#also had to sneak in Liu and Rin Rin being sweet

[hcdragonwrites]

Love of a Mountain

(Part two to @journey-to-the-au Banquet Fic)

Here is part two to Banquet! I hope you enjoy !

Willow walked out of her room sometime later, having divested herself of the Heavenly court garments. Instead she was back in her simple gowns and letting her hair fall free the way she liked. If Wukong insists upon a feast then it’s best not to get the garments Heaven-approved-of messy.

Feasts were never the same thing twice here on Flower Fruit Mountain. Each one was as different as a sunset- a thing to be experienced and enjoyed. Heaven's orderly festivals and banquets were usually repetitive and ended the same. No two feasts upon the mountain could ever be compared or summed up as the same.

Rin Rin was coming just from around the corner as Willow closed her door. Though she and Wukong were married- they still enjoyed having a room to run back to and sequester themselves in. They had a shared room- one that linked the two seperate ones together. They used this only when the two desired affection and connection. Or when one or both was having a day of it. For Wukong this would be phantom pains from the circlet he had worn across his brow, or nightmares from his time within the vats being boiled alive. For Willow, this would be memories of the imposter, or nightmares of glowing eyes in the dark asking her how sweet she would taste.

Just a Kiss Willow dear~

Willow shook her head, chasing the cobwebs from her mind. Rin Rin came with a smile and wave. The little gray monkey had a fresh flower behind her ear and her fur was all a sparkle beneath her ochre robes. Willow bent to greet her friend in a warm hug as she collided.

“Willow! I’ve come to collect you.” Rin Rin said. Willow sighed.

“Truly all this fuss and bother for a bit of a missed meal.” Willow grumbled back. “I told Wukong it would be fine, but he insisted on waking everyone for a feast.”

Rin Rin smiled as she stepped back, taking Willow's hand and rushing her along the corridor. Even from way back here, she could make out the gaiety and laughter spilling from the great dining hall beyond. Music was being struck up and Willow couldn’t help but hum a bit of the tune. The folk songs of Flower Fruit Mountain usually were rhymes or twisting trickster tales and harrowing pranks that brought glory. The tune now was a song written for Courage, of her triumph over a tiger and how her trade for her life was her voice.

“Well I heard that Heavenly feasts can’t compare to our own!” Rin Rin touched her flower with her free hand, adjusting it. “Besides, Wukong has some entertainment planned!”

Willow couldn’t help feeling a little bit excited for that. Wukong loved to act out and depict his tales and songs and many deeds with improvisation and magic. He would change shape as swiftly as a wind shifted direction, catching all the crowd up in his story weaving. Her dear friend had many stories to tell and a delightful way to show the little ones of the troupe all the stories he delivered on.

“He didn’t have to wake up the whole mountain.” Willow protested but her protests were getting weaker of conviction the closer they got to the hall. Delicious smells set her stomach to rumbling and Rin Rin grinned. The small monkey knew her friend was losing the battle to protest. She simply pulled her along faster, eager herself to join in the merry making.

“We like parties, Willow.” Rin Rin put simply. The monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain adored parties. Festivals were favorites. Banquets were boastful. Special occasions were sublime. Any excuse to have a good time and to enjoy themselves was enough. And Rin Rin loved showing off her outfits to Liu, her husband. “Wukong seems more excited than he usually is coming back from the Palace.”

That was true. Usually when they came back from such an excursion to the Heavenly Palace he was tired, fed up with celestial interactions. The human behaviours threw him even now because some celestials would act more human and then those few that came from origins on the mortal world would act more animalistic but look the most human of all. It was always a balancing game of how to interact with who and it was something Wukong could never truly get the hang of.

Willow helped where she could but Wukong preferred to, as he liked to say, ‘Shove himself into a live volcano then try and talk to another official celestial body’. Her handsome monkey tried so hard and usually by the end of a night, was beyond tired and grumpy. Especially if that night was like this one. Hearing Wukong was in good spirits had her thinking.

“What is he trying to pull?” She said aloud.

“Whatever it is, it's for you and you have to be in your spot!” Rin Rin chuckled.

They came around the bend of a stalagmites and out into the great cavern that held the dining area. The stone tables and stools were filled with row upon row of monkeys, of every shade and color imaginable. A living rainbow of fur and silk, the Flower Fruit Mountain troupe were in full jovial mood. Willow caught sight of the overflowing dishes- so quickly prepared!- lining the tables in great silver platters. Fruit cobblers, sweet breads drizzled in glazes of sugar, pies stuffed with almonds and oats, great heaps of fruits of all kinds littered the table. Coconut toddy was passed around in great glass jugs between neighbors on benches. Willow saw shellfish poached and buttered, swaths of tofu fried or grilled in a number of sauces passed from table to table. The comradery, the welcome air, was like snuggling into a warm blanket on a cold night.

Rin Rin led the way to the highest table, one exclusively left for Wukongs closest family and his most trusted advisors. They passed the theater floor, which had been cleared of stools and tables. There would be an event of some kind then.

Great swaths of coconut flesh were shining like white snow upon nearby tables and one of the littlest babes held it out to Willow as they passed.

“Granma Willow! Granma Willow!” The little babe spoke up, holding the coconut flake out. “Try try! I got it myself”

“All by yourself?” Willow remembered the name of this little tuft of fluff. He had been named for the pink of his eyes, and for the rare seasoning brought down upon the world from mountain heights. “Salt thats quite a feat!” She took the coconut from Salts little paw and popped it into her mouth.

“Mmm! Delicious!” And the little babe beamed, flapping his hands excitedly. This started up a small baby monkey storm as the littles, hearing that Grandmother Willow was trying and tasting food, came running. It was like a small tidal wave that Rin Rin got swept up in as well.

“Try my apple!” A brown furred little named Braken chirped, presenting a slice of a ruby red apple to Willow. Before Willow could respond, another little monkey climbed her dress, determination across his very tight little face.

“No no!” Storm challenged. “I made my berries into a jam! Just like you showed me!” He held the tiny little jar in one tiny fist. He was yanked down by another baby, a bit bigger female of the group.

“Grandma Willow would prefer my bread!” Scarlet said.

“Well I made yogurt! With bananas !” Another baby called from the top of Rin Rins head, and suddenly Willow couldn’t keep track of the babies who started to bicker.

“That’s nothing- I MADE THE BEST THING!”

“NO I DID.”

“NO ME!”

Rin Rin popped up from beneath a group trying to climb her, laughing and trying to be serious to reprimand the over eager children in their quest to impress the grandmother of the mountain. Willow herself was laughing too hard as she tried and failed to take a taste of all the treats the babies held out to her. Being bombarded in such a way with so much love was a bit overwhelming but also such a warm and buttery feeling.

It’s nice to feel and see so much love. To be wanted and loved in such a way.

“You littles better get back in your places right now!” The voice of her friend called from beyond Willows sight.

“GRANDPA WUKONG!!” And the small tidal wave of littles swamped the Monkey King. He used his magic, growing larger to collect them all in his arms and swing them about.

“Oh my treasures! How are each of you darling gems! You listening to your mothers? Minding your fathers?” A chorus of yes! Came from the clinging little children, laughing as their grandpa swung them about and placed them back at each table with their parents. “Remember! We can’t swamp Grandma Willow! She may get overwhelmed ok?”

“Yes grandpa!”

“Good little treasures!” He said to them in approval. Once all the babies were back with their parents at their respective tables, Wukong held out his hand to Willow. She took it, Rin Rin holding the other as her two friends pulled her up from the floor and to the table.

“I love them all so much.” Willow thought aloud, as she watched the eager and open love from some of the children and their family’s. She would do anything for these tiny gems that shone with such brightness.

“They almost drowned you in that love.” Rin Rin remarked, straightening her fur and having it lie back in place. “They almost drowned me as well-to get at you- the cheeky lemmings.” This last part was said with such soft love that it took all the teeth out of the remark.

“It would have been a good death.” Willow replied.

“Death by smothering?” Wukong snorted. He nodded to his mothers who greeted him, Willow and Rin Rin in return. Wukong led Rin Rin to her seat beside Marshal Liu who was dressed in his finest armor. His soft cream colored fur looked extra well brushed and presentable. Liu smiled to Willow, bowing his head. Rin Rin eagerly went to her seat, setting the both of them to blushing. Ma and Chestnut were seated beside them, already enjoying the sautéed mushrooms and several shellfish between them.

“Death by love is poetic. Especially when it comes from such little hands and happy hearts.” Willow's smile was warm as she spoke, her gaze sweeping the full and boisterous hall. She didn’t notice the slight sparkle that entered Wukongs eyes as he witnessed Willows face melt into one of such love and adoration.

Wukong then led Willow to her spot at the table, right beside his mothers Wisdom and Courage. To their left was Xinshu, quietly picking and dismantling some poor raspberries. Willow wondered how she was peeling them without the berries bursting. Xinshu was expertly dissecting the berries with the tips of her claws. She turned and waved a red tipped claw at Willow and, though there was no malice, there was a hint of cool challenge.

Willow wouldn’t dare comment on her sister-in-laws habit of spooking her or the others of the celestial court. It had taken a while for her and the white simian to come to a sort of trust and agreement of mutual respect. Willow knew that her little wave wasn’t meant to scare her in the fashion she had originally set about when Willow had first come to the mountain. Instead she was testing her strength, challenging Willow as if to say ‘see? Can you do that?’

Willow could not eviscerate a raspberry. She didn’t even know it was possible to do so. Beyond Xinshu sat Ba and Chestnut. It was good to keep Ma and Ba separate to prevent the start of food fights.

Though, Willow admitted, it wasn’t always bad pranks- food fighting was a new experince. It was quite humorous to join in.

Willow would never tell Ma or Ba but she did enjoy their antics to a point. They kept everyone, including herself, on their toes. But they had also taught her better pranks after she had tricked Wukong with a bucket, a door and some simple water. She recalled that memory fondly when the two standoffish monkeys suddenly approached her one day while she was out tending to the orchards.

“Listen-“ Ma said, coming out from beneath an overhanging peach tree, tail curled in a casual S shape

“We love the classic prank you pulled-“ Ba continued. He hopped down from the opposite tree, a peach in his hand. He took a bite, leaning against the bark.

“It was amazing-“ Ma said.

“Ten out of ten!” Ba Replied.

“But if you really want to get Wukong-“ Ma leaned in.

“Like TRUELY trick that old man-“ Ba continued, leaning in conspiratorial.

“Your gonna need better material!” They said together, their tails twitching in tandem.

“Fear not-“ Ba grumbled, finishing off the peach and tossing the pit.

“You're in good hands now.” Ma finished, taking Willow by the hand and leading her through the orchard to discuss further prank material.

Willow had slowly won over much of the mountain's love and adoration in just her actions and her words. She had proven to the cautious and most hesitant of Flower Fruit Mountain that she was not like other Celestials. She wasn’t like the rest of the court that had brought their wrath down upon the mountain during Wukongs younger days.

Willow was partially through a quite delectable bit of sautéed Chicken of the Woods with shallots and chopped onions when Wukong stood, tapping the side of his coconut toddy with the tip of a knife. The simple noise brought a calmer atmosphere to the hall as Wukong cleared his throat.

“My family! I called on this sudden feast to celebrate my wonderous Wife Willow!” A collective murmur of appreciation swept through the attendants.

“Oh no Wukong why…” Willow felt her face flame a bit in embarrassment. While her friend delighted in the spotlight, Willow didn’t mind watching from the sidelines. Suddenly being thrust into the whole reason for a feast made Willow groan in second hand embarrassment.

“Yes ! She defended my honor when the celestial men of the court cornered me to ask and pester questions from your good king!” Gasps. A few furious teeth barings. Xinshu sliced a little too harshly through her raspberry and sprayed red juice across the table. Wisdom rolled her eyes at her sons theatrics.

“Was it really all that bad?” Rin Rin asked, leaning into Willow.

“They did ask about our ability to reproduce -“ Willow began and Liu grumbled.

“I cannot understand the Celestials' obsession with putting their noses into others' familial relations.” The Marshal shook his head. “I am sorry you were put through that … embarrassment, my Lady. If I had been there I would have challenged his honor.” Willow smiled at him, feeling touched by his need to defend her. Marshal Liu had been one of the first to start calling her ‘My Lady’ after her incident at the river. He was always polite and professional, reminding her of the few times she had actually talked to her brothers.

“Your king was cornered,” Wukong continued, beginning to replay the events with magic. He had pulled several hairs from his coat, chewed and then created duplicates from the strands. The doubles changed themselves into leering courtly men, surrounding a very terribly distressed Wukong. “He was communicating quite clearly how he wished to be away and alone when Willow put on the best performance!”

Another double appeared a bit further down on the cleared theater space, Willow in all her courtly attire. Real Willow was pretty convinced Willow douple was glamoured just a bit much. Her hair shone like a ravens wing and her face almost gave off sparkle as it turned. The real Wukong stood back narrating, pointing out each scene as it happened.

Willow felt her face flame a bit more.

“She swooned and put on a spectacular show of it, asking her husband to rescue her from the stifling court air.” Here the Douple Willow fell over in a dramatic recreation. Douple Wukong rushed forward, catching the fainting Willow.

“ And I, the magnificent King that I am, decided that enough was enough and brought her back to our wondrous mountain home.”

Wukong dismissed his copies and turned, to fix his eyes upon Willow. He smiled, and it was a fun and gentle one, full of teasing and love and such open warmth that it could rival the sun.

“Truly she saved us from a bland night of watching the controlled dances of horses and court gossip.”

Ma and Ba were both roaring and cheering with a large majority of the monkeys now. Willow blushed harder and kissed Wukongs forehead. “I can’t believe you.”

“That’s a good rebuff … right?”

“I am going to play the largest prank on you when you least expect it !” Willow smiled. She knew he did this out of love. And out of a need to tease and praise her. But she wanted to tease him back.

Wukong returned the kiss, placing one right on the tip of her nose. “I look forward to your pranks and will return them in kind.” And he snuck a cheeky tug to her hair in play.

As they pulled apart and settled into their meal again, Willow slowly became aware that there was a murmur going about the tables. A muttering and grumbling that started low and finally crested as some of the troupe of monkeys asked louder.

“Dancing horses? What -“

“They have dancing horses?”

Wukong heard the mutterings and rose once again from his seat.

“Oh yes and they danced with such boring restraint! I’ll show you how a real horse should dance!” Before anyone could tell Wukong no, he had somersaulted back into the cleared theatre space and shapeshifted. An adorable short chestnut stallion stood on the theater floor, his facial markings becoming a white banded blaze across his face. The dining hall whooped and cheered as Wukong began to go through the paces. The horse sidestepped and spun, reared and tossed his head. Then he did things that no horse would ever attempt or try. He stood up and walked several paces, trying to imitate several courtiers in the palace. Wukong balanced on one leg, hopping from table to table and alternating. The hall was a frenzy of calling and cries of laughter as the horse became more ridiculous with each iteration of his ‘dance’.

After landing on his front hooves and balancing a goblet on his back hooves, Wukong paused to allow the hall to cheer and to settle. Then the horse turned his face back to the table, to Willow.

“Of course Heavens horses did not dance alone.” He proclaimed. He bowed in horse fashion, neck pulling in as a foreleg extended outward and downward. “Will you join me Willow?”

An abrupt silence as the monkeys in the hall heard this. Then like a bubbling brook they began to babble and chatter.

“Join him Willow!”

“Show us what you can do!”

“Can a celestial keep pace with him?” Xinshu spoke up, raising a brow in playful challenge at her sister-in-law. “My brother does shape change swiftly.”

Willow, stood and walked to the theater floor. When she had first shown Wukong that she too could change shape, it had been from a deep place of trust. To celestials, changing shape like this was seen almost as taboo. Why would one born of Heavens Grace wish to besmirch that gift? Willow had been taught the ways as any young princess would, and told to use them only in dire circumstances.

That resolve had only begun to deteriorate when coming to Flower Fruit Mountain and seeing her friend somersault into bears and birds with a blink of an eye. Shape changing was not meant to show off or be boastful- but Wukong didn’t do it to rub it in others faces. He did it to entertain, to bring joy and laughter to his home and his people. Willow, after years and years of holding to her understanding, had decided to surprise him. They had been sitting on Willows favorite cliff, the one Wukong had brought her to to first experience a sunshower.

She had been filled with liquid joy- they had spent the day with a group of littles teaching them what could be approached and what to be avoided. Of course that meant Wukong had shapeshifted to be the physical representation of each animal that Willow would describe as either dangerous or neutral. Seeing him effortlessly entertain the littles and the smiles it brought the babies, had finally turned what resolve she had left to dust.

Heaven would never see her do what she was about to do- so why should she hold back?

“Wukong.”

“Mm? What is it Willow?”

“Look” She moved her hands back, pushing them over her face and felt the change take shape. It was a fizzing sensation not that strange from tickling. It had her smiling when she had completed the shift, now just as tall as Wukong. She had turned into a monkey.

Wukongs eyes had become large as saucers, the pupils blown out as he watched her. She had cute little paws, a sparkling face and adorable tail.

He took a deep breath and politely accused “First off. Wow. Secondly. Why are you so cute ? Like, that’s not fair.”

They had spent that day testing who was cuter and who had the better form. It had melted the last of Willows worries about the taboo of shape changing. On earth there were rules that didn’t need to be adhered to as in Heaven. Restraining the joy of being able to be you was one of those rules that got thrown completely clear of the mountain.

It was a slow process to fully get Willow to relax into shape changing for fun but it didn’t take long. As the celestial walked onto the theater stage she felt the fizz and bubble.it rippled across her skin. One step she was Earth Reaching Willow, eldest celestial daughter to Heaven. The next step she was a bay mare, hooves sticking the stone as she pranced up to Wukong.

The hall went wild with cheers and clapping. Willow could hear Ma and Ba calling out from behind.

“Why she is more stunning than our cousin!”

“Bet she could put you through the ringer Wukong!”

Wukong heard this and tossed his head, nostrils flaring. Dancing was gone from his mind as he turned to stare out into the crowd.

“Do we want to put that to a vote? Who here thinks I have the best transformations?”

A roar crashed down upon Willows ears.

“And who here believes Willow to be the better shifter?”

Surprisingly a good half of the room still shouted their support, Rin Rin the loudest with a “Kick his butt Willow!”

Willow stepped up to Wukong, nuzzling him in horse fashion and chewing a bit of his mane. The stallion, shorter than she, stuck his head beneath her neck and wickered affectionately.

“You’ve decided to make a game of this?” Willow snorted in laughter. Wukong could make a competition and game from anything mundane. If it was laundry it would be a race. If it was baking it would be a contest. Shape Changing would be no different now that he had discovered and helped build up Willows courage to do it.

“Heavens fun is boring compared to ours.” Wukong wuffed. He pulled back, flagging his tail and taking a few strides in a trot. The crowd of monkeys whistled. “I think I’ll be the favorite shape changer.”

“Oh really?” Willow decided to give as good as she got. She tossed her head sending the cascade of black mane across her neck. Willow strutted, performing a perfect Piaffe, giving the illusion of galloping in place. The monkeys were a great audience to perform too- they were enjoying this and eating it up like sweet fruits- crying out to each of them in turn.

“I am the favorite after all.” Wukong countered. Then she watched as he changed shape. One step he was a chestnut stallion, proud head and tail flagging. In the next he had stepped into a wolf, red brindled fur shining.

“Only because you are a king!” Willow called. She decided to leap over the wolf that was Wukong and change mid air, becoming a jet black she wolf on the landing. The crowd applauded. They circled each other, tails wagging in play.

“Are you saying my monkeys would be biased to me?” Wukong woofed, tongue lolling in a smile. He chased his tail, earning some giggles from the littles as shifted again into a red buck. He tossed his head, displaying the twelve pointed tines like a crown on his head. “They would never favor me unfairly over you.”

“Is that so?” Willow teased. She slid beneath his neck, stepping into the next shape as a beautiful doe, eyes as black as the night. “Last I recall, I think they chose you as the winner for the pie baking contest we held- even though your pie was inedible!”

Willow nipped his ear affectionately and sprang back, hooves light as a dancer.

“It was completely edible!”

“It was undercooked and you know it!”

The two friends continued to shift from shape to shape. Wukong leading, Willow following. As they jabbed and teased, joked and called the others bluffs, they flowed through shape after shape. Like dancers they moved, becoming butterflies in one step, to crowing peacocks the next. They became so many shapes- cheetahs and foxes, phoenixes and unicorns, dragons and serpents.

Each turn of their game elicited more calls from the crowd. Applause as the pair turned into hyenas and set the room to laughing. Whoops as Wukong and Willow folded into antelope. They flowed through forms, trading jests and conversation in a playful manner. The game became less of a contest and more of a performance as each movement was either matched or complimented by the other.

Finally Wukong turned into a flaming tiger, roaring into the hall. Smaller babes squeaked in fear but most exclaimed their joy. Willow flowed seamlessly from the crane she had been before to a great white tigress, matching his roar.

Willow had forgotten the crowd almost entirely. She was laughing and so was Wukong as they came out of that final shape and back to themselves. They were both breathing hard as magic like that done so rapidly was an exercise in itself. Like any sport, magic was taxing. Wukong took his wife’s hand and they stepped to the edge of the cleared ground. They bowed in unison.

The hall erupted in joyous calls. Their names were shouted in unison, the game forgotten by the crowd themselves. The night from there on devolved into song and dance, food and good company. Sweets musical band struck up another song, a new one of tonight’s performances and the shifting grace of the mountain's two rulers. It was received with jubilant applause and calls for more and more. The wine flowed, the dancing ensued and Willow and Wukong laughed, the Polestar Palace Banquet far behind them.

It was hours later, the flow of wine leaving Willows head a bit lighter than usual. She had possibly drunk a bit too much tonight. Wukong, Rin Rin, Liu and herself were all trying to make their way back to their rooms. All four of them kept either tripping or stumbling which would elicit giggles from the others.

“What a Night..” Rin Rin hiccuped. She was spun in Lius arms in a very shoddy imitation of the dance from early.

“A night to remember~” Liu had stars within his eyes as he dipped his mate into a bow and proceeded to press as many kisses to her face. This elicited Rin Rin and Willow to laugh- Rin Rin because it set her face aflame and Willow because she loved seeing her friends be in love.

“We better give ‘em some privacy.” Wukong took Willows hand, tugging her toward their rooms. “Make sure you at least make it back to your room!”

The two love birds didnt respond as Liu began to whisper in her ear and set Rin Rin to giggling further. Wukong snagged something from inside their room - a pillow - and tossed it at Liu. It plunked against the Marshals head and he stopped his playful torture to look up.

“Make it back to your room Liu before you turn Rin into melted wax!” Wukong said. His friend gave a nod. Then he immediately swooped Rin Rin up into his arms and marched away.

“Well at least they will have some sort of privacy…” Wukong laughed, closing the door. This was their shared room- the space that the two could come together in. A great mound of bed stuffs- pillows, blankets, and soft downy furs, rose from a circular spot in the middle of the room. Willow made her way to it now, not caring to change and not worrying about the clothes she wore. They wouldn’t wrinkle terribly or dig into her skin from hidden pins or corsets.

These were her comfortable dresses made to toss and roll in. Wukong had had them made for her when she first came to Flower Fruit Mountain and had complained of her tight clothes and binding silks. Willow tumbled straight into the nest of bed stuff, grumbling and stretching happily as the soft down consumed her.

Well I’m not getting back up again.

She was beginning to fall asleep, drifting away on a warm glow when she heard the Monkey King call to her.

“Willow?”

“Mm?” She lifted her head up, fighting the sleep. A belly full of food and wine with her body tired from magic and dancing- it was a great feat for Earth Reaching Willow to make eye contact with her friend.

Wukong had slipped from his mottled and fancy clothes, wearing a plain tunic. He looked at her with his great golden eyes then looked away. He kicked an invisible bit of dust at his feet.

“Would you … mind …” Wukong began. Then trailed off. Even half asleep, even with a good bit of Coconut Toddy in her body, Willow could read that look a mile away.

“You want to cuddle don't you?” She summarized.

His eyes grew as big as saucers as he nodded, eagerly.

“Come here, my handsome Monkey.” Willow opened her arms, an open invitation to him. Wukong came barreling in, settling himself into her. Wukong burrowed a hand into her hair. Willow curled her own into his fur. Wukong tucked her head into his chest and Willow made that her pillow. His tail wound around her leg as her free hand began to scratch his back. Wukong chirped and smacked his lips, nuzzling the top of her head and eliciting laughter from her.

The warm glow wasn’t just from the wine. Nor from the warmth these two souls shared. It was a common and honest love, deeper than physical. A bond of trust and care.

“That was fun.” Wukong spoke between his happy rumbles.

“You were planning to perform like those horses huh?” Willow asked him. Her fingers began to scratch behind his ears.

“Yeah- I was gonna be the sole horse dancer.” Wukong began to run his fingers through her hair, gentle as a spring breeze. “But… I’m glad you joined in. It’s more fun when there’s a partner to play with.”

“We’re partners for life.” Willow mumbled. Her fingers were slowing as Wukong pet and tended her.

“Partners to the end.” Wukong chuckled and pressed a kiss to her brow.

“Mm love you Wukong.” Willow muttered, falling back into sleep.

“Love you too Willow..” Wukong spoke between the happy baby noises he was making.

The two fell into sleep, happy and content and the troubles of the previous Banquet already buried beneath the memories of the new one. The safest place for both Willow and Wukong was here, within the gentle embrace of each other's arms. No nightmares came for them. Only blissful sleep and warm dreams. Dreams of food and wine and shifting shapes. And of a love that was the size and greatest of Flower Fruit Mountain.