back and away from the smoking machine, jerking and letting out winces and hisses of pain as he was dragged closer and closer, the diamonds tugging at his stone skin easily.
Once he was thrown in, he screamed and jerked around, fur instantly burning as it came in contact with hot metal and skin going from like cream to a dark pink and red as the fur was burned away and left nothing, but horrendous burns in its place.
He screeched, screamed and pleaded to be let go. Time lost meaning as Wukong continued to fight within the furnace, his body never burning or melting, instead becoming scarred and hurt beyond belief the longer he was in it.
Wukong cried, feeling the tears that fell down his face instantly turn into steam and disappear, never reaching below his chin. He called for his people, he called for his Dàgē, he called for his Míhóu, all of it unanswered as he burned, unable to die.
He cursed the Heavens, he cursed Buddha, he cursed Azure for dragging him here with the promise of them winning and protecting the mortals.
Wukong cursed himself and his own weakness, louder than any of the others.
Eventually, the furnace tipped over and he spilled out with boiling metal around him, his hands instantly flying to his face and scrubbing at his eyes as he wailed and screamed, running away from the courtyard now that he had the ability to do so.
Not even bothering to gain his bearings, the monkey took off down a path, his vision flashing between blurs of colors that were fading at the edges and pure gold as he did so, unable to comprehend what he was looking at.
As he did so, his hands frantically scrabbled against the scarf that was still somehow intact and clinging to his neck, bringing it to his neck and breathing a sigh of relief through the pain as he smelled the faint smell of plums and morning dew, his lover’s smell, still coming off the fabric.
He pressed it against his face, lips puckering slightly as he kissed it, only to whine and chirp in disappointment at the taste of smoke on his lips, finally breaking into a room and running into it to try and think of a way out as a name fell from his lips. “Míhóu…”
Then, Buddha found him and with blurry fading vision, Wukong made another dumb deal to seal his fate.
⸻
Dirt
⸻
Míhóu had been unconsolable for weeks after their failed rebellion, straight up having to kick Azure and the other two off Flower Fruit Mountain when the lion tried to say that Wukong betrayed them to save his own skin, his steady heartbeat showing how much he truly believed that.
The dark furred monkey didn’t like him to begin with and the fact he was so quick to call his Sun a traitor was more than enough of a reason to banish them and happily never see them again.
The former Celestials didn’t understand that even down in the mortal realm, he could hear it all.
The interrogations where Wukong was demanded their names and denied them each and every time with snark and sass, his tortured cries as they tried unsuccessfully to kill the Monkey King, his pained cries and curses as he was placed in some sort of machine where his voice and heartbeat was muffled, though the spike from the panic he was in was still picked up by the warrior.
The whispered call of his name, before Buddha found him and condemned him to being placed under a mountain that Míhóu could never find the location of, no matter how many times he traveled around the world.
Until he couldn’t hear his lover’s strong and steady heartbeat anymore and he almost broke.
Almost.
It was only when Demon Bull came back for his weekly check in that the tides turned. He brought along with him a Celestial maiden by the name of Princess Iron Fan, the only one actually able to hurt his Dàgē during their rebellion.
“What is she doing here?” He hissed, lips pulling into a vicious grin to try and threaten her off his mountain. Flower Fruit Mountain’s citizens were safely tucked away in Waterfall Cave, so he was only going to talk, unless she got violent with them.
“Míhóu, please,” Demon Bull held his hands up placatingly, trying to appeal to his brother first. “Princess Iron Fan approached me with some…information I think you would like to hear.”
“It better be good…” His lips fell into a scowl as he leaned against the cave’s entrance.
“I have information on where…Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, is sealed.” She whispered after a moment, expression giving nothing away, only flinching the slightest bit when Míhóu’s shadows flared around her. “Buddha made a deal with him that he failed, so his punishment was indefinite imprisonment under a mountain…”
“Tell me something I didn’t know already.” growled the dark furred monkey, tail lashing angrily behind him.
“Unlike others who were sealed in the mortal realm, Sun Wukong was sealed under a mountain that was made in a pocket dimension that only Celestial beings could enter.” She finished, wincing as shadows exploded around them, Míhóu’s control slipping over his powers the slightest bit at the statement.
“Those bastards…” hissed the monkey demon, turning and beginning to pace. “I don’t care where they put him, I will find him…I swear I’ll find him.”
“And…I’ll help you any way I can.” Princess Iron Fan swore, causing him to stop and stare at her with narrowed violet eyes.
“Why would you help me do anything?” His look must’ve been either too broken to try and keep eye contact with or too intimidating for the Celestial maiden as she quickly looked away, but her heartbeat never swayed on her next words, unlike Azure.
“Because what Heaven did to your lover isn’t right.” Her tone was as even as her truthful heartbeat. “The torture, the interrogations, the jeers…none of that was needed on just one prisoner, no matter how embarrassed the Heavens were.”
Míhóu took her words in, let them bounce around his head for a bit, before nodding to her. “Then, if you don’t mind, I would appreciate you and Dage’s help in locating my King.”
That day, an alliance was formed between the three and they spent as much time as they could without being suspicious in Heaven's all seeing gaze looking for the sealed stone monkey, until the day they found him.
PIF had been flying above a part of China and her winds had slammed into a solid force, though there was nothing there that she could see. Thinking quickly, she sent travel winds to grab Míhóu and Demon Bull, dragging them to her location without hesitation.
“Did you find something?” Were Míhóu’s first words as he looked at her, desperation coloring his voice and expression. It had been two-hundred and fifty years, of course he was desperate at this point.
“This.” She said simply, slamming her fans harshly into the unseen force, causing a small ripple to appear around them, before shimmering back into the scenery around them. “I can cast a spell that’ll give us time to try and find an entrance and out of Heaven’s eyes, but you will have to be fast to find the entrance. A doorway, a shadow, whatever it may be.”
Míhóu pursed his lips looking at the area around them, before smirking. “There'll be no need for the spell. As long as there is a shadow, I can get to Wukong…I’ll enter first, when I come back, we’ll see if he’s up to seeing anyone else.”
Demon Bull and PIF nodded, taking some steps back as he slowly sunk into the shadows, he closed his eyes, feeling around for Wukong’s familiar presence. The moment he felt his Sun, his heart rate picked up and he rushed through the nearest shadow, coming out inside the cavern Wukong was in.
The rocks lining the ceiling and walls all looked eerily similar, nothing at all like natural rock formations and it made his breath get stuck in his throat in horror as he realized that anyone would go mad in this place.
He slowly walked around a column looking around for any part of his lover that he could, heart feeling heavy, before his face lit up at the sound of quiet whispers in the air, his sensitive ears picking up the noise.
“I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” That was Wukong’s voice alright, but it sounded empty and desolate, just like the area he was trapped in. “I’ve apologized already, let me out…please, don’t leave me alone anymore…”
“Peaches…” He called out hesitantly, as his heart broke upon seeing his lover’s once beautifully shining golden eyes now changed into red sclera with golden pupils, almost glowing in the darkness of the cave. “Oh, my Peaches…Shí Hóu.”
Wukong seemed like he almost didn’t register that the dark furred simian was there, until he heard his voice and then his eyes struggled to focus on him. “Plums…? Míhóu, is that really you?”
“Yes, it’s me.” Unable to hold himself back anymore, the Warrior rushed to his King’s side, brushing his fingers through his tangled mane and wincing at the amount of knots that caught on his claws as he caught sight of the singed ends of the once bouncy golden curls, now more of a dark auburn with all the burned ends and dust on his lover’s head. “Oh, my poor Sun, what did they do to you?”
“Nothing I didn’t bring on myself…” Wukong nuzzled his hand softly, a small chirp of happiness slipping out at the touch. “I’ve missed you so much, my Shadow…I’ve been so lonely…”
“I know…I know…” Míhóu stood on his toes to kiss any part of his lover’s face that he could. “I promise I’ll find a way to release you, I’ll get you out of here and we can go home. I’ll never leave you again, my King.”
Despite the dirt and dust flavor on his lips, Míhóu continued to kiss his other half as he sobbed from relief at no longer being alone.
They caught each other up on what happened during their separation, Míhóu warning him about how Peng and Azure branded him as a traitor, even though he had tried to tell them about what he’d heard during the final battle, how Demon Bull broke himself and Míhóu from the Brotherhood and they were kicked from their mountain and Princess Iron Fan helped his Warrior find him. And Wukong told him about how when he exited the furnace after Heaven's final attempt to kill him, he gained the ability to see past the flesh and bone of living beings and see instead the soul inside, at the cost of his perfect vision.
It wasn’t all fixed, but for now, this would be fine.
⸻
Watermelon
⸻
Míhóu continued to visit Wukong after that, but he was warned against bringing Demon Bull or Princess Iron Fan in, since Heaven was watching him heavily. As the years wore on, two-hundred and fifty turning into three-hundred and into four-hundred and during one of his visits, Guan Yin the Goddess of Mercy appeared in front of them, her eyes pitying as she took in the sorry state of the once proud and determined Monkey King, his advisor by his side protectively.
She told them of a monk that would come on her orders and break the seal holding Wukong back and this would be his last chance at redemption. All he had to do was keep the monk alive on his journey and then he would be allowed to return home without Heaven interfering anymore.
Míhóu knew there was a catch, but he couldn’t outright ask what it was, knowing that her and Buddha were trying to help his lover without showing the Jade Emperor that they supported the monkey demon openly, knowing it would just be another slap to Heaven's ego.
The Goddess had told him that he would be allowed to go with the King if he pleased, which the dark furred simian promised his Sun he’d be there as long and often as he could, considering he was still watching their kingdom in Wukong’s stead.
Eventually, the day came at the five-hundred year mark.
Míhóu had been visiting, having brought Wukong some watermelon to wash down the taste molten copper pellets with the sweet fruit and braiding his lover’s regrown floor length locks, little flowers and strings winding into the fur that still couldn’t seem to get rid of the burnt edges, no matter how many times they cut them.
The mountain around them shook and rumbled ominously and Míhóu’s wide violet eyes met Wukong’s panicked ruby ones. “You have to run, Míhóu.”
“No, I already told you I wasn’t leaving you ever again, unless I was checking on our home and then coming right back!” argued the taller simian, only for Wukong to give him a sad smile.
“I don’t know what’s going on, you can’t help anyone if you get caught in this and something happens to you.” He made as much of a gesture as he could with his hands still stuck in rock. “I’m immortal too many times over, I’ll be fine Plums…”
With a whine of defeat, Míhóu sunk into the shadows and slipped out of the pocket dimension and popped out of the shadow of a nearby tree, his eyes widening as he realized that a human was standing in front of the mountain that was now visible to the rest of the outside world.
The mountain shook and rumbled, before a heavenly seal appeared and shattered, allowing the prison his lover had been trapped under for centuries to finally break, leaving nothing, but rubble and dust kicking up the air and making him look away until it finally settled.
When he looked back over, his heart stuttered in his chest as he waited a moment…then another, until Wukong burst out the remains of the rubble, his braid whipping to his back as he screeched in relief from having the mountain pressing on his back and keeping him still as he destroyed any rubble and rocks near him, the human watching with a fearful look as the golden monkey continued his mini rampage.
“Peaches!” He yelped, a chirp of sheer joy slipping out of his mouth as he ran towards his King, who looked at him with shining gold bathed in red, his arms opening in return, before the taller monkey took them both to the ground in his excitement.
They rolled in the dust and dirt for a bit, trills and chirps slipping out as they nuzzled and hugged each other tightly, little nips and kisses meeting in between it all.
The kisses were sweet and tears rolled down their cheeks as the flavor of watermelon was shared between them.
“U-Uh, I-I understand that Goddess Guan Yin has informed you that you would be coming on this journey to deliver the scriptures West with me?” The human’s voice broke their little bubble, the fear in his smell, eyes and voice still palpable.
“Yes,” Wukong stood up and Míhóu winced at how being trapped under pounds and pounds of rock has stunted his lover’s growth to the point of even taking a few inches off him. Where he used to be directly under the dark furred simian’s chin, he was now barely up to his chest. “My name is Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, and your first disciple on this journey. Thank you for freeing me.”
Míhóu glanced at the human, who met his gaze. “I am called Liù’ěr Míhóu, his Warrior and Advisor. I will not be officially on the journey, but I will be checking in occasionally to make sure you don’t fail as I still have to go home and watch our kingdom.”
And with that, their story continued, his lover free.
⸻
Iron
⸻
The journey was…rocky to say the least.
Apparently, the monk was specifically sent to teach Wukong how to have mercy and empathy for those he fought that weren’t demons. They learned this when Tripitaka kicked the golden furred monkey out of their simple party of three over some dead bandits.
Wukong, ever emotional and quick to anger, took off (but Míhóu could hear the little sniffles as he did so, knowing that his King didn’t want to truly be seen as unredeemable and cast away). He turned to look at the monk with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing, merely sinking into the shadows to find his lover and bring him back to apologize for killing the humans, even though they both knew the bandits would’ve killed their traveling companion without hesitation.
When they returned, they found Tripitaka staring at a little crown in his hands contemplatively.
Wukong apologized, looking worriedly at the human, as if expecting him to never want to see him again. Thankfully, Tripitaka took the apology with a solid nod and a warning to not use violence next time, before holding up the crown to him. Apparently, it was a tool Guan Yin left for him to give Wukong to curve his violent streak.
The short monkey demon took the crown and placed it on his head, a cry slipping out of his mouth as it tightened and none of them were able to remove it.
That was just where it went downhill, if you asked either of the simians.
Whenever Wukong fought, Tripitaka would invoke the tightening spell, reciting the mantra hee was ordered to whenever he thought his disciple went too far in a fight, which was in almost every fight. And it only got worse after they picked up the rest of the disciples.
Zhu Bajie, a Celestial Swine cast out and cursed due to his lecherous ways, seemed to get a kick out of getting Wukong in trouble. Whenever their ‘Master’ would recite the spell, he would egg him on to keep it going for as long as possible and Míhóu wasn’t there at all points to stop it.
It only boiled over when he returned one time and found Wukong screaming on the floor, rolling back and forth as his claws gripped his head tightly, golden tears of ichor rolling down his cheeks as more gold spilled down the sides of his head from where the band was cutting into his skull and his claws dug into his skin, his screams tapering off into desperate chirps and trills for mercy.
The dark furred demon snapped, shoving Tripitaka to the floor and watching as his eyes snapped open to look at him in shock, while Zhu Bajie took a step back in fear, Sha Wujing and Ao Lie quickly moving over to Wukong’s side as he heaved tiredly, unfocused and dazed eyes looking in Míhóu’s general direction (it pained the taller that one day, Wukong wouldn’t be able to see him at all, due to his failing sight still fading). “Míhóu?”
“You don’t need to use it every time that damn pig thinks it’s necessary!” He snarled at Tripitaka, who froze. Míhóu was an unpredictable force in their journey.
He came and went as he pleased and there was nothing stopping him from rebelling, aside from the simple fact that Wukong would be placed back under a seal if they didn’t make sure he arrived to the West safely.
“And you!” Míhóu bared his teeth at Zhu Bajie, who froze in fear. “Stop treating this like some damn show! He’s actively hurting Wukong, my King and my mate and you’re acting like it’s some side show!” Violet eyes flashed back to Tripitaka. “You punish Wukong for violence, but you do the same to him? I didn’t think they taught hypocrisy in monasteries!”
Done tearing into the two who earned his ire, Míhóu made his way over to the huddle where Wukong was being tended to as well as they could, with the damned crown still around his head. Ao Lie, in his human form, looked up with concerned green eyes. “I can’t see the damage, but he seems to finally be calming down, now that the spell is done.”
He nodded firmly, gently taking his short lover into his arms. “Peaches, how are you feeling?”
“Mmm…better now…” He whispered, head leaning against the Warrior’s chest. “Not tightening anymore, can sleep it off I think.”
Míhóu pressed his lips gently to Wukong’s, not even wincing at the iron tang that hit his tongue as they kissed (Wukong must’ve either got his own blood in his mouth during his rolling or bit his tongue to stop the noises from slipping out). When he pulled away, his beloved gave him a small smile, before closing his eyes and drifting off, feeling happy and safe in his arms.
Hopefully, this would be the last time it got to this point.
It wasn’t and Míhóu’s resentment towards the monk and pig grew with each incident.
⸻
Ash
⸻
They continued on their journey, Wukong somewhat toning down the violence, though they all knew that Tripitaka wished he would stop entirely, but they also knew they couldn’t just let the monk be killed, despite his thoughts and wishes on the scenario.
No one truly brought it up and eventually, they managed to coexist for a period…until the day that Erlang Shen found out that Wukong was free from his mountain seal.
The war God, in a fit of petty vengeance, attacked their home, while both monkeys were on the journey, leaving only Wukong’s generals to help defend their home. The only reason they figured it out was when Wukong suddenly stopped walking, his eyes widening and body stiffening, before he collapsed on the ground with shrieks of rage and pain escaping his lips.
The sage rolled on the floor, hands scrabbling in the dirt and leaving deep gouges behind as he did so, the smell of burned trees beginning to permit the air, despite there being no fire in the area, not even a campfire since it was still daylight.
“My people! My monkeys! My home !” He wailed, body jerking and flailing as he continued to shout incoherently, before Míhóu suddenly put the pieces together and terror came over his face as he opened a shadow portal big enough to take the entire group back to Flower Fruit Mountain, too panicked to even consider what would happen if the monk and his entourage derived from the path suddenly.
When they all came out of it, they were horrified by the sight before them.
Flower Fruit Mountain, once known as a paradise due to the greenery and the citizens, was up in roaring flames, plumes of smoke covering the once sunny and clear blue skies.
“S-Save them, please!” choked out Wukong, his voice suddenly desperate and raspy, as if he was the one stuck in the fumes of burning wood, instead of a safe distance away. “Please, Míhóu, you have to save our home and people.”
“And we will.” promised the dark furred monkey, cupping Wukong’s cheek gently, before standing and looking over at Sha Wujing and Ao Lie. “You two, come with me.”
The two nodded, following the Warrior as he led them to the ocean surrounding the island, the water demon instantly beginning to cast a spell to move a large amount of water at once, while the dragon waited for instruction from Míhóu. “Go and find as many of the fires that are heading to the peak and burn anything that isn’t burned already. The fire will eventually stop without anything else to burn.”
“What are you going to do?” Ao Lie asked, his body beginning to glow as he changed forms once more.
“I’m going to go and make sure the others are safe in Waterfall Cave, before returning to Wukong.” He replied, pausing only briefly when he saw Ao Lie’s eyes glint in concern at the mention of the pained monkey, his own hard expression softening. “He’ll be fine after we fix this and don’t worry, we’ll explain everything afterwards.”
With that, the three started on their tasks, all of them seemingly daunting, but they wouldn’t falter. Wukong needed them to fix this sooner rather than later. Thankfully, with the work of all three of them, there wasn’t that many casualties on their side and more on Erlang’s army (despite the God himself not even being at the battle by the time they’d arrived) and they were able to put the fires out and chase off the invaders, before recuperating in the cave as they counted their dead and tried to figure out their next step.
Wukong was quickly brought to his room, the stone monkey unconscious after the adrenaline and fear had passed, leaving Míhóu and their traveling companions to watch over him, while the monkeys and monkey demons of Flower Fruit Mountain rested in another part of the cave.
“So, what was that?” Zhu Bajie finally uttered after a moment of watching the king sleep in the quickly made nest, looking far too small in the large pile of blankets and pillows. “Brother Sun has taken many hits, but he fell without even being struck.”
Míhóu took a deep breath, his violet eyes looking at his resting lover. “Wukong was born from a stone egg that was made with magic from both the Heavens and the Earth, specifically the magic of Flower Fruit Mountain. This means he has a direct connection with his kingdom, his mood can affect the weather of the mountain and vice versa if the mountain is damaged or faces any natural disasters, he feels those affects personally. This…this was a direct attack on him and his people by Erlang Shen, even if they didn’t know that it would affect Wukong’s physical body.”
“How…how do other natural disasters affect him?” Tripitaka asked, pale and staring at his eldest disciple in worry.
“Earthquakes leave him shaking, literally as if he was in it personally, but nothing too bad. We’d just have to wait it out and he’ll be fine. Floods are a bit more…dramatiic.” Míhóu winced when he remembered the time when they were still young and the mountain had a flood. “Wukong already has a fear of water, since he can’t float or swim and only sinks to the bottom, so when we have floods, it’s essentially like sinking to the bottom of the sea for him and being unable to breath as if he was drowning. And this is the effect of when we have wildfires.”
The group collectively winced as they all painfully remembered Wukong’s breakdown on the trail.
“I think that’s enough.” Ao Lie murmured, standing with a small flourish of his robes, his goofy smile wiped from his face as he looked at his close companion in sympathy. We should leave Brother Sun and Brother Míhóu to rest for the night, as we do the same.”
“I agree.” The monk stood, giving a small bow to the dark furred simian. “We can help with some rebuilding tomorrow and making sure everyone is okay and tending to the injured tonight.”
“Thank you.” Míhóu gave his own nod and bow to the Golden Cicada reincarnation, before watching as they left the room, before climbing into the nest, arms wrapping around his sleeping lover. “I’ll be here when you wake up, Shí Hóu.”
He pressed a soft kiss to Wukong’s lips as he settled in for the night, almost grimacing at the taste of ash and peaches, before falling asleep with his lover in his arms.
They would stand back up and recuperate, but for now, they would rest for the night, together and safe.
⸻
Chamomile
⸻
They stayed at Flower Fruit Mountain to give Wukong time to rest and heal, while also helping the citizens of the mountain get back on their feet. Zhu Bajie handled cooking with the rations for the people, Tripitaka and Princess Iron Fan helped take care of the injured, Ao Lie and Demon Bull helped move the debris and bury the dead, while Sha Wujing helped Míhóu look after Wukong, who was restless in his bedridden state.
“My Moon, please let me just do this one thing and I promise to stay in bed afterwards?” Wukong looked up with wide red and gold eyes and the taller one knew that he should’ve said no, should’ve been firm and denied him, but he also knew that the moment he was alone, the other would run to do what he was planning to anyway.
Fuck his soft spot for the shorter and his want for an easier day with his lover resting.
“Fine.” He hissed, tail lashing angrily as he scooped the other up bridal style. “Let’s get this over with…"
His lover chirped happily, nuzzling his neck gently, only to blink when they stopped and grabbed Sha Wujing, who smiled softly at the stone monkey. “We’re bringing Brother Wujing?”
“Yes, because he has something I’m going to need for your dumb self after this.” huffed Míhóu as they passed by Demon Bull and Ao Lie’s group of rebuilders, who nodded their way (though he felt his fur fluff out around his neck as he heard some of the monkey demons chuckling and commenting on how they knew he would cave eventually).
“Where are we going exactly?” The river demon asked after a moment of silence, following the monkey demon obediently nonetheless.
“Wukong’s birthplace.” The orange bearded demon blinked as they arrived at the peak after quite a bit of walking through the remains of the forest. “In order to speed up the rebuilding process, Wukong can give some of his magic to the mountain to help it heal faster from here.”
“But…” Wujing looked at the short monkey being carried by Míhóu and suddenly understood his reason for being there. “I see, is there a reason for us using this method?”
“I want my people to be safe, that includes everyone who lives on Flower Fruit Mountain and some of them use the trees and bushes to stay safe from other demons or intruders, which can be hard if there are none.” Wukong’s face was serious as he spoke, even as Míhóu placed him down in the center of the shattered rock egg pieces, his red eyes almost glowing with power as a golden shine began to come from his body. “In order for everyone to be safe, I have to do this and then reinforce the seals with Master to make sure not even Heaven can break into my kingdom and harm them again.”
“This is going to take a lot out of you, Wukong.” warned Míhóu, even as he moved to stand by the river demon, tail twitching anxiously behind him. “It’s going to set back our date to leave, since you won’t have enough magic left to heal yourself and the mountain.”
“Master will understand.” brushed off the king coolly, his body falling into a meditative stance as the golden glow began to grow when he closed his eyes. After a moment, the glow began to reach the ground and the area around them began to shine a beautiful gold, reaching all along the mountain the longer the immortal sat there.
“Brother Wujing, would you make that special Chamomile blend I told you to grab?” asked Míhóu, falling onto the floor in his own crisscross position, though instead of copying the hand stance of his lover, he cushioned his cheek on his palm as he watched with a deadpan expression. “The minute he’s out of this, I’m going to make him drink that and go to bed. He can reinforce the seal when he actually has the power to spare for it and not a moment before then.”
Wujing chuckled, but nodded, already getting to work on his blend, occasionally pausing to watch in awe as grass regrew in some areas and tree saplings began to resprout already.
By the time the tea was done being made, all the burned area around them was once again healthy and flourishing as the golden light began to die down and Wukong finally blinked his eyes open, a tired grin on his face. “See? Look at that, better already!”
“Great.” Without waiting for a reaction, Míhóu picked up the cup of chamomile tea and drank the entire thing, his cheeks puffing out from the liquid. Wukong’s head tilted slightly, before the taller pressed their lips together and began to transfer the liquid into his own.
Automatically, he drank every bit that made it into his mouth, even as some dribbled down the side of their mouths and down his chin, before they broke apart with a gasp and Wukong leaned against his lover. “Hey…that’s cheating! You drugged the tea!”
“For your own good.” snorted Míhóu, a smirk coming to his face as he licked his lips the taste of Wukong and chamomile still fresh on his tongue, while Wukong yawned almost immediately after, eyes beginning to close. “You wouldn’t rest otherwise, your majesty.”
Wujing chuckled as he packed up and they brought the monkey back to his hut to rest.
⸻
Raspberry
⸻
Wukong grinned, looking much more like his normal self as his people set the table for a feast. With everything well and done, they were seeing their king off properly so he and his traveling companions could continue their way to deliver the scriptures.
Míhóu was seated at his side, a soft smile on his face as he watched their subjects set the large table with foods ranging from vegetarian options and some meat options, the ones that were already seated at the table was their Generals and the traveling companions, along with Princess Iron Fan and Demon Bull King, making for a nice scene.
‘I wish I could just stay here…’ The king thought with a soft sigh as he lifted a bowl of peach pudding and took a spoonful. ‘But until I finish this stupid redemption thing, I can’t come home and stay home. Once I get to come home, I’m never leaving again. Nothing good comes from associating with Heaven and nothing good comes from the mortals who are just as selfish as the Heavens. Both suck, but here, everyone is truly free and safe.’
As his thought came to an end, his eyes drifted over to where his lover was enjoying something from the table, his tail wagging happily behind him and his grin softened, hand reaching out to gently turn Míhóu’s face down his way, violet eyes looking at him in confusion, before they widened as he pressed their lips together, tongue slipping between the seam of the dark furred simian’s lips quickly and mapping out the inside of his mouth swiftly, before pulling back with a small hum as he turned to face the crowd (who hadn’t noticed, thankfully) . “Mm…that raspberry tart is pretty good…can I have some of yours?”
“What? No! Wukong, you could’ve just asked what I was eating and for a bite of it!” hissed the macaque, his fur fluffed around his cheeks and neck in embarrassment and agitation, even as his tail thumped eagerly on the floor. “I swear, it’s always something dumb with you…”
Wukong opened his mouth to argue, only for a fork to be shoved into his mouth, and the flavor of raspberries and cream filled his mouth, making him hum happily as he chewed the food without complaint.
Yeah, Wukong didn’t know why he even thought he needed anything outside of Míhóu, their home and their troupe.
⸻
Mint
⸻
Míhóu had been taking care of Flower Fruit Mountain, leaving the others to continue the journey without him for a couple of weeks at most…until he heard it.
The sounds of Wukong screaming in pain and the whispered chant of that damn sutra.
Without hesitating and barely giving Ma and Ba a warning about him returning shortly, the tall demon monkey dropped into the shadows, swiftly listening to the directions given to him by the shadows surrounding him that would lead him directly to Wukong’s.
When he appeared, he looked around at the ghost town of a village that they’d stopped at, Wukong was curled up in a ball, small whines and whimpers still slipping out of his mouth as Tripitaka stared in shock, obviously having stopped his chanting, due to Míhóu’s sudden appearance. “What is going on here?!”
Silence, the only sound being Wukong’s sounds of simpering relief mixed with residual pain.
“I asked a question .” His hiss was followed by the shadows lashing out and knocking into Zhu Bajie, the Celestial Swine choking back a yelp of fear.
“Master thought it would be wise to… punish Brother Sun due to some inconsistencies…” Wujing spoke after another moment of silence. “We were traveling and were stopped by a little girl, claiming to be looking for her parents. Obviously, Master thought it would be ideal to help her and we almost did, but…”
“Wukong killed her.” murmured Tripitaka, looking stricken at the words, even as his eyes glared darkly at his eldest disciple. “Wukong killed her, before coming up with the most ridiculous claim about his eyes seeing the true version of a person. Past the flesh and the bone and into their spirit itself, using that as an excuse as to why he killed her.”
“Master didn’t believe him and Brother Bajie thought that, not only for killing the girl, but for lying he should be punished with the sutra.” Ao Lie continued numbly, obviously not over the sight of Wukong kneeling on the floor in pain and crying out as he did so. “Brother Wujing tried to step in, but Master punished him anyway, though it wasn’t nearly as long as it was this time.
“Then what led to this ?” Míhóu questioned, finally helping Wukong out of his curled up position and wincing at the sight of golden ichor once more slipping down the side of his head, though from his own claws or the circlet, he couldn’t be sure.
“There was another woman from this village supposedly,” Zhu Bajie finally spoke, his voice low and cautious. “She claimed that she was being hunted by the demons that massacred this place and before we could even figure out what she wanted, Monkey leapt at her and struck her down as well. Thus, Master was at his wits end and decided to punish him longer than he did last time…finally, you arrived and that’s everything.”
Míhóu took a deep breath, trying to keep his temper in check as his eyes traveled from the pig man to the human monk. “I’m going to ask you this very carefully and you’re going to answer me truthfully, got it?’ At their nods, he continued, “You claim that his ‘Golden Eyes of Truth’ don’t exist, correct? Then, how can he see us?”
“What?” Tripitaka’s brows furrowed at the question.
“I said, if they don’t exist, how can he see us? Because Wukong’s vision is already gone.” The silence was so deafening, a pin could’ve dropped and anyone without heightened hearing could’ve heard it. “After his rampage in Heaven, they did horrible things to him and it ended up ruining his eyes. It only got worse after his imprisonment under the mountain and slowly, but surely his sight was fading. It’s gone now and he can only see a person there with his Golden Eyes of Truth.”
Tripitaka floundered for a moment, the self-righteous fury from before replaced with a look of pale horror as he looked down at his oldest disciple, who was still heaving from the effects of the circlet and sutra punishment.
His displeasure only seemed to grow as he realized that Wukong wouldn’t look up from where his face was pressed into the taller simian’s chest (this also brought a startling realization to him about how the last time his disciple looked him in the eye was right before they left Flower Fruit Mountain almost an entire month ago). “Monkey…no, Pilgrim Sun, I-!”
“No, since you’d so quickly believe Zhu Bajie, despite knowing his history of lying just to see if he can rile Wukong up or just to see him punished, you don’t get to apologize…” A moment of silence, only broken by Mihou’s heavy breathing, before he closed his eyes and opened them once more. “Not yet at least. I’ll be taking Wukong back to our home to recover for a week, when we return, he’ll decide if he wants to forgive you or not.”
Waiting for only a nod of acknowledgement, the Monkey King’s advisor opened a shadow portal and fell into it, Wukong still pressed tightly to his chest as they began to go home. His King was awake, though he was obviously just as hurt and upset about the entire situation, which he couldn’t blame him for.
Once his portal opened once more, they were in Wukong’s room, settled safely in his nest and without uttering a single word, Mihou began to strip his lover, who sat there with a frown on his face.
After getting rid of his travel clothing, the Warrior began to help him dress into some of his sleeping robes, laughing when Wukong batted his hand away childishly with a pout as he finished dressing himself. The two settled into the nest, tails intertwined and hands locked between the two of them, the taller running his fingers gently over the back of his lover’s hand.
“What are we going to do now?” His King whispered, red eyes looking up worriedly. “I was supposed to finish the journey so they could leave us alone, but…”
“And you will, after we’ve all calmed down.” soothed Míhóu, pressing his lips to the top of the other's head, feeling the wounds that had been from Wukong’s own claws already healed, yet the sharp taste of metal and mint from the plants in the area remained. “Maybe this will teach them twice before writing you off as a liar, when you’ve never done so prior nor would you lie about something like that either.”
Wukong hummed, pressing himself closer to his Warrior. “What would I do without you, Moon?”
“Self destruct into flaming garbage?” chuckled the other, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the feeling of Wukong’s warmth and scent in their nest for the first time in weeks. “Oh, wait, you’ve already done that with me by your side.”
“Go to sleep, ass.” The golden monkey snorted and the two drifted off, their worries about what was to come disappearing for the time being.
Until Sha Wujing, Zha Bajie and Ao Lie arrived to reclaim Wukong as the monk was once again kidnapped and they were unable to stop it this time. Mihou knew it would happen, but it still made him miss their lazy days the more it happened. They ended up sealing the Lady Bone Spirit in Tripitaka’s hopes that she would one day repent and understand her mistakes, while Mihou and Wukong knew better, but couldn’t fight him on the decision without tension rising so soon after their return.
⸻
Blueberry
⸻
Wukong’s nose twitched as he was handed a pastry by his master, taking a quick sniff of it to make sure it wasn’t poisoned, before handing it back to Tripitaka with a smile and nod. The monk looked down at the bun in his hand contemplatively, a small frown on his face, before he placed it back in the blind monkey’s hand. “This is for you, Pilgrim Sun.”
“Me? But, why?” Wukong tilted his head, confused as he took the pastry back. “I don’t think I’ve done anything to earn a reward, though I’m not unhappy with it.”
“It’s not so much a reward as it’s me apologizing for how I’ve been treating you.” The human explained, sitting down and gently pulling the other with him. “You see, I was raised on strict beliefs in the monastery and oftentimes, they believed in corporal punishment. I seemed to have picked up their beliefs along with their teachings, even if it’s supposed to help you redeem yourself, it’s still violence on you. Even if I don’t use my hands, I’m committing violence with the spell and for that, I’m sorry.”
Wukong’s unfocused eyes remained on Tripitaka, following the sound of his voice, though his face remained blank. The monk shuffled for a moment as he watched his disciple knead at the pastry lightly, not with enough strength to break it, but enough to mold the dough with his fingers. “And the situation with the Lady Bone Spirit truly showed me that as much as you and your brothers have to learn, I do as well. I hope you can forgive me for all the pain I’ve caused you up until now, Pilgrim Sun…no, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.”
Forgive.
It was a word that the Heavens used as a way to get him on the quest. Complete the quest and your crimes are forgiven in our eyes and we’ll leave you alone.
Forgive.
It was a word that he had to use when the sutra was activated on an endless cycle of pain and tears as he clawed ichor from his head to try and make it stop. Forgive me! It won’t happen again! Only for it to ultimately happen again.
Forgive.
A word he often had nightmares about when they involved Peng, Yellowtusk and Azure, the Brotherhood that he failed, even after they put all their aspirations and dreams on him.
Forgive.
Could he forgive his master for the weeks and months of pain from the circlet’s spell? No. Yes, he could. Because that was what this entire journey was about. Forgiving, forgetting and moving on. No lingering on hurt pride, egos or feelings. Once you apologize, the person either forgives you or doesn’t, it’s their choice and Wukong’s going to be the bigger person that he knows a King should be.
“I forgive you, Master.” He hummed, lifting the pastry to his mouth and finally taking a bite, humming at the flavor of bittersweet blueberry flooded his nose. “Consider this a new time for us.”
He couldn’t see it, but from the way the monk let out a small sigh, he knew the other was smiling in relief his way and it felt like enough in his book. After some time, he heard Mihou’s familiar footsteps and his tail wagged as his lover sat next to him. Without hesitating, he turned and pressed their lips together, blueberry and plums mixing briefly, before he turned back and leaned his head on the dark furred simian’s shoulder with a sigh of contentment.
One day, they’ll be able to have their moments without them all being as bittersweet as blueberries.
⸻
Mango
⸻
Wukong blinked slowly as he sat at the head of the table, fingers gently kneading at the fabric of his pants as his unseeing eyes continued to stare blankly ahead, the sound of his citizens all celebrating around him ringing in his ears, almost like white noise to him after so long of being away from them.
They’d done it. He and Míhóu managed to protect the Pilgrims and their Master to deliver the scriptures. It wasn’t easy and it took longer than the original time slot, but…they’d done it.
His circlet was gone. He wasn’t to be sealed or leashed again…he was free.
One of his hands finally released his leg and reached out wildly, before latching onto an equally warm palm, another tail wrapping around his sweetly as his head was turned towards his lover. “Míhóu…we did it, right? No tricks, we actually made it?”
“We did, Peaches.” rumbled his Warrior, a purr resounding through his chest as he pulled the other closer, nuzzling his head gently. “We’re finally home and never have to worry about any of it again. Not the Brotherhood, Heaven or some dumb scriptures.”
“Oh, please.” He chittered back gently, rubbing his head against the dark furred simian’s chin lovingly. “We may not have always gotten along, but you ended up caring about Master and the others towards the end.”
“Hm…shut your cute mouth.” grunted Míhóu, before he released his hug slightly and tilted Wukong’s head up. “I know this is going to sound ridiculous and we’ve been dating for centuries and millennia already, but Shí Hóu, King of the Monkeys and Flower Fruit Mountain, would you give me the honor of courting you?”
A moment passed and Wukong was suddenly aware of the silence around them…almost as if. “Wait, did you plan this?!”
“...Maybe?”
“And what if I said no?” He could feel Míhóu’s heartbeat pick spike with anxiety, before a smile blossomed on his face. “As if! Of course, Liu Er Míhóu, I will gladly allow you to court me.”
The area around them once more exploded in cheers as Míhóu leaned down and pressed their lips together, the taste of fresh mangos dancing on Wukong’s tongue and mixing with the peach wine he’d been sipping on during his contemplation of his newfound freedom.
When they broke apart, both Celestial Primates were surrounded by their subjects with congratulations and plans for how long the courting could possibly be and the only thing the golden monkey could think about was they’d finally begin to start his wish.
To relax and worry about nothing for the rest of forever.