Luigi's POV
My heart raced as I sprinted through the dense environment of the Lava kingdom. With the amount of trips that I made to this place to save the princess with my brother, my mind had an internal compass of the landscape's layout. From the abundant amount of leave-less trees that filled the hot terrain, from the bright lava that rested in the narrow cracks in the ground.
After running for so long, I found myself passing the spot we camped last night. I was getting close. Though it was becoming more and more difficult to maintain my current speed. That extra ten minute head start would hopefully give me more than enough time to get to Bowser's castle much sooner than Mario. While I've always been faster than my brother, the last month of me being in the castle definitely had a negative effect on my athleticism. Aside from all the stairs I'd go up and down in Bowser's castle, I didn't have that much of a workout routine. Honestly the old missions I used to join Mario in were the source of most of my exercise.
Granted it was nothing my adrenaline couldn't make up for, but still. However, my brother would likely come back with the others, including the princess. He'd likely have to pace himself for the others to keep up with him. That is if he bothered waiting up for them. I needed every spare second I could get.
With each step I took, I could feel myself becoming more exhausted. I did myself a huge disservice by skipping out on dinner last night. But there was no way I could foresee myself doing this today. It definitely wasn't my brightest idea, I'll give it that.
But I just couldn't leave this place. Not only did I tell Junior I'd come back for him, but I told Bowser I'd be there as his adviser. I played an important role in the castle now. To think that I would've been flying off in that hot air balloon right now.
I could still stop in my tracks and just allow Mario and the rest to catch up to me. It was definitely a thought that kept popping into my head every now and then. But if I did do that, it would be just a waste of both my time and everyone else's. And if I were to let him take me back now, he'd be sure to keep a closer eye on me. I couldn't stop now. I had to commit to this jump.
As sweat poured down my face, the castle emerged in the distance, its dark silhouette standing tall against the horizon. There it was. I could feel my heart pound harder against my chest as it was finally in view. The sight of the castle fueled me to put everything I had into running.
Bit by bit, I managed to close the distance between me and the castle. I finally found myself walking up the stairs. My legs felt like they were on fire and it felt as though I could hardly catch my breath. After making it to the top, I pushed the doors open, my eyes immediately taking in the home that I've grown to love so much. As I took another step forward, my legs finally gave out on me, forcing me to take a minute to recover.
I found myself trying to regain control of my tired breaths, working to brush the sweat off of my head as I did so. It was only a minute until I heard the sound of light footsteps approaching me. Turning the corner of the hall came a duo of hammer bros. Their eyes widened the moment they spotted me.
"The king's advisor!"
"He has returned!"
The two immediately dropped their equipment before rushing over to me. The pair worked to bring me to my feet, being sure to be gentle with their grip.
"Are you alright, sir?" The slimmer one asked.
"You aren't hurt, are you?" The more muscular one asked as he put a bit more effort into picking me up.
"I'm alright. Just did a bit too much running in one go." I managed to answer through tired breaths, finally regaining my footing."Thanks for helping me up."
"Of course."
"Is there anything else we could help you with?"
"Would you two happen to know if Junior is awake? I need to talk to him?" I asked.
"I believe he's in his room."
"Thank you." I nodded.
With a couple of steps forward, I found my legs once again giving out on me. The two hammer bros came rushing by my side once more.
"Sir, you need to rest. You look exhausted."
"Okay... I guess my legs need a moment, but I need to talk to him now. I can't just sit here. I'm on a bit of a time limit here. By the time my legs are better, Mario might already be back."
"Say no more." The stronger of the two began before pointing to his shell."Climb aboard, your majesty."
I found myself smiling at the gesture. It was nice that the guards were willing to go the extra mile for me. I should've been used to this kind of spoiled treatment from Bowser's troops by now considering how long I stayed here. Without a second thought, I climbed onto the back of the green shelled koopa.
"Better?"
"A lot, actually. Thanks."
"Of course. The way to Junior's room has a bunch of stairs. We'd hate for you to go through the extra effort after running all the way back here." He spoke with a smile."Make sure you hold on tight. I wouldn't want you to fall. I can't be held responsible for hurting the King's advisor."
I gave a nod, making sure I had a good grip. With that, the troop began carrying me up the narrow staircase that led to the hall of Junior's room. He was quick with his walking, but also careful to avoid dropping me.
"Sir Luigi, if you don't mind me asking, do you intend on staying here with the king?" The koopa asked.
"I want to. This place means a lot to me now."
"Well, I for one hope you do. Honestly things have never been better in the castle since you arrived here. The new schedules, the parties. We greatly value your time here, and I believe I speak on behalf of everyone when I say that we truly appreciate your help. Especially the king and his son."
"Yeah, and thanks. Speaking of which, did Bowser sleep okay?"
"I'm doubtful. I was guarding the doors to his room last night. I could just hear all the constant tossing and turning."
"I was worried that would happen."
"After you left, the only person he spoke to was Junior. He was really quiet. He didn't seem mad or anything. Just really closed off. Very different from the way he used to express his disappointment."
"I see."
After making it up the flight of stairs, the koopa carried me down the hall to Junior's room.
"Here you are, sir. Do your legs feel any better?
"Yeah. That was a much needed break." I smiled, now hopping down.
"Very well. I'll be out here to take you back down. I take it you want to see the king next, yes?"
"Mhm. I'll be right back out."
With that, I grabbed onto the door, hardly able to contain my excitement. As I peered the door open, my eyes immediately landed on Junior sitting on the carpeted ground playing with the train set I helped him put together, his red hair covered by my signature green hat I lent to him. His attention was immediately drawn to me stepping into his room.
His eyes widened, a gasp escaping him. The initial shock immediately changed to pure excitement as he hopped to his feet. I immediately kneeled down to his level, anticipating him running towards me. He jumped into my arms, tightly holding onto me. Just like that, I could say with certainty that I was at least able to fulfill my promise to Junior.
"I JUST KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO COME BACK!" He started before repeating it over and over, leaning his head into me.
I tightly held onto him, taking a moment to just let go of my worries. I just wanted to let myself feel that everything was going to work out.
"Dad told me about your brother not trusting him." Junior said, now pulling back.
"He did?"
"Yeah. How do you plan on staying? Does your brother trust my dad enough to let you stay here with us?"
"No. It's something I'm still working on."
"But you will stay with us, right? You're not going to leave again? This place won't be the same without you."
"I'm not going to let Mario take me away from you guys again. He needs to understand that this is something I want."
"So you're really going to stay this time? You'll still be my dad?"
"Mhm. I'm not going anywhere Junior. I promise." I reassured.
"So things will go back to the way they were? We'll be able to bake and play games again?"
"Anything you want, Junior. Sewing, hide and seek, bedtime stories. You name it and you can consider it done."
I once again held onto him, letting out a relieved sigh.
"Did you talk to dad yet?" Junior asked.
"Not yet."
He let go of me, grabbing my hand.
"You got to go talk to him." Junior insisted, bringing a nod out of me.
Junior ushered me out of my room, where the two of us were greeted by the troop from earlier. He insisted on carrying me back down the flight of stairs, Junior following behind the two of us. Junior spent this time running by all the things he wanted to do now that I was back. To think that I was almost going to leave him in this place with just his father. Granted Bowser has drastically improved as a dad since my arrival, but Junior had grown really reliant on me. He's probably the person that needed me most.
It was very evident that he looked up to me as not only his best friend but also as a parental figure. And I was more than happy to fulfill that role for the kid. I wouldn't let myself be talked out of leaving my kid.
Once down the staircase, I was guided to Bowser's room which was guarded by two troops as usual.. I hopped down from the hammer bros back, my legs seeming to finally fully recover from all the running.
"Thanks again."
The troop gave a bow before taking his leave. I looked back up at the troops guarding Bowser's room.
"I need to talk to Bowser."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, your highness but, the king isn't in his room." The troop answered.
"He's.... He's not?" I questioned.
"No sir, he isn't."
I looked down at Junior, both of us exchanging a look. It was a brief moment before Junior jumped, seeming to get an idea.
"I know where he is!"
He grabbed onto my hand, before taking off running. I followed his quick movements, the sound of our hastened steps filling the halls. It wasn't long until we reached a door. One that I became really familiar with during my stay.
"My room?" I pondered.
"He's gotta be in here. This is where I found him yesterday." Junior spoke.
I looked back at Junior, the two of us exchanging a smile. He did a hand motion, clearly wanting me to kneel down to his level. After doing so, he took off the hat I gave him, now putting upon my head.
"There. I almost forgot to give it back." Junior smiled.
After giving a brief smile, I stood back to my feet, now grabbing the door handle to my room. As I grabbed it, I could feel all the strong emotions running back to me. I couldn't help but think of the day Bowser had surprised me with this room. The memory of him working to make that morning perfect for me was something that I'd never forget.
The way he expressed to me that I was the one he owed his newfound happiness as ruler of this place. How he showed me how grateful he was just to have me here with him. The way he held the side of my face that morning.
I couldn't contain my smile nor my excitement to lay my eyes on him. With that, I opened the sight of my room with great familiarity. As always my eyes first took in the sight of the vast red currants that were always pushed aside to bring in the light into my room.
With a deliberate shift in my gaze, my attention veered away from the currents. It was then that my eyes became captivated by the sight of him. Just as Junior said, he was here. There he stood, standing in front of my dresser mirror, holding onto the blue roses he had given me for my birthday.
My breaths hastened as I took in the sight of him. Despite his strong stature, he stood full of doubt and worry. If his face expression didn't give away his clear upsetment, his hunched over posture and his tail certainly did. Seeing him upset was more than enough to bring a reaction out of me.
"Bowser?"
The sound of my voice was enough to grab his attention. Now brought out of his thoughts he turned towards me. The very moment our eyes locked, his eyes became filled with great shock. Audible shaky breaths left him, the heavy rise and fall of his heavy breaths very visible on his chest. He couldn't get a word out, seeming completely taken aback by my sudden arrival. That surprised look was replaced with a look of both great excitement and relief. Not wasting another second, he ran towards me, his signature loud footsteps echoing behind him.
I held my arms out, anticipating his strong embrace. He swept me off my feet and into his arms, his hold seeming both firm and protective. I tightly wrapped my arms around him, letting out a relieved sigh. One of his hands traced up to the back of my head, ushering me to lean into him more. Being sheltered and cradled in his warm embrace brought so much relief and for a moment, the looming threat of Mario wanting to take me back fled my mind. I felt safe and secure.
After staying as we were, we pulled back, our eyes locking. I took off my gloves before cupping both sides of his face. I took in the feeling off his soft beige muzzle as a smile formed on his lips. His red eyes watered, tears threatening to trace down his cheek. I took it upon myself to gently brush away the threatening tears. His hold became more gentle, seeming to be a bit over the shock.
He leaned closer to me before showering my right cheek in soft loving kisses, each one being a little longer than the last. He then looked back at me, placing a hand on my cheek, his thumb drifting across.
"You're really here." He said, his deep voice filled with relief.
"I told you I'd come back, didn't I?"
"I know but, I thought.... THE PLAN?! HOW ARE YOU BACK?" He exclaimed, now putting me down.
"I.... I couldn't do it. I was going to go back but my brother started talking like he'd never let me come back here! I wasn't thinking clearly and I got scared, I panicked, then I went against what he said we'd do and..... Now he's certainly on his way back here." I facepalmed."I'm sorry."
"Hey, it's alright. You were just trying to protect us. Besides, if any of us should be sorry, it's me. I should've never left that kind of burden for you to carry alone. I'm your boyfriend after all. It's just as much my responsibility to get your brother to understand that things are different now."
"If I can't get through to him, nothing will."
"Look, you came back here, and he's following you back, right?"
"That's what it looks like."
"Then we'll have a chance to tell him together. Rather than him taking your word for it, he'll get to see that I'm different. I'm not letting you face this alone Luigi."
"But, what if he doesn't understand? He thinks that I'm in some sort of danger. I don't want him to just worry about me."
"Look, I understand that your brother has good intentions, but he needs to understand that you're more than capable of looking out for yourself and that you're in good hands here."
"Right. O-okay."
"Though there is one thing I have to ask?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, before you left yesterday you told me not to fight your brother. I'm going to respect your wishes of course, but Mario's "visit" most certainly won't be a friendly one. What do you expect me to do if he tries to attack me or something?"
"As long as I'm here, he won't touch you. If he refuses to listen to reasoning then I'll just protect you. He can't hurt you without hurting me."
"Luigi, I don't want you to get hurt trying to protect me."
"I won't. Mario's goal is to protect me. Meaning as long as I stay close to you, he can't do anything."
"Right. I suppose that makes sense. What about the troops?"
"We can just keep them gathered in the throne room. Me and you can meet Mario in the front when he gets here. That way your troops are out of harm's way and the two of us can explain things to him."
"Alright, good thinking Greenie. Let's just hope your brother is willing to hear us out. Maybe if he says how we are together in person, he'll ease up a bit." Bowser spoke."So you really told him everything and he still didn't understand?"
"I tried. Really, I did. No matter how I explained it to him, he didn't budge."
"I see."
He took it upon himself to envelop me in another one of his warm hugs, his hold seeming protective.
"I'm really glad to see you again, Luigi."
"I'm glad to see you too, but it was only one day." I teased.
"I know, but that uncertainty really scared me. I thought you were going to be gone for a lot longer. Call me silly but I was worried that you'd be gone for so long that you'd just move on or something."
"Not a chance, Bowser." I said, now pulling back.
We exchanged a longing gaze, and Bowser's face lit up with an affectionate smile. He calmly placed his hands on both sides of my face, leaning down to meet my eyes. Once again, he pressed a gentle kiss on my cheek, his gaze locked with mine. The intensity of his gaze and his gradual approach revealed the thoughts swirling in his mind. I mirrored his actions, placing my hand on top of his, drawing closer to him. It felt as though we had planned it all along, as we simultaneously leaned in for a kiss. His lips were warm and tender against mine. As we pulled back, his hands took hold of mine, a smile resting on his face.
Our moment was interrupted by Junior unexpectedly barging in the room, hopping onto me.
"I told you he promised he'd be back!" Junior smiled.
"You told me? I'm pretty sure I was the one telling you he'd be back." Bowser teased back.
"Pfft, you were not." Junior playfully denied before redirecting his attention back at me."So, can the three of us play now?"
"Not quite. Me and your father have some personal business to take care of." I explained.
"Yeah. That reminds me, we should probably relocate the troops now." Bowser suggested.
"Right. Junior, I need you to stay with the other koopas in the throne room for a bit. After that, me, you, and your father can do whatever you want. How's that sound?"
"That sounds great!" He nodded.
With that, me and Bowser began putting our plan into action. We gathered up all the troops and relocated all of them to the throne room. Bowser did a headcount, making sure he didn't leave a single koopa behind. After getting Junior and the troops settled in, the two of us took our leave. We then made our way back to the castle entrance.
I could feel my heart racing, waiting for my brother to make his eventual entrance. It was nerve wracking. I couldn't help but think about how angry Mario had gotten when I told him everything. It was so unlike us to have disputes like this. While I understood where his distrust was coming from, I wished he'd just trust my word for it.
Bowser rested a comforting hand on my shoulder, redirecting my attention back to him.
"You look worried."
"Yeah.... I am." I admitted.
"Things will work out, Luigi."
The hand he rested on my shoulder traced down to my hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze before guiding it up to his muzzle, planting a firm kiss onto it.
"Thank you, Bowser. I'm glad you're here with me this time around."
"Me too."
The sound of the castle doors being loudly opened drew both of our attention. Without even having to look, we knew what was now upon us.
An: Guys, you're literally so nice. I didn't think I'd get 50+ replies of you guys reassuring me that this book is still being read. Y'all out here doing the most for me fr. I love it here.