Chapter 15 Just A Kiss

"Bowser, are you nuts?" Daisy asked, raising an eyebrow while looking at the grinning Koopa King. "How in the world could you do this?"

"I concur with Daisy's viewpoint." Iggy took off his glasses, looking at his father with the most miffed expression ever. "Do you honestly think it is a good idea, to force intimacy like that?"

"Who in the world even made that card to begin with?" Wendy asked as she put her hands on her hips. "Was it you?"

Bowser gave her a cheeky grin. "Who knows? Who can say?"

Peach felt a little queasy. Battling both a stomachache and some vomit rising up in her throat, she tried not to panic about this very very… very very gross scenario she found herself in. However, that was easier said than done because the thought of kissing Bowser… the thought of pressing his scaly lips up against her mouth almost made her collapse. Oh man, why did Bowser have to do this? This wasn't just uncool, it was downright creepy!

"You okay, Peach?" asked Aqua. She came over and put her hand on her shoulder. "Is everything alright?"

It took a couple of minutes before Peach was able to speak. When she did, she gave Bowser the most heated glare her sick self could muster. "I'm not kissing you."

Bowser blinked. "You aren't?"

"HA!" Ludwig guffawed. "I can't believe you even have to ask that question! Peach hates your guts?"

Bowser blinked before chuckling and running his hand through his hair. "She just hasn't seen the real me yet."

"Oh, so kidnapping her, holding her hostage, torturing her, and killing her parents was all some elaborate ruse?" asked Iggy.

Peach shook her head. She couldn't believe that the Koopalings of all people were actively taking these stances against her own father. If she didn't feel like she needed to lie down to prevent herself from becoming a barfy mess, she probably would be extremely grateful for them. They may be Koopas, but at the very least, they had some common sense and some decency.

"I don't see what the big deal is!" Bowser said, looking around the table. "It's just a kiss and an innocent one at that!" His eyes locked on Peach. "It will only take two seconds. Come on Peachy, you can do this?"

Those words of encouragement did the exact opposite of their intended purpose. Peach's knees buckled from underneath her. She took a deep breath, trying to get her emotions back under control. When she finally did, she gripped her hands into fists. She held back a growl before glaring at Bowser, the King of the Perverts.

"I wouldn't kiss you even if my life depended on it!" She stepped closer, tempted to stand on top of the table in order to slap Bowser across the face. "What dimension does your brain have to be in to believe that this is okay? It's not okay! You're a monster, Bowser! No, wait, you're worse than a monster; you're a creep! You're one of the most creepy people I've ever met, and I'm including Bow the Boo in that statement!" She gripped her fists even tighter, all while Daisy, Aqua, and Solar furrowed their brows and backed away from her. "I'm not doing this! I don't care how many points are on the line; I am not kissing you!"

Solar shook a little. "Um, Peach, I don't think…"

Before he even finished that sentence, Peach noticed a bright turquoise light in the corner of her eye. Blinking, she studied the room to see where it was coming from. It didn't take her long to find out that it was coming from her. She glowed with this aura, the light filling the dark room and making everyone around the table gawk.

"Peach, what's going on?" Aqua asked.

"I don't… I don't…" she noticed Bowser glowing, causing her heart to pound. "How is this happening? Who could be doing this?"

Bowser shrugged. "Maybe that space lady?"

A pit formed in Peach's stomach. "Rosalina? But…"

Suddenly, Peach and Bowser rose into the air. The others watched with dropped jaws, not moving or saying anything. The pit in Peach's stomach grew bigger, threatening to consume her. She kicked and struggled, hoping that whatever force Rosalina must be using to do this would be kind enough to put her down.

"Peach!" Daisy exclaimed. She reached out her hand. "Grab on!"

Peach, through her fear, looked down toward her sister. She reached out her hand, fully intent on taking hold. However, before she could…

Pop!

…

Peach gasped. She looked around, trying to see where she was and what was happening. She saw that she was in a small, empty room. There were no windows, and the walls and floor were the most hideous shade of beige Peach had ever seen. She looked around, trying to see if there was a door out of there. There wasn't.

What there was was a Koopa King.

"Woah," Bowser said, looking around this room/prison with a frown. "This place is a little drab, don't you think?"

Peach's heart did things she didn't even know it could do. "How do we get out of here?" Her voice was just on the cusp of shrieking. "What's going on?"

A poof sound occurred right in the center of a room, and a piece of paper materialized in midair. Peach and Bowser exchanged a look, and Peach went up to see what the paper said. She read it out loud, her voice almost fizzling out when she got near the end.

"The card Bowser drew requires you two to kiss. Until you do that, you will remain in this room. The game won't continue until you leave, so I suggest wrapping things up quickly if you wish to go home." Peach's eyes grew wide. Her jaw dropped, and she dropped the paper on the floor. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Huh," Bowser said. "Space Lady must be taking her job as the overseer of the game really seriously."

Peach trembled. She put her head in her hands, and both her heart and thoughts raced. "This can't be happening." She had trouble breathing. "This can't be happening…?"

"Look, Peachy, it's okay." Bowser placed his hand on her shoulder. She would've pulled away if she wasn't so high-strung. "It's just one little kiss. It'll take less than five seconds. After that, you never have to kiss me again."

Peach put her hand to her mouth as vomit threatened to spill out. "I don't… I can't…" she turned away. "I can't do this."

"Sure you can!"

"No, I can't!" Peach turned away from him. "I always thought my first kiss would be with Mario."

Silence filled the room as that statement sunk into Bowser. "Wait. First kiss?" Peach nodded, which made Bowser gasp. "This… this can't be your first kiss! You kiss Mario all the time after he rescues you!"

"That's different!" Peach wiped some sweat off her brow. "That was just a peck on the nose or cheek. I've never kissed him on the lips." She looked down at the floor. "I've never kissed anyone on the lips."

"Ohhh…" Bowser's face fell. "You're a… you haven't lost your kiss virginity yet."

Peach cringed. "Please never say that again. But… yeah, you're right, I haven't."

Surprisingly, Bowser now looked incredibly ashamed. He refused to make eye contact with Peach, and the look in his eyes gave away hw conflicted he really felt. "I…" he scratched his head. "I'm sorry, Peach. I shouldn't have played that card to you." He looked at her again. "You're right; your first kiss should be with someone you care about. It's special. It shouldn't be forced."

Peach bit her lip. "Th… thank you." She blinked before groaning and putting her head in her hands. "But now, I have to kiss you." She shook, falling to her knees as tears started to come out. "I… I…" she couldn't say anymore before bursting into tears.

"Oh, baby." Bowser walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. His hold was soft and gentle, and he stroked her back in the most soothing way. "It's okay. It'll be okay."

For a while, neither one of them talked. Peach wanted to pull away from him and cry all by herself. But… as much as she hated to admit it… it was actually quite comforting. The way he rocked her, the way he stroked her back… she couldn't even fully believe that it was Bowser who was the one doing this. Bowser, the big, monstrous beast who did everything with a tough demeanor and a side of fire breath. The fact that he was not only capable but willing to show such gentle behavior was such a weird thing. It was almost impossible to wrap her head around, even as it was happening right to her.

"I…" Before she even knew it, she chuckled. "You're a good hugger."

Bowser chuckled back. "When you have eight kids, you pick up on how to be gentle rather easily."

Peach laughed through her tears. "You… you're just full of surprises, aren't you?" She stayed silent, thinking about everything. "You… you gave me all your purple coins."

"Yeah, I did." Bowser let out a breath. "I don't regret it for a second."

Peach chuckled again, although it was more out of disbelief than anything else. "I… I never would've expected this." She pulled out of his hold and wiped her tears. "You… you're much different than anything I would've expected from you."

"Oh really?"

"Yes," Peach said with a nod. "It's… it's so strange. It's almost unreal. I feel… I can't help but feel as if all of this is just some crazy dream."

Bowser nodded. "I guess I can understand that." They stayed silent. Peach noticed Bowser biting his lip as he looked at the wall directly in front of him. He opened his mouth to say something, but immediately froze. Peach heard little sounds coming out of his throat. He sounded unsure, he sounded uncomfortable. He looked back at her, his red eyes glowing with an emotion Peach couldn't hope to name.

"Did… did I ever apologize to you for killing your parents?"

That question, with how out-of-nowhere it was, actually made Peach snort. She laughed, on some level shocked by her own behavior. "I don't… I don't remember."

"Well, I'll do it now." Bowser looked her right in the eye. "I'm very sorry for doing that to you. And your sisters. And your kingdom." He cringed. "I… I have my reasons for why I did it, reasons that I still stand by. I will defend my choice to protect my kingdom from an invasion until I'm in the grave." He looked back at her with a kind of softness in his expression. "But even with that said, I can see how much it's affected you. I can see how hard it has been on you and your family, and it… it hurts. I hate that everything that had to happen happened. I don't spend too much thinking about it, but when I do… I feel dirty." He frowned. "I'm not afraid to admit it. And… well, I feel like I owe you the world. I feel like I should make life better for you in any way I can. After all that I went through, I think you deserve it."

Peach blinked, trying to wrap her head around this. Once again, she felt like she was in a dream, having a fantasy that would never become reality under any circumstances. And yet… well, she was wide awake. She couldn't even begin to understand how such a thing could've possibly happened.

"That's… really sweet."

Bowser chuckled and scratched his head. "Well… I feel like I needed to say it." He looked back at her. "And, on some level, I think you needed to hear it."

"I did, yes." Peach wiped her eyes. "I never thought I would hear it, but I'm glad you said it."

A small smile appeared on Bowser's face. "I'm glad. I hate the thought of you being unhappy."

"Thank you." Peach stayed silent for a second before letting out a breath. "You know what? I will kiss you."

Bowser gasped. "You will?"

"Yes." Peach stood up, wiping dust off her front as she looked at Bowser. "It won't be a big deal though, and it won't be long either. Just a quick kiss on the lips. It'll be nothing more than that, and it won't mean anything of significance."

Bowser beamed. "That's fine by me." He approached her, getting down on one knee so that he was at eye level. "You ready?"

Peach nodded. Deciding to close her eyes, she puckered her lips and moved toward Bowser. When their lips made contact, Peach had to admit she was taken aback. It didn't feel too bad. It wasn't the disgusting, scaly sensation she thought it would be when she first got the card. It felt like a regular kiss with a regular guy. Sure, it wasn't Mario, but… it didn't feel horrible. It didn't feel good either, but still, it didn't feel horrible. It definitely wasn't what Peach would describe as passionate though.

She pulled away from Bowser, opening her eyes and letting out a breath. "Well… that's that."

Bowser nodded, and the two of them glowed with the turquoise aura again. They both rose into the air until…

Pop!