Forbidden Fruit (A Bowigi Fanfic)

A battle of wits

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Luigi nervously tapped his index finger on the cold, steel table before him.  Amakeshil had removed the handcuff from themselves and attached it to the designated spot on the table. 

"Are you done?"

Luigi stopped tapping his finger and apologized. The silence seemed to stretch on for hours. It was becoming increasingly unbearable.

"What happened back there?" Amekshil and Luigi were almost in sync. They stared at each other for a moment when Luigi started laughing.

"What's so funny, prisoner?"

"Sorry again, I'm a nervous laugher."

"Are you going to tell me what happened back there?" Amakeshil crossed their arms and leaned back in their chair. Luigi hoped that maybe they'd at least crack a smile but it didn't seem to be in their nature. They were too serious and focused on their job.  Luigi supposed it was good for Bowser that the one troop watching him now was better than the others the night before.

Amakeshil raised their eyebrows expectantly, and Luigi was abruptly reminded of Daisy and her way of extracting information and secrets from him. Luigi knew how to play this game.

"Only if you tell me first."

Amekshil leaned forward in their seat, suddenly much more interested. "How will I know you'll tell me after?"

"How will I know you'll tell the truth?"

Amakeshil nodded, satisfied. "One small problem."

"What might that be?"

"You're in handcuffs. I make the rules. You're going first."

They had a point but Luigi wasn't done playing yet. 

"Would you believe I taught him to unicycle?"

Amekshil was quick to return. 

"You couldn't have. He learned how the day after he created the koopa language. "

"Fine, fine.  We quietly folded origami and drank tea." 

Amakeshil smiled, they'd clearly never had a prisoner like him before. Luigi could take some pride in that.  He decided he would take every little victory he could. It would help keep him from thinking about his arm and how Bowser might snap and kill him and how he might never see his brother again and -  Kamek had made him overalls. That was very nice, and a small happy thing. 

The guard smirked. "There was truth to that. "

Fuck they were good. Luigi decided to tell some more truth. 

"I escaped last night."

"So I heard."

"I found Bow- His Majesty's room." Luigi hoped Amakeshil wouldn't catch the slip but as predicted, they did. 

"I'd like to know more about that. See, I heard that he carried you back." A smile crept across their face as Luigi gulped.  He didn't know that. Bowser had carried him, while sleeping. It was humiliating but also quite kind. A word that was strangely becoming more and more fitting with each conversation they had. 

"I uh... you know how rumours are." He tried to brush it off, he was losing.  Even Daisy, would struggle against the mind of Amakeshil. 

"I thought they were rumours but it seems they weren't.  I was told you were dead."

Finally! An opening!

"So you don't know how I'm sitting here before you?"

The koopa quietly cursed.

"No, but I have my guesses."

"And what might those be?" Luigi smiled.

"You were asleep." Amakeshil didn't even hesitate. Well, Luigi supposed it couldn't have been that hard to guess.  Perhaps he could get the guard to doubt themselves.

"Then why don't I remember it?"

"You could be lying or you were really tired." A look of shock flashed across Amakeshil's face before they contained themselves. "What could have gotten you so tired?"

"Advanced Calculus?" It was a feeble attempt but Luigi was trying to not lose as badly as he already was.

A shit-eating grin appeared on Amakeshil's face. They knew they had won. "Oh I believe you. I also believe there were spreadsheets  involved. If you pick up what I'm putting down. It would explain his awkwardness."

Luigi sputtered. "Wh-Wh- What? No! Not at all!"That was way worse than the secret he was actually hiding.  Still smiling, Amakeshil decided to go in for the kill.

"Ok then, what really happened?"

Luigi sighed. At least he had put up a fight. 

"When I escaped, I got lost and ended up at His Majesty's room.  Instead of killing me, we just sat and talked until I guess I fell asleep - I'm just as surprised as you," he added for good measure.

"I'm not that surprised." Of course Amakeshil wouldn't be surprised. It seemed the only thing to scare this koopa was Luigi seemingly coming back from the dead. 

"You're not?"

"No. Do you think I can't read my own King, whom I see every day?" They seemed to take offence to this, their voice lowering.

"No, uh-  I-  uh-" Luigi tried to back up as Amakeshil approached him.

He winced and waited for the guard to hit him. He was confused, he thought they were getting along? But maybe, Peach was right about the Koopas. Luigi had always hoped her wrong but here was one turning on a dime. 

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you, your tied up, that's an unfair fight." Amakeshil hadn't changed their tone of voice. "I hear His Majesty just down the hall and need to seem like I was interrogating you... his style. Keep my secret, I keep yours."

Luigi shivered at the mention of Bowser's style of interrogation. He had a taste before and barely got out alive. He had apologized and said it wouldn't happen again, but what if he was lying? What if Bowser wasn't affected by the wine and was just a master manipulator?

"Got it, Luigi?" Amakeshil brought him back to reality.

Luigi nodded then paused. "You know my name?"

"Yeah? I'd be a pretty bad guard if I didn't."

Huh. It seemed he was almost more known here than in the Mushroom Kingdom. It was-

Before he was able to finish his thought, Bowser and Kamek entered the room. Amakeshil immediately stood to attention. Bowser didn't seem to notice them at first, instead his eyes fixated on Luigi.

The plumber began to shrink under his gaze but Bowser quickly turned to his guard. "At ease Amakeshil. You may go on break and Kamek will fetch you when I need you."

"Yes,  your Majesty." The koopa nodded and exited.

Bowser turned to Kamek, " You too."

"What?" The magikoopa squawked.

"I'll call if I need you."

Kamek lingered for a moment having a silent conversation with the King before poofing out of the room. 

"Well, Greenie?" Bowser smiled. "Looks like it's just you and me."