Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Everything had shifted. 

To be fair, things had been shifting for a while. Red Son had always known freeing his father would change everything, but he certainly didn’t expect…well, any of this. 

But, change wasn’t a bad thing, was it?  Red Son had spent five hundred years endlessly working at one goal, so for most of his life, he had a strict routine. Constant change wasn’t normal for him, so each new development in his life had thrown off his feet. But, maybe that was normal. And maybe there was some good in having life surprise you every step of the way. 

Despite the minor repairs the Demon Bull Family had to pay Pigsy’s Noodles and the scramble to scrub any news of their… impromptu altercation off the internet, Red Son’s parents seemed to come to some sort of mutual understanding with Pigsy. Or, well, less mutual understanding and more temporary armistice. 

“I really don’t see why the Pig was so against a proper courting.” Princess Iron Fan huffed, lounging back on the living room sofa as she filed her nails. 

Demon Bull King huffed, fidgeting with the belt of his fluffy bathrobe. “The Pig cares little for tradition.” 

Princess Iron Fan sighed. “Well, it’s not like our son’s doing much better when it comes to caring about tradition .” She pointed her nail filer at Red Son accusingly. “I still haven’t heard a single courtnapping plan from you.” 

Red Son sighed, picking up a dried persimmon sitting on a plate in the living room. “Xiaotian found courtnapping to be… inhumane. ” No matter how many times Red Son tried to explain courtnapping to him, MK kept staring at Red Son like he was describing some sort of gruesome crime.

“ Please. ” Princess Iron Fan rolled her eyes. “As if humans have never kidnapped their spouses.” 

Red Son took a bite of the persimmon with a huff. No matter how many times he explained it, MK just couldn’t see the appeal of courtnapping Which, Red Son supposed was to be expected. Even if Pigsy hadn’t been so virulently against the traditions, humans in the modern day typically found kidnapping loved ones to be immoral. And MK was a hero at heart. So naturally, kidnapping offended his noble sensibilities. 

Well, it was no matter. If MK didn’t want anything to do with courtnapping, then neither did Red Son. A part of Red Son would’ve liked a more traditional relationship, but he didn’t mind trying things the human way. Considering how they hadn’t even been speaking to each other for a while there, it was probably best to take things slow. And to be honest, all the marriage talk was kind of deep frying Red Son’s brain. 

“I suppose there's one advantage to you choosing to pursue the Noodle Boy like a human. ” Princess Iron Fan said, plucking a dried persimmon off the plate. “Your father and I will have plenty of time to convince the Pig to see things correctly. ” 

“Perhaps, we should invite him to dinner.” Demon Bull King suggested, waving his hand at Red Son to get him a cup of tea. “He may be more willing to see our perspective with good food and good drink.” 

Red Son stretched over the living room table to grab the teapot and one of the tea cups. It was odd thinking about Pigsy dining with his family. He imagined him harshly critiquing the poor bull clone who whipped up the appetizers. But given how his mother nodded sagely at Demon Bull King’s suggestion, there was a chance they’d actually have Pigsy over for dinner soon. 

Red Son knew he should take his parents’ acceptance of everything as a victory, but some part of him still felt nervous. He’d prepared for a fight–a disownment, if he was completely honest–and while the three of them spoke for hours about what to do about Xiaotian, Red Son didn’t really anticipate… winning that conversation the way he did. 

“...Are you really alright with this?” Red Son asked pensively. “With me seeing MK?” 

Princess Iron Fan sighed, putting her nail filer down on the table. “Well, it complicates our plans of world domination, but it’s like we said. The Noodle Boy is a strong ally.” 

“Inevitably, word will get around that you’re his soulmate–what with you wandering off today-” She flashed a cold look at Red Son. “But it’s to our advantage to have someone in our family bonded to the successor of Sun Wukong. Even if the ape still hasn’t properly apologized.” 

Demon Bull King grunted at that. 

Princess Iron Fan leaned back on the sofa. “Even if we refused you, we figured you’d scurry your way over to the Noodle Boy anyways. You’d always been so desperate for a soulmate. And you were already willing to risk our reputation for your little human trysts.” 

“Of course, that was our belief before you informed us you’d been lying about seeing a human.” Demon Bull King grunted, irritation undeniable in his tone. “Amongst other things.” 

Princess Iron Fan barked out a cold laugh as he poured the tea. “Right. That we won’t look past so easily.” 

Red Son poured some pu’er tea into a cup, laughing awkwardly. “R-right.” 

Princess Iron Fan grabbed a dried persimmon and sighed. “Your father used to sneak up to the Celestial Realm to try and woo me from my bedroom window.” She recalled. “I’d always tell my mother and sister I left my chambers late at night to send him away.” 

Princess Iron Fan took a bite of the persimmon. “It was true at first.” 

“Not true for long.” Demon Bull King boasted, a proud grin on his face. 

Princess Iron Fan hummed as her eyes flickered over to her husband. “I should’ve known that  I’d be cursed with a liar for a son. It’s the price I have to pay for running off with you.” 

Princess Iron Fan’s voice lacked any bitterness or regret. She looked at her husband with a nostalgic smile on her face, hand reaching over to graze his forearm. Maybe they weren’t terribly pleased with him, but Princess Iron Fan and Demon Bull King seemed happy. At the very least, they seemed to accept that their son shared their sense of romance, for better or for worse. And really, what else could Red Son hope for? 

“...If you want to get on the Pig’s good side, invite him over to watch the season finale of Cooking With Chang’e. ” Red Son suggested, handing his father the cup of tea. 

Demon Bull King let out a laugh. “I hadn’t realized the Pig watched her. He has better tastes than I assumed.” He took a sip of his tea, the cup almost comically small in his hand.

“Of course he watches her.” Red Son took a bite of his dried persimmon. “Surely, you’ve watched his cameo episode?” 

Demon Bull King spit out his tea. Apparently he hadn’t.

The next time Red Son saw Pigsy, he’d apologized profusely for the disturbance, but Pigsy just waved it off. 

“Your parents are old demons. We’re gonna clash about traditions. It’s inevitable.” He shrugged as he poured some soup broth into a bowl before pushing it over to Tang. “Honestly, I’m surprised they’re even okay about you being with the kid.” 

Well, okay was a strong word, Red Son was still getting punished for lying to his parents. He’d have to get his own funding for personal projects for at least thirty years. And anytime he went out, he’d be interrogated severely upon his return. But that was relatively tame compared to what could’ve happened. He was thankful his parents saw enough of themselves in him to have some sympathy. 

“Speaking of which, you never mentioned being MK’s soulmate during our, ehh, talk. ” Pigsy raised his eyebrow. 

Red Son flushed at that. “W-well, I just–that’s–” He tried to come up with some response, but Pigsy waved him off. 

“Calm down, kid. M’not gonna throw a tamper tantrum just because you want some privacy.” He picked up a ladle and began to wash it in the sink. “I’m just glad you got over yourself soon enough to know you won the soulmate jackpot with MK.” 

Red Son tried his best to keep himself from breaking into some disgusting, lovesick grin in front of Pigsy. “I’m very lucky to have MK.” He agreed. 

“Awwww, how sweet!” Red Son jumped at the sound of Sandy’s voice. Apparently, he and Tang had been sitting at a table eating noodles together, and Red Son hadn’t noticed. 

Sandy lifted his cup of tea (Did he just…carry that around) up towards Red Son like a toast. “If you guys ever need a romantic boat cruise, let me know!”

Red Son smiled politely at Sandy. Yeah, MK had told Red Son about his time in the calabash, so romantic dinner cruises with Sandy definitely weren’t going to happen. 

“So, you and MK are together then?” Tang asked. 

“Y-yes.” Red Son replied. He hoped his blush didn’t look as obvious as it felt. 

Tang turned his head to look at him, pushing up his glasses. “I’m assuming we don’t have to give you the shovel talk now, do we?” 

Tang didn’t look particularly intimidating in Red Son’s opinion. He was a lanky middle aged man whose glasses were getting fogged up from the soup bowl in front of him. He probably couldn’t lift a shovel without his arms shaking. And Sandy, for all his muscle, wouldn’t hurt a fly. But Pigsy was staring at Red Son with a cocked eyebrow, and he looked like he had definitely hit someone with a shovel before. So Red Son shook his head profusely. “Completely unnecessary.”

Tang smiled. “Good.” he went back to slurping his noodles contentedly. 

“Oh, and by the way.” Pigsy leaned over the counter. “Don’t think just because you’re soulmates with my kid means your family’s gettin any discounts on food. ‘Specially after the stunt they pulled.” Pigsy waved his ladle at Red Son. “Got it?” 

Oh, that would probably anger his mother more than anything Red Son had done over MK. Still though, he nodded, a smile on his face. He’d have to tell MK about Pigsy calling him “my kid” at some point. He could only imagine the look on MK’s face over that. 

It was inevitable that people would learn about him being soulmates with MK. Like Princess Iron Fan said, they hadn’t exactly hid it when running around Megapolis together. And MK informed Red Son he told Monkey King the next time he went to Flower Fruit Mountain for training. So there was really only one person they had to tell. Red Son figured if Mei learned about their relationship through a blurry picture in a tabloid, she’d probably kill them both. So, Red Son invited Mei to get some cheese tea at a small cafe. 

When she got there, he and MK were already sitting at a table outside. Mei seemed nervous, obviously, awkwardly making jokes thanking Red Son for paying for the boatload of pastries she bought. She didn’t actually eat any though–she sat there, press-on nails tapping frantically against the table. 

Red Son sat, taut like a bowstring, looking across the table at her. His hands kept fidgeting with his cup of yuenyeung. The only person who seemed relaxed was MK, who was cheerfully eating a pineapple bun.

Red Son had prepared a long speech explaining exactly what had happened, but before he could say anything, MK spoke up.

“Oh, Mei” MK spoke without bothering to swallow his food. “You don’t owe me anymore cheese teas.”

Mei frowned, clearly not expecting that opener. “Why’s that?” 

MK swallowed his food before continuing. “Remember a few days after the Spider Queen Invasion we made a bet on whether or not Red Son had ever kissed anyone before?” He smiled cheerfully. “Turns out you won.” 

It took a moment for Red Son to compute what MK had said.

“YOU DID WHAT?!” Red Son stood up, hair swirling in an inferno. He pointed his finger between Mei and MK. MK turned to him with a sweet smile, like everything was okay, even though this had immediately gone off the rails. 

“It’s already bad enough you make bets on how I look, but you made bets on my INTIMATE LIFE?! ” Red Son hissed, leering over MK. “Do you have any idea how inappropriate that is?!” 

“It was like 4am!! We were too tired to think about how weird it is!” MK protested, but he still had a wide grin on his face. “Mei and I were watching a Journey to the West cartoon where they gave you a girlfriend, so we wondered if you’d ever dated anyone in real life-!!”

Red Son let out a strangled noise, grabbing MK’s shoulders. MK smiled, and if Red Son weren’t so infuriated he’d find it adorable. 

“If it makes you feel better, I bet that you’d kissed someone before.” He said. 

“WHY WOULD THAT MAKE ME-?!” Red Son started to shout when he whipped his head to Mei. “Wait. You thought I’d never kissed someone before?” 

“...Yeah?” Mei replied awkwardly. “I mean, no offense Red Boy, but you always kind of screamed touchstarved to me.” 

Red Son squawked at that. “I AM NOT-”

“I mean, yeah, he is, but I’d always figured he’d have kissed someone. ” MK said. “He’d been alive for at least five hundred years. Be kiiinda sad if he didn’t.” 

“That’s-! You-!!” Red Son’s face flared up. He was thankful MK chose a table outside, because otherwise he would’ve definitely set a building on fire. “It’s not like you’ve kissed anyone before me either!!”

Mei choked on her green tea boba. “You guys did wha-?! ”

“I mean, yeah, but I’m in my early twenties. It’s not as sad.” MK countered. 

“You realize demons don’t age the same as humans, right?!” Red Son asked. “Technically, I’m not that much older than you!"

“Uhhh, that doesn’t change the fact you’ve been alive for over five hundred years.” MK retorted. “You’ve had waaaay more time to kiss someone before me.”  

Red Son let out a shout, his ponytail flaring up a solid three feet in the air, but MK still patted his cheek without any fear of getting burned. 

“It’s not that bad.” MK assured him. “Isn’t it supposed to be like, romantic that I’m your first?” 

The thought flustered Red Son enough to quell his anger, the fire dying down. He sat back down in his chair, face flushed bright red at MK’s hand against his cheek. It was embarrassing how much Red Son liked MK being his first. 

“Okay, so, hi.” Red Son returned his attention to Mei, who was waving at the two of them. “Letting you guys know I’m still here–and apparently, waaaay behind on whatever’s going on between you two. When did you guys go from not talking to kissing? ” 

“Oh. Uhh, well, we made up, obviously. ” MK said cheerfully. “Turns out Red Son’s not weird about soulmates anymore.” 

He looped his arm around Red Son’s shoulder, yanking him closer until they knocked heads. “And now we’re dating!” 

This wasn’t really how Red Son was hoping to explain the situation, but it did the job, so whatever. He’d still be giving Mei and MK the scolding of a lifetime for that kiss bet though. 

“Y-yes.” Red Son stammered, still trying to calm down after what just happened. “I decided to take your advice and actually talk to MK about how I feel. It, uh, obviously went well.” 

Mei stared at the two of them, eyes so wide Red Son thought they might pop out of her head. He wasn’t sure what to expect from her–maybe a litany of questions or something–but instead, she just melted in her seat. 

“Oh thank heavens. ” Mei groaned out. “Being stuck in between you guys fighting was the worst. You guys are awful at communicating. If you guys kept being no-contact for another month, I genuinely would’ve exploded.” 

Suddenly, Mei practically launched across the table, staring at MK and Red Son with a grave expression. “You guys can never break up.” 

“H-huh?” MK squeaked out. 

“Wh-what?” Red Son stammered.

“I’m serious.” Mei said, her voice low and dark. “I do not want to be stuck between you two fighting again. And I definitely never want to be stuck between you guys if you break up. You guys can’t ever argue, or take a break, or break up, or anything, ever. ” 

She leaned so far over the table Red Son genuinely thought she’d slide across the table. “You’re not gonna do that, right??” 

“I-I wasn’t planning on it?” Red Son leaned away, genuinely a bit frightened over the expression on Mei’s face. 

She whipped her head to MK, eyes practically blazing. 

“Don’t worry Mei.” MK grinned. “We’re sticking together.” 

MK’s grip on Red Son’s shoulder got a bit stronger, like some nonverbal promise. Red Son moved in a little closer. Normally, such casual affection in a public space would mortify him, but lately, he found that he didn’t mind it. Or maybe he just didn’t mind it because it was MK doing it. 

“Good.” Mei smiled in relief, sitting back down now. “Seriously, though, I’m really glad you guys figured things out.” She used her straw to mix the boba around in her drink. “It was kind of the worst having my besties mad at each other.”

Red Son couldn’t help the small, loving smile that climbed up his face as he looked over at his first ever friend. For how much she put up with him, he’d buy her all the cheese tea in the world. 

“Just don’t be too lovey-dovey in my face, okay?” Mei glanced over at MK and smirked. “I already got enough of it seeing Red Son pine all over you.” 

Red Son sputtered. “I didn’t pine! ” 

“Uhh, you absolutely pined all over him, Red Boy.” Mei snorted, popping an entire lotus seed bun into her mouth without any fear of choking. “You told me you thought about MK all night.” 

MK’s eyes widened as he took another bite of his pineapple bun. “All night?” A smile quirked up on his face. 

Red Son’s cheeks heated up. “It wasn’t–that’s mot–I told you it wasn’t all night –” He crossed his arms with a huff. “I wasn’t that obvious about my affections.” 

“You were more obvious than MK.” Mei snorted. “I didn’t think MK liked you until he started gushing to me about how pretty you looked in your-”

MK forced out a loud, uncomfortable laugh. “Okay, we got it Mei, you’ve got a ton of dirt on us.”

“Wh-” Red Son looked over at MK. “No! Let her finish what she was going to say!” As far as Red Son was concerned, they were a team now. If he had to get embarrassed, then so did MK. Plus he did kind of want to know what MK said to Mei. 

“It doesn’t matter.” MK flashed Red Son a smile, his face still a delightful shade of pink. “I think you look pretty in everything anyways.” 

Red Son must have made some sort of embarrassingly lovesick face at MK, because Mei groaned, her head in her hands. “Oh, you two are gonna be an insufferable couple.” 

“We should move in together.” 

Red Son almost choked on toothpaste. “Wh-?!” He spat out his toothpaste now, washing it out of the tiny sink in MK’s bathroom. “You can’t possibly mean that, can you?”

It’d become fairly routine for Red Son to spend his evenings with MK. If his parents didn’t need him after dinner and he didn’t have any repairs lined up, he’d drive over to MK’s to spend the night with him, slipping out early in the morning just in time for breakfast. Sometimes, they’d watch a movie on MK’s bed, or go out into the city, and sometimes Red Son would spend the night trying to kiss every one of MK’s freckles. But most of the time, they’d talk until they were too exhausted to keep their eyes open.

 He’d admit that there was something domestic about it–the two toothbrushes in a thick mug, hair ties for Red Son sitting in a drawer in MK’s desk, MK washing dishes and Red Son drying them with a flick of his wrist. He’d thought about them living together more than he’d like to admit. But he never really thought MK would bring that conversation up now. 

“I mean, if I didn’t mean it, I wouldn’t suggest it, right?” MK shrugged. He was sitting on his bed in his pajamas, waiting for Red Son to finish brushing his teeth. 

Red Son stepped out of MK’s bathroom, staring at him with such a stunned expression that MK shrunk a bit. “Unless you don’t want to move in together?”

“No, no, I-I do, just-” Red Son scrambled, trying to explain himself. “Isn’t it a bit fast for humans to move in only a few months into seeing each other?” 

“Uhh, isn’t that like, really slow for demons?” MK asked, tilting his head. 

“I-well- yes, but still.” Red Son went to turn off the overhead light of MK’s apartment. “We’ve been doing this the human way so far. I didn’t realize you wanted to change it up.” 

“I mean, some people move in together super early.” MK shrugged, pulling himself under his blanket. “It’d be a big development, yeah, but not that weird.” 

MK lifted it when Red Son crawled into the bed, a now practiced movement from how many times they’d slept together. They slotted next to each other like puzzle pieces, MK’s legs tangling between Red Son’s and his hands reaching out to play with Red Son’s hair. He’d say he was used to it at this point, but there was still something about the closeness that made his face flush. 

“I don’t think we can move in together.” Red Son told MK. “At least, not for a while.” 

“Awww, what?? MK frowned. “Why not?” 

“Where would we go?” Red Son asked. 

“I mean, we can get an apartment here in the city, right?” MK curled a lock of Red Son’s hair between his fingers as he spoke. 

“Please. The largest apartments in this city would take up half my garage.” Red Son sneered. “It’s suffocating. Not to mention how low the ceilings are here. I’d probably burn down whatever apartment complex we live in before we finish unpacking.” 

He reached out to place his hand on MK’s waist, drawing him in a bit closer. “Visiting you is nice, but if I had to live here? I’d be sending my father invasion plans in a month.” 

MK made a disapproving face at that, but he didn’t hold onto it long. “We don’t have to live in an apartment. I mean, Mei lives in Megapolis and she’s got her big mansion.” 

“Yes, because ancestral family homes are constantly available.” Red Son deadpanned. “Not to mention something you could easily afford with a delivery boy salary. ”

MK glared at him without any real malice, but in case he’d touched a nerve, Red Son pulled his hand up to cup MK’s cheek. “My point is, living in the city wouldn’t be realistic. At least, not right now.” 

“I mean, I’m fine with moving out of the city. It’d be kind of cool to live somewhere big.” MK hummed. 

“But you work here.” Red Son pointed out. “Moving out of the city means you commute to your work. You can barely handle going downstairs on time.” 

“ Ohh. I see. So I’m too poor to be in the city and too lazy to be out of it.” MK flicked Red Son’s forehead. “Can’t believe I’ve got a jerk for a soulmate.” 

“ You’re the one who started courting me, Noodle Boy.” Red Son reminded MK. “You should’ve been well aware of what you were getting into.” Despite Red Son’s jeers, he leaned over to kiss MK’s forehead. “And you know that’s not what I meant.” He murmured, lips pressed against MK’s skin. “I don’t want you making yourself miserable just so you can live with me.” 

“I wouldn’t be miserable if I was living with you.” MK countered. “It’d be worth it.” 

Red Son buckled a bit at that. He couldn’t help it. The firm conviction in MK’s voice combined with the soft, sleepy look on his face made Red Son’s chest swell. He was thankful they were having this conversation lying in bed–if they were standing, he’d go weak in the knees. 

“You say that now, but when there’s a villain taking over the city, you’ll eat yourself alive for not being on the scene in time.” Red Son pointed out. 

MK frowned. “Yeah. I guess that’s true.” His head sunk a little deeper in the pillow. “Why do all the bad guys start off in Megapolis? I mean, China’s huge, but whenever a big bad tries to take over the world, they usually wind up trying to take over the city.” 

“It’s a solid base of operations for world conquest.” Red Son yawned. “It’s rich in resources, history, and plenty of demons who’d potentially ally with you.” A downright villainous grin creeped up Red Son’s face. “Not to mention it festers with humans you can subjugate.” 

MK grunted disapprovingly at Red Son. “We gotta work on your human prejudice.” 

Red Son scoffed. “Please. If I really hated humans, I wouldn’t be seeing you the human way. I wouldn’t even be seeing you.” Red Son gave MK’s nose a light tap. MK made a funny noise at that, like he couldn’t choose to be offended or flattered. 

“Are you sure your family doesn’t have any secret mansions they’re gonna pass down to you?” MK asked. 

“I had to leave my familial home as a child. ” Red Son reminded MK. “The only thing that would be bequeathed to me would be the Demon Bull Fortress. And I doubt you’d want to live there. ” He sighed, nuzzling into MK. “We’d need to find a place that actually works for the both of us–and I doubt we’ll find it anytime soon. So moving in together won't be an option for a while.”

MK frowned at that, his shoulders sagging in disappointment. “Yeah. Yeah. You’re right. Sorry I brought it up.” He laughed a bit. “I-it was kind of a random thought anyways.”

“There’s no need to apologize for it.” Red Son said, pressing another kiss onto MK’s forehead. “What brought it up anyways?” 

“I dunno.” MK took Red Son’s hand to hold in his, his thumb running along Red Son’s knuckles. “I was waiting for you to finish brushing your teeth and I just…thought it’d be nice to do this all the time.” His gaze flickered away from Red Son’s, embarrassed. “And, y’know, maybe wake up late with you for once.” 

…Oh. That would be nice, wouldn’t it? To have those little moments of domesticity all the time. Red Son liked living with his parents in the Demon Bull Fortress, but it would be nice to come home to MK’s warm hands and wide grins and wild laughter. It’d be nice to cook a meal for them to eat together, or buy a bed that was actually big enough for the two of them to sleep in. It’d be nice to have MK wake him up late in the morning, instead of Red Son disturbing MK while trying to leave for breakfast. It’d be nice to kiss him whenever he felt like it. 

“I’ve thought about it before.” Red Son muttered. “Even before we started seeing each other.”

That seemed to put MK in a better mood. A small smile formed on his face as he looked up at Red Son, dark eyes sparkling from the light outside the window. “Really?” 

Red Son nodded, his voice low as he murmured. “I’d imagine fruit trees in our garden. And shelves with quality loose leaf oolong tea–not the miserable bagged stuff you drink. And plenty of hallways to hang your art.” 

MK let out a sleepy giggle. “I don’t really hang up my art.” 

“Well, you should.” Red Son said. “And when we move in together, I will.” 

MK laughed at that, a gorgeous little noise. Red Son moved a bit closer, until his head sat between his and MK’s designated pillows. 

“What sort of things would you like in our home?” He asked. 

“Y’know, it would be really fun to live somewhere big.” MK said after a moment of thought. “Not super big or anything, but you know– roomy. A kitchen with an actual stovetop, a room with a couch and TV, a big bedroom– ooooh, a bathroom with an actual bathtub would be nice too.” 

Red Son snorted. Those all seemed too reasonable for a fantasy. Then again, a kitchen with an actual stove and a bathroom big enough for a tub were probably wild fantasies for someone who lived in that tiny apartment all his adult life.

“I know you have a better imagination than that, Noodle Boy.” Red Son chided. 

“Okay then, what do you want?” MK stuck his tongue out at Red Son. As immature as it was, it made him chuckle. 

“Well, naturally, I’d like to maintain a large workspace.” Red Son said. “And a suitable garage, along with some sort of area to test out new vehicles.” 

“Mmmhmm.” MK snuggled closer to Red Son. He tried his best to keep his voice from cracking at the warmth of MK’s body against his. 

“A training ground for the two of us would be nice as well.” Red Son thought out loud. “Somewhere I can hone my skills and you can hone yours. And maybe–maybe some sort of art studio.” 

“I didn’t know you liked art.” MK tilted his head.

“Not for me, moron.” Red Son scoffed. “For you. ”

“...Oh.” MK’s eyes widened. “That…that would be nice.” He like he’d never considered the possibility of having a space like that in his home, 

“Maybe…it could have a lot of plants. And a bunch of windows, so they get plenty of sun.” MK held Red Son a little tighter. “And some of those big, fancy figurine shelves for all of my Monkey King Action Figures? O-or for my limited edition comics.” 

He began to properly brainstorm now, whisking himself away with all the possibilities. “I could have an easel. I’ve always wanted to get into painting, but all the materials are waaay, too expensive Or-wait!” MK gasped. “I can mold the stuff out of clay, and then you can bake it! It’s genius dude, we gotta do that–”

Despite how sleepy MK had been earlier, his energy came bounding out now, excitedly describing to Red Son how exactly he’d become an oven for clayworks. Red Son didn’t mind the idea much–although he was alarmed by MK casually mentioning the works would explode when heated if they had any air bubbles in them. Regardless though, Red Son found that he liked the idea of making art with MK. He liked being a part of that process, as a canvas, as a subject and now, as an oven. 

“If that’s what you want, Noodle Boy.” Red Son sighed dreamily, giving MK a small kiss. “I’ll give it.” 

MK laughed. “So, is Noodle Boy my official pet name or something? Because we’ve been dating for a while, and you still call me that.”

Red Son blinked, surprised. “Do you not like it?” 

“No, no, it’s not that.” MK shook his head. “It’s just–I dunno. I always hear your parents calling each other stuff like my love or my dear or darling whenever I meet them for dinner. I’m just kinda surprised you don’t do the same.” 

Oh. The Demon Bull Family had a shared habit of giving other people nicknames, whether that meant some disparaging title for their enemy, or some sweet pet name for each other. It was pretty rare for Princess Iron Fan or Demon Bull King to call each other by their names. More often than not, it was some gooey pet name like that. Even Red Son didn’t escape it–Princess Iron Fan would call him dear or darling or sweet boy. 

Somehow though, MK hadn’t gained any of those pet names. Red Son would still call him Noodle Boy, and even if he said it with a love sick smile and a grossly sappy tone, it was still the same nickname he used back when they were enemies. Maybe MK had a point. Maybe he should give MK a pet name. 

They’d all suit him, of course. Darling or dear or love or something entirely new. But as Red Son looked over at MK’s smiling, expectant face, he couldn’t help but get flustered. His lip quivered and he let out a groan as he buried his head into MK’s neck. Something about calling MK any of those things made Red Son’s face go beet red with embarrassment. 

MK didn’t seem to mind though. He just laughed, a hand reaching over to rub Red Son’s back. “Awww, it’s okay hun.” He cooed. “I can do the pet names.” 

MK said hun casually, but the word still made Red Son’s ears burn.  

“I-I want to.” He stammered into MK’s shirt. “It’s just-I’m just-you-” 

MK laughed again. “You need time. I get it.” 

MK cupped Red Son’s face and lifted it up so they were looking at each other. And for just a moment, Red Son reasoned that he could live in some cooped up Megapolis apartment with low ceilings and no garages if it meant having MK’s hands cupping his face every night.  

“...I’ll get it eventually.” Red Son promised. “I’ll call you every sweet thing you deserve.” 

“Idiot.” Red Son grunted, tightening the gauze he was wrapping around MK’s leg. “Absolute idiot.”

“I wasn’t an idiot the last six times you’ve said it.” MK huffed. “And I’m definitely not an idiot now.” 

Red Son didn’t humor MK with a response there, fluffing another pillow to put under MK’s head. His hands still had some blood on them from patching up MK’s wounds, but to be honest, he didn’t have it in him to care about staining MK’s cheap pillowcases. 

It had been maybe, two, three in the morning when Mei had called Red Son up to inform him of what happened. What was supposed to be a small skirmish with a small fry demon turned into the destruction of a massive apartment building in Megapolis. After MK had defeated the demon, he ran back inside the building, trying to grab as many people as possible and bring them to safety. According to Mei, MK had insisted he could just “walk off” the various injuries he got from the demon and falling debris, but considering the amount of blood dripping down his leg, she made him sit out as other rescue teams and the rest of the crew searched for survivors. 

Mei was probably half way through explaining all this by the time Red Son had driven out the fortress. By the time he’d made it to the scene, MK was still insisting to Pigsy he could fight, trying to sneak out the Delivery truck Mei had shoved him into. MK pleaded with Red Son to at least let them stay there until he knew the casualty numbers, but Red Son dragged him back to his apartment anyway to nurse his injuries. 

Thankfully, the wound on MK’s leg didn’t hit any major arteries. The wound was still deep though, to the point that when MK tried to walk up the ladder to his apartment, he almost tripped, so Red Son wasn’t letting him move an inch. He had some other injuries as well– some more cuts, some bruising, a particularly ugly looking gash on the side of his head–but nothing so bad Red Son would have to rush him to the hospital. 

But it looked terrifying. The blood sliding down MK’s cheek. The bruises on his arms. The tears in his jacket from falling debris. The way one of his socks stained a dark, ugly shade of burgundy, from all the blood dripping down his leg. Even when they were enemies, Red Son had never imagined an image as brutal as MK’s blood on his hands. He kept going back to the sink to wash it off, something deep in his stomach churning over it. 

He’d admit, he probably should’ve been nicer to MK. More doting, or affectionate. But Red Son always felt angry before he processed anything else. And MK was reeeally pissing him off.

“You could’ve done all of this in the truck.” MK pointed out. “I told you I wanted to stay until I knew everyone was safe.” 

“You can find out how the damage is tomorrow. On the news. ” Red Son slipped another pillow under MK. 

MK sputtered at that, sitting up to glare at Red Son. “But that’s not-” 

“It’s not what??? Fair??” Red Son jeered. 

“It’s not right. ” MK snapped back. “I’m the hero of the city. I shouldn’t be here. I should be–”

“What? Running back in there again? Tearing apart all the bandages I just wrapped up?”Red Son crossed his arms. “You say you just wanted to stay so you could hear about the casualties, but we both know you’re lying. You wanted to stay so that you could jump back in the fray the moment I finished patching you up.” 

MK’s face contorted into some swirl of emotions–embarrassment, anger, frustration. He looked up at Red Son, lip twitching. “W-well what am I supposed to do?!” He yelled. “Just sit back??” 

“Yes you idiot! ” Red Son hissed. “Mei and the others are more than capable of rescuing everyone else. There were legions of human responders going into the scene. All while you limped your way through a crumbling building!” 

“I had it covered!” MK shouted. “You think this is the first time I’ve been hurt on the job? You think I haven’t gotten hurt worse than this?! This is nothing! ” 

It certainly didn’t look like nothing—not even now, after Red Son had patched everything up and knew he would be safe. There was still dried blood on MK’s calf, ugly purple marks all along his shoulder and arms from debris falling on top of him. Those wounds might not be fatal, but they’d certainly go beyond the surface level. MK couldn’t climb a fucking ladder, but he wanted to run back into a collapsing building saying it was nothing?! 

Red Son stomped over to the sink to wash his hands for what felt like the hundredth time. He probably put a liter of apple-scented soap in his hands, trying his best to wash away the metallic scent of blood. 

“How could you possibly be so blase about this?” He asked. 

“Dude.” MK rolled his eyes. “I fought the Lady Bone Demon and survived. This wasn’t exactly a world ending threat.” 

Red Son could have popped a blood vessel.

“It doesn’t need to be a world ending threat for it to be dangerous. ” He snapped. “Which this clearly was. ”

MK let out a grunt. Red Son could hear him fussing with his blanket. “I think you’re being a bit overdrama-”

“Do NOT call me over dramatic!” Red Son flew back to MK, seething. “ You’re the one being completely unreasonable here!” 

“And you’re the one being a dick !” MK hissed right back. “You’re acting like I’m some kind of moron when all I’m doing is trying to help people!! ” 

“Well you’re doing it BADLY!” Red Son shouted. “What good a hero will you be if you die in the process? 

MK fell back onto his pillows with a soft thump, crossing his arms and looking away from Red Son.

 “Look I-I had this handled, okay?” MK mumbled. “Yeah, this got dangerous, but I’ve figured stuff like this out before. I didn’t need you to do this.” 

“You didn’t need me to do what?” Red Son asked, voice dripping in anger. MK opened his mouth and then closed it, biting his lip. It was clear he hadn’t exactly thought his words out. 

“You didn’t need me to come here? To take care of you? Bring you to safety?” Red Son asked. “You think I should’ve just fallen back asleep after Mei called me?” 

Some of MK’s frustration faded away as he grimaced. Red Son looked down at the floor, hands trembling. 

“Of course I had to come. If I didn’t come, and you had died, do you have any idea what I’d– how I’d–” Red Son’s throat was hoarse, like some hideous creature had wrapped their hand around his neck to crush his windpipe.

Red Son fell back into MK’s desk chair, holding his head in his hands. His cheeks were wet against his palms. At some point, he must’ve started crying, but he couldn’t pinpoint when. 

“I just don’t want to lose you any sooner than I’ll have to.” He croaked out. 

The air was thick with silence. Even the ambiance of the city seemed to fade away in that little apartment. MK stared at him, all his anger sapped out. 

“...I thought you were okay with all that.” MK said. “Our lifespans being…different.” 

“...I-I know you’ll die before I do.” Red Son said. “But it’s still-I still-I don’t want to-” He shuddered, some miserable gasp leaving his throat involuntarily.

“Hey.” MK reached over even though it clearly hurt him to do so. “C’mere.” 

Red Son left the desk chair to kneel at MK’s bed, not wanting him to put any stress on his injuries. MK wiped a tear from Red Son’s face, brow knit with concern. It felt stupid, having MK comfort him when he was the one injured, but Red Son couldn’t stop himself from crying. 

“I know I put myself in a lot of scary situations. Being the Monkie Kid’s put me in waaay more life-or-death scenarios than I ever had as a Delivery Boy. Although, I did have some pretty close calls during rush hours.” MK laughed a bit at his own joke, but neither of them found it particularly funny. 

MK ran a hand through Red Son’s hair. The sensation alone made Red Son’s eyes water more. He rested his head on the edge of MK’s bed, crying into the sheets. 

“You’re right. If I wanna help people, I gotta be more careful. And tonight…” MK let out a weary sigh. “Tonight I should’ve been more careful.” 

Red Son kept crying into the sheets, his sole comfort being MK’s hand running through his hair. He hadn’t bothered putting it up in a ponytail when driving over. He must’ve had the worst bed head at the moment, but MK didn’t seem to mind, running his hands through the long red locks. 

“I know I’m still really, really bad about letting other people help me.” MK said. “And sometimes, I say stuff that's way meaner than I want it to be. But I’m glad you came.” He cupped Red Son’s cheek and lifted his head so their eyes would meet. “I’ll always be glad you came.” 

Red Son reached up to put his hand over MK’s, clinging onto the warmth of his palm. “I-I’m sorry.” He stammered. “I shouldn’t have been angry at you. I-I know you normally don’t get hurt seriously when working, so when Mei called, I just-” 

“No, no. I get it.” MK insisted. “I’m gonna be more careful. And if I need to fall back, then I will.” He gave Red Son a small, tired smile. “Come into the bed with me?”

Red Son frowned, wiping away his tears. “Your bed’s already too small for us, you need all the space you can–” 

“Please?” MK pleaded. 

It was all he needed to say for Red Son to slowly, carefully, climb into bed next to MK, making sure he didn’t put pressure on any bruises or bandaged wounds. MK grabbed onto Red Son’s hand, his thumb grazing over the dried skin of Red Son’s knuckles. 

“Do you ever regret it?” MK asked, voice high and nervous. “Being with me?”

“No.” Red Son asserted immediately. “Of course I don’t.” He squeezed MK’s hand. “I know it’ll hurt to lose you, but that’s not-I don’t-it’s-”

MK didn’t urge him to finish his sentence when words failed Red Son. He lifted up Red Son’s hands to kiss his knuckles, a small, loving smile on his face. 

“Y’know, maybe I’ll live forever.” He joked, always one to lighten the mood. “I mean, it’s already weird enough for a delivery boy to have Monkey King powers. Maybe one of all those immortal peaches he ate will rub off me.” 

Red Son let out a small laugh. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” 

“I’m just saying.” MK shrugged. “I got all the powers: maybe I got a stone monkey lifespan to boot.” 

As nice as that sounded, Red Son didn’t plan on putting any stock in that theory. He’d admit–a human having Monkey King’s powers was strange. But there wasn’t any evidence at the moment pointing to a possibility of MK being anything but human. So he wouldn’t get his hopes up. 

“I think about it sometimes, y’know.” MK’s smile faded a bit as he looked up at the ceiling. “I try not to, but I can’t help it. Like, when I’m all old and wrinkly, will you still look young? When we’re on dates, are people gonna call me your grandpa?” 

Red Son laughed at that, the question so absurd he fully stopped crying. 

 “Seriously!” MK raised up his less injured arm. “I worry about this stuff! People might think I’m your like, weird sugar daddy or something!!”

“What on earth is a sugar daddy?” Red Son asked between fits of laughter. 

It must’ve meant something bad, because MK’s face turned beet red. “I-I’m not explaining that to you right now.”  

Red Son only laughed harder at that. MK broke into a grin too, laughing even though it clearly hurt his chest to do so. 

Eventually, when Red Son’s giggles died down, MK sighed. “Point is, it’s weird to think about. Knowing that I’m gonna die before you, I feel almost… bad for being a human?” 

Red Son started to protest at that, but MK continued. “I know it’s kind of silly. I just–I dunno. I don’t think it’s fair that I get to have you for the rest of my life, but you don’t get to have me.”

He turned to Red Son, a small smile on his face. “But we’ll figure this all out, right? Find some way to stay together as long as we can.” He asked. “Maybe I can haunt you as a ghost.”

Red Son laughed again, and MK giggled too, looking over at Red Son with a goofy looking grin. 

“That sounds like an awful idea.” Red Son wiped a final stray tear from his eyes 

“Well, I’ll file it as a maybe.” MK concluded. “For now though, let’s not fight too much? I gotta save my energy for fighting demons I don’t like.” 

“Alright, alright.” Red Son chuckled. “But if you annoy me too much, then it’s your own fault.” 

MK grunted “You’re lucky I’m too injured to throw you off the bed.” 

Red Son chuckled, and MK’s smile melted into something warm and lopsided. A little sad, yes, but still overwhelmingly affectionate. He reached over to brush some hair from Red Son’s face, his touch careful and soft. 

“I dunno how long I’ll live for.” MK murmured.  “But, I’m happy you’ll be there with me.” 

Red Son turned his face to MK’s hand and kissed his palm, trying his best to cling to the warmth. Even if he’d only have MK for a little less than a century, or if some villain took him away, at least he’d have him for this flickering moment. At least Red Son would have the privilege of making sure every moment MK spent with him was happy. 

Red Son never really thought he’d step foot on Flower Fruit Mountain. 

Sure, world domination sort of required defeating Sun Wukong, but he still never really imagined being in his home turf. He’d never really imagined meeting Monkey King anyways. Sure, he’d seen him–patting MK’s back after the Spider Queen’s Invasion, eating noodles after the defeat of the Lady Bone Demon–but it’s not like Red Son really ever interacted with him. He didn’t think that gut punch from Monkey King back when he was possessed counted.

Red Son didn’t know Monkey King all that much beyond the stories his parents told and the ones they couldn’t bring themselves to. For most of his life, the Monkey King had loomed over him, a cruel specter that tore his family apart and wrenched his joyful childhood days out of his hands. He was a foolish old ape, a vainglorious chimp. But he was still one of the most powerful beings alive. Red Son took each step with a bit more trepidation than he’d readily admit. Even MK squeezing his hand could only calm him so much. 

Red Son didn’t know why Monkey King had invited him to watch him and MK train. MK didn’t seem to know why either. To be honest, Red Son wasn’t sure why exactly he agreed to go. But he did. So now, he was here, at Flower Fruit Mountain. 

It was, admittedly, as beautiful as all those poems claimed. The ocean was clear and turquoise blue, waves softly rocking against the shore. The sand was a pale shade of yellow, impossibly soft and devoid of any rigid rocks or rubbish. The sun was warm against Red Son’s back. The wind cooled his skin, and carried with it the scent of sweet flowers. Just past the beach, Red Son could see tall trees, with playful monkeys and juicy fruit hanging from the branches. And of course, if he looked beyond that, he could see the tall peaks of Flower Fruit Mountain, intimidating and majestic all the same. 

MK led him through the mountain, up the long winding steps and across the small pond. Red Son accidentally slipped on a stone and fell into the water at one point, but a quick spurt of flames dried him off (even if his face still burned in embarrassment.) MK placed the palm of his hand on the waterfall, and a gorgeous gold light came out, an ancient charm unlocking the Monkey King’s home to the two of them. 

The Monkey King was…well, he was about how arrogant and annoying as Red Son assumed he’d be, saying hi to Red Son by clapping him on the back so hard there would surely be a mark. But he was also…well… 

Standing next to him, the Monkey King was shorter than Red Son expected–which, sure, made sense, Sun Wukong was a monkey, and they didn't get that big, but it still threw him off to be taller than the Monkey King. He still hadn’t thrown on his chestplate yet, so when he stretched to yawn, his shirt hiked up a bit to reveal a bit of a gut. And that wasn’t bad, of course, but he’d always thought Monkey King would be all lean muscle, a gymnast and a warrior put in one. Red Son expected the image of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven that poets sang of and his parents despised, but Monkey King seemed exceptionally normal to him. 

There was some part of him that was horrified to be in the presence of his father’s warden. It’d probably always be there, an ever-open wound from five hundred years ago. But to be honest, seeing the Monkey King struggle to open a bag of chips sort of undercut his awe inspiring power. But then again, maybe it was all of MK’s stories about training with Sun Wukong that softened his image to Red Son somewhat. It certainly softened it enough that Red Son agreed to come here without reinforcements. 

For most of his time on Flower Fruit Mountain, Red Son sat quietly and watched MK train with Monkey King. It was honestly a bit scary just how little the Monkey King held back. He’d sent fistfuls of hair clones at MK. He’d use trees as javelins and boulders as missiles. It was clear that “bit of a gut” Red Son saw earlier hadn’t done anything at all to affect the Monkey King’s strength. 

But, MK seemed to keep in step with him. He took down the clones, weaved through the trees, leaped over boulders. Sure, he was breaking a sweat, and he almost tripped over himself a couple times, but overall, he was holding his own. 

Watching MK counter the Monkey King’s every move, Red Son couldn’t help but sit there, amazed. He knew MK was strong, but he’d really underestimated just how powerful he was. Frankly, he was thankful they weren’t enemies anymore. He’d gone home limping when MK barely had any training–he could only imagine the damage he’d do now. 

And well, Red Son would admit, he did feel a small sense of pride watching MK land a hit on the Monkey King. He’d have to treat him to a nice dinner for this particular view. 

It was only when MK was off cleaning Monkey King’s house (something that he claimed was training but that Red Son suspected was just chores he didn’t want to do) that Sun Wukong slinked over and sat next to Red Son, letting out a noise of relief as he stretched his back. 

“So,” Monkey King cracked a smile. “You and MK.” 

“...Yes.” Red Son replied quietly. “Me and MK.” 

Monkey King leaned back against the trunk of a palm tree. “How long have you been together now? A while, right?” 

“...Almost a year.” Red Son mumbled. Ten months, two weeks, and six days, to be exact, but who was counting? 

“Yeah. So, it’s probably a bit too late for any ‘you hurt him, I hurt you’ talk.” The Monkey King laughed. 

Oh. Red Son sighed with relief. He had been a bit worried that was why Sun Wukong had invited him there–he was thankful he wouldn’t have to experience what would’ve been the world’s most traumatic shovel talk. 

“S’not like you two need it anyways.” Monkey King elbowed the tree behind him with so much force a coconut fell from it. He grabbed it with his free hand–a move he’d probably mastered over the centuries. “MK’s a good kid. And he’s got a pretty keen eye when it comes to who he should trust and who he shouldn’t. If he thinks you’re the one, then you probably are.”

That was true. MK was generally pretty trusting, but he knew who to offer his trust to and when.  He could always read people like a billboard. So, MK allying with him even back when they were enemies meant a lot. 

And to be honest, the thought of being MK’s “one” was…uhh…

Okay, Red Son could not afford to look sappy in front of the Monkey King. He coughed into his first, forcing himself to get his act together.

“So then why am I here?” Red Son asked. 

“What? I can’t invite my nephew to hang out with me?” Monkey King flicked the coconut hard enough for a chunk of the shell to break off. He took a long sip from it, the coconut water dribbling down his chin. 

“ Nephew? ” Red Son echoed incredulously. 

“I mean, you kind of are.” Monkey King shrugged. “Or you would’ve been, if the whole Sworn Brothers thing didn’t-uh-” Monkey King took another sip from his coconut. “Point is, I think I’m allowed to invite the guy my successor is bonded to over to my kingdom.” 

That was…fair enough, Red Son supposed. Weird, but fair. Although he didn't know how he felt about being Sun Wukong's nephew. 

“Speaking of the Sworn Brothers thing,” Monkey King’s tone felt a bit too forced to be casual. “When you get back to your place, let DBK know that he should come over at some point. To, y’know, talk about this.” 

“Talk about what?” Red Son asked, immediately on guard. He didn’t like the idea of leading his father into Sun Wukong’s territory. 

“I mean, his kid and my successor being bonded is kind of a big deal.” Monkey King pointed out. “And it seems like you guys really wanna make this work. So, I figured we should get together and talk that out. Along with, y’know, just catching up.” He dug his nails into the coconut to rip away some of the fruit, popping it into his mouth. 

At first, Red Son was confused. Was this supposed to be some sort of ploy to fight the Demon Bull King in his territory? Because it would be a terrible idea to try and get Red Son to lure him in. Especially considering that yeah, he and MK were together, and Monkey King fighting DBK would probably be weird for MK.  

But then, a small thought occurred to Red Son as he watched the Monkey King eat. Maybe…he really just wanted to talk. MK had told Red Son before that the Monkey King only had his subjects for company. Maybe in the five hundred years since he’d locked DBK away, he’d come to miss his old brother. 

“I can’t promise my father will come.” Red Son said. “I certainly can’t promise he won’t hold a grudge.” 

Monkey King sucked the air in through his teeth. “Fair, fair.” 

“But…” Red Son sighed, looking up at the bright sunny skies of Flower Fruit Mountain. “I’ll let him know.” 

Monkey King hummed at that, a small, relieved looking smile on his face as he chewed his coconut. It was odd seeing how gentle the Monkey King’s expression was–he’d always imagined him grinning or snarling, but never this serenely satisfied. 

Red Son stood up, wiping the dirt off his pants as he did. “You said there’s drinkable water nearby, yes?” 

“Yep. Just follow the path down that way-” Monkey King pointed to their left. “You should see it. Water’s fresher if you follow the source, buuuut if you don’t care about that you can just drink wherever you meet the river.” 

“Right.” Red Son stretched, looking down to see a monkey bound past him and clamber up Monkey King’s back. Monkey King chittered at him, taking a bite of the coconut fruit and spitting it out into smaller pieces for the monkey to eat. 

“But seriously. Be good to the kid.” Monkey King said. “Two of you share skin. You’re not gonna find that in anyone else–you don’t want to waste it.” 

His voice softened just slightly at the end there. Honestly, Red Son probably wouldn’t have noticed it if it weren’t for the way the little monkey on Sun Wukong’s shoulder tilted his head in concern. Monkey King broke off another piece of the coconut, tearing the flesh away from the shell to bite into smaller pieces again. Red Son stared at the Monkey King, and for just a moment, he wondered if that sage advice had come from experience.

He decided not to ask the Monkey King any personal questions. He had MK to probe for him. 

Red Son strode down the path Monkey King advised him to take, but after sitting down to drink, he didn’t bother going back. It was pretty rare for him to be somewhere with this much greenery, given that his family lived on the most barren piece of volcanic land this side of the hemisphere. Normally, volcanic activity made a region fertile, but somehow the Demon Bull Family found the only volcano surrounded by desert. So, Red Son took a moment to wander around Flower Fruit Mountain, plucking flowers and running his hands across the bark of exotic trees. 

A few minutes into his wandering, he stumbled onto a small cliffside that looked out at the beach. To his surprise, MK was sitting there, quietly looking out at the horizon. There was a small monkey sitting on MK’s lap, staring up at him with wide eyes as MK stroked its back. It was a cute sight–MK rarely looked as calm as he did then. Red Son was tempted not to interrupt the peaceful moment, but eventually, he approached. 

“Shouldn’t you be ‘training?’’” Red Son asked, sitting down next to MK. 

“Yeah. Just took out the garbage. Figured I’d relax a bit before arranging Monkey King’s treasure room. Again. ” MK groaned. “Living forever gives you waaay too much stuff.” 

Red Son rolled his eyes at that. How chores would train MK into being a proper successor for the laziest ape in the universe, he had no idea. 

Red Son looked down at the monkey who tilted his head at him and made a little chirping noise. “So, this is where you get all your references.” He snorted. “I’ve had probably a million monkey clambering all over me because of you.” 

“They’re cute!” MK protested. “I like monkeys, sue me. Your favorite animal’s a chicken. ” He nudged Red Son with his shoulder. 

MK touching Red Son seemed to show the monkey Red Son was a friend, because he immediately clambered up his arm. Red Son froze up, the feeling of tiny hands climbing up his shoulders and tugging at his hair unfamiliar and a bit uncomfortable. 

“Aww, he likes you!” MK laughed. “Let your hair down–he wants to comb for bugs.” 

Red Son gagged. “That won’t be necessary. There’s no bugs in my hair.” The monkey still tried to pick at Red Son’s hair anyway, digging through the thick red locks to pluck out small bits of dirt that had built up throughout the day. 

MK laughed at the sight, his smile warmer than the sun. He leaned back, looking out at the sea, the wind rustling his hair. He looked gorgeous. Well, he looked gorgeous pretty regularly, but something about the fragrant winds and the shining sun complimented MK particularly well. Red Son was almost tempted to joke that he seemed better suited in a home for monkeys than for humans. 

“The Monkey King wants my father to visit him.” Red Son told MK. “I never thought I’d say this, but I think he actually misses him.” 

MK tilted his head for a moment before shrugging. “Makes sense. I’d miss my friend if I trapped them under a rock for five hundred years.” 

“It’s strange to me.” Red Son said. “The Monkey King being remorseful was something I could’ve never predicted.” 

He sighed, leaning back to look out at the clear blue skies, the bright afternoon sun, the distant birds swooping down to catch their prey in the turquoise seas. “Then again, I suppose everything’s been changing.” Red Son thought out loud. “I shouldn’t really be surprised by this.” 

“Eh.” MK shrugged, tilting his head. “I don’t think things have changed that much.” 

Red Son snorted. “You’re kidding, right? Do you honestly think I’d have ever stepped foot on Flower Fruit Mountain?” 

“Okay, no, but I mean–” MK moved closer to Red Son “ –Stuff’s different, but it’s still kind of the same.” 

Red Son raised his eyebrow. “Elaborate.” 

The monkey crawled across Red Son’s shoulder to leap onto MK’s. MK scratched beneath the monkey’s chin, making it chitter in appreciation. “Well, I still fight demons and deliver noodles. Mei’s still posting live streams three times a week. Sandy still wants more cats, Tang and Pigsy still fight over noodles. And you’re still with me.” He shrugged. “So, even though stuff’s different, it’s pretty much the same.” 

Red Son stared at MK, wanting to push back. Obviously things were different. MK had dinners with the Demon Bull Family once a month. Red Son would tinker with Mei’s fighter jets to get it ready for fights against evil. The talks about househunting had shifted from fantasies whispered while cuddling to a serious discussion of the future. 

But things hadn’t really changed either. Demon Bull King would still watch the newest episode of  Cooking with Chang’e religiously, with Pigsy sitting right next to him. Princess Iron Fan still knew all the latest gossip about the demon world, eager to share it with a knowledge-hungry Tang. The bull clones still needed maintenance regularly. Mei still sent Red Son stupid cat videos. And MK was still MK–sitting right by his side. 

Red Son leaned over to kiss MK’s cheek. Everything had shifted. Nothing had really changed at all. 

It took ages for them to plan it. 

It started with an obscure news article Red Son picked up during his research into lost items of the Demon Bull Family. Then some cross referencing with satellite maps, After a couple niche research papers, and a barrage of questions from his parents, Red Son knew with certainty what he’d found. 

His parents were interested in it, of course, but the discovery had occurred while Demon Bull King and Princess Iron Fan were in the midst of trying to obtain an alliance with a distant demon family they’d lost contact with centuries ago. So, they told Red Son to scout it out, record any damage, and bring home any valuables that might have possibly survived all those centuries. In other words, Red Son would be the first to see it. And he knew exactly who to bring along. 

He’d probably met every single demon in Megapolis, making them swear not to attack the city for about a month or so. His pockets were concerningly light, and he now owed Jin and Yin two electric guitars. Still, Mei would be patrolling while MK was away, just so no one got the bright idea to invade the city while the Monkie Kid was gone. 

The trip took weeks of driving through mountains and valleys, across the countryside, with acres of farm lands and rice paddies as far as the eye could see. They’d driven using Red Son’s vehicles–that miserable Noodle Cart could barely handle a pothole, mountain roads would probably kill it for good. Most nights were spent in the truck or out camping, at MK’s request. He liked how the stars would shine so brightly in the countryside. Red Son figured he’d have to take him camping more often. 

When they actually got to the mountain they were looking for, the terrain was treacherous enough that they had to abandon the vehicle halfway through. That wasn’t really an issue–the mountain wasn’t the tallest, being enclosed by a series of larger valleys, and Red Son and MK were both strong enough to handle a hike like this. But still, the journey was laborious, and they were both tired from their travels. 

Most of the area was unrecognizable to Red Son. It made him worry that all his research had led him astray. But eventually, Red Son saw it in the distance. An old stone path, almost fully covered in dirt. Ancient plum trees, overgrown from the years left without any servants to trim its branches. The half-broken garden walls of Red Son’s childhood home. 

Everything was dirty, mossy, overgrown and half-destroyed, but Red Son recognized it anyways. He knew this back path from centuries ago, when servants would travel down to collect alms from villages. He used to wander through it on his own, careful not to step on any crack between the stones. And he used to pluck fresh plums from the trees, juice dripping down his chubby face and tiny hands. And he used to run through the garden, weaving past servants who demanded he wash the ink off his skin, leaping into peony bushes and barely hiding his laughter. 

He’d never thought he’d be here again. He didn’t really think it’d still be here at all. And seeing it now, he couldn't help but feel...he felt...

MK caught up to Red Son, leaning against him to catch his breath. It took a moment for him to realize what they were both staring at. “Is this it?” He asked. 

“...Yes.” Red Son replied, his voice strained with some emotion he wasn't sure he'd couldn't name. 

MK squeezed his hand before stepping forward. “C’mon. Let’s go check it out.” 

MK marched toward the garden, Red Son lagging behind. He couldn’t help but look around with every step, heart heavy with some mix of emotions he couldn’t name. He knew that after five hundred years being abandoned, it would look different. He’d prepared for that. But he hadn’t prepared for how much of it remained the same. He hadn’t really prepared himself for slipping into the same gate he had since he was a child, to see the same gardens.

Well, not exactly the same. 

MK frowned. “Where’s all the flowers?” He turned to Red Son. “You said your family used to grow peonies, right?” 

“Peonies grow in the spring, dear.” Red Son said. “It’s almost winter. Not to mention, no one’s taken care of this garden for centuries. ”

“Oh.” MK looked out at the garden. “That makes sense.” He fidgeted with the strings of his backpack before glancing over at Red Son. “I’m gonna go look around the garden for a bit anyways.” 

“I’ll be with you in a minute.” Red Son murmured back. 

MK nodded, giving Red Son’s hand one more squeeze before wandering off on his own. Red Son watched MK weave past some unfamiliar thorny bushes before looking over a small pond. He had a memory of Princess Iron Fan kneeling there, making sure Red Son didn’t fall in when he watched the goldfish swimming beneath it. Judging by the thick layer of algae covering the pond, Red Son doubted the goldfish population survived. 

Most of the foliage was either overgrown weeds that servants would have plucked away, or dead from centuries of neglect. The plum trees whose branches Red Son had seen peeking out over the garden wall looked barren. The roads around the garden were cut through by thick roots of the plants that had grown there while the Demon Bull Family was gone. The skeleton of Red Son’s old garden was there, sure, but it was an entirely different creature. And for just a moment, Red Son wondered if he had any right to be standing there at all. 

“Dude!!” MK kneeled over the pond, eyes wide. “There’s goldfish living here!!”

…Huh. 

Red Son watched MK peering into the pond and snorted, a fond smile curling up his face. Everything in the garden was terribly unfamiliar, but by far, the strangest thing to see was MK sitting where Red Son used to as a baby, watching the goldfish with an excited grin. Maybe not everything he knew was gone after all. 

A flash of yellow caught the corner of Red Son’s eye. There was some sort of flower growing underneath the thick bushes and dead leaves. Strange. It was autumn–nearly winter. Fall too late for flowers to bloom. 

Red Son knelt down, moving the branches and leaves aside. There were a bunch of flowers, probably around two feet tall–they probably would’ve grown taller if it weren’t for all the foliage in their way. Red Son plucked one of the flowers, standing up straight. He recognized it immediately. 

A chrysanthemum. A wild one, surely, since there had never been chrysanthemums growing in the Demon Bull Family’s garden before. Red Son couldn’t help but laugh. There had to be some god up in the Celestial Realm that loved to tease him–this felt far too poetic for it to be coincidence. 

But then again, maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe it was some happy moment of chance. That was really all soulmates were, right? An accident of fate, that Red Son could choose to discard or to press to his chest, close to his heart. 

“Red Sooooon!” MK ran over to Red Son, grinning widely. “You have to see the goldfish, c’mon-” 

MK spotted the flower in Red Son’s hands. “Oh, wow.” He moved closer to the chrysanthemum, staring at it in wonder. “I thought you said flowers didn’t bloom this time of year.”

“ Peonies don’t.” Red Son corrected him, handing the flower to MK. “But chrysanthemums do.” 

Red Son didn’t know much about flowers, but he’d read poetry about chrysanthemums as a child. It was the flower of autumn, blossoming when the world faded into dull brown and dead white. They’d even last during the start of the winter, withstanding the bitter frost the best it could. Plum blossoms would bloom late in the winter, marking its end, but chrysanthemums were a sign of joy and longevity. Of a long and happy life, despite the bitter cold ahead. The last bit of color and hope. 

“We can come back here in the spring.” MK said, tucking the chrysanthemum behind his ear. “To see if the peonies are still around.” 

No wonder MK loves chrysanthemums. Red Son thought to himself. They suit him perfectly. 

Red Son leaned over to kiss MK. The petals of the chrysanthemum brushed up against Red Son’s temple as MK kissed back, wrapping his arms around him. They could kiss a thousand times each day and Red Son would still feel the same thrill as he did from their first, back in MK’s little apartment above Pigsy’s. 

“We should look in the palace first.” Red Son said. “See if there’s anything to bring back home.”

“Sounds good.” MK grabbed Red Son’s hands, swinging them back and forth. “But after that, we look at the goldfish.” 

“Ah, so you finally let go of your irrational hatred of goldfish.” Red Son mused. 

“Goldfish the animals are fine. Goldfish demons have another thing coming.” MK grumbled. 

Red Son raised his eyebrow. “Xiaotian, my love, how long are you going to hold that grudge?" 

“That’s besides the point.” MK replied a little too quickly.

Red Son laughed at that, pressing another kiss onto MK’s lips. He rested his forehead against MK’s, a lovesick smile on his face. 

“Come on." Red Son murmured. “Let’s head inside.” 

Red Son walked over to the ruined palace, MK’s hand in his. It was overgrown, fragile, unfamiliar and intimate all at once. They took careful steps from room to room, taking note of the decay over the centuries, picking up small shards of pottery that Red Son remembered sitting on high shelves. Red Son guided MK through his old home, recalling stories of his childhood to his soulmate. And finally, finally, he made the halls echo with laughter.