A Son Of Two Dad's

The truth

It was strange really. When MK had been seven, he'd wished that his parents would find him, would come back and apologize and tell him that they loved him, that they never wanted to leave him and then they'd take him home, loving him no matter what. 

As he grew older that wish had faded, slowly but surely though somewhere deep inside he'd always still been childishly hoping for that comfort, for that connection.

Then, he'd learned about the legendary Monkey King, an immortal who was a hero, who helped people and he'd been captivated. He was too old for wishing by then and yet some days he still let himself think about what it would have been like if Monkey King had been his dad, if he'd been powerful and raised by him instead. 

Monkey King wouldn't have abandoned him, he told himself. 

Monkey King wouldn't have cared that he made a lot of mistakes. 

Monkey King would have kept him. 

And yet here he was, staring at what was apparently his parent in the face, jaw refusing to move or work and he wasn't sure how to feel. 

Glad? That he'd finally found out where he came from? Mad? That he'd been alone for so long just so that Monkey King wouldn't have to deal with protecting him? 

The soft words earlier, the sadness, the grief in the Monkey Kings' voice had been easy to understand when he thought it had been for someone else and yet trying to connect that with him felt impossible when he had felt so abandoned and alone his whole life. 

He wanted to cry. he wanted to scream. He wanted a hug. 

"So... the other parent... that was- that was Macaque?" He asked, voice dry and scratchy and he felt as though he'd never blink again, eyes wide as he stared up at Sun Wukong who was too wrapped up in his own feelings to notice. 

"Yeah. It had been an accident at first, really. And then I wanted to keep him and Macaque didn't." 

His dad hadn't wanted to keep him. He'd been an accident. 

Then why was Macaque caring for him now? Letting MK call him dad and hug him if he'd never wanted MK in the first place? Did he know? He must have, he saw MK's Monkey form, saw all his powers and there was no way he hadn't made the connection. 

So why hadn't he said anything? Maybe he'd known from the moment they'd met. It was Macaque who'd approached him, after all. 

Maybe Wukong was right. Maybe Macaque had only been manipulating him after all. 

The thought made his chest ache, heart burning inside him and suddenly the room felt too small, too cramped. 

He had to know. 

MK felt his legs stand up, breathing coming out sharp and Sun Wukong looked at him, confused.  

"I have to- I have to go," he found himself saying, sounding panicked. 

"What?" The other asked, reaching a hand out and MK stumbled away, eyes wide. 

"I have to- I have to know. I have to ask." He didn't say his name but they both knew he was talking about Macaque even if Wukong didn't understand what MK did. Didn't know that MK was his- his son. 

Just thinking the word in his head made it all the more real and he went to leave, stopped by a tail wrapping around his arm. 

"You can't leave! The Lady Bone Demon is still out there! We have to work together and find a way to defeat-" 

"I DON'T CARE!" Wukong froze at the unprompted yell, the way MK was shaking slightly with his eyes squeezed shut. He took in a deep breath. 

"I don't care. I have to know." He left after that and Wukong didn't stop him.

MK felt like he must have been in shock because he didn't remember going back to the city, didn't remember shifting into a shadow and going straight past the danger, going right into his room where Macaque- his dad- was still waiting. 

He pulled out of the shadows and watched as Macaque pretended to be surprised, a smile showing on his dad's face. 

"Kid! You're back! What happened ou-" 

"You knew." MK interrupted him, his voice dark and emotionless. Macaque looked confused. 

"Kid, what are you talking about?" 

"YOU KNEW I WAS WUKONG'S SON, DIDN'T YOU?" He yelled out, the emotions bursting from his chest and leaving him feeling out of breath and dizzy. 

Macaque looked stumped. 

"I didn't- I-" This hadn't been part of his plan. 

"You- you were just using me, weren't you? Did you ever even care?" 

"Of course I do!" Macaque protested, scrambling out of bed and moving towards MK only to stop when his kid pulled away from him. It felt like he'd lost something in that moment, something important. 

"Don't lie to me! I know- I know you just wanted to get back at Wukong. I know you wanted to- to get rid of me when I was born!" MK cursed out, tears welling up in his eyes and Macaque took a second to figure out where he'd gone wrong. Maybe it was letting him go out alone, if he'd gone with him, MK wouldn't have found out, maybe. 

He wouldn't have been able to keep up the hurt, injured card if he'd have done that, though. 

"It was different back then!" And it was. When he'd first learned about Qi Xiaotian, about MK, he'd been- well- scared. He wouldn't have admitted it, not to anyone but having a kid meant having a weakness. 

Even Wukong had understood that in the end and giving MK up was probably the only reason the kid stood before him today, unhurt. Because Macaque had enemies. It was easier not to have something to hold him back. 

Looking at MK now, he couldn't say he still felt that way, though. Now, he only wished he could take it back because this kid, his kid, was a weakness Macaque was willing to have. 

Now, he couldn't bring himself to get rid of MK even if he'd wanted to. 

Macaque had gone soft. 

"Things are different now. I do care about you, MK! What happened in the past was- was a- a mistake!" And that had clearly been the wrong thing to say, the wrong word to use because MK turned away from him, scoffing. 

"Yeah, just like me, right? just one big, stupid, useless mistake." For once in his life, Macaque didn't know what to say.

He reached out but it was too late, MK was already wiping at his eyes, glaring at the floor before disappearing into the shadows, gone before Macaque could even utter a word. 

It took a second for the demon to realize that he'd been playing with a house of cards and it all had finally come down on top of him. 

(Aw look at that, Macaque really does care! Too bad it's a little too late though. Now everyone but Sun Wukong knows. Anyways, hope you enjoyed! It's been really nice having no responsibilities over Christmas cause I've had plenty of time to write and I really want to have this book finished by the time season 3 comes out. (Which needs to hurry up and get here because I hate waiting.) 

I'll stop rambling now, let me know what you thought, and see you all again soon!)