Chapter Forty-one
Bowser closed his eyes and laid his head back against the chimney. A mild breeze ambled through the air and rustled his thoughts. How long had it been since he had felt so at ease? He gave a sigh and continued to relax for a good fifteen minutes before he felt a warm, soft hand wipe the corner of his mouth.
Had he left food there this whole time? That would be soooo uncool.
Regardless of his stirring thoughts, Bowser kept his eyes shut and acted like he hadn't noticed Peach's hand there. However, he was surprised when her hand lingered and gently rubbed his cheek. He heard a quiet shuffling noise as she moved closer and moved her hand up to his hair, playing with it cautiously. Bowser accidentally let out a low hum that startled both of them. He silently cursed himself when her hand stopped and became motionless. To his relief, Peach giggled and resumed playing with his hair.
Bowser had just begun falling asleep when he felt Peach's hand stop and pull out of his hair. He was almost disappointed enough to protest when he felt something glide against his lips.
...That wasn't her hand.
The touch was softer than a whisper but made a tingle go down his spine. It was hypnotizing how it moved back and forth across his mouth. Bowser found himself slightly lifting his head so he could press into the soft skin that graced his lips.
"Peach, what are you doing?" Bowser asked, trying not to move his lips as he whispered.
"Shhh... Don't open your eyes, Bowser," Peach responded softly. His heart jumped and the drowsy stupor she had lulled him into dissipated immediately when he felt her breath on his face as she spoke. He could feel her lay her hands on his chest for support as she moved closer, gliding her lips across his mouth one way and then back again, adding pressure as she went. Bowser didn't know how long he sat completely motionless as her lips glided shyly against his. He was in heaven and he didn't dare do anything but give her as much time as she wanted.
Finally, she stopped, choosing a spot on his bottom lip to press into.
"Peach, did you just… kiss me?" Bowser asked in quiet awe. She hummed in response as she moved her hands to his face and pressed her lips into his harder. A low rumble exuded from his chest as he lightly pushed back. Peach hesitated and pulled back slightly, but Bowser was at his breaking point. She wasn't going to get away just yet.
Bowser sat up a little and wrapped his arms around Peach's waist, pulling her closer to his face. Carefully, he kissed her face and moved his lips against hers. He could feel her shiver in his grasp every time he got bold enough to press harder. As they kissed, she started to loosen up and move her hands across his face. Their kiss was sweet and gentle, but Peach began to kiss him with a hint of aggression and her hands started to make their way into his hair. Bowser groaned and his claws gripped her tighter.
"Peach…" he growled as he nibbled her lips. Her whole body quivered in response as his lips moved, softly prying hers open. Her stomach flipped violently as he softly introduced his tongue into her mouth. Something in Peach snapped and she finally stopped holding back, putting everything she could into kissing Bowser. He was stunned as she gripped his horns and earnestly pulled him deeper into her mouth. She left no room for him to doubt that she craved this. Hell, she threw propriety to the wind the way she kissed him, but...
"What do you want from me, Peach?" Bowser panted, reluctantly pulling out of their kiss.
"What?" Peach gasped heavily, trying to pull him back in greedily.
"What can I do to make this last?" he rephrased his question with a hint of desperation, nuzzling her neck and watching her out of the corner of his eye. "So that I can keep this…" he whispered.
"I don't understand," she said, looking back at him a little confused. "Bowser, I'm here now."
"Yes, but Peach… Don't leave me again. Not after this. My heart can't take it," he said gruffly.
"Bowser…" Peach whispered, softly rubbing her thumb across his cheek. "I already told you I am not leaving, silly Koopa." Shaking her head with a small smile, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek while meeting his gaze.
"... It took me months to recover the memories I have. Most of them make sense, but there is one… One thing I'm not sure is a memory. The night we died you said…?" Bowser asked, searching her face.
"Every word was real when I told you that I lied. I only said those terribly hurtful things in order to make sure the Contract wouldn't be broken. I just didn't want Kamella to hurt you," she answered softly, reaching up to cup his face. "You're enough, Bowser."
He looked at her in stunned silence and then pounded a balled fist on his knee.
"...Damnit," Bowser growled. "Damn damn damn damn DAMN!" He grabbed his hair and covered his eyes with his claws.
Peach flinched and opened her mouth to speak but he burst out, "So I could have been chewing the lips of a goddess for all of these months instead of locking myself away and attempting to become a nat? The stunningly beautiful, most attractive woman in the world told me... and I..."
Bowser looked like he was about to yank his claws and rip out his own hair, but he let out a defeated groan, untangled his fingers from his red mane and allowed his arms fell to his sides limply.
"...Wow, Willard was right, I am an ass. I was so sure that it was a dream… It never crossed my mind that something so impossible could be real," Bowser said quietly.
"So you didn't avoid me because you hated me for what I did? All of the awful things I said?" Peach asked timidly.
"Hate you? HATE? Peach, I worship the very thought of you! I would give everything I own just to go back and change the way I acted," Bowser stated, ashamed of himself for pushing her away. He took a deep shaky breath and before she knew what he was doing, he picked her up gently and set her down sideways on his lap. He snuggled her as she sat in his grasp. Peach giggled as Bowser's snout rubbed against her jawline and made her skin tingle under his rough touch.
"Stop!" Peach exclaimed laughingly. Her hands shot up suddenly and pushed his face away.
"What are you laughing about?" Bowser asked with a smile tugging on the corner of his lips as he grabbed her hands and parted them so he could look at her.
"It tickles!" Peach stated, trying to pull her hands out of his grasp.
"Interesting… I didn't know princesses were ticklish," he mumbled with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Peach tried to push his nose away, but he pulled her in tighter.
"No! Stop!" she tried to demand in a serious voice, but she couldn't stop giggling. He nuzzled her lightly and watched with a grin as she squirmed. Peach tried to push him away and accidentally jabbed Bowser under his arm causing him to jump with a small yelp. Noticing his reaction, Peach jabbed him lightly in the same spot. Bowser flinched and tried to hide it as a sneeze, but it was too late.
Peach sat up and gave him an evil grin. Bowser gripped her arms and tried to pull her off of his lap, but she was quicker than him and laughed as he began to make loud strangled noises every time she stuck her hands under his arms.
"I guess Koopa Kings are ticklish too. Who knew?" Peach laughed.
"I am NOT ticklish," Bowser choked stubbornly.
"I beg to differ," she said as she continued to poke him and search for his most ticklish spots.
He tried to sit farther back and hold her at arm's length, but it didn't work. She just kept coming after him and getting him in just the right places. Every time he pushed her back, she would crawl forward. But as she knelt on his lap, her knee slipped causing her to fall forward with both of her legs on either side of Bowser. When her knee thrust into Bowser's thigh he jolted backward with a loud laugh. At first, she felt she had won a great victory but her spine filled with electricity when she saw his face.
"Oh, Princess… You are in so much trouble now," Bowser growled darkly. His eyes burned hot with revenge. Peach yelped in surprise as he pulled her higher up his lap and tighter around his waist, quickly wrapping her up in his arms so she couldn't move. Peach had no chance of winning as he began assaulting her from all sides until she was shedding tears of laughter.
"I won't stop until you learn your lesson," Bowser snarled into her skin. Peach fought against his grip with all her strength, but there was nothing she could do and her lungs were starting to burn.
"Alright! I'm sorry!" she yelled through her laughter. "I concede!" Bowser hummed and stopping his attack.
"I'm sorry!" she said again as he ended his onslaught.
"Do I win?" Bowser whispered in her ear. Peach stubbornly turned her head and didn't answer as her breathing slowed. He chuckled and brought his nose back to her neck.
"No! Fine, you win! I won't do it again," she stated, panicking as his skin lightly grazed hers.
Bowser groaned a little in disappointment. "You can do it when you want…" bringing his head back up from her neck, looking at her with imploring eyes. His face was so close to hers and her cheeks colored as he looked at her.
"I guess… if you promise to let me win every now and then," she said as she turned her face away shyly.
"As long as it stays… between us," he said, voice wavering slightly as he felt her legs around him making his pulse race.
"…okay," Peach whispered. She brought her hands to his chest as his grip loosened enough for her to move. Her hands began to burn hot. For a moment, she glanced at his face and found him staring at her with a deep hunger in his eyes. She couldn't look away as his gaze gripped hers, making her stomach tumble and turn. He didn't move at all, but she found herself leaning towards him. The choice was hers and she wanted to take it… but she hesitated.
Feeling her waver, Bowser took a deep breath, picked her up to move her legs, and pulled her into a tight embrace, sitting back straighter against the chimney. Something in Peach's body cried in protest as he broke eye contact, but a part of her heart smiled.
"I'm sorry, Bowser," Peach said quietly as she sat sideways on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck
"For what?" Bowser asked, a little surprised.
"For… for making things harder. I just don't want to go too far too fast… I've never really..." she trailed off.
"Peach, hard is an understatement," Bowser chuckled and Peach hid her face in his shoulder to conceal a blush. "I want everything you have and, since the first moment I met you, I could have taken it. But I will never take more than you are willing to give." Peach pulled away from him to look at his face. He looked down at her with eyes filled with emotion. "I…" he began, but stopped and winced. "I care about you."
"I know, Bowser," Peach answered with a smile and gave him a peck on the cheek. She wiggled around a little to lay on her side, gave a content sigh, and closed her eyes. Once she was comfortable, Bowser supported her back with his arm and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
"I care about you too, Bowser," Peach whispered.
Bowser tightened his arm around her and grinned like a fool as she hid her face in his neck.
"Peach, what are you doing to me? Don't you know you're giving me hope?" he thought. She had to know. Peach wouldn't lie about something like this. There was nothing she could really gain from lying, but every kiss, every word was opening each door she had personally shut years ago. Saying and doing these things was like a rehabilitator setting a lifetime's worth of liquor in front of an alcoholic, saying, "Drink all you want! It's good for you!"
From the beginning, Bowser never really believed he would gain her affection. He only stole her from her castle out of his own selfish need to lessen his own loneliness and keep himself in her thoughts. But now she said she felt something for him. What else could he do but hope and hold onto her tighter? If she ever pulled away again he would never be able to rebuild himself. He was lost in her and nothing else would be enough for him now.
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Once Peach began to fall asleep, the Koopa King took her to the master bedroom and grudgingly left to pick a different room for himself. With a clumsy leap, he landed on his bed and ran a claw through his hair. Her whisper still penetrated his mind.
"I care about you too, Bowser."
He laid quietly in a stupor the rest of the night.