36 Questions to fall in love (Well, maybe more than that)

7, I'm only Dreaming

Bowser struggled to light a match. He ended up breaking at least a dozen. Luigi peered in from behind the door. He chuckled softly. The door made a soft creak as he walked in. Bowser whipped around.

“Oh, it’s you! I thought Storm was coming in to laugh at me.”

Luigi laughed, coming closer. He gave him a light kiss on the head. “Why don’t you come outside with me? I fixed up the garden a bit.”

“But, the fire!”

“Just for a minute.”

Bowser sighed, throwing the match box down. They walked outside, hand in hand, to find Storm and Sunny fighting for control of the swing. The swing was on an old oak tree Luigi and Mario had played on when they were younger. As soon as the children saw the both of them, they immediately got on their best behavior, even though Sunny was clinging to the tree branch for dear life.

“Hey, you kids, it’s getting late! You should head inside!” Luigi called.

“We just started playing!” Storm said, tugging on the swing slightly.

“Yeah, we were gonna throw each other off the–” Sunny was cut off by a death glare from Storm.

“Well, if you weren’t going to throw anybody off of anything, you shouldn’t have any issue with coming inside!” Bowser said.

“Fine! We’ll come inside!” Storm said, storming past both of her fathers, leaving her sibling in the tree. Both Bowser and Luigi turned back to Sunny, who was struggling to get down.

“You need help, hon?” Luigi asked.

“No, I got it, I think…”

Bowser turned to his husband. “Anyway, I heard something about a garden?”

“Right! Come on, I'll show you.” They walked down the porch and onto a small stone path. Plants sprouted on either side of them as they walked. Down they walked to the small garden Luigi had been tending to for almost 5 years. In the center was a little bench where they sat.

Luigi looked over to his little house. It was just like he had always dreamed of. Bowser wrapped his arm around Luigi.

“Remember when life was hard?” Luigi asked, staring up at the setting sun.

“That was a long time ago. We never have to worry about that ever again.”

“It's all because of you,” Luigi said, cuddling closer to him.

“It's because of you, you changed me.”

Luigi couldn't argue, he had, and now he was here. Everything had gone well. No one hated him. He looked down at his hands, seeing something he hadn't noticed before. His left hand seemed to be covered with long pink sc–

Thunder startled him awake. Luigi took a moment to realize where he was and who he was with. He was in a similar position to how he was in the dream next to Bowser. Bowser's arm wrapped around him, and Luigi's head rested on his chest. They were both still laying on the floor. Bowser was busy reading a book, Neon Angel. Luigi pulled his head away, pushing off Bowser a bit.

Bowser turned to face him and Luigi froze. Oh right, it hadn't been a lifetime since Bowser had comforted him, it had been, like, six hours. Bowser smiled softly. “Morning,” he said, almost too gently.

Oh no, what the hell was that dream? And why was it coming true now? That wasn't a dream, that was a nightmare! Luigi was dying. Also, he hadn't spoken in a while, so he just said, “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“It is the morning.” Luigi said, quickly nodding. He sat up. “Did you get any sleep?”

“I'm less sleep deprived than I was yesterday.” Bowser sat up as well. “Sorry for last night, by the way, I was about to pass out.”

Luigi smiled to hide the pain of ‘Oh my God I was supposed to escape by now’. “Me too!” For very different reasons, and also right now, but he wasn't going to tell Bowser that.

To change the subject from his ever changing emotions, Luigi said, “I have that book at home! The Runaways, right? Joan Jett?” It was more Mario's book than his, because despite his love of classic rock, he had only ever listened to them through Mario.

“It's Cherie Currie's memoir, yeah. She provides a fascinating insight into the world of a female teen idol, and a struggling drug addict.” Bowser added that last part almost like an afterthought.

“Ooh, drug addiction, fun!” Luigi realized what he said. “Not fun! But– uh, is the book good? I haven't read it yet…”

“Very. I just got past the part where she joined the band. Did you know that–”

Luigi did not want to hear a diatribe about The Runaways. “Hey, why don't we continue this discussion over breakfast? Maybe?”

“Oh, sure!” That stupid smile. That stupid smile Bowser gave like he was still trying to show Luigi that he was still terrifying. That he still kidnapped Luigi. It was a ‘trying to charm with my power’ smile.

It was a smile that Luigi had become far too aware of in his younger days.

But time to linger on the thoughts of Luigi’s youth was short. He most certainly would have time later, and before he could find himself worrying again, they were in yet another kitchen. He barely registered that they were there in the first place, let alone that Bowser had indeed been ranting to him about The Runaways since they left his room.

Propping himself up on the island's counter, Luigi listened to what had to be the end of a long discussion that Bowser had most likely had with himself.

“And then a few years after that, the band broke up and Joan Jett started The Blackhearts. Anyway, what's your favorite song by them?”

“The Runaways?”

“Yeah, isn't that what we've been talking about?”

“Right!” The Runaways did Bad Reputation, didn't they? “Uh, Bad Reputation?”

“That's not a Runaways song, but a good choice. Mine is Dead End Justice.”

“I have never heard of that song before.”

Bowser laughed. “Probably for the best.” He turned around, opening the fridge. “What do you want?”

“Whatever you're making.” Luigi pulled his knees up to his chest. This was actually kind of nerve racking, speaking in almost complete private. There had to be servants around somewhere, in case anything happened, right? Right?

“French toast it is, then.” Bowser said, pulling out the ingredients. Luigi watched as he (poorly) made the egg wash (he wasn't adding any sugar) and set up the frying pan (he was leaving the stove on while he prepared everything).

“Do you want help?” Luigi asked, preparing to jump down and help him.

“I got it!” The both of them watched as the pan caught on fire. “Shit!” Bowser ran to the sink to get some water.

“No, Bowser, don't–!”

But it was too late. Luigi turned away as the pan erupted into flames, sending burning butter everywhere. Bowser paused, finally turning off the heat. He grabbed a lid and slammed it down on the pan. He turned back to Luigi. “Regular toast it is, then!”