castaside | [Heart Game] From the ashes we can build

He's scrambling up from his shadow portal and-

Wait.

What?

"MK! Stop!"

The monkey stopped short. The shadow wasn't in the void yet. His head slowly turned to look at Red Son.

"Why?" He asked. That kindness and worry was gone. MK was full on monkey mode. His fingers gripped the shadow tighter. He wasn't going to let him wiggle free. Better hurry, Red Son. You gotta tame this monkey.

Red Son was moving closer. Bandages clutched in hand. He just needed to get the right angle to get them in first.

"Because the shadow wants to take all the hurt Macaque's suffered and lash out at everyone else with it. He's going for the things that hurt. Think of Macaque at his absolutely worst, MK," Red Son said. "Do you want to put that into the framework of his very soul? Do you want to drag him back to his darkest, loneliest, most painful days? You can't tell me a few arguments has made you hate Macaque that much."

"Hate...?" The Monkey said the word like it was a strange flavor or a new word he'd never known.

"I don't hate Macaque," He said as he looked to the shadow. He pulled the shadow closer. Was this thing not part of the framework? It had been who Macaque was once. He stepped away with the shadow. The urge to kill it raised up. He could get rid of it. Could kill it now and remove it. Though was that just as bad? He tilted his head in contemplation. He hesitated. Now was Red Son's chance.

"Then don't. Hurt. Him," Red Son said.

And chucked the roll of bandages into the void and is just going to straight up tackle into MK because honestly.

HONESTLY.

Shadow will hopefully bolt if he gets the Monkey MK to loosen his grip or attention for a second.

Edited 2024-03-11 00:55 (UTC)

The bandages are tossed into the void, and it closes up.

The shadow is still in the monkey's grip unless it lets go, squirming and writhing for its life. It won't take much to kill it now.

MK didn't even move when Red Son tackled into him. He felt Red Son but his eyes stayed on the shadow. He pulled the shadow closer. He moved to whisper so softly against this regrets ear. One last strike. Not with a fist but with his words. He learned from the best, after all.

"Push me away all you want. And I'll end up like this forever," He whispered the softest he could to try and keep Red Son from hearing it. MK dropped the shadow and grabbed Red Son by the scruff of his jacket. He zoomed back out the bar fast enough to create a gust of wind from his speed.

Red Son is getting scruffed so hard.

And while his hearing isn't Macaque hearing, its still fairly good, and he was basically a koala to MK right there.

Which-

Damn it, Noodle Boy.

"MK. MK, you need to drop the monkey," he said.

Monkey MK stopped at the elevator and looked at Red Son. He didn't peel the demon off him. Why would he? He liked how warm Red Son was.

"Why? I can stay like this for a while." He raised an eyebrow.

Red Son's hands go to his cheeks. "Because you're not good for Macaque when you're like this. You want to protect him, don't you?"

The monkey blinked once.

"I can protect everyone like this. I didn't break anything. I didn't kill that Macaque. I want to protect him, you, everyone. What's the problem?" The monkey tilted his head. He leaned in closer.

"I'm powerful. I'm ready to keep going. You like me like this. You told me to learn to control it. You helped me. Now I can stay like this. Why should I go back when I keep falling over and slowing us down?"

Red Son leans in closer, pressing his forehead to MK's. "I had to convince you to show mercy. What if I'm too slow next time? What if I don't have the right reasoning that time? Power is useful. Power is great. But you're not just powerful, MK."

His hands reach up to run through his hair. "Right now, Macaque doesn't need someone powerful. He needs someone soft."

The Monkey chirped out in comfort and purred. His arms wrapped around Red Son. He let the keychain dangle from a finger as he held onto his mate. He nuzzled the demon's cheek with his own. He buried his face in Red Son's neck and just held him close.

"You understand him better than I do. I can protect you. I'm good at that."

"Yes, you're very good at that," Red Son said, running fingers through his hair. "But I'll need soft too," he added, reaching out to take the keychain out of his hand.

MK purred louder and felt Red Son moving. Felt the hand stretching toward his. He assumed it would be to hold it. To grasp his hand. He didn't stop him.

"My fur is soft," He answered. The MK Red Son was looking for, needing, wasn't in him. Not like this. Red Son can grab the keychain.

What happened after he took it? Who knew?

"You like me like this. I know you do," He added and nipped Red Son's neck. "My mate~"

Red Son breathed sharply at the nip. "Of course I do. I like all of you," Red Son said. Which was true. "But right now, I need Noodle Boy," he said and he's going to grab the keychain and pull it away.

MK had been sure Red Son wouldn't do that. So sure he didn't see it coming. The moment the keyring was off his finger, it was a sharp crack! The form sputtered out and MK turned back into his human form. He had been holding Red Son but now his legs gave out. He'd fall if Red Son didn't catch him.

That is the beauty of flying, the air kicking up around them to hold them in the air.

Then he'll slowly lower them down, keeping the keychain close, but his other hand is running through his hair. "Are you okay?" He asked, worry on his face.

MK clung to Red Son as they floated down to the floor. He blinked a few times and looked up at Red Son. The tears welled up and he clung to his boyfriend. He buried his face into Red Son's chest and just cried.

"I messed up so bad! I'm sorry! I-I'm s-so sooooorryyyyyy!"

The expected outcome from sudden softness, really.

Red Son pulls him close, wrapping his arms tight around him. "Its okay. I forgive you," Red Son said, still petting him, and will rub his back after pocketing the keychain. "Its not...the worst thing you could have saad?"

"I shouldn't have said-that wasn't fair! I didn't mean it! Macaque I didn't mean it!" He sobbed harder and clung as tight to Red Son as his strength would allow. Which Red Son would feel was not Mk at his full strength. He was exhausted, physically and emotionally. It was all crashing down like a house of cards.

"I can't. Not again! Keep it. I was wrong. I can't control it! I can't!"

Oh, no, this was definitely a full on breakdown.

Red Son tightened his own hold on MK and glanced to their shadows. Would Macaque want to give him a hug, all things considered?

"MK. MK, it was a small slip. You can make it up to him," he said, letting out his tail to just add extra wrapping around MK.

There's a distinct rumbling, and then a snap like lightning, and a crack forms in the elevator shaft.

A shadow pokes its head out, this one glowing purple and with worried eyes.

"Kiddo..." It's Macaque, all right. Not an aspect of his worst impulses.

Should he be doing this? Probably not. But he heard MK begging for forgiveness and it just happened.

Edited 2024-03-11 02:03 (UTC)

MK was in full meltdown mode at this point. He had been holding it together. He thought he could control the monkey form. Thought he could do this but he had almost done something terrible. Said something so hurtful and now he was breaking down. It didn't feel like a slip. It didn't feel like he could make it up to him. The shadow as right. He did that. He used Macaque's worst fear against him and it was wrong. It was cruel.

His monkey form said it. When he was like that, it was impossible to stop himself. And just then he said something he was scared was true. What if that was what he became? What if that was what would happen if he lost them all? Would he become that animal?

The sound of the thunderous crack jolted him out of his spiraling thoughts. He jerked and looked at the the crack and the shadow. That one word broke MK all over again. He sobbed. Why was this happening?! He'd messed up again. All over again. Broke things he was trying to protect, hurt the people he tried to keep safe, and it was all his fault. He couldn't find the words. He just sobbed and held out his arms for Macaque.

Sorry to scare you, but it's not like he could call for the elevator. None of that matters now anyway. Macaque is here, at least for a few minutes, so all he can do is try to help.

Macaque's shadow peels off from the wall and makes its way over to MK, folding him into a tight hug.

"You're good, kiddo. I've got you. You're doing fine, I know this is a lot."

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