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lotusloong · 2 months ago

Text

Love of a Flower

Relationship: Sun Wukong X Female LoongDragon!Reader

AN: Alrighty, I've been working on this for a bit now, hope y'all like it! I originally got the idea when playing Black Myth and reading the OG books and it kinda spiraled from there. I have mentioned Loong!Reader in another fic I have, this is the birth place of her! It just so happened that she could seamlessly fit into the world of New Gods as well so I used her there. See y'all at the end!

Seriously tho, heed the gore and body mod tag. I tried to make it descriptive while not going too crazy with it, but it can still intense to some.

Tags: Fluff, Romance, Soulmates, Fast Burn, I mean - really fast burn, its real sappy too, Fairytale Elements, Mythology Elements, Listen if mythology can get weird and freaky with it then so can I, speaking of, Slight Freak4Freak, Wukong does some weird ass stuff to help Reader who is into it, Slight Gore, Blood, Body Modification, No Smut, References to Smut, this thing is nearly 10k words I do not have the strength to add smut right now, Casual Nudity, for just a moment tho, LoongDragon!Reader, I don't care if Reader is a dragon - she has tits when smaller, if I missed any tags let me know

Summary: You have never left your pond. It's safe, protected, tranquil.

A bit lonely…

A group passing by changes all that.

Tag List: @mythicallystupid

Read it on AO3!

It was the promise of a safe place to rest for the night that drew him to your home.

Your spot was a humble one, some would say too humble for a mighty dragon, but most days you didn't feel ‘mighty’. You just felt like yourself. It wasn't anything grand, but a gentle waterfall flowed into your pound, where the water swirled and settled before leaving you in the form of a modest creek. Animals, yaoguai, and even the occasional human could find peace at your pond. Your presence would prevent any fights or attacks, and in return the travelers left small offerings at the water's edge and cleaned up after themselves.

So long as they didn't try to pluck the closed budding lotus in the center of your lake, you were happy to see others pass through.

One morning you woke up and pulled yourself from the water to see a thin trail of smoke creeping above the treeline. With a gentle push you lifted yourself into the air and glided with the wind, glancing over your shoulder briefly at the lotus flower in the center of your pond, petals still closed where it floated across the surface of the crystal clear water. Satisfied it would be safe without your dutiful eye for a moment, you made your way to the smoke stack. A quick glance down showed a campsite in the morning light and you sighed to yourself as relief settled your mind.

You would rather have new visitors near your home than a wildfire. You hide yourself among the clouds, shivering at the chill as water immediately buds along your scales from the cloud. Your pond is so temperate compared to this, and you already miss its depths.

You shake yourself, time to focus. You peer down at the campsite to make out the different figures still sleeping away. A brilliant white horse that was surrounded by magic had a monk leaning against its side as they slept, a bedroll with some kind of pig yaoguai curled up, and an ogre sleeping against a tree, bags of luggage surrounding him. An odd group to be certain, but if they were traveling with a monk you were certain they would be friendly enough.

Satisfied, you were just about to fly back to your pond when a flash of brilliant red shone from the trees. Your own eyes narrow at the sight, twisting your long coils in the air to keep yourself afloat. The details of what you were looking at came to you, and you realized you were looking at the face of a monkey. Glowing red eyes surrounded by soft fur, a gold fillet sitting above their brow. The rest of them was hidden in the tree but you didn't need to see more to know that you were looking at some type of monkey yaoguai. You could sense the power of those eyes.

Under your gaze, the eyes lost their glow, turning to a brilliant gold, and you were left staring at each other. You gave a respectful nod, and were pleased to have it returned. Satisfied with what you had seen, you flew back home.

~~~~~~~

They came by your pond the next day.

You had heard them walking, the sound of the horse’s hooves on the dirt, the pig shuffling and jumping, the ogre’s steady thumping. You didn't hear the monkey's footsteps, not without straining your ears to catch the soft pitter-patter of his steps. You shifted into your human form where you sat by your waterfall, the wind carrying their conversation to you.

“I would not lie about such things. What could I possibly gain by claiming to see a dragon?”

“I don't know! You always have some kind of trick for me monkey! How do we know you aren't trying to trick Bai Long Ma!”

“Because unlike you, pig, Bai Long Ma is reliable and helpful. I wouldn't want to drive him away.” You could hear indignant screeching in response.

“Whaa-! Master! Master, you see how he bullies me-!”

“What colors did this dragon have?” A deep baritone interrupted the sputtering, and the layered voice was the familiar sound of your own kind. A fellow dragon was traveling with this group.

“White with a black belly. I didn't see much detail, they were too high up.”

“Hmmm, I am not familiar with them personally. Must be a young river guardian.”

“Aha! You see! A dragon prince doesn't recognize them, how do you know it was even a dragon? Could have been a shapeshifter.” As the words were spoken the magnificent white horse from the camp stepped out of the treeline, power coursing underneath the layers of muscle. Deep sea green eyes immediately locked with yours, kin recognizing kin despite your transformed states. Your fellow dragon stopped in his tracks, much to the concern of the being sitting on his back. The monk you had seen the day before followed the gaze of his mount, eyebrows raising in surprise to see you sitting in the water.

“I know because of my truth seeing eyes you idiot-” Another figure stepped out, the one you saw hiding in the trees. A monkey yaoguai like you had thought, his frame sleek but muscular under the rags he wore. The pig walking next to him snarled.

“So what then!? If it was a dragon we should expect heavy rain? Flooding?” His tusks peaked from his lips, and the monkey snarled in turn. His massive canines were far more impressive and intimidating. The sight of them made your heart race. You hardly noticed the ogre silently stopping behind them.

“If there is to be a flood I welcome it, if only for the chance that you'll be washed away! Taken far, far from here and never to be seen again!” The pig yaoguai practically screeched his anger, and you couldn't help the giggle that escaped you at the monkey's sharp tongue.

The sound had the last three party members snapping their gaze to you, the feud put on hold. You brought the sleeves of your hanfu up to cover your embarrassed grin from their sudden attention.

“I don't plan to flood this forest anytime soon, but I'll be sure to give you a warning if I change my mind.” You spoke.

“For that, we would be grateful.” The monk smiled at you, giving a polite bow you returned. You stood from your mossy rock and stepped closer to the group.

“This is my home, but you are welcome to camp here as long as you wish. All I ask in return is for my pond to be respected, and for you to not touch my lotus flowers. They’re precious to me, I hate to see them plucked.” While not a total lie - you did love the plants growing in your home - it was the same excuse you gave to all travelers who passed by. You couldn’t take the chance of someone plucking your heart. “You are free to take from any of the plants and herbs along the shoreline though! Just let me know which ones you pluck so I can tend to them after.”

The dragon acting as a horse bowed his head low.

“We are grateful, sister. Your generosity knows no bounds.” He rumbled. You waved him off.

“Oh please, consider it payment for keeping me company while you rest. Most stay away once they realize a dragon lives here.” You look away with a wistful sigh. It was nice living in your pond, but it did get rather lonely…

The dragon horse turned to the other members of the party with a sharp glare, sea green eyes intense. “You two will behave yourselves while we are camped here, understand? I won’t allow rudeness to one of my own who opens her home up so kindly.”

The pig yaoguai looked surprised at the stern tone, but nodded eagerly.

The monkey’s eyes darted your way before he gave an over exaggerated bow to the horse, his tail going high in the air to keep his balance as he bent so far forward.

“I vow to you, Bai Long Ma, Third Son of the Dragon King of the West Sea, as the Handsome King of the Monkeys, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the Famed Stone Monkey, Lord of Gold and Metal-”

“Enough with the titles, get on with it.” The dragon interrupted with a roll of his eyes and a nicker of annoyance.

“...I would never dream of causing trouble.” The smirk on his lips said otherwise. You couldn’t resist giggling at his words, or the way the others around him looked unconvinced. What a cheeky monkey.

~~~~~~~

It was that same afternoon you saw the pig demon, Bajie they called him, running into your pond with a fearful scream. The monkey floated above him on a cloud, grin smug. You were back in your true form just under the surface of the water, peaking only your head out to see what all the commotion was. Bajie jumped and nearly screamed again at the sight of you, but stopped himself with a hand over his pounding heart.

“What happened?” You asked, looking between the two of them.

“He-!” Bajie pointed an accusing finger at the monkey above you both, “transformed into a giant scorpion in my bedroll and chased me here!” You raised a questioning eyebrow at the other demon who merely shrugged in response. You covered your snout with your claws. It wasn’t polite to laugh at your guests. Bajie didn’t seem to notice your amusement, moving closer to you in the water.

“He torments me! Day in and day out!”

“He sounds rather cruel.” You snicker, the monkey grinning back at you utterly shameless.

“He is! But something that always helps is a kiss from a beautiful maiden! Good lady would you mind-” Shock rips through you at Bajie’s sudden words, and the sudden close proximity he had to you in the water. One of his hands reached up to your muzzle, about to touch a long whisker, one of the most sensitive parts of your body, and you froze. Your mind scrambled to get you to swim away from the stranger taking up your personal space but your muscles remained locked stiff.

A sudden dull ‘thunk’ sounded through the clearing and the pig fell back from you and into the water, unconscious as he floated in the current. A staff with intricate gold patterns was extended in the air right where Bajie’s head had been moments ago. Your eyes follow the staff up to the monkey demon, who was scowling at the unconscious form of his companion.

“Talking like that is what made me chase him in the first place. He never learns.” He ‘tsked’ and shook his head before looking back at you. His golden eyes had an unusual sense of seriousness to them. “Pay no mind to him. He talks too much and may push boundaries, but he’d never try anything.”

You nod your head, tension leaving your frame as you relaxed back into the cool water of your pond.

“Th-thank you. I wasn’t expecting him to…to…” You wave a claw at the pig’s snoring form which was currently making a lazy circle as the water swirled around him. The monkey snorted and lowered his cloud closer to you.

“Yeah, he’s an idiot but he’s harmless. Mostly. Sometimes he can be useful in a scuffle.” The monkey shrugged and you snorted at his words. There was a gleam of pride in his golden eyes at the sound of your laughter.

“I don’t believe I caught your name earlier.” You said after finding your composure. “You claimed to be the king of monkeys this morning, don’t tell me you are the same Monkey King, Sun Wukong?” The smile you received in response was answer enough.

“I am! Heard of me and my greatness have you? What’s your favorite story?” Wukong’s tail had a pleased curl to it, rising up behind him as he preened under your gaze. The late afternoon sun gave his russet fur a golden glow and you couldn’t help but think he looked rather pretty.

“Would it be biased to say when you came to visit the Dragon King of the East? I wasn’t there, but I wish I had been just so I could have seen the antics you started!” The Monkey King is delighted by your response, and he stays hovering over the water of your pond to chat with you more.

The conversation flows like the stream leading away from your pond, gentle but consistent. Tales about his past, mixed in with gossip about the many gods and demons he met and small details about fights and pranks that aren’t included in the common versions of the stories, then discussions about the journey he’s on now, then your river and the small shrine resting at the shore. As much as he boasts about himself, he asks for details about you just as eagerly.

“So, you tend to the plants that grow around here?” The Great Sage asks, his head cocked in curiosity as he watches you. His cloud has lowered significantly during your talk, the white puff resting gently on the surface of the water to meld into a light fog before dissipating. It’s a convenient distraction to focus on so you don’t get lost in the golden depths of his eyes.

“Yes! It’s not the same as a proper garden but…I work with what I have. I learned everything about plant care from my grandfather…” You gave a wistful sigh, remembering your time as a hatchling. Things had been so simple…

“Someday, maybe, I’ll get a proper set up to care for them and grow other types of plants too. I would love to grow fruit trees and berry bushes-”

“Peach trees!?” Wukong interrupts you, leaning in very close to your personal space. He almost looks like he’s about to fall off his nimbus cloud, he’s so far forward. Unlike with the pig demon, you don’t feel the same uncomfortable urge to run. Your heart beats a little faster in your ribs and you feel heat climb to your cheeks, but you don’t move away.

“Of course! I’d love a whole orchard of different fruits, peaches would have to be there as well.” The Monkey King’s smile is as bright as the sun at your words, his grin eager as he speaks.

“Would you save some for me? I’ll come back and visit every day if it means I get free peaches.”

“Only the best for the Great Sage.” Your cheeks ache from how long you’ve been smiling. Suddenly, Wukong pulls away from you, eyes lighting up.

“Oh! What if you came to live on my mountain!? Mount Huaguo used to have so many different plants and fruits growing all over the place! If we could have an actual garden set up to take care of them, it would be so much easier! Then you could pick all the best peaches for me and my monkeys, and we’d sit and talk with you all day!”

The offer shocked you. Your mouth hung open for a few moments as you gathered your thoughts, staring at the wild, beautiful demon before you.

Floating in the still water behind you, the budding lotus flower unfurled ever so slowly, the delicate center still hidden by soft white and pink petals. The outer petals cupped themselves towards the sky, tips a vivid pink as if to entice someone to pluck the bloom despite its half opened state.

“Wh-...that would be-”

“I am happy to see you two getting along. My worry was misplaced.” A soothing voice interrupts your words. You look up, startled, to see the monk step out from the treeline, fidgeting with a ring of prayer beads. As you greet him, Sun Wukong tenses up where he sits on his cloud. His tail goes stiff, hovering in a curved position behind your head. This does not go unnoticed by you, or the monk.

“Apologies, I was speaking in jest.” Tang Sanzang murmurs, his smile soft but strained. Wukong doesn't meet his eyes, looking off to the distant horizon.

“Of course Master. Excuse me, I need to patrol.” You stare after the monkey with wide eyes as he jumps into the trees, the emotional whiplash of the situation startling you to silence. Just a moment before he looked so happy and eager…

The monk comes close to you.

“Do you mind?” He looks pointedly at a spot of soft grass next to the shore you lounge on, and you gesture for him to settle down. He sits with his back straight, eyes slipping closed as he gathers his thoughts. You idle away by making small bubbles in the water, popping the biggest ones with a claw.

“...I apologize for ruining your talk. It was not my intention.” He eventually speaks. You look at him, your whiskers settling and curling idly in the air around his still form.

“It's alright monk, it's a pleasure to speak with any of you.” You tried to reassure him. His face remained unchanged.

“...He no longer trusts me.” You straighten, a pitying frown forming on your muzzle. Your ear flicks at the sound of a tree rustling. Wukong is there, hiding and listening. You don't bring attention to him.

“I'm sorry to hear that. May I ask what happened?” While you're curious to know, this is also an opportunity for Wukong. If he didn't want you to hear about the issues between him and his Master, now would be the time to interrupt. The only sound you hear is Bajie’s distant snoring as he washes up on the opposite shore of the pond.

Tang Sanzang opens his eyes.

“There was…a yaoguai. She was a trickster, and managed to deceive myself and my disciples. The only one to see through her tricks was Sun Wukong. He tried to kill her multiple times, and each time I…I punished him for it. I had thought he was killing innocents. I don't like when he kills at all, truthfully.”

You cocked your head to the side, resting your chin on one clawed hand as you leaned your elbow onto the shoreline. Your ear flicks again at the rustling of leaves.

“I had banished him from our party, after Zhu Bajie convinced me Sun Wukong was playing another trick to avoid consequences. Not only was I wrong, but my disciple had to travel all the way to Mount Huaguo to convince our protector to come back. We apologized and he…he said he forgave us but he's been…different ever since.”

You hummed, a pain in your heart at the thought of Wukong being discarded so easily. Why did it bother you so much? You had only known the monkey for such a short time…

“Well,” you started, “he most likely needs time. You broke his trust.” The monk looked to you with wide eyes, surprised but not angry. You swallowed, uncertain if you should be weighing in on such a situation when you were nothing but an outsider. Wukong did not move from his hiding place.

“He worked hard to protect you, and instead of trusting his instincts, trusting him, you punished him. That's not an easy thing to overcome, even if he has forgiven you.” A lotus flower, small and budding, grew in the water next to your elbow. You scooped a claw under it, lifting it as far into the air as its stem would allow.

“Trust needs to be nurtured and cared for. When broken, it can grow back, under the right circumstances. With time and effort put into its care.” With a small burst of magic, you made the flower bloom in your palm. Sanzang looked between you and the lotus, a small smile forming on his soft face.

“You speak wise words.” A smile twitched at the corners of your muzzle. You weren't finished yet.

“However monk,” you snapped the lotus off of its stem, holding it close to your chest. “When the land has been salted, the soil can no longer bear seeds. Even just once is enough that an entire plot can no longer grow anything. Be grateful then, if you manage to see progress. Even if it's a small, pitiful bulb.”

The smile fell from his face once more.

“Again, you speak true. I will take your words to heart, lotus dragon.” You gave him a bow of your mighty head, careful not to poke him with your antlers.

“He is with you now, and clearly cares for your wellbeing. That means more than you might realize.” The monk returns your head bow with one of his own, a thoughtful look on his face at your words. The silence between you lasts for only a few moments.

“You know a great deal about plants, it seems.”

“My grandfather taught me about them from the very beginning. He adores them, and I like to think I inherited that love. His teachings taught me about more than just how to care for plants.”

“He sounds very wise indeed.”

The monk sat with you for a few moments more, before rising to his feet, excusing himself to meditate in peace. You are not surprised when Wukong silently lands on the pond bank, his smell of wood, stone, and fruit surrounding you.

“Thank you.” He says.

You smile and nod.

~~~~~~~

Days pass and the group continues to rest near your water.

After another long night of conversation between you and the Monkey King, you get only a few hours of sleep before rising.

You fly away from your pond to hunt for something suitable to eat. Before the dawn truly breaks over the horizon you glide away, focusing your senses on the trees below you for any sign of prey. A padded down spot of grass is proof a deer slept there during the night, and when you land you follow the scent and tracks through the thick underbrush. The kill itself is quick and easy, and you soon find yourself gliding across the sky back to your water with breakfast in your mighty jaws.

There is an odd fluttering in your chest as you move, like your heart is fluttering where it rests in your pond. It’s slightly different from the fluttering feeling you’ve been feeling when talking with Sun Wukong, but it’s not a bad one. You’ll be sure to check on the bloom when you get back.

When the sight of your pond comes into view, a shiver of excitement jolts down your spine. In the center of the water, Ruyi Jingu Bang sits perfectly straight like a pillar from the surface, the water not even disturbed enough by the pole to ripple around its base. Sun Wukong sits on its top, his feet gripping the pole and his impeccable balance keeping him upright. You land in the water with a gentle ripple, setting your kill down on the shoreline. The excitement you feel at seeing Wukong awake and waiting for you has you feeling giddy, and you open your bloodied mouth to ask if he’d like to join you for breakfast-

When the blood in your veins turns into ice.

In his hands, sits your lotus flower.

Your breath catches in your throat, whiskers quivering in the air around you. Your scales lift from your body in a fear response, claws digging deep into the wet soil beneath you. Wukong turns and flips the flower, exceedingly gentle wherever he touches it. Not one petal is plucked, not one leaf is bent out of shape. He meets your eyes with a curious glance before going back to his examination.

“It’s this one right? Something about it is tied to you, but I can’t figure out what. It must be important though, I can sense the magic coming off of it.” Over the days you’ve been talking with the monkey it bloomed further, nearly entirely open to reveal the yellow and pink center.

You think you’re going to vomit where you stand.

“P-pl…please…” You whisper. Wukong looks back at you, an eyebrow raised in concern at your apparent fear. His shoulders straighten, senses on high alert for what could have you so upset. “Please…put it back…” Your voice sounds wispy and faint to your own ears, but the sound of your blood pumping through your veins isn’t helping. Wukong hears you anyways, looking down at the innocent flower in his hands to your frozen form. With a nod he slinks down the length of Ruyi Jingu Bang and gracefully puts the flower back on top of the water’s surface, like it never left.

He flips himself up and out of the water, landing on the shore where you put your food. You don’t feel like eating any more.

You stare at the flower as it floats along the surface, terrified that if you look away it’ll be picked up again and taken far, far away from you. It glides unbothered across the water.

Wukong coughs into his fist beside you.

“I didn’t realize it was that important to you. I’m sorry.” The words pull your attention back to him, but you can’t help the double take to make sure the flower still rests on the water.

“I…it’s alright. You didn’t know.” You shudder and take a deep breath, shaking yourself before shifting into a smaller dragon form. Your tail curls around your legs protectively as you sit on the shoreline. Wukong looks uncertain for once, as if he would like to sit with you but doesn’t know if he would be welcome. You have mercy on the poor monkey, patting the ground next you as you drag the deer carcass closer.

“You enjoy your meat raw, yes? I do too, as a special treat every once in a while.” As the tension in the air dissipates, you see his shoulders relax, his tail drooping to a pleased curl knowing that you’re not upset with him. You use your claws to tear off slivers of meat, cutting away fur and handing pieces over to your monkey friend. He thanks you before taking a bite, blood dripping into the fur of his wrists and down his chin as he eats.

You follow suit, slicing a piece of venison and swallowing it whole with your large maw. A single rivulet of blood leaks out the corner of your jaw and follows the trail of your scales, beading at the tip of a small bony protrusion along your jawline and falling to the ground below. When you lower your head back down, intending to tear off another piece, you feel Wukong’s eyes on you.

You look to him, his eyes wide where they stare at you, following the single trail of blood. His eyes move lower, over the long winding curve of your neck to your shoulders, where your modest robes wrap tight around your shoulders and chest. His breathing is heavy, and you catch the faint smell of something spicy coming from him. The smell is musky and reminds you of smoke, of metal burning red in fire, of heat.

A blush burns your cheeks.

“Is…everything okay?” Your voice comes out meek.

His golden eyes look back to yours, the red sclera looks like it's burning, like his eyes are glowing, while his pupils contract and dilate at the sight of you.

“Of course…” He mutters. When he says nothing else you try to smile, feeling self-conscious under his gaze but…enjoying the way his eyes seem to burn into you. It makes your chest feel tight, like your flower heart was being squeezed in a way you didn’t want to stop. He eventually turns back to his own slivers of meat before speaking again.

“I really would like you to come live on my mountain. It’s not the same after the 500 years I’ve been gone, but I can’t stay and rebuild until my mission to the west is complete. I think…I think you would be very helpful…my monkeys would love you, I know. And…and I want you there.” If your cheeks felt warm before, they feel scorching now. Your tail gives a pleased ‘thump’ against the ground.

“I…I really think I would love that…” Wukong’s chest swells at your words, a pleased grin stretching across his muzzle as he bites into another piece of meat. You pause.

“...But I sadly can’t.” The look Wukong gives you is so pained you feel like you just slapped him.

“W-...why not?” You fidgeted with the carcass in front of you, biting your tongue. Did you dare risk telling him? He already held your flower in his hands and put it back when asked…you felt safe around him, you enjoyed his company. You take a deep breath, steeling yourself.

“The flower…it’s my heart.” His brow furrows at your words, his confusion clear. “It’s my actual heart, taken from me by a curse. My grandfather did what he could to save me, but to do so he had to remove my heart from my chest and he turned it into a flower. The curse keeps me from…putting it back.”

The Monkey King sat up straighter, looking from you to the flower he had been holding, to his own hands in shock and back at you again. You gave him a small, unsure smile.

“Flowers need to be cared for. I can’t just leave it…what if a traveler plucked it? If I try to leave with it, how will I keep it alive? It needs water and loose, wet soil to stay strong, or at least some sort of magical artifact to keep it alive. What if while travelling it gets crushed and I…and I die?” The more you spoke, the higher Wukong’s eyebrows rose, a dawning realization on his face.

“That’s why you’ve never left…” He muttered. You nodded, curling in on yourself.

“Grandfather comes to visit me often, when he’s not busy with his duties at least. But this pond is peaceful and safe, and hardly anyone has ever tried to start trouble here, so I’ve never really…asked him to help me move somewhere else.” Sun Wukong jumped to his feet, pacing around where you still sat. You followed his movements, your long neck twisting and turning to keep up with his agitated pace. His tail flicked and twitched behind him, bloody claws flexing and fidgeting.

“I could carry your flower to Mount Huaguo. I fly fast, I know where all the deepest and calmest rivers and ponds are. I could place your heart right outside Water Curtain Cave! And if for whatever reason you don’t like it, I can change it! I can make you an entire new river on the mountain if you wanted!” He cried, looking to you as he spoke. You shook your head, flattered at his want to help you but knowing it wasn’t meant to be.

“And what of your quest? You can’t stay with me on your mountain while I adjust and learn the rivers. You have responsibilities with your Master. Maybe…maybe after your quest I could move. If you still remember me…” The sadness you felt at the idea of being forgotten by him nearly choked you, and you took another deep breath to center yourself.

Wukong’s arms dropped to his sides like dead weight, his tail falling and curling sadly against the ground. He knew you were right.

“I could never forget you…” He muttered. His eyes found yours again, and a fluttering erupted in your stomach at the sincerity in his gaze. “Something about you…I know I’m supposed to have you in my life.”

“H-how can you be so certain-?” You gasped. The weight of his words, the way he spoke so certainly…it stole your breath.

“When I came into the world my people were there and waiting for me already. When we frolicked and played our great Water Curtain Cave was waiting for us. Inside was my palace, empty but fully furnished and filled to the brim with wonderful wine and foods and clothes. It had been made and left there for me. For my people to call home. I was always meant to be their king, and I was always meant to leave to become the Great Sage. You are meant to stay with me. I feel it. I know it.”

As he spoke the Monkey King grew more confident, more assured about the words he spoke. He stood before you, back straight and shoulders squared, his gaze fierce and burning with his resolve. Behind you in the water, your heart fully bloomed.

“You really…feel that way for me?” Wukong gave you a firm nod.

“Yes.”

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes, and you brought a bloody claw up to your muzzle as if it would help stifle the sound that escaped your throat. Wukong, concerned, stepped closer to you, his own bloody claws cupping your scaled cheeks. Your eyes fluttered closed as he held you.

“I was…I feel the same, that…that tugging inside me to be with you. I keep dreading the day you have to leave, I know it’s coming soon, I know you have to keep moving for the scriptures and yet-!” You shuddered, “I don’t want you to go. I want to stay with you…”

Wukong tilted your head up to him, and without hesitation, his lips were suddenly on yours. You squeaked into the kiss, eyes wide and body frozen. It was only for a moment before you all but melted into his hold again, kissing him back as best you could. Your fangs clicked against each other’s, his fingers were so close to the sensitive whiskers on your snout, his smell filling your mind and wiping away every thought except for him.

Wukong pulled back, and a soft sound of protest left you. A new fiery determination was in his eyes, and his voice was firm and husky as he spoke.

“I promise you, I will find a way. I won’t leave you here, not forever.” His claws traced over your scales and the bony spines on your jaw with a gentleness that made your heart ache. You wanted to hold him and be held back for eternity by him. You nuzzled into his neck and breathed his smell, grounding yourself. Everything felt like a dream.

Wukong held you for a moment longer before letting go, stepping back and summoning his cloud. You watched with confusion as he stepped on it, and he gave you a reassuring look.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, a few days at most. Watch over my Master, would you? Tell him I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?” You asked. Your tail curled anxiously around your feet,

“I have an idea of what to do but I need to confirm it. If it works…then you can come with us. If it doesn't, I’ll find something else.” You nodded, uncertain but trusting Wukong.

“O-okay…See you soon, my love…” You stepped back from his cloud, clasping your clawed hands tight to stop yourself from reaching out and pulling him back into your arms. The Monkey King smiled at you, sharp canines on display.

“Goodbye my flower.”

And then he was gone.

~~~~~~~

You’re surprised by how accepting the pilgrims are when you tell them Sun Wukong left. Bajie shrugs and goes back to eating his lunch, a pile of dried meats and vegetables, uncaring. Wujing stares at you long and hard for a few moments, his narrowed eyes suspicious. You meet his gaze with an unwavering one of your own and after a few moments he nods, satisfied. He turns and settles down next to the campfire to sharpen his bident.

Your fellow dragon, still transformed as a horse, simply blinks at your words before laying down his head and resuming his early morning nap. The only one with questions for you is the monk.

“Is everything alright?” He asks.

“I hope so.” You respond. “He wanted to help me and said he might know a way. He’s supposed to be back soon…” The worry you feel must be obvious because the monk doesn’t hesitate to put his hand on your shoulder in a show of comfort.

“He will be back. He always comes back.” His words soothe you, even if only a little bit.

The days continue to pass and you continue to watch the sky for any sign of your monkey. Any cloudy speck, any glints of gold, just…something to reassure you he’s on his way back. Your days are spent meditating with the monk and his disciples, watching the horizon for Wukong, and your nights are spent curled in the water of your pond, wondering if he’s safe.

Relief comes just a few days after, like he promised.

The full moon hangs high in the sky and reflects on the clear surface of your water. You’re lying along the shore, tracing a claw over the ripples in the surface and watching the stars twinkle in the distorted reflection to distract yourself from the listless feeling in your gut. One particular star catches your eye, its glint shining brighter, closer, than the other stars. You lift yourself up to stare at the water, and realize that yes, the star is growing bigger in size.

Your head snaps up to look at the heavens, looking frantically for the golden glint you were watching in the water. There, you see it! A speck of light shooting across the sky, coming closer and closer to your pond. You shift from your true form to your smaller one, standing on the tips of your clawed feet to watch the light, hoping with every part of your being its Wukong on his way back to you.

As it grows closer, you see him.

The Monkey King stands crouched on his cloud, a fierce and determined look on his face as he moves closer. Your tail lifts behind you as you wave a clawed hand in the air, a smile stretching wide across your muzzle at the sight of him. He sees you, and a smile stretches across his own face at the sight of you happy and healthy to greet him. His cloud lowers closer to the treetops, rustling leaves and low hanging clouds with the force of his own wind.

When he lowers closer to your pond he doesn’t even bother landing properly, jumping from his cloud and straight into your waiting arms with a wild screech of joy. You catch him happily, staggering from his weight and falling over into a pile as you laugh together.

His fur feels so soft under your claws, his musky smell of wood and stone more pungent than ever from his days of travel. Your tails entwine as you pull each other closer and nuzzle your faces together. You press soft kisses to his lips, delighted that they still taste the same after that first one you had too many days ago. His weight settles on top of you, his smaller form cushioned by yours as his hands and feet grip every part of your scaly body he can cling to. Your long neck lets you wind yourself around him as you sit back up from the cool grass, midnight dew coating your scales, his fur, and both your clothes.

“I missed you.” He chirps, little squeaks of delight leaving his throat in a way you think might not be conscious.

“I missed you too…so much…” You’re purring in response to his touches, your scales feeling warm everywhere his claws graze you. “Your Master is safe, they all are. We were all waiting for you.”

Wukong pulls away from you just enough to meet your gaze with his own, sitting back comfortably on your lap. The smile he gives you is radiant.

“Thank you, my love. I…I’m hoping it was worth it. I think it will be.” He fully climbs off your lap, kneeling next to you in the soft grass. “I found a spell, a ritual really. We can do it now, but it's uhm…it’s intense.”

“What do you mean? Is it safe?” You ask. You watch with curiosity as Wukong starts to disrobe, pulling his arms from his sleeves and letting his tiger sash hold his clothing tight around his waist. You swallow, eyes drawn to the muscle and fur making up his chest. Your claws itch to reach out and touch.

“It’s safe, it's just…there’s blood. It’s a ritual to…well, to place your heart in a new vessel.” Your brow furrowed in confusion, not fully understanding his meaning. Wukong leaned forward, pressing a kiss to your cheek and trailing down along your jawline to your ear. You shiver in response.

“Just bear with me, love.” He cooed in your ear, pulling back from your arms. “It'll look painful, but it's worth it if it's for you.”

Before you could ask what he meant, his sharp claws were tracing lines over the rippling muscle of his left pectoral. With a sharp, deep inhale his claws sunk into his own flesh and pulled. Your own claws came up to cover your mouth in shock, eyes wide as you watched your lover dig into the meat of his chest. His golden eyes were narrowed in focus, sharp canine sticking out over his bottom lip as he bit it. A single bead of red grew and spilled over his lip and down his chin to his throat, soaking the fur and skin and joining the growing red spot of his chest. Speckles of blood sprayed onto your robes, but you didn't even register it as you watched Sun Wukong.

The slick sound of muscle being cut into jolted you back to the present, and you whimpered in shock and concern.

“Wh-what are you doing!? Wukong, stop-!” You cried, your hands reaching for his own, still tearing into himself and bleeding red, so much red everywhere, it was going to kill him-!

He grunted, his claws not leaving his chest no matter how hard you pulled at him. His eyes met yours, and the fierce determination staring back at you made you freeze again.

“Its-Its already started-...Let me finish-” You choked, letting your claws fall away from his as a vague sense of horror settled into you. You didn't want this. You didn't want to see your mate so in pain, it didn't matter that your bond was so fresh and new. It hurt you to see him like this.

The pain didn't stop him however, Sun Wukong’s fingers digging deeper and deeper into himself. Just when you thought you couldn't stand it any longer, the urge to beg and plead for him to stop almost overflowing out of you like a tidal wave, you heard a sickening ‘shthrack!’ as his shoulders jerked hard. The force of the motion had the Monkey King folding over on himself, hands still buried in his chest. Your hands raised once more to touch him, grab him, do something, but ended up hovering uselessly over his trembling shoulders.

“W-Wukong? My love, please, I can't stand this any longer-” He took a deep breath, his whole body going lax as he straightened before you again.

In his hands, still trembling with aftershocks, was a stone.

Your eyes move to his chest where a cavernous opening now sits, hollow and still bleeding profusely. Sinews and nerves curve in a tangled mesh that used to hold the object he cups in his hands.

Your gaze goes further up to see his golden eyes, filled with pain but overshadowed by love and devotion that makes heat rise to your own cheeks.

“If you carry it with you,” he begins, voice only holding a slight tremble, “then I can carry yours with me.” He turns his gaze to the surface of your pond, eyes watching your lotus flower heart as it sits serene on the still surface. Your eyes widen in realization, looking back at the object he currently holds.

Slick with blood, you could barely make out the deep stone grey color of the object itself. In shock and not thinking properly, you let him place it into your waiting hands. The weight of it surprises you, heavy and hard, it has the rough texture of stone itself. Hard jagged edges dig into your palms while deep grooves sit under your fingertips. Sun Wukong’s own bloody hands cup yours and help you hold its weight. You could drop it, but knowing what it is, the significance of this act, you think you would rather spend eternity in Laozi’s furnace than drop the bloody organ currently beating in your palms.

Sun Wukong - the Monkey King, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Stone Monkey, the love of your life, has just made room in his very own chest to house and hold your own heart where it would be safe from everything.

Has just placed his own literal heart in your hands.

It's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen.

Tears gather in the corner of your eyes, slipping down your scaled cheeks.

“Y-you…” Your voice fails you. Sun Wukong smiles, his cheeky grin that always makes your tummy flutter, but you can see in his eyes as doubt and self-consciousness creeps into his thoughts.

“It's an option. I understand if it's too big of a decision right now, I shouldn't have-” He moves his hands back to his heart, about to pick it up, to take it away from you-

Your claws close around the beating stone and pull it close to your own chest before he can take it. You're panting, looking between his surprised expression and the precious gift you now hold.

“I…I want it. I want it so bad Wukong.” You whisper. “I'll take good care of it. So good. It's so beautiful~” You bring it up to your muzzle, your long whiskers rising and gently stroking along his heart’s details, helping you memorize every crack and crevice and sharp edge. Uncaring of the blood still on it you press your lips to a smooth patch. It beats faster.

You press more gentle kisses to it, your eyes locking with those of your king. His gaze burns into you, liquid golden fire watching your every move, every press of your soft lips to the most vulnerable part of him. His breathing quickens, his throat bobs as he swallows, his cheeks turn warm and pink. You feel his tail circle around your waist and trail down to tangle with your own.

“I…I know you will.” He rumbles, voice thick and raspy. His hands cup yours again, and you let them push your own hands towards your chest. Blood stains your hanfu, but you simply push the fabric out of the way, unravelling it from your torso to reveal your chest. Your breasts rise and fall at a rapid pace with your breathing, the smell of blood and your mate filling your nose and overwhelming your senses. Wukong’s eyes widen at the sight of your bare chest, and that sharp smell from days before comes back.

The smell of musk, burning metal and wood, sharp and addicting.

You blush at his obvious attraction to your body, shyly meeting his eyes as you hold his heart close to your own empty chest. You give him a single nod, sharp and confident, and he nods back. He begins muttering phrases in a language you’re not familiar with, and the heart in your claws begins to glow. You watch as it presses against the scales of your body, leaving your hands and slowly…merging with you.

Within moments it’s gone, and a sudden weight you haven’t felt since you were a hatchling settles inside you. You gasp, claws gripping your chest with shock as you feel the ‘thum-thump’ of a heart inside you once more.

Wukong’s heart.

It’s so warm…so solid and real where it beats frantically behind your breast. You shudder, eyes fluttering closed as you bask in the feeling.

When you open them again, Wukong is staring at you, his shoulders rising and falling with the force of his breaths. The opening in his own chest doesn’t seem to phase him, his pupils are dilating and contracting as he watches you with heated focus. You want to kiss him again, but the hole in his chest bothers you, despite his lack of concern.

You stand, wobbling slightly at the added weight to your top. Your lover moves as if to catch you, but you wave him off. The heavy weight of his heart feels incredible as you step into your pond. With a delicate claw motion, you pull your heart from the center of the pond to you, the petals wide and welcoming, blooming with love for the demon behind you. When it comes to your feet, you bend and scoop it up, carefully snapping the long stem, uncaring of the twinge you feel in response. The cutting will reroot in its new home.

You turn and settle back down next to Wukong, holding the flower out for him to take. The monkey’s hands cradle the bloom just as reverently as you did his heart, and your hands move to cup the backs of his as he brings it to his chest. As he moves he recites the same mantra from before, and your heart starts to glow the same way his did. A tingling shoots down your spine at the sensation, and you feel hyper aware of everything around you.

You both place the bloom into his chest cavity, blood soaking your claws but not the glowing flower. The cut stem immediately grows and lengthens into a root system and you watch as those roots connect with the sinews and nerves lining Wukong’s chest cavity. His body tenses, eyes wide as it settles inside him. The petals fold and bend into place as his body heals rapidly, roots twisting and winding through the muscle surrounding it. The last thing you see is the petals collectively beating before his chest fully heals and swallows your heart whole.

You can still feel it.

It’s warm and healthy and safe, tying itself to Wukong permanently. You are suddenly aware of more than just yourself. You can feel your lover, the immense strength at rest in his smaller form, the vitality and determination that make up his spirit. You can feel the beat of his heart, his sturdy breath, the boundless energy inside him ready to be unleashed. Looking at him, you know he feels the same for you as well. The quiet sturdiness of your resolve, the calming and gentle care that makes up your spirit.

Your claws let the other’s go, moving to wrap around each other in a desperate embrace. Kisses are shared and taken, your whiskers wrapping tight around different parts of his form and his teeth nipping at your lips and jawline.

“Thank you, thank you, I love you-” Is a mantra you can’t stop repeating, desperate to thank him for the freedom he’s granted you on this night. It’s not even just freedom to finally leave, it’s everything else he’s given you. Sun Wukong is your mate now, officially and for eternity. You have no plans to let him go.

“I love you too, so much. Thank you for accepting it, for accepting me-” Is his response to your words, his claws clutching at you just as desperately. You can feel it inside you, his fiery, steadfast resolve to stay by your side, to not ever let you go.

Neither of you gets much sleep that night.

~~~~~~~

When dawn breaks, the creeping sunlight is shielded from you by the dense thicket of trees you and your mate hid away in. Your long, serpentine form is coiled tightly around the monkey, his head hidden in the cushion of your breasts and tummy. Bite marks litter you both, standing out more starkly on your white scales, most of the ones you left on him covered by thick russet fur.

When your eyes peak open, the first instinct you have is to reach to your chest where Wukong’s head lay, feeling under your scales for the steady beat of his heart against your ribs. It soothes you, and you relax back into the grass surrounding your bodies. Wukong twitches in your hold, tiny snores leaving him as he nuzzles further into your warmth. You shift, ever so slightly, to get a better look at him.

One clawed hand cups his soft cheek, rubbing the spot under his eye as you watch him. Said eye peaks open in response, gold glinting in the shade of the early morning.

“Good morning…” You whisper. Wukong shifts, stretching his arms around your coils and yawing wide. The sight of his sharp teeth has excitement stirring in your belly once more. You know very intimately how sharp those teeth are, how gentle they can be…

“Hmm…morning…” He mumbles in return, rolling his neck until a satisfying ‘crack’ could be heard. You giggle as he stands and does a full body stretch, his fur matted and flat in some areas from sleep. Your eyes roam down the length of his body, on full nude display in the light.

“Something you like my flower?” He purrs at you over his shoulder, completely confident.

“Oh yes,” you start, “It’s a lovely sunrise. If only there wasn’t a monkey blocking the view.” you tease. He gives you a playful growl in response, turning to face you with a dramatic swish of his tail. Your bravado leaves you quickly at that, the sight of his soft cock surrounded by fur stained from the night before too much for you. He laughs at your rising blush.

“Cheeky dragon, losing your nerve, hmm?” He kneels back down next to you and presses a quick, casual kiss to your lips. You give a pleased hum, your embarrassment fading at his touch. When he pulls back, you sigh.

“We should probably get ready.” He groans in response to your words, but does help you stand on your own feet.

“Yes, yes, you’re right. We’ve spent too much time camped here.” He lets you lead the way to your pond for the two of you to clean up, but you suspect his reasoning is so he can watch your knees tremble with every step you take. The smug grin on his face confirms your thoughts.

By the time the two of you are cleaned and ready for the day, the others of your group have woken up. They greet Wukong with smiles and teasing remarks, everyone but the monk able to smell the evidence of your night together. Despite your blushing, Wujing helps you gather from the different herbs growing around your pond as Bajie collects water in gourds for the journey ahead. Wukong helps Sanzang load some of the camp supplies onto Bai Long Ma’s back and pack everything else up for Wujing to carry.

“I am glad you have found someone who makes you happy, my student.” The monk says. Wukong freezes, uncertain.

“...Thank you Master.” He says. The monk reaches a hand out, but hesitates. Wukong stares, before finally caving in. He leans forward, letting Snazang’s hand rest on his fluffy head and ruffle his fur. The monk smiles, patting him gently before pulling away.

Feeling oddly vulnerable, Wukong turns and walks towards the pond, where you’re finishing up wrapping all the herbs and berries Wujing helped you harvest.

“Everything ready over here?” Wujing nods, standing and adding the refilled bags of supplies to the stuff he normally carries on his back. The others gather in the treeline, ready and waiting to go.

Wukong steps up behind your still form, his arms wrapping tight around your waist.

“Are you ready?” He asks.

You stare out over the still water, taking in the view. This has been your home for decades now, centuries even. It’s safe water is all you’ve known for your adult life. The flowers and plants along the shoreline, the small stone shrine at the edge of the shore shaded by a growing tree. The waterfall you would play and dance under, the many many memories attached to each spot.

You look to the surface of the pond, and the sight of your flower missing still feels alien and strange. You can feel it beating in Wukong’s chest. You take a deep breath, filling your lungs with the familiar smells and releasing them with a sigh.

“Yes.”

You turn and walk away, hand in hand with your love.

~~~~~~~

And that's that! I do have ideas that I’d like to add to this story in the future, but I’m still figuring them out and the details around them, so for now this is a one off. I do have an idea for an alternative storyline that's more angsty and ties into the lore of Black Myth Wukong, and I'd like to get that out eventually too! Hope y’all enjoyed ♥♥♥

#Sun Wukong X Reader #Monkey King X Reader #Sun Wukong #Monkey King #LoongDragon!Reader #Tang Sanzang #Zhu Bajie #Sha Wujing #Bai Long Ma #Journey to the West #I hope yall like it this one feels pretty personal to me #its the idea that got me writing Wukong fanfic in the first place

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