The Two Kings

A Baby Tried to Kill Me, and I'm Not Okay with That

A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR, MY MONKEY FRIENDS!! I hope your new year is filled with joy and happiness! You'll always have me as your supporter ❤️

A few weeks had passed since the giant dumpling incident. Thankfully, the cleanup wasn't too daunting—most of the mess had been delicious, and the city practically ate itself clean. With the crisis resolved, Parker and MK found themselves with some well-deserved free time. Well, mostly free time—MK still had his delivery job, but the absence of imminent world-ending disasters provided a welcome break.

Today, the duo was on Sandy's houseboat, learning the art of tea-making. Why tea? Because Parker's erratic sleep schedule—falling asleep under tables, mid-conversation, or even in the middle of the street—had reached new levels of chaos. Sandy, ever the peace-loving soul, had offered to teach him how to brew a calming sleepy-time tea. MK, fueled by his perpetual FOMO, decided to tag along.

The only real hiccup? Parker and Mo had yet to coexist with one another. Perhaps it was something to do with Parker throwing Mo against the wall when he was under Spider Queen's control, but who knows.

"Mo, I promise I'm not going to break Sandy's pots!" Parker pleaded, his hands hovering near a pristine blue teapot.

Mo, perched atop the pot like a guardian spirit, hissed vehemently, his fur bristling.

"Come on, Mo! Cut me some slack!" Parker tried again, cautiously reaching forward. The hiss intensified, making him groan and retract his hand. "Sandy! Mo's being difficult again!"

"Don't worry, Parker!" Sandy called out from where he stood on the deck of his ship, radiating his usual calm determination. "By the end of today's training, you'll be making the world's best sleepy-time tea in no time!"

Parker sighed, half-believing him. He glanced over at MK, who was already eyeing the tea-making station like it was a high-stakes cooking competition.

"Alright, Sandy! How do we start?" MK asked eagerly, bouncing on his heels and punching the air.

"Step one: get your water humming to a balmy 171°!" Sandy instructed.

Parker and MK got to work, each manning their own kettles. Parker carefully adjusted the flame, using a thermometer to ensure the water reached the perfect temperature. MK, on the other hand, cranked the heat to full blast, practically vaporizing his water.

"Step two—and this is important," Sandy said as he placed a small bowl of tea leaves between them, "add just a pinch of my special sleepy-time tea blend."

Parker delicately measured out a pinch of leaves, sprinkling them into his pot with care. MK dumped the entire bowl into his kettle, giving it a vigorous shake for good measure.

"Step three: serve it in your cutest, favoritest teacup and enjoy!" Sandy finished with a smile.

Parker carefully poured his tea into a small cup adorned with Mo's face, adding a delicate tiger lily and a few flower petals for flair. The presentation was immaculate. Meanwhile, MK sloshed his over-brewed concoction into a plain mug, hastily wiping away the splashes with his sleeve before handing it over with a sheepish grin.  

"Cheers!" Sandy said, tapping his mug gently against Parker's.  

They each took a sip. Parker leaned back in his chair, exhaling contentedly. The warmth of the tea seeped through him, soothing every tense muscle in his body. He placed a pair of sunglasses on his face and grinned. 

"Oh yeah. This—this is some nice tea," he said, reclining further into his chair.

Just as he was about to savor another sip, Mo leaped onto his lap with a triumphant yowl. The sudden weight sent Parker jolting upright, spilling tea all over his shirt.