A/N: This Mario AU is when their roles have changed and that they're living in their different lives where it doesn't involve the usual saving the princess from the king of Koopa.

This was inspired by the fanfiction called "Amid the Roses" by EchoEternal. It's pretty interesting and sweet.

Here's the link to it: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14050806/1/Amid-the-Roses

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There was a trembling claw pointing toward the door of a flower shop. Gritting his teeth, he glared back and forth while his hand rested against the door. The shuddering nails scraped against his hand. While he surveyed his surroundings, a few citizens stared at him suspiciously. Despite the air of uneasiness, no one moved for him. Besides him, another male creature holds his shoulders and comforts him. His encouragement encouraged him to take the risk. After waiting for a while, his claw pressed against the door and pushed it open.

A wind chime rang as the door of the blue and green painted shop opened. Soft breezes stirred the nearby flowers, wafting floral scents around the entrance. Upon entering, the visitor was surrounded by sweet scents that mixed with the scent of mayflowers and wisteria. Their easygoing day was interrupted by several customers staring in silent horror.

At a table near the register, a woman sat humming quietly to herself, arranging a bouquet of carnations, shifting green flowers between the red and mauve ones. After arranging several plants with her white gloves, she smiles and wipes her hands on her overalls, dusting them off a bit, despite the brown and green stains on them caused by working with several plants. Her gaze briefly shifted to a nearby box where she could find a fresh pair, but she shrugged it off after studying her current pair. In awe of her work, she adjusted her (F/C) cap and brushed some leaves out of her hair and fixed her ponytail.

She glanced over to see her brother in a red cap explaining to her about the flower she was admiring to the blonde girl in her pink Retro Dress Short Sleeve Vintage Swing Dress. He looked shy and lovestruck to her. Seeing the blonde girl as shy and lovestruck as he is, she smiled at the sight.

Her attention was caught by a quiet "Excuse me!". A white and pink mushroom adorned the head of an older woman, whose gaze narrowed from the lobelia the woman admired. She glanced at the approaching florist as she adjusted her spectacles.

"May I help you, ma'am?" she said in a welcoming tone.

"Yes, if you could escort those two brutes right back out," she whispered, and pointed at the newcomers to the shop.

He was a rough turtle type, a Koopa, larger than most of the ones shoppers normally saw. He certainly didn't help matters by wearing a spiny purple shell and studded wristbands. Despite the fierce appearance of his mouth, as well as soft pink features of his face, the red sunglasses hiding his eyes did not do him many favors. His arms, however, trembled in defiance of his frightening appearance.

He was joined by a short Koopa with red ponytail and black beady eyes, a rounded snout, and a single sharp tooth that was visible in his green overbite shell with spikes and darker grey metal bands around his wrist. He wears a white bandana with a sharp teeth drawn around his neck. He looks more aggressive as he glares daggers at whoever dares to judge them.

Frowning first to the Koopas, and then returning her attention to the Toad, the (F/C)-capped woman shook her head.

"They haven't given me any reason to send them off."

"Excuse me?"

"Certainly."

Just as the florist turned to leave, the Toad grasped at her arm.

"Ma'am?"

"Come now, you've lived in this kingdom for how long?" the elder Toad glared at the florist. "Their kind shouldn't be welcomed here."

"A customer?"

"The Koopas."

The red-capped man and the pink dress woman turned to see the commotion after sensing his sudden protective brother mode.

"This is a flower shop, ma'am."

There was a sharper edge to the woman's tone, as her eyes narrowed to her.

"So long as they don't cause any trouble, I fail to see any reason to force them out, nor see any harm that they've caused."

"Their mere presence-"

"Does nothing to this atmosphere." the florist's deep (F/C) eyes narrowed. "However, your request for interference ensures problems. If you continue to ask for disruptions, I may need to ask you to leave."

"Well! I never!" the Toad twisted away from the florist. "Your darling younger brother seemed to agree the last time that I spoke with him."

"My brother is a little more wary than I am."

"And with good reason!"

"Not always."

"My what about your older brother?"

"He doesn't see any problem to it. He doesn't care if there's a Koopa and always welcome everyone that comes to our shop."

"But he's looking at the problem right now."

"If you look at him again, you'll see that the problem that he's seeing is you."

The woman turned to see the red-capped man giving her a glare as if gesturing her to leave and not cause any trouble to his dear sister. She even gasped to see the woman in a pink dress giving her a disappointed look. If you see it up close, you'll see that she's a princess as she wore a crown.

The woman had a mind to continue, but seeing that those people are against her, especially the princess, she merely shook her head and stomped behind the lobelia once more. The florist sighs and adjusts the gloves on her hands. The red-capped man was relieved to see that she was okay and proud of her bravery.

In contrast, the two Koopas had crept closer to her, glaring at the nosy purple Yoshi hiding behind white heather and vervain. Another two Toads shuddered and huddled together behind foxgloves on a counter. A red-capped man turned to the princess and asked her if she was doing okay. To his delight, she handed him her phone number as she nodded and told him she'd come tomorrow. A wink is then exchanged between them before she leaves.

Her flowers pushed aside; the woman dusted the counter at the young Koopas's approach. Taking a gentle breath through her nose and exhaling from her mouth, she turned her attention to the next customer.

The florist smiled as she said, "Hello, welcome. What would I be able to assist you?"

He said, "Hey, yeah. Uh..."

He grimaced at the florist, observing her nametag as he rubbed his pink bald head.

"Umm... Miss Y/N?" he asked.

In response to the customer's statement, Y/N chuckled and smiled.

"Yep. That's me."

"Uh, I was attempting to get someone a special gift."

His unnerved tone reflected hesitation.

"There are several flowers available for a variety of purposes," Y/N lightly joked. "How about narrowing down who you are purchasing for, Mister...?"

"Oh, uh, I'm Roy. And this is my brother Bowser Junior."

It was just a simple wave from Bowser Junior, who seemed uninterested in her. While rubbing behind his neck, Roy took a moment to think.

"We are shopping to get something for my sister. I think we're going to get roses for her."

"It's no secret that roses are a staple favorite for many. Especially for me." Y/N smirked. "It would be strange if you bought the wrong one for your sister."

"Well, what do we get so it doesn't seem strange?"

Bowser Junior's brow furrowed in impatience as his tone grew.

"I was wondering if you had any roses in mind since you suggested them so quickly." Y/N calmly replied.

"Uh... yellow ones?" Roy guessed.

In thought, Y/N scratched her cheek. Her eyebrow rose.

"Those can have different meanings. Sometimes they represent friendship, other times they represent intense emotions or apologies and so on. In addition, they can be used to symbolize betrayal, jealousy, or broken hearts."

"Really?" Roy tried to gather his thoughts and grabbed at his head. "It could mean anything at all?"

In shock, Bowser Junior raised his eyebrows at the thought that there was more significance to the rose than meets the eye.

"The meanings of several flowers are different, so yeah." Folding her arms, Y/N tilted her head in agreement. "Were these for a special occasion or...?"

"Her birthday is just around the corner." Roy noted.

He paused as Y/N lowered her eyes, and Roy lowered his head.

"There's also the possibility that she's been annoyed with me lately, which is probably my fault for not showing up when she needed me."

"My recommendation would be hyacinth instead." determined Y/N.

Her attention was drawn to the flowers near the wall as she points at it.

"The color of the garment should be blue and purple. It shows forgiveness, and promise to be more faithful in the future."

"Does that work with those?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

His sunglasses were adjusted, and he smiled, relaxing even more.

"Okay, I'll take some."

"Wonderful!"

Y/N smiled and hummed as she sorted through the work and arranged the flowers in a vase for the Koopa. The flowers were then charged for using the coins Roy offered. Y/N then adorned the clear vase with a pink and red ribbon to complete the transaction. A grin spread across Roy's face as he clutched the packaged hyacinth gift, carefully tucking it away under his arm. His mouth parted when he noticed the unusual (F/C) eyes on the Koopa when he lifted his sunglasses and beamed to Y/N.

"My heartfelt thanks and appreciation go out to you, Miss Y/N. This... really means a lot to me."

Roy glanced at the gift.

"When I came to this shop, I just thought it would be different. My sister told me that it had the best flowers, but when I came, I didn't expect that."

A smile spread across Y/N's face.

"Don't worry about that. It was my pleasure to be of assistance to you."

"Definitely. Thanks again!"

Taking the flowers, Roy lowered his sunglasses and waved to Y/N, before heading out the door. Bowser Junior, on the other hand, remained standing there in awe as he stared up at Y/N.

"Would you like me to help you with anything else?" she asked.

"...You have never helped someone like us to buy anything. They would normally be afraid of us and throw us out."

The only thing Y/N does is smile at him.

"I believe that kindness is free. You can't judge a book by its cover without being able to discern what's inside."

With pride, the red-capped man watched Bowser Junior stare at the girl for some time before giving her a cute smile that nearly made Y/N squeal at the sight.

"It was a pleasure meeting you. Perhaps we'll meet again."

Following his brother Roy's departure, Bowser Junior left the shop and hop off. She saw other customers leaving while she helped Roy and Bowser Junior and sighed as she looked around the shop.

"What's wrong with helping a simple customer who just wanted to buy flowers? Mario, is it wrong to help the Koopas?"

"People can be judgemental sometimes." Mario said. "And no, sissy. You did the right thing and that's all that matters."

"So, got a phone number from your crush, huh?" she smirked.

Mario blushes, holding the small paper close to him.

"Y-Yeah. She's... really something."

"I'm proud of you, bro."

"Thanks. I'm off today. Is there anything else you need help with?"

"No, I think I can handle this on my own."

"Alright. Be safe."

Mario gives his sister a kiss on a cheek before leaving from the back. A smile spreading across her face as she glanced down on the leafy counter, Y/N brushed the leaves into her hand, dumping them into the wastebasket atop the pamphlets promoting the Mushroom Kingdom army.

Y/N sat in front of her carnations at the head project table. Taking a small look at a dark red carnation, she ran her hand gently on it. She quietly stared at the flower, eyes looking hopeful as if she hope to find someone just like the rest of her brothers. She looked over at the roses and noticed that some are crooked and disorganized.

She walked over to fix them for a minute before grabbing the broom and the dust pan to sweep up some mess on the floor. As she did, she begins to imagine what it would be like in her future to be with someone she love. What she doesn't notice is the wind chimes began to ring as the door flew open, but she didn't hear it as she was lost in her own thought.

As she was almost done with sweeping up, at the same time, a figure storms inside and the two bumped into each other. Snapping out of her trance, Y/N turned around and backed away a little to apologize when her eyes widened as a much larger Koopa comes in view. He had several tattoos on his arms that Roy and Bowser Junior don't have. He looks just as surprised as her.

It was then that the Koopa got a good look at the girl. Her hair was nice and straight about her face, and her clothes was mottled with some dirt and petals. But when she looked at him, her (F/C) eyes were clear and unafraid. For a moment, he found himself lost in their depths, seeing aweness behind the courage.

There had been silence in the shop as the two stare at each other for a moment until he cleared his throat.

"Uh err... err... H-Hi."

Y/N found herself blushing as she stuttered back in reply.

"H-Hi..."

"You're...you're not the one I expected."

"Well, that's because I work here. The name's--"

"Y/N."

She responded by blinking and tilting her head, freezing at her name being called by the Koopa. The Koopa lowered his eyes.

"Sorry, I overheard the guy named Louis on the phone with you the other day." he apologized. "When he noticed me, he freaked out and ordered me to leave."

Y/N placed the broom and the dust pan back inside the closet before facing him

"I am very sorry for what my brother did. For starters, his name is Luigi, not Louis. Luigi gets intimidated by people much bigger than him, especially when they come before him."

Chuckled, the florist shrugged.

"Despite his first impression, he is actually quite kind and gentle. He is the best brother I ever have. I also have an older brother named Mario, and he is more welcoming than Luigi."

He snorted and glanced away.

"Well... that's fair. I'm not great at first impressions either." he sighed. "Nevertheless, he should not let that affect his work."

Y/N stared up at the great Koopa, and then said, "That's true, and Mario and I will have to talk to him later. Would you like me to help you today, Mister...?"

"Stars, I didn't even introduce myself."

The Koopa lifted his arm and waved to Y/N.

"My name is Bowser, and I just opened a tattoo parlor next door."

"Oh, so you own that." Y/N smiled. "Considering you just moved in two days ago, I was wondering about that."

In response to Y/N's question, Bowser folded his arms and looked into her eyes.

"My co-workers from the Koopa King's castle haven't followed along with my move, so I'm starting fresh. Uh...well, it's mostly me working there so far. Coming from the wastes closer to the castle, but none of my old employees followed."

"Makes sense..."

Both quiet as Y/N took a moment to study the parlor owner. His horns protruded from his head, and his fiery red hair resembled a flame. He was larger than the average Koopa. Since the Koopa walked in, his eyebrows were thicker, concealing his red eyes. His broad mouth was adorned with several fangs. The spiny shell and studded wristbands of Bowser are similar to those of Roy and Bowser Junior, though Bowser's arms seem even longer and sharper than those of the smaller Koopas. The collar around his neck was spiked, as opposed to Roy and Bowser Junior's.

Bowser, like many other professional athletes, had a few tattoos on his arms. Different flames and dragons were woven into the sleeves, which were then shifted into swirls of water with turtles and an anchor on his right arm. In the upper left corner, there was an eagle-like design, surrounded by mountain-shaped designs. A crossed pattern of swords was barely visible behind his folded arms. A design of a guardian lion watched over a few floral decorations along the arm, including roses.

"Do we need to take pictures of each other?"

Y/N looked away from the thornless roses with a reddened face.

"I'm sorry." she said. "It wasn't my intention to stare."

The red cheeks of Bowser burned a bit as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Ha, don't worry about it." Bowser smirked. "I was doing exactly the same thing."

In response, Y/N chuckled.

"There isn't much here that you should be taking in."

"Considering everything that was going on, I found that strange," Bowser determined. "You have a very nice hair, you've got cute earrings, and everything looks well-put together, despite the leaves and petals and some dirt all over your clothes." he nodded.

"You seem to be a hard worker and have a love for what you do, but you're also pretty organized." Bowser watched as Y/N gaped at him. "Does that seem wrong to you?"

Y/N cleared her throat to try hiding her face for a bit.

"That's a pretty accurate description." she said. "In the end, I was only taken in by your appearance and the tattoos, and I just couldn't make an assessment of you."

Bowser shook his head and lifted an arm.

"Bigger Koopas are rare, so that's not so bad." he muttered. "It seems strange to you, aren't they?"

"It's not at all, but the designs are very stylized and have a flowing style," explained Y/N. "My eyes were drawn to them and seem pretty interesting, but I couldn't figure out what the story was behind them right away. I just stared at them."

"As I interrupted your train of thought," Bowser grinned, "You were on the right track. This creation combines classical elements from mythology, plus symbols that correlate with them, and is meant to convey meaning to you."

"Wow, that's so exciting!"

"You really think so?"

"Yes, without a doubt!"

Bowser rubbed behind his neck as he said, "Not my usual reaction. You must be a fair-weather adventurer."

Y/N tilted her head and eyed the tattoos. "Me? Maybe more than my brother, I guess." she said then remembered something. "Since you're here, are there any flowers you would like to get?"

"Actually, yeah."

"What kind do you like?"

"I like to get those rare lotus over there." he pointed out. "I could use those to add a good touch to my shop."

"Sure."

Y/N sorted through the work and arranged a few lotus Bowser asked in a vase for the Koopa. The flowers were then charged a lot since they're a rare kind for using the coins Bowser offered. It was a lot, and she was about to give him a change when he assisted that he keep the change.

"Thanks. This looks perfect."

"Glad to help."

"Say, uh, what is with the dark red carnation?"

"This? It's... from that arrangement." Y/N pointed to her projects table and walked over to the completed work. "Just a few carnations that I matched up. White is for purity and luck, light red is for admiration, pink is for gratitude, yellow is for disappointment or rejection, purple is for capriciousness, and dark red is... I think for... love and affection."

Bowser smiled at her shyness when it comes to love. He could see that. Y/N quickly cleared her throat and pointed at the tattoos on his arm.

"What about yours? Would you mind telling me what they mean? Since those flowers are the same as the ones in my shop."

"Sure." Bowser lifted his left arm and pointed to the floral designs along his forearm. "See all of these?"

Having a better angle to see them, Y/N spotted the different flowers included along Bowser's arm. Roses were the easiest to spot, but along with those were forget-me-nots, gardenias, heliotropes, alyssums, and the dark red carnation too. Y/N blushed as Bowser proudly lifted his arm to show off.

"With wood symbolism, I wanted a way to express myself and my friends. Roses and rose petals are for love, but the others are based on what love is for." Bowser pointed to each of the flowers as he listed them off. "Forget-me-nots are for true love memories, gardenias are for secret love, while dark red carnations are for deep love and affection."

He shot Y/N a cocky grin, while Y/N bit her lip.

"The heliotrope is a bit bigger, since it's for eternal love and devotion for everyone, but also since I relate to that best. And then I've got alyssums around for everyone that I didn't get yet, since they represent worth beyond beauty and sweetness of soul."

Y/N was speechless as she took in the information he has given her as he smirks at her.

"...It symbolizes the fantastic and passionate love between everyone," quickly rattled off Y/N, tugging her cap over her face. "That is... very deep and meaningful. It sounds... lovely."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course. Having a conversation about the meaning of plants and flowers and others is interesting. I can also tell the tattoos on your other arm tells a story about you and your personality."

Her hand was firmly grasped by Bowser as he laughed.

"Who would have guessed that the next door neighbor was also a symbolism nerd?"

Y/N sighed as she concluded, "That's pretty much who I am. Luigi told me that he structures his arrangements based on harmonious colors instead of meaning."

Bowser shook his head as he swatted the air. He added, "That was such a bore."

His attention was once again drawn to Y/N, and he smiled.

"I like your style because it is more thought provoking and provides a deeper understanding of everything."

"That's very thoughtful of you." she said. "You'll need to come by when he's back in and tell him that, so maybe he'll finally understand."

"In light of the fact that you're around him as well, maybe it would be best for you to be with him." Bowser suggested. "Having him yell at me again is not something I need."

"Again, I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. It's not your fault, and I... I get it." Bowser smirked. "Then I'll be a tad kinder to him, at least, because you're making me like you more."

"I'm glad I can help redeem him by making a good impression."

They laughed for a while, until Y/N settled down first.

"If we're neighbors, we should be able to get along. I'll make sure to bring you along whenever you want."

"I'm grateful."

Their eyes met, and Y/N and Bowser stared steadily at one another before recalling that they were holding hands. In spite of their reddened faces, they giggled and muttered apologies as they quickly released one another.

Bowser coughed and cleared his throat, lifting his hand to cover his reddened face.

"So, uh, who's... who's the lucky guy to land you?"

"Oh, no one." Y/N shrugged. "I mostly work and I like it. I like to make sure everyone, including you are always welcome in this shop, whether they are different or not."

Barely audible, Bowser whispered, "How is she single...?"

"Hm? What was that?"

"N-Nothing!" Bowser scratched at his chin, and then his eyes lit up. "You've got the kind of mind I like, I admit that. I'm hoping to teach my kid about looking at the hidden meanings in the world, but I think he's still a little young for that."

"Oh, you have a son?" Y/N forced up a smile as her eyes held a disappointment.

"Yep."

"That's... really nice. Wait, could it be Bowser Junior? I've met him earlier and was about to ask you since you two have a same name and appearance except the name 'Junior'."

His eyes lit up to hear that.

"Yep! That's him. Isn't he great?"

Adjusting her cap to hide her crestfallen face, Y/N set her attention on her floral arrangements.

"Yeah. He's a great kid. I think he'll grow nicely to be like you."

"Sure hope so!" Bowser snorted. "Don't want him to be anything like his mother, anyway. Or his adopted grandpa, but that's more for playful reasons."

Pushing up her cap, Y/N lifted an eyebrow to Bowser.

"Is his mother not a good role model?"

"She's not any kind of role model or in the picture at all," revealed Bowser. "She abandoned the kid after she gave him to me and left without a trace. Didn't even know that I had him before that."

"Huh. That's... well, you have a son, so that's nice."

Y/N tried to turn and hide her small smile that she gets a chance.

"Yeah... how about you? Any kids?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Want any?"

"Maybe?"

"Like, your own, or adopted?"

"Either or, I think."

"Ok, ok, good stuff." Bowser blinked and covered his face with his hand. "None of this is really great first time conversation material, is it?"

"It's not the typical kind of talk, I don't think." Y/N shrugged. "Not that I mind."

Grabbing the lotus vase as he started for the door, Bowser uttered, "I should go."

"You really don't have to."

"Even without embarrassing myself, I still should."

"Is your parlor open?"

"Not yet, still setting up for now." Bowser turned back and lowered his hand. "My old man thinks it'll be a waste of time here, but I think we'll give it a shot."

"I hope it works out." Y/N smiled. "I'd enjoy having like-minded company."

"Same, for sure!" Hesitating for a moment, Bowser opened his mouth, but slowly closed it. "Um. It was nice meeting you."

"Same to you."

In the moment before leaving, Bowser stopped and turned to her as he held the flowers in his hand.

"Hey, I am not big on caffeine, but I love tea. So... maybe you are interested in some tea sometime?"

The offer appeared to be an invitation to a date for Y/N, so she was surprised.

"Tea? Of course, I'd love that."

His face lit up at her answer.

"Great! I'll find a free day for myself, you find yours, or..."

"I am sure we will come up with a solution," she assured him.

He blushed and massaged his horn in response. "Sure." Bowser replied. "So... once again, nice meeting you."

As if he were about to say something, he quickly changed his mind.

"Take care, okay?"

"You too. I'm looking forward to seeing you again! Be kind to one another!" Y/N waved. "Don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you need anything!"

"I will. I'm planning to return, so prepare yourself!"

"Definitely."

Bowser looked back at Y/N before exiting the shop. "Later!"

A smile spread across Y/N's face as she waved at her new companion until she stepped out of sight. Her attention was drawn to the flowers near her. Her smile spread across her face. Y/N walked toward the carnations while concealing her blushing. She can't wait for what her future will bring her.