A Son Of Two Dad's

I'm here

For a long moment, Macaque simply stared at the little bug nestled in his kids' curls, feeling an odd sense of familiarity, and then he saw the bug's tail, something normal ladybugs obviously didn't have and suddenly he was feeling stupid for not realizing sooner. 

"Oh." Of course Wukong hadn't left MK's side.

"Wukong." He was calling out his... something's name (Who was Wukong to him? A friend? More?) before he had the chance to stop himself, pulling his hands out of MK's hair and holding onto the kids' limp hand instead. 

"You can come out now you know. You're allowed to be in here." He was sure that Wukong had followed MK into the emergency room, hence the disguise, and wondered if he simply didn't know he could change back already or that they were not even in the emergency room anymore. Who knew where his mind was at the moment?

Based on the bug's lack of reaction, not even moving at his voice, obviously, he wasn't entirely present. Maybe he hadn't even noticed Macaque come in.    

"Wukong?" he called out the others' name again, it coming out softer than he'd intended it to and this time the little ladybug shuffled slightly, turning so its back was facing Macaque and curling up into the kids' hair further. 

So he had heard then. 

For whatever reason, Wukong was more comfortable in that form at the moment so Macaque wouldn't push even if he really wanted to be able to talk to the immortal and, strangely enough, hug him. 

Brushing that thought aside he went back to looking at MK, the beeping in the room rhythmic and steady. He timed his own breathing to it, breathing in and out as he stared at the kid on the bed who he'd grown to love more than he ever thought himself capable of. 

He wondered how long he could have had this, had him, them, if he hadn't been so stupid and blind all those years ago. 

Time ticked by as he sat there, Mei on the other side and Wukong hiding from the world and he hadn't realized just how long they'd all been in that position, seeking comfort, until Mei's stomach grumbled from where she was sat and he pulled his gaze away from MK to stare across at her and her embarrassed look. 

"Sorry." She grimaced and he waved her off. 

"Why don't you go get something from the vending machines to eat?" He suggested but she stared back at MK instead, clearly reluctant to leave him. 

"I'll keep watch here, he'll be okay." He added and even though she so obviously wanted to stay her stomach grumbled again and made the decision for her, making her sigh and let go of MK's right hand. 

"Okay, I'll be back soon." He had no doubt that she would and soon the door was shutting behind her and only Macaque, Wukong, and MK were left in the room. 

With Mei gone, a tension he couldn't explain crept up on him, his shoulders sagging like they were holding a tremendous weight and he leaned over so his face was pressed into the bed by MK's arm, breathing in deeply then letting out a breath. 

"Please wake up, kid." He said softly, words muffled into the sheets on the bed as he clutched at MK's hand, his thumbs rubbing circles into the kid's knuckles. 

"I swear I'm never letting you out of my sight again after this. You made us all worried. Mei especially. So you need to wake up and tell her you're okay otherwise she'll keep worrying about you and feeling guilty." As expected there was no response, not even a little twitch so he simply sighed again and closed his eyes, feeling deeply every year he'd been alive and just how tired he was.

Silence continued on after that, only the sound of the beeping echoing in the room until he heard a small buzzing noise, like small wings flapping together and he opened his eyes, watching as the tailed ladybug hovered, leaving the security of MK's hair. 

"Wukong?" In a flash of golden light there the immortal was, standing beside him with his tail drooped down low, eyes pointed at the ground, and looking absolutely awful. 

"Sorry," Wukong mumbled, digging his own nails into his hands hard enough to hurt. He didn't react to it though, not even a flinch as Macaque tried to think of something to say. 

"I just uh- I didn't want to talk for a bit." He continued sounding nothing like himself either, his words coming out watery like he was about to start crying at any moment and he looked so vulnerable that it made Macaque's chest ache.

He got the feeling that Mei's presence also had something to do with him hiding, not wanting her to see him like this but he wasn't going to ask so really he'd never know. 

"Wukong, what-" He really shouldn't be asking, not with how obviously shaken Wukong was but his mouth moved anyway before he could stop himself. 

"What happened?" He wasn't expecting the way tears fell from Wukong's eyes immediately at the question, his whole frame trembling as he sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out his paw towards MK's hand. 

Macaque's own hand was already holding MK's and he tightened his grip ever so slightly, not wanting to let go even if Wukong clearly needed the contact too but to his surprise Wukong simply looped his fingers around MK's wrist, holding onto it, and almost collapsing in relief once he had. Confusion made Macaque tilt his head for a moment, wondering why he'd chosen to hold his wrist like that before something clicked. 

His pule point. Wukong was holding two fingers over where you'd be able to feel someone's pulse, he understood with a dull detachment, feeling sick at the realization. 

As if the sound of their kid's heartbeat beeping through the room just wasn't enough. 

Wukong was staring down at MK with a strange expression on his face, looking haunted like he was expecting to see something else. 

"His heart stopped beating before we got here." He confessed suddenly, bluntly, the sentence coming out of nowhere and slamming into Macaque as he almost choked on his own tongue. 

"What?" And even though he knew MK's heart was obviously beating now, he couldn't help the way he paled at the statement, ice prickling down his back with a terror that curled to his toes.

"He stopped breathing and his lips were blue and he was so fucking still and I-" He broke off like he couldn't keep going, voice cracking as he started rocking back and forth slightly, clutching onto MK's wrist like it was the only thing keeping him here and grounded. 

"I was so scared, and then it happened again in the operating room and I really thought he was dead and he wasn't breathing for so, so long that time, and I- I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even hold his fucking hand, I couldn't move, I couldn't do anything but watch and-" He curled in on himself, tightening his free hand into a fist and biting down on it to stop himself from sobbing and Macaque's heart broke at the sight. 

It felt natural as he moved closer to the other, pulling his arm around his shoulders to hug him when Wukong moved suddenly and pushed himself into his chest, letting Macaque let go of MK to put both arms around him like he was hiding him from everything and anything. 

He heard Wukong's shaky breaths as he cried into him, clutching on like Macaque was a boat and he was drowning in an ocean, clutching onto the only thing keeping him afloat.   

"I'm here." He told him, holding on tightly and letting Wukong cry. He didn't say everything was okay because it wasn't, but he could be there for Wukong this time and hold him close until he felt a little less like he was breaking apart.

(My soft, traumatized boys. ಥ_ಥ I'm so sorry for putting you through that Wukong but at least we get Macaque comfort, right? Right? I'm so glad we get more Wukong and Macaque interactions cause I love them. 

But, let me know what you thought, I really love reading your guys' comments, and I'll see you guys soon!)