Our Ball of Tangled Yarn

Prologue

Hey! this is my first shadowpeach fic so please be nice. I do have this work on ao3 if you want to read it on there as well. Those who are reincarnation fans, dw I'll work it at some point. Now to the story!

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The king stood across the room, watching his mate coo at the sleeping cub in their arms. A few mother monkeys joined them as they too, looked at the new member with growing interest.

It had been a girl, he was told by one of them. With golden fur like his, but a bright red mark and two pairs of ears on the sides of her face. Similar to her Bàba.

"Wukong," The king stiffened when he heard the shadow monkey speak quietly. He heard his lover chuckle when the two met eyes. The other smiled warmly. "Come here, she won't bite you."

"It's not that, Míhoú," Wukong looked back at the child in Macaque's arms. "I'm just . . . scared."

"Of our child?" The shadow monkey raised an eyebrow playfully and stared at his mate.

"Of hurting our child." His tail swished behind him harshly, showing his agitation. He would do anything to hold his cub, his little princess. But he knew his hands were soaked in the blood of past enemies, and he didn't want those hands to show his daughter what kind of monster he was.

Macaque's eyes softened at the realization. "I see," He looked down at their child, who seemed to be waking up from her nap. "I've hurt just as many people as you have, maybe even worse." Their daughter sneezed and blinked at her Bàba. Macaque chuckled. "But when it comes to fragile things, you are always careful with them. So I have no worries about you holding her." He glanced at Wukong. "Now come here. I think she's curious to see who her other father is."

Hesitantly, Wukong agreed and slowly walked to the bed. The monkeys watching the cub noticed his arrival and leapt off the bed, giving the parents more room to watch their princess with ease. It seemed to relax their king enough, knowing it would just be the three of them.

Wukong sat beside Macaque and took a proper look at his daughter. Two golden eyes stared back at him with growing curiosity, before they were shut tight by another sneeze. Wukong chuckled and hesitantly placed his thumb on her cheek and rubbed it. It felt soft, softer than he expected her fur to be. Must be another thing she got from the shadow monkey. The king slowly moved her hand to her stomach and tickled her, watching as giggles started to erupt from her at the feeling.

"See?" Macaque whispered, glancing at his lover before turning his attention back to the girl in his arms. "There is nothing to fear."

Wukong's heart swelled when their daughter tried to grab his hand, and felt her strong grip keep his finger there. "I guess you were right," He looked at Macaque. "What do we call her?"

Macaque continued to stare at their cub as she curled her tail around his wrist. ". . . Jīnzi."

"Jīnzi?" Wukong raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why that name?"

"Because of all the treasures we have, peaches," Macaque leaned forward and kissed their daughter's head, who giggled again. "She's our most precious one."

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"Hey, no- ah!" Wukong groaned as Jīnzi kept trying to climb her father. "It's just grooming, why can't you stay?"

Jīnzi didn't look at him and chirped up at the tree behind them, where Macaque was climbing for fruit. The shadow monkey looked down at his cub and smiled. "Hello, dear."

Wukong turned Jīnzi around and placed her back on his lap and continued to try grooming her head. "I swear, if I wasn't here she would be stuck with you all the time! Ah-" The king sighed as she turned her head and started grabbing his hands.