Day 27: Newborn
Bowser was staring.
He knows he is, but the sight he woke up to was surreal.
Nestled in layers of blankets, cuddled between Luigi and Junior, there was an egg.
An egg.
After calming down his human and son, and practically smothering them in blankets, he had nearly chalked up the egg as a figment of his imagination- something that was hard to do as he could see them curl around it.
He knows how this happens. Heck, it’s how he got Junior, but…
Why now? Why Luigi?
Not that he didn’t deserve a family of his own, but babies are usually delivered to couples- aren’t they?
And the fact that one was delivered to Luigi, his lover…
“Oh Grambi-”
He’s barely given time to comprehend the idea before he hears a small groan. Snapping his attention to the blanket pile, he could see Luigi shift into the blankets.
“Freddo…” He sees him stretch out for more blankets, but ends up patting the top of the egg in confusion. “Hm?”
And there his head pops up, looking like what Bowser’s feeling as he stares at the egg.
“Cazzo.”
“Language.”
He’s amused to hear the human squeak and struggle to flail with the blankets, but the sight of the egg being tugged out from them had the human freeze again.
“Um…”
Luigi looks at him with puppy eyes-
“Help, please?”
And Bowser realizes that he is horribly weak to them. “Sure, sure.”
And it’s a blessing that Junior is still asleep, because Bowser isn’t proud of the way he nearly fumbles in extracting his lover from the nest (or nearly acts on the instinctual urge to bury him in there).
Once out, he notices how quiet Luigi is.
Seeing that he was also staring at the egg, Bowser couldn’t blame him.
…
“I-“ Bowser doesn’t need to look at him to know how anxious the human is, not by how he speaks. “It’s mine… right? There wasn’t…“
“Storks don’t make mistakes like that. It’s weird it’s an egg instead of a baby, of course, but- yeah…”
“… Bowser?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t know what to do.”
“We’ll, you got it warm, so I’d say you are doing pretty good-“
“N-not just that!” And Bowser finally looks at him, and feels pinned by his greyscale eyes. “I- don’t know how t-to raise a baby! Or- or know what they need, or- or anything!”
He’s starting to breathe fast and shallow, and it’s all Bowser needs to scoop him up and hold him close.
"What- what do I do?"
"… Do you want to keep them?"
"I-"
“Even if you don’t know what you’re doing.” And Bowser allows them to part, just a little, just enough to look Luigi in the eyes. “Would you love them? Would you want a child if you knew what to do?”
"I- I would. I do!" But? "But- I don’t want to mess up! I don’t-" and Luigi looks down- away- "I don’t want to mess them up."
He sounds small, and Bowser hates it and loves him and by the stars it is like Junior’s arrival all over again.
He gently grabs his chin, and their eyes meet again.
“You won’t mess up. I think you seem to forget that kids tend to take two and-“
Their noses touch, and the coolness reminds him of the important part.
“You won’t mess them up. Not when you have been great with Junior- and not just for storms, Luigi.”
The fear in his eyes is ebbing, but the utter vulnerability and trust is almost overwhelming.
“You’re not too shabby with the Koopalings, either. Hell, you’re one of the few people they actually like.”
“But-“
“And-“ he interrupts, with the intent to nip that concern in a bud. “There’s nothing wrong with you either.”
He doesn’t say anything for a while.
“… Can you- will you help me? Maybe as-”
“Thought you’d never ask.”
And it was quiet, almost peaceful-
Then the muffled sound of footsteps and arguing was the only warning they had before the Koopalings burst through.
Luigi still didn’t know what he was doing, but he at least knew that he was doing things right.
Bowser's help was needed and appreciated for the preparations of when the egg does hatch, things that seemed just like human baby stuff- until he realizes that the teething rings are made of what felt like industrial rubber, or that the diapers have tail holes.
On a related note, the baby itself seemed to be doing fine. In fact, every little change, whether it be the suggestions of feelings coming from it or the growing mass of consciousness he could feel, Luigi kept tabs on in a little notebook for future reference should he- should they-
Still, feeling those emotions respond to him as he stroked their eggshell was indescribably overwhelming.
It’s reassuring in a way- proof that the baby is still alive and growing.
Weeks have gone by after another Royal Announcement about the egg, but the opinions of other people (and their emotions) have been relatively manageable to handle.
(He felt it best not to acknowledge the general confusion made as people look between him and Bowser, though).
The moment he's waiting for is undoubtedly going to come to the castle soon, if the Koopa Courier doesn't daddle-
and it seems they were prompt when he hears more than sees his brother burst down the castle's doors, run past multiple people (including an irate Kamek, bless his tired heart), and then bust down the door to the new nursery (since Junior was adamant to keep his room just his.
“HAI AVUTO UN BAMBINO?!?!?!"
"Mario! At least close the door!"
He doesn't close it- instead, he rushes up to Luigi, taking him by the shoulders and looking him over.
"STAI BENE? Non sembri pregnante..."
"I'm fine, Mario. Sto bene." And, to at least introduce them before Bowser comes- "And il bambino is over there."
And he sees the moment Mario catches sight of the bundled egg, sees how he seems to stop short in any and all thought processes as he stares.
Which, okay, same, but still-
"They're not hatched yet, but it should be next month."
"So... in a month, I'll be an uncle- a zio?"
He's taking it well so far... "Yep!"
"Mama mia." And then the Hero of the Mushroom Kingdom fainted.
(Later, after Mario comes too, they take over three hours to stop gushing over them- even as Bowser watches on from the doorway).
When the egg finally hatches, its first cracks hadn’t even appeared before Luigi was fussing over its bedding and the recently added heating blankets.
The only reason Bowser even knew about it so early was the bouts of anxiousness-anticipation-protectiveness Pulses that were radiating throughout the castle.
And, well, it's a familiar enough combination to have him close meetings early and make his way to the nursery.
And of course the kids beat him there!
"Scoot, brats! And give them some room!" And not just the egg, but the frantic soon-to-be-parent looked like he was seconds away from passing out.
He is able to nudge his way across the rowdy group of Koopalings, reaching over to pick up Luigi and sit a bit away from the egg.
"Love, calm down. You're broadcasting again."
Luigi stills from his squirming enough to concentrate- and while the Pulses are reined, he could still feel them just radiating from his human.
"I- do we need to help them- or?" Bowser fondly nuzzles the top of his head, nearly purring as Luigi calms down a bit more.
"We just wait. From the look of it, they might bust through faster than Junior." Of course, he says that last bit quieter, since said Koopa was two feet away from the crib himself.
And then they heard the crack.
In a matter of minutes, the whole family watched in silent anticipation as the baby made that crack bigger, chipping away at it with gradual ease as they saw their first few peaks.
The baby looked a bit like him, or Junior, but the baby had blue eyes and a lighter green shell- almost the same shade Luigi used to wear. Once its head poked out, they could see that its hair was a more brassy red, but the attitude it aimed at the remaining eggshell was enough to know it had a similar temper to him.
They were perfect, and-
He’s nearly bowled over the absolute tsunami of emotion that he knows- without a doubt- is LOVE.
Pure. Elated. Love.
He doesn’t bother (or want) to remind Luigi again.
(That day, it's said that the Pulse could be felt all the way to the Town Square, and everyone in the vicinity didn't need an announcement to know the cause of it).
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