Taken || Lego Monkei Kid

10th Birthday

MK sat on the swings with a heavy frown. Beside him, his best friend kicked herself off with her feet, swinging back and forth quietly.

"You can look at him all you want, it's not changing that he's my Grandpa." Mei says. Across the park, seated in a flourishing robe, was Mei's "Grandfather". His name was Ao Lie, and this Grandpa did not look like any other Grandpa MK had seen.

His hair was white like a Grandpa, but his face held no wrinkles. His eyes were shimmering and his voice was soft. He had a sweet smell to him that MK liked, drawing the child's eye and keeping his attention. He was like... like...

A puppy. A really beautiful puppy.

Grandpa's shouldn't be puppies. They should be old senior dogs who smell like butterscotch and go on and on about their own childhood. This man looked more like Mei's uncle and looked even younger than her own parents.

"Are you sure though?" MK asked, shaking his head. It boggled his mind. For the fifth time, Mei angled her head back and groaned.

"Yes!!"

"It just doesn't make any sense!" her friend insisted. "He looks so young! Grandpa's are supposed to be old and wrinkly and gummy. And have like a cane, that they walk with cause their back is weirdly arched and they get smaller for some reason!"

"You watch too many shows, MK." Mei shrugged, despite several elders with those exact descriptions walking by. MK gestured to them pleadingly, ignored by his friend. "He just looks young. He's got good genes." Mei pulled out her phone, tugging MK closer to snag a selfie with him.

MK gave a dashing wink and smile, always so photogenic, before saying. "But he isn't wearing jeans?"

Mei lowered her phone with a frown, eyes narrowed at him. "...." she shook her head, refusing to explain or correct. "He's family, that is all you need to know." giving her grandpa a wave, Ao Lie smiled and waved back. He felt rather out of place in his attire, sitting beside Mei's suit wearing Mother. She was busy replying to emails on her phone, glancing up from time to time to watch Mei and MK play. "He's been training me lately too." Mei leaned closer to MK to whisper this.

"Train?" he asked, tugged along to join her on the monkey bars. As she grabbed the first one MK was tearing through the rest, swinging with ease. His hands never hurt like the other kids did when they played on the monkey bars for some reason. He could stay on these all day.

Mei took some time to climb to the top of the monkey bars and sit, "Yeah." she nodded, "He's gonna teach me how to kick butt!" she pumped her fist in the air. Though, there was far more to it than that. Especially since she would be turning 10 soon and would be having her coming of age ceremony. It was a private event between her family and her. Otherwise she would eagerly invite MK to her birthday party. They had never celebrated their birthdays together despite being friends all these years.

"He's gonna teach me about our ancestors and history and some cool moves." she tells MK, who gave a tilt of his head. He looked ahead, a strange look she couldn't define in his eyes.

"Oh. That sounds nice." he says, kicking his legs idly.

"It's gonna be boring honestly. History is boringggg." Mei grouched. She glanced at MK, that look still there. She tapped her fingers against the bars, not sure what to say. "Um..."

MK turned with a smile, catching her off guard. "The history is still yours." he tells her quietly. "Something that you can proudly say is yours and that you are part of." his expression softened, hiding the jealousy he felt in his chest. "I hope you have a lot of fun with your Grandpa."

Melt felt a strange tightness in her heart, but not sure why. "Y-Yeah." she nodded. Glancing away, unsure how to solve this odd sensation, she mumbled, "...So now you believe he is my Grandpa?"
"He can be whatever he wants to be to you." MK lifted his nose, clearly still not believing Mei's words.