Chapter Text
Fox's life is looking pretty good these days, all things considered. Despite the fact that he's still unable to return to his home dimension, he's making the most of the life he has in this one.
And what a life it is. When he first got here, he never thought he'd have half the things he has now.
He’s got cushy digs, a whole lot of money he's got saved up, a pack of great kids who have reverse adopted him as their dad, and he's entered into an exciting, though not quite defined, relationship with their mom, Princess Rosalina.
All in all, he has little to no complaints.
The Observatory he's currently on has become something of a home for him. The open air sanctuary is peaceful and its air is comforting.
He's there, finishing up a routine maintenance on his arwing when a group of his kids come to float around him.
"Papa!" Some call, causing his ears to flick towards the noise as he works.
He shuts the panel and is about to turn around when he catches a soft whisper yell of, "Don't tell him!"
Now that gets his attention, even more so than the initial exclamations.
Fox turns around fully to greet them and see what they want. Unfortunately, their faces aren't very happy. Some seem worried and others even look grumpy for some reason.
"What's going on?" He asks, straightening up in concern. They don't usually look this grim and it's making him uneasy.
"You have to help!" One of the Lumas, a blue one, says.
"I think Mama's sick," a green one cries.
"Sick?" Fox echoes. He didn't think she could even get sick.
Another Luma nods. "I'm sure of it."
"She doesn't look sick to me," a purple one pipes up. "I don't know why they came to tell you."
He furrows his brows in confusion at the contradicting claims.
"That's because she is sick and he can help!" The blue one argues.
"No, she's not!"
They look like they're about to fight so he quickly steps in between the two of them with his hands raised.
"Hold on, let me go check it out," Fox says. "Then we can all know the truth."
That seems to satisfy them and they trail after him silently after letting him know where she is.
He finds Rosalina in the kitchen where they'd said she'd be. Her back is towards him where she's positioned in front of the stove. Because of this, the few Lumas tailing him are able to slink in unnoticed. As he enters the room, the familiar herbal scent of tea fills his senses.
She's somewhat of a tea enthusiast–something that's surprisingly begun to rub off on him the longer he spends here–so this isn't out of the ordinary for her. The cup in front of her is steaming as she stirs honey and lemon into it, which again, is normal for her.
Still, he trusts the Lumas' judgment and their worry, so he pushes ahead.
She looks up as he walks in, a slightly tired smile gracing her lips. "Fox, it's good to see you."
Despite the mission he's on, he can't help the smile on his face as she speaks to him.
"Good to see you too."
He puts on a casual air, trying to make his question seem as normal as possible. "Hey, how are you feeling by the way?"
She looks surprised at the question–despite his efforts–as indicated by her eyebrows raising slightly. Still, her poker face remains intact.
"I'm perfectly fine, why do you ask?" She takes a sip of the hot tea as she waits for him to answer.
It's said certainly and very resolutely. If Fox was a lesser man, it might have worked on him.
Unfortunately for her, he's been here long enough to have picked up on the normal sound of her voice and he spends a lot of his free time just watching her and learning her usual mannerisms.
And those usual mannerisms definitely do not include her shaky hands, raspy voice, and slightly sluggish movements.
"Oh, no reason. Just heard some of the kids saying you might not be and was wondering if you were okay," he shrugs, like it's nothing.
If she wants to play this game, he can play too.
"I wonder why they would say that," Rosalina hums. "I've been fine all day."
"Kids, y'know. They say the most random things."
"That they do."
She finishes up her cup of tea and turns around to pour herself another cup. He adds it to his mental list of things that are abnormal about her behavior. Drinking two cups one after the other isn't her usual style; usually, she waits a little in between.
"By the way, I was wondering if you could watch the kids today," she says, adding more honey to her new cup.
"Where are you going?" He asks, moving a little closer now that her back is turned.
He's definitely not cornering her. And he's definitely not subtly motioning to the couple Lumas hiding in the vicinity to help him block her other route.
"I just have a meeting of sorts today and I might be gone for a pretty long time," Rosalina says.
She turns around and almost jumps at his sudden proximity. From this new closeness, he can see the faint sheen of sweat on her face. Her cheeks are flushed and her nose is red.
Definitely not normal.
She honestly looks terrible, something he didn't think was even possible.
It all but confirms his suspicions. The kids were right, she definitely is sick. And she's doing an impressively pretty good job of lying through her teeth about it.
"Meeting with who?" He asks. "A doctor, I hope."
She looks confused and tries to side step him. He doesn't let her, which makes her frown.
"I don't see why I'd need to see a doctor," she huffs. "Now, please let me pass."
He admires her commitment to the facade, he really does. She's clearly had a lot of practice at it, as her voice is firm and she's standing as straight as she possibly can. If he were to unfocus his eyes, she'd probably look like the pinnacle of health.
But he knows better.
"Then why's your face red?" He asks.
He's still trying to keep his casual tone, despite his physical actions.
"Perhaps it's because you're standing so close," she raises an eyebrow teasingly. For extra emphasis, she pokes his chest with her index finger and leans in ever so slightly.
Despite the situation, her words and actions still make him stop short, his ears perking up and his face warming.
He's caught off guard, so much so that he almost lets her slip past him.
Almost.
He shoots his arm out and blocks her path, narrowing his eyes at her.
Mentally, he chides himself for almost letting her slip by. Though, in his defense, she doesn't usually act this way. Whatever illness she has is clearly affecting the rational woman he knows and loves.
It's admittedly a little amusing, though frustrating.
She sighs and he can see her physically trying to keep her composure.
"Fox," she says firmly. "You're being silly."
"Me? I'm not the one lying."
"I'm fine," she repeats. Her voice is one that doesn't allow for arguments. Unfortunately, he's not one to back down from a fight.
He crosses his arms. "Rosa, you're burning up hotter than a jet engine. I can literally feel it from here."
"You must be imagining things," she says, the rasp in her voice a bit more noticeable now the more she speaks.
She looks to her other side and sees the Lumas floating nearby, effectively blocking that route. She returns her gaze back to him and her look is just short of being a full on glare.
Of course she's not happy he roped the kids into this, but he has no regrets.
She's pretty peeved; he almost thinks she might toss the tea in her hands at him. Thankfully she doesn't, but that doesn't mean she doesn't still catch him by surprise.
He blinks and she's suddenly gone, a small flurry of sparkles and her teacup the only thing left behind. He hadn't even noticed her summoning her wand.
Magic, right.
He sighs and runs out after her, the Lumas hot on his tail.
Rosalina didn't go far, her magic still not strong enough to truly teleport her any significant distance. She's now more near the center of the Observatory, walking shakily. The spell she used, as small as it was, has clearly left her in a worse condition than she was before.
Of course she'd run. The sickness has definitely affected her mind.
Thankfully, it's also affected her overall physical mobility because she can't move very fast and he catches up to her quickly, cutting her off by stopping in front of her.
"Can't you just admit you're sick?" He asks, holding out his arms to the sides to block her path.
"I am not sick, Fox," she says, exasperated. It would be more convincing if she wasn't breathing heavily and shaking like a leaf, the sweat on her forehead more visible than it was earlier.
Seeing her wobbly and weak while she attempts to occult it makes him frustrated. It’s wrong. She’s the most powerful princess in the universe. Someone so poised and refined shouldn’t be hurting herself like this by pretending she's alright.
Fox sighs. "I didn't want to do this, but you've left me no choice."
Usually he'd never do this–he has a bit more tact and respect for her than this–but this is a special case.
Before she can ask him what he means, he's scooped her up into his arms in one swift motion. She lets out a yelp of alarm and clings to the front of his vest.
It's a simple princess carry, aptly named for its current purpose. He had originally considered tossing her over his shoulder, but that seemed too rude and brutish. She's a princess, and someone he really cares about, not some sack of potatoes.
Holding her like this, he gets a better sense of her temperature. Her skin's always been supernaturally cold to the touch, but now it's burning hotter than his own.
He doesn't like it.
"Kids, grab her hands," he says.
He reasons that if they hold onto her, there will be a lesser chance of her using a particularly potent spell in retaliation. The Lumas do as he says, clinging onto her hands and arms, much to her frustration.
Despite this, he feels his fur standing on end–the telltale sign of her magic starting up. It happens a millisecond before it actually fires, and he can feel it crackle in the air around them before he's suddenly on the ground.
It didn't really hurt, as it was only a small pulse. The most it does is leave him and the Lumas a little dazed and laying on their backs on the ground.
Still, she acts as if it did worse, rushing over to them in concern.
"Oh my gosh, are you alright?" She asks worriedly, crouching near them.
Fox holds up a thumbs up and the kids around him copy his reply as they float back up and brush it off.
"I’m so sorry, I didn't mean to," she says. "My magic gets a little out of control when I'm like this."
Her hands are on her face and he can see the visible anguish and remorse on her features.
"I'm fine, they're fine," he says, reassuring her as he gets on his feet again. The Lumas nod in support of his words. "But, see, this is more of a reason for you to stay here and rest."
"I can't," she says, standing and taking a couple steps back. "I have to go to the prison today."
"The prison? Why?"
"I have to visit one of the Lumas."
He's confused. "Wait, when did one of them get arrested?"
Rosalina shakes her head. "No, they're a guard there. And I promised I'd see them today. I rarely see them enough as it is because of the distance and I told them I would visit them today. I can't let them down."
There's a lot of emotion in her words, like some sad desperation. He didn't know one of the Lumas was so far away from their mother. In his mind, they were all here and accounted for, as close to their mom as they needed to be.
"Surely they'd understand why you can't go," he says. "You can barely walk. I don’t think they’d want to see you like this. They’re your child, I think they’d want you to stay here and wait until you get better."
There's still a fight in her eyes and he can see that she's not going to be dissuaded this easily.
"It doesn't matter if I am sick, I have to be there for my children," she says, hands clenching her skirt tightly. It's the only sign of weakness she's showing outright. "That's my job."
It clicks for him then, why she's so insistent on not receiving help. Why she doesn't want to be seen as someone who's helpless. She's mentioned before that she's only ever had the Lumas around as company. She probably felt she had to be strong and still look after them despite whatever sickness she was going through.
It's no longer necessary, however.
Fox sighs, "You don't have to pretend anymore. I want to help you. Let me take care of you."
She's still apprehensive, glancing around quickly at the surrounding Lumas, and he can understand why.
He's the leader of his team, he knows all about putting on a brave front for everyone else, even when you don't feel your best. But she doesn't need to do that around him.
Fox approaches her slowly, hands held up in front of him.
"You're clearly sick, Rosa. If you're taking care of everyone else, who's taking care of you?"
His words make her frown and she grips her skirt tighter.
He feels a sense of responsibility towards her. The idea of her having to keep up a strong front so as to continue caring for her kids when they had no one else hurts him. It fills him with a pang in his chest he can't ignore.
It saddens him to know she's had to just suffer in silence every time she's been sick.
He mentally shakes his head and takes a deep breath. He's here for her and for the Lumas now. It's different.
"If you keep hurting yourself like this, then how will you be able to take care of them?" He gestures to the Lumas.
He stops right in front of her and he's thankful she doesn't move away like earlier. He reaches out and carefully untangles her hands away from her skirt and into his own. They're uncomfortably warm, so much so that he can feel it through his gloves.
"Kids," he says, not taking his eyes off her. "Could you give us a minute?"
In his periphery, the Lumas exchange looks, their concern still etched firmly on their faces. He gives them a reassuring nod and slowly, they disperse, leaving Fox and Rosalina alone.
"Now it's just me," he squeezes her hands once. "You can drop the act."
She's frowning, unease on her face and her eyes are locked firmly on their joined hands. But he's patient, gently rubbing his thumbs on the backs of her hands as he waits.
Eventually she sighs. "I admit… I don't feel the best right now. But, it's only a slight fever–"
"Slight?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "Your hands are literally never this warm."
"Fine," she huffs. "It's a standard fever. Nothing more."
It's probably a little more than that but he'll take what he can get.
"I didn't even know you could get sick," he tells her.
She shrugs lightly. "It doesn't happen too often, just here and there. Usually if I strain too hard."
Her eyes suddenly go wide, as if she's said something she wasn't supposed to. She tries to tug her hands out of his but his grip is strong, not letting her.
"Is it the magic? Is that why you're sick?" He asks.
She's been trying to get her magic back to full power ever since he first started staying here. He just didn't know she was straining this hard to do so.
"No, I'm just trying to help you," she insists with a shake of her head.
"I don't want it if you're going to get sick!"
"It's fine," she stresses. "I just worked a little too hard this time."
Her assurance does little to calm him.
He frowns, but decides to push it aside for now with a sigh. "We'll talk about your workaholic tendencies later. For now, you have to rest."
Priorities, he reminds himself.
"I suppose," she murmurs and looks down at their hands again. "You're awfully insistent about this,"
"Of course I am," he says. "Are you going to let me take care of you now?"
She sighs again, like it's such a big deal to accept his help.
"If you insist," she hums, though he can see the faintest trace of a smile on her lips as she says it.
"Sorry about picking you up earlier," he says. "But, I'm afraid I'm going to have to do it again."
If he has to watch her shakily stumble about any longer, he's going to scream.
"Oh?" She raises an eyebrow at him.
He shrugs. "Yeah, doctor's orders."
With as much swiftness as he had earlier, he smoothly scoops her up into his arms again. She's much more prepared for it this time, unlike the first, and her arms wrap around his neck almost instinctively.
“Comfortable?” He asks.
“Very much so,” she surprises him in response. His surprise only increases when she nuzzles into his neck, causing him to shiver.
"So soft,” she murmurs. He nearly chokes but just clears his throat and adjusts his hold on her.
It's still unsettling to hold her and feel warmth rather than the usual coolness he's grown used to. He also doesn't appreciate the trembling happening throughout her body. Still, his worry is quelled when he reminds himself she's going to get the rest she needs now.
"By the way, how did you know I was sick?" she asks, her voice slightly muffled by where she's leaning her head.
"I think you underestimate just how much time I spend just looking at you," he chuckles. "Obviously I could tell something was up."
"Sometimes I forget how perceptive you are."
"Don't give me all the credit. The kids suspected something was wrong and told me. Though, you did a pretty good job hiding it."
"Years of practice," she hums.
As they walk towards her room, a few of the Lumas start to creep out from wherever they were hiding when he sent them away.
One in particular floats near them with concern. To distract them, he asks, "Hey, do you know how to send a letter?"
"Uh-huh," the star says with a nod.
"Okay, well can you tell your sibling at the prison that your mom won't be able to make it today?"
"Tell them I'd really like to, but I can't," Rosalina adds, lifting her head slightly from where she's resting it.
The Luma gives them both a salute and flies off at top speed to do as asked.
Fox hopes the distant star will understand the circumstances. He knows she'd be there if she could, especially because she was trying so hard to make it even when she couldn't. And honestly, he's a little intrigued by this estranged Luma himself. He doesn't know how he didn't know about them earlier. But that's not important right now.
What is important is the ill princess in his arms.
"I still feel terrible about bailing on them," she laments softly.
"They'll understand," he says. "And, you can just visit them when you're all better."
"I suppose."
"In the meantime, your majesty, you need to rest."
"I thought we dropped the formalities a long time ago," Rosalina smiles.
"Sometimes I just like saying it. It helps me remember that it's a little surreal for me to be helping a literal princess."
She chuckles and presses her face back into his neck.
They reach her room and he manages to get the door open himself without having to put her down once. He intended to put her to bed immediately, but she stops him. He clearly forgot a very important part she had to do beforehand.
"Let me get changed," she says and pats his chest twice lightly. "And I can do it myself. You can put me down for this."
"Oh, right."
He gently sets her down and promptly turns around before she can tell him to. He hears her sifting around her wardrobe for her nightclothes and dutifully closes his eyes, despite the fact that his back is towards her. It just feels right, polite.
At the first sound of fabric rustling, he puts his hands over his ears too for good measure.
"You can turn around now," he hears her say a couple seconds later, her voice muffled by his palms. He turns and sees she's already walking over to the bed on her own, now changed into her white nightgown.
Fox quickly stops her, holding onto her waist and putting her arm around his shoulder for support.
Rosalina laughs a little, "Don't be ridiculous, the bed is only a few feet away. I can do it myself."
"I'd argue this is even more ridiculous," he says and scoops her up back into the princess carry again. She lets out a small gasp but still wraps her arms around his neck.
"Definitely ridiculous," she hums, but he can feel her smiling against his neck. "Though it does feel like you're just looking for excuses to carry me."
"Can you blame me? It's one of my favorite things to do," Fox says with a grin.
"Clearly."
Just like she had said, the journey to the bed is only ten feet away at most, ending much too soon. He sets her down on the navy blue sheets carefully.
"May I?" he asks, indicating at her crown.
She obliges, bowing her head slightly. He gently takes it off her head and sets it on the side table, careful as he can be with the delicate thing.
Fox helps her settle in, making sure she's comfortable. And, for good measure, he tucks her in.
"I don't think anyone's ever tucked me in before," she muses. "It's always me doing it for other people."
"Well, now you have me," he gives her a smile. "So get used to it."
Rosalina reaches out and cups his cheek gently, causing him to go still under her touch. Her hand is warm, which he's still not used to. Probably won't ever be.
Still, he doesn't mind her gently stroking his cheek with her thumb.
"Thank you," she whispers as he puts his hand over hers.
"Anytime."
He turns his head slightly and kisses her palm, which makes her smile.
"Now rest," he tells her, moving away and setting her hand back onto her lap.
She frowns a little at the lack of contact, though her frown turns confused when he whistles for a couple of Lumas to come in.
"Watch your mom," he tells them. "Make sure she actually rests."
"Is that really necessary?" She asks with a small chuckle.
"Considering your track record, I'd say so," he shrugs. "But don't worry, I'll be back later. Just get some sleep."
She gives him a lazy mock salute at his order, her eyes already starting to droop now that she's comfortable.
He walks out into the open air of the Observatory, carefully shutting the door behind him. He's met with the rest of the Lumas, apparently waiting expectantly for news on their mother's condition.
"Don't worry," Fox tells them. "She's resting now. She'll be okay."
They seem to relax at this, relief visible on their features.
"Now, who wants to help me make her some soup?"
All their hands go up and they follow him dutifully to the kitchen.
He doesn't usually go in here to cook, but today's particular circumstances call for it. The kids help him rummage through the–surprisingly stocked–pantry for the necessary ingredients.
When he's compiled all of them, he gets to trying to make soup how Peppy taught him. It was the cure all back home whenever he or one of his teammates got sick, and he's confident that it'll probably work here.
It takes a little while, mostly because he has to walk the kids through the proper steps and chop all the ingredients himself because he definitely does not trust the kids with knives.
The Lumas are as much a help as they are a hindrance, but he doesn't mind having them around and teaching them how to make it.
A little over an hour later, the soup is done and the savory aroma fills the room. The kids float around it in interest.
"It smells yummy!" A red Luma tells him.
"Can we have some?" Another one asks.
"Sure, but only after your mom's had some," Fox says. "It is for her so she can feel better, after all."
They give him a salute and help him pour it into a bowl and put it on a tray to take to her.
The kids are much too eager to show their mom what they've created, all but whooshing out the door with the tray once he's done.
"Careful, it's hot!" Fox calls as he jogs after them.
Miraculously, they manage to not spill a single drop.
He runs ahead of them and reaches her room before they do. He turns and puts a finger to his lips.
"She might still be sleeping," he tells them in a hushed voice. "Wait here while I go see."
They nod silently in response.
He steps alone into the room as silently as he can. The inside is dark, save for the soft glows emitting from the Lumas he left posted floating near the bed.
"How is she?" He whispers to them.
"She's just been sleeping." A yellow Luma says softly.
He looks past them to see that Rosalina is indeed still asleep, curled on her side and still tucked in where he left her. She looks serene, peaceful. All the worry lines on her face are gone, making her almost look younger. To disturb this rest seems sacrilegious.
He debates actually waking her up to give her the soup, wondering if it'll do more harm than good. Perhaps it would be better to just let her rest and give it to her later when she wakes up.
The Lumas apparently do not have such holdups, as they float towards her while he's busy thinking and gently shake her awake before he has a chance to stop them.
"Papa's here!" A purple one tells her. "And he brought you something!"
The princess stirs, blinking awake and slowly pushing herself up.
He sighs, but she's already awake so there's nothing he can really do about it.
"You're back," she rasps out when she sees him, voice still a little affected by her nap.
"Just to be clear, I didn't want to wake you yet," he tells her, moving closer to her.
"It's fine," she waves his words away. "I heard you brought me something?"
"Well, not just me. It was a group effort," he gives her a smile and whistles for the kids outside to come in.
Thankfully, they're much more careful than they were on the way here, floating the tray over to her and gently placing it down on her lap.
"Oh my!" She exclaims in surprise. "Is this for me?"
"We helped Papa make it!" One of the Lumas says.
"Hope you like it!" Another says.
"I'm sure I will," she reaches up to gently pat their little heads. "Thank you all so much."
The kids titter and spin in delight.
"Alright, alright. Give her some room, guys," Fox says.
They pull back as he asks, coming to float around him instead.
She picks up her spoon and takes some of the soup, blowing on it gently before eating it. She does so slowly and she glances at the kids a little nervously.
Rosalina has practically all her kids around her just watching her eat. The audience is large and he can tell it's making her uncomfortable.
That unease from earlier has come back to her and it's evident in her hesitant movements. She sits up a little straighter and he can see her steeling her face into something more firm, not the sleepy visage from before.
His eyes flick towards the Lumas watching her intensely. Even he'd get nervous under their worried stares.
He understands they're concerned about her, mainly because he feels the exact same way. It must be strange for them to see their normally so strong and resilient mother reduced to this weaker state, but he doesn't think their worried presence is helping.
They're the reason she's putting up the front in the first place, so having them around is preventing her from really getting the rest she needs.
"Hey kids, I think you should go out and play for a bit," he tells them, all but ushering them out the door. It's met with a lot of whining and complaining, but he's put his foot down. "She's going to be fine, don't worry."
They still don't want to leave, fixed in their desire to see her okay. They're almost as stubborn as their mother. There's no question where they got it from.
"I'll go play with you later once I make sure she's okay again," he says, trying to convince them.
"And you'll read us a bedtime story?" One of the Lumas asks.
"I promise. Heck, I'll even read you two."
"And we can stay up later?" Another one pipes up.
He looks up at them, surprised. It's an absurd request, but it's also one that gets them looking towards him eagerly.
He relents. "Fine, but only for one hour."
The Lumas exchange glances with each other, as if judging his terms amongst them. Then, they turn back to him and nod.
"Okay, it's a deal!" They exclaim.
They float back over to their mom briefly, nuzzling the top of her head.
"Feel better, Mama!" They say before flying out.
Fox can't help the smile that forms on his face because of their antics. Of course the universe would give him the strangest little kids, but he'll never be ashamed of calling them his.
His smile matches the one on their mother's face when he turns back to look at her. Now that they're all gone and her audience has been reduced to only one person, she's letting herself actually eat. Her posture is now more relaxed and comfortable.
She eats rather quickly, finishing the bowl in only a few short minutes, broth included. Now that she's rested a little and eaten, she looks much better. The shaking in her limbs has gone down and so has the red in her face.
"So how was it?" He asks, coming to stand closer and indicating the empty bowl in front of her. Even though he just watched her eat the whole thing, there's a small part of him that's a little anxious over what she thought about his cooking and it really wants to know if she liked it or not.
"It was delicious," she says. "I can't remember the last time I had such a warm, home cooked meal."
She reaches over and takes his hand. "Thank you very much. For everything."
He places his other hand over hers and smiles, faintly aware of his tail wagging behind him at her words.
She yawns and leans back against her pillows again.
He picks up her bowl and stands up. He's about to step out and take them back to the kitchen when the sound of her voice stops him.
"You're not going to stay with me?" She asks, making him turn around in surprise. He doesn't know if it's intentional, but she does bat her eyelashes at him ever so slightly.
How can he say no when she does that?
He smirks. "Well, since you asked so nicely."
He sets the dishes on the side table and is about to climb in next to her when she suddenly holds her hands out to stop him.
"Wait, what am I saying? You can't. I don't want you to get sick too."
Fox blinks at her. "It's just an illness. I'll be fine."
He waves away her concern and climbs in next to her anyway.
"Besides, if it does happen, it'll be worth it." He wraps his arms around her and guides her head to rest on his chest.
"I sure hope you don't get sick later," Rosalina mumbles against his shirt, wrapping her own arms around him.
He only laughs and pulls her closer.
"Not a chance."