[Saturday Morning]

Yesterday morning, MK had woke up to a text message from Mei. He was confused about why she would have texted him so late at night. When he checked the messages, he was shocked to see that there was some struggle coming from his home city. As he read the text messages he was even more dumbfounded that Princess Iron Fan was worried about Macaque. Once he processed this information he had concluded to not tell the Monkey King, MK felt like if he told others that they had Macaque and that they were letting him stay, the King would have gotten upset. He seemed against the idea of having Macaque stay with them. MK completely understood why he seemed upset, he had hurt them badly in the past, but that was also years ago. 

The demon monkey had disappeared after a heated battle with Monkey King as if he said something that pained the monkey.  When they found him again so badly injured on the battlefield MJ couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.

The week was ending, and they were heading back tomorrow, and MK knew that the great sage would try to leave Macaque behind so this morning when MK woke up again, he had planned to convince Sun Wukong to take Macaque back to the city with them so he can return to Princess Iron Fan and get healthier again. He will ask him when the time is right. 

He went to go take a shower and wash his hair thinking of ways to bring up the idea, he could be blunt or slid in the idea in a conversation. "Would it be weird if we were to talk about right in front of him?" he asked himself. Yes MK, it would be weird. He got out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist and with another towel he dried his hair. He heard a slight movement coming from the living room on his way back to his room. 'Oh, Macaque is probably awake now. Never thought he would be awake this early.' MK thought. When he reached his door, Monkey King came out of his room. "Good Morning!" MK called out to him. Monkey King smiled and waved. "Mornin' bud" He was shirtless showing off his abs and past battle scars. He closed the door as he enter the bathroom. MK went inside of his room putting on his usual clothes, he then wrapped his headband around his forehead making his hair stick up in his abnormal hairstyle then proceeded to reach for his phone. He took it off the charger and texted, Mei, his thoughts and plans on how he would try to convince his mentor to take the demon back with them. MK hoped that she would be able to help give advice. He then placed his phone back on the charger. 

MK walked out of his room and into the living room, Macaque was not on the couch. He began to worry and desperately look for the money around the house. Monkey King was gone as well, he started to panic, "Monkey King!? Where are you!?" He called while running around the house. "Macaque is missing!!" MK ran out the front door and stopped immediately when he saw Monkey King watching Macaque, with an extra shirt that Wukong gave him, ax in hand weakly trying to cut down a tree. Sun wukong covered his mouth with his hand trying to his hide is smile. 

Macaque panted and grumbled as he pulled the ax away from the tree and used whatever strength he had to swing back into the tree. When he missed the tree and fell flat on his face, Wukong busted out laughing while trying to form sentences like "I'm sorry" or "You idiot". Macaque pushed himself from the ground at started to yell at Wukong, telling him to ''shut up'' or  "Stop laughing" MK relaxed his shoulders, smiling at the scene. Seeing that Macaque didn't escape brought a wave of comfort over him along with Wukong not being as cold to him as he was before. He ran over to the two monkeys and laughed along with Macaque's struggling. 

____________________________________

"HOT SPRINGS!?" MK shouted in joy. "Yep! That's your surprise and reward for working so hard" Monkey king said proudly. They were back inside sitting on the chairs while Macaque was again sleeping on the couch, his tail coming out of the covers and laying on the floor. Wukong had a bruise on his cheek from the demon punching him but he didn't hit him back cause soon after he fell flat on his face again causing MK and him to laugh even harder. Sandwiches were on the table but Macaque refused to eat any of them. 

MK jumped out of the chair and began to run around cheering. The sleeping monkey growled and pulled the covers to his ears trying to muffle some of the noise. MK didn't see his tail and stepped on it, "ACK!" Macaque sat up grabbing his tail. He slowed down to a stop and looked at Macaque with a worried smile. "Sorry.." Wukong began to laugh again as the grumpy monkey laid back with his tail under the covers. Wukong's laughs finally died down after 5 minutes. "Anyway, we'll be able to go to the hot springs after dark, you know to feel all nice." He smiled softly at MK. He couldn't stop smiling he had never been to a hot spring before and he also gets to go with his mentor! "I have to tell Mei!" he said before rushing over to his room. He closed the door behind him leaving the two monkeys alone.

"So, you seemed like you had fun this morning." Wukong laughed. "Haha yeah... so much fun cutting trees all morning" Macaque responds. "And falling on your face," Wukong added trying to muffle his laughter with his hand.  The monkey groaned under the covers embarrassed of the memory. "Reminds me of last time..." the king whispered. The lazy monkey turned over, "What?" 

"Nothing!" Wukong smiled. "Anyways, I got a question for you." 

"Ughhh not againnn..."

"Oh quiet down crybaby, this is a simple one. Just don't make it difficult" Wukong fixed himself in the chair getting more comfortable. "Why haven't you tried to escape yet?"

"Oh come on!" Macaque groaned sitting up. "Isn't it obvious? I can't use my magic to get myself out of here if you remembered last time. Also, I can't run away because I barely have any stamina." He rolled his eyes, "You managed to pick up an ax, that should be proof that you have the strength to at least put up a fight, but you haven't done that either" Wukong stated, "It's as if you want to stay here and be treated like a baby~" Macaque's face heated up in embarrassment as the king once again laughed out loud. "I do not, I'm just accepting your hospitality. Thank you very much~" The demon smirked before laying back down. "I hope you're not trying to fall asleep on me again. We still got some things to do." The sleepy monkey groaned before sitting back up again. "I understand that your body is healing and this may be that cause of you sleeping a lot, buttt you're a strong monkey so I bet you can handle it" Macaque started a fake sob as he got up from the couch. "Oh my god, you're dramatic."

While the stone monkey tortures the poor sleepy demon, MK was on the phone discussing plans with Mei.

"Hot springs!? You're so lucky!!" Mei said.

"I know right! maybe this will be a perfect time to talk to Wukong about Macaque, right?!" 

"Definitely."

"Have you told Princess Iron Fan about Macaque being with us?"

"Nooo... I have a feeling that she wouldn't be happy to hear that her best friend is with the man that placed her husband under a mountain and the boy that tried to do the same." 

"I guess you have a point there" MK laughed. "Anyways, Hot Springs are a perfect time to talk to him about right? Me and him will be alone, all relaxed and he doesn't seem to be bothered by Macaque as much as he did before." 

Mei let out a burst of delighted laughter, "That's perfect! A word of advice don't say it bluntly, I have a feeling that they are still slightly enemies. " 

"Thank you, Mei, I knew I can count on you for anything."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Later MK!" Mei then hung up the phone. MK smiled before tossing his phone back onto his bed then exiting his room he closed the door behind him. He wandered into the living, neither of the monkeys was there, he heard laughing from the kitchen. MK followed the sound of laughter into the kitchen and saw Macaque gasping for air between his laughs and Wukong covered in some jam. "You set me up, didn't you?" He asked in a stern voice. Macaque just continued to laugh, collapsing onto the floor.

MK smiled, 'Why would he say no?' Mk thought before joining the fun. Macaque's laughter slowly turned into coughing. Wukong was cleaning his fur with a wet towel then noticed that the choking monkey was not laughing anymore. MK ran to his side kneeling and patted his back, strange purple liquid was leaking from his mouth. He continued to choke and cough before throwing up the purple liquid and small bits of blood. "Monkey King!" MK looked up at the King with a scared expression. The monkey ran to get some medicine another towel. Macaque had stopped coughing and was now panting. Monkey King returned with both items and handed over the towel to MK. "Macaque, I'm going to need you-" MK got cut off by Macaque pushing him away. He then reached for the towel and snatched it away. "I..." cough "I'll clean it up myself..." MK stood up and walked towards the kings' side. "Monkey King?..." He whispered. "I don't know.." Macaque trembled had he cleaned up his throw-up. His face heated up with embarrassment.  He was getting ready to yell at them to stop watching him but nothing came out. Monkey King pulled MK out of the kitchen to talk in private. "Do you think it might be a curse?" 

"What curse would it be to make him do that?" Monkey King rubbed his chin

"It looks deadly, it could kill him!" MK whisper shouted. Wukong flinched at that, the thought of him laying on the floor, dead, bothered him, a lot. 

"Don't say that kid."

"Well, then what could it be!?"

"Let me think..."

"We don't have time to think! "

"Purple...Liquid?.." Monkey King was pasting back and forth behind the couches.

"We shouldn't let him sleep on the couch after today."

"We won't, he'll have a room to himself after we're gone..."

"We should take him with us!" MK nearly shouted. The monkey froze in place and looked over at him, "We can't do that..."

"Why not?"

"We don't have enough room on the cloud."

"But he needs us right now!"

"He can take care of himself."

"He can't! Look at him, he looks like he's about to drop dead any moment!!"

"Bud..."

"He's too weak to even hold a proper ax!"

"MK..."

"We can just leave our luggage here and come back for it later!!"

"MK."

"SO, WHY? why can't we just HELP HIM?!"

"CAUSE HE'S A FUCKING PROBLEM!" Wukong snapped at him, no longer whispering.

.

.

.

 It was quiet. MK looked at him with disappointment, not even knowing what to say to him. Wukong was shocked by his sudden outburst but refused to let MK show. "Bud...I-" "No, No, Kid. He has a point" Wukong and MK both turned to see Macaque standing there in the door frame with the towel rolled into a ball. "How long...?" "I don't need to be standing here to hear everything you both said." His face had a weak smirk on it, it looked like he hadn't slept in days even though he had been asleep for most of his healing. His tail laid on the floor without movement only a slight trembling. He walked past the two, dragging his tail behind him. Wukong tried to say something but what could have he said?  The damage was already done, a decision had been made. 

The demon walked out of the cabin with the towel in his hands, his tail closing the door behind him. MK and the king watched as he left, then MK turned his head to face Wukong. Angry but didn't know how to express it. He pushed pasted the monkey and marched over to his room. Slamming the door behind him.