The days had passed. One by one, but fast and melting into each other. Macaque felt... weird. Out of place, to be more specific. He meet a few times with MK and a few times with him and his friends. He rather avoided Wukong if it was possible and stuck to the shadows for most of the time. The only thing that felt real to him right now were his little shadow plays. Even tho he knew very well that this was probably not the best way to cope with his past, venting through telling a dramatic tale somehow felt just right deep in his soul.

Yet last week was somehow worse than everything before. He practically wasn't getting out of his nest, covered in all blankets and pillows he could find around his small apartment. His ears were torturing him with the sounds of the past. And as much as he wanted, he could not stop thinking about it.

He tried watching some movies and scrolling the social media on the phone he got from Mei. She said they need to somehow contact him, and riding to the other end of the Megapolis every single time wasn't really convenient. Dragon-girl also made him all sorts of accounts on different apps. Well, at least thanks to that more people started coming to his theater. He must have admitted he liked the attention. But still, as much as he was an anti-fan of letting time fly while looking at the screen, he really wished that he could just focus on that little device right now and forget everything that was real. Unfortunately, the little device also happened to betray him, since everything that came up on his for-you-page reminded him, one way or the other, about his shitty mood or the Monkey King. Well, the algorithm sucks when it catches on to the pity party vibe. He threw the phone on the small table next to the nest with an angry growl.

It was the anniversary of the day he died.

His first, since he was given a second chance at living. And he didn't really know how to deal with it. It was as if he just realized he was dead. For how long that was, and this information just couldn't get to him. He was alive now, technically, but he still felt dead. As if Diyu never let go of his soul. He shivers at the thought of cold chains, keeping him in place. Not being able to escape, no matter how much he tried, he was not strong enough. And no matter how much he screamed and cried there was no one to come and save him.

He thought back to Diyu, oh how horrible it was. How cold, unbearable and painful. And he felt all of that again as if he had never gotten out. He shuffled in his nest and groaned in displeasure. And the sudden need flew through his mind. He needed to see his corpse. He needed to settle down with his past, and get a grip on himself. The life he had centuries ago ended and he just needed a new beginning. New start. But to do that he needed to accept and process his past, as painful as that might be. And he knew for sure that was going to be nothing but agony.

He got up. What's a better way to accept it than saying goodbye to his own old self. Literally. He had, for a second, thought of burying his own corpse, which probably was left where he had given the last breath, but then he realized that probably some wild animals ate them a long time ago. There wasn't really anyone to bury him back then. There most likely is nothing left except for dirt and a few plants. He remembered how his fight with Monkey King destroyed quite a big part of a place, probably making the earth not being able to fully recover for all those centuries.

Six-Eared covered himself in glamour again and slowly got out of all the soft sheets he gathered. He stretched out a little and dressed up quickly. One look in the mirror, to remind himself how miserable he looked right now. How weak he was for breaking under some stupid memories from over a century. He washed down his face, erasing dry paths that tears left on his chicks. He wanted to be there around the right time, and the night should fall in not even an hour.

The road itself seemed surprisingly short. Macaque was too deep in his thoughts to really feel the passing of time. He didn't even think about where he was going, he just felt he was going in a good direction. His mind to occupated with all the intrusive thoughts of how he wasn't really alive anymore. Of how maybe his life ended when it should have ended. And his coming back from Diyu, this desperate clinging to life, was just a pathetic wish of a tormented soul, that was never supposed to come true.

But it did.

And now he didn't know what to do. All his past life dreams and plans didn't make much sense now. It all just felt so out of place, so far away and he felt so exhausted and disconnected from reality...

Was he really alive?

__________________________

The surrounding happened to be green. So fucking green, that at first, he thought he had mistaken the places, but he chase away that thought quickly. Macaque somehow felt it was the right place. ' Well, Mother Nature was a truly strong and surprising force, apparently ' - he thought to himself, looking around. So many plants. He could tell what most of them were but not all. He wasn't sure he had ever even seen some of them. But sure as hell, the irony was in Nature flavor, since there were just so many mango and plump trees. He could taste how sweet the air was from their scent. Well, it made a small smile brush his lips, but not for long.

Now he was pretty sure his corpse must have been eaten by some animals or taken back to the earth by now. Even tho, he wanted to get to the center of what the past held and let his ears catch on to its painful scream for the last time. He hoped it would give him that blessed moment of peace and the possibility of letting go. Starting anew if he was lucky.

He wandered, the sweet smell bringing him a bit of comfort. That is till he heard someone cry. At first, it was slow and muffled. He furrowed his brows and froze for a few seconds. A thought of coming later came to his mind, but he needed this now. There was no way anyone will stop him from his plans. He could just shadow portal away whoever that was if needed.

So he moved forward. Not slowly, but using his shadows to muffle the sounds.

And then, came words .

And he stopped.

He knew this voice. It can be said, that he knew this voice too well. Rage rose in him before he could understand what the said words even meant. His fur bristled and his ears started flapping in anger.

'How dare he! How dare he come here! To come here today ?! Does he think it's funny?!'

He was getting closer to the sound. Every step feels heavier. Every move made his fur tense. He captures the sight of the Monkey King. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven on his knees, in the moon's glow, looking down to the ground, before some weird structure Six-Eared couldn't really focus on right now. He was like in some kind of trans. Bloodlust pushing him forward and buzzing in his ears making him dizzy.

"Moonlight..." he froze at the nickname he hadn't heard in so long. His ears at full alert moved to better hear what the rusty monkey was saying. The buzzing ceased, just like all the other sounds.

Macaque climbed up at one of the close mango trees, getting on one of the branches to get a better view.

"I know you're... alive. Again. That I could... Should tell this to your face. I really want to... But I just... can't. Whenever I see you, I get so angry... And we fight..." Monkey King seemed to have some trouble putting words into working sentences.

Macaque furrowed his brows ' Was he here only to complain? Ugh, he and this attitude of his... The audacity this monkey had! ' he clenched his hands and the shadows seemed to tense up a bit. His ears were again hearing a centuries-old argument.

" And I'm scared." Surprise passed the face of the black-furred monkey „That's why I can't talk with you. Why I'm avoiding you... and why you're also avoiding me."

' He noticed? '

„Hah... Can't really blame you." he stopped talking for a moment. He curled and uncurled his tail anxiously, looking somewhere to the moon. "I keep thinking of this day. A lot, Y' know... It was so long ago and I still can't forget the sight of you laying there, before me. Not moving. Covered in blood..." his hands started to shake a little so he hid them in his pockets. „I-. I've missed you so much. I still do. I don't know what got over me back then... One moment we were just arguing. We did that lots of times before, but... Then suddenly you were silent and still, and so- So fucking cold..." his voice broke in the middle „I've killed before and after that. I've harmed so many, but I never felt so sick with myself and with what I've done like that, that cursed day ..." his voice getting more hoarse from all the cries and from the way it rose sometimes „I know It's... I know I can't make us work again. I have no right to even try and ask for your forgiveness... But I know I did wrong... I shouldn't have hurt you, leave you... I wish it all happened differently. I miss you Liu'Er..." he hid his face in his hands, starting to sob again.

The old name made the first snap. Six ears now flooded the black monkey with how cold and distant it sounded the last time he heard it. The last time was the day he died, the day they fought, and the day his life lost all its meaning.

The pained expression on the king's face made a second one. Golden eyes filled with tears, and lips turned into a frown. All that torture illuminated by the moon's silver glow.

It made Macaque's guts twist. Rage moved him forward without letting him make a second thought.

„Yeah?! Well, fuck you!" Macaque couldn't take it anymore. Anger rushed through his veins. He jumped in King's direction and landed less than a meter away, immediately forcing him onto the ground.

„M-Macaque?!" Wukong's eyes widened and fur bristled when Six-Eared topped him, pushing him into the ground strongly „W-wait!" he tried to cover himself with his hands.

„What kind of mockery is even that?!" black simian grabbed him by his collar strongly, getting King's head above the ground „YOU are the one who's sad? You think it's YOU who suffered?! Are you shitting me ?!" his tail was lashing angrily from side to side, and his gaze lost its focus like a madman.

„No-! No, listen!" Wukong panicked. That was not a place to fight. It was a bad place to fight.

Not here.
Not today.
Not again .

„You really needed that fucking monk to feel regret?! To feel guilty about it?!" Macaque mocked, his voice full of disgust and anger. Baring his fangs at the other in rage.

„ — Don't bring him into this!" Monkey King spat suddenly. Anger rose in him quickly, but faded just as fast „I- I needed this! It made me better!" he tried to reason and justify his past actions, but was cut off short.

„Is that really what you think?!" he asked, outraged. His ears flapped angrily, filled with the haunting melody of his own past cries and begs for mercy "Tell me Sun Wukong! Was that lesson worth my life?!" his vision was now blurred with all the tears that he could no longer hold back „Was- Was I only that to you?! A lesson to learn? !" his grip loosen. He moved away a bit and hugged himself to stop the shaking of his own body. He looked to the side with an empty gaze „Was-! Was it really worth it for you..?" his voice seemed far away now, and his eyes stopped at the thing Wukong was sitting by before. A grave... His grave. With a small shrine. Huh ...

„NO!" the eyes of the towering monkey went wide for a few seconds. He looked to the other in disbelief, not knowing what to say. He has not expected the other to say that ... The bottom one also was surprised at how sure he sounded, but seeing an opportunity to calm the other down he continued "Macaque. It wasn't- It's just... No- You don't understand." Wukong's voice broke again but was caught speechless when fake golden eyes came back to a cold and sharp look and scanned him from top to bottom with an unreadable expression.

There was a moment of silence between them. Macaque heard how fast the other heartbeat was. Their breaths were fast and uneven. Their eyes locked in contact, both trying to read one another. The truth was they both didn't want to fight. That's not why any of them came here. But both as well were ready for a fight, which was shown in how tense their fur was, and how sensitive they both got to even the smallest movement.

Six-Eared monkey hated how a moment of looking into those golden orbs made him a bit calmer. ' It shouldn't have. ' - he thought, trying to not fall into them again, but not wanting to look away.

He almost hated how much he wanted to just bury himself in the body below. To simmer into a hug, into arms that once held him with such warmth and care, as if he was the most precious gem... To ask the other to repeat and repeat those words. Repeat them for long enough for him to believe at least...

Heavy exhale left Six-Eared mouth when he backed away from rusty simian. He took a few steps to the tombstone and sat down where the other was kneeling moments before.

„I think I understood enough." he started, his voice with not even a bit of emotion „You came to mourn." it was a statement „Like me." was added weirdly silently, as if he was ashamed of what said words meant.

„You-... Oh ." Wukong understood. He got up in a sitting position and moved his gaze to the grave „It's your first..." he started, not knowing how to form his thoughts into a sentence.

„Yeah. I'm still processing this." he curled his tail anxiously around his ankle, sight locked on a polished rock with a few engraved letters that he couldn't read through his still watered eyes.

„Liu'Er I..."

„Don't get this wrong." he stopped Wukong from talking. Clenching his fists harder. He turned to the rusty monkey with an angry look " I AM still angry with you. I still feel sick with you, and I still DO hate your guts." Wukong moved a bit further from black simian, but was stopped by the next sentence „ But today I really have no strength to fight." golden eyes looked at him still far away yet somehow calming „So, we can talk. A little. Since you said, you're afraid we would fight again. We just did, and I think I've had enough for today."

„So you've heard." not a question, it was obvious at this point Macaque had heard his monologue.

„Yeah. But not enough."

„What do you mean?" Wukong tilted his head to the side.

„I want you to tell me how you saw it. "

„What?" Monkey King furrowed his eyebrows " I don't think I follow..." he added, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck.

„ That day. I have enough ears to overhear that you have a different view on what happened back then." dark simian clarified, turning his gaze back to the old friend. His tail lashed a bit from side to side in growing annoyance, but he tried hard to endure it. To not show how stressed and still angry he was inside. Not give in to the urge to fight more.

„I... I don't think it's the best day to talk about it." Wukong's eyes run after the black tail, knowing all too well how this conversation might end.

„What day could be better than the day I died?" Macaque raised one eyebrow.

„You're alive now." rusty-furred stated, so surely that it kinda made the other monkey feel lost. So far away again, as if he wasn't in this situation at all. As he was just observing this from some faraway place.

„Yeah?" he looked at his hands, they seemed so blurry and unfamiliar, just like everything around him right now.

„What? What do you mean by " yeah " ?" Wukong mimicked the tone of his has-been-best friend "You're here. You're alive Macaque." he added with a wick, desperate smile wandering around his lips.

„It really doesn't feel like it..." Six-Eared whispered. He didn't plan to open up, to vent to the person that caused him to feel that way... Yet here he was, words just pouring out of his mouth "Why do I feel so numb? Like, I shouldn't be... BE? It's just... I don't know anymore."

„Don't talk like this Macaque." Monkey King felt weird, it wasn't like Macaque to be sincere, but what he said didn't sound like a lie either. And that was the most disturbing thing Wukong had ever heard...

„Why? That's how I feel. Like I shouldn't ever try to come back. Like it was a mistake to even want to be alive again, when in the end I still feel like I'm in Diyu..."

It really was just so unlike him. Didn't sit right in King's eyes. Macaque might not be the calmest and he always had a thing for dramatics. But he always cherished life more from the two of them. Maybe due to the fact, he wasn't immortal. That he had something to lose... And that's what made this situation so much worse. Wukong perfectly knew that he was the reason for the other feeling that way. He was the one that killed Macaque after all... He had his reasons, but those didn't excuse him.

„STOP!" rusty-furred monkey grabs the other's shoulders "You are alive! You're warm! You're moving! Your heart is beating! You- Please, you're no longer dead." his voice was so desperate, and his breathing was so fast...

Yet it all dimmed in Macaque's ears as if he was hearing a distant cry again and not words forming sentences from the person in front of him.

„I..." Wukong looked into his eyes. Seeing how empty they were, how his wish for all of this to be another lie; a scam, was denied him. He felt his own tears again running down his cheeks.

„I might not seem like it... but you just have no idea how happy I am that you're alive . That you're warm , moving , talking . Even when you're angry at me. Even if you're cursing my name. Even if you hate me . That's still better than you being dead, cold, unmoving. " Golden eyes lost focus, panic rose in his movement again, finally getting the attention of the other.

As much as he didn't want to, Macaque couldn't unsee the concern and guilt in golden eyes. He would love to stay blind to those, because those eyes started waking in him parts that he wanted to leave behind the most.

He really wanted to hold onto his hatred and urge for revenge. It was what brought him back, that was what kept him alive for this time and made him keep moving forward... Yet he couldn't just look at Wukong now and feel anything more than sadness .

Sadness over what they had lost. What they'll never have again. What he had doomed that day.

So Six-Eared tapped the ground next to him, looking back to the grave. Fortunately, Monkey King understood the gesture and sat beside him, taking his hand back. Still panicking, but now mostly on the inside.

Wukong moved his tail slowly towards black furred monkey, stopping at some point, but Macaque fastly, but as much unsure, tangled his tail with the rusty one. It was a surprise for both of them but no words were spoken for a long while.

The moon shone magically over the two monkeys lost in their own thoughts. In their own guilt and grief.

The night was clear and silent. The wind was zooming between many trees and flowers, yet it barely made any sound. Only other creatures, than two monkey demons, around here seemed to be fireflies, just floating around in peace, giving this place an even more magical aura.

"I assume it's your doing." Six-Eared hasn't moved his gaze from the gravestone.

"Yeah. Wanted to make you a better shrine too but I couldn't bring myself to come here besides your death anniversaries and... Well. Such a day is not good for work. And-" Wukong started to get lost in his words.

"I figured. You spelled half the words wrong." he looked to the other with a sarcastic grin.

"Wha-?! I did NOT!" rusty fur bristled, and pink marked face hitten up a bit, golden iris's looked between the ebony monkey and the cold stone "Did I?" he moved closer to the grave. Shame and embarrassment painted his face. In the end, Monkey King wasn't sure, and if he really wrote something wrongly? Och, it was a disaster. He wanted just to give his friend a worthy memorial... and apparently, he fucked up that too and now Macaque must feel so much worst with such a shitty tombstone.

"I'll fix it! I'll fix it!" he assured, plucking out a pair of his hair with a trembling hand, which after a moment, in a bright glow, turned into a chisel and a hammer.

However, before he could reach the stone with a metal tip, a darker hand appeared on his own. He looked up at the monkey standing over him. Macaque was still laughing a bit under his breath but he tried to calm down.

"Leave it be, I like it this way better." he assured "And you haven't made a mistake in my name, so It's fine." he added looking at the engraved words "Well I would be mad if you would misspell my name, but I also wouldn't be surprised."

Wukong didn't answer, he just backed away to the previous position, and Macaque did the same. Another silence fell between them, but this one was a bit lighter. Now their tails tangled more naturally and after a while Macaque even leaned on the side of Wukong. When golden eyes riched him he seemed to be lost in his thoughts again.

Well, Six-Eared was deep in his thoughts indeed. Again having an inner fight with himself. An internal conflict grew every second he was in this place. Total opposite to what dark simian hoped for obtaining by coming there. He wished to forget, to cut himself from his past life, move on, and never look back. Never make the same mistake.

Yet here he was, getting as much closure from his past friend as he could. Finally feeling safe and like at home again... Oh, how he hated everything about it. He was so fucking aware of all that was wrong with this situation, and he still couldn't resist that urge to just let himself forget for a moment and pretend those were simpler times again. That there was no betrayal, no fight, no death.

It pained him, knowing so damn well this moment won't last. Won't last forever, and that there is just no point in any of this anyway. They were just destined to fall apart. The Sun and The Moon never meant to touch each other. Always driving in different directions, getting closer just to leave again, bringing destruction upon one another.

The Sun destined to shine in the glory of the day, and The Moon to reflect this light in the shadows of the darkest of nights.

"Can I... See it?" Sun Wukong mumbled, breaking the silence, unsure.

"That depends on what you want to see." Ebony monkey looked at the other suspiciously yet a little happy to be drawn out of his own thoughts. They've been going in all but bright directions.

"You. The real you. " Wukong specified, almost whispering this. Playing in his fingers with a strand of his fur.

"Och. " he blinked a few times, a bit surprised by the request "Uhm." he looked away wondering, not really thinking over yes or no, but more about why.

"Please... I need this." his voice was almost begging, and how can a Warrior resist a begging King.

All illusions like an early mist fell slowly with grace. The false color of Shadow's glamoured orbs faded slowly into a sweet violet and a milky white. A nasty, never healed scar runs through his face now clearly for the world's eyes to see. Half fur on his head and on his left hand painted snowy white, as a reminder of LBD ice that once held him in chains.

Monkey King slowly, but not hesitantly ran his fingers over the edges of the scar. Six-Eared flinched slightly but didn't move away from the thought. He hated how he suddenly felt the need to give in. To just let his cheek fall into the palm of a rusty monkey.

"How... Did it felt?" another unsure question.

"What did what felt?

"... Death. Diyu? "

Cold wind bristled the fur of both of them. As if it came from underground itself just to say hello. Just to mess with them, and give them a small taste of its chills.

And there was another silence. Six-Eared looked dumbfounded to the other, too stunned to speak.

"You-You don't have to answer! It was stupid to ask... I shouldn't. "

"No. It's just... Why would you want to know anyway? That's... Not like you. To ask. '' his ears twitched and his tail moved from side to side in an anxious way.

"I... I want to know what damage I've done... What happened to you when I wasn't there... And... And I know you think I don't care... You have every right to think this way. But I do care... I always did. I-. I just... I-I don't know what came over me back then. One second we were just arguing and the next my hands were covered in your- your blood. And. And-..." and then he was hyperventilating again, worse than before. And his golden gaze lost its focus, pictures of the past flashed before his eyes. The sickening feeling of the blood of his own best friend on his hands overwhelmed him...

"Wukong." Macaque grabbed his shoulder firmly "Hey! Wukong calm down. We're not fighting right now, right?" he moved his paws to the cheeks of the panicking King to somehow get his attention.

Och, how was he gonna get through to that stupid monkey? How could he calm the Sun when he himself was on the verge of breaking down and exploding.

He looked into shuttering gold. It screamed for help into his soul so deeply he swore he could feel physical pain. His Ears perked up, glowing slightly. He tried to not let them drive him back to the past with all the sounds. And then he saw something more in those golden orbs. A small glow of his own ears reflecting in them and how they just immediately went after them, for a moment mesmerized instead of panicked. And that's how he got an idea...

"Wukong, do you remember what you said to me the first day we met?" he asked, showing his ears more, letting them glow a bit more and moving them slowly up and down. He almost chuckled seeing how golden orbs moved after them.

"Huh?" ah, he finally had his attention! That's a step.

"Do you remember what you said to me the first day we met?" he repeated. But there was only silence and a confused look on the rusty-furred monkey's face... "Yeah, I figured. It was so long ago..." he sighed with a small bitter smile on his lips. He moved his tail a little from side to side. He was gonna tell a tale they both knew, but Wukong was faster.

"I said your ears are like Aurora borealis."

Macaque looked surprised at him. That was right. Those were the first words he ever heard from him. Words his ears loved to repeat, as if they had a consciousness of their own and loved complements. Or rather just this one, specifically from the one and only Monkey King.

But now it was nothing more than a painful and bittersweet memory.

"And then you asked what that is." he continued looking less pale than a minute ago. In purple eyes that was a win.

"Yeah, and then I regretted asking. There was just no end to your talking." Macaque caught up with the story with a nostalgic smile "Tho later it happened to not be as annoying as I thought it was when you started." he added, looking back to the clear sky. Stars reflecting in the purple eye.

"What changed your mind?" Wukong asked curiously, finally calming down, and getting a bit closer to the other. Six-Eared pretended he didn't notice.

"At first I couldn't bear it. You were just so fucking loud . I felt my ears burning like hell. And just as I was about to break and leave, you noticed." a soft smile brushed his lips for a short while "You were still jumping from one place to the other like a madman, but you lowered your tone and somehow your voice became my favorite sound." he admitted not really thinking about it too much. Well if he was already so honest with Wukong he could let him in a little more. It can't hurt more than it already does anyway

Monkey King blushed upon hearing these words. Well, he had heard many compliments in his long life, mostly from his human fans or monkey subjects on Flower Fruit Mountain. Being the Great Sage Equal Heaven it really wasn't that surprising.

Yet this one complement made his heart skip a beat and words stuck in his throat. Because to be told, by someone with this sensitivity in hearing as Six Eared Macaque unquestionably had, that your voice was not just pleasant to hear or enjoyable , but that it was his favorite sound . Och . Och, that was a confession. A confession like no other. Even Sun Wukong, being as oblivious as he could, was able to recognize that.

Golden eyes froze on the side of the face of the black simian who still was stargazing. Sun wanted to say something back. Feeling like he also wanted to make his confession. But another wave of apologies he should tell first flooded his mind and halted him a bit. He wasn't even forgiven yet, and he was going to just take advantage of the moment they had. Of course old selfish and egocentric Wukong - he could hear the voice of a small Macaque in his head commenting on his plans - Give him an inch and he'll take a mile. - so he backed a bit, to gather his thoughts. But it appeared that his time run out and Six-Eared sitting next to him continued.

"Answering your previous question..." Macaque cleared his throat "Diyu was... well, cold, and dark... It was mostly lonely. Really lonely. Like you're gonna go crazy, kind of lonely. And I almost did. My ears went out of control. I didn't know where I was at times. Past? Present? Future? It all started to sound like a never-ending scream and it was hurting..." he automatically moved his hands to cover his ears for protection "Hurting so much I even tried ripping off my own ears. Memories mixed so much and were screaming at me so loudly, making me unable to forget. To forget you. It made me listen to all your sweet speeches and promises that were never fulfilled, just to strike me with the coldness of your voice the day you killed me..." Six-Eared curled and uncurled his tail anxiously and his ears flooded briefly "I screamed and cried for so long. I lost my voice and was only hearing my wail of the past echoing through the void. I just couldn't let go of that stupid hope someone would save me..." he pulled his knees closer to his chest and hugged them firmly "And then someone did. But it was not you... That's when Lady Bone Demon offered me a deal. She saw an opportunity in my pain and bitterness. How hate and rage grew in me. Well she was wrong, apparently, I haven't hated you this much to let her out." he smiled shortly, but it didn't reach his eyes "Well, she did find another way to get out, and bind me to the contract, but you already know the rest of this story."

There again was silence. Macaque was looking somewhere to the front, waiting for any reaction. not really knowing what kind of reaction to expect. He stupidly fought to at least feel a bit less heavy after letting all of this out. Well, it couldn't be easy for him even this once, couldn't it?

Wukong at the same time was at a loss for words again. He really wished he would be as well-spoken as Macaque at moments like those. He bit his lip, and moved his tail slowly from side to side, thinking. He knew he should choose his words carefully. He kinda wished he could just run away, and not deal with this situation. It was difficult, to say the least and was scared to fuck up again. But leaving now would make things even worse so that option was long off the table.

" Macaque... I..."

"Don't say you're sorry. Please..." it was so quiet that Wukong wished to have those six ears, because he barely heard that.

"Why?" he asks right away.

"Because then I won't be able to hate you... and it's already so hard to trick myself into thinking that I do."

"Liu'Er... Why do you want to hate me so badly, if- if you... Don't? Wouldn't it be better to... move on. Forget me and live a fully new life..." Monkey King really tried to not fuck up saying something wrongly, so he talked really slowly. His voice was a bit shaky no matter how hard he tried to mask it.

Yet he was met with another silence, for a while. He stressed a bit but looking at the other's expression Macaque was just as stressed as him, if not more. So he moved a bit to him and tangled their tails together, patiently waiting for black simian to gather his thoughts.

" Because... Because that's what brought me back. That's what kept me going all this time. Only really living think that's left of me... My reveng e... " he looked to the moon "I feel... So empty now... I'm- I'm scared to feel even more hollow without it... So senseless. And I hate it . I hate this is what is left of me. But I feel like there is nothing more. Just an empty shell of a monkey I used to be... No dreams, no purpose. All of that which made me me , lies here where you buried my body. Long dead and gone forever." he furrowed his brows, shifting his gaze to his own grave.

"Why?"

"What why ? You're asking really stupid questions today. Are you trying to annoy me?!" he looked to the other in frustration "You killed that in me, Sun Wukong. You killed me. You did this! And I hate the idea that you had a reason! That I made you do it! That it was all my fault!" purple orb glows in a warning, he grabs once again on Wukong's collar drawing him closer " Say it ! I know you think that! Say it's my fault! I dare you! " tears again run down his cheeks, angry screams falling into hysterical sobs.

Wukong bit the inside of his cheek, hesitating a bit. It pained him to see the other like this. Macaque should hate him. He had good reason to do so. And Wukong for centuries thought he did. Yet now it was clear the one Macaque hated most was not the Great Sage Equal Heaven but the Six-Eared himself.

Sun felt the grasp on his collar wicked, and the other backed away so he slowly but surely pulled the dark-furred monkey into a tight hug. Six-Eared froze at first, the fight or flight response crossed his mind. But once the realization hitten him, he snuggled into a rusty chest and let out a muffled sob. It was a hug, not an attack.

"It wasn't your fault..." the Sun spoke softly to the Moon "I fucked up. I should've talked with you back then..." added, what gained him a small pick from violet eyes.

"We both fucked up... A lot." was whispered into rusty fur.

"But I shouldn't have killed you. I've had a reason to fight you, but I had no right to take your life away from you... That's what I'm sorry for."

It sounded so weird. Macaque looked to the other in disbelief, as those words sounded just so genuine, yet calm. He really just liked the voice of his King, didn't he. He again hid his face in Wukong's chest.

"I am sorry too... For all the trouble and hurt I've done after coming back."

King wrapped his hands around him, tightening their hug in response. He buried his nose in the black fur on the other monkey's head. He closed his eyes and they stayed in calm silence for a while. Both of them just absorbing the presence and touch of the other. Until then, they had no idea they longed for this so much. All the heaviness of all those centuries apart hit them in one moment, but now they were not alone anymore.

The Sun and the Moon made an Eclipse. And suddenly destiny didn't mean anything. Because for every parting of their ways at one crossroads, they would come to find each other at the next ones.

"What's gonna be with us now..?" finally was asked.

"I don't know. I do not listen to the songs that the future brings..." Macaque raised his head from Wukong's chest and moved his ears around a bit "But..." he hesitated slightly, a light blush entering his face "I hope your name is next to mine in their lyrics..."

Monkey King blushed heavily again and entangled his tail with the black one slowly, yet firmly.

"I would really like that." he admitted with a small smile, but it faded soon. Golden eyes run somewhere to the side " But... repairing this gonna be... hard." he gestured between them.

"Isn't it always hard with us anyway?" Six-Eared raises an eyebrow and gives the other a half-smile.

Golden gaze came back to meet the violet-glowing orbs.

"I guess you're right." he answers, a smile coming back to his face to lighten it up "Aghh, why can't it be easy for once. "he groaned, falling to the grass to lay there on his back.

" Dunno. You tell me why, Oh-So-Great Sag e~." answered sarcastically, lying next to him with a small chuckle "But I want to try... To make it work, I mean." he turned to the side to have a better look at the rusty monkey.

"I want that too..." now they both were lying facing each other "But... Can we ever truly forgive each other? Can we stop hurting each other? Can we even ever be this comfortable with each other like in the past?" his gaze was a bit unfocused, and sadness was mixed in the liquid gold.

Macaque bitted his lip thinking. He looked to the moon above them for a moment "Well..." he took a deep breath, choosing his words slowly " I guess with the heaviness of our past actions it's gonna be hard... to trust each other again. To fall comfortably in each other's arms without... the fear of getting hurt again, lurking behind our backs... Yet... I don't think it's completely impossible. We have eternity to figure it all out again, don't we?" his gaze finally met the other's "So... let's maybe start with something small? "he offered.

"Something small? Like What?" Wukong asked, a bit unsure what the Warrior meant. Although his golden eyes were filled with the willingness to do anything, and the hope it could someday be enough.

"I think the best way to start would be by talking... Talking again, without fighting." Six-Eared specified slowly "I mean we did pretty well today." he added with a sarcastic grin.

But the rusty-furred monkey ignored that, and focused, maybe for the first time in his life, on a more important matter "About... Our past?" Macaque nodded in response and excelled loudly.

"But for now let's just stay like this for some time. I'm exhausted..."

" Yeah. That was... A lot." Wukong agreed, "Do you want to have a moment alone here or—?"

"No!" oh, that sounded too desperate "I mean." he cleared his throat realizing in embarrassment how it came out "No. I... Don't mind you staying..." he corrected himself.

"Okay. Then I'll stay." Monkey King smiled softly.

__________________________

Two celestial monkeys stayed in the clearing for a few more hours. Just enjoying the company of each other under the moon's glow. They don't really know how or when lying there on the grass somehow turned into a grooming session, but none of them complained about it.

Wukong felt happy, overjoyed even. With the passing of time feeling more and more enthusiastic about their future. For their new start. For the past he longed so much to come back to him. Only now acknowledging how much he really missed his Six-Eared friend.

The guilt of his past action was still crawling on his back. Yet, he tried to focus on his Moon right now. On the future they might have, not the past he messed up.

Macaque at first was still a bit wary of the other. Looking to the Moon and thinking over this whole situation, overthinking the future but too scared to take a pick and listen to Its song. Tense a bit when the other so much as moved on the grass next to him.

Yet when the grooming started he simply melted into the other's hands. He was so touch starved for so long and Wukong's, his Sun's, touch was just so gentle and warm... He couldn't resist letting out a few purrs, knowing damn well he will get teased for that later, and feeling so good to not care for it one bit. He hasn't been so relaxed in centuries.

At some point tears running down his cheeks. Slowly, without the sound, shining like diamonds in the setting Moon. And when a rusty furred hand came to wipe them away, and then with care moved up to stroke his ears, he just closed his eyes feeling safe again.

But when the Moon hid behind the horizon and the Sun lazily started to climb up the Sky it was time to part again. The bittersweet smell of the promise in the air.

The Warrior looked to the Hero, when they started to go separate ways, only to find out the other also looked back.

"Goodbye, my King." Macaque smiled, but there was still something sad in the way it hadn't reached his eyes. Shadow portal opened on the tree behind him to make his way home faster.

Wukong opened his mouth to say something back but closed it. In a heartbeat, he was again before his Shadow. With no hesitation, he embraced the other tightly. Black simian tensed a bit at first but gave in a moment after, clenching his fist on the material on the back of the other monkey.

Monkey King moved away a bit but still with hands around the other in a firm hug. He looked into the other's eyes, as if looking for any hesitation or discomfort from the other. But when he saw nothing but peace he stole a kiss from the Moon's lips.

It was short and light, as if with a little more pressure the Moon would fall apart into porcelain shreds. Surprising both of them with the move, Wukong looked again not sure of the other's reaction to his sudden act. Yet before he could even begin to overthink and apologize, he was pulled into another kiss by Macaque. This time for a longer one.

Six-Ears flustered a bit in pleasure, when Wukong's hands closed tighter around his waist. Moon leaned more into the heat of the other's lips, melting in his arms. Their tails entangled with each other playfully, and Macaque's hands landed on Monkie King's cheeks when he decided to deepen the kiss more.

Both monkeys would love to stay like this forever. To forget all else and just let that sweet kiss never end. Lips tasting lips so passionately they forgot to breathe. With such hunger it could be even seen as a bit nasty. Wanting so much to become one, their tongs entangled and twisted together in a playful fight.

Who would have guessed that Eclipse would have tasted so sweetly; like peaches and mangos.

"It's not a goodbye. It's, see you later. " Wukong said, calming his breath.

Macaque first looked at him not really sure what he heard, the kiss still making his brain a bit slow from the heat. But when the realization of what the other had said hit him, he bursts out into laughter. Colorful ears glowing slightly as they're flustered a bit. Wukong puffed out his cheeks looking a bit pinkish. Yet Six-Eared ended pretty quickly and kissed lightly the other once more, before stepping back a little.

"Right. See you later." Macaque smiled brightly and without further ado, fell into the shadows below him.

Only when Wukong was alone, he realized what he had done, and felt his whole face burning. He hid it in his hands and crouched down with a loud growl.' Really! ? -It's not a goodbye. It's, see you later-??? Wukong you dumb ass, that was so fucking cliche. ' he huffed at himself ' Aghhh and the kiss?! He said to take this slow, uhh do I always have to act before I think?! ' Monkey King clenched his fists and shortly after just punched the closest tree. He ignored the fallen supply of wood and called his cloud. He jumped on Nimbus with a bit of a bitter-sweet expression ' But... ' he lightly touched his lips with his fingerprints. ' It tasted so damn sweet .' another blush entered his cheeks, and his gaze softened ' I think I'm starting to love the taste of mangos... '.

>>X<<

FH: 

YO, 

so I hope you liked it ^^If you did leave a comment!Anyway, as for the next story, it will be  another one-shot :

"During the chase after some demone MK and Wukong get stuck falling in the endless void. There is one person they know that can get them out, but are they're willing to do so? Are they even going to hear their sream for help?"

It was voted to be next.
I put options under works on AO3 and there usually I add my works first.

See 'Ya!

=)