Ever Just the Same (Bowuigi)

Chapter 20- The Kiss

He couldn't stop running. Through the sharp brambles and the thickets and dodging the swoops diving at his head, Luigi finally stopped to breathe and reflect on the situation.

He kissed Bowser.

It had been a brief moment. A beautiful moment that left him at a loss for words. Bowser had nearly confessed his feelings. The words that Luigi had been longing to hear for some time. Then they kissed.

It was soft and passionate, all things considered, since Bowser was a dragon and Luigi had only ever kissed humans. It was everything he had dreamed of. In fact, it was exactly what he had dreamed of. It was the dream he had. And that was why he had run away.

Fear swirled around him at the thought of it becoming true, even if it was irrational, he couldn't handle the thought of being hated by Mario. Even if he didn't hate him, Luigi couldn't bear to deal with the repercussions of his actions---though he had craved doing it for so long. And he wouldn't be ashamed to admit that he loved that kiss, that he wanted more. But he was scared. He knew he wasn't in any danger being involved with Bowser, yet he knew everything would become complicated if he did choose to stay.

Luigi took a moment to catch his breath and lean against some sort of plant. The forest was huge, and he seemed to have lost his way. Initially he had intended to run back into the pipe leading to the Mushroom Kingdom, but in his shock, he went a tad too far. He wasn't anywhere near the castle, nor the pipe. To make matters worse, it was dark, cold, and he had no flashlight to see where he was going. The path seemed to fade away into nothing more than dust and dirt, and he lost track of the lava rivers. Which meant he certainly was lost.

He was at the hands of whatever was out here. Cursing to himself, he wondered why he had done this in the first place. Surely it would have been smarter to explain to Bowser what had happened, and then be escorted home? But no. His pride, and his fear of disappointing anyone had won over in the end.

"Okay Luigi," He said to himself. "Don't panic. Just um...retrace your steps. It'll be okay. You're fine. This is fine."

At least, for a brief second he was fine. In that moment he felt a tremor under his fingertips. Then he heard a yawn that didn't belong to him. Warily, he glanced up.

The plant he was currently using to rest on, seemed to be moving. At first glance, it seemed innocent enough. A yellow creature with red spots, almost looking like the petals of a tulip. It was actually quite pretty. That was until it opened its mouth. Now, Luigi was quite knowledgeable about flowers---and this one was no flower. It resembled a venus fly trap, with its sharp teeth grinning like an Audrey II lookalike. He gasped, leaping away in fright and hitting the ground with a thud. With a shaky groan, he came to a realization about these plants. Piranha plants were noticeably aggressive, not to mention carnivorous.

The piranha plant stretched its head out in an uncoiled form, spiky teeth ready to spit who knows what at him. He didn't have the time to scream for help, let alone run away.

He was doomed.

Back at the castle, Bowser was pacing back and forth. Kammy, half awake, was floating beside him, having been woken up from the commotion shortly after Luigi had left.

"Let me repeat what you just told me," She said groggily. "The human, Luigi...he kissed you." Bowser nodded in confirmation. "and then he ran away?"

"That's exactly what happened, yes. What does it mean?"

"It means it doesn't bode well for you."

He was growing agitated. "But he kissed me, surely that must mean something! At least over here it means a sign of affection."