Forbidden Fruit (A Bowigi Fanfic)

CheepCheep Treats and Old Divine Wine

Luigi looked extremely nervous.  Bowser didn't like that but he understood why.  Luigi should be afraid of him and Bowser should be happy about it.  It was nighttime though, and there was no one else around.  He didn't have to be the king he was during the day.  He could just... be.

As he gently led Luigi toward the balcony he continued to speak softly and tell Luigi what he was doing before he did it.  He even hunched himself smaller to appear less threatening. It didn't work. Luigi was still scared.  

Of course, he was.  He should be. Hours ago, Bowser had tried to kill him. An act like that does not take overnight to forgive.  Much less in under that time.  It may not ever be forgiven, and Bowser understood.  It would take a special kind of person to be able to forgive him.  Maybe even a naive person.  Bowser internally shook his head.  No time to think about that. He needed to keep Luigi calm and explain to him what happened.

First, Luigi needed to eat.

"Have a seat," Bowser gestured to the smaller seat on his balcony.  It was meant to be occupied by Peach when she married him.  Even though it would've been political, he still wanted to be at least friendly with her. 

Luigi sat.

"I'm walking toward my chair and I'm going to sit down. Is that ok?"

Luigi nodded.

"You can eat anything you'd like from the table. Would you like something to drink?"

Luigi shook his head. They both sat in silence for a few minutes, neither of them moving. Bowser sighed.

"You need to eat, Luigi," He tried as gently as he could.

"No," The man whispered.

"Why not?"

"P-p-poisoned."

Oh. That made sense. Bowser hadn't eaten since Luigi arrived and it was entirely possible Luigi didn't see him eating before.  He nodded.

"I see. This food wasn't intended for you, Greenie. I was actually quite surprised you made an appearance. This food here," Boswer picked up an iced cookie shaped like a cheep cheep and raised it in a mock toast to Luigi. "It was intended for me."  He took a bite. 

Luigi watched him for a moment but then it appeared his overwhelming hunger took over and he grabbed for the only piece of food that was directly from the human world.  A butterfly made of cotton candy that Bowser almost didn't grab when he left the kitchen.  After consuming the cotton candy in what had to be record time, Luigi moved on to the rest of the rest of the plate. Bowser stared at him dumbfounded. 

"Would you, um, like something to drink?"

Luigi didn't say anything just nodded.  Bowser worried the man might make himself sick.  He shuffled over to his wine chest.  Of course, tonight would be the night he needed to restock. There was one bottle of wine left, one he'd never really bothered to open. It had a strange label on it.  

"Are you ok with... wine?" He turned it over in its hand. It certainly looked like wine. 

"If you drink it first," Luigi responded between bites. 

Bowser shrugged, agreeing to the terms and lumbered over to the plumber who seemed to be slowing down a bit.  It was lucky Bowser was feeling optimistic about Peach and added a second glass to his room's regular collection.  He poured both himself and Luigi a glass making Luigi could have a full view of what he was doing.  He beckoned Luigi to pick his glass first. Luigi grabbed the one closer to Bowser and waited patiently as Bowser took a sip.

The wine tasted absolutely divine, unlike anything Bowser had ever tasted before.

"I want you to feel safe right now," Bowser clamped a hand over his mouth. Why did he say that?  

Luigi tilted his head slightly and took a tentative sip of wine. 

"I have no idea what you want with me but I know this will end in my death." 

Both men froze.  Then both tried to speak at once.

"I didn't mean-"

"I don't want-"

"Please don't hurt-"

"Go ahead, Green, I'm listening, I just want to see what this wine is." Bowser began to examine the label.

"Please don't hurt me I didn't mean it. I don't want to die. I didn't mean to fool you I swear." Luigi looked like he was returning to the brink of tears. 

Bowser briefly looked up from the bottle. He wasn't done reading it but this was more important. 

"I do not want to hurt you, Luigi.  I let my temper get the best of me this afternoon," Bowser watched Luigi carefully. The man looked confused and definitely distrustful. "It was no way to treat a prisoner, even if you were trying to escape and insulted me. My actions were inexcusable and I'm sorry."

Luigi's jaw dropped. He'd probably never heard the King apologize and likely didn't think it was possible.  Bowser sighed to himself as we went back to scanning the label. 

"Do you expect me to forgive you?" Luigi's strange bravery was back and he immediately looked horrified when Bowser looked up.

"No."

Luigi looked even more stunned, Bowser continued scanning the label.  The wine was some kind of sacred wine created for interrogation. Why was it in his room of all places?  Luigi went to take another sip of the wine. Bowser quickly snapped his head up.

"Wait!"

Luigi paused, somehow looking more confused.

"Don't drink the wine."

"Did you poison the wrong glass?" The way this man flip-flopped from anger and sass to fear and shock was giving Bowser some kind of second-degree whiplash.

"What? No! I'm drinking it too. This label says that whoever drinks the wine will blurt out something they want to say but are too afraid to. If you'd like you can see for yourself." Bowser handed the bottle to Luigi who eyed it suspiciously before taking it. 

Luigi studied the label for a moment.

"So, you meant what you said?"

"When?"

"About wanting me to feel safe." Luigi narrowed his eyes.

Bowser exhaled, "I've been sincere about everything I've said since I saw you in the hallway this evening."

"When does the interrogation start?"

"That's a tomorrow problem, Greenie."