#shadowrabbit

The odd couple just finished their nighttime date, a simple stroll hand-in-hand through Flower Fruit Mountain (Macaque making sure Wukong was not around to ruin it of course).

He gently set her down on the cramped balcony space as he chuckled, “Well Li-Li, I hope you had a good time tonight.”

Li pouted as she playfully punched her boyfriend’s shoulder, “You know I hate that nickname!”

Macaque chuckled more as he rubbed his shoulder, pretending the

purposely pathetic punch hurt.

“Oo, ouch! No can do sweetheart, it’s just too cute not to use.”

He wrapped his monkey tail around her waist as he pulled her closer to him.

“And, it’s cute just like you.”

He flirted, kissing her on her nose.

Li blushed softly as her rabbit nose twitched making him chuckle more, Macaque loved making her flustered.

She tried to regain herself and responded by leaning up on her toes to kiss him on his lips, a part of her wanting to get back at him for his flirting and teasing.

Macaque’s golden orbs widened slightly from the surprise kiss, they slowly closed however as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend’s waist as he leaned into the kiss.

The kiss was short-lived, but oh-so sweet for the two.

As they pulled away at the same time, Macaque chuckled while his cheeks flushed.

“I should tease you more often, bunny.” He grinned down at her, his golden orbs shining down at his girlfriend.

Li laughed softly as she held his hands and teased him back, “Oh hush you, or else I’ll stop kissing you.”

“Aww Li, that’s going too far.” He groaned playfully as he put his hands up in a non-existent defense.

She laughed softly as she turned to unlock her balcony door, “Would you like to stay the night?”

The monkey froze, she was asking him to stay the night? She wanted that?

Did he want that?

“Uh well, I have a bunch of stuff I have to do back at the dojo. Would love to stay Li but I’m busy.”

Li’s ears slightly dropped, which made a small sharp pain shoot up his chest.

He hated it when her ears dropped.

“Oh, no problem! Just wanted to give you the option.” She still put on a smile despite how disappointed she was, she didn’t want him to feel pressured into staying.

“Thanks anyway bunny, I guess I’ll see you later?” He grinned at her, trying to end the conversation before it could get more awkward.

“Yeah I’ll see you later, I had fun tonight.” She softly smiled at him, causing his face to heat up.

Oh, how he loved her smile.

“I’m glad Li, goodnight.” He waved goodbye as he turned around to leave.

“Goodnight Macaque, I love you”

Those three words that escaped her lips made him stop in his tracks, making another wave of sharp pain shoot through his chest.

‘I love you’ repeated over and over in his head, they had never exchanged these words before in the relationship, only ever saying they ‘liked’ each other.

They hit him like a truck, did he love her back? Could he love her back? Was he capable of loving her?

He didn’t think before what he did next, he was panicking and needed to get out of there.

“Y-Yeah, goodnight.”

Before she could respond, a shadow portal appeared below him and disappeared into it.

Li held out her hand in a sad attempt to reach out for him, sighing in disbelief as he left her standing there.

She finally walked into her apartment, leaning against the wall as she slid her back down it as she brought her knees to her chest.

How could she be so stupid? She knew he had trouble communicating and dealing with his emotions, how could she say that and put him on the spot after previously agreeing to take things slow?

She rested her face on her knees, breathing softly as she tried to calm herself down.

She loved this monkey demon with all her heart, she needed to know if he loved her just the same.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a clattering noise that could be heard from the other room, making her rabbit ear twitch as she raised her head.

She slowly got up, reaching for one of her blades that rested against the wall; she left them there earlier that day because Macaque could easily protect the both of them on Flower Fruit Mountain.

She gripped the pink handle of her blade as she saw a figure sprint across the room, knocking things over in a flash that was too fast even for a rabbit demon like herself.

“Hello Li!” A disturbed male voice echoed behind her, making her eyes widen as they looked to her side.

She gasped as she felt a hand grab her arm and pin it to her back making her drop her blade as it clattered to the kitchen floor, gritting her fangs as she tried to break free of the stranger's grasp.

The strange man pinned her against her wall by her arm, making her trinkets clatter and break onto the tile.

She struggled more in his grasp making him let out a ghastly giggle.

“Oh, the lady bone demon would like a word with you.”

She looked over her shoulder to see the “mayor” who gave MK the key to the town a few days ago.

“Y-You, aren’t you the mayor?”

The mayor giggled more, “Not exactly. I had to pretend to be this horrid city’s mayor to help set my lady free.”

“And soon, she’ll be your lady too.”

Li’s eyes widened as she eventually struggled her way free from his grasp, reaching for her blade on the ground.

The mayor, however, was much faster than her and hit her into one of the bookcases in her living room.

She yelped in pain and groaned as her back crashed into the bookcases, causing books to fall onto her as she hit the ground.

She eventually reached her second blade that rested against the wall, using its chain in an attempt to grab him.

The mayor’s wicked smile didn’t leave his face as he grabbed the chain with his hand and whipped her over into the kitchen, slamming her body into the wooden cabinets.

Li rubbed her head in pain as she sucked air through her teeth, looking up at her destroyed apartment.

She winced at its withered state, looking up to the side to see the mayor still smiling above her.

“Nowhere to run now!”

He grabbed her by her ears making her yelp in pain as he brought her face to his,

“Like I said, the Lady Bone Demon would like a word with you Fei Li.”

He summoned a glowing blue portal and pulled her by her ears out of her apartment.

His smile never left his face, even through her noises of pain.