#us american series | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

aroaceleovaldez · 4 months

Text

i stand by that a better, more sensible, and more intriguing plot for TSATS would have been, instead of retconning literally everything:

Bob is dead (because he was very explicitly absorbed/killed by Tartarus Himself in House of Hades, alongside Damasen), and nobody is going into Tartarus to save him. He made his sacrifice and is gone. However. Remember how the Titans, including Bob, were just kind of kicking around for several years? Particularly. On a cruise ship full of mortals. And Bob happened to be kicking around in general for an extra year versus all the other Titans. And he mythologically sometimes has a mortal demigod son who partook in the Calydonian Boar Hunt (Dryas of Calydon). Yeah.

So turns out, Bob/Iapetus leaves behind a demigod (demititan?) child. And because Nico was pretty much his only friend, he named Nico his child's godfather. And while he's not being left in charge of the child, as a son of Hades and godfather to this kid, Nico is duty-bound to fulfill Bob's last will and go find this like 2 year old to make sure they're safe. So Nico has to undertake this very unusual quest (that raises many questions, such as "demititans are a thing?" and "DOES THIS MEAN THERE'S POTENTIALLY MORE-?!" and "SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS?") and is kind of freaking out because. He's the son of Hades! He's notoriously bad with living things, and animals, and definitely small children! Even if he does find this kid and assure they're safe, he is the last person who should be undergoing any kind of quest involving even potentially having to babysit. Fortunately, his boyfriend is the human embodiment of sunshine and calmness and good vibes, and also once helped a nymph give birth, so he feels Marginally More Confident in theoretical demititan babysitting and offers to come along on this Epic Journey of Figuring Out What In Hades' Name Is Up With This Demititan Baby Business.

Proceed with wholesome epic shenanigans quest of Nico and Will scurrying around trying to locate this random OP baby while Nico has an existential crisis about the nature of his powers because he doesn't want to let Bob down! Both for Hades Kid Honor Reasons and because Bob was his friend! But what if he's destined to fail this quest just because of who he is? Because he's simply not built for hanging out with the living/mortals? And Will reassuring him that He Will Probably Not Traumatize The Weird OP Titan Baby And It'll Be Fine, and simultaneously getting a peek into the weird other life Nico leads hanging out with immortals much more than the average demigod, which Nico considers his norm. Bonus shenanigans of both of them getting caught off-guard and culture shocked from where each other's respective worlds (Nico's mostly-immortal versus Will's mostly-mortal) cross over and learning to navigate those for each other - Nico finally starting to make some mortal connections and get glimpses at modern mortal American life, and Will trying not to get his brain literally incinerated while Nico's happily casually catching up with some of his old friends who happen to be literal gods.

#pjo #riordanverse #nico di angelo #will solace #solangelo #long post //#LISTEN I JUST THINK WE DONT NEED TO BE RETCONNING THINGS WHEN THERE IS A HIGHLY INTRIGUING MYTH RIGHT THERE #listen. *listen.* Iapetus in myth has a demigod child? and we're in the series? that's all about demigods?#and had titans running around for 4 years? some primarily on a giant ship mostly full of mortals?#and Iapetus himself was running around for closer to like 5 years?#I AM JUST SAYING. that is enough time. and the right conditions. that there are perhaps demititans now.#that alone is a fascinating plot set-up that ties in basically all previous series inherently and has a reasonable starting point #of *course* Nico would be named Bob's child's godfather!#of *course* Nico would consider it a very important personal duty to see out Bob's final will and go on some quest about it!#and under those conditions it makes *perfect sense* for Nico to want to bring Will along! and that he would be very helpful on said quest!#bringing along a lot of skills and abilities in areas that Nico lacks! that are crucial for a quest like that!#also then immediately the plot becomes Will reassuring Nico about his powers being cool and not evil and him being spooky is okay #while Will is also trying to not literally have his brain melt cause Nico's casually introducing him to a trio of death gods or something #forgetting that Will cannot look upon a god's true form #and Will's dragging Nico across the US while Nico is struggling to keep up cause Will forgot that Nico's not American and not from that era #its cute! it's interesting! it immediately begs the question of a next-gen series focusing on a main cast of demititan kids #dont go back to Tartarus that's lame and overdone and ruins a ton of stuff. dont retcon everything that also ruins a ton #give us the fluffy roadtrip comedy that they clearly wanted to write instead anyways #you can even keep the elements of Nico feeling out of his depth and Will constantly on the verge of death. except it makes sense this time.#and it's kind of funny cause Nico's just freaking out over babysitting and it highlights how much tankier Nico is vs Will #even just in casual interactions. yeah Nico can casually look upon a god's true form. dont worry about it #meanwhile Will is slowly collecting sunglasses the entire trip and layering them up for whenever Nico introduces him to another deity

298 notes · View notes

dribs-and-drabbles · 6 months

Text

The t-shirts are definitely t-shirting...

"C HERE"

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

#last twilight #last twilight the series #love to also see aof's continued use of american football t-shirt slogans which support the narrative #I saw this shirt in the end credits last night #but fixated on what the 'it's great to be a gamecock' might mean #but it was only seeing april's gifset this morning that the 'see here' hit me #oh aof. the man that you are #I give myself over to you completely to take me on this journey through last twilight #I trust you wholeheartedly #ALSO. PET! doesn't it look like they're colour complementing sometimes?!

72 notes · View notes

oh-austin · 2 years

Text

going method, part two (austin butler)

summary: you're playing priscilla presley in the new elvis biopic, when your co-star asks you if you would like to date him during the filming of the movie to better understand elvis and priscilla's relationship.

word count: 3,206

authors note / warnings: no warnings! the love on the last part was insane!! we even have a tag list going which is crazy to me!!! if you would like to be added, send me an ask here (off of anon) and let me know <3 here's the second part, I hope you all love it.

series masterlist / previous + next part

───── ∘◦❀◦∘

It had been a week since the contract was first signed. A week of Austin getting you coffee and a week of you making sure he consumed at least two meals in a day of shooting.

Austin and you were comfortable around each other, small kisses on the head and your cheek broke the tension pretty easy. However, created tension between you both in other ways.

Baz was on board with the ‘method acting’ idea. He already gaged that Austin was incorporating aspects of Elvis into his everyday life, but his leads dating to increase their on-screen chemistry? Borderline genius. He was happy to have two days free days set aside for production meetings, meaning that his romantic leads could spend their weekend together.

So on Sunday afternoon, you showed up at Austin’s apartment on the beachfront of Queensland. The idea of being jealous of the size of Austin’s apartment compared to yours crossed your mind, but you shut it down pretty quickly. He’s the lead, he’s the star; he deserves it. To be completely honest, you understood wanting to give Austin lots of luxuries. He could ask for your apartment and you would gladly hand the keys over. Austin was beginning to shamelessly take hold of you, not that you were opposed.

The receptionist of the building must have been told that you were coming, she used your surname and referred to you as 'Miss' when addressing you. Austin had prepared for your arrival, sweet really.

Austin's apartment resided on the top floor of the building, the elevator ride was excruciatingly longer than you would have liked, but once it was over you were eager to see Austin.

Since he fixed your tire last week, he would ask to drive behind you when you left set at the same time. He claimed to be worried, said you would need someone to change it again if you popped it. You knew he was just being a gentleman, something you had come to learn Austin is.

On set the other day, your shoelace came undone inbetween takes. He got down on his knee in front of you and did it up for you, kissing your cheek gently once he got back up. "I knotted it twice for you, mama". You could have melted into a puddle then and there. Austin had the tendency of giving you butterflies, ones that prided themselves on pooling in the bottom of your stomach.

They were still there as you stood in front of his door. You fixed your bag on your shoulder nervously as you waited for him to answer. You wondered if the way you knocked was stupid, then rolled your eyes at yourself.

When the door opened, Austin was there in a white shirt and grey sweatpants- a look you never imagined could look so simple but so.. sexy? He looked amazing. "Hey!" He smiled, he looked genuinely happy to see you which eased your nerves.

"Hi," You finally let go of the breath you didn't know you were holding in, "I brought stuff for dinner-" You held up the green 'woolworths' bag in your hand- "I didn't know if you had anything here,"

"You didn't think I had food?" He leant against the doorframe, then crossed his arms over his chest. "Should I be insulted?"

"No!" You panicked, "I just- I didn't know if-"

You stopped rambling once Austin began to chuckle at you. "When you've stopped being nervous, you can come inside"

Your mouth dropped open slightly, "I'm not nervous," You argued. You really were.

"Yeah," He nodded, "Sure," He walked inside. You hesitated out in the hall for a little bit before finally stepping inside. It was a really nice place, big windows that looked over Surfers Paradise. Austin had three hefty looking suitcases around the room, one of them open with clothes hanging out it. "I'm gonna clean up in here also, I promise your boyfriend isn't messy,"

You chuckled, playing with the bag strap in your hand. "Your girlfriend's place isn't much better," You admitted, "Looks just the same,"

"I'll take that," Austin came over and took the grocery bag from you, "Go sit in the living room and I'll get dinner going,"

"You cook?" Your eyebrows raised in shock. He looked offended, a hand flew to his chest.

"Are you kidding?" He asked, "I'm a good cook!" He protested. Austin looked through the green bag and then pulled out the vegetables you had bought. "You however, don't strike me as one," He pointed at you with a zucchini.

"I dabble," You shrugged. You left Austin in the kitchen and strolled your way into the living room. You laughed a little when you walked in. Austin managed to have set up a record player on the coffee table in the centre of the room, but had yet to unpack his suitcases.

You sat on the plush couch, picking up the stack of records Austin had abandoned on the table. Record after record, you couldn't find anything but Elvis. He was so dedicated to the film, it made you feel safe- you knew the film would be brilliant because of him.

You picked a greatest hits vinyl, before putting it down and placing the needle. The first song to play was 'Stuck On You'. "Ooh!" Austin yelled, it sounded like he smacked the counter-top at the same time, "I love this one," You stretched your neck out to see him through the cut out in the kitchen wall.

Austin was dancing in the kitchen while he cut up vegetables for dinner. It really was a sight, comforting to see Austin so relaxed. "Hide in the kitchen, hide in the hall," He sang, his voice changed to sound like Elvis. You wondered how many hours of practice he put in to sound so similar.

You went back to join him in the kitchen, sitting yourself up on the counter next to Austin. "Ain't gonna do you no good at all" He looked up at you whilst he sung. It was jarring how close to Elvis he sounded, but you wondered how he sang when he wasn't being Elvis- when he was just Austin.

"What're you making?" You leant over his hand, to grab a piece of carrot he had chopped up.

"Careful," He said softly whilst moving your hand back towards you, "This knife is sharp, don't get too close-" Austin turned around and shuffled his way through various cupboards. When he finally found what he was looking for, he had a small bowl in hand. "Here," He whispered, putting a small handful of carrots in the bowl and handing it to you.

"Thank you," You smiled. He continued to sing to you as he made his way through various vegetables, looking up when he shimmied his chest at you- making you laugh. When you offered to help, he insisted he was happy to do it alone. You let him. Maybe having everyone run after you and fulfil your every wish on set got old, it would've been nice to do something on his own.

Austin, true to his word, made dinner all on his own. All whilst dancing in the kitchen to Elvis with you and trying his best to not slip on the marble floors. You both sat on the carpet in the living room, ignoring the perfectly good couch as you ate the the vegetable casserole he made you. Austin was right, he was a good cook.

"Okay," You put your empty bowl up on the table, "What is your favourite-" You hesitated as you thought- "Book? Like ever,"

Austin sat up against the coffee table, chuckling as it moved backwards under his weight. "Probably," He squinted, "'What we say when we think about love'," You looked at him with a confused gaze, "It's like a bunch of short stories, great book-" He stood up and walked over to one of the suitcases on the floor- "You can read it, tell me what you think,"

Austin came back, book in hand and passed it to you. It looked like a worn copy, second hand possibly- or maybe Austin was well-read. He looked like he could be. "What's yours?"

"I'm a sucker for anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid," You told him, "I have one of her books in my trailer, I'll give it to you tomorrow,"

"Okay," He nodded, "It'll probably take me longer to read it compared to this one," He tapped the top of the book that rested in your lap. "You could probably read this one six times by the time I finished yours," He chuckled. He wasn't wrong, it was only a small book. "Favourite holiday?" He grabbed the dishes and stacked your bowl on top of his.

"Christmas," You told him, "You?"

"I love Halloween," He looked almost embarrassed, "Me and my old girlfriend used to go hard for Halloween," Austin nodded.

"Halloween isn't really a thing in Australia, so you might have to go without this year," You told him.

"I know!" He scoffed, "I'm actually so bummed out about it,"

You and Austin went back and forth asking each other random questions for the next hour or so. Talking about everything and anything. What was his favourite job he's had? His favourite colour? The best part of his hometown? The least lucky number? It was 23 by the way.

He found out things you had never told anyone before. That when you were ten you hid your Mom's wedding ring from her for two weeks. Or how in school you talked the girl you didn't like into singing in the talent show because she couldn't carry a tune. The little secrets you had collected over the years felt safe with Austin.

"So you were a mean girl?!" He exclaimed, the sounds of Suspicious Minds played in the background. "Oh my god!"

"I was not!" You protested, "She was the worst, she used to say I looked like a donkey!"

"So you decided to show everyone that she sounded like one," He nodded with a grin.

"Exactly," You agreed, "If anything I was doing her a favour. Showed her that she should never take up a career in performing," You laughed. "I think she's an accountant now," You told him, chuckling as you took another sip of your drink.

"Can't believe my girlfriend was a mean girl," He sat up with a sigh and a smile.

"Oh, whatever," You shook your head. Austin watched you as you took another sip of your drink. The sun had set and the stars in the sky were coming through the window softly, the moonlight looked good on your skin, he thought. You put your glass down before yawning into your hands.

He took note of the clock on the wall, it was getting late. He didn't realise how much time had passed as you sat together talking. "Come on," Austin stood up and held out his arms to you. You smiled up at him before taking his hand, he helped you up from the ground.

"I'll just go grab my stuff and then I'll get set up out here," He picked the dishes up from the coffee table.

"Out here?" You asked him, Austin took note of how when you were confused you tilted your head.

"Yeah, I can take the couch," He nodded, now rinsing the bowls in the kitchen sink, "You can have the bedroom,"

You looked over at him dumbfounded. He washed the bowls for you both and left them on the drying rack before doing the cutlery. You turned off the tap, "Austin-" He looked up at you- "We can sleep in the same bed,"

"I just didn't know if you would want to," He shrugged, "And if you're not, I'll sleep out here. I really am fine with it, promise". He dried his hands off before leading you both to the bathroom. The tiles were cold against your bare feet.

"Hey," You stopped him as he went to grab a new toothbrush for you, "I'm pretty sure Elvis never slept on Priscilla's couch," You put your hand on top of his. Austin held your gaze, the silence you were in felt comfortable.

"Okay," He said in a soft voice, "Are you sure?"

"Very sure," You nodded. Austin smiled at you before handing you your toothbrush. "I'm going to go get my face wash," You told him.

"You brought your face wash?" He spoke, now a mouth full of toothpaste.

"Yeah! I'm not an animal," You called out to him. When you came back you started brushing your teeth with him. Austin began to sway as you both looked at yourselves in the wall mirror. His hip purposely bumped yours, making you laugh. You bumped his hip back, he got you again before spitting out his toothpaste.

"I want to do it," He picked up the bottle of your face wash, looking at the back. You tried to speak to him as you brushed your teeth, but he softly shushed you. "I've got this,"

Austin read the instructions of your oil cleanser before pumping two small drops onto his fingers. "Are you okay with me touching your face?" He asked, his eyes wide. He really was a puppy. You nodded in response.

Austin took a deep breath before softly massaging the oil into your cheeks and forehead. He manoeuvred around your toothbrush as best he could, trying to evenly use the oil. Once you had spit your toothpaste out his job became increasingly easier.

Austin looked at the next instruction as you laughed at him, "I need a towel". Austin opened the bottom cupboard and pulled out a small flannel before dampening it. As he softly washed your face with the flannel, you couldn't help but admire Austin up close. He had a small beauty mark on the left side of his face and his cupid's bow looked delicately crafted.

"Staring?" Austin asked you with raised eyebrows.

"Always," You shot back. He chuckled, seeming taken back by your quick response. When Austin was done, you splashed your face with water as per the last instruction. "Happy with your work?" You asked him.

"Are you?" He laughed.

"Feels fine," You nodded, "Come on, I'm tired"

You went to get your bag as Austin went into the bedroom. When you returned, he had been changed into another t-shirt, this one looking more worn than the last. You pulled out your pyjamas, a pair of shorts and t-shirt.

"Um," You fiddled with them in your hands, "Could you turn around for a sec?" Austin nodded instantly, turning around and facing the corner of the room. You pulled your clothes off gently and put them back in your bag. You struggled to unclip your bra momentarily, but got it eventually.

Would Austin be weird if you didn't wear a bra to bed? You contemplated putting it back on, but knew you were overthinking it. Deciding to get dressed before you could change your mind, you told Austin he could turn back around.

Austin put his phone on charge before getting in bed. "Excuse me, Mr Butler,"

"Yes?" With his head rested on the pillow and crisp white sheets over his chest, he looked so comfortable.

"As per our agreement," You crossed your arms at him, "I actually sleep on the left side,"

He laughed, "Of course," He moved across to the right side, "I apologise,"

"Good," You hopped under the covers where Austin previously was, "Don't let it happen again," You turned to him with a blank expression before turning the lamp off, leaving the bedroom completely dark.

Austin let a laugh out of his nose before speaking, "Goodnight Y/N,"

"Night Austin," You said quietly before turning on your side. You heard Austin take in a deep breath before he let it go again.

"Sweet dreams, Mamas,"

─── ∘◦❀◦∘

When Austin woke the next morning, he was left with an empty bed. His first thought was that you had left, but when he saw your bag still by the door and heard Elvis coming from down the hall- his heartbeat finally slowed.

Austin rubbed his eyes as he walked down to the kitchen. There you were, listening to Viva Las Vegas and cooking him breakfast. "Viva Las Vegas," You sang softly, doing the choreography that Y/N had watch Polly teach Austin earlier this week.

"We should stick you in a wig and you can do it," Austin spoke.

"Oh my god, Austin!" You shouted as you jumped. You sunk down the floor as you regained your breath.

"Oh my baby," He laughed coming over to you, "Are you okay? I didn't mean to frighten' you,"

"I'm okay," You panted, "Oh my god," You stood back up and went back to making breakfast.

"What're you doing?" Austin asked, leaning over your shoulder to see what was in the pan.

"Making you breakfast," You said like it was obvious, "Because if I don't, you won't and then you won't eat until I make you eat," You turned around to look up at him. Austin nodded at you.

"Fair enough," He smiled, "Thank you," He placed a soft kiss on your cheek.

"Do you want to get coffee on the way to work?" He leant himself against the counter, "I'll buy,"

"Yeah course," You nodded.

"Then I can finally figure out what coffee you like," He crossed his arms with a smirk.

"I like the mystery of not knowing what kind of coffee will appear in my trailer," You admitted to him. You weren't lying, Austin always made sure it was something different.

You both ate breakfast together, this time at the table- Elvis still playing in the background. You realised that you would both need to rush to get to set for Austin's call time. You told him you would just shower on set, your call time being later than his.

So after Austin showered, you managed to leave with enough time to grab a coffee on the drive over. He paid for both of them and drove you both in.

The drive was great, Elvis playing again. You were sure that after the movie had been shot, you would never want to hear another Elvis song again- but at the moment, you were fine with it.

Arriving on set, Austin got out of the car before you. You turned around to the back seat to grab your bag, Austin had already opened your car door for you when you were done.

"What time do you finish today?" He asked, holding his arm out to help you down.

"I think we're both done at four," You grabbed hold of his arm as you hopped out of the car, thanking him afterwards. "Would you mind taking me back to your place so I can get my car after?"

"I was planning on it," He smiled at you.

As you both walked into set together, you felt Austin's hand brush lightly against yours. You tried to pay no mind to it, but when Austin intertwined his fingers with yours and held your hand, it was all you could think about.

─── ∘◦❀◦∘

@rainydayz101 @sammybutler @klizzie93 @rockerchick05 @fanatics30 @sh-aniah @little-rythmix

#austin butler #austin butler imagine #austin butler one shot #austin butler series #austin butler x reader #austin butler fluff #austin butler drabble #ab going method #elvis 2022 #using American words for everything is hard #have to rewire my Aussie brain #celeste writes fics

461 notes · View notes

peaches2217 · 7 months

Note

⚡️

For the longest time, I’ve always headcanoned Peach being afraid of thunderstorms, since that’s usually the kind of weather Bowser likes to strike in.

⚡ - Scared of thunderstorms

You, my friend, are a genius.

Hiding

~~~

As soon as the Shiverian ambassador took his leave and the doors shut behind him, Peach slumped back in her seat. Typically she waited at least another ten seconds, just to make sure she was truly alone, but her mind was reeling so violently she could feel it in her bones. All she wanted was a moment’s rest.

Discussing trade routes and the renewal of international contracts while also pretending nothing was wrong in the face of constant threat proved difficult.

“Are you alright?” the most tender, most compassionate voice she’d ever had the honor of knowing inquired, and instantly she felt just a bit lighter.

Mario had already relaxed his attentive and dignified posture in favor of stretching his arms over his head. This was normally where he’d crack wise about his aching muscles, how agonizing it was to stand in one spot for so long, his eagerness to spend the rest of the day on the move, but he offered nothing of the sort today. His eyes had caught hers during the meeting more than once. He knew she was in distress.

And why was the great Mushroom Princess in such distress? What threat loomed over her and caused her endless torment?

A thunderstorm. She was scared of a sodding thunderstorm.

With each crash of thunder, she had been forced to gather handfuls of her skirts under the table and hang onto the emissary’s every word to keep her own mind centered, or count each of his whiskers, or follow every last stitch and weave of his parka when the old creature began to ramble aimlessly. Losing face wasn’t an option. Revealing that one of her greatest fears was a fear shared by many a small child was equally unacceptable. Even so, keeping it reigned in for so long was exhausting.

Each time their eyes met, Mario had nodded to her, a silent promise that nothing and no one would hurt her. Now that they were alone, she could feel the pent-up tension leaving her body. She had been safe all along. She could be no safer than she was now.

She smiled and prepared to assure him that she was alright, if tired and a bit frustrated — but an ear-splitting crack of thunder froze her before she could utter a single sound.

The bright and familiar delegation room went dark around her, and suddenly she was alone in her bed, shivering but not knowing why. Unpleasant sensations overwhelmed her huddled form. A sense of dread so heavy it nauseated her. Quick, shallow breaths, too frightened to fill her lungs properly.

Her bed covers ripped back and ice-cold claws wrapping around her.

“Peach?”

WIth a gasp, she was back in the delegation room. The silk of her dress stuck uncomfortably to her skin with sweat, yet a shiver still ran down her spine.

Eyes of the gentlest blue fixated on her.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to throw herself forward and bury her face into his chest, grip the straps of his overalls, weep and beg him to take away her memories of that night. Instead, she forced herself to breathe. Inhale, hold. Exhale, hold.

Mario held her gaze as she calmed herself, whispering reassurances all the while — “It’s okay, you’re safe, I’m right here,” anything and everything she needed to hear in that moment. He had taken her hands at some point and held them securely within his own. She was shaking, she realized, yet he was so steady, so stable against her.

Thunder rumbled once more outside of the window, distantly this time. He rubbed his thumbs in circles over the backs of her hands.

“I feel so childish,” Peach whispered, her throat tight.

“You’re not.” Mario squeezed her hands briefly before dropping one to brush a loose strand of hair from her face, and she sighed against his touch. He was far too understanding. Far too patient.

After another moment, he asked, "How are you feeling?"

Peach couldn’t help a rueful smile, closing her eyes and leaning her head into his palm. “Like I want to curl up and hide.”

Thunder. She flinched and willed herself to focus on his touch, the warmth of his skin which permeated his gloves. She willed herself not to go back to that night. It was over. She was safe now. She was home safe, and Bowser was down for the count, and the one who always came through for her was right here.

Something in Mario’s expression shifted when she opened her eyes. He studied her face for a moment, and she in turn studied his, watching as a sort of enlightenment bloomed across his features.

He squeezed her hand once more and gave a single nod of his head. “Then let’s hide.”

And before she could ask any questions, he pulled her from her seat and led her out of the room and into the grand halls of the palace.

No one gave them a second glance as he led her towards the southern wing wherein lay her quarters. Mario had been a castle mainstay for years now, serving as her personal daytime guard for most of that time. There was nothing unusual about him escorting her to her room, especially in light of recent events, namely the two months she was kept as Bowser’s prisoner after being taken by force in the dead of night.

Mario had risked and almost lost his life ensuring it never happened again. Even so, he and the entire royal council agreed that there was no keeping the princess too safe. So in the interest of her security, he was assigned to watch over her at all times; he spent his days accompanying her as per usual and spent his nights on a cot in her drawing room, always on high alert, her ever-faithful, ever-selfless guard.

At least, that was the official story. In truth, nothing kept him there past sunset beyond his own free will and her tentative request, and the idea of sleeping on opposite sides of her bedroom door fell through within the first hour of the first night. Now she dozed each evening and woke each morning tucked safely into his arms. But no one aside from them and their closest friends needed to know that yet.

They made it to her room quickly and without incident, and Peach was almost ashamed of the relief she felt. Already she was eager to hide beneath the blankets with him. She would happily flop right onto the mattress, heels, makeup, crown and all.

Once inside, Mario took hold of the uppermost duvet… and yanked it completely off of the bed. Not what she had been expecting, but he’d never led her astray before, he wouldn’t start now. Right?

She observed in stupefied silence as he brought the blanket over to her desk, a sturdy and ornate piece with a roll top and an empty cubicle framed by drawers, large enough for her to freely move her legs during long hours of study (or swing them like a giggling teenager when writing to her beloved hero). Mario pulled her chair out from its nesting place within that cubicle and began arranging the blanket in its place, singling out the heaviest objects on the desktop to keep it held in place.

It hung in front of the entrance like a curtain, and she felt her face go warm in embarrassment when she realized what he was doing.

“...You’re making a blanket fort.”

“Nope!” He remained focused on his work, his bushy mustache unable to hide his cheerful smile. “This will be much cozier than a blanket fort. Nice, dark, quiet—” he stepped back to admire his work, then turned and presented it to her with a flourish. “Perfect hiding spot!”

She was so baffled that she didn’t even notice another round of thunder.

“This isn’t really helping the, you know, ‘feeling childish’ thing,” she confessed. Bless her Mario, her sweet, brave, noble Mario, she knew his intentions were nothing but pure, and yet…

He hummed in understanding, yet he remained every bit as bright. “No, no, Princess,” he said, approaching her and reaching for her hands, “I promise, there’s nothing childish about it! Luigi does it sometimes you know. Whenever he’s anxious or all his senses are overloaded? He’ll back a table against the wall, throw a blanket over it, crawl inside, e ecco qua! He emerges a new man.”

Stubbornly, Peach tried not to laugh. He couldn’t be serious. Yet the combination of Mario’s impassioned description and the mental images it invoked wrenched a smile from her all the same.

He was being serious. And for some reason, she was buying into it. Stars above she loved this man.

“...Alright. I’ll give it a shot.”

Mario cheered and gave her knuckles a quick kiss before rushing back to the improvised hideaway, lifting one corner of the blanket and ushering her inside. “Your Highness.”

Everything within Peach protested as she sank to her knees in front of her desk and crawled inside. She ignored it and busied herself pulling layer after layer of silk into the enclosure; once she had succeeded in stuffing herself and her dress inside, Mario dropped the blanket back into place, and everything went dark.

Peach blinked, settling into her chosen corner and assessing her emotions as they played out. She felt ridiculous. She felt like a child. Worse yet — she felt secure. He was right. There was something oddly comfortable about this setup. For a moment, she entertained the thought of some villain entering her room, only to leave in a huff upon seeing her bed empty, as though this little alcove were a secret and private extension of the castle rather than a desk with a blanket draped over it.

Thunder, uncomfortably close this time.

“So what do you think, Princess?” Mario asked almost as soon as she registered the thunder. Her pulse quickened, and briefly her mind took her back to that fateful night, but she swallowed heavily and replied before it could take hold of her.

“It’s not bad,” she said. “But it’s a bit roomy for my taste.”

“Oh?”

“You could easily fit two more of me in here, or maybe three Toads.”

“Or… maybe one portly plumber?”

“I was thinking a dashing, handsome knight, actually.” Peach’s trepidation faded to the back of her mind at his bashful chuckle. For someone so outgoing, he flustered so easily.

She heard a soft thud, and then light poured back into the enclosure as Mario lifted the blanket to crawl in with her. A lovely blush still colored his cheeks. “I can’t promise I won’t trample your dress.”

“I have at least ten more in this exact pattern.”

He puffed out his chest in a dramatized show of confidence. “Then here we go!”

They spent at least three or four minutes twisting about, accidentally elbowing one another in the face or in the stomach, giggling together as they tried and mostly failed to accommodate the mass of her skirts and his, well, everything. But eventually they found a comfortable position: Mario pressed his back into one corner with his knees bent, and Peach half-sat half-laid in his lap facing the opposite direction, her cheek on his shoulder and her skirts swallowing the remaining space.

“There we go!” Mario shifted beneath her, and once he settled, he rested his arms around her waist. “Nice and safe, see? No one will find us here. Nothing will hurt us.”

Peach hummed and relaxed against him, draping her arms loosely around his torso. That was something he’d started doing lately, she noticed. It was never “me” and “you” anymore, it was “we”, “us”. Was it intentional? Did he even know he was doing it?

Whatever the case, she hoped he’d continue. She liked thinking of themselves as a set, two inseparable pieces of one cohesive whole.

A clap of thunder even closer than the last pierced the air around them. She gasped on instinct, her body going cold, but immediately Mario’s arms tightened around her, and he drowned out the noise with a stream of reassurances. He sounded so resolute, so certain of what he was saying. And in the darkness surrounding them, they may as well have been the only two people in the world.

Peach snuggled into his warmth and let her fears be carried away on the wings of his promises. He had never led her astray before. He wouldn’t start now.

#giving my blorbos the shiverians half a second of representation #they're literally bipedal seals in parkas how have they NOT become some of the most beloved species in this series #“peaches you're american why did you use the word 'sodding'” because it's a fun word and I like it a lot #super mario bros #smb #princess peach #mario #mareach #mario x peach #peaches' fancy fics #peaches’ prodigious prompts

58 notes · View notes