Not Your Romeo and Juliet

Chapter 1

It was late at night when I started heading back from training with Monkey King.

Training has started to get more tough and more time consuming, surprisingly. Normally it lasted about twenty to thirty minutes, tops. Not anymore.

Monkey King was acting a little off too, especially when he started asking me to stay later, go to odd locations to train, and during it especially. He made me do more brutal things. I had begun to just play it off that this was normal, and it was just training.

But something told me it wasn't.

It reminded me of when I was with Macaque, my second mentor. Well, he was my mentor. Not so sure about that anymore. He actually got to work with training, unlike Monkey King. It worried me.

Sometimes after training with Monkey King he popped up right after as happy and energetic as ever when I know that he was just somewhat out of breath and tired a bit ago. It was so confusing.

It was dark in the city, shadows looming over me. I shivered at hearing just the slightest of noises. I've never really liked being alone.

I sigh, pulling out my phone. It wasn't for long though, till I heard a blood curdling shriek and a loud noise.

Some terrified kid ran out of the park across the street and that's exactly where I went, into the park. It was empty.

Why was the kid screaming?

I walk around, planting a scratch to my head when I heard pained groans .

I whipped my head around, half-expecting an enemy. I wasn't 'half' wrong either.

Between some bushes I could just slightly see, and smell, smoke. I rushed over, parting them to see the fiery boy named Red Son.

"Red Son?!" I yelped. He looked bad.

His clothes were ripped up and he was bleeding, almost everywhere it looked. Maybe that was someone else's. But that wasn't good either.

I rushed over and knelt down beside the writhing mess of Red. "Why're you- what is going on?!" I scanned his body.

He let out a curse, "Noodle- boy..." he groaned, "I don't- fuck..." he cut off, grabbing at his side. I looked over and there was a huge cut in his outfit, blood pooling around the large cut in his side. More like his muscle had been ripped off.

"Oh," I stared for a moment in disbelief , biting my lip. I didn't know what to do. Monkey King had taught me a healing spell but it definitely wouldn't work on something that deep. Red's groans of pain and watching the blood pool made his stomach curdle.

I stomped down that fear, "I am going to pick you up, Red." I stated as I gently slid my arms under Red's body. He must have had no strength to reply because he only just shrieked when I picked him up and stood.

I shushed him, then started hurrying out of the park to Pigsy's Noodles. I knew Tang or Pigsy would know what to do. Sometimes Tang stays over, no idea why, he just does. It's nice to have more company other than customers.

I shut the door behind me and after a moment or two lights turned on upstairs and heavy footsteps came down. "Kid?" Pigsy.

He immediately stopped when he saw me setting down the bloodied body onto the floor, still writhing and cursing in pain. "Is that-?"

"Red Son, um, yep!" I cut him off, then snapped my fingers, looking back at him, "Help!"

That got the pig into action, running to a door which belonged to the supply room, soon enough coming out with a med kid, dropping down on the floor on the other side of Red, the wounded side.

"Why're we helping this bastard?" Pigsy snorted but got to work anyway, taking of the long red jacket the red boy always wore, only lifting up the torn shirt to see the wound.

"Look, I found him in the park on my way back from Flower Fruit Mountain! Please, Pigsy. Help him." I begged, grabbing Red'd wrist and checking his pulse. It was weak.

I look to the half lidded eyes of Red Son, leaning over and patting his cheek as Pigsy worked on cleaning the wound. "Red! C'mon, give me an actual sentence!"

Red gasped like the light slapping had brought him back to life and he yelled in pain, trying to move away from the hand cleaning at the deep wound but I grabbed him before he could. "It's okay, we are helping you."

Red breathed heavily, staring at me with fire in his eyes. He looked from Pigsy to me with terror, but when he looked to me a third time, his expression softened. "You... Why are you 'helping?'" The man spat.

I scoff, "Because you were bleeding out. I wasn't going to let you die." That statement of comfort reminded me of something Monkey King had said recently. 'Don't let your enemy get away. Seize the moment, Mk. Break them.'

Red Son was my enemy, but not like that... right?

Red groaned and leaned his head back. I hoped his hair didn't burn the floor, it was still smoking. "Well... aw— awfully pleasant of you, Mk."

I was surprised to hear my own name come from, he never does that. It sent a whole tingling sensation through my body, I felt warm just about everywhere.

"Hey, kid."

I heard Pigsy, my head turning to him. "Why don't you let him sleep in your bed? He's er- mostly okay."

Red Son's waist was wrapped in a bandage, so I decided to pull down his shirt, earning a strained noise from the other. I whispered a 'sorry.'

Pigsy stood up, "Get you a shower, kid. You're covered in his blood. He'll be okay in the morning, hopefully." he stepped over and ruffled my hair, some falling out from under my bandana. I roll my eyes and fix it.

"Okay, goodnight Pigsy."

"Night, Mk." he replied, then walked upstairs, the light staying turned on even after a door shut.

I pick up the fire demon in my arms again, bringing him upstairs and pushing open my door with my foot. Red Son said something unintelligible when I lightly set him down on my bed. He shifted uncomfortably and my Monkey King plush fell off of the bed.

I smile a little, crouching down and grabbing him. I felt a sudden chill, eyes glancing to under my bed. I suddenly felt like a kid again with a fear that something was under my bed. I swear I just saw a purple glare.

I shake it off and grab up Monkey King, setting it on my nightstand. Red was out cold, snoring. I shake my head and walk away to go take a shower.

I never thought I'd have that fiery man in my bed, especially under these conditions.  He looked more vulnerable than ever and it hurt me  more than it should've to see him in so much pain. He was an enemy. He tried to take Monkey King's staff.

I look down as the staff materializes into my lifted hands, then to myself in the mirror. I think back to a recent lesson from Monkey King, something I never thought he'd actually teach me, and I never thought I'd be able to do something like it.

I fall into a monkie form, just like the monkey demons. The staff disappears as I lean forward, looking to the markings on my face, my tail waving behind me in a calm manner. They were similar to Macaque's, and I didn't like that. I wish it was more like Monkey King's.

I always felt some type of comfort being in this form. I felt warm, body having fur. I take my bloody shirt and jacket off, a heart-shaped patch of fur on my chest. I like that patch.

I smile, then finally switch on the shower and falling back into my human form, suddenly wondering how Red will wake up.