seasonsrpg | Perma-Catchall

Unable to think of what else to do, Macaque starts grooming Wukong and kisses the top of his head.

He'll continue that until Wukong is able to talk. There's nothing else to be done.

Macaque's efforts do go a long way to soothing Wukong and his grip starts to loosen, but not let him go. It's nearly an hour before he says anything, but he does finally.

"...I'm sorry...about your ears."

"It's all right." It really is. It hurt, but whatever Wukong is going through hurts more.

"Do you want to talk about it? Or at least tell me why the circlet is back?"

"Because the Yama Kings decided we're guilty of stealing the scroll of memories and the death of the Jade Emperor." It's definitely telling that Wukong completely skips over what happened.

...What's all this "we" business, Macaque wasn't even there, and Wukong was stuck in the scroll himself.

"Deities just can't be trusted, any of them." It's not totally surprising that they're blaming things out of everyone's control on them.

"So they put the circlet on you to control you while they did whatever they wanted to do to quote-unquote 'get to the bottom of things'? What a pack of assholes." Don't mind Macaque's prot4ective growling. He'd tear all of the Yama Kings limb from limb right now if he had access to them.

"No they put the circlet on me and put us in a prison cell."

On the 'bright' side, they Yama Kings wouldn't be anyone's problem ever again...but he isn't ready to go into that and just lays his head on Macaque's shoulder. Needing to be close to him.

Okay okay, protective snarling later.

Macaque continues gently grooming what of Wukong's head he can fucking reach, stupid crown of pain.

"Does it hurt?" Hopefully not unless the tightening sutra is performed-- god, Red is going to lose his mind when he sees this thing on Wukong.

"It's tighter than the old one, but no."

Probably specifically so there's no chance anything can rip it off. Macaque isn't even able to nudge a claw under it. Wukong leans into the grooming though, closing his eyes.

For better or worse Red Son's reaction isn't a blip on his mind. Really no one is at the moment. Except MK. MK definitely won't react well. Macaque is handling it...okay, same as back home almost.

That's because Macaque internalizes like a champ, and Red Son definitely just says whatever is going through his hot little head.

"Okay." At least there's that. Macaque knows better than to try and get it off, much as the thing unnerves him. He just keeps grooming. Presses another kiss to Wukong's temple.

"You were gone two days. How long was it for you?"

"Couple of weeks or so, I kind of stopped keeping track," Wukong admits, a quiet purr leaving him as he starts to relax a bit. "They really didn't waste much time."

Macaque hums in lieu of a spoken answer, at first. That purr, at least is a good sign, even if nothing else about this is. He keeps up the grooming and snuggling.

"We'll figure this out together." He doesn't specify whether he means the crown or whatever happened to MK, because he means both.

For once Wukong isn't the pillar of "We can handle it" energy that he is with a challenge, but he nuzzles his face into the crook of Macaque's neck with a sigh. It's muffled by Macaque's fur, but no question what he says next. "Thanks, Bud."

...Did he just...?

No, he definitely did. Macaque wouldn't normally be sure what to make of that, but with Wukong so miserable and MK still missing, being called "bud" again after so long is the least of his concerns.

It sure is nice to hear it, though.

"Of course. I'm right here for whatever you need." Aside from the one thing he really does need, which is MK back here and safe. He continues to groom through Wukong's hair, soothing and even.

"I know. And...I'm sorry, Macaque." After a moment, he reaches up to scratch behind Macaque's ears, returning some of the comfort he's getting. He continues to purr, just staying as close as he can.

"What are you sorry for? I told you, my ears are fine." Well... ringing but it'll go away. It's not the first time he was close to a loud noise. He's more concerned about the rest of everything.

...Please don't let it be the rest of everything that he's apologizing for.

He holds Wukong as close as he can. Purring a bit in return when his ears are scritched.

"I...for everything that happened between us." It pretty much is everything else, plus some things he can't say right now. He keeps scritching. "...I...thought I could make you feel safe enough to trust me, to know how much everything meant. But I didn't see it...and I can't fix it..."

He was more worried that the everything else was some awful story about what happened to MK, and then this...

It doesn't make him feel any better. It makes him feel like dirt, actually, but not through any fault of Wukong's. It's what he thought he wanted to hear for so long, and now it only reminds him of the pettiness of his grievances.

"Wukong... I told you the day we used the truth mushrooms, I have more than my fair share of responsibility for that. I could have made different choices than I did, or at least asked you if I was unsure about how you felt. You were taking care of me in the ways you knew how, the ways you thought best. I'm the one who didn't give you the credit you deserved for it, and then I snapped when you were at your lowest and left without giving you a chance to explain."

He continues grooming through Wukong's hair. "You already have fixed it. We have, together. If it's what you need to hear, then I forgive you. And I love you, and I won't doubt that you love me again."

He buries his face against Wukong's temple. "If you doubt any of that, then I'll tell you over and over again, as many times as it takes until you believe it."

"You say that. But it was my job as your mate to give you that security. And it still feels like you're not getting what you need to feel secure, but I'm dragging you into my mess again."

He gently runs his claws through the fur of the back of Macaque's neck.

"Your mess? If you're my mate, all messes are ours." That's first. No claiming sole jurisdiction over these things. "Whatever it is now, or whatever will come, I'm with you."

"And second, all I need is you. That's it. Your time and a few gestures of affection now and then. My own insecurities are what they are, but they'll fade in time, and none of them are your fault. Your being upset at this precise moment aside, I'm happy. With you. More than I was back then, because I asked my question and you answered it. Is there anything I can say or do that would help you believe it?"

Wukong listens, his tail seeking out Macaque's. That little part of his memory wants to protest, to cling to Wukong does whatever he wants and drags everyone into his mess, but he also doesn't want to doubt Macaque because he does trust him. Has since they officially made amends.

"Just...let me feel it this way, okay? And tell me when you aren't okay."

Macaque's tail winds around Wukong's without hesitation. He's not sure whether Wukong was always this insecure deep down (didn't seem like it...) or whether it happened across time, but if it's the latter -- and that would be his guess -- then Macaque probably helped make it happen when he screamed at Wukong and then left him in the dark for centuries.

His fingertips move through Wukong's fur and he kisses his temple again.

"I promise, I'll tell you what I need. I won't leave you wondering if I'm quietly unsure or unhappy. In exchange, please believe me when I say that I'm okay. If not for the present circumstance that has you so upset, I'd be much better than okay. You're all I've ever wanted, and here you are."

It's amazing what age and being everyone's blame punching bag will do to a guy. Wukong's tail winds around Macaque's as well, not so tight that it's uncomfortable but definitely tight enough that it's obvious he doesn't plan to let go for awhile.

Nuzzling into Macaque's neck again, right over his old mark, Wukong chirps. Love. Trust. Always. Mine.

Not letting go for a while is fine by Macaque. Aside from feeling a hint guilty that it took this to get things cleared up, he's quite content.

He chirps back: Love, care, trust, eternal promise. He's not sure what more he can do...

Actually.

"Do you want to make that mark again?" Maybe that would help him feel better. More secure.

The question actually throws Wukong off and he chuckles. "I mean, the answer is obviously yes...buuuut it feels like a 'not the time' moment." He places a kiss there though, because he does want to. Later, definitely, when he's not feeling so raw.

Macaque laughs a bit too. "I didn't mean now, my timing's not quite that bad." But he can see why it sounded like he might mean now. But at least it got Wukong to crack a smile.

He shivers at the kiss regardless of timing.

"Soon, then. And then there won't be any doubt that I'm yours, not even from me." Since they've discussed what that means, what it meant back then. "Would that help?"

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">

Re: Canon-Update || Locked to <user name="castaside">