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English
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Published:
2022-12-19
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1,148
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1/1
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Be Kind To Me, Be Kind And Wait It Out

Summary:

everyone needs comfort sometimes, okay? even big strong guys like bowser.

Notes:

the obligatory "frank is addicted to hurt/comfort based on someone having something resembling a meltdown so he writes one" fanfiction. i'm just starved for positive attention like that.

i learned writing this that turtles have feeling in their shells. i wasnt sure.
i also broke the biology rules though, because turtles apparently do not sweat. but shut up, im making the reality in this house, and if they live in a big hot castle, they gotta cool off somehow. so sweat it is.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Staying up has never been Luigi’s strength. He was much more of a “I’m going to bed early, if you want something after 10 pm that’s between you and god” kind of guy.

Tonight was an exception (one of many, lately). It’s not that he couldn’t - if it was up to him, he’d already be on the path to snoozetown by now. But the caring partner part of him decided it’s better to wait. And so, he did.
He laid on top of the covers, on his stomach, trying to focus on reading and pretending like he’s not getting distracted every five seconds or so, attempting to catch the sound of the heavy footsteps approaching.
Luigi rolled onto his back, the book still in hands, subsiding into the mattress.(Bowser really went all out on it, once he realized Luigi’s been complaining on getting a crick in his neck for a while. And even though Luigi, terrified, tried to convince him that no, really, I’m fine! You don’t have to do that! Bowser was stubborn and ordered to have a new bed in his room. Maybe I just wanted to have a more comfy bed he grumbled after he saw Luigi’s perplexed face when he was presented it for the first time. But they both knew. And though he’d be begrudging to admit it, Bowser did feel more well rested.)

Luigi felt irrationally tense. He knew, obviously he knew, that all of Bowser’s meeting-important-people-and-them-being-difficult was kind of par for the course with. Well. Being a king. He spent nearly his entire life around majesties of some sort; especially Peach, who was more than willing to take advantage of him naturally slotting into the position of a therapist-friend. So, he got more than enough first hand information on how much actually went into successfully running a whole kingdom.


 That all being said, he still didn’t like when someone he cared so deeply about had to endure the annoyance and- fuck it. He just hated when Bowser was angry and upset, with no way to blow off the steam when he needed it, having to force himself to just make it through.
Was it a rational way of thinking? Probably not. Was anyone gonna stop him right now? No. 

 

The door thumped against the wall as Bowser walked in, the end of his tail twitching.
“...hi.” tried Luigi.

“Mhhhm.”

“Long day?”

“Hmpf.”

“Are you- are you gonna take a bath?”

“Mhm.”
“Okay.”
If there was anyplace Luigi would be forever thankful for, it was the hot spring. Given being surrounded by so much lava and fire, what little water there was in the mountain mostly formed into hot springs that the kingdom’s inhabitants were more than happy to use.
He laid still, listening, until he heard Bowser get into the water. Only then he crawled onto the floor and stretched.
The air in the room felt heavy, thick, tense. It seemed to almost vibrate as he was walking around the room, taking out some things and wrapping himself in a towel after he changed out of his everyday clothes. With a bottle, a soft brush and a sponge, he left the same way Bowser had right before. 

 

He knew the king must’ve heard him, but he didn’t even budge when he walked in. Bowser had his back to the door, and was almost completely submerged in water, save for his nostrils and the tip of his head. Luigi settled his stuff next to the monster as he sat down, soaking his legs in the pleasantly hot water. Gingerly, the man reached out and touched the rough, orange hair. He was ready to take it back at any moment - sometimes, in times like these, Bowser didn’t want to be touched at all. But the man just wanted to catch his attention for a moment.

The monster emerged a little from underwater.
“Hi, love.” crooned Luigi, his hand frozen still, waiting. To his - restrained - delight, his lover pushed his head up, seeking him. Good. That was good. “Do you feel like- like talking? Like, in general. But also about, if something happened.” 

A head shake. 

“That’s okay. Is it fine if, if I talk? I can leave if you need to be-"

Luigi flinched at the sudden splash of water as Bowser's massive hand covered his. The signal was clear.
The man took in a long inhale; sometimes, he’d accidentally forget to breathe properly, letting his breaths be too shallow. He wasn’t sure if it was an anxiety thing, or he really just straight up forgot.
The air was filled with steam and the everpresent smell of burnt wood. He slid down the stone floor into the hot water, his hands withdrawing back to his sides for a moment, just to then grasp Bowser’s. He tugged the dragon’s hands until he turned, his back not covered by the side of the bath anymore. 

 

The small man grabbed the brush off the floor. He’ll have to get back on it when he’d have to reach the top of the spiked shell in front of him, but that could wait. This is why he started from the bottom, anyway.

 

His grip on the worn out dandy brush was tight as he scrubbed at the shell and the rough skin right where the two met. The sweat and debris tended to build up quite quickly there, and Bowser couldn’t really reach a lot of that spots by himself. And he seemed to quite enjoy the brushing. The nervous twitching of his tail changed it’s pace, so now it just softly hit against Luigi’s ankle every now and then.

Bowser felt the tension and anger of the whole day drip away from him bit by bit; it was nice to just. Sit there. The brush felt nice. Luigi’s hands stroking his sides, right under the shell, felt nice. It was nice having someone care for him like that just because they wanted to.
He didn’t know when he’d feel like he could speak again, but his human didn’t seem to mind. He never did. 

 

He opened up his eyes back up when a hand appeared on the side of his neck, petted it gently with the back side.
“Lean down, would you? I can’t reach.” the man chided softly, looking up at him. He did so, little bit at a time, until Luigi reached out and pulled him even lower by the horns. The action was never sudden or violent; it was always just a soft prop-up.

Brittle, delicate fingers made their way through red hair, untangling carefully any knots they ran across.
It was quiet, save for the hum of water. 

 

“There you go, all clean.” exclaimed Luigi, planting a quick kiss on his forehead. “Are you… okay?”  

He wasn’t, and he’d tell Luigi that if he could. He was exhausted.
But nonetheless, he nodded. 

Notes:

comments make me cry from happiness.