Not What I Expected (Bowser x reader)

Chapter 6

Y/N POV

I'm walking through a thick fog, surrounded by dead trees with gnarled branches and covered in knots and uneven bark. A twig snaps behind me and my blood runs cold "I thought I'd find you here." a familiar voice speaks. I turn and she the silhouette of my dear aunt Crystal, standing there holding hands with a smaller silhouette; Lia. But not the Lia I know now, Lia as a child, no more than four or five, clutching my aunt's hand like it was her last lifeline, and it technically is. Lia and I were both orphaned in the same fire that took out a whole apartment complex when we had just turned three. Crystal took both of us in when she was a maid at Peach's castle way before it was even called Peach's castle. Shortly after Lia and I's 17th birthday, she retired and moved off grid with Lia, while I decided to stay in the castle and sign up to be Peach's guard. Lia came back once she'd turned 21 and told me Crystal had passed away from a fatal heart attack, and to really rub salt in the wound, Peach wouldn't let me attend her funeral because she had a diplomatic mission in cloud kingdom and needed me to watch the castle while she was gone. I never got to say goodbye. But now she was right in front of me, her turquoise hair tied into a neat bun, her maid uniform freshly cleaned. But something was off. Her eyes seemed more tired than usual, she seemed... distant. So did little Lia, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. 

I took a cautious step forward and slowly reached out to touch Crystal's cheek. She walked forward to meet my touch and lifted her other hand to place it over mine on her face. She was ice cold. Her delicate fingers kept a strong grip on my calloused hand and wouldn't let me pull away. I tried to speak, tried to tell her she's hurting me, but my voice isn't working. Her gentle expression drops, and she pulls my hand away from her face, bending my fingers at unnatural angles. "I'm hurting you?!" She bellowed, "How about how you hurt me! I raised you, I fed you, I taught you right from wrong! And you couldn't even come and say goodbye for the last time?! I don't even know why I took you in at all! It's not like I made a difference, you'd still be this pathetic waste of space even if I hadn't interfered." My eyes sting with tears. I can't even feel my hand anymore. This isn't her. This is not my aunt! My aunt loves me, she was the kindest soul to ever live! I was so crushed when she died, it's not my fault I couldn't go to your funeral, Aunt Crystal! "It is your fault, Y/n. All of the pain you've inflicted, everything is your fault." She lets my and go and I crumple to the ground, clutching the broken bones to my stomach. It is my fault... It's all my fault... why couldn't I have just listened?! Crystal and Lia walk off and the fog consumes me, wrapping my body in a shroud of guilt and despair. It's my fault... It's my fault... It's my fault...

"IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!!!!" 

A voice screams at me and I shoot to an upright position. Right... Bowser's castle. I pant and wipe cold sweat off of my forehead. My hand aches... I look to my left and see Jr. crying, the bedspread balled up in his little hands. I look to my right... My hand... 

"MY HAND!!!" I cry out in pain as my body finally registers the fact that my fingers are all bent in different direction and the bones in my palm are bulging, threatening to break skin. Tears spill out uncontrollably from my eyes as I scream from the pain in my right hand. Suddenly my door bursts open and what feels like hundreds of people storm in including Bowser and Kamek, both with panicked expressions. Jr. runs over to his dad, his words almost drowned out by my pained screaming. "Dad!!! I don't know what happened, they were fine, then they started talking in their sleep, something bout' a crystal, and how it's their fault, then their bones started cracking and their hand is all mangled now!" He sobbed into his dad's leg and Bowser picked him up and tried to console his son. He motioned for Kamek to take care of me. My hand went numb, which I guess is better than excruciating pain. I can finally breathe properly. I lean back onto my pillows and sob from relief. Bowser passes Jr. to one of his minions, "Take the prince to his room. This is an adult matter." He says bluntly. Jr. immediately protests, thrashing in the minion's arms. "No! No, I need to see that their okay! They have to be okay!" He screams trying to squirm over to me. "Jr." I start, my voice weak from straining it. He stops thrashing and looks at me, tears still streaming from his eyes. "I'll be okay, okay? I'll be better before you know it, and I'll keep singing you lullabies for as long as you need me too." He sniffles, wipes his tears, and gives me a determined look I'll never forget. Then he's out the door, as are the rest of the crowd that came in to gawk at me, and I'm left alone with Bowser and Kamek again.

Kamek finishes putting my bones back in their original place and putting a cast over my hand, then he whispers a quick word to Bowser and he's gone. I look at my lap, ashamed of how much of a mental strain I must be putting on Bowser and Kamek, and how I must have scared Jr. so bad. That definitely won't help his nightmares. I sigh and fiddle with the rough texture of my new "fashion accessory" The weight of the mattress shifts. I look up at Bowser sitting on my bed, staring at dust bunnies in the corner. "What..." he starts, fully catching my attention. "What the hell did she do to you?" He says, his tone dripping with venom, but not directed at me. He looks over his shoulder at me, his eyes glassy. I don't know how to respond. Nobody's ever asked me my side of the story before, I don't even know where to start. Before I can even get a word out, I'm lifted out of my bed and placed in the King's lap. He wraps one hand around my waist and the other pushes my head to rest on his chest. "I've tried to reason with her, y'know. That's the real reason I want to marry her. To form a treaty. We don't have a whole lot of resources here in the badlands, and other kingdoms aren't exactly jumping at the chance to trade with us." He talks, and I listen. I rest my injured hand on his hand and let my other fall limply to my lap. He feels warm, kinda squishy, and comforting. "The first time I mentioned a peace treaty between my kingdom and her's, she literally laughed in my face. That was the first time I kidnapped her. I didn't want my people to suffer because of her selfishness, or worse, my incompetence." He gently strokes my head and pulls me closer, fully embracing me now.  "And you, you are now one of my people. And she hurt you, badly. I will not rest until you are fully healed and she is dethroned." I return his embrace and look up at him. He's crying... I reach up and wipe his tears and he pulls my hand away. "No, I'm not the one who needs to be comforted. Is there anything you need? Are you hungry, in any pain?" His thumb rubs circles into my palm, distracting me from any pain I may be feeling. I rest my head back on his chest and can only think of one thing right now: revenge

and food, I still haven't eaten and fighting your mortal enemy on an empty stomach is not a good idea...

AN: Thank you all so much for the feedback! And yes, Jr. is adorable. But you guys seem to really not like Kamek, is there anything I can do to make him more likable? I tried to make him like a cogsworth type character from Beauty and the Beast, but if you'd like me to go in a different direction let me know!

                                                                     Sincerely,

                                                                                     Author Shed <3