A Nutcracker and the Beast

Chapter 8: Be Our Guest

"I win this time, Dad!" Junior said as he jumped on Bowser's stomach.

"Oh...you sure did," he said as he felt the kick Junior just gave him, "How about we go again? Best out of 5?"

"That may have to wait, your nastiness," Kamek said, making them both turn. Bowser looked shocked, while Junior's face lit up when he saw Peach.

"Mama!" he yelled as he ran toward her. Giving her legs a hug.

"P-Peach, what are you doing here?" Bowser asks, getting off the floor. "I thought that you were busy."

"I had a change of plans...um, do you think we can speak alone?" She asked as she hugged Junior.

"S-sure! Um, Kamek, can you take Junior back to his room for a bit?"

"What! No! I want to hang out with Peach!" Junior yelled as he held on harder.

"Don't worry, Junior," Peach said, rubbing his head, "I'm going to be here for a while."

"Really?" The three men said simultaneously. Bowser and Kamek shared a side glance of disbelief, while Junior soon grew a grin of mischief.

"Ok then! Kamek, let's get Mama's room ready!" Junior yelled as he ran to the door before speaking softly when Kamek was next to him. "We can also work on 'Beauty and the Beast,'" he giggled, looking up to see Luigi sitting in the archways like he always does before they both left.

"Sorry about that. He just loves ya." Bowser said once the door was closed.

"None taken. After all, I love Junior just as much."

They were both silent as this was an uncomfortable territory. They weren't even looking at each other as they stood beside one another. They could cut the air with how awkward this was.

"Ahem," Bowser started, covering the silence with a cough, "What do you wish to talk about?"

"Ah," Peach said, facing him, "Well, um, you see. I ran away."

"You did what?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, it better be if you're here on your own free will," Bowser said, having to sit. His mind ran a hundred miles as he processed this; Peach ran away from home, and she came to the one person everyone would assume kidnapped her again. Peach sat down next to him as he was still processing this info.

"You see, Daisy is getting married, and me being her best friend, I'm going to be her maid of honor. Or should I say, I was her maid of honor." She explained, letting out a sigh.

"Two questions. Who is she going to marry? And why aren't you her maid of honor anymore?"

"I don't know if you know them, but they're the Wario brothers," Peach said, making Bowser roll his eyes. "I'm guessing that's a yes."

"You betcha; I don't like them. Just as much as I don't like Mario." Bowser said, crossing his arms, "Why is Daisy marrying one of them?"

"Because she loves him? My goodness, you're just like Mario!" she said, getting up and starting to pace, "I get it! They don't have a good track history, but have you met Daisy? She's a tomboy that loves to start fights, has almost zero manners, isn't afraid to tell you off, and has a thing for bad boys and tall badass women. Of course, she's going to marry her boyfriend of almost four years, who has changed for the better of her, treats her the way she wanted to be treated, and is still a troublemaker who acts like a pig! They were made for each other! As for why I'm not her maid of honor is because of Mario!' She ranted, still working on her story.

Luigi watched as he heard her ranting and Bowser trying to figure out what to say. He nodded to everything, quietly agreeing till he saw Bowser opening his mouth.

"Well, it sounds like you don't think the guy is good for her. Maybe you should tell her, after all, she is your best friend" Luigi smacks his head as he hears Bowser's problem-solving statement.

"THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM!" she yelled at him; Bowser was caught off guard at her raising her voice like that. Luigi shook his head as he watched this conveersation go on, Bowser keeping his mouth shut for the rest of the ranting.

"The problem is that Mario went too far! He and Wario have a history just like he does with you, and once you're on his bad side, he has a hard time believing that people can change for the better! Not trusting them when they show him otherwise! I swear, how's the sweetest and most caring man I have ever met could be such an idiot!" Peach said, facing away from Bowser, but Bowser was speechless as he didn't know what to do. Luigi needed to help him, so he quickly made his way down to the floor, careful not to hit his broken arm. Then, he hid behind the throne; that way, it sounded like Bowser was talking.

"Because he's the jealous type. He's always afraid that he'll lose the ones he loves, so he tries to see the bad in people to protect the ones he loves. He's doing the same thing he does with us, protecting Daisy because he doesn't know the full story, only letting him see what we want him to see. It's not a good thing, but it works for him and sometime it's hard to admit that he is in the wrong," Luigi said, hiding as Bowser turned his head to his voice. When Bowser turns back to Peach, he sees her looking straight at him in shock.

"Did you just say that?"

"Um...yes?" Bowser said, with a smile that wasn't convincing, but it didn't matter as Peach was still shocked to notice.

"Huh," was all she said, "you're right."

"I am?"

"Yeah," she said, looking into his eyes, "and you know what, I needed to hear that. He's so headstrong that sometimes I forget that he has no way to say his true feelings till push comes to shove." She went quiet for a bit, surprised at Bowser's words. "But, um, I ran away. That way, I could have some space for myself. So can I stay here for a bit?" she asked awkwardly.

"O-of course!" Bowser said as he got up, "If you want, I can take you to your room; that way, you can keep ranting." he offered as he put his hand out for her to grab. Luigi took a peak, watching them. Peach stared at his hand as if this would change everything between them, hesitant to take it. But, instead, she took it and stood beside him, arms locked, smiling at him.

"I would love that," she said to Bowser, who gave his own sweet smile. Luigi felt a smile on his face, but his chest was in pain. He soon leans back against the chair and hears Peach talk more about her fight with Mario and Daisy until he is alone in the room.

My chest hurt; maybe I should stop putting myself in these situations. So Luigi thought as he took a deep breath, but the pain didn't come from his chest but from the heart.

Oh, how he had wished sooner that he had known that this. This wasn't the pain from a panic attack but from an aching heart that had slowly fallen in love.