Day 29: Shadow
Had anyone been looking for him, it would still be near impossible to spot Luigi in the building’s shadow.
After the second time that Bowser put them in Nest Arrest, Luigi was a bit more careful in leaving the castle- after ensuring that Mina is being babysat, of course.
Kamek and Kammy have been his saving grace, especially as he explained why he left. They were giddy enough to poof him right into town, which really helped him save time for The Project, and promised to look after his bambina.
He’s just glad to now have direct access to what he needs.
On another note, he’s happy to know that the Koopalings and Junior are bonding with Mina, taking the time to visit her and introduce her to their interests.
(Luigi has also heard of a competition going on for someone to be her ‘favorite sibling’. Whether or not he and Bowser are making bets on that is an entirely different story.)
Looking at the town square, he’s relieved to see what he’s looking for.
Hopefully, the process will be relatively painless.
Unknown to either Bowser or Luigi, Junior was organizing a Koopaling Meeting in the nursery- Mina included.
Yes, he nabbed his baby sister from his grandparents. No, he did not see a problem with having Mina disappear out of their eyesight (they seemed busy arguing), nor yelling at his other siblings to meet him at the nursery.
It got him to where he was now, his sibling sitting in varying degrees of attention towards the billboard he made.
As always, Ludwig is the first to break that attention. “Why are we here, Junior?”
“To plan for a wedding, of course!”
There is a silence that is only broken by Mina’s happy babbling. He assumes it’s a sign of her approval because the rest of his siblings aren’t helping at all.
“Junior.” Aaaaand there’s Wendy, who is more busy picking at her nails than looking at the board. “You should let the adults handle this. Daddy could handle it.” She pauses. “Although I haven’t heard of any preparations from his end yet.”
“That’s because Mama is proposing!”
“Wait, WHAT?!?”
“WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!?”
“HOW IS MAMA BEATING DAD TO THE PUNCH?!?”
“Wait.” It’s Iggy that cuts through the shock, adjusting his glasses in a way he claims makes him look ‘purr-septive’. “How did you know that?”
“I have ears everywhere.” The disbelief on everyone’s faces destroyed any bravado he had. “And I heard him tell Kamek and Kammy about it since he wanted them to babysit Mina.”
As one, the other Koopalings turn to said baby, who has somehow crawled near the billboard without them noticing. She seems to be trying to reach for the step called ‘Step 3: Wedding Dress’, and Junior felt a burst of smug pride that she seems to like it.
“Junior.” He immediately deflates, because it’s rare that Roy uses that tone. “Did you take Mina without telling them?”
“They weren’t paying attention when I asked- and they didn’t say anything when I did!”
“Junior…” And Ludwig looks visibly defeated, “what have you done?”
“What do you-“
“WHO THE FUCK TOOK MY BABY?!?!”
That… was Bowser.
Oh.
Wait- “HELP ME HIDE THE BOARD!! HE CAN’T KNOW BEFORE MAMA-“
And the nursery was in chaos, with a giggling Mina as a witness.
Bowser had been under the impression that everything was fine as he handled the castle finances. More than that, he was eager to finish early and spend some quality time with Luigi.
And then the Magikoopas poofed in.
They were talking over each other, yes, but even he could pick out ‘missing’ and ‘baby’….
“What.”
“She was in her crib, sire-“
“And then she’s gone- no one came in-“
And Bowser would have been ticked off that they couldn't tell him outright what was wrong, but-
"The FUCK you mean she's missing?"
And they do quiet down for a second, maybe he can avoid having an aneurysm-
"She was there-" "And we hadn't seen who took her!"
He finds himself yelling anyway.
“-OOK MY BABY?!?!”
Luigi had only been gone for an hour- an HOUR- just to retrieve his commission. How in the world has it already gone into chaos?
Concentrating, he could easily pick out Bowser and his anger-panic-fear. Kamek and Kammy are mostly panic-fear, but the growing emotions of protectiveness are just as poignant.
Somewhere farther, perhaps in the nursery, he feels a mass of panic-excitement-shock-resignation that he belatedly realizes to be the Koopalings-
And Mina.
Oh boy…
Bowser's not sure where Luigi is, but if he finds out-
(He remembers the crushing fear that Pulsed out of Luigi when he received Mina. That feel that again- to SEE that again along his grief...)
He's already dashing out of the office and doesn't pay mind to anyone he comes across other than his soldiers- shouting to launch a search for Mina and-or whoever has possession of her.
He heads straight to the nearest exits, checking every guard station as he frantically searches.
Eventually, the only place he hasn't checked was the Main Gate, and he makes his way there just as quickly when-
"Ooof!"
He collides with something small and cool, hearing something skitter across the stone floor, and he would have kept going-
"B-Bowser?"
If it wasn't the one person who he didn't want to know what happened.
"Bowser, what happened?"
And he is blanking out with panic, because how can he tell Luigi that their baby girl is gone- taken somewhere that he couldn't follow and doesn't know where to look-
"Dad! DAD!" It seems Junior caught onto the commotion too, and how the hell is he going to tell the kids-
A familiar gurgle comes from the same direction-
And, snapping his sight to the direction, he sees Junior giving Mina a piggyback ride-
Oh.
Oh, thank Grambi and Jaydes! She's alright!
"Erm..."
The Koopa turns back to his lover, who looks lost as he looks between the three of them.
"Did I... miss something?"
"No!" "Nope!"
"Okie dokie.... Oh!" He looks towards the floor, and it's there that Bowser realized that the 'skittering' was a brown paper package, but he doesn't catch much other than a glint before Luigi scrambles to collect it.
Even as he hides it behind his back, all three Koopas (even Mina) were staring at him.
"Luigi?"
"Yeah?"
"What is that?"
"Some things."
"'Things'?"
Luigi seems to struggle to reply, not meeting their eyes as he squirms there.
"I... um...." He sighs, and brings the package back out with resignation. "Well-"
And promptly drops to a knee in a pose that looks familiar-
Bowser feels his breath catch-
A pair of obsidian rings, respectively decorated by copper and cobalt ‘veins’ that are polished to a bright shine that catches the torchlight.
"I wanted to do it at a better time, but-" His beautiful, wonderful human shrugs shyly, eyes glittering brighter than the rings he held.
"Bowser..."
He feels like his heart is beating out of his chest.
"Will you marry m-?"
"YES-" He's collapsing on his own knees, reaching out even as Luigi offers a ring-
But Bowser instead takes him into a tight, rumbling hug.
"Yes, yesyes- I love youIloveyou-" And he's crying, but fuck those tears he's HAPPY and he was utterly wrong in thinking getting Mina was the happiest he's felt (even as it's very close).
"I love you too, Bowser. Ti amo- ti amo..."
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