Seeing Through the Trauma

Your Weight (14)

Not long after, Mei had been caught once, jumping away from one quick-moving ribbon only to have another wrap around her waist and hoist her into the air and MK had been caught again, making his total three. He was trying to ignore the ever-growing frustration when he heard footsteps and his ears flickered as he took a step back, looking behind him and scanning the area he heard the footsteps from.

They sounded familiar too, and MK wasn't surprised when Wukong and Macaque walked into the clearing, one visibly more excited than the other.

"Hey, guys! Macaque said we'd find you all out here, what's going on? We're not missing a party are we?" He chuckled, and MK heard Nezha step forward behind him, not bothering to look back as the training came to an unspoken and abrupt end.

Before any of the group could respond Wukong's gaze caught MK's and he watched as the smile on the immortal's face fell, a gasp clear as he jerked forward. 

"MK! Your eye! Does it hurt? Do you need me to get new bandages? You weren't training, were you? Are you hurt? What were you thinking?" The rapid questions made MK wince as he shrunk back, overwhelmed by Baba's sudden closeness as the immortal cupped his cheeks gently, lifting his head to get a better look at the cut. 

MK quickly shut his eye, putting a hand over the left side of his face as he backed away.

"Wha- no, it's fine. I'm fine. It doesn't even hurt anymore." He huffed, hoping and hoping that he hadn't seen the milky state of his left eye when Wukong gently moved his hands away, looking at the cut with big, sorrowful eyes that made MK's stomach twist in knots. He kept his left eye closed though before catching sight of Macaque just past Wukong. 

Unlike his baba, Dad hadn't moved forward at all, instead, he was staring in their direction with an ugly, dark look on his face, and when he noticed MK looking he quickly looked away, turning his back and walking away entirely as MK felt his ears drop and his chest ache with a heavy feeling that was crushing. 

Suddenly, he just wanted to be alone, and the touch of Wukong's hands on his face burnt and ached and he tugged himself away. 

"Seriously! Stop fussing, okay!" He snapped, feeling bad for it the moment he saw Wukong's face drop from hurt. That look quickly disappeared as the immortal shook it off, instead putting his hands on his hips. 

"Even if it doesn't hurt you still shouldn't have the bandages off, and you definitely shouldn't be doing any exercise, you're still injured!" He scolded, leaving MK rolling his eye and crossing his arms. 

"I can train just fine! Besides, it's just my eye, I'm not completely useless or anything!" He scoffed, scowling at the floor and missing the way Wukong's face dropped. 

"Wha- I didn't say you were useless-" He started and MK felt the frustration from everything, from being coddled, from Dad ignoring him, from struggling so much with training, from bumping into the door frames so many times, boil over and explode out of him, his hands curling into fists.

 "Well, it sure feels like you did!" There was so much more he felt like saying, words burning on the tip of his tongue that he quickly swallowed back. It was all coming from a place of frustration and none of it was nice, so he bit his tongue and kept the rest inside as he breathed out an angry breath, the tension leaving him as he gripped his arms.

"I didn't, and I would never. I'm just worried, okay? You got hurt and this is the second time it's happened. Do you have any idea how much it hurts seeing that scar on your face and knowing there's nothing I can do to make it go away?" Wukong practically yelled, his voice brimming with emotions and MK flinched at the tone, his left eye going wide open with shock.