The one where Bowser speeds up his plans cause he's even worse at keeping quiet when it comes to matters of the heart.
He's a really expressive guy, even in his thoughts.
He should probably work on that, especially with someone who has telepathy.
Bowser could hardly count the amount of times he happily fed his own ego. But he was sure that the amount of times he got himself into a bind based on being reckless or simply not thinking, that number would be even greater. That, his son Roy would be all too happy to point out. There was an entire list, and he'd rather not have it read to him for the seventh time, in a single day. Repeat for a month, and Bowser had to keep himself from burning his own castle down from the sheer frustration Roy was putting him into.
Then he realized he was scaring the other kids, and immediately went to comfort them as soon as he possibly could. He even gave them snacks and time to play in his supersized Clown Car so they could look cool in front of their subjects.
"That was rather kind of you, Bowser."
And he was thinking out loud again, wasn't he?
"Yes, yes you are."
"DARN IT!" Bowser snarled aloud, grabbing his face, then messing with his hair with his claws, then clenching them into fists and then began beating on his own head. "Great Star Spirits, Space Queen! Quit readin' my mind, already! I've got far too much going on in it at once right now!"
"I am attempting to, but your thoughts are quite loud at the moment. They are very difficult to ignore." Rosalina answered honestly, tilting her head as Bowser was having a brief meltdown, even seeing steam blowing out of his nose, maw, and ears. His embarrassment was at it's absolute peak right now, that much she could sense without telepathy. It was honestly quite cute, seeing him so completely flustered. Though she didn't miss what he said near the end. "Space Queen?"
Because Kings marry Queens.
"Oh!"
"BAH! I DID IT AGAIN! WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ME?!" Bowser roared as he held his head upwards, breathing a torrent of flames upwards, briefly torching the tail of a poor Paratroopa flying above the both of them. "I keep blurting out all of my thoughts, I'm such a moron! Why can't I just keep my brain on silent for a moment?!"
This mind is too awesome to be silenced.
"Don't you dare." Bowser held up a clawed finger towards Rosalina, keeping her from commenting on the latest thought she heard from him. He took a deep breath, which drew all the heat he created in the room. Then he sighed softly as he massaged the center of his forehead, trying to regather his thoughts, quietly, calmly, rationally. To the best of his ability, at least. Bowser Koopa being rational isn't exactly a common thing, that he was well aware of. "Okay, okay. Let's get a few things outta the way, so we can avoid any further confusion. I really don't wanna make this any more awkward and embarrassing than it is right now."
"Understood.
"Alright. First off, ya heard me say that thing about wanting to marry you?"
"Yes."
"Alright, I wanna punch myself for not hearing or seeing you coming, but that can wait for a moment." Bowser grumbled as he took a deep breath, then sighed as he worked to gather whatever remaining thoughts that weren't totally scrambled. He clasped his paws together and sighed deeply. "Okay, so since it's not gonna do me any good to delay the inevitable since ya keep mind reading me, I'm gonna have to do what I do best besides punching stuff-mostly Mario-in the face, and that's to be as blunt as possible."
"Alright then."
Bowser blinked, then shook his head and knocked his skull with his knuckles. He was a King, darn it. Kings do not hesitate! He needed to get this over with so he can quash the awkwardness out of himself with merciless abandon.
He burned it to ash, instead.
"Alright, so yeah, it's true. I might-no. A King doesn't do might. Unless he's mighty. Which I am."
"Indeed." Rosalina smiles cheekily, almost making Bowser grind his teeth together.
"Anyway, I have fallen in love with you." Bowser stomped up to her and held her by her hands. "Knowing you, your probably knew the entire time and was just waiting for me to say something. Well here I am spitting it out now. I'm in love with you, Space Princess."
"I see." Rosalina hummed. Bowser appreciated in a small way, that she did indeed blush a bit from the confession.
"I've been this way for a while now, even if I didn't know or believe it. I've fallen in love with you, and we've spent a lot of time getting to know each other better. And I've been building up the gosh darn courage to be upfront and ask you to be my wife."
Rosalina raised an eyebrow, while she hummed softly and placed a hand on his cheek. "Hoh. And here I thought that as a King, you would 'order' that I take your hand in marriage. Or do this the way you would usually try."
"That kind of approach is exactly why the bond between me and Peach has been so shaky for years, and I'm lucky I managed to even save our friendship with a little help. No, I'm kinda done trying to force this stuff when it comes to love. I was getting fired of getting nowhere no matter how hard I tried, or how many times. I had to move on from her in that since. Which brought me to you." He lightly raised her hand to kiss the top of it as gently as he could. "I've wanted to make Peach my Queen, when I've never treated her as such. As things were, I would have been a terrible husband. I can't force her to move me the way I want her to. Our love is strictly platonic. And ya know what? I've finally accepted that. We known that I'll always love Junior and the Koopalings in a family sense. Now I know who I wish to love forever in a romantic sense...you."
Rosalina smiles a bit brighter, gently clasping both of her hands over Bowser's much larger paw. Here he remembered just how small her hands were in comparison to his paws. She felt so dainty and fragile in his arms even though the latter doesn't apply to her at all. She was far from fragile. Likely one of the most powerful beings in the universe.
While it certainly meant she can handle herself in case of danger, and would have been a reason for an eviler King to seek outs Bowser wasn't like that at all. He had better things to appreciate Rosalina for.
"Bowser. You have been quite a conflicted individual, ever since you discovered the truth about what happened before. It genuinely shocked you to your core, and you might never forget it." Rosalina began gently, lightly caressing Bowser's cheek when she saw him flinch at the reminder. "Though with that reminder staying close to your heart, you'll always know that you have to be better than that. Not just for your own sake, but for your son and children. Nothing in this world mattered to you more than they did, right?"
"Nothing." Bowser didn't hesitate to answer. Nothing mattered more than Junior or his Koopalings. Not even his previous love for Peach came close to how much love he held for them. It was completely eclipsed by how much he doted on and cherished his children, even if they annoyed him as much as his men did. Even then, nothing came before his family and his Kingdom.
It was the one love that had surpassed his previous love for Peach, and that hasn't changed. Though his bond with her definitely free stronger after they were able to properly work things out with one another.
Now, he wanted to bring Rosalina into his family, as his wife and Queen. Sides they'd be strong enough that very few enemies would be foolish to mess with them, especially since they also-for the most part-made peace with the legendary Mario Brothers. In terms of threats towards them, there aren't many that can do much to an alliance like this. A shaky, but genuine alliance. So in those terms, Bowser wasn't worried at all.
Though more importantly than any of that, there'd finally be a mother figure in his kids' lives. She's already been very motherly with them already, due to her experience with her many Lumas, which the kids also have fun spending time with. And he somewhat enjoyed their company as well. They brightened things up literally and figuratively.
Rosalina smiles towards him. "I did not need telepathy to figure out the answer that time."
Bowser rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, you're a cheeky Space Queen. You've established that quite well." He looked away and lightly scratched his cheek with a blush. "And I guess I grew to like that about you too, darn it. You really know how to get under my scales, while I can barely make you so much as flinch."
"Do not be ashamed. I have, what they call, 'nerves of steel'."
"I don't think that really applies, but that's besides the point. The actual point is, well, I'm hoping you're willing to take me up on this. Luckily, I was preparing for this in the long-game." Bowser calmly held his paw out, and a Goomba waddled up to him and raised his head, having a small box on top of it. Bowser grabs the box and holds it before Rosalina, opening it for her to see with her own eyes. She already knew what it was, but was enough of a good sport to play along and gasp in surprise.
It was a ring in the shape of a rainbow star.
"Princess Rosalina. W-Will you marry me, and become Queen Rosalina?" Bowser proposed sincerely, with what may be the brightest shade of red that the space princess has ever seen of him. And that brief yet ridiculously adorable stutter made her giggle as she accepted the ring. Telekinesis took the ring from it's box, and allowed it to place itself on her finger. She held the ring in front of her face, admiring how beautiful it was.
"Yes, I will." She hummed peacefully, placing a kiss on his snout.
Bowser blinked, almost as if he couldn't believe she actually accepted. Though when he actually managed to process it, he grinned wildly and threw his fists in the air.
"Aw yeah! This is awesome! King Bowser Koopa and Space Queen Rosalina! We'll be absolutely unstoppable! GWAHAHAHAHA!" He cackled as spumes of flames left his maw and snout with excited glee. Rosalina giggled into her hand, he was so cute. She then hummed as Bowser gently pulled her into a kiss, which she happily excepted with her arms on his, her eyes closed. He calmed down and folded his arms. "Now, how are we gonna break the good news to the kids?"
"I think they already know."
"What? How can that...they're standing right behind me, are they?" Bowser deadpans, his arms hanging as he didn't bother turning around to see the beaming happy faces of all eight of his children when they were peeking around the corner. He sighed and facepalmed. "I'm really cruddy at using my indoor voice."
"Yes, yes you are."
"Don't agree with that so easily!"
"Papa. Is it true? You're gonna get married?" Junior questioned, and Bowser immediately lost all of his annoyance with the hopeful look in his birth son's eyes. Sighing, he stomped over to him and picked him up by the sides, holding him up to his face.
"Yes, son. Your Papa's getting married." Bowser smiled as he turned him to Rosalina, who smiles in return.
"Pretty soon, you will all be able to officially call me 'Mama'. I am looking forward to it. Are you?" Rosalina beamed lovingly as every one of the Koopaling's eyes sparkled. Even Ludwig's, to an extent.
"MAMA!" They all exclaimed-except Ludwig, who shouted a more eloquent 'Mother!'-and they all swarmed her with cuddles all over. She went from giggling to laugher as all of the children embraced their mother to be. Bowser smirked as he folded his arms at the scene, very pleased to see that the kids were very pleased with his and Rosalina's decision.
"Now then, it's time to get this wedding underway. I gotta do this the only way I know how. With extreme awesomeness. KAMMY! KAMEK!"
"Yes, your Soon-To-Be-Marriedness?" Both appeared in a flash of magical shapes, saluting and ready to assist.
"I've got preparations to do. I need you two to start sending out invitations anywhere and everywhere you can." Bowser grinned as he eagerly began planning.
Bowser, King of the Koopas, was getting married to Space Queen Rosalina, and he wanted all of Mushroom World to know about it.
Note, this fic won't immediately end with them getting married, though that'll definitely happen next chapter.
I have full intentions on exploring their married life for a bit, not just the things leading up to it.
Rest assured, these two still has some cuteness to reveal.
