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The birdcage was, in Luigi’s professional opinion, a bit much.
He stood near the solar window in Princess Peach’s receiving room, wringing his gloves hands together. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the floor, illuminating the "prison" in the centre of the room. It was a gilded, ornate birdcage sitting on a tea table.
Inside, a miniature, de-powered Bowser was pacing back and forth like a tiger trapped in a shoebox.
The tiny piano sat just outside the bars, untouched. Earlier, Bowser had glared at the instrument with such vitriol that Luigi thought the wood might spontaneously combust.
Peach was reviewing security reports, but she didn’t look up to know Luigi was fidgeting. She always knew.
"You have something to say," Peach stated, her voice calm but authoritative.
Luigi jumped, his moustache twitching. "I—I mean—no! Well. Not really. Just… kind of?"
Inside the cage, Bowser stopped pacing. He slammed his tiny claws against the golden bars; the sound was a pathetic clink rather than a terrifying crash. "If this is another lecture about 'being a good sport,' Greenie, spare me. I’d rather rot."
Luigi winced, stepping closer to the table. He looked down at the King of the Koopas. Even six inches tall, Bowser managed to look imposing, his red mane bristling with indignation.
"See, that’s kind of my point," Luigi murmured. He looked at Peach. "Princess?"
Peach finally looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, Luigi?"
"He’s a King," Luigi said, the words tumbling out in a rush before he could lose his nerve. He gestured helplessly at the tiny, furious Koopa. "I mean—yeah, he’s an evil king. He tried to destroy the kingdom. But… a birdcage? It feels… I don't know. Mean?"
Bowser froze. His jaw went slack. He blinked, slowly turning his head to look up at Luigi with an expression of baffled suspicion.
"…What?" Bowser rasped.
Peach tilted her head, tapping her pen against her chin. She didn't look angry, just curious. "He is a maximum-security prisoner, Luigi. What are you suggesting?"
Luigi swallowed hard. "I’m just saying… psychological welfare is important? What if, instead of the cage, he had… like… a castle? A small one. Something appropriate for his station. Just to… you know, preserve some dignity."
There was a long, heavy pause. The only sound was the ticking of a clock.
Bowser stared at Luigi. His eyes, usually burning with rage, were searching Luigi’s face for the punchline. When he didn't find one, his expression shifted into something dangerous and confusing.
"You’re saying," Bowser growled, his voice low, "that you think I deserve a castle."
Luigi’s ears burned hot red. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I—well—yes? Everyone needs a place to feel safe. Even bad guys."
Peach sighed, rubbing her temple as if a headache was forming. But there was a small, fond smile tugging at her lips. "You snuck empathy into a security briefing, Luigi."
"I’m sorry," Luigi said automatically.
"Don't be," Peach relented. She waved a hand at the Toad guards with a gentle smile. "Fine. Get the construction team. One miniature castle. Secure, but… dignified."
Bowser crossed his arms, huffing smoke from his nostrils to hide the fact that he was stunned. "As if I need your pity," he scoffed. "But… the cage is drafty."
Luigi smiled, just a little.
Later that evening, the Toads had finished assembling the structure. It was a darker, gothic dollhouse-style castle, sitting on a secure table. It was impressive work for short notice.
Peach had retired for the evening, leaving the night watch to the guards. That was when Luigi returned. He moved quietly, checking over his shoulder before slipping into the room. Tucked under his arm was a small wooden box.
He approached the miniature castle. Bowser was sitting on the tiny stone parapet, staring moodily at the floor. He looked up sharply as Luigi approached.
"You again," Bowser snarled, though there was no heat in it. "Come to gloat about your renovation project?"
"No," Luigi whispered. He set the box down and opened it.
Inside were tiny pots of paint, fine-point brushes, and a small, blank canvas the size of a playing card.
Bowser stared at the supplies. Then at Luigi. Then away.
"I saw the piano," Luigi explained softly. "And… well, I remember the painting you made. Before everything went crazy. I figured… you were upset earlier. And if you have a castle, maybe you want to make it look like home?"
Bowser stood up. He walked to the edge of the table, looking down at the paints. His claws twitched.
"I don’t need charity," Bowser grumbled.
"I know," Luigi said, his voice gentle. He pushed a brush toward the Koopa. "But you like making things. That isn't charity. That’s just… you."
Bowser looked at Luigi. Really looked at him. For the first time, he didn't see Mario’s shadow. He saw a man who, despite being terrified of everything, was currently breaking protocol to bring joy to his enemy.
Bowser didn’t say thank you. He couldn't. But he reached out and took the brush.
"Green is a terrible colour," Bowser muttered, dipping the brush into a pot of red paint. "But… I suppose I can work with it."
The moment was shattered ten minutes later when the double doors swung open.
"Luigi?"
Luigi jumped so hard he nearly knocked over the water cup he was holding for Bowser to rinse his brushes in. He spun around to find Princess Peach standing there in her royal robe, pink, silk and fluffy here hair in rolls with a green face mask and arms crossed. She looked at the paints. She looked at the unsupervised interaction.
"I—I was just—" Luigi stammered.
Peach held up a hand the other barely covering her amused smile. "What are you doing Luigi?”
Luigi tried to come up with excuses but all that came out was an incoherent mess of words.
Peach cuts in her voice barely hiding her laugh “I’m not mad don’t you worry, but you undermined my guards, Luigi. You snuck in contraband."
"It's just paint!"
"It's a security breach," she corrected calmly. "And honestly? The Toads are offended. They think you don't trust them to watch him." Peach says knowing Luigi would believe that half-lie
Luigi slumped. "I didn't mean to."
"I know," Peach sighed. She walked over, inspecting Bowser’s half-finished painting. It was actually quite good. She turned to Luigi, a gleam of amusement in her eyes. "Since you are so invested in his comfort, and since you’ve disrupted the shift schedule… you can take the night watch."
Luigi blinked. "I… what?"
"You are responsible for him tonight," Peach declared tapping Luigi’s forehead with her pink nails. "Take the castle and the prisoner. He stays in your room. If he escapes, it’s on you."
Bowser threw back his head and laughed. A loud, victorious, barking sound. "Hah! You hear that? I’m the plumber’s nightmare now!"
Luigi groaned.
An hour later, the miniature castle was set up on the desk in Luigi’s bedroom in the Mushroom Kingdom. It was a cozy room, lit by the warm glow of a Fire Flower lamp. Rain had started to patter against the window, creating a soft rhythm against the glass.
Luigi sat cross-legged on his bed in his striped pyjamas, watching Bowser.
The Koopa King was pacing the balcony of his tiny castle, looking around Luigi’s room with judgment.
"Too much green," Bowser critiqued, pointing at the rug. "Tacky."
"It's my favourite colour," Luigi defended weakly, hugging a pillow to his chest.
"Obviously." Bowser leaned against a miniature gargoyle. The silence stretched between them, but for the first time since the final battle, it wasn't hostile. It was just… quiet.
"You snore," Bowser said suddenly.
Luigi squeaked, his face heating up. "How do you know that?"
"I hear everything," Bowser smirked, tapping his ear. "I heard you muttering in your sleep when we were in the cages over the lava. You dream about bagels."
Luigi buried his face in his hands. "Oh, mamma mia. That’s embarrassing."
He let out a short, breathy laugh—a nervous, fluttering sound. He peered through his fingers to see Bowser staring at him intensely.
Luigi stopped laughing. "What?"
Bowser cleared his throat, looking away toward the window. His tail flicked behind him. "You never do that when other people are around,"
Luigi blinked. "I— what?"
Bowser cleared his throat, looking away. "Relax. You're always shaking. It's... good to see you just breathe."
Luigi smiled, softer this time, it was a real smile this time, soft and unguarded. “You know what…” he says drawing spirals with his fingers on his sheets
"…Your voice is kind of… calming." He admitted in the quiet.
The tension in his shoulders melted away, his eyes lidded almost falling asleep. The rain tapped harder against the glass, and thunder rumbled low in the distance.
Bowser stiffened visibly. He gripped the stone railing of his castle. "…It is?"
"Yeah." Luigi yawned, sliding down under his covers. The exhaustion of the day was finally catching up to him. "It’s deep. Like… thunder far away. It’s nice."
Bowser stood frozen. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Nice? No one called him nice. They called him terrifying, powerful, monster. But… nice? Soothing?
"Goodnight, Bowser," Luigi mumbled, his eyes fluttering shut. He reached out and clicked off the lamp, plunging the room into shadow.
Within minutes, Luigi’s breathing evened out. He was asleep.
Bowser did not sleep.
He sat on the edge of his tiny castle, staring across the desk at the sleeping human. The moonlight filtered in, washing Luigi in silver.
Bowser felt a strange tightness in his chest. It wasn't the burning desire of the Super Star, and it wasn't the obsession he felt for Peach. This was different. It was warm. It was… heavy.
He brought me paints, Bowser thought. He thinks I deserve a castle. Me!?
Bowser looked at his own claws. He realized, with a sudden, terrifying jolt, that he didn't want to escape. If he escaped, he’d have to fight Luigi again. He’d have to hurt him.
I don't want to hurt him, Bowser realized. The thought was so loud in his head it nearly drowned out the rain. I want him to look at me like that again.
He spent the entire night awake, wrestling with the horrifying realization that he was falling for the nervous, green-clad plumber who dreamed of bagels.
Morning came too fast.
Sunlight streamed through the window, hitting Luigi’s face. The door to the bedroom burst open with a bang.
"Luigi! Wake up!"
Mario bounded into the room, energetic as always. "It's breakfast time! Peach made pancakes! Hey, is the monster behaving?"
Mario stomped over to the desk, peering suspiciously at the miniature castle.
Luigi groaned, pulling the pillow over his head. "Mmph. Leave him alone, Mario.... Hmm? Why is he so quiet?"
Usually, this would be the moment Bowser would leap to the bars, shouting insults, breathing fire, and threatening to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom before lunch.
Instead—silence.
"I dunno," Mario said, poking the castle gently. "I don't see him."
Inside the castle, deep in the master bedroom, Bowser was hiding under his tiny blanket.
His face was flushed a brilliant, humiliating shade of red. His heart was hammering against his ribs like a drum solo. He clutched the fabric tight over his head.
He couldn't face Mario. He couldn't face the light. And he definitely, absolutely could not face Luigi. Not after the things he’d thought about all night.
"He’s probably just tired," Luigi mumbled from the bed, shifting comfortably. "Let him sleep in. He had a long night."
Under the blanket, Bowser squeezed his eyes shut and let out a long, shaky breath, doomed and entirely smitten.