Rewrite of A Third Mentor

But I'm Safe and Sound When You Hold Me

He's inconsolable.

"I've never done anything! All my life has been working with Pigsy, listening to Mr. Tang! Hanging out with Mei! A-And I love them, but I had so much more planned!" 

He's deaf to your attempts to coax his breathing, continuing to ramble every single thing that comes into his head. Fluffy brown locks tickle your cheek as he presses impossibly close, seeking comfort in your body heat. 

"I wanted travel! I wanted to see the seven wonders of the world! I wanted to fall in love and find someone! I-I dunno, I just-" Mk begins to run out of steam. It's clear that, while he still has more to say, his brain is too overwhelmed to form any sentences. His body still quakes, and his fingers dig into your shirt. Newly developed claws threaten to split the fabric into ribbons, but the tips are still barely just too dull to act on that promise.

Your heart aches. It feels like an orange, freshly plucked, being pressed into a juicer. Squeezed for all its worth. 

"Oh, Mk..." There isn't much you can think to do. There isn't much you can do. As much as you want to curl around him and keep him tucked away, safe from the world, you know you can't. 

He's a wreck as he rambles, all puffy eyes and blotchy skin.

"And I can't stop thinking about what she said! I.. I feel like there's more on the way. More things more danger! And I'm scared, [name]."

He sobs and sobs, crying until he can't anymore, at which point, he manages to fall asleep in your arms. 

Normally, you would leave after he falls asleep, but not this time. Not after seeing him break like that. This time you stay, wrapped around him and humming softly until sleep takes you as well.

Morning arrives with the sound of birds and snoring. Mk is an early riser typically, but it seems he was really tuckered out seeing as it is currently 9am. They need the rest. His face is a bit sunken and he has eyebags under his eyebags. It's not the look of a healthy adult, and it makes your heart ache for him. 

He'll most definitely be hungry when he wakes up. Crying works up an appetite, after all. So, despite your reluctance, you manage to wiggle out of his bed without waking him up.

His house is a fucking mess. He'll get a break this time due to... yeah. But after that, he's definitely due for a lecture on cleanliness. Adding a mental note to clean up after breakfast, you shuffle through the clothes and god-knows-what-else on his floor. All the way to the small kitchen he's got. 

Truthfully, you don't know how to cook much, so you settle for making him some pancakes. Comfort food is the best in times like these. Plus, it gives you time to think. Up until this point, you had been dissociated from the overwhelming emotions that came from fighting that bone witch. You had to shut down, lest you become dead weight to the group. You heard Macaque's story in the theatre, though you had left with Mk when he went to get snacks, so you avoided the lantern. It didn't take long to piece the story together after Macaque revealed who he was. 

And after Monkey King left Mk for so long, leaving them to deal with everything by himself, you find yourself agreeing with the shadow demon on the king's tendency to leave other's behind. If he was able to leave behind his... whatever Macaque was to him, you dread to think what would happen should he deem you no longer useful.

 You still hate Sun Wukong for just up and leaving. Not to mention how his actions, or, well, inaction, caused Mei to almost die. Sure, Macaque had a major role to play in that as well, but if Wukong had been upfront in the first place, Macaque probably wouldn't have had the chance to force Tang into performing the ritual and almost set the world ablaze. 

Your thoughts are jumbled and loud. Loud enough that you don't hear the soft knocking on Mk's door. What you do hear is Pigsy's voice calling out from the other side of the door.

"Kid? Xiaotian? You in here?" He doesn't enter right away, so you momentarily step away from the stove to open the door, simply smiling at him. "Oh, uh, hey [name]. What are ya doing here?" His face twitches with concern, no doubt worried about why you would stay the night. 

"Mk didn't want to be alone. I'll probably stay for a while." Your voice is a whisper so that you don't wake him up. He's a heavy sleeper, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Pigsy nods in understanding, his face softening significantly. 

"'s he doin' alright?-" The pig demon huffs at himself, "no, 'course he ain't. Not after what happened." You move aside to let him in to the apartment, returning to the stove so that you can finally put the pancakes in the pan. Even as you move, you can feel the weight of Pigsy's stare on your back. The silence of the room is broken up by the sizzle of the pan as you cook and the occasional sigh from the demon next to you. Eventually he speaks again. "Didn't know you could cook."

"Can't, really." Your voice is quiet. Flipping the pancake, you glance over at him. "Well, can't cook much. Just the basics. Just figured they'd need something in his stomach." You're met with an agreeing nod. "He was a mess last night. If it's okay for me to ask, can you go easy on him for a while?"

"I already have him on a break for at least a week." You have to admit, you didn't think he'd be so on board. But then again, Pigsy is his dad. And that dad is currently looking like he wants nothing more than to bust down Mk's bedroom door and check every inch of the guy to make sure he's okay. 

Thankfully, he instead stays in the kitchen with you, helping now and then with the cooking, but mostly just staying out of the way. You get the feeling that, though he'd never admit it, Pigsy is just as shaken up by the Bone Demon ordeal. He hides it behind his usual harsh expression, but judging by how he'll glance toward Mk's room and how he sighs now and then that he's not holding up as well as he's pretending to.

The two of you stand in silence until the telltale creak of Mk's bed sounds out through the apartment. You can't help but listen in in case he needs you for something.

"[name]?..." The groggy sound of his voice has you grabbing a glass of water. There's no chance his throat won't be sore after crying so much. You can't help but recall the way he had been shrunk in on himself as he cried. Pigsy stands up straighter after hearing his son's voice, but you give him a reassuring smile.

"I got this. You go make sure Tang is okay, yeah?"

He hesitates for a minute, weighing the options. He trusts you, sure, but Mk is his son and he's beyond worried. However, Tang is messed up too. Everyone is. In the end, he agrees and takes his leave with a mumbled farewell. 

Mk hobbles out of the room not too long after, blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He looks a mess, hair sticking out this way and that, eyes baggy and puffy and red from crying. It hurts to look at. But you hide your worry beneath a small smile, instead presenting him with the pancakes you made just for him. 

You're stared at for a moment, as if Mk can't understand what you are offering him. Then, slowly, they reach out and take the plate with a quiet 'thank you'. Mk sets the plate down on the counter long enough for them to hop up and sit on it. He doesn't move when you tell him that the table is probably more comfortable. Instead, he shakes his head and only scoots a bit closer.

You find you're alright with that.

(Chapter title is from Safe and Sound - Hayd)

(Fun fact: Chapter titles are all from songs in my Mk playlist <3)