The Day The World Eclipsed || Lego Monkie Kid

Paint Jars

As the first rays of sun filtered through the canopy, Macaque stirred from his slumber to the gentle touch of tiny fingers stroking his cheeks. Pudgy paws were curling through darker tufts of fur, exploring and quietly cleaning.

Macaque stood statue-still, his eyes squeezed shut as he tried to make sense of the sensation.

The warm, comforting aroma of freshly baked sweet bread and the hint of creamy milk filled his nostrils. It was a scent he had come to associate with him, and as those little fingers touched his cheeks, Macaque knew it was his child without even seeing his face.

For the first time since meeting, his baby was grooming him~

Macaque's tail twitched uncontrollably, betraying his excitement and giving away the fact that he was awake. Hoping to maintain the illusion of sleep, he squeezed his eyes shut tightly and savored every second of Xiaotian's touch. His baby was messy in his grooming, often distracted from the intention of this bath. His Baba's face was more his toy right now if anything. This was absolute perfection in the eyes of the moon monkey.

The sun had just risen, casting a golden glow through the windows and onto Xiaotian's face. He hummed a cheerful tune as he sat snuggled between his parents on the bed, content to stay that way for as long as they would let him. His bright eyes sparkled with joy, despite being squished between them and puffing up his cheeks.

His attention was on his Baba's silky fur after all, which slipped between his fingers like rivers of black.

"Black fur~ Black fur~ It is a color. Black is a color~ I like the color~" Xiaotian sang, mesmerized by the darker colors that smell like plums and dirt. He liked dirt~ Often nuzzling closer to sniff it, he giggled when it tickled his nose.

Macaque lips curl into a smile as he listens to his son's sweet melody. The familiar warmth of shared mornings flooded back, and he savored the simplicity of having someone next to him again.

After what felt like an eternity, he mustered the strength to flutter his eyelids open. At first his eyes required adjustment from slumber. He struggled to focus on his child's blurry features, and then, Xiaotian was crystal clear. Perfectly rounded cheeks, golden eyes, sun kissed eyelashes and his mouth forming the cutest little "o". The sun made him look angelic- and Macaque wondered if perhaps Xiaotian truly was.

"Good morning, little one," he whispered.

Xiaotian's high-pitched scream pierced through the dimly lit room, jolting Macaque fully awake and stinging his ears. His tiny hands were tugging at Macaque's cheeks, his big brown eyes wide with excitement and curiosity. "Baba, wake up?" he asked in his adorable toddler voice.

"I'm awake."

"Morning, Baba." Xiaotian touched his hand to Macaque's nose. His Baba smiled his pretty smile, pressing their foreheads together to nuzzle.

Content to just lay there for eternity if fate would allow, Macaque peered over Xiaotian's little head to notice a familiar sight of orange and light pink. Wukong was laying on the other side of the bed, sprawled on the mattress and his head turned from Macaque's view.

Oh... Right. He was here.

Xiaotian had his own tail curled around his Father's hand, and while Wukong seemed to be feigning sleep. Macaque could tell when he was faking it. Wukong snored, though the King didn't realize it himself. Lack of noise meant no actual sleeping.

Fake sleeping was a trick Wukong often used when he wanted to prolong when they would cuddle, or simply get a few more hours of being lazy. Macaque used to always indulge that....