Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I had been so long since the Mario brothers had spent much time with one another. Sure they had their plumbing business together, but on their days off, the elder twin was usually off hanging out with the Mushroom Kingdom’s princess. At that point, Luigi would be left behind to watch his brother’s back and wave goodbye as the red-clad man runs away down the path.

The younger sibling stops waving when his brother is finally out of sight, dejectedly dropping his hand to his side. His shoulders sag in defeat with a sigh, turning around and trudging back into their shared house.

One may expect for them to see one another more often due to their living conditions, but that wasn’t really the case. Sometimes, Mario didn’t return from the castle for a few days; up to a week. Other times, Mario is too busy with taking work calls. It was coming to the point that, as soon as Luigi sits down and passes his brother a cup of coffee with a hopeful smile, Mario just picks up the mug as he stands and walks away without so much as a thank you.

With the chores all done and the house all clean, Luigi has nothing left to do but to lay on the couch and mindlessly stare off into space at the blank television screen. He stares at his reflection for what feels like forever until a thick lump lodges itself in the back of the little brother’s throat.

A high pitched keen squeaks through his teeth, his lips taking a sharp downturn. His usually bright blue eyes turn near-gray and puffy, flooding with tears as they threaten to fall. Try as he might, he can’t stop himself from choking on the wad in his throat, opening the floodgates to allow the rest of his feelings to burst forth.

He wails and sobs for seemingly hours, hugging a pillow tight to his chest as he curls around it. Eventually, his sadness turns to anger. He sits up, hands gripping the pillow so tightly that they’re paper white. With a great shriek, he reels back his arm and launches the pillow at the tv.

The projectile makes contact. The world around the younger feels like it’s in slow-motion, anger bleeding into fear as he watches the screen fall to the ground in stunned horror. The resulting crash upon the ground might as well have been a bomber bill by the sound of it.

“No…” Luigi whispers, hands flying to his mouth. He shakes his head in disbelief.

“Oh nonononono!” He cries, tears restarting as he hits his knees. Shuffling forward into the pile of broken glass, he tries to scoop up the shards with his bare hands. One particular piece was positioned in such a way that it lodged itself in deep. With a yelp, the lonesome twin jerks back and wraps his free hand around his wrist. He holds it tight enough to cut off circulation, his injured appendage turning blurry with another bout of tears.

Blood pools in his palm, soon becoming too much as a droplet drips onto the carpet beneath him. The bright red dot doesn’t help his situation at all. It only reminds him of the reason for his current breakdown. Slowly getting to his feet, Luigi shuffles through the house to the kitchen, watching the drops of blood paint his path along the way.

Turning on the tap, the younger sniffles and wipes at his tears, only smearing it further and adding a tinge of red to the wet tracks. He slips his hand under the water, taking care not to mess with the glass still in his palm too much. He knows he’s going to need to see a doctor, but he’s not really in the mood to see anyone at the moment.

Reaching behind him, he pulls one of the dining room chairs over and slumps down into it. He listlessly watches his own body fluids swirl down the drain as it streaks down the glass shard and into the basin. With no tears left to cry, he’s left exhausted at the sink with a heavy heart.

He doesn’t react when the door is blown open, nor does he move when too-large footsteps stomp through the house, followed by miniature earthquakes. He stays where he is, even as the temperature in the house rises to a stifling degree. He feels angry eyes glaring into the back of his head, but he merely sags further into his seat.

A growl echoes like a thunderclap through the building as the intruder approaches him. A giant clawed hand tightens on his shoulder and the chair, tilting Luigi back so that he was staring directly into the upside-down visage of none other than Bowser: King of the Koopas and ruler of the Dark Lands.

The Koopa King’s teeth are bared, his breathing indicating what’s surely to become a one-sided shouting match. Luigi doesn’t know why the giant turtle is hesitating, nor does he care. He continues to stare blankly at Bowser as the other seems to study him.

Eventually, the larger closes his mouth, his hot breath cooling in an instant and slowly bringing the house back to its original temperature. He hums in confusion, sparing a quick glance toward the sink to understand why the little man’s arm is still stretched in front of him.

Bowser gasps at the injury, taking Luigi’s hand in his own gentler than the green-clad brother ever thought possible for the former.

“What did you do?” That rough voice demands. Luigi says nothing, only averts his gaze.

“Answer me!” Bowser roars, baring his teeth once more. His chest heaves as his angered breaths create clouds of steam. Luigi’s face twitches in emotion for a moment, resettling back into the blank stare the Koopa King had come in to.

As he calms down for the second time, bowser comes to the conclusion that he’s not going to get anything out of the young man. Instead, he tosses the human’s hand back into the sink as gently as he can while still attempting to keep his tough image. Mindful of his size, he ducks through the rooms and tears them apart in his search for something that can help.

He mutters complaints to himself the entire time. When he finally finds the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, he snarls and punches it. The glass shatters into the sink below. The tiny door, now bent out of shape, swings open to show off its empty state. Bowser growls deeply, huffs of anger rising as his eyes start to glow. A short blast of fire is all it takes for metal slag to join the glass shards in the sink.

Not having found anything that could be of use, Bowser tromps back to the kitchen to find Luigi in the same exact place he’d left him. The turtle king’s eye twitches at the sight, the slow plick, plick of blood dripping into the sink beginning to drive the massive Koopa mad. Scooping up the tiny man into his fist, he brings Luigi to his face so that the human has to look at him.

“Where do you keep your bandages!” He bellows. His breath blows the green hat off of Luigi’s head as the younger brother turns away from the heat.

“We don’t have any…” Luigi whispers; soft enough to barely be heard. Bowser’s eye twitches again.

“What do you mean ‘You don’t have any?!’” He rages. The heat in the room rises once again, causing Luigi to sweat.

“We ran out. Been meaning to get more…” Luigi mumbles. Bowser calms down for the third time, his anger turning to a strange sense of confusion with a tenderness he’d rather not acknowledge.

“Well… Can’t your brother get some for you?” The Koopa King questions. Bowser’s mouth drops open in surprise when his green-clothed enemy starts choking on silent tears.

“Uhhm…” Bowser hums, looking around as though someone else would know what to do. Too bad they’re alone.

“He doesn’t care about me!” Luigi wails, finally rediscovering that his own body can move. He wriggles in Bowser’s grip fruitlessly, quickly giving up and simply banging his good fist into the larger’s wrist.

“He never has time for me anymore! He’s never around! All he does is go be with Peach! It’s not fair! I just want him to see me, but he doesn’t! I don’t know what I did wrong! What did I do wrong?!” Luigi bawls, all of his frustrations explode from him like a volcano to the last guy he should be venting to. That knowledge alone makes him wail louder as his own mind tears him apart from within.

Bowser’s mouth works with no sound, completely unprepared to deal with someone so deep in their own depression. Luigi’s words slowly seep into the Koopa’s mind as they replay over and over in his head. When he finally processes enough to somewhat understand, he furrows his brow and drags Luigi closer; now inches from the other’s face.

“Tell me everything.” Bowser rumbles, already swinging around to pad his way into the living room. Snatching the tablecloth from the table, Bowser drops Luigi on the couch and rips a strip off of the fabric. As the little brother begin his tearful tales, the mighty ruler of the Dark Lands keeps his mouth shut and listens as best he can.

He does his best to extract the shard of glass from the human’s hand as gently as he can, wrapping it up tightly without cutting off circulation. By the time he’s done, Luigi is almost finished himself.

“-and he’s probably already at the castle with the princess right now!” The younger twin laments, “He didn’t even say ‘thank you’ when I gave him his coffee this morning. He always says ‘thank you...’” He sniffles. Bowser puffs an aggravated cloud of steam from his nose, catching himself and taking a deep breath to keep calm.

“I see.” Bowser hums, taking a seat next to the couch since the sofa wouldn’t be able to fit them both.

“Have you told him any of this?” The larger asks, tilting the other’s face up to look at him with a claw. Luigi whimpers for a second before pulling away.

“Yes… A couple times, actually. He acted like I wasn’t even there…” Luigi‘s bottom lip quivers, his voice shaking. Bowser couldn’t stop his growl at that information, causing the poor young man to flinch. The Koopa King shoots a half-hearted apologetic smirk to the smaller in response.

They sit in silence for a long while, allowing the heavy air between them to settle like rocks in their hearts. Finally, an idea comes to Bowser’s mind.

“Hey, how ‘bout this? Why don’t you come over to my castle to hang out?!” A sharp-toothed grin cuts across Bowser’s face as he nods encouragingly. Luigi’s face pales at the exclamation, the man tilting away from the giant turtle.

“What?! No, I- I can’t! What would Mario say?! I- We- We’re supposed to be enemies!” The human squeals.

“So what?! You said it yourself: Your brother is never around! Why does what he say matter so much to you if what you say doesn’t matter much to him?” Bowser scoffs. Luigi stares at the giant turtle angrily for a second until the fight within him snuffs like a candle. He knows what Bowser is saying is right, but the guilt-… Oh what the heck! If Mario wanted Luigi to listen to him, he’d at least say hello to his brother in the morning!

“Ok, fine… You win.” Luigi sighs. The Koopa King gives another massive smile and whoops in excitement as he jumps to his feet. Luigi yelps when he’s snatched off the couch, the ruler of the Dark Lands breaking through the wall next to their front door and already running at top speed to the hidden pipe that would bring them home.

Chapter Text

The trip back to Bowser’s castle was a rather short one. The fact that the king was so close to the Mushroom Kingdom caused worry to swirl in Luigi’s heart. That worry only grew as they came closer and closer to the gigantic floating palace.

Still held tight in Bowser’s claws, the plumber was starting to realize how big of a mistake he just made. “Hanging out?” With Bowser?! What was he thinking?!

The whole set-up reeked of a trap, and poor Luigi began to shake with fear. His actions didn’t go unnoticed.

Bowser glances down at the smaller figure in his fist, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. He’d forgotten for a moment that they were supposed to be sworn enemies. Not only that, but the king had also tried to ritualistically sacrifice the human during his and Princess Peach’s attempted wedding.

“Oh.” The Koopa King barks, lowering his fist until the human’s feet were just barely touching the ground. He then lets go of Luigi and watches as the smaller tries to sort himself out from the drop. Bowser chuckles when the other falls on his butt.

“Come on.” Bowser ushers, pinching the back of the younger twin’s collar between his pointer and thumb. He lifts the other up and sets him on his feet in front of him, nudging the plumber forward with a single crooked finger to the back.

Luigi’s hat fell in front of his eyes from the push. When he takes too long to fix it, Bowser sweeps him off his feet with a flat hand and softly tosses him forward to force the other to walk. Not wanting to be pushed a third time, Luigi gets the message and trots forward toward the menacing floating palace of black stone and lava.

…

The phantom feeling of ropes digging into his wrists makes Luigi shiver for the thousandth time. He tries to keep up; tries to make sure not to push Bowser’s buttons and risk getting turned into a human barbecue. His nerves were really causing problems, especially when it came to standing in front of the actual castle entrance.

It was at this point that Luigi froze with fear, no longer able to put one foot in front of the other. Bowser had taken a few steps ahead without realizing his missing companion, only turning back when he checked under his arm to see if he was still being followed and found that he wasn’t.

“Well? Are you coming or not?” Bowser gruffs, gesturing toward the dark hallway that was prefaced by Bowser’s mouth as a doorway. Luigi swallows hard, unable to dislodge the sharp clump in his throat as tears prickle at the corners of his eyes. His adrenaline flies higher when the lava and fire surrounding them dries the teardrops before they can even emerge.

The green plumber distantly hears a deep, grisly sigh, followed by those same thunderous footsteps he knew all too well. Still incapable of moving, he’s once again snatched up into a massive fist. The only sound he makes is a single tiny terrified squeak that’s overshadowed by Bowser’s stomping. Luigi squeezes his eyes shut, clenches his teeth, holds his breath, and balls up his fists as tight as they can go as he’s carried through the mouth of the castle and swallowed by the darkness.

…

“I have to say, I’m surprised.” The ruler of the Dark Lands muses.

“A-about w-what?” Luigi forces out. Now deep into the castle’s interior, he huddles between Bowser’s shell and the back of the large turtle’s leg as they walk. If he weren’t so afraid of the other, he might’ve been holding onto the Koopa King’s arm without thinking. The young man flinches hard when Bowser lets out a short, hearty laugh.

“You! Out of anyone that coulda been here willingly,” He chuckles, adding an ‘or not’ under his breath, “It’s you!” He finishes. Luigi wheezes out a laugh of his own. Best to stay on Bowser’s good side; especially so far into his own domain. The Koopa King scratches his chin and peers down at Luigi at the same time.

“I mean, you’re not really the first person I’d think to actually agree to hang out with me. I am ‘evil,’ after all.” Bowser snickers. His scratching slows down, his eyes gaining a devious glint. It was one that Luigi didn’t catch as he was too busy flicking his eyes everywhere and nowhere every two seconds.

A sick smirk spreads across Bowsers mouth, his teeth glinting in the light of the sconces on the wall. That glint of light was the thing that caught the plumber’s attention toward the Koopa. In the blink of an eye, the massive turtle opens his mouth and chomps down inches from Luigi’s face. His teeth make a loud crack as they collide.

Luigi lost it. Eyes exploding wide, he stumbles backward onto his butt with an earsplitting shriek. Bowser laughs for a second until he realizes that his joke was probably not the best played on this particular person. He takes a step forward, reaching out for the cowering figure now curled up and bawling on the floor.

“Uh, heh. Sorry. I thought it would be funny.” Bowser grunts. He sits on his ankles, leaning forward just enough to nudge Luigi’s boot. The little man kicks out a tiny bit, somehow balling up tighter than before. Bowser frowns.

“Oh please, it wasn’t that bad.” He snaps, grabbing at the green brother’s leg and trying to unfurl him. After a few seconds of struggling, bowser jerks back with a startled squawk. Luigi is breathing heavily, having come out of his ball in his own shock. Bowser looks at his finger to find a small set of teeth marks already becoming bruises across his scales.

“You bit me!” Bowser bellows. Luigi once again becomes as still as a stone statue, preparing for the worst. The turtle king pouts for a moment, then scoffs.

“Damn. Didn’t think you had it in you.” He congratulates.

“Alright, enough stalling!” He chirps with another grin, snagging Luigi’s arm in his hand and dragging him alongside, “I’m starving!”

Chapter Text

The younger twin trips after Bowser, arm locked firmly in his thick claws. The plumber weakly scratches at the offending grip, silently cursing his lone glove that he’d thrown on on the way out.

He yips as his feet give out beneath him for the hundredth time. The green-clad man hisses in pain as his arm is currently being squeezed in what feels like an overinflated blood pressure cuff. Not only that, but each time he loses his balance, his arm feels like it’s being yanked out of its socket.

A whine escapes his throat without his meaning to. Bowser glances down at the smaller man out of the corner of his eye. The Koopa King smirks as he misunderstands Luigi’s distress. Luigi is now forced to practically run alongside the larger of the two.

“We’re almost there. Just one more hallway.” Bowser instructs. Luigi whimpers out his acceptance, struggling to keep up until he simply cannot. His legs give out from under him, leading to the smaller being dragged down the last corridor and into what appears to be a large dining room.

A massive dark wood table spans the middle of the room, surely meant for a party of up to twenty to thirty people. The decor is as gothic as the rest of the castle, the chairs even having their own spikes along the edges. A deep red table runner was spread beneath multiple candelabras scattered across the surface. The roof was so tall, it was like looking into a pitch black void.

Luigi whimpers again as he’s manhandled into the seat next to Bowser’s at one end of the table. His feet dangle over the edge due to the size of the chair, making the man more uncomfortable and feeling like a kid in a doctor’s office.

“So! What do you want to eat? I can have them make anything you desire; just say the word.” Bowser smirks. Luigi shivers at the cold snap through his spine and forces his voice to work.

“U-um… P-pasta? With mushrooms…? A-and bread rolls?” He stutters. Bowser cocks an eyebrow at the request, but doesn’t ask about it.

“KAMEK!” He roars. The plumber covers his ears from the sudden loud shout, squeaking when the familiar bright purple smoke poofs right beside him. The magikoopa that Luigi had seen only a few times before stood in the middle of the dissipating cloud. A discerning glare is shot Luigi’s way, making the man shrink into himself with nervous laughter.

“Kamek, I want you to take our orders to the kitchen. After that, you come back here and take a seat right here next to me.” Bowser demands, patting the table setting on his other side. Kamek snaps out of his staring and gives his king a warm smile.

“Of course, sire! Right away!” The Koopa titters, shooting one last look at Luigi before disappearing once more.

“I hope you don’t mind, but he’s going to be taking care of you if I have to be taken away for anything. I am a king, after all. I hope you understand.” Bowser sighs. He takes a quick glance at the smaller’s poorly bandaged hand in his lap when the other looks away and sighs again.

“Are you… I mean- You’re hand?” Bowser chokes out. The Koopa King isn’t really used to caring about anything that doesn’t regard himself. Luigi seems to pick up on it at any rate.

“It’s fine…” Luigi mumbles, holding his hand up to look at it. The once-white strip of tablecloth was now soaked with red around the injury, slowly creeping its way to the rest, “It just feels a little cold.” He admits.

“That bandage isn’t working.” Bowser states, standing up and pushing his chair back at the same time.

“Kammy!” He calls. A second poof of smoke on Luigi’s opposite side makes him cough slightly. He uses his good hand to clear the pinkish steam away from his face. An elder female magikoopa stands within.

“Yes, sire?” She smiles.

“He’s injured. Take care of it.” The king instructs. Kammy, as the woman is called, glances behind her to find a cowering human. She sighs and rolls her eyes, catching sight of the half-assed wrapping on the green plumber’s hand.

“Of course, your majesty.” She concedes. Faster than Luigi can blink, she snatches up his hand and unwraps the cloth from it with her thumb and pointer claw. She hisses in empathy when she sees just how deep the injury is. Luigi tries to pull his hand away, but she grips tighter on the appendage.

“Oh dear!” She pouts, “I can see the bone!” With a flick of her staff, a wisp of pinkish-purple magic surrounds his hand and half of his forearm. The process is painful as the wound stitches shut, causing him to groan and whimper as he tries to pull away.

“I know, dear, but it won’t take long.” She hums, patting Luigi’s forearm reassuringly. Sure enough, only a second later, all that’s left of his injury is a light scar across his palm that’s easily hidden by the natural lines. The old magikoopa pats Luigi’s cheek gently before finally letting him go.

“There. Now don’t go cutting yourself up again, do you hear?” She orders.

“But I didn’t-.” He starts. He’s cut off by the usual purple-blue smoke cloud across the way that speaks of Kamek. The younger magikoopa startles before waving happily.

“Oh! Hello mother!” Kamek grins.

“Mother?” Luigi asks as the woman giggles. She waves back to her son, then leaves in her own smoke cloud.

“Mother?” The plumber asks again, earning an eye roll from Kamek.

“Yes. That’s my mother.” He answers cryptically. Luigi shrinks away, gently rubbing a thumb over the tender new scar and keeping his mouth shut. Bowser watches the entire interaction as though he were watching a jester juggling for his amusement.

Chapter Text

Shortly after Kamek takes his seat, the large set of doors on the opposite side of the room burst open. A crowd of Goombas and Koopas each carrying different covered trays of food surround the table.

At Bowser’s nod, each one places their trays down in front of the trio. Another nod and the lids are whisked away to reveal a multitude of incredible dishes. Each one smelled more delicious than the last, and Luigi suddenly realizes that he hadn’t eaten since the night before.

“Take whatever you want. My treat.” Bowser tells the two beside him. The king is the first to grab at a large leg of the roasted pig in the middle. He rips it clean off and immediately bites down on it, taking a large chunk off. Luigi finds the pasta and bread he’d asked for had been placed in front of him, and he doesn’t waste any more time. They eat in mostly silence for quite a while.

…

“So,” Kamek chirps, popping another tomato in his mouth, “It’s been a while.” He probes. Luigi looks up at the magikoopa, his mouth currently full of noodles. He quickly swallows and chuckles nervously.

“Um, yeah… Uh, how- how have you been?” The plumber tries.

“Very well.” Kamek answers stiffly. After a moment, he sighs, “and yourself?”

“Oh! Uh, good! I’ve been… great…” Luigi deflates. He may have told Bowser what’s been going on at home, but he wasn’t yet comfortable telling anyone else about it. Kamek raises an eyebrow. Clasping his claws together, he puts his elbows on the table and leans his chin on his hands.

“Uh-huh…” The magikoopa grunts. When the Mario brother shies away, Kamek lets him be. A short glare from his king lets him know he’d be informed later anyway. Bowser leans back in his chair with a groan.

“Oof, I’m full. They did quite well today.” He comments. Picking up a napkin, he wipes his mouth and balls it up in one hand. The Koopa King doesn’t miss the way the brother leans a hair length away, but says nothing of it. He simply tosses the wad on his plate and abruptly stands up.

“Welp! I’m bored! What do you say we go out and see the troops? They’ve always got fun games to play when there’s nothing to do.” Bowser holds out a hand for Luigi to take, only to sweep it forward in the direction of the door when he realizes what he’s doing. Luigi looks between Kamek and Bowser as the magikoopa hops down and starts walking the opposite way.

“Um… Is Kamek not coming?” He mumbles, not sure if he was heard. Both Koopas stop walking and turn to the Mario brother with matching shock on their faces.

“Do you… want him to come?” Bowser asks, though not condescendingly.

“I mean- I don’t mind if- That is, I- Um… Y- yes…?” Not sure if that was the right thing to say, Luigi squeezes his eyes shut and waits to be told no. After all, Mario isn’t usually a fan of more than one person joining in on their adventures. That is, unless they’re his friends.

An amused hum is Bowsers response, followed by an excited gasp from behind. Luigi only opens his eyes when an arm snakes through his. Kamek has a massive grin on his face, practically skipping after his king while dragging the green-clad plumber along with. Luigi can’t help but mirror the infectious smile and picks up the pace to match Kamek’s.

…

It doesn’t take long for Bowser to find a game for them to squeeze their way into. Its a simple, mindless game the guards were playing to pass the time. Luigi was just thankful there didn’t seem to be much damage from it. At least, at first.

The goal of the game was that the Koopa that was next had to take a running start, tuck into their shell, and skim across the floor the farthest without falling into the lava pool a ways away. If you fell in, you were out. If you didn’t go far enough, you lost that point. The first to eleven points wins. It seemed easy enough. Bowser was overjoyed.

“Oh, yeah! I love this game!” He shouts, scooping up a red-shelled Koopa and skipping them forward. The Koopa just manages to be about three feet away from the lava pool. They pop up and take a breath of relief, quickly turning back to Bowser and giving their king a thumbs up and staying where they are.

The Dark Lands ruler returns it, accepting high-fives by the others around them. Luigi is the only one to not give him one, still concerned about the whole “pool of lava” part.

“Ah, don’t worry about it! If they fall in, they just become dry Koopas! They don’t actually die.” Bowser tries, scooping up another red Koopa. This one was a bit closer than the first, but the larger turtle was happy with the result all the same.

“Go ahead, try it. It’s fun!” Bowser elbows the Mario brother and gestures to the green-shelled Koopa that had already tucked himself in beside the human. When Luigi is still unsure, the Koopa pops their head back out.

“It’s ok! We do this all the time. No worries!” The Koopa smiles reassuringly, pulling their head back in. Considering the Koopa was half Luigi’s size within their shell, he wasn’t quite sure how to do this.

He walks around the Koopa for a second, trying to find the best way to go about this. Then, an idea suddenly comes to mind. He walks a distance away, and when he feels like he’s gone far enough, he sprints forward. At the last second, Luigi jumps. He plants both feet onto the Koopa’s shell and kicks forward, landing on his butt as the turtle glides across the courtyard.

When the green shell stops moving, they pop up from where they landed and wave back at the group. The brother had managed to send him slightly farther than the rest, yet still a foot away from the liquid rock.

“Well, would you look at that. You’re a natural.” Bowser says, bumping the plumber in the shoulder with his knuckle.

“Alright, Kamek. Your turn. Show us whatcha got!” Bowser taunts. Kamek steps forward, fixes his goggles with a smirk, and prepares for a good game of Koopa-Troopa-Slides.

Chapter Text

The sun has already set by the time Mario makes it back home, the flashlight in his hand making the trek up the hill alone a bit spooky. A strange queasy feeling in his stomach had been bothering him all day, and he wasn’t sure why. He didn’t think he’d eaten anything bad that morning…

When he crests the final step, he looks back up and promptly drops the flashlight.

“Luigi!” Mario cries, abandoning the light as it casts eerie shadows across their ravaged home. The red brother sprints forward, stopping just inside the still-open doorway.

“Oh no… Lu!” His call wavers as tears lump into the elder’s throat. In the darkness, all he sees is the trashed state the building was left in. Flicking on the light, Mario squints until his eyes become used to the brightness.

What he sees next is worse than what he hadn’t before. Holding himself up with the doorframe, he sees not only the true damage to the house, but also the trail of blood from the shattered television all the way to the kitchen.

“Luigi!” He cries again, unable to say anything else. He throws himself toward the end of the trail, only to find the kitchen empty. Scouring the room, all he finds is that dried red line leading to a blood spattered sink.

Mario continues to check the house, further tearing apart room after room to find whatever could have happened to his dear twin brother. When he reaches the bathroom, he finds the ruined remnants of the medicine cabinet. He also notices the shattered glass and melted metal mixed in the sink.

When no other clues present themselves, Mario slumps back toward the living room. The man sits heavily on the sofa, trying hard not to cry in lieu of figuring out what had happened and what he should do. Scrubbing at his eyes, he flinches at the pinpointed light of the flashlight still outside.

Sighing, the red-clad man figures he should get up and get it. He walks right back out the door to collect the wayward item. With the flashlight retrieved, he turns back around to go back inside.

“Mamma Mia!” Mario shrieks, just now realizing the giant hole directly beside the front door. The shape was unmistakable, and Mario’s blood begins to boil inside him.

“Bowser.” The elder brother growls under his breath.

…

Princess Peach groans at the sound of her new phone’s ringtone. She was so close to falling asleep, too. Opting to ignore it, she rolls over and huffs. Immediately after the phone stops ringing, it starts up again. And again. And again.

The princess lifts up her eye mask with a scoff, lunging into a sitting positon and snatching up the offending device. She’s fully prepared to put it on silent until she sees who the caller ID is.

“Mario, it’s nearly midnight!” Peach complains, covering her mouth as she yawns.

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry Peach, but I think my brother’s been kidnapped by Bowser!” The short plumber’s worried voice echoes through the receiver. She blinks, trying to allow her mind to catch up with her hearing.

“I’m sorry, but did you just say-?”

“Yes!” Mario interrupts, “He ain’t here, the house is destroyed and there’s-! There’s bl-…”The brother devolves into tears, finally fully waking up the princess.

“Oh, oh, ok. It’s going to be ok. When did you see him last?” She probes. Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, she tosses the blankets off and gets up to pace.

“This mornin’. A-at least I think I did.” He wobbles out.

“Ok, well, there may be a chance that he wasn’t there when Bowser attacked. We don’t know when that monster may have showed up, so don’t worry too much just yet. Could there be anywhere that he might have gone?” She tries her best to reassure her friend, already having stepped into her walk-in closet and picking out a dress to quickly change into.

“No! He doesn’t go anywhere! He just stays at home! He never goes out by himself!” The man chokes, edging on hysteria now.

“Mario, I need you to take a deep breath. Calm down; at least just a little. I’ll be right there. We’ll put together a search party to look through the forest. We will find him.” Princess Peach asserts, brushing the wrinkles out of her dress and slipping on her shortest heels. She has a feeling she’s going to need them.

…

Princess Peach had eventually invited Mario to stay at her palace for the night. After visiting the wreckage that was the brother’s’ home; after seeing what Mario had struggled to say-… No. She couldn’t bear to leave him there with that. Only after promising that the search parties would be put together first thing in the morning did the elder twin accept her offer.

He was the one to wake her up. His eyes were bloodshot. Dark bags underneath betrayed that the man hadn’t slept a wink that night.

“I’m sorry,” He mumbles, “I know you said I should sleep, but I just-…” His voice trails off into a defeated sigh.

“It’s ok. I can understand.” Peach offers a weak smile, patting his shoulder. She holds onto it as she turns him and leads the man to the council room. Her Toads should already be there. It should be quick work in getting them to form groups and spread across the Mushroom Kingdom.

Just as she predicted, she knew her Toads well. Groups were formed, buddies were found, and nearly every Toad in the Mushroom Kingdom flooded into the forest to find Mario’s lost sibling.

Chapter Text

“Yeah!” Bowser roars, his red-shell knocking Kamek’s dry Koopa into the lava for the third time and taking his place. The magikoopa, however, was not unnerved.

“Oh, very good sire! Your aim is most excellent!” The small Koopa congratulates, clapping excitedly. Bowser puffs out his chest in pride, waiting for Luigi to comment himself. The tired twin just gives the king a weak smile and a limp thumbs up.

The green brother’s entire self was dragging from the exercise he’d just done and the time catching up with him. He’d tapped out rather early, unused to doing so much activity, but having enjoyed every second of it. Who knew Bowser knew how to have fun without really hurting anyone? He even made sure to keep his troops out of the lava! Well, the non-skeletal ones, anyway.

“Hey! What’s up with you?” Bowser bothers, loping over and poking the human on the thigh. Luigi wasn’t sure when he’d laid down, but he couldn’t deny how comfortable he was as he curled up and tucked his hands under his head as a makeshift pillow. The Koopa king pouts, putting his fists on his hips.

“Don’t tell me you’re tired already! It’s not even midnight yet!” The giant turtle complains, pointing to the moon that was almost at its peak.

“Past bedtime… Sleep… At eight…” Luigi yawns, his eyes struggling to stay open. He was just too comfortable; the warmth of the fire around him somehow just perfect. Bowser humphs.

“Alright, fine. I guess we can go to bed early.” Bowser mumbles, scooping up the human in his elbow and waving goodbye to his citizens. Kamek decides to stay behind and keep playing with the guardsmen.

“We?” Luigi sighs, still trying his best to stay awake.

“Yeah. It’s no fun when you play these games with the same people everyday for your entire life. Might as well.” Bowser answers. Luigi falls in and out of sleep in the larger’s arms as they traverse the lengthy corridors. Eventually, the king pushes open a door. The sound prompts the plumber to open his eyes, only to find that he can’t.

“Where-…?” He breaths.

“Bed.” Bowser huffs. No sooner than he does, Luigi is gently placed on an incredibly soft surface. The bed conforms to his body, becoming the most comfortable place he’d ever laid in. Even the smell of smoke and sandalwood was intoxicating. It’s merely seconds before he’s out cold.

…

Upon waking up, Luigi finds himself somehow more comfy than the night before. Wriggling further under the heavy weight of his blanket, he takes a deep breath. His mind churns at the smell of cedar and ash, but he pushes it aside for the time being. It’s too early to be awake…

Then the “wall” his back is pressed against moves. However, it doesn’t move randomly; it’s more like… breathing?! Luigi’s eyes snap open, head whipping down to find that his blanket isn’t actually a blanket, and the comfortable warm breeze wasn’t a breeze.

The plumber silently screams when he realizes he’s being used as a living stuffed animal. His cheeks are like fire, burning hotter when Bowser pulls him closer and mumbles something incomprehensible in his sleep. His arms are pinned to his sides, so he doesn’t even have a chance to push or pull himself out of his predicament.

The younger brother tries to kick himself out for only a second. Unfortunately, it disturbs the giant turtle too much and makes the latter crush the squishy human to himself unconsciously. When Luigi is finally able to breathe again, he has an idea that feels more like a last resort.

“Kamek!” He squeaks as quietly as he can possibly manage. He doesn’t know just how much noise would wake the snoring Koopa King.

“Kamek!” He tries again, slightly louder this time. To his surprise, the magikoopa pops out of nowhere in his cloud of purplish-blue smoke.

“Yes, sire-? Oop!” The smaller turtle slaps his hands over his mouth. He takes a moment to study the situation as Luigi once again tries to struggle free.

“Kamek, please! Help me!” Luigi whispers. Bowser grunts, tightening his grip and rolling over, taking the human with him. Kamek simply transports himself to the other side to keep his eye on the wriggling green plumber.

“Don’t do that!” The magikoopa hisses under his breath. Luigi takes his word and stops, breathing heavily and shivering with fear.

“If you wake him up, he might become angry!” He warns. Luigi nods, his bottom lip starting to stick out.

“Then what do we do?” The brother whimpers.

“Nothing, I suppose. Just wait until he wakes up himself. Shouldn’t be long now; he usually wakes up around nine or ten. It’s nine thirty now.” Kamek informs. Luigi ragdolls in defeat, a heavy groan escaping his lips. Kamek just smiles.

“Oh, don’t be upset. Our majesty doesn’t usually sleep so soundly. I must thank you for that.” The magikoopa praises warmly, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Luigi sighs again. He resigns himself to having to wait for the massive turtle to wake up and prays that he isn’t angry with him for this.

Chapter Text

He doesn’t remember when he fell back asleep, but when he reawakens from his catnap, Luigi is just in time to see Bowser wake up himself. The Koopa King yawns powerfully, baring his incredibly sharp teeth and scratching his head at the same time. Bowser smacks his lips when his mouth closes, sighing contentedly while still holding onto the human.

Luigi allows himself to be manhandled as Bowser sits up and hops off the bed into his slippers. He carries the green-clad plumber over to his vanity. Setting him down on the table, he brushes his tuft of hair and rolls his tongue over his teeth, admiring them. Luigi is so afraid to move that Bowser still doesn’t notice the issue as he scoops him back into the crook of his arm.

The memory of last night finally flickers through the king’s mind just as his hand wraps around the doorknob. Surprised, the turtle twists Luigi in his arm enough to grab his wrist in that same hand, dragging him into the air to glare in his face. The man squawks in pain at the rough treatment, flexing his once-injured hand against the claws around his wrist.

“What the-?!” Bowser huffs, his breathing becoming heavier, eyes beginning to glow.

“Why-?!” His snarl cuts off and is replaced by recognition. He gently lowers the human to the ground.

“Oops, heh heh… Sorry about that,” The king mumbles, “I forgot.” He smiles sheepishly. Luigi whines to himself, rubbing his pulled shoulder. He levels Bowser with a wary frown. A bolt of concern the Koopa doesn’t understand rockets into his stomach and boils within. He wouldn’t be caught dead admitting it, though.

“Uh… You hungry? Breakfast sound good to you? I could really go for some pancakes right about now.” Bowser deflects, pushing the door open and holding it for the younger twin. Luigi has learned the cues by now, beginning to walk ahead. He’s snagged back by his collar by a single claw.

“Oh, wait!” Bowser chirps, “You can go out looking like that!” He chastises. The Koopa King picks Luigi back up and brings him over to the vanity. He’s plopped back down on the table as Bowser points to his hair.

“Brush.” He instructs. Luigi looks around to find Bowser’s personal brush way too big. Thankfully, unlike his own brother, he always carries a comb in his pocket. The human makes quick work of his features, and no sooner does he finish does the giant turtle sweep him back up and rush for the door.

“Man, I’m starving! How can you eat so little?” Bowser balks at the man sitting in his elbow.

“Um… I’m half your size?” Luigi guesses. Bowser laughs.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right! Why’d you say it like that, though?” He teases. Luigi doesn’t get to answer. He’s whisked through the same doors that lead to that massive table. He’s once again seated in what must now be deemed his chair, the Koopa King taking his own seat and rubbing his hands together.

“So, what’s it gonna be?” Bowser grins. Luigi blinks. He didn’t think he’d actually get to choose again.

“Pancakes… do sound pretty good.” He chuckles softly. Bowser beams, tilting his head up as he had the night before. This time, Luigi knew to cover his ears.

“Kamek!” Bowser booms. The familiar magikoopa pops up in the place he had before, giving Luigi a small wave this time before addressing his king.

“Yes sire?” Kamek asks.

“Pancakes all around!” Bowser cries, banging his fist on the table. Something in Luigi stirs for a second, and he does something that surprises himself to the core.

“Can Kamek stay for breakfast, too?” He requests. Bowser only grins wider, the magikoopa mirroring the expression.

“Of course! I don’t see why not. You want pancakes, Kamek?” The ruler of the Dark Lands smirks.

“Oh, yes sire! That sounds delicious! I’ll put your order in right away!” The magikoopa titters, leaving once more to the kitchens. Bowser slumps happily in his chair, scratching his neck and flicking a stray scale off his talon.

“Thank you…” Luigi mumbles.

“Hm?” Bowser hums, turning his full attention to the human. Luigi’s heart swells at the acknowledgment, almost forgetting what he was trying to say.

“Oh. I said ‘thank you.’ For letting Kamek stay for breakfast. And for letting me play that game with you all last night. And for dinner. And letting me sleep here… And for-.” Luigi rambles. Bowser cuts him off with a single claw to his lips.

“Shh sh sh. I got it; no need to continue. You’re welcome.” Bowser rumbles. He pulls back and opens his mouth to speak again. Kamek’s signature smoke cloud interrupts.

“They should be out any second, sire.” The magikoopa reports, taking his seat at the table. Instead of being upset like Luigi expects, Bowser instead smiles at the smaller turtle.

“Very good! Thank you, Kamek.” Bowser praises. Kamek giggles to himself and picks at his claws under the table. The king turns back to Luigi to complete his unfinished thought.

“So, Luigi,” Bowser drawls, “You ever play piano before?”

Chapter Text

Reports come filtering in as the Toads return; none successful. They continue to check every nook and cranny of the forest until sundown. Mario and Princess Peach lead the search, neither backing down.

Even as the Toads begin to filter back home, Mario refuses to take a break. Peach quite literally has to force the brother to eat as they walk.

“Mario, we probably won’t find him in a day. You must sit down! Just for a second. Please?” Peach tugs on a red sleeve, but the short plumber pulls his arm away.

“I can’t! I gotta find ‘im. It’s my fault! It’s all my-… Oh, Peach, what have I done…?” Mario plops down, reaching up to roughly rip his hat off his head. He refuses to lift his eyes from the letter on the front as the princess sits down beside him, placing a hand on his back.

“It’s going to be ok-.”

“How?!” Mario jumps to his feet, cutting her off and throwing his hat to the ground.

“How is this gonna be ok?! Luigi is out there, somewhere, probably hurt! Or scared! Or both! And it all my fault!” His voice crackles as his volume rises, “I pushed him away! I was so busy that I wasn’t there to protect him! To just be with him! And now, all I’m doin’ is sittin’ around like a lazy piece of crap, instead of findin’ my bestest friend and tellin’ him that I’m sorry!” Mario collapses back down on another fallen mushroom, dropping his face into his hands as his back twitches with his emotions.

Peach slowly gets to her feet and gingerly makes her way over to her friend. Softly sitting back down, she replaces her hand on his back and rubs small circles into it. She allows him to sob in silence, not sure what else to do.

“I shoulda been there for ‘im…” Mario whimpers between tears, “I shoulda spent more time with him; shoulda taken the time to be with my brother, instead of runnin’ off on him whenever I got the chance…” Mario sniffles.

“And now, I can’t do nothin’ but sit here and bitch and moan about what I shoulda done… But I didn’t. I coulda, but I didn’t. I wouldn’t blame him if he never forgives me after this if we find him…” Mario brushes the back of his hand across his nose.

“When,” Princess Peach asserts softly, “When we find him. And I’ve seen the way you two care for one another. I’m pretty sure he’ll forgive you.” She says in a near whisper. She picks up Mario’s hat by her foot and brushes a few stray blades of grass off the top. She hands it back to him with a gentle smile. He takes it, returning her smile with a weak one of his own.

“He had these made for us, you know? He always liked hats…” Mario’s bottom lip quivers as his sadness rebuilds. He hugs the hat tight to his chest, takes a deep and breath and gets to his feet. Peach stands up herself for the second time, joining him by his side.

The plumber takes a moment with his eyes closed to steady himself. Once he’s ready, he pulls his hat back on and opens his eyes again. His expression is nothing short of determined.

“Alright,” He barks, “Let’s go find my brother.”

Chapter Text

Luigi yawns for the hundredth time, cheek in hand and elbow propped against ivory keys. He’d been leaning for so long, the notes he was pressing had long since stopped making sound. So deep in Bowser’s castle, and with no means of telling the time, the green plumber feels as though he’d been sitting here bored for days.

“Now watch, ‘cause I’m not gonna say this again-.” Bowser demands, his clawed fingers hovering over the instrument.

“You said that the last ten times.” Luigi groans. Bowser huffs at the brother’s complaining, quickly turning the other way and blowing out a small jet of fire. The younger twin is no longer fazed. Taking a deep breath, Bowser sighs to release the rest of his tension.

“Alright, you’ve got to be-.”

“Loose. I know.” Luigi moans, dropping his head onto the keys. The piano protests at the sudden attack, both ignoring the eye-twitching turtle. The plumber sits back up and yawns his biggest one yet.

“If you do that again, I swear, I will stick my finger in your mouth.” Bowser threatens. Luigi just waves him off and blinks incredibly slowly.

He has to force his eyes back open to keep from falling asleep. Bowser pushes the man until he’s forced to flail to stay upright. Luigi squawks indignantly at the Koopa King. Bowser laughs at the other’s stink eye.

…

Just a few more keys. Luigi tells himself, I’m almost there! Then we can do something else! The plumber hammers out the last few notes to the major surprise of the Dark Lands king. For someone who supposedly had never played before, it was rather impressive.

“Huh. You picked that up rather quick. And you’re sure you’ve never played before?” Bowser interrogates.

“Nope, never! I just pick things up really quickly. Ma almost sent me to gifted school, but I said no ‘cause Mario wasn’t gonna be coming with.” Luigi preens. It was one of the things he was actually proud of with himself.

“So you really do everything Mario says?” Bowser pokes, gently closing the piano cover with a soft clunk.

“Well- Not everything everything…” the brother pouts. The giant turtle raises an eyebrow at him.

“Uh-huh. Tell me one thing that you both have done that you specifically wanted to do.” He barks. Put on the spot, Luigi’s mind instantly goes blank. No! Not right now! The man chastises himself.

“There’s- there’s a lot of things! I just… can’t think of them right now…” The plumber admits, “But when I do think of them, I will tell you!” He snaps.

“Right.” Bowser smirks.

“What time is it? I’m hungry.” He complains.

“You’re always hungry.” Luigi mutters under his breath. He wasn’t expecting the king to be able to hear him.

“Well, yeah! Have you seen me?” Bowser stands from the bench and jokingly begins to flex his arms. Luigi laughs at the show, which only makes the Koopa King flex harder.

Bowser eventually challenges the Mario brother to a flex off; one that Luigi shockingly agrees to. He warns that he doesn’t have much, but Bowser is just surprised he has any at all. The man downright looks like a walking twig.

Kamek is the one to intrude on their little game. He stands off to the side where he hasn’t been noticed yet and enjoys the show. He mentally curses himself for not bringing something to munch on.

After a while, he really does have to pass his report on to his king. Kamek clears his throat to gain attention.

“Excuse me, sires? I have an urgent report for you.” He offers. Bowser sighs in irritation.

“Being a king is kinda annoying sometimes.” Bowser growls to the human. The young man chuckles at the large Koopa as he turns to accept the report from his advisor.

“Alright, Kamek. What is it?” The Koopa King sighs. The magikoopa clears his throat.

“Intelligence from the Mushroom Kingdom. The princess and the other human have been combing the forest all day. They are searching for him.” Kamek says, pointing behind his leader at the green plumber. Luigi rushes around Bowser, invading Kamek’s space.

“Mario? He’s looking for me? But why?” He begs. Kamek shrugs.

“We don’t know. He is your brother?” He guesses.

“What time is it?” Bowser rumbles.

“It’s, um… Seven ‘o clock?” Kamek says. Luigi gasps.

“I’ve been gone for two whole days!” Luigi cries. No wonder Mario is freaking out! Luigi never goes anywhere without telling him! And never any longer than an hour or two at most.

The thought makes the twin lightheaded, the brother swaying on his feet and falling backward onto the piano bench. His breathing is erratic as he’s thrown into a mild panic attack. Bowser looks to Kamek for what to do, only earning a shrug in response. He snarls at the magikoopa, who cowers away.

Stepping forward, the giant turtle kneels down and places a tentative hand on the human’s shoulder.

“Hey, relax!” Bowser tries, gently squeezing said shoulder, “If you want, we can send the little jerk a message. How’s that?” He offers. Luigi gawks at him.

“He’s not a jerk!” The man snaps.

“Well what do you want me to say?! I may be ok with you, but he’s a real pain in my shell!” Bowser refutes. Luigi opens his mouth to retaliate, but can’t find anything to prove the other wrong. Mario really is a jerk to Bowser, now that he thinks about it… He closes his mouth and nods instead.

“Ok… Yeah, I would like that. Can we tell him that I’m fine and that I’ll be away for a few more days?” Luigi fiddles with his fingers as he asks. Bowser’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

“You wanna stay?” The king presses. The plumber nods hesitantly. It’s all the giant turtle needs. He whoops excitedly, jumping to his feet and offering his hand for Luigi to take.

“Come on! Let’s go write that letter!” Bowser chuckles, unable to hide his excitement. Luigi gives him his own nervous smirk as he takes the appendage, allowing the other to wrap his hand on the larger’s forearm and hold it there as they walk.

A light tinge of pink spatters across Luigi’s cheeks, and he turns his head away to hide it from Bowser. He comes face to face with Kamek instead. The magikoopa dances his eyebrows at the brother’s reaction, which only makes the blushing worse.

Chapter Text

“Princess! Princess!” A Toad cries, running through the mushroom forest as fast as his little legs can carry him. As part of the royal intelligence, their recent job was to spread out and find Bowser’s castle.

After a full day of searching, a group of two Toads, including this one, had finally found the floating palace. It was circling the Mushroom Kingdom much slower than it usually would travel. It was almost as if it must be waiting for something. It immediately set the secret agents on high alert, one electing to stay and keep watch as the other goes to warn the princess and their people.

The runner had been told Princess Peach and the hero human were in this direction. He’d been running for quite a while, almost believing that he’d been told wrong. He slows down to catch his breath, taking stock of the situation at hand.

He realizes his proof of direction is correct when, in the distance, there seems to be a shouting match. Two voices are unmistakable, but worry strikes when another is present.

The Toad cranks up the speed, running harder than he ever had before. They arrive at the clearing seconds later, skidding to a stop and jumping behind a fallen mushroom trunk. Peeking over the top, he can just make out the princess and the Mario brother he’d been searching for. The other voice was hidden from view behind another giant mushroom as the red-clad plumber screams and yells in anger.

“I asked ‘where is he?!’ I don’t want to hear any more than that right now!” Mario squeals.

“If you would just let me-.” The stranger tries.

“No! You know where he is! I know you do! I swear, if any of you touch one hair on my brother’s head-!” The plumber shrieks. The two continue to go back and forth. Mario’s face becomes as red as his shirt as they carry on. If not for Princess Peach struggling to hold him back, the older twin surely would be attacking whoever it was he was screaming at.

The Toad sits patiently in his hiding place, waiting for his turn to sneak in and tell the princess of the spy’s’ findings. Just as he thinks he has a good slot, the stranger walks out from behind the giant mushroom straight towards the flailing sibling.

An elder magikoopa with shoulder-length white hair and pink and purple robes edges forward with a decorative envelope in her claws. She holds it out as far as her arm can stretch.

“I was asked to deliver this to you by our majesty, King Bowser and his guest. I can’t remember his name right now, but he’s tall, skinny, and has a mustache just like yours.” The old turtle snaps, clearly irritated from their ongoing argument.

The fight the brother was putting up just seconds before seems to drain from the human in an instant.

“Luigi…?” He whispers, practically rag-dolling to the ground. The princess finally lets go as he falls, standing up straight and brushing the wrinkles from her skirt. The Toad watches as the Princess is the one to cautiously retrieve the letter, walking back to the slumped-over man and ripping open the envelope. Her voice echos through the air as clear and steady as it always is.

“Dear Mario,

I’m sorry that I ran off without telling you where I was going, but I’m not ready to come home yet. I’m not telling you where I am, so please don’t come looking for me. Please don’t worry about me, either. I just need some space for now. I just wanted to let you know that I’m safe and that I’ll be home sometime in the next few days.

P.S. I’m sorry about the tv. I’ll get a new one.

Love, Luigi.” The Toad watches the Mario brother slowly curl into a ball, hugging his knees tightly and tucking his head into them the longer Peach speaks. His body shakes between the quiet sobs that escape the human sphere.

When the princess finishes the last sentence, she kneels down and begins rubbing circles into the plumber’s back. She gently nudges the letter into the man’s hand. He lifts his fingers enough for her to tuck the paper in them, only for him to stuff it in between his legs and chest and tighten up further.

With him out of commission, princess Peach is left to thank the magikoopa and ask the old woman to leave. The elder bows, and with a twist of her staff, she disappears in a cloud of pinkish-purple smoke. Only then does the Toad hop out from hiding and make his way over to deliver his princess the news.

Chapter Text

Luigi can’t help the tears from dotting the surface of the letter. He tries to wipe them away; to keep them from leaving marks on the page. He only makes it worse when the water smears and the paper soaks up just enough to leave three little smudges in the middle.

Figuring what he wrote would be enough, he signs the letter and folds it as neat as he can. He hands it to Bowser, who tucks that comically small slip of paper into an envelope that Luigi had picked out before he’d started.

“Aaaand there we go! All wrapped up and ready to go,” Bowser smirks softly.

“Y’know, if you really want me to send it, you’re gonna have to get down.” Because of the height difference of the table and chair, Luigi had been pretty much forced to sit on Bowser’s lap to reach. With another deep blush and harsh sniffle, Luigi wriggles his way down. Bowser doesn’t make it easy, considering the larger hadn’t scooted the chair back to give him room.

“There. Now- You know what? Why don’t you do the honors?” The Koopa King hums, handing the envelope over to the younger twin. Luigi takes it in shaking hands.

“I don’t know if I can do this… Should I just go home?” His eyes glisten with a sheen of tears ready to fall. A single drop escapes, and Bowser wipes it away with a gentle thumb. The giant turtle uses a finger under the other’s chin to make him look at the king.

“Just do whatever will make you happy, not what you think will make others happy with you. If you truly want to go home, then I will respect your wish.” Bowser coos. He lets Luigi go and watches the human look at the ground in thought.

A selfish thought runs through the king’s mind, hoping desperately for the other to stay. He smashes it down. If Luigi wants to leave, he won’t stand in his way. Not this time.

“K-Kammy?” The Mario brother’s soft voice echos against the high ceiling. Bowser finds himself holding his breath, but even with this knowledge, he can’t let it go. His elder magikoopa pops into the room, waiting patiently for her next task.

“May you… take this letter to my brother please?” Luigi wavers out. He holds the envelope out for the old woman to take. When she goes to retrieve it, it takes a moment for his fingers to release their grip. Kammy offers him a sweet grin.

“Of course, sire. I promise to not leave a single wrinkle on it.” She vows, giving a deep bow and magicking away in the middle of it. Luigi doesn’t even get to say ‘Thank you.’ He makes a mental note to do so later.

Bowser waits for Luigi to turn back to him; to say something that he can answer to let this breath of nervousness out. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to wait long.

“I think I want to go… somewhere for a little bit… Do you have anything else to do?” The green plumber asks, clearly still shaken from what he’d just done. Bowser looks on in pity, slowly blowing out a puff of relieved steam and nodding carefully.

“Of course. What’s your take on libraries?” Bowser grins.

…

“Mamma Mia…” Luigi whispers, tilting his head back as far as he can. Even still, he can’t see the true height of the room Bowser has brought him to. Every shelf is stuffed with books so tight, you have to wrestle with them to get them out.

“Each section is marked for whatever you may want to read. I honestly don’t really come in here, so I don’t actually know what’s where. Reading isn’t really my thing, but Kamek, Kammy, and plenty of my troops like to visit this place whenever they have the time. If you want, I can have Kamek show you where things are to start.” The turtle offers. Luigi, having been walking through the room to the closest shelf, reaches out and yanks a book from its place. Glancing at the title, he stumbles back to once again look at the towering library.

“I can read… all of these?” The man gasps. The Koopa King bellows out a laugh that echoes through the wing. A blue-shell general looks down at the two as he hovers in front of a shelf.

“I don’t think you’ll live long enough for that, but you can try if you want.” He chuckles. Luigi hugs the book he’s holding to his chest and whips toward the king.

“Where’s the mystery stories?” Luigi begs, stars glittering in his eyes. Bowser gives a toothy grin and calls for his advisor.

…

“What have you got there?” Bowser chuckles, watching Luigi trot happily over to his own seat he’d been given next to the king’s. Bowser had been seated at the table in the middle of the library for quite some time, just happy to observe as the green-clad human runs around with Kamek.

“A book about two koopas that fell in love, but couldn’t be together because one of them is royalty while the other isn’t!” Luigi happily replies. He’d been steadily collecting piles upon piles of books that were scattered over nearly the entire table.

He tosses the new book in the middle of the pile. The Koopa King had skimmed a few while he reclined, but mostly he just enjoyed the show as Kamek was running ragged trying to keep up. The poor magikoopa had even had to use his teleportation a few times.

It seemed as though Luigi was satisfied by the time the man finally made himself comfortable. He stretched over the tabletop and pulled back the first book closest to him.

“What’s that one?” Bowser probes lazily, cheek pressed in his palm while his elbow was propped on the table. The green brother checks the spine of the relatively bland book cover. He gasps when he sees what it is. With how many books the man had grabbed, Bowser wasn’t even surprised Luigi didn’t remember the books he’d brought over.

“It’s a cookbook! ‘How To Make The Perfect Loaf: Breads From Around The World.’ I love bread!” Luigi cries, hugging the book to himself before cracking it open to the middle.

“I can tell!” Bowser barks out another laugh, “You ate nearly an entire loaf last night all by yourself!” He continues to laugh as Luigi’s face turns bright pink in embarrassment.

“Well I-!” The man sputters, “You- You’re the one who put it in front of me!” He jabs a finger at the king. Bowser reels himself in down to a lighthearted chuckle.

“I did.” He hums wistfully.

“Hey. If you want, I can have the chefs clear a space for you in the kitchen. You can see if that cookbook is any good.” Bowser points out. Luigi gasps.

“Really?! I can do that?!” The green twin squeals. The giant turtle raises his eyebrows.

“Would you like that?” He presses.

“Yes! Oh, I miss cooking! I haven’t been able to cook since we moved to the Mushroom Kingdom!” Luigi giggles, hopping down to the floor and whooping with excitement.

Bowser watches the little man practically skip across the library to the door. By the time Luigi had jumped down, Kamek had finally managed to drag himself over to the cluttered table. He scoffs in dismay as he too watches the cause of the mess take off with one singular book out of the eighty he’d picked. Bowser chuckles lowly, leaning over to mumble to the magikoopa.

“Don’t worry about it; just leave it here. He’ll come back for them, I’m sure of it.” Kamek sighs deeply in relief, taking Luigi’s chair as Bowser goes to stand.

“Don’t know why you’re sitting down. Luigi is going to make food. You want some?” He offers. Kamek mulls it over for show, already scooting toward the front of the chair until he slips off back onto his feet.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Bowser snickers, “Come on!” He waves for his advisor to follow as they trail after the human out into the hall.

Chapter Text

Princess Peach walks solemnly through her palace halls. Her Toads thankfully keep their distance, making her seemingly endless journey feel a little faster. She makes a right turn. Then another right. A left. Right. Right. The last left brings her to where she wants to be. The guest suites.

One guest suite in particular is her target. Stepping in front of it, she takes a deep breath. She lets it out slowly as she gently knocks on the door. When no one answers, she knocks again.

When the second request is also met with silence, Peach straights up and turns the doorknob. She didn’t actually think it would be unlocked.

The princess cracks the door open and pokes her head in. She scans the pitch black room as best she can, but she still can’t see.

“Mario?” She calls, hoping for permission to enter. He still doesn’t respond.

“Mario? May I come in?” She states, already halfway over the threshold. The quiet of the room becomes almost eerie as she slips the rest of the way in and shuts the door with a soft click.

She gingerly makes her way over to where she knows the bed is supposed to be. She reaches out to touch the edge to know when she’s reached it.

The blanket is, as expected, lifted as it’s put into use. She stretches out her hand to feel for her guest’s shoulder, flinching when she feels something wiry, yet soft.

“That’s my mustache…” Her quarry’s voice whispers. She hasn’t noticed she’s still touching it until he turns his back to her. She’s suddenly immensely grateful for the darkness of the room as she feels her cheeks light up. She yanks her hand back.

“Oh… Sorry.” She mutters. The princess takes a seat on the edge of the mattress.

“Dinner is ready… Do you want to come out to eat? Or would you prefer I send it up here?” Peach asks. She sighs when he still doesn’t say anything.

“Mario, you have to eat. I’m not asking whether you want to or not, I’m asking where you would prefer to-.”

“I know,” Mario barks, “‘M not hungry…” He mumbles. Princess Peach huffs.

“Mario, beating yourself up over this isn’t going to help anyone. Least of all yourself! He said he’ll be back. Just give him some time.” The princess urges. Once again given no response, she clicks her tongue and stands.

“I’m going to send your dinner up here. You’d better eat it, or I will come up here and make you.” She threatens, turning on her heel and marching back toward the door. Just as her hand grazes the handle, Mario finally speaks.

“I’m- I’m scared… that he won’t-…” His voice is so soft she can barely hear his words. It isn’t helped when his voice cracks as well. She turns to look at him through the darkness, a heaviness becoming apparent in the room she hadn’t noticed before.

“He will be back.” She states. He hums back as though he doesn’t believe her. She sighs to herself when she hears him shift away from her for the last time.

Slipping out of the room, she fights the urge to slam the door shut. Instead, she throws her back against it and groans.

“Oh, Luigi... If only you knew how much Mario misses you.” She sighs. The princess leans for a minute to clear her mind, eventually heading back down to eat alone for the first time in two years.

…

The next morning, it was harder for the princess to rise than ever before. The woman dreaded the walk toward the guest suites. She knew what she’d find.

Just knowing doesn’t suppress the sting she receives when she sees the untouched tray outside Mario’s door. Nudging it aside with her foot, she reaches out and turns the handle. It’s still open as it had been the night before.

“Mario?” Peach calls.

“I know you’re still in here. You haven’t touched your dinner from last night.” She chastises. A heavy sigh greets her as she fully enters the room. The red plumber is still laying where he’d been since he’d arrived.

“And now I know you’re awake, too…” She mumbles to herself, now halfway across the room. Upon reaching the bed for the second time, she grips the upper hem of the comforter and whisks it away. Only his feet are left covered, the rest of him left to curl up to preserve heat from the sudden chill. She instantly notices that he hadn’t even changed since two days ago; since before Luigi disappeared.

“Ugh, really? When was the last time you took care of yourself?” Princess Peach puts her fists on her hips and taps her foot impatiently. He grunts to the woman behind him, reaching up and yanking the pillow over his head. Tossing her hands out to her sides, she reaches out to take the pillow away, but stops herself.

She sighs, dropping her hands to her sides.

“Alright, fine… If this will make you feel better, then I’ll let you be. But please don’t stay in here forever. You know Luigi wouldn’t want you to… Right?” She chirps. He gives no response, too busy stuffing his head under the pillow to hide from the world. She sighs one last time, turning and leaving him to work through his problems. She checks on him every now and again throughout the day, but there he remains.

Chapter Text

When Bowser had agreed to letting the green-clad Mario brother cook in his castle’s kitchens, he hadn’t been prepared for a human half his size to managed to prepare this much food. And it never seemed to end, either!

There were about five different pastas, twelve different loaves of bread, three kinds of pizzas, eight salads, seven types of soup, and four different sauces to go with all of it. All of this wasn’t even a part of the desserts yet! Luigi put together a small mountain of pancakes, three large tarts, two different kinds of cheesecake, and three regular cakes, all in different flavors. And it didn’t stop there.

There were sweet breads and ice creams, followed by cookies and brownies. Some messed up eclairs had been apparently repurposed into cupcakes. Even some cobblers were in the works.

The koopas and goombas kept coming as each dish was completed, the king’s eyes growing wider and wider with each tray. After the last dessert, he finally decided to call it. As much as he loved food, the little human was going to drown him in it!

“Luigi!” Bowser bellows, barging into the kitchen. They doors slam against the walls with a loud bang. The man squeaks in fright, arm halfway into another bowl of what appeared to be another kind of bread. The Koopa King winces at his own voice. He hadn’t meant to frighten him.

“Luigi, look,” He sighs, “As much as I like everything that you’ve made, you’ve worked literally all night. And there’s no way I’m going to be able to eat all this myself! Even if I have Kamek to help me! Maybe you can be done after that one there?” He gives a sheepish grin and pokes a claw toward the bowl the twin was still holding.

Luigi looks down at his newest work in progress, then out across the counters. Every single one was covered in bowls and utensils to the point that you couldn’t even see the granite countertops. He drops the bowl down in the last open space and tosses his hands in the air.

“Mamma Mia! Did I do all of that?!” He cries, stumbling down his step ladder. Bowser’s eyebrows fly sky high.

“Wait, what? Did you seriously not notice how much you’ve been making?” His voice tilts into an amused snicker as the green plumber looks at him in shock.

“No! I don’t remember doing most of this! I just remember having ideas and making them as they come!” Luigi whines.

Bowser can’t help himself. He explodes into laughter, mouth wide and tears beginning to streak down his cheeks. His enjoyment is redoubled when he catches a quick glimpse of Luigi’s tomato-red embarrassed face.

The brother just stands there and waits for the ruler of the Dark Lands to finish, trying hard not to look at the mess he’s made of the kitchen. Eventually, his own embarrassment dies down as he realizes just how funny the situation really is. And to make matters worse, he really is tired now that the rush of excitement to create has ended.

His own laughter joins the Koopa King’s. They continue on for a long while until Bowser starts choking on himself.

“Aw, man. I’ve got a stitch in my side!” He complains through a chortle. Luigi doesn’t hear it through his own giggling.

A strange fluttering feeling grips the king’s heart when he hears that sound, his own laughter cut by a soft gasp. The air is left to Luigi, Bowser burning this moment to his memory without thinking. A brush of heat dances across the giant turtle’s features, one so different from the blazing fires he’s always known. It’s… nice? Really nice. An I-want-to-feel-this-forever nice.

Luigi is left to sway on his feet in exhaustion, soft chuckles slipping through a slanted grin when he tires out. His vision flickers for a moment, only to return when he’s already incredibly comfortably tucked in another’s arms.

“I think you need to be in bed.” Bowser’s voice whispers in his ear.

“Did you like the food?” Luigi sighs.

“I tried it all. It was the best I’ve ever had.” The Koopa King admits. The brother hums tiredly.

“I’m… really glad…” He yawns, his last words ended by a soft snore.

Bowser chuckles down at his armful, the human curled against his chest. His mouth is slightly open, a small trickle of drool already dribbling down the smaller’s chin. His tiny, almost inaudible snores catch Bowser’s attention every time. The king resorts to just watching him sleep as he walks. He takes the back way out. No need to have anyone bother them over this.

“Goodnight… Luigi…” He whispers. Only the empty hallway is to remember his treasonous tone.

…

Bowser creeps out of the crack in the doorway that he’d left, hissing quietly when a spike on his back scrapes against the metal-edged door. Clearing the threshold, he takes one last glance at the slumbering form sprawled out in the middle of his bed. Dipping his head, he pulls himself away and shuts the door with a dull thunk.

His forehead connects to hard wood with a hollow clunk, followed by a deep groan. He didn’t know exactly how long he stood there beside that mattress, blankly watching the human twist and turn until he eventually found a position that must have been the most comfortable. Bowser felt like he was in a trance where he’d stood, one that he knew he had to leave but desperately wanted to stay in.

He couldn’t place what his feelings were doing, and if he was being honest, he was a little afraid to. He’d only ever felt this feeling once before. The day he first saw Princess Peach for the first time, all he wanted was to be near her.

He knew his actions bordered on obsession. He also knew deep down that everything he’d done over the years had grown more and more psychotic. The Koopa King only kept going harder the more his feelings for the woman slipped; each rejection stinging less and less every time. He was hoping the flickering flame in his heart would reignite to that familiar bonfire the more he pushed. It seemed all a routine then actual love at this point.

And then: the damn Mario brothers show up out of nowhere and get in his way. Peaches found interest in that shortstop Mario, while he got stuck with the nervous-ninny of a beanpole. At first, Bowser was enraged at the sight of the green plumber. How dare these humans intrude on his plans?!

He watched from his throne as the younger twin was yanked to the ground, and it took all of Bowser’s mental strength not to get up and check on him. Something about the shaking figure before him instantaneously pulled him in, and he felt fear course through his veins at what that might mean.

Bowser had to admit to himself later that he wasn’t as harsh as he could have been when he was demanding information. He’d done far worse to more terrified people without batting an eye. So what made Luigi so different from them?

The king groans again, bonking his head against the solid surface for the second time. In his peripheral, the familiar bluish-purple cloud of smoke by his side signals the arrival of his advisor. He groans for a third time in lieu of actually greeting the other.

“Sire? You didn’t return to the dining room… Were you alright?” Kamek presses. Bowser peers at him out of the corner of his eye.

“We’re fine. Luigi just fell asleep, so I brought him to bed.” Bowser sighs curtly. He figures he shouldn’t be so rude. Kamek was just making sure he was alright; as he should. However, he did interrupt his musings…

“‘Luigi,’ sire?” The magikoopa’s voice has shifted dangerously into teasing territory, and Bowser was having trouble figuring out why. Not knowing was causing his prior irritation to rise.

“What? That’s his name, isn’t it?” He snaps. Kamek, in a stunning act of bravery, stands firm and cocks an eyebrow at his king.

“Yes, sire; I know.” He lilts. The smaller turtle crosses his arms, shifting his stance to a more confident one. Of what, Bowser is still not privy to. The king growls in his subordinate’s face.

“Don’t start with me. Not today. You know how much I don’t like you speaking in circles.” He warns. Kamek coughs slightly, his nerves returning him to his place.

“I-I just mean to say that… well… You seem happier, sire!” The magikoopa smiles reassuringly. However, the simple explanation is not enough. There’s something the other won’t say that’s creating an itch in Bowser’s brain. The Koopa King doesn’t like it.

“What do you mean by that?” He snarls, dropping his voice low and slow. If Kamek doesn’t talk, his final warning will be just that; final. The magikoopa licks his lips, taking a second to think of the best answer to present to his leader.

“I… think… that maybe this human may be… taking the princess’s place? For you? Sire…?” The smaller of the two shrinks further away the more he speaks, still unsure whether or not he’d just doomed himself. Bowser takes a second to just stare at him, allowing the words to sink in. His eye twitching is the only warning Kamek gets.

“WHAT?!” Bowser roars. Kamek flinches harshly as his king shoves his face into the other’s.

“Who do you think you are to assume that I don’t love Peaches?! I-“

“I never said you didn’t love the princess, sire! I only meant that you may find him more receptive-!” Kamek is quaking now, and rightly so. Wisps of flames tickle at the corners of Bowser’s mouth in his rage, primed and ready.

“I don’t like him like that! How dare you accuse me of caring for him! I could never love him the way I do her!” The Koopa King’s heart aches as he yells, his very self denying his own words. A soft voice from behind him is the last crack that shatters his glass heart.

“Never…?” The one clipped word blows Bowser’s temper out like a match. The giant turtle slowly turns around, condemned to find watery eyes and quivering lips. The plumber is clearly running a mental marathon just to remain where he’s standing.

Bowser has no idea what to do. On one hand, he should follow up with what he said. After all, Peach is supposed to be his one and only. Period.

On the other hand, he thought he’d never feel these feelings again. The same emotions he’d gotten when he met Peach for the first time. The same ones he’d been trying to keep alight no matter how much that woman tried to stamp them out. And now, he was confused, angry, and hurt about it. And none of it was Luigi’s fault.

Except that it was. All of it was. The way his eyes lit up when he was excited. His soft tuft of hair that always seemed to smell faintly of spearmint. The tiny quirk of a smile won when it seemed as though no light would return to his being. And Bowser couldn’t be sure, but at least to him, the man seemed to glow whenever he was happy; as though he were radiating enough positive energy for them both. The list went on and on for just those meager two days they’d been together, and now it seemed it was all about to fall apart.

His mouth starts moving before he can think.

“N-no! I didn’t mean that! Please, Luigi, you have to believe me!” Bowser panics. But it’s too late; the damage is done. With no other options, the twin does the only thing he can think of. He runs.

“Luigi!” Bowser shouts after the fleeing figure. He has no idea where the human might go, and he has a strong suspicion the latter doesn’t either. Before he can follow, a magician’s staff blocks his way forward. He turns to glare wide-eyed at his shaking advisor.

“Sire, please… Let him go for now. He needs his space…” Kamek implores.

“But I-!”

“Sire! He needs his time! If you push him, you may lose him forever! He isn’t like the princess; he can’t handle it!” The magikoopa asserts. Bowser sighs in defeat, his mind racing like never before. Why Luigi? His thoughts chant over and over. He drops down to the floor, leaning heavily against the wall.

“Kamek, what have I done?” He moans.

“You lied.” His advisor says, taking a seat next to his king.

“How?” Bowser huffs, genuinely at a loss.

“You lied to yourself. And in this way, you’ve just lied to him.” Kamek enlightens. The magician waits until he’s sure his words have sunk in before finishing with a heavy blow,

“You love him, sire. And judging by his reaction just now? He must have been starting to love you, too...”

Chapter Text

With no clear direction, and no plan to speak of, Luigi sprints down hall after empty hall hoping to find anyone that knew their way around this place. Either that, or at least let him find a room he’d been in before.

Right now, he just wanted to go home. He wanted to curl up in his bed, throw his covers over his head, and block out the world for a while. He wants-. He wants…

“Mario…” His whispered cry wobbles with desperation. He knows it’s a little childish, but his brother always made his hurt go away, no matter what it was. And now, he didn’t even know how far away from the Mushroom Kingdom Bowser’s castle had drifted.

The knowledge that he might never see his beloved sibling again was the final straw, and he had no one to blame but himself. Choked sobs crackled beneath sheets of tears, his panic thrown into hysteria as his mind muddles in the fear. Now he truly doesn’t know where he’s going, because he doesn’t even remember which way he’d just come from.

He has half a mind to scan the hallway he’s in for somewhere to hide; somewhere he can fold away into a more comfortable space. He needs to take a second to breathe; to collect himself before he loses himself again. Thankfully, a few more steps down the corridor he’s in, he finds a Bowser statue.

In the back of his mind, he remembers how safe he felt tucked away beneath Bowser’s shell when they walked together for the first time. Luigi doesn’t think about it further. He finds himself squeezing into the tiny crevice between that stone shell and leg, tucking into a ball and hiding his face in his knees.

Eventually, someone was bound to find him. Once they do, they would most likely deliver him to Bowser. What if the king decides to punish him for running away? What if Luigi gets thrown back into the dungeons like before?!

Luigi’s mind runs wild with theories, each more ludicrous than the last. Only one thought stays solid against the rest of his uncertainty.

“I want my brother…” He whimpers.

…

“I’m going back out to find him.” Mario declares, marching past Peach as she goes to open his door. Her hand floats in the air as though still reaching for the knob. She blinks, allowing her mind to catch up to the present.

“Wait, what? No!” She jerks out of her stupor, rushing around the man and standing in his way.

“He asked you to leave him be!” She argues.

“You don’t know him like I do! Whenever he says that to people, he usually comes into my room and just wants to sit there!” The red plumber contends.

“Yes, but now he’s said it to you!” Peach bites back. When Mario flinches at her remark, she takes a deep breath to collect herself.

“Mario, listen to me… You can’t push him and further than he already is. Otherwise, you might just set all the progress he’s made back!” Peach tries to reason. Mario shakes his head, angrily stomping around her and beelining for the palace doors halfway through her speech. She scoffs. Usually she admires his stubbornness, but this was a whole new level.

They continue to argue as he heads dead-set for the front door. She tries to step in front of him a few times, but all it does is make him more upset. By the time they reach the palace entrance, Mario breaks down completely.

“I can’t, Peach! I just can’t! I can’t stop worrying about if he’s safe, ok?! He’s my everything! You don’t understand!” His voice cracks as tears start to fall,

“We’ve done everything together since we were kids! We ate together, we went to school together, we played together-! Sometimes we even shared a bed if either of us had a nightmare! I know him! And because I know him, I also know that he most likely thinks that me not being around so much means that it’s his fault!” He screeches.

“But it’s not his fault…” Peach says quietly.

“I know that!” Mario explodes, “That’s why I have to find him! I gotta tell him that I’m sorry! That he never did anything wrong! That it was all me! I got too busy! I got distracted! It has nothing to do with him; it was all me!” Mario wails, scrubbing at his face as Peach pulls him into a one-sided hug.

“I don’t want him to get hurt thinking that I don’t care about him…” The man mumbles into her shoulder.

“Has he done anything… Like that?” Peach shushes. She doesn’t get an answer. He tries to push her off, but she grabs onto his shoulders and tries to lean into his sight. She quickly gives up trying to make him look and her. It’s not as important as him listening.

“Mario?” She presses.

“Yes…” He whispers, “He cut himself in middle school a few times… He stopped when I found him in the middle of it once and begged him not to do it again… At least I hope he did…” Mario whimpers. Princess Peach immediately tugs him in, holding him tight. He returns it weakly.

All of Mario’s attitude and need to have his brother close suddenly makes sense to the princess. She knew Mario to be overprotective and maybe a bit overbearing on a surface level. She never knew how deep it really went.

Though, now that she did, she wasn’t sure what to do now. Should she let Mario go and find Luigi? Or should she trust in the younger brother’s request to be alone?

She doesn’t really get a choice when her friend slips out of her arms.

“I’m going to go find him,” Mario sniffles, scrubbing as much evidence from his face as he can, “And no one is going to get me to stop.” He warns.

Chapter Text

A soft, questioning hum breaks through the muddled fog of Luigi’s mind.

“Oh dear… Are you alright?” The familiar coo of an old woman’s voice pulls him further from the mental pit he’d fallen into. Kammy sits on her knees, half-leaning on her staff as she watches him curiously.

“K-Kammy…?” Luigi stutters quietly. Her gentle smile drops into concern, the elder magikoopa sitting upright to get a better look at his face.

“You’ve been crying.” She states cautiously. Just the mention of his previous emotional state sends him back into that spiral, fresh tears following the thick paths already carved. The old woman reaches out to him, motioning him in for a hug. He all but launches himself into her arms.

“I want- I wanna go home! I want Mario!” He hiccups. She shushes him as she pats his back, encouraging him to let it all out.

“It’s ok… You’re alright. May you tell me what happened?” She asks as sweetly as she can. When the woman had decided to take her morning walk around the castle, she had no idea she’d be sitting on the floor and comforting what most believed to be their king’s new suitor. Her included.

“It’s stupid! How could I think he’d ever want *hic* someone like me?!” Luigi bawls. He nuzzles in under her chin as she gives him a light squeeze. Kammy doesn’t need to hear more. A bolt of pure annoyance crosses her features, but she clears it before the human can see. After all, it’s not him she’s angry with.

“I see…” She fights with herself, trying to keep her tone light and airy rather than the motherly chastising she has planned for the Koopa King later on.

“Oh, dear, it’s not you,” She comforts, “King Bowser just has a thick skull sometimes. Well… Most of the time. He doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.” She offers. She feels the green plumber shake his head.

“He told Kamek that he’d never love me! That he didn’t even care about me! He said that he only loves Princess Peach!” He whines. Kammy scoffs.

“Oh please!” She rolls her eyes, “He doesn’t even know what he’s talking about!” She chuckles dryly.

“He doesn’t love that princess any more than he cares about the rest of us koopas. He did love her at one point, yes, but there’s only so many times someone can say no before you start to not care about them anymore.” She explains,

“But with you? I’ve only ever seen that look in his eyes once, and that was when he first met that girl. Believe me, he’s lost his true interest in her a long time ago.” Kammy reassures.

“But… He said-.” Luigi starts.

“Don’t listen to him!” The magikoopa interrupts, “Whether he knows it or not, he loves you. He just doesn’t know how to deal with it! He’s only ever had feelings for one person, and that woman has hurt him over and over to the point that he most likely doesn’t even remember what love feels like anymore! For three days, we’ve all watched him flirt with you, care for you, and even go so far as to put his own interests second to yours! He’s never cared about anyone but himself like that, even with Peach; you know that, don’t you?” Kammy insists. She allows Luigi to take some time to mull her words over. When he’s ready, he sits up and scrubs at an eye.

“He loves me?” The man sniffles.

“More than even he knows.” Kammy nods.

“But then… How do I-?” The plumber asks. The elder woman holds up a hand to cut him off.

“Don’t. You don’t have to do anything. Let him come to you. He may be big, and he may act strong, but once you break through that tough shell of his, you’ll find that he’s really just a big softy.” She giggles, “And don’t tell him I said this, but he’s not exactly the smartest Koopa in the kingdom either.” She whispers good-naturedly. Luigi shares a wet chuckle alongside her own snickering. In the silence that follows, she scoops up Luigi’s hands in her own claws and brings them close to her.

“Listen to me,” She implores, waiting for the other to look her in the eye, “If he ever says something like that again, you come to me, you hear? I’ve known him since he was a young man just finding his way in this world. I think I should know what he’s talking about when he says stupid things he doesn’t mean.” Kammy declares.

“Yes, ma’am…” Luigi gives her an attempt at a smile, one which she return brightly.

“Do you still want to go home? No one will fault you if you do.” She asks warmly. He thinks about it for a bit. When he looks back at her, his decision is made.

…

Peach drives through the town as fast as she can, having pulled her motorcycle out to try to catch up to Mario. She had decided when he left that she’d let him go alone, but shortly after a noon full of worried pacing and wondering, she’d changed her mind. He wasn’t the only one that was worried about Luigi, but now she was concerned about the both of them. She would also be lying if she said she wasn’t at least a little curious about what might happen when Mario did find his brother.

She followed the instructions her Toads had given her about the whereabouts of Bowser’s floating palace, and sure enough, Mario was standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley below. It was also just high enough to be level with the edge of Bowser’s slow-moving castle.

When she finally catches up to the Mario brother, she notices he has something in his hand. It’s a power-up mushroom.

“Mario, no! You aren’t seriously planning to-!” She doesn’t get to finish her sentence. He shoves the mushroom in his mouth, swallowing it whole as his body instantly accepts the new ability. He runs a ways back, sprints forward and launches himself over the cliff.

“Mario!” The princess cries, dropping her bike and running to the edge herself. She skids to a stop just before she goes over herself.

She watches in fear as he soars through the air. When he starts to fall, her adrenaline skyrockets. The elder twin just barely manages to grab on to the edge of the black rock. With one hand secured, he drags his other one up to begin his arduous climb to the main grounds.

Peach, not sure what to do, paces back and forth on the cliff. She pauses every now and then to check on the brother’s progress, but there’s nothing she can do about it if he falls. At this point, she doubted if anything would keep Mario from his sibling. She was constantly being proved wrong when she thought there might be.

Desperate ideas run through Peach’s mind, but all of them require her to return to the Mushroom Kingdom. She doesn’t have that much time. Putting her hands up to her head, she closes her eyes and presses on her temples to help her think. When she opens them back up, she sees her bike lying on the ground. A stupid, last-ditch idea befitting of Mario himself crosses her mind, and she grips it with both hands.

One second, she’s picking up her bike, the next she’s already flying through the sky. She barely has time to gasp when she looks down to see how high up she is. Her bike, being much heavier than her, starts slowing down halfway through the jump. Even with her glider, it’s not able to carry her that far.

Panicked, she stands up on the seat and kicks off with all her might toward her destination. It’s just enough to give her the final oomph she needs.

The princess scrabbles at the rock when she slams into it, trying to find a handhold. Once she gets a good grip, she looks up to see Mario already near the top. How he got up there so fast was beyond her, but she didn’t have time to think about it. She needed to get to the top; and soon.

Chapter Text

Luigi tiptoes through paper and items that litter the floor of Kammy’s room. It looked as though a tornado had run through. Luigi’s OCD starts going haywire looking at all the mess, so he tries his best to ignore it.

“Don’t worry about it dear,” The elder magikoopa waves him off, the papers crunching under her feet as she shuffles through, “They’re not important. Just a little decor.” She croons. The younger brother blinks at her mid-step. How can anyone live like this? His mind snaps.

“Now, where is it…? Ah!” The woman mutters. Before Luigi can ask what she’s looking for, the old turtle is already scaling her bookcase.

“Wha- Kammy!” He shouts, his attention shifted to her. He tromps forward through the mess to stand under her, holding his arms out if she should fall. When she apparently retrieves what she searching for, he wasn’t needed after all. She tucks herself in at the same time she pushes off, just enough to use the momentum to clear his head. She pops out at just the right time to land squarely on her feet.

She hobbles forward as though nothing had just happened and puts a tiny box on her work table. Luigi is left where he is, stunned with arms still outstretched.

“Well, come on! We don’t exactly have all day.” The old magician chastises.

“If Bowser finds you and sees you leave without telling him about it, he might be upset.” She chuffs.

“I thought you said no one would blame me for wanting to leave.” Luigi points out.

“And I meant that,” She agrees, “But it doesn’t stop people from being upset, now does it?” The woman declares.

“No… I guess not.” The plumber answers. By the time he makes it to her work table, she’s already packaged up the box from the top shelf that she’d collected.

“What’s that?” He asks.

“Just a little snack for the road.” She lilts, handing over the package.

“Now don’t go opening it up unless it’s an emergency, understand?” She demands.

“Yes ma’am…” He replies softly. She gives him a warm smile. When he gives one back, she grabs his sleeve and pulls him to her level to give him a peck on the cheek. She pats the spot as she lets him go, waving him toward the door.

“I’ll show you the way out, dear.” She says, not waiting for a reply before snatching his hand and teleporting them to the courtyard.

…

Luigi scrubs his eyes and coughs from the pinkish-purple smoke that surrounds him. He’d never been transported via teleportation before, and if he were being honest, it felt kind of fun. He made a mental note to ask to do it again at a later date.

“Sorry, dear. That’s why my son and I use such thick glasses. Besides the actual need for them, that is.” Kammy chuckles.

She opens her mouth to say something else, only to snap it shut and whip her head to the side. Her glasses reflect the light from the lava pools, making it impossible to see through them from the outside. He follows her line of sight and gasps. He just barely keeps his hold on the box he’d been given as he stumbles a few steps back.

“Mario?!” He shrieks.

Chapter Text

Dragging the rest of himself over the brimstone ridge, Mario sighs in relief. His arms felt as though they would fall off any second. He pushes himself up with his noodling arms and pitches himself forward when they give out. The momentum that he picks up causes him to somersault onto the courtyard path with a hefty oof!

Familiar footsteps run in his direction, but he’s too busy slowly getting to his feet. By the time he’s crouched and ready to stand up, delicate hands wrap around his arm and help him the rest of the way. A flash of green from his peripherals makes him flinch out of that grip. He turns on his heel to face his captor, only to find the one person he wanted to see more than anything.

“Lu!” He cries, voice cracking from the strain of it. He more or less falls forward into his brother’s arms. Wrapping his own around Luigi chest, he squeezes as tight as he can with shaky limbs.

“Mario, what are you doing here?” Luigi asks tensely. There was two ways this could go: either Mario would be attacked by Bowser if he were caught trespassing, or both would be sent to the dungeons; one for allowing entry, and the other for invading the castle. Both options didn’t bode well for the brothers.

“Mario, you need to leave.” Luigi demands, shimmying out of his brother’s hold and pushing him back toward the way he’d come. Checking over his shoulder, a small relief trickles through him at the sight of Kammy simply watching the two with veiled amusement. The elder brother digs in his heels, twisting around Luigi’s shoving.

The younger sibling’s heart cracks when he sees the state his brother is in. Deep black bags hang heavily under Mario’s eyes, no doubt from a lack of sleep. His hair from beneath his hat sports a mat of grease, his clothes faring no better. They’re crumpled with small patches of dirt and ash ground into the fibers. Mario’s gloves were near pitch-black from the soot he’d just been climbing through.

It was only a small glance, but it was all Mario needed from Luigi. He didn’t need his brother to talk; he just needed his full attention.

“No, wait! Luigi, please! Just gimme a chance! I gotta tell you; I-!”

“What is this? What are you doing here?!” Bowser’s voice echoes across the courtyard, made louder by the emptiness of it. Kammy is nowhere to be seen. Luigi’s heart sinks into his stomach as those booming steps come nearer.

“Mario, you can’t be here! You have to go!” The green plumber pleads. His brother causes his fears to rise as he moves to stand in front of him instead. The younger tugs roughly on a red sleeve.

“Mario, you have to leave now! Bowser won’t hurt me, but he’ll kill you! Mario!” He begs.

“I ain’t lettin’ him touch you! I didn’t spend three days lookin’ for you just to leave and probably never see you again!” Mario’s voice shakes with his declaration, showing just how much Luigi’s disappearing act did to him. The only time they’d ever been apart for so long akin to this was the first time they’d come to this world. The time when Luigi had very nearly died in a pool of lava as a ritualistic sacrifice. Luigi deflates as that realization hits him; and hard.

Just how much did he hurt his brother? Why did Mario seem more sad than he was mad? It was part of the reason Luigi didn’t want to go home. He didn’t think he could take Mario’s anger. Then again, this felt so much worse. And now there was a good chance Luigi would lose his favorite family member forever.

Luigi breaks into tears.

“Mario, please leave!” His desperation is worthless now. Bowser’s steps ate up the distance, leading the giant turtle to loom over both men. Bowser bares his teeth. Mario sneers in return. They stare at one another, sizing the other up. The suspense was quickly becoming too much for Luigi to handle.

…

Princess Peach shakily slaps a hand over the edge of the floating castle. Yanking herself up, she lays her upper half over the ridge and heaves herself the rest of the way. She takes a second to dust herself off when she hears a familiar voice; one she had hoped she would hear again at least one more time.

“Mario, you need to leave!” Luigi presses, his eyes darting around over his brother’s head. They land on her for a split second, widening ever so slightly before returning to his brother. The woman can practically taste his fear, but Mario is not paying attention to the signs.

Peach’s face turns paper white when she sees that monster’s silhouette in the darkness. As the brothers half-heartedly argue, Bowser slips into the light from within his castle. His beady eyes lock onto red like a bull to a matador.

“What is this?” He roars, “What are you doing here?!” His voice reverberates around them all. Peach catches a glimpse of a retreating purplish-pink cloud out of the corner of her eye, but she’s too focused on the harbinger of death barreling his way toward her best friends.

Mario grabs Luigi’s wrist, dragging his brother behind him and puts his arms out. The attempt to protect was feeble at best, but Mario wasn’t exactly known for knowing when to quit.

“Mario!” Peach cries, noticing just how close Bowser was getting. Even without his army to back him up, the giant turtle was intensely menacing. In the back of her mind, she thought she heard Luigi say something about Bowser not going to hurt him.

Judging by the fact that the green plumber had been here for three days and looking no worse for wear, she figured that he was telling the truth. She hoped he was, that is. Who knew what Bowser was thinking? He could have been using Luigi as bait to get to Mario and not even Luigi would have known.

Bowser stood over the three humans. Small puffs of steam would escape his nostrils every now and again, his eyes lingering brightly as his inner fire waited in the wings. She was a hair’s length away from joining Mario’s side to protect Luigi when the green-clad brother did something that shocked everyone.

Chapter Text

If anyone had asked, Luigi had lied about knowing whether Bowser would hurt him or not. He was well aware of the patience the king possessed when he wanted to, so who was he to say that the giant turtle wasn’t just using him the entire time as a trap for his brother? Bowser’s hatred for the shorter man surely had to be stronger than the “love” he carried for Luigi that Kammy stressed on.

An inkling of curiosity trickles through the cracks of his emotions, growing like a weed until it overcomes the rest. Luigi suddenly gets an idea. It’s more like an intrusive thought that his body follows through with before he can think about it.

The younger brother sidesteps Mario, arms held out in front of him. His hands are already connected to Bowser’s chest by the time he understands the gravity of what he’s doing. The fright it brings spears the worry for his brother back to the front of his mind, making it easier to act as though this was just apart of another original plan.

“No, please! Don’t hurt my brother! He’s- He’s-! He’s my brother!” Luigi can’t explain their closeness more than that, and the man hopes with everything he has that it’s enough. As though an act of God, Bowser gives all of his attention to Luigi, sporting a put-off sort of frown.

“Didn’t he hurt you?” Bowser questions, his voice somehow soft despite the tenseness of the situation.

“Well- Yes… But-! But he didn’t mean it!” Luigi stutters. He turns his head to look at Mario over his shoulder.

“You didn’t mean it… Right?” He pleads. Mario’s eyes bulge at the question.

“No! No, Luigi, never!” Mario puts as much emphasis in his words as he can. He definitely has more to say later, but there’s more pressing matters at hand.

Luigi presses the heels of his palms harder into Bowser’s shell. It’s a strange feeling, the toughness of it also somehow somewhat pliable at the same time… He turns his attention back to Bowser.

“Just, please don’t hurt him! I love him! He’s family. He’s my brother…” Luigi peters out towards the end, giving Bowser the best pout he can manage. At such close range, the green plumber could have sworn that Bowser’s pupils grew a centimeter in size.

They hold a sort of staring contest until Luigi’s eyes start to water from being open for so long. Luigi could have actually cried with joy when Bowser’s muscles release their tension underneath Luigi’s hands. Yes! I’m winning! Luigi celebrates in his mind, though carefully making sure that his excitement wasn’t actually showing on his face at the same time.

Bowser groans, under-toned with a growl.

“Alright! Fine.” He concedes. Although he clearly isn’t happy about it, he can’t hide the tiny smile he gives Luigi when the younger twin whoops and jumps with joy. Maybe Kamek was right… Maybe he did love Luigi…

Just the thought of that tiny admittance creates a whirlwind of butterflies in Bowser’s gut. A new kind of shine appears around Luigi’s elated features. A powerful need to protect and keep the human close seizes Bowser’s heart. All at once, the King of the Koopas and Ruler of the Dark Lands realizes that he’s fallen for this background Brooklyn-Italian nerve-wracked plumber, and he’s fallen hard.

…

It all comes to a screeching halt when Luigi slams into his midsection, arms wrapped as far as they can go around his middle. Everyone goes quiet. Luigi purses his lips. Mario stands open-mouthed in his place. Princess Peach blinks in surprise.

Bowser isn’t sure what to do. He doesn’t know where to put his hands. They just hover in the air, awaiting instruction as he wonders whether he should hug back or push the human off to preserve his image.

He goes for a very awkward version of a return hug, wanting more, but nervous on what the shorter of the two men would do. Bowser isn’t afraid of Mario; not in the slightest. The thing that really makes him hesitate is the fact that Luigi had literally just asked Bowser not to hurt his family. The king may be called a monster, but he still hates breaking promises, no matter how ridiculous they seem.

“Uh… Hello.” The turtle replies blankly, allowing Luigi to pull away from the strange interaction. ‘Hello?’ Seriously?! What kind of idiot takes a hug like that and says ‘hello’?!

Bowser’s inner monologue is cut by Luigi’s snicker.

“Hello.” He replies. Huh. Cheeky. The king returns the smirk, sighing and turning back toward his palace doors. He waves for them all to follow.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyone hungry? We’ve got leftover bread from last night, and I can have my chefs whip something up.” Bowser offers. Luigi is quick to prance up beside him, leveling him with a smirk of his own.

“I thought you didn’t like ‘old food.’” He gibes.

“What? Am I just supposed to throw your food away then?” Bowser retorts. Luigi opens his mouth to reply, but snaps it shut. The giant turtle chuckles to himself. He dutifully ignores the two other pairs of steps that follow close behind in favor of his personal ball of sunshine by his side.

Chapter Text

Dinner was an interest affair. Peach was given Kamek’s usual place at the table, while Mario sat on Luigi’s other side. The magikoopa pouted through the entire meal; and he wasn’t the only one.

As civil as Luigi expected his brother to be, he asked a lot of digging questions and made snide remarks here and there. Bowser was no better, but at least they weren’t trying to destroy one another at the moment. The princess just kept her head down, but when she wasn’t looking at her plate, she was watching Luigi and making him extremely uncomfortable. He didn’t have much of an appetite this evening.

He spent the entire two hours that was supper picking at his plate and trying to manage through the mental minefield in his head. Paired with dutifully ignoring the incessant staring Peach was doing, he was starting to feel a bit queasy. He put his fork down.

“Hey, you alright? You hardly ate any of your penne. ” Bowser’s voice is gentle, his rough palm landing on top of the green plumber’s hand as though it were commonplace. Luigi, for a split second, feels like pulling away. Not even another second later, he wants to flip his hand over and hold Bowser’s right back instead.

A pulse of appreciation floods through the human’s body. When he’d corrected Bowser on the proper name of his pasta nights before, he didn’t think the king would actually take it seriously and learn which kind was which. He wasn’t helping Luigi’s decision-making in the slightest.

What would Mario think? Then again; Why was Mario’s opinion on who Luigi liked so important? On the other other hand: Mario did help him in dodging a few bullets. Destiny Del Macchio was one of them.

He should have known she wasn’t for him when she put a cockroach down his shirt in the middle of the entire school. She also made sure everyone was watching him freak out trying to get rid of it. Mario ended up pulling him into the gym locker rooms and helping him get his shirt off to shake it out and kill it. His brother lost most of his “cooler friends” that day, but Mario insisted that he didn’t care, so Luigi eventually dropped it.

But Bowser didn’t act like any of those horrible girls! Or did he? Was Luigi not paying good enough attention again? Or was Bowser just a legitimately good guy that acted like a jerk to cover for being so soft?

Returning to the present, Luigi’s brain whiplashes into a swirling migraine. His fingers unwittingly curl around Bowser’s claws that had apparently wrapped around his hand during his blanking.

Luigi thinks about lying; to say that he’s fine and keep eating. That plan falls through when he looks up to find Princess Peach, Kamek, and Mario watching the two of them warily. Luigi finally takes his hand back.

“I-… I don’t feel very good. I think… I’m gonna go to bed…” He mumbles, pushing away from the table and sliding off the chair while trying to avoid as much jostling as possible. Everyone keeps their eyes on him as long as they can until he disappears out into the hall. The Koopa King breaks through the tense silence.

“Kamek? May you please go make sure he makes it to the room? I’m not sure he knows where it is yet.” He asks, giving the smaller turtle a glance; one that tells him to keep his eye on the younger twin. Kamek nods without a word, hopping down from his seat and rushing after Luigi.

Chapter Text

“So. You and my brother, huh?” Mario takes his sweet time pushing his plate away. He puts his elbows in its place and laces his fingers together, narrowing his eyes and glaring down the massive koopa. Bowser slits his eyes right back.

“Is that a problem?” He barks.

“No! No,” Mario waves him off, “I don’t have a problem with Luigi’s friendships at all! Unless it’s with you.” The brother snipes. Bowser growls at Mario, who returns it with a sneer.

“Boys!” Peach slams her hands down on the table, standing up and giving both of them the stink-eye.

“Just because Luigi is no longer in the room, does not mean it’s a free-for-all!” She snaps. The two men grumble, but ultimately back away. The princess turns to Bowser. Now it’s her turn.

“Why Luigi?” Peach digs, her voice still carrying the aggravated tone from before. The Koopa King tosses his palms up from his sides.

“Wha-? But you just said no more arguing!” He whines.

“No, I said this table isn’t a battlefield. Now answer the question.” The princess retorts. Bowser opens his mouth and closes it a few times, trying to think of a good answer. Every second that passes makes Mario’s face contort in anger. Eventually, the ticking time bomb explodes.

“You don’t even know? You’ve held my brother captive for three days, and you don’t even know why you took him?!” Mario roars.

“If you dare to kidnap him like you do with Peach, I swear-!” He shrieks. Bowser slams his fist into the table to give himself a way in, his eyes glowing dangerously.

“I DIDN’T KIDNAP HIM! It’s not my fault I found him bleeding all over the place when I went to destroy you! I just brought him back to keep an eye on him! That was it!” Bowser bellows. A thick silence settles over the room, palpable enough to almost touch. The red plumber loses his rage as the seconds pass. Confused, Bowser’s own anger lessens as well.

“He was… what?” Mario whispers. Now completely thrown off, the Koopa King slumps back in his seat.

“Uh… Yeah. He had this big piece of glass sticking out of his hand. He was just sitting in the kitchen with his hand in the sink. He wasn’t responding when I messed with him, so I took care of it. By the way, you need a new mirror in your bathroom. And put some stuff in there; seriously! At least some of those super tiny bandaids that are used for splinters and stuff.” Bowser complains, watching Mario’s face and waiting for another argument. A solid minute goes by as they just stare at each other. Bowser had no idea the kind of bomb he’d just dropped on the older twin’s’ head.

“Where…” Mario was breathless. His face was flushed and a deep pit in his stomach felt like it was going to swallow him whole. He half hoped it would.

“What?” Bowser cocks an eyebrow.

“The cut.” Mario wheezes. The kings face lights up with recognition.

“Oh! Yeah, It was sticking out of his palm,” Bowser drops his own hand on the table palm up, “It nearly cut across his whole hand! But don’t worry about it; I had Kammy patch him up. Doesn’t look too bad, either, I’d say. She’s real good at healing magic.” He uses a claw to draw across his own palm to show exactly where the injury was.

“Old lady said she could see bone.” Bowser chuckles nervously.

…

Mario was sure that he was going to pass out any second now. First, for three days straight, he believed his brother had been kidnapped by their worst enemy. Then he finds his brother, only to be made to watch as Bowser uses his sibling’s emotions for… whatever it was he was trying to get. In front of him, no less! And finally, everything he’d known so far is flipped on its head when he’s given that tiny, crucial piece of info that would have caused such a massive landslide of outcomes; none of them good if Bowser hadn’t stepped in.

Was Bowser actually the good guy here? It didn’t make any sense! Why would Bowser waste his time on one of his sworn enemies? Wouldn’t it have been easier for him to just… let it all play out?

The red plumber curses himself from thinking these thoughts. He should be glad; considering his twin’s safety, no matter the path to get there. He finds himself breathing a small, shaky sigh of relief.

The cut wasn’t as bad as he thought it was going to be. It was bad; really bad by the sound of it, but it wasn’t-…

He takes another breath to steady himself. His brother was fine. Judging by where it was, it had to have been an accident. Luigi was smarter than that. He was also hyper sensitive. He wouldn’t have hurt his hands on purpose like that.

“He’s ok now?” Mario urges. He’d seen Luigi himself, but it never hurt to be sure. His brother had a habit of shutting everyone out when he was stressed.

“I don’t know,” Bowser admits, “He doesn’t really talk all that much. Just prefers to sit and listen. I think so? He hasn’t said otherwise. He did say he had fun playing ‘Koopa-Troopa-Slides’ earlier, so there’s that.” He shrugs. The two spend the next few minutes avoiding eye contact and making themselves busy. Peach quickly grows bored of it. She’d rather speak to Luigi herself than sit here and watch these two children act like idiots.

“Mind if I check on Luigi?” She asks; more a statement rather than a request as she stands.

“Huh? Oh, sure! He might be in bed, though.” Bowser concedes.

“Thank you.” She says, giving a single nod and floating toward the door.

“Where might his room be?” She hums.

“His room? Nah, he doesn’t have a room of his own yet. We were working on it, but it was still gonna be a few more days.” Bowser responds listlessly, dropping his cheek into his palm, elbow propped on the table.

“Then where’s he been sleepin’?” Mario urges.

“He’s been hanging with me in my room.” Bowser airily replies. Half a second later, he belatedly realizes he’d just made a major mistake. Mario’s face immediately turns as red as his shirt. The Princess slips out of the dining room and halfway down the hall by the time she hears the screaming begin.

Chapter Text

The Princess had been down these halls a few times before, but she could never remember which room led to what. There were so many empty rooms, and if they were being used, the doors were most often locked. She began to wonder whether or not Bowser had moved the hallways around or something when she stumbles upon a magikoopa.

The old turtle was busy feeding a piranha plant from a distance. Peach slowly approached the pair, keeping her steps light just in case. She watches as the plant lunges, biting down on the woman’s staff and refusing to let go. The magikoopa smacks the piranha plant until it releases its jaw, whacking it in the head with the instrument as soon as it’s free.

“How many times do I have to tell you? You cannot eat the metal stick!” The elder chastises. The plant sinks into its pot and whimpers like a kicked puppy. The old turtle sighs exasperatedly, patting it in the spot she’d just hit it seconds before.

“I apologize for hitting you. Next time, I won’t stand so close.” She gives the creature a wide smile, one that’s returned by the plant as it nuzzles its head the size of the woman herself into her.

“Excuse me?” Peach asks quietly. Startled, the piranha plant disappears into its pot. The elder magikoopa also gives off a small squawk of surprise. Princess Peach brings up her hands in a karate stance when the elder points her slobbery staff in her face. With a great sigh, the turtle brings her staff back down and returns to using it like a cane. The princess clasps her hands behind herself.

“Princess Peach. What a surprise. And may I ask what it is you are doing this far into the castle?” The old woman probes. Peach clears her throat.

“Well, King Bowser invited us to have dinner, but Luigi went to bed early. I was just trying to find the room he’s staying in?” She states. The magikoopa hums for a moment, then sighs.

“Very well. Follow me.” She waves for Peach to follow, already marching away at a brisk pace.

…

“If you don’t mind; May I ask what your name is?” The princess lilts. The old turtle gives her a side eye. They’d been walking for quite a while and still had a ways to go yet. She sighs once more.

“Kammy.” She clips. The woman has no intention of idle chatter. The faster they get to their destination, the better. Somewhat.

“Oh!” Peach chirps, “You’re the one that helped Luigi when he was hurt!” She figures.

“Yes, I am. He’s a sweet boy, that one.” Kammy offers a slight smirk. Personally, Kammy wasn’t a fan of the princess; mainly due to her being the main reason for the Koopa King’s distress.

The green plumber was sweeter than pie and seemed to actually be stitching up their king’s broken heart. The troops adored him and her son wouldn’t stop talking about him. The mother would be damned if she was the one to help her leader lose another one. It was part of the reason she was taking the longest route possible to where he was; even though it was literally two doors down from where she had been feeding her piranha plant in the first place.

If the princess noticed by the time they arrived, she didn’t say anything.

“Thank you.” Princess Peach says, knocking on the door with light taps. Kammy shakes her head sadly. She leaves before she can watch the human woman convince the Mario brother to leave.

Chapter Text

Peach huffs to herself when she receives no answer. Then again, Luigi may be asleep just as he’d said, so she wasn’t too put off by it. Luigi was never one to deny company, whether he wanted it or not. She opens the door just enough to slip in, hissing at the creak that follows.

She takes a quick glance behind herself to find that Kammy is gone. No matter. She came here for someone else.

She makes sure that the door shuts as soundlessly as possible, turning back around to find another magikoopa sitting by Luigi’s slumbering form on the bed. Even in the semi-darkness, Peach remembers who this is.

“Kamek, right?” Peach whispers. The younger turtle nods hesitantly. He still hasn’t moved away from the human. On the contrary, he straightens up threateningly. It takes the princess a little by surprise to see him acting so protective. A ball of light hovers in the air above the two, backlighting the turtle and acting as a sort of nightlight for the other. The woman wonders if Kamek was still there in order to keep it lit, or if he was ordered to stay.

“What do you want?” The magikoopa hisses quietly. He winces when Luigi whines in his sleep. They keep silent until the man rolls with his back toward them and sighs. Light snores cover their low conversations.

“I just came to check on Luigi. That’s all.” Princess Peach continues.

“Fine. There, you saw him. Now please leave.” Kamek frowns. Peach returns the sour expression.

“Um, no. I don’t think so. I came here to check on him. I didn’t say I was here to just see him.” She shoots.

“Well he’s asleep, so that’s not going to happen.” Kamek retorts. Luigi rolls back over, lifting an arm and lightly tugging on the turtle’s sleeve.

“Kamek?” He whines, still half-asleep.

“Yes sire?” The magikoopa replies in his normal tone. The magician chuckles when Luigi doesn’t continue, the man dropping his body back to the bed and continuing to snore instead. His fingers are still gripping tightly onto the fabric of the Koopa’s robe. Kamek doesn’t bother to untangle them.

“See? He’s fine.” He returns to Peach, dropping his voice back into a whisper. She crosses her arms, tapping her foot.

“Fine. Then I’ll talk to you.” She declares. Kamek rolls his eyes. Even without being able to see behind the lenses, the slight movement of his head was telling. She ignores his attitude.

“Did Luigi actually come here by himself?” She starts off.

“As far as I was told, yes.” Kamek bites back.

“And he was injured?” She states.

“Yes. I saw it myself. My mo- Kammy fixed it.” He stumbles.

“Ok?” Peach hums, “What is Bowser’s plan for Luigi?” She urges.

“Plan? There is no plan.” Kamek snaps, his voice beginning to rise.

“Our king is too blinded by love to even think of harming this human! And personally, that’s nowhere near an issue! So how dare you insinuate that King Bowser has any intentions to bother with the likes of either of you other two!” Kamek barks.

“I wasn’t talking about Mario or me…” Peach soothes. Kamek flinches. He shrinks as he thinks of the information he’d just given away.

“Bowser… loves Luigi? That’s real? Really real?” The princess pushes. Kamek pulls further into himself. He couldn’t even lie to deny it; they’d all seen how Bowser acted earlier that night. She seems to pick up on the unspoken agreement anyway.

“Oh no…” She sighs. Kamek cocks an eyebrow.

“What?” He bites.

“One word: Mario.” The princess hums. Kamek gives her a slow nod.

“Yes…? But what does he have to do with our king?” The magikoopa asks.

“It has everything to do with Bowser!” She snaps, “I know Luigi. And I know Mario! If Mario says no- Which I’m nearly one hundred percent certain that he will- Luigi will literally drop anything for his brother! Even the stuff that makes him the most happy. Heck- He told me almost a month ago that he didn’t really want to move or stay here throughout the entire first year! And it’s been two now!” She whispers harshly,

“I know Luigi isn’t a fan of talking. In fact, it’s hard to even get a word out of him sometimes. But I’m very fortunate that he sees me as someone he can trust enough to come talk to when he’s having a rough time. Mostly… I just wish he wouldn’t hide so much. Then maybe I could have done more about all… This.” She gestures to the room around them. Kamek nods solemnly.

“But King Bowser makes Lord Luigi happy… Wouldn’t your mustachioed human want Sire to be happy?” Kamek mumbles.

“He does. Believe me, he really does; but you also have to remember that Bowser did try to kill us all more than once. He’s just scared; that’s all. He just doesn’t know how to handle it properly.” Peach chuckles. Kamek chuffs at the memory.

“What about you? Will you try to take Sire away too?” Kamek raises a skeptical eyebrow.

“No… Don’t get me wrong; I don’t like this at all. But if Bowser really makes Luigi happy, and so long as he never hurts him, who am I to stand in Luigi’s way.” She sighs.

The princess, having been inching her way closer as they talked, finally reaches the edge of the bed. She hoists herself up and slides on as smoothly as possible to keep her disturbance to a minimum. It doesn’t work.

Her skirt brushes Luigi’s nose, and she winces when his eyes crack open by a sliver. He shifts, blues still glazed over as he nestles in and pulls more of her skirt under his head like a pillow. She giggles as quietly as she can alongside Kamek. The two watch the man slip back into deep sleep, a small puddle of drool already forming on silky pink cloth.

“Ew!” Peach laughs into her hand, “Poor Luigi. He must have been exhausted!”

“Indeed,” Kamek agrees, “Lord Luigi hasn’t slept much in the past three days. He skipped one night entirely!” the turtle reports.

“Wow… Wait, did you just call him Lord Luigi?” Peach smirks.

“Yes? That’s what our king has requested we call him.” Kamek replies, his curtness returning in an instant. Peach groans.

“Mario is going to have a heart attack…” She mutters under her breath, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Chapter Text

“Are you done yet?” Bowser complains, taking the momentary silence in both hands and holding on tight. Mario moans, dropping his forehead on the table.

“My head hurts…” He whines.

“That’s not my fault. You’re the one screaming your head off.” Bowser mutters. In truth, he had his own headache. However, thanks to not sleeping for days and nights on end, he was quite used to them.

“It is your fault. Why did you have to pick my brother?” Mario huffs, rolling his head to the side to glare at the giant koopa. The question wasn’t as aggressive as Mario had hoped, but it made Bowser pause either way.

“I don’t… know. Honestly, I thought about that a few times over the past three days… I can’t come up with a solid reason to give my troops. They stopped asking pretty quick though, so I never really had to keep thinking about it. I just did.” Bowser says. A dull pang in his heart thuds from within, but the Koopa King ignores it. He knows that’s not the full reason, but if he were truly as brave as his army thought him to be, he would admit the truth to himself. Too bad he’s secretly a coward.

“But why my brother?” Mario whines. Bowser groans, slumping further into his chair.

“I don’t know! Why does it matter? It keeps you from being beat up, so stop complaining!” The king grumbles.

“Your brother is more fun, anyhow.” Bowser mumbles under his breath. Another strike through the heart and Bowser hisses. Mario cocks an eyebrow. It only makes the turtle growl harshly.

“Stop acting like you’re better than me!” He snarls.

“When have I ever said I’m better than you?” Mario snipes. He pushes himself back up to sneer at Bowser properly.

“Stop looking at me like that!” Bowser snaps.

“What is your problem?!” Mario shoots back. The massive koopa roars, pressing his palms to his eyes.

“I don’t know!” He booms, “I haven’t felt this angry since before he got here! How are you both related?! How can one of you make me so mad, while the other makes me feel so- so…” Bowser stalls out, pulling his talons away. He shrugs in confusion as his eye twitches. He groans, rag-dolling back against his chair.

“So what?” Mario crosses his arms, leaning back in his own chair as though he’d won.

“Happy…” Bowser answers in a hushed voice. The red plumber loses his own heat at the confession. A deep discomfort wriggles through his body, forcing him to shift in his seat. And again. And again.

He coughs to try and dislodge the sudden lump that’s formed in his throat.

“He makes you happy…?” Mario hums. Bowser whines and puts his hand over his eyes to block the shorter brother out.

“How?” Mario pries. He’s not sure he wants to know, but he has to to understand what his next steps are.

“I don’t know,” Bowser mumbles, “I mean- He makes me laugh when he skips around just because… And he’s an amazing cook. The way his face lights up when he’s excited about something… His mustache is always immaculate. And soft… Don’t ask. And how does he always smell like spearmint? What does he do? Bathe in it? It makes me feel sleepy; but not in a bad way…” Bowser moans. He could go on and on if it weren’t for the knowledge of who exactly he was admitting all this to.

The point seems to get across at least. Mario stares at him with an unreadable expression the entire time. It starts to get a little creepy the longer he just sits there, as though time has just stopped around him. Bowser glances at the still flickering candle on the table to make absolute sure he wasn’t going crazy.

“Uh…” The Koopa King feels beads of sweat slide down the back of his neck and get trapped beneath his spiked collar. He’d deal with it before it becomes a problem later.

“Can we just… forget I said all that?” Bowser chuckles nervously. Mario doesn’t react. Bowser absentmindedly wonders if Mario’s brain had finally exploded in the few seconds he hadn’t been looking at him. I’m screwed… Bowser whines in his head.

…

Princess Peach makes her way slowly back to the dining room. On one hand, she wants to make sure her idiot and the other idiot haven’t killed each other. On the other hand, she didn’t feel like spoiling her good mood.

She’d had a relatively good conversation for some time with Kamek, enough to feel comfortable leaving the still-sleeping Luigi in his care. It took a few tries to shimmy out from under the younger brother. Still half asleep, he got up, noticed what she was trying to do, apologized, let her go, then went right back to sleep. Note to self: never keep Luigi up an entire night.

She starts to worry when she doesn’t hear any kind of commotion the closer she comes to those two giant doors. She was expecting them to yell until they were hoarse. Oh great… Who’s lost?

The princess speeds up a bit, nervousness eating away at her composure. What if Bowser lost control of himself? Would Mario fly off the handle and forget about his promise to his brother? Would Bowser?

Possibilities flew through Peach’s mind as she shoved at the doors, busting her way in and stumbling a little at the weight of them. When she look back up, all she sees is Bowser slumped in his seat and Mario with his head on the table. The human whines something. The king mumbles back.

The princess sticks to the shadows; her presence still unknown. She creeps around until she can hear what the two are talking about. She ends up standing somewhat behind Bowser himself.

“It is your fault. Why did you have to pick my brother?” Mario huffs, rolling his head to the side to glare at the giant koopa. The question wasn’t as harsh as she expected, but Bowser’s pause had her interested.

“I don’t… know. Honestly, I thought about that a few times over the past three days… I can’t come up with a solid reason to give my troops. They stopped asking pretty quick though, so I never really had to keep thinking about it. I just did.” Bowser says. Honesty? Who knew. Maybe Luigi is that good of an influence.

“But why my brother?” Mario whines. Bowser groans, slumping further into his chair.

“I don’t know! Why does it matter? It keeps you from being beat up, so stop complaining!” The king grumbles.

“Your brother is more fun, anyhow.” Bowser mumbles under his breath. They’re quite for a moment, then Bowser suddenly hisses. Mario cocks an eyebrow. The turtle growls harshly at him in return.

“Stop acting like you’re better than me!” He snarls.

“When have I ever said I’m better than you?” Mario snipes. He pushes himself back up to frown at Bowser.

“Stop looking at me like that!” Bowser snaps.

“What is your problem?!” Mario shoots back. The massive koopa roars, pressing his palms to his eyes.

“I don’t know!” He booms, “I haven’t felt this angry since before he got here! How are you both related?! How can one of you make me so mad, while the other makes me feel so- so…” Bowser stalls out, pulling his talons away. He shrugs, his eye twitching. He groans, rag-dolling back against his chair.

“So what?” Mario crosses his arms, leaning back in his own chair as though he’d won.

“Happy…” Bowser answers in a hushed voice. The confession clearly surprises both humans. Peach watches from her place as Mario adjusts himself again and again. He coughs into his fist, clearing his throat.

“He makes you happy…?” Mario hums. Bowser whines and puts his hand over his eyes to block the shorter brother out.

“How?” Mario pries. As much as the princess knew from the younger magikoopa, she wasn’t sure if she fully trusted it. She wondered if it would be the same out of Bowser’s own mouth.

“I don’t know,” Bowser mumbles, “I mean- He makes me laugh when he skips around just because… And he’s an amazing cook. The way his face lights up when he’s excited about something… His mustache is always immaculate. And soft… Don’t ask. And how does he always smell like spearmint? What does he do? Bathe in it? It makes me feel sleepy; but not in a bad way…” Bowser moans defeatedly.

Peach gasps quietly, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. So it is true! Her brain squeals, Bowser loves Luigi! If he doesn’t know himself, then he’s more unobservant than we thought. She takes a second to glance at Mario, noticing his now statue-locked form. He was staring hard at Bowser, and the Koopa king was clearly starting to become nervous. Peach hums to herself. Or maybe smarter than we’ve given him credit for.

“Uh…” Bowser tugs at his spiked collar, “Can we just… forget I said all that?” The giant turtle chuckles sheepishly, fading down to the tiniest whimper. Mario doesn’t react at all; just stares. Princess Peach sighs. This is shaping up to be a very long day.

Chapter Text

The first thing Luigi notices upon awakening is his fingers twisted into fabric. He flexes them to no avail. The human gives up, allowing his arm to fall limp. Too tired.

What time is it? Isn’t Mario supposed to be home by now? Why was his bed so unnaturally soft? And why was the house so dark?

Luigi whines at the interruption to his sleep. He didn’t like waking up for no reason.

Then again, this wasn’t for no reason, was it? There were voices whispering around him. Luigi rolls to face away from them, mind now fully awake and ears perked. The “blanket” trapped around his fingers pulls over his shoulder along with him.

Now, when Mario and Luigi were kids, Mario was always hyperactive. He was also an early bird. Luigi was not. Where his twin would wake up at six, seven, eight in the morning, Luigi could never seem to manage any time before ten.

Because of this, Mario had made it a mission at one point in their lives to try and train Luigi to wake up earlier. He’d convince the kid to go to bed earlier, he’d wake him up and keep doing so until the other got up, etc-.

At one point, Mario had enlisted their mother by lying and saying they were late for school. Neither mom nor brother were happy about that one. Luigi had only managed to make Mario stop by forcing himself to stay awake all night one night.

Long story short, they went to school the next day. Luigi was too tired from not sleeping, his reaction time was none, and Mario had to beat a group of guys up for taking advantage of his brother’s lack of awareness and beating him up. Now both brothers had a black eye each, and Mario had been suspended. Since then, Mario had left Luigi to sleep and even encouraged him to sleep longer if he was still tired.

All this is to say that, in the midst of it all, Luigi had learned a pretty neat trick. He learned how he breathed when he was asleep and the fact that he snored. He knew how he snored as well. This came in handy when he actually would be woken up by Mario before his usual time and he didn’t want to get up yet.

The same trick he was employing now.

In the supposed clear, the two voices go back to whispering. One voice, Luigi would know immediately. Kamek had been such a staple in his day to day interactions for three whole days. The other shockingly took a little longer.

Princess Peach’s voice had never been so soft around Luigi. Perhaps that was why he didn’t recognize her at first. She was always so cheery.

Unfortunately, by the way he was laying, he couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying. He caught snippets, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Time for plan B.

Luigi rolls over, using his free hand to blindly reach for Kamek. He’s met with more fabric, but to keep the illusion, he must keep his eyes closed as he tugs on it.

“Kamek?” Luigi hums, appreciating the fact that his throat decided to play along from lack of use.

“Yes, Sire?” Kamek returns, no longer a whisper. Luigi has heard just enough to know that he can hear what he needs to now. The man drops back to the blankets and restarts his pseudo-snoring. The magikoopa chuckles, patting the once free hand that was now stuck in more fabric as he returns to whispering.

“See? He’s fine.” Kamek continues.

“Fine. Then I’ll talk to you.” She declares. Luigi shivers. Despite her friendliness, any kind of angry tone from Peach could be rather scary sometimes.

“Did Luigi actually come here by himself?” She starts off.

“As far as I was told, yes.” Kamek bites back.

“And he was injured?” She states.

“Yes. My mo- Kammy fixed it.” He stumbles.

“Ok?” Peach hums, “What is Bowser’s plan?” She urges.

“Plan? There is no plan.” Kamek snaps, his voice beginning to rise.

“Our king is too blinded by love to even think of harming this human! And personally, that’s nowhere near an issue! So how dare you insinuate that King Bowser has any intentions to bother with the likes of either of you!” Kamek barks. Luigi resists the urge to gasp. His throat burns keeping it at bay. Bowser really does love me…

“I wasn’t talking about Mario or me…” Peach soothes. Luigi distantly feels Kamek flinch, too lost in his mind at the implication of the information just shared.

“Bowser… loves Luigi? That’s real? Really real?” The princess pushes. Luigi finds himself listening as hard as he can, waiting for the turtle to laugh and say it was just a joke. Instead, Kamek says nothing. He couldn’t even lie to deny it; they’d all seen how Bowser acted earlier that night. The princess seems to pick up on the unspoken agreement anyway.

“Oh no…” She sighs.

“What?” Kamek bites.

“One word: Mario.” The princess hums.

“That makes sense… But what does that have to do with our king?” The magikoopa asks.

“It has everything to do with Bowser!” She snaps, “I know Luigi. And I know Mario! If Mario says no- Which I’m nearly one hundred percent certain that he will- Luigi will literally drop anything for his brother! Even the stuff that makes him the most happy. Heck-! He told me almost a month ago that he didn’t really want to move here for the first year! And it’s been two now!” She whispers harshly,

“I know Luigi isn’t a fan of talking. In fact, it’s hard to even get a word out of him sometimes. But I’m very fortunate that he sees me as someone he can trust enough to come talk to when he’s having a hard time. Mostly… I just wish he wouldn’t hide so much. Then maybe I could have done more about all… This…” Luigi deflates into the covers. Even if he were awake, he would have nothing to say to argue against her. It was all true.

The green clothed twin racks his brain for times where it was his idea. What he wanted to do; where he wanted to go. He found hardly any. It really was mostly Mario’s decisions, wasn’t it?

Luigi felt a little upset at that. A new independence flares up in his very soul. It was time Luigi did something for himself for once.

“But King Bowser makes Lord Luigi happy… Wouldn’t Mario want Sire to be happy?” Kamek mumbles. At his words, Luigi desperately feels the need to thank Kamek for his acceptance. It also remind him about needing to thank Kammy for hers as well.

“He does. He really does; but you have to remember that Bowser did try to kill us all more than once.” Peach chuckles. Kamek chuffs at the memory. Luigi rolls his eyes under his eyelids.

Peach hoists herself up and slides onto the bed, clearly trying not to shift the mattress as much as possible. It doesn’t work. Her weight dips the edge too much.

Luigi feels a little guilty at the random thought that pops up in his head that she wasn’t as dainty as she looked. Then again, she was really strong. Muscle mass weighs more.

Her skirt brushes Luigi’s nose, and he cracks his eyes open enough to see her wince. He shifts, nestling in and pulling more of her skirt under his head like a pillow. She giggles as quietly as she can alongside Kamek. He shuts his eyes again as a cheeky idea passes through his head.

Before he can think better of himself, he allows his mouth to open a little. Drool quickly creates a wet patch on that silky pink cloth.

“Ew!” Peach muffles out a laugh, “Poor Luigi. He must have been exhausted!”

“Indeed,” Kamek agrees, “Lord Luigi hasn’t slept much in the past three days. He skipped one night entirely!” The turtle reports.

“Wow… Wait, did you just call him… Lord Luigi?” Peach’s smirk is terribly audible. Luigi cringes at the title. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it, ever since the day he’d first heard a group of Koopa’s address him in greeting as they passed.

“Yes. That’s what our king has told us to call him.” Kamek sniffs, his curtness returning in an instant. Peach sighs.

“Mario is going to have a field day…” She mutters under her breath. Luigi can’t help but to agree with her. Even still, his shiny new independence doesn’t waver. It was his turn to get what he wanted.

Chapter Text

Luigi makes a show long after Peach had gone that he’d just woken up. In truth, he’d been awake the entire time thinking over what she and Kamek had said.

His brain swam in so many directions, he almost felt like he was drowning. He needed answers, but it was just too risky to ask for them right now. Definitely later.

“Good morning, Sire! Or really, good evening.” Kamek chuckles. Luigi nods and scrubs at an eye. Who knew having them shut for so long left them uncomfortably sticky, even if you weren’t actually sleeping?

“Hi Kamek. What time is it?” He asks with an exaggerated yawn. He didn’t really have to. He’d glanced at the clock a few hours ago when the magikoopa wasn’t looking.

“It’s six o’clock in the evening, Sire. You slept through second lunch. Would you like me to get you something to eat?” The turtle smiles.

“No, it’s ok. Thank you, though.” Luigi replies, stretching his back and hearing it pop all the way up into his skull. Now for the question he was truly wanting answered.

“Is my brother still here?” He worries.

“Yes, he is.” The Koopa grumbles, “He, the princess and Master are in the library. Would you like me to take you to them?” Kamek tilts his head, his grin a little tighter on the corners.

“Yes please.” Luigi agrees. The magikoopa hops off the bed, taking a few steps toward the door to lead the human to their destination. Luigi makes a noise between disappointment and acceptance.

“Is there something the matter, Sire?” Kamek asks nervously.

“No, no. I just… thought we’d be teleporting there… It was fun. Kammy took me...” Luigi laughs sheepishly. Kamek practically glows with excitement.

“Of course, Sire! I would love to take you!” He squeals, bounding back over like a puppy with a brand new toy. Luigi smiles and slides off the bed, taking the koopas hand in his own and squeezing his eyes shut. Just as Kamek lifts his staff, Luigi sucks in a breath. He didn’t want a repeat of the first time.

…

That was even better than the last time! Luigi lets out an accidental giggle at the tingles left behind. He resolutely resolves to ask Kammy for a pair of those glasses that they wear just to be able to do it again and again. Maybe he could have them teach him to do it himself!

Wouldn’t that be a neat trick?!

“Here we are!” Kamek beams, gesturing grandly to the massive double doors. In front of them.

“Thank you, Kamek!” Luigi mirrors.

“Any time!” The magikoopa excites, his smile somehow stretching even wider. He lifts his staff again, that bluish-purple smoke surrounding the door handles and shoving both open at the same time.

“After you.” Kamek waves the man on grandly with a bow.

“Why thank you, Kamek.” Luigi bows back, joining in on the fun of it all. Luigi very strongly wonders just how much “playing” this actually was for the magikoopa directly after, especially when Kamek keens to himself; his eyes positively glittering under those spectacles.

Luigi decides to figure out what it means later. He trots his way over to the table from before, his mountain of books still scattered over the surface. Bowser sat in his chair on the opposite end; unmistakable, even though all Luigi could see was from the snout up.

Mario and peach were sitting in the same seat closest to him; plenty big enough for the both of them. It might even fit all three of them comfortably. Luigi wonders at the thought until he sees his brother’s face.

His twin hadn’t even noticed his arrival. He was too busy glaring daggers at the massive Koopa king. Said king was busy smirking, his chest shaking with silent snickers. At least Bowser gave Luigi a quick side glance.

The green brother’s’ shoulders sag slightly. Guilt made it worse when he catches the flash of Peach’s gloved hand smacking Mario in the thigh. She returns to her regal setting so fast, Luigi thought he’d just made it up. He was proven wrong when Mario belatedly jerks with a hiss, rubbing the soon-to-be bruise through his pant leg.

Peach’s sweet, innocent smile widens.

“Oh, hey Lu! Where ya been?” Mario chirps. Bowser scoffs, and the red plumber’s eye twitches. Luigi jumps in before another fight could be started.

“Hey Mario. Sorry about lunch… I didn’t realize how tired I was. Heard you guys had second lunch while I was sleeping?” Luigi asks, trying to steer the conversation into something light; casual.

He apparently underestimated Bowser’s tendency to grate on his brother’s nerves, however…

“Yeah, but you didn’t miss much. I saved you a loaf of bread-.”

“Oh, yeah. He snapped his teeth at the waiter who tried to take it away when they were cleanin’.” Mario laughs dryly. The princess sighs, clearly completely done with the two’s antics.

Bowser simultaneously attempts to shrink down and puff himself up at the same time in embarrassment. If Luigi didn’t know any better… he’d think Bowser might even be ashamed as well.

“Yeah- Well-!” Bowser stutters. Before anyone can say anything else, Bowser whips his head around the stack to peer at Luigi. His voice is like honey compared to his previous arguing.

“You wanna take any of these to your new room? It should be done by now!” He grins. Luigi opens and shuts his mouth a few times, his brain trying to process the sudden whiplash of that change of attitude.

“Uhm… Sure?” Luigi manages.

“Great.” Bowser breathes in relief. Once the king gets to his feet, he holds an arm out for Luigi to take. The man slips his hand around it as though it were the most natural thing in the world. The giant Koopa reaches over with his free claws, gently covering Luigi’s hand with his own and holding it there.

He pointedly ignores the hateful glare shot his way as he makes a conscious effort not to walk too fast for the smaller man beside him.

Chapter Text

Luigi’s reaction was just as wonderful as it had been during his first look at the library. Bowser watched the man half his size slowly meander into the middle of the room, his star-struck gaze scanning every inch of his new suite. The Koopa king had to hand it to his builders; they did a fantastic job in such a short amount of time.

The room was fit for a king such as himself, though on a slightly smaller scale. The room itself was rectangular in shape; the ceiling high enough to be lost to the darkness. In that darkness, tiny magical orbs like stars glittered across its surface. The walls were painted a bright, cheery green, paired with dark wood floors.

A red and tan oriental rug was placed under the bed that covered most of the floor itself. The bed was a dark oak four-poster set in the middle of the far back wall. In the left corner stood an ornate dark oak desk with all the amenities.

In the right corner stood a single green empty pot. It was half the size of Luigi himself, and the young man grips the edge and peers inside. He blinks in surprise to find a void within; he couldn’t see past the first two inches of the edge of the inside of the pot. He squints hard, trying his best to see the bottom that didn’t seem to exist.

He blinks once, and brilliant white teeth hover just in front of his face. A grassy-smelling breath blows hot in his face, and he falls to his rear and scrambles back with a shrill scream. A small, rather young-looking piranha plant curiously tilts its bulbous head in a ridiculous attempt to study the younger brother in return. It had no eyes, which only made Luigi more unsettled the way it tracked his movements with unerring accuracy as he got back to his feet.

He could worry about it later; he had more things to explore.

Brushing off his hands against the front of his overalls, he keeps his watch trained on the plant until he feels a good-enough distance away. He tosses a quick, secret glance to check the doorway, and sure enough, Bowser, Mario, and Peach were all still there. Mario had a knuckle in his mouth; chewing it nervously. Peach wore an unsettled expression, though she was much more composed about it. She had a hand tightly clamped around Mario’s upper arm.

Bowser held nothing but adoration in his smoldering red eyes. They stared at him as though he were the only thing in the room.

Luigi shivered minutely at being watched, but he turns back to what appeared to be double doors to a closet now in front of himself in the right wall. The green plumber had only ever seen a walk-in closet once in his lifetime, and that was when he and Peach were messing around, swapping clothes for an evening during a sleep-over at her castle.

If he were being honest, he was rather doubtful Bowser would go through such lengths just for him. Peach’s closet was like a whole other house in itself, and Luigi had just about gotten lost in the pinks and whites of her many dresses until she’d somehow pulled him out again. Luigi pulls the handles down together and flings open both doors at once.

What felt like hundreds of red and orange swirled, beady little eyes focus on him the moment the light floods in. He doesn’t even get the chance to cry out as a massive cloud of bats explode from the closet and rush out into the open, taking off for the nine-panel window that was cracked open on the wall across from the closet above to the desk.

Luigi crouches down and waits until he can barely hear wingbeats. The last few bats flutter out of the room, and the plumber rushes the window, climbing onto the ledge and leaning dangerously far outside to snatch the thick metal handle. He accidentally peeks down; a huge mistake.

Luigi screams at how high up he was; directly over a boiling lake of lava. Sweat starts to pour from himself as the memory of his time in Bowser’s prison resurfaces. The dangling over bubbling fire, the oppressive heat that made it so hard to breath, the melting of the cage below his feet, losing his grip on those blister-inducing iron bars, falling- Oh god, the falling-!

His hands are slick with sweat, which only serves to make his grip on that metal handle that much more difficult. He found that his body was hanging three-quarters of the way out of the window now, and he was frozen in place. He couldn’t move, even if he wanted to. Oh, god, did he want to just shut the window and never open it again!

He barely notices his own fingers slip; releasing their grip on that now-searing handle. He hardly registers the forward tilt of his own body as gravity pulls at him with thick, cold fingers.

…

Sharp talons dig into his back, snagging the straps of his overalls into a massive, thickly-scaled fist. He’s yanked back from the window with alarming speed; enough to make him choke on the collar of his own shirt. He’s met with a frantic worried frown as he dangles in that grip in front of Bowser’s face.

The whole thing had felt like hours, but it only seemed to have lasted for a couple of seconds.

“What is wrong with you?! What were you thinking?! You could have gotten hurt!” Bowser bellows. Luigi turns his head away to avoid the flecks of spittle that showers his cheek from getting into his eyes. When the green twin peeks back at the koopa king, his heart throbs with regret and, strangely enough, reassurance.

Bowser looks like he’d just seen a ghost.

The giant turtle’s eyes scan Luigi over and over, checking for any injuries. When it was deemed that he had none, the human was dropped back to his feet. Thank god he’d decided to rewrap his hand earlier that day. His scar still throbbed with pain every now and again, and the pressure helped. The fabric had apparently saved himself from what could have been a nasty burn, the bandage charred and singed across every edge. Still, the king was not finished fawning over the man.

Luigi’s cheeks burned hotter the longer Bowser’s attention was on him; the giant asking over and over in all different ways if he was alright. He’d even cursed himself and apologized for the unintended jumpscare and having asked his people to build the room on the third floor of his castle. That he’d forgotten of Luigi’s newly recent fear of heights. Luigi couldn’t even remember having ever told the king of such a thing.

Thankfully, Mario stepped in to save Luigi from the embarrassment; though he did have to wrestle his brother away from the koopa slightly. Mario wasn’t much better in the worry department in retrospect, but at least he didn’t make wonderful butterflies swarm sickeningly through his stomach as Bowser had.

“Lu! What happened?” Mario whines.

“I- I don’t know… I just couldn’t- I’m fine… Mario, really! Bowser… He saved me…” Luigi breathes.

Mario breathes heavily himself, swallowing thickly. He knows. He’d watched the whole thing. Mario had taken a step forward to help Luigi back into the room. He’d screamed his younger brother’s name the second he saw Luigi’s hand slip and the man start to fall forward.

With a speed he never knew Bowser possessed, Mario was batted aside and watched dumbly as that massive turtle practically teleported across the room in a dead-sprint. Mario blinked, and Luigi was already dangling two feet above the floor in Bowser’s claws, a look of pure panic drowning the king’s features that matched Luigi’s own.

The red-clad plumber nods, his words stolen from his throat. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t deny it anymore: Bowser wasn’t the enemy here. Mario finally felt a deep well of guilt settle into his stomach at how much of an ass he’d been this whole time.

“You’re ok?” Mario finally manages to squeak out. Luigi nods, gripping his brother’s elbows in his hands to steady himself. He looks up at Bowser to find him struggling to keep his hands to himself. He needed to know Luigi was really there, even though he logically knew he was the one that had kept him from slipping away.

Peach came in from the side, giving Luigi a tight hug and pecking his cheek in relief. As she pulled away, she used one hand to separated Mario from Luigi, and the other nudged him toward Bowser. The king eagerly scooped him up into a crushing hug.

“Please don’t ever do that again…” The koopa king complains in the man’s ear.

“I won’t.” Luigi whispers back, returning the gesture.

“What happened?!” Kammy shrieks, appearing in the doorway for all intents and purposes to have seemingly run the whole way. Kamek wasn’t fairing much better just behind her as they both heaved for air.

Explanations were given and Bowser was told of how a few of his troops had seen Luigi almost take a tumble from the window and alerted the magikoopas. They all finish exploring the room in better spirits than before; Mario and Bowser even cracking a few awkward jokes back and forth before deciding it was time for the princess and her consort to leave.

Chapter Text

“I’m not ready yet… I will come home, just-… Not yet.” Luigi wrings his fingers together and Mario nods hesitantly. The red plumber launches forward, snatching Luigi into a tight hug that is eagerly returned. Small tracks of tears trickle down his cheeks as he feels Luigi shake with silent sobs of his own.

“Just… Write me a letter every now and then, yeah?” Mario wobbles out.

“I will.” Luigi echoes, “You too.” He begs.

“I promise.” Mario asserts, pulling away and holding Luigi’s cheeks in his hands and wiping away his brother’s tears. He uses his gentle grip to pull Luigi down enough to place a chaste kiss on his brother’s forehead.

“Love you, Lu. Be safe.” Mario requests.

“Love you, too, Mario. And you, too.” Luigi demands. Mario snickers wetly and nods, squeezing his twin one last time before letting him go completely.

Luigi takes a few steps back to stand side by side with Bowser in the middle of that promenade. He does not turn away once. Mario does the same, though backing toward his princess.

Peach takes Mario’s hand in hers, and that breaks the spell between the twins. The red-clad man glances up at the woman and nods softly. Bowser chucks his chin in the two’s direction, and Kamek appears out of thin air from behind the younger brother to cross the courtyard.

Kamek trots over, lifting his staff into the air as wisps of purple and blue smoke curls about the trio’s feet.

Mario turns his gaze back to his brother the second his stomach feels as though it drops out from underneath himself. It made him feel sick and terrified. Unlike Luigi, Mario hated rollercoasters. That sudden feeling of dropping and the crawling feeling that prickled over his skin was downright awful. Teleporting felt very much like that.

Even still, he turned all of his attention through the bluish-purple cloud that now surrounded himself, Princess Peach and Kamek. His beloved brother seemed as though he were a hundred miles away, even though Mario knew for a fact that he was only a few yards. Luigi had his arm up in a weak, pathetic little wave goodbye.

Mario tried to return it, but suddenly, the floor beneath him gave way. A wall of purple and blue smoke invaded his vision until it was all he could see. He didn’t register his attempted scream until that thick fog found its way into his throat; into his very lungs. He couldn’t breathe. He could feel tears gather along the edges of his eyes as his body, in a last ditch effort, tries to clear the gas from them.

Then, all at once, it was over. The purple and blue swirls were gone. He has to remind himself how to breathe. It returns to him with great gasps and lengthy choking, like he’d just been pulled out of water after an hour of being submerged.

Through it all, Kamek waits patiently off to the side. Princess Peach rubs the elder plumber’s back. She, too, was coughing under her breath, but it seemed she had been much more prepared for the trip than he could have ever been. By the time he can finally keep his eyes open without franticly blinking, Mario finds their little group on the doorstep of Peach’s castle.

A profound loneliness settles heavily onto his heart. He finds himself looking around for his brother and having to remind himself that the man wasn’t there. He wouldn’t be for a while longer.

Mario sighs, and Peach once again takes his hand into her own, squeezing it reassuringly. She talks for a little while with Kamek, but Mario can’t make any of it out. He’s just… tired. He wants to go back to his room and lay down. He was done with that day.

And that’s exactly what he does after a lengthy shower and a decently-sized supper.

Chapter Text

About two weeks now; that’s how long it’s been since the day Bowser had found Luigi and brought him home. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t get a flash of that tiny house, the frail man with his heavily bleeding hand stuck in the sink, blankly staring off into space. Since then, Bowser had slowly but surely allowed his feelings for that blasted Mario brother to flourish and grow until it choked out the last embers of love he’d once felt for the Mushroom Kingdom’s princess.

Bowser had made it a point to spoil his new love interest with the best he had to offer. It did force himself to take a step back and allow the green-clad twin to have his space every now and again, but every second was worth it when they’d meet back up. Luigi seemed to glow more and more with his newfound independence.

Even still, Bowser and Luigi were becoming inseparable in the eyes of the Koopa king’s army. Everyone made little remarks and rumors of the pair, some even going so far as to bet on how long it would take for the two to go on a date, who would say “I love you” first, get married, etc. It didn’t help that the two never seemed to be apart save for that one to two hours that Luigi took time to himself to do whatever he wanted alone; usually to be found in either the library or the kitchens.

Luigi never seemed to pick up on any of it either. He just believed they were all very friendly whenever they’d come talk with him. Even when they tried to slip in double-meanings that he never caught.

And oh, did the crew love the Mario brother! Not one soldier in King Bowser’s army disliked the sweet young gentleman. He was kind and patient and never yelled if his request was skewed in any way; whether by accident or on purpose to test his true character.

Kamek became one of Luigi’s closest friends, and Kammy was like a grandmother to him. The human adored the old woman. With his knowledge from back in Brooklyn with his own family, he’d poured over a knitted sweater for the magikoopa for two full days. When he’d presented it to her, she actually cried and has been wearing it as much as she can since.

Bowser watched all of this happening, and a desire he hadn’t felt for so long solidifies in his very soul. He finds himself collecting little scraps of precious metals and fiddling with them in his spare time when he and Luigi would have their time apart.

He knew it would be quite a ways away from it being absolutely perfect, and surely longer before he even popped the question in the first place. He didn’t want to count his yoshis before they hatched, but… he also didn’t see any issue with starting his special ring now; forged by the flames of his own beating heart and molded and designed with the precision of his own steady talons.

If he were wrong and Luigi didn’t return his feelings, then it wouldn’t be so bad, he supposed. It would be easy enough to throw the ring in the lava and watch it melt away. No harm, no foul. Right?

Right. That thought totally didn’t make his heart burn painfully. Nope! Not him! He was totally not stinging with phantom rejection as his thoughts warp and play in his mind scenarios of Luigi yelling angrily at him and storming off, never to be seen again.

Bowser’s spiral derails as a gentle pressure taps on his forearm as though its owner wasn’t even sure whether or not they wanted to interrupt. That was another thing the king loved about Luigi. He was so funny, even when he wasn’t trying to be!

“Hey.” Bowser snickers. In one swift motion, he allows his project to drop into his palm and closes his fist around it, hiding it from view. Luigi hadn’t appeared to have seen the action, and Bowser let out an undetectable breath of relief.

Luigi says nothing, but beams up at Bowser from beside the larger’s throne. Both hands now grip the giant turtle’s forearm and lightly shakes it, apparently urging him to follow. A splotch of something coffee-colored brown sits right in the middle of the man’s right cheek.

When Bowser lifts an eyebrow and doesn’t move, Luigi pulls harder.

“Come on! I need a taste tester!” Luigi finally whines, now hugging Bowser’s hand to his chest and pulling with all his might. The giant turtle laughs, pushing off his throne and chuckling under his breath when Luigi very nearly loses his footing at the sudden movement.

“Alright, alright! I’m comin’! You don’t gotta tell me twice when it comes to food!” The Darklands’ ruler teases. He didn’t need to be told twice with anything Luigi-related lately. Luigi, still pulling the other along, looks back over his shoulder long enough to stick his tongue out. Bowser scoffs lightheartedly.

“Woooow! Alright, I see how it is!” The king jokes, still wandering after the young man that was now leading him along by their clasped hands.

If it weren’t for the glare that Bowser shot his two koopas just outside the castle doors that were charged with guarding them, they surely would have whistled their approval. The action unfortunately only gives the soldiers the reassurance they need to spread more rumors of their king’s and his “suitor’s” supposed “relationship.” He sighs, knowing he was going to be hearing much more gossip from Kamek for the next few days.

Chapter Text

Princess Peach, Mario, and Toad sit at the castle’s long dining room table. A plain green box with a letter attached under a golden ribbon sat before them. The stained glass windows of the Mushroom Kingdom’s palace threw brilliant colors across the room, and it seemed almost as curious as the trio sitting at the table.

The present was no doubt from Luigi; that much was certain. If the green box wasn’t telling enough, his slightly-sloppy cursive name scrawled on the back of the already-opened envelope would have done the trick just fine.

Nothing had been read out of it besides the names of the three now crowding around it to see who the present was for. After all, it had simply been left at the front door of the castle with no one else in sight; not even the guards. When they’d returned, they apologized for being distracted by a random couple of ice cream sandwiches. Mario takes a deep breath and collects the letter.

“Dear Mario,

I’m doing very well and am having a great time! I hope you are as well. And Peach and Toad, too! Please tell them I said ‘hi!’

I will admit, it is a little lonely sometimes without you guys, but I still don’t think I’m ready to leave just yet… And Bowser is always around if I get too lonely. He’s great fun, actually! He’s teaching me piano!

That’s not to say that I don’t like my alone time still. I’ve been reading all sorts of cookbooks lately and have been trying out all kinds of recipes. I’ve mostly been baking, but sometimes I’ll cook. I prefer the baking, if I’m being honest lol.

Hopefully the slices I’ve sent you, Peach, and Toad aren’t too messed up… I may have tripped on my way to have Kamek deliver them to you.

Hope you like it!

Love you all!
Luigi.” Mario reads. The older twin takes another deep breath as he unwraps the golden ribbon from the box. Toad gasps and pushes himself up in order to see what’s inside. Peach wasn’t much better as her curiosity began to override her royalty-ness.

Mario flips open the lid to find three slices of a two-tiered cake within. The smell of coffee and chocolate seems to billow out from the now-open package, making their mouths water. Peach requests for three plates and sets of silverware to be brought over from her toads. Mario has to smack Toad’s hand out of the box more than once to keep the mushroom man from picking at it with his fingers.

Once the food is passed around properly, it doesn’t take long for all three to already have had polished off their plates. Despite the strong smell, the coffee flavor was perfectly subtle against the rich dark chocolate. The cake was moist and the crumb was well-packed like a pound cake. The ganache on top had a perfect thickness to it as well. All in all, the dessert was to die for, and all three were already wishing they had more of it.

…

Mario retrieved three separate leaves of paper and a pen for each of them. He passed them around and they set to writing out their own letters. It helped that, since Luigi had decided to stay in Bowser’s floating castle, the king had landed just outside of the Mushroom Kingdom to make the deliveries easier for both the koopas and the toads.

Believe it or not, it seemed Luigi was doing a number on the entire Darklands kingdom. The koopas and other creatures seemed happier, and even some of the toads had made friends within their ranks. It was slow going, but it seemed the infamous armies were finally coming out of their shells and mingling with the world for the first time in… ever, according to Peach.

There were some that weren’t excited about the new change, and others that hated it outright, but no one could please everyone; not even someone as great as Luigi.

…

It was three weeks by the time Luigi finally agreed to return home. He hadn’t sent a letter; he wanted it to be a surprise.

Truth be told, he was worried. Deep down, the younger of the two brothers felt like he’d be left behind if he stepped foot off of Bowser’s castle. It was why he’d taken so long to visit. He knew he couldn’t stall any longer, though. It wasn’t fair to his family and friends.

What shocked him the most was Bowser’s own excitement about it. He seemed to have been itching to go, but holding back for Luigi’s sake. This knowledge was what finally pushed the green plumber over that edge; Bowser right by his side.

Chapter Text

Before he knew it, Luigi and Bowser stood at those massive double doors to Princess Peach’s castle. They’d gotten many odd looks from the Mushroom Kingdom’s citizens as they passed them, but Luigi took humor in the way Bowser seemed intent on waving and saying hello to as many of them as he possibly could along the way. He couldn’t keep his own smile off his face; more so when Bowser catches him staring and gives him the biggest, toothiest grin the massive koopa can manage.

Luigi barely taps the surface of the door with his knuckles before they swing open. Two toad soldiers nod sharply within, turn on their heels, and start marching away into the castle. Bowser raises an eyebrow, glancing at Luigi seemingly for permission. The human shrugs helplessly and takes a step forward, hesitantly following the two deeper into the brightly colored palace.

He doesn’t miss the way Bowser’s face twitches into a scowl of discomfort when a particularly bright yellow light from a stained glass window cuts across his eyes. Luigi subconsciously starts to wonder just how hard it might be to find the poor guy some sunglasses…

“Lu?” Mario’s voice echoes. Luigi immediately perks up, whipping around this way and that in search of his brother. There, down a long corridor near the end, is Mario.

Luigi felt tears start to well.

Both brothers break into a full sprint, the corridor much shorter than how it originally appeared. They collide in the middle, and Luigi lifts Mario up into the strongest hug he can. Mario wraps his arms around Luigi’s neck and hangs on with everything he has. It takes Bowser, Peach, Toad, and one of the soldiers to bother them apart.

The second Mario only slightly pulls away, Peach takes over and crushes Luigi into a hug of her own. When she’s finished, the green plumber gasps for breath as the princess giggles happily. Toad opts for a “super manly” fist bump, but accepts a short hug when the other two humans start heading back toward the dining room.

“I hope you don’t mind, Luigi, but we weren’t exactly… expecting you both to visit? Not that it’s a problem at all! Of course not! It’s just that-.” Peach is cut off through her rambling as a brown and slightly red blur drops heavily from the air right in front of Luigi between them.

The man yelps, stumbling back and clutching onto Bowser’s arm; hiding himself halfway behind it. The Koopa king himself unconsciously takes the cue in an instant, angling himself so that he was obscuring the twin further. More than that, he’d turned in such a way that edged some of his recently-sharpened-and-polished spikes on his shell toward the assailant. The low, echoing growl was a bit overkill, even in Luigi’s opinion.

“Woah, woah! Chill out, dude! I was just messing with you, geez!” A large, thickly-muscled young gorilla huffs, holding up his hands in mock-surrender. The guy seemed about the same age as Luigi and his brother. He also wore nothing but a bright red tie around his neck that read “DK” on the end. The ape seemed familiar to Luigi for some reason, but he wasn’t sure from where exactly…

Mario stomps around the joker, his face almost as red as that tie, and Luigi knew what was coming next.

“HEY!” Mario shrieks, “Not my brother, man! What is wrong with you! Seriously, DK?! You’re actually horrible, you know that?!” He snaps. The gorilla (DK, apparently) blinks in surprise, taking a slight step back. It didn’t seem like he was used to Mario telling him off in such a way as a flash of genuine fear cuts through his cheeky grin.

“Woah… I said I didn’t mean it, man; chillax. It was just a joke.” DK grumbles, settling back down to sit on his haunches and crossing his arms with a put-off humph.

“Ok!” Peach calls over the small crowd, “How about we all have some lunch, yes? Since everyone is here-.” She tries. DK immediately recoils on her.

“Woah, wait, what?! With him?! You’re not serious, right? Tell me you’re joking!” The gorilla gawks at the princess, his face in hers as he jabs a finger in Bowser direction. The koopa king rolls his eyes, patting Luigi reassuringly on the back and turning himself forward once more. Luigi steps back around into full view, though his hand doesn’t leave the crook of Bowser’s elbow this time.

“Is there a problem?” Peach challenges, crossing her own arms and lifting her chin boldly. DK tosses glances back and forth until he seems almost dizzy before deflating in defeat. Everyone knew when Peach gave a look like that, she wouldn’t back down no matter what.

“Donkey Kong!” An elder’s voice calls from within the room they were all just standing in the doorway of. DK groans heavily, his head tilting back exaggeratedly.

“Yeah, dad?” He calls, face still pointed toward the ceiling.

“Come here and sit down!” The old man orders, the sound of a hand lightly patting a wooden surface echoing out into the hall. DK groans a second time, flailing himself around and slumping his way into the dining room like a child that had just been sent to their room without dinner. Peach giggles behind her fingertips while Mario and Toad openly snicker after the monkey-man.

“As I was about to say: We have guests, but you both are more than welcome to join us for lunch.” The princess finishes. Her sweet smile doesn’t waver, even when there’s a crash of what sounds like a chair being thrown against the wall directly behind her.

“Cool.” Bowser gruffs, nudging Luigi forward and squinting with a snarl at another bright patch of stained glass gleaming into his eyes; purple this time.

Yeah, that’s it. Next time, Luigi was bringing his giant turtle some sunglasses.

Chapter Text

Lunch was about as hectic as Luigi thought it might be. Donkey Kong was loud and pushy, and it took Bowser snatching something from the table for the green-clad plumber at least twice. Each time, the gorilla would laugh like it was the best joke he’d ever been a part of.

If he wasn’t being a brat, Luigi actually found it rather interesting to watch the way the ape would occasionally glance at Mario for approval. It was never when the elder brother was looking, of course, but it was often enough to catch Luigi’s notice. It seemed to him that DK just wanted attention, but wasn’t sure on how to go about it. He calmed down a bit after the third scathing glare from Mario, so no harm, no foul.

Luigi could not be more proud of Bowser, though. He kept to himself save for the times that he would grab something for either himself or the green plumber, he kept his temper in relative check (he’d growled once when Donkey Kong tried to snatch something from his hand, which was well earned), and he ate slowly enough to try to keep his inevitable mess somewhat negligible. Luigi found himself watching the koopa king more than everyone else.

He wasn’t one for talking at the table anyway; he just liked to watch.

“So, Greeny. You live here, too?” The old gorilla at the head of the table asks. If Luigi was being honest, he’d completely forgotten that the old man was there. He had to lean around Bowser a bit since he was sitting between them. That was probably why the gorilla king slipped his mind. King Cranky Kong, he believed the princess had called him. Luigi awkwardly clears his throat when he finds that the whole room has gone silent.

“I- Kind of…? Eh… Mario and I live up the hill a bit aways away; just outside the city.” Luigi chokes out. After living in Bowser’s castle for so long, he’d found himself wishing he could tuck into a shell whenever it suited him like the other koopas. Like right now. He did not like all this attention…

He starts to shrink away behind the Koopa king instead.

“And how’ve you been, since stayin’ with Bowser?” Mario probes. The older brother was at the other end of the table, next to Peach who sat at the head opposite of King Cranky.

“Great! I’ve been-… It’s been great.” Luigi peters out. A smattering of mutters from the others besides Luigi and Bowser themselves seems to echo throughout the expansive room. The broccoli cheddar pasta in front of him has suddenly just become so fascinating; he can’t tear his eyes from it.

A memory pops into the younger brother’s head of one of Luigi’s piano lessons. Bowser had had the human perched in his lap as he played the keys, then waited for Luigi to copy the motions.

In this particular situation, Luigi had gotten it right on the first try. The young man beams up at Bowser, only to find the giant koopa having been watching him the whole time with the most serene look on his face. They stared at each other for quite some time before blushing harshly and turning back to the ivory keys before them.

They didn’t talk much after that, but Luigi was appreciative of it. He was too busy trying to burn the memory into his long term.

“Hey, Lu! You alright? You’re lookin’ a little pink-y there.” Mario’s voice breaks through the fog, and he looks up and around as though he’d only just noticed where he was. His fork had fallen to the plate in the time he was off in his own little world.

“Wha-? Oh, yes! Yeah, I’m ok, just… I need some air.” Luigi sighs. He excuses himself and hops up from his seat. He politely declines the escort out as he makes his way down the hall. Bowser grinds his teeth nervously.

The Darklands’ ruler would never admit it aloud, but he hated being left alone in a crowd of people without someone he knew. He couldn’t even pretend to know Princess Peach anymore; he’d quite forgotten everything about her, which wasn’t much in the first place.

He knew Luigi.

Luigi was safe.

“Uhm… Me too.” Bowser forces out quickly, standing up so fast his chair falls over behind himself. He hisses at the clatter it makes in the now dead-silent room, quickly sets it back upright, and shuffles rigidly in the same direction Luigi had just disappeared in.

“Someone should… probably go check on them…” Peach hums.

“I’ll go.” Mario sighs heavily, “If you’re gonna eat stuff off my plate, I’d prefer if you take the mushrooms.” He adds, staring DK down for a split second. The gorilla was already reaching over so slowly it was hard to tell he was moving at all. He grins innocently at the Mario brother, his arm still outstretched, and Mario just sighs again. He shakes his head as he leaves.

He didn’t believe even Peach could save his food at this point.

Chapter Text

Bowser was seriously regretting having refused an escort. He’d only ever been in Peach’s castle once, and that was when he’d been a prisoner for a very short week before Kamek had come to help bust him out. The King of the Koopas and Ruler of the Darklands was well and truly lost.

And these stupid stained-glass windows weren’t helping!

The bright lights flashed in his eyes, and it wasn’t the fun laser-lights he’d put on for his rock concerts. These gave him a splitting headache on top of the growing anxiety of never finding his way out again. The cherry on top was the fact that he was utterly alone, too. He hadn’t seen a single toad since he’d left that dining room, nor did he find Luigi as he had hoped.

He needed to find somewhere dark and cramped; now.

…

He’d found it eventually. After wandering for what felt like forever, Bowser busted into a broom closet and forced his way inside. He felt slightly guilty in the back of his mind for leaving such deep gouges in the door jamb from the spikes on his shell, but he was too far in a panic attack to care.

He wanted someone he knew. He wanted Kamek. He wanted Kammy. He wanted Luigi. He could really use that relaxing spearmint-y smell right about now!

The king’s heart races as he sits there in that tiny little room filled with cleaning supplies and cobwebs. It was the closest thing to home that he could find, and if he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine sitting in his own cramped closet during a particularly bad anxiety rush. Only Kammy and Kamek knew he had them, and if it were up to him, he would keep it that way.

But it never was up to him. Bowser whimpers quietly when he hears the doorknob jiggle by his knee. He almost has the state of mind to grab it; to hold it still. Unfortunately, by the time he makes his decision, his sanctuary floods with bright light around a very short backlit figure.

“Mama Mia…” A particularly annoying Brooklyn-Italian accent makes Bowser’s head start throbbing all over again.

…

Mario checks hall after hall, calling for Bowser over and over again. The shorter man had found his brother with no issue, though Luigi hadn’t seen Bowser since he’d stepped out. They checked a few rooms, but it was becoming very clear very quickly that Bowser was nowhere to be found.

The two returned to the dining room and relayed their information to the rest of the group. Soon, everyone had a part of the castle to go and check in a rather small search party. Peach hadn’t wanted to alert her toads; just in the case that it would begin a kingdom-wide panic. They’d check the castle first, and then she’d bring it up to her people.

Luigi was all out of sorts. Both Mario and Peach had suggested he stay in the dining room, just in case that lumbering oaf managed to find his way back. In reality, they just wanted him out of the way since he’d been sprinting up and down the halls like a yoshi on a rampage. Even Donkey Kong had a more level head than the green brother had at the moment.

DK had the east wing, Peach took the west, Mario chose the north wing, Toad took the south wing and Cranky chose to wait in the dining room with Luigi to try and keep him calm. Mario had a sneaking suspicion that the king just didn’t want to get up, but he couldn’t blame the old gorilla. It was also better that Luigi had someone to watch over him anyway.

Mario’s search had so far brought him to empty room after empty room. He was just about to call it quits and return to the others when a large gash in the wall catches his eye. Leaning in to study it closer, the red-clad plumber notices another. Then another.

It was a whole trail of deep-cut slashes along the hallway. Mario followed the path until the end, coming upon a rather beat-up door tucked away behind a large marble column. The edges of the doorway were torn up like a dog had chewed on them; the top as well. The doorknob was slightly crushed by a powerful grip and bent just barely enough to make it difficult to open.

The Mario brother wrestled with that knob until the door finally breaks free, and the light of the corridor battles fiercely with the darkness within. It takes a few moments for the human’s eyes to adjust, but when they do, his mouth drops open in disbelief.

“Mama Mia…” He gasps. Just inside was a very cramped broom closet filled to the brim with a very-much-stuck koopa king.

Chapter Text

“What the fuck are you doin’?!” Mario shouts. Bowser says nothing. He merely grunts and tries to stretch his neck in a way that gets his head out of the light, but also doesn’t pull a muscle and make the migraine ten times worse.

“Shut the door.” Bowser demands, though it sounds more like a whine than an order.

“You run off and shove yourself in a hole, then you wanna tell me to leave?! No way!” Mario cries. Bowser whimpers at another heavy pulsing throb. Would it be so bad if he maybe just… tossed the painfully yelling human out of his safe space? Just a little?

“What’s wrong with you? You sick or something?” Mario huffs. Bowser opens his mouth to retort that he never got sick. However, his body had other plans as a wave of nausea began to carry his most recent meal up into his throat. He snaps his mouth shut again. He didn’t feel like dealing with that right now.

“Are you seriously not gonna talk to me until I shut this stupid door?” Mario snaps. With no other obvious way out, the massive turtle shakes his head. The human groans loudly, slamming the door and giving Bowser the blessed relief of darkness that he craved.

“Alright, now what’s your deal?” Mario calls through the thin wood.

“None o’ your business!” Bowser slurs.

“Really?!” Mario roars. Without thinking, Bowser clamps his hand down on the doorknob. Sure enough, it shakes in his palm as Mario struggles to open it up again. He stamps his foot and gives up after a few seconds of this.

“Do you have any idea how freaked out we all were?! You had us running around the castle, lookin’ for you!” Mario chastises. Bowser shrinks down, his headache already settling down with the lack of light, even while the louder sibling shouted at him through the door. A pang of worry shoots through his chest, and the words tumble out before he can stop them.

“Is Lui ok?” He pouts. Mario goes silent for a solid minute, and for a second, Bowser wonders if the man had walked away.

“Lu is fine.” Mario finally offers, though incredibly hesitantly.

“He just went a little crazy when you disappeared like that… Worried you’d left him behind…” The elder twin sighs. A weight bumps against the door, and fabric sliding across the surface to the floor. Mario’s voice now sounds like it’s coming from Bowser’s feet. The man must have sat himself down.

“Didn’t mean to…” Bowser mumbles, his head still swimming.

“Yeah, I figured…” Mario breathes quietly. The larger shifts again, making himself more comfortable in his makeshift seat. His spiked collar snags on a mop head, and the fibers get caught between the leather and the metal of two of his spikes. Before he thinks further on it, Bowser reaches up and rips them free, only to hear a dreadful tink, tink sound of a tiny metal something bouncing across the tile.

It’s too dark, and Bowser is still seeing too many spots to fully see his project-ring jumping about at his feet. He reaches down to try and feel for it to collect it. He only makes the situation worse when he feels the puny thing bump against his claw-tips . It skitters under the crack of the door, and Bowser sucks in a deep breath. Maybe Mario won’t notice?

“Is this a fuckin’ ring?!” Mario suddenly bellows from the other side. Bowser slams his forehead into the wooden door and mentally curses himself for being so stupid as to hide it underneath one of the spikes of his collar. He thought it was a good idea at the time since they screwed on and off. Now he felt very much like he wanted to shrivel up and die.

Chapter Text

Bowser watches Mario’s shadow pace back and forth through the crack under the door. He could hear the fuming mutters through the thin wood. More than once Mario had tried to open the door, but Bowser kept a firm grip on the handle from within.

At least his headache from the light was going away. Now a new one from stress was taking its place instead.

“I can’t fucking believe you! First, you just dump Peach at the drop of a hat! Then the literal next day, you pick up my brother?! What the hell?! You gonna start kidnappin’ him, too?!” Mario shrieks. Bowser had been yelled at a few times already, but this was the first one he actually cared to hear. Something about the way the words were put together grated on the king’s nerves.

“Hey, I didn’t dump Peaches! She dumped me! For years she’s been dumping me! So technically I couldn’t even have a chance to ‘dump her!’” Bowser retorts. He hears a scoff from the other side.

“So you admit that you’re a crazy asshole?” Mario snaps.

“You know what? Yes! I can admit that now!” The turtle bites back.

“And my brother? What, you gonna take him, too? You gonna force him to marry you, too?” The human snarls.

“No! I would never- I wouldn’t do that to him!” Bowser winces at himself.

“So what? What’s your big plan here? Why’d you take him in? Why are you takin’ care of him; givin’ him a place to stay, all o’ that?” Mario presses.

“I-… Because-…” Bowser finds himself unable to continue. Finally being able to admit to himself that he loved the younger of the two brothers was one thing, but saying it out loud to the one that hated him the most? Bowser was seriously wondering if taking a few swigs of the bleach on the shelf he was currently sitting next to would be less painful.

“Yeah?” The red plumber demands, his shadow finally stopping right in front of the door. Bowser reaches over, hand hovering over that admittedly tiny bottle.

He can’t do it. Luigi and his people would be devastated. The Koopa king steels himself for the rage he knew would come his way the moment he opened his mouth.

“Because I love him. I mean… Really love him. For real. And I came with… to ask… you… if I had… permission… to date him.” Bowser chokes out sullenly. There was complete silence on the other side of that door. If it weren’t for the shadow still present, Bowser would have worried he’d said all of that for nothing.

King Bowser had never had to ask permission before. He was used to taking what he wanted, whenever he wanted, because he said so. This was a whole new area for him, but he knew deep down that he owed it to his possible relationship. He was sure it’s what Luigi would have wanted.

The koopa allows the handle to turn under his hand and pull away. Bowser was fully expecting hatred and malice and a promise of death, but… There was none of that. Mario simply looked blank. It looked like his brain had finally flatlined as the two rivals stare at each other.

Bowser holds out his hand hopefully, and to his surprise, Mario silently reaches over and drops the half-made ring into the other’s palm.

The brother says nothing more as he turns and starts walking back down the hall from whence he came. Bowser wrestles himself out from his hideaway, ignoring all the new gouges he’d created in favor of the human shuffling off like his own body was not his own.

Bowser suddenly feels sick to his stomach. He’d just told his greatest enemy that he loved his brother. Maybe getting lost a second time wasn’t such a bad idea…

But first…

”So is that a yes?” Bowser calls out, just as Mario turns the corner.

Chapter Text

Mario felt nothing as he walked through the corridors back toward the dining room. Not even his footsteps rattled him as they heavily carried him along. He was so physically tired, he felt that he would collapse at any second if it weren’t for how awake and reeling his mind was.

He needed help. Specifically Peach’s help. She had the most experience with Bowser. If anyone could help him figure out what his next steps were, it would be her.

Luigi was too close to the situation. As a matter of fact, how was Mario to know that they hadn’t been dating this whole time? Was that why Luigi was still staying in Bowser’s castle? If not, did Lu even know? What was Bowser’s play here?

And what if Luigi was the one to ask Bowser to ask Mario about them dating? If that was the case, then why not ask directly? The elder twin had hoped that his brother would know that there was nothing that would make Mario hate him. Not even a ten foot tall turtle with a short temper and an even nastier attitude as his choice of relationship.

Whatever. It was fine. Everything was fine! Mario would have a chat with Peach about what to say as gently as possible, then talk with Luigi as he had with the whole ‘Destiny situation.’

Hopefully Luigi would listen better this time and make his escape before things got any worse. If not? Well, Mario had beaten the monster once. He could… probably do it again? Running on the hope that Luigi became more angry than sad, but they’d cross that bridge when it came to it.

…

Of course Donkey Kong was the only one in the dining room. And of course he’d eaten practically everything that was left. Mario deadpans the second he sees the ape sprawled across the table with a hand on his rather bloated stomach with a contented smile on his lips. His eyes were closed, and if not for the quiet humming of his own theme song, Mario would have thought the gorilla to be asleep.

“DK? Where’s Peach?” The Mario brother sighs, his voice completely devoid of emotion. He’d been through too much in too short of an amount of time to be dealing with this right now. The gorilla scoffs, allowing his head to loll over in the human’s direction.

“She’s in her council room, I think. Didn’t really care to hear where they went. Did you know you were gone for nearly two hours?” Donkey Kong grins, “Yeah! They said something about a search party for both you and Bowser, like, twenty minutes ago!” He snickers. Mario feels hot tears of stress well up in the corners of his eyes. He could not handle this right now! This was not happening-!

“You’re joking. Please tell me you’re joking.” Mario whines. DK laughs.

“Nope! This is so much more funny than any lie I could come up with!” He chortles. It’s at that moment that Mario snaps.

His face turns purple, his head swimming dangerously as blood rushes through his ears. He knows, in the back of his mind, that he’s in trouble when he starts seeing stars dance about his vision, but he doesn’t care.

“SHUT UP! Shut up, ok?! It’s not funny! NONE OF THIS IS FUNNY! Bowser’s tryin’ to marry my brother, Luigi’s in deep shit and he doesn’t see it, Peach doesn’t seem to care, Toad is stayin’ out of it all, which isn’t helpin’ jack shit, and you think this is all a FUCKIN’ JOKE!” Mario screams at the top of his lungs.

DK is now sitting upright on the table, having scooted his way to the very edge of the surface. He sits there, hunched in shame and fear as the man shouts at him. This was so much different from the playful banter they’d usually get into, and Donkey Kong was not prepared. He couldn’t actually remember the last time he was this afraid…

“Woah, woah! Ok! I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I didn’t know! What- what did you say about Bowser?” The ape tries, attempting to steer the aggression away from himself and onto an easy target. It seems to work as Mario reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose. DK quickly takes the distraction and slips off the table, putting the furniture between himself and the currently raging insanity.

“I said ‘Bowser’s tryin’ to marry my brother…’” Mario grinds out with a slight lilt to his voice, his ire now having moved into ‘silent rage’ territory.

“Wow. That’s- Uh…” DK breathes. He opens and closes his mouth a few more times, trying to say something to disarm the red-clad plumber, but he doesn’t trust anything that passes through his head. He opts in that very moment to just keep his mouth shut.

It was quite possibly the wisest decision he had ever made in his entire life.

DK keeps low as he follows Mario out of that room and back into the palace’s halls. He falls a few steps behind and keeps his comments to himself as Mario seems to be having a full-on argument with himself just up ahead. Though, even as wary as he was, Donkey Kong desperately needed to know what in the hell was going on. He was feeling very left out, and he didn’t like it.

Chapter Text

Princess Peach liked to believe she was the most level-headed of the group. In many ways, she was right! The woman was quick on her feet, had the patience of a saint, and was able to talk her way out of most anything.

Right now, she felt like she was losing her mind. Toads skittered about here and there with seemingly no goal in mind, Luigi had run off, and King Cranky was not helping in the fact that he was just watching the show go on around them and laughing at her people’s distress. No wonder his son was such a pain…

Bowser and Mario were still missing. Donkey Kong was most likely now sick in her dining room from eating too much; She’d seen the sideways glances he’d been shooting the tabletop before she’d left him. And last, but certainly not least, both Kamek and Kammy have now joined the party alongside about twenty Koopa soldiers, a blue-shell general, and a returning Luigi that looked like he’d been crying.

The troop had shown up asking after their king, who apparently couldn’t have been bothered to warn them of his departure nearly ten hours ago. Exactly how it had taken any of them so long to notice was beyond the poor princess. At least they were somewhat more understanding than anyone else at this point in time.

Peach’s patience was wearing thin. She felt herself so close to snapping, and a bright red figure slumping into the council room followed by cowering brown fur nearly cut that cord. The man was gone for nearly two and a half hours, and he just… shows up? And where’s Bowser?!

“Mario!” The princess calls. The running toads come to a screeching halt, then all at once, they swarm the man cheerily. Peach catches the momentary panic on Donkey Kong’s face as he shuffles a few steps back to make way. His nervously curious eyes hadn’t left Mario since they’d arrived.

Princess Peach excuses herself as she pushes her way through the crowd of her advisors, snatches a white-gloved hand, and drags the Mario brother back out into the silence of the hall. She continues to ignore DK as he continues to follow right at their heels.

“Mario, where have you been?! And where’s Bowser?!” Peach snaps. The man mumbles something under his breath. His stare is distant and hard to read.

”What?” Peach slams her fists into her hips, looming over her friend.

“He’s comin’.” Mario answers. His tone is bland, as though he still wasn’t in the same room, but somewhere else entirely.

“What’s wrong? What did he say?” Peach probes, bringing her fingers up to rub at her temples. It was at this point that Peach remembers Donkey Kong standing off to the side, the gorilla taking in a sharp breath and holding it.

All at once, Mario’s color returns to his face, and Peach realizes just how sheet white the brother had been since he’d come back.

“Peach! Oh thank god! You gotta help me!” Mario cries, seeming to only notice her presence just now.

“Wha- Ok? What happened?” She tries.

“It’s Bowser! I went to go find him like everybody else; and I did! I found him in a broom closet, and he was actin’ real off. He told me to shut the door again, so I did, and then we talked for a bit. I sat down after a while cause I’d been walkin’ for a long time before that, then I hear this… this sound from inside. It sounded like a tiny metal coin bouncin’ on glass or somethin’. I didn’t think much of it at first, cause like- I don’t know how Bowser managed to shove himself in there, and I figure he must’ve broken somethin’, you know?” Mario explains, gesturing wildly.

“But then- then a tiny little washer rockets out from under the door, and I go to see what it is, right? At least… I thought it was a washer! God, I wish it was!” He whines, “But no! It’s a ring! It’s a fuckin’ ring! I think- I think Bowser’s gonna try to marry my brother, and I don’t know what to do, and I need your help-!” The more Mario get’s riled up, he gets louder until he’s almost shouting in the princess’s face. She cuts him off, gripping his shoulders and keeping him at arms length. A headache throbs painfully behind Peach’s eyes as her own stress mounts ever higher.

“A ring? How do you know its not for someone else?” She huffs.

“It’s not though!” Mario squeals, “He told me he came with Luigi cause he wanted to ask me if it was ok to date my brother!” He cries. Peach’s mind goes completely blank. This was not what she was expecting. Sure, Bowser had been leaving her alone for a while now, and it was nice not to have to watch her back. If she were being honest, she sort of believed that he was just gearing up for another attempt at her hand.

But no. He’d been gearing up for something else apparently. The boiling volcano that was her emotions finally erupts, but not in the way Mario would expect. She could barely believe herself.

“Seriously?!” Peach barks, “Is that what this is about? Really?! Mario, Bowser has been pampering Luigi for weeks, making sure he’s been taken care of and as happy as he can be! I’ve been watching this soap opera for as long as you have, and Bowser has never acted this way before; not even for me! He’s acting like a love-sick puppy! Why does it matter if Luigi loves Bowser back? It’s his life! If Luigi wants to make that mistake, then it’s his choice! I get that you love him, and you want what’s best for him, but it’s bordering on control at this point! I’m sorry, but that’s just how I see it! And how long has it been since you’ve spent a day with him?! I love having you around to hang out with, but every time you come over, did you just think I didn’t notice Luigi was no where to be found? Ever?!” Peach gasps, having ranted so hard, she was out of breath.

She was nowhere near done, but she knew she had to take a moment for the man to process, especially since he seemed to be in complete shock. His jaw was dropped, and he kept staring at her like she had two heads. Peach spares a quick glance up at Donkey Kong, only to scowl as she sees him eating a banana like he was watching the most intriguing show in the world. He even had the audacity to wave as though to egg her on!

She also catches a flash of green in her peripheral, and her throat suddenly feels bone dry at the tiny sliver of a mustached face peeking through a crack in the door, along with many of her toads’ as well.

Peach takes a minute to collect herself. When she finally feels as though she won’t explode the moment she opens her mouth again, she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Much more contained, she feels more like she’s chastising a child rather than a full-grown man.

“You need to take a step back. That’s the long and short of it. Luigi needs to learn to make mistakes. And if I’m being honest, he might even be safer with Bowser’s constant company than he would be sitting at home alone.” The princess purses her lips, pushing past the statue of a man before her and stomping back into the council room. The group at the door had scattered, allowing her entry. She couldn’t look at Mario right now.

DK chuckles nervously, tossing his peel over his shoulder and getting into position in preparation to bolt.

“Hey, B-man!” Donkey Kong salutes, taking off back into the council room right after Peach.

Chapter Text

For the first time ever, the King of the Darklands and the Hero of the Mushroom Kingdom refused to interact with each other. Glances were not stolen and words were not exchanged. If one traveled a hall, the other turned and fled for another. If they were to be in the same room, their best option was to keep their backs to one another and pretend the other did not exist.

This went on for three days. Donkey Kong and King Cranky left at some point, though Mario hadn’t been paying attention. The air around Bowser and Mario was thick and suffocating if the subject was ever to be brought up, and they deflected the questions if not outright ignored them. There were plenty of times where there was a middle-man. If not a toad, it would either be Princess Peach or Luigi.

However, even that was sparse. As much as Luigi wanted to see his brother, he found himself spending more time with Bowser around the city. There was so much to do and see, and Bowser had never been; not properly. It was quite common to see a giant koopa king sitting in a chair much to small for him outside of a café, eating a meal with a positively beaming young man as they chatted animatedly together.

Mario, for all of his avoidance, followed close behind. He just wanted to be there; just in case. That’s what he told himself.

Even still, his resolve was waning. He watched as his brother was the happiest he’d been in years too many to count within a measly three days. What fear the younger presented on a daily with him was almost gone with the other. It was as if he was witnessing a completely different person, and it almost made Mario cry.

Not of sadness; no. Regret swallowed the red plumber whole. Ever since they were kids, Mario wanted Luigi to be more assertive; to find security in himself and stand tall on his own. Now, Mario got exactly what he’d wanted, and he was upset with himself over how jealous he was of it.

Mario goes back to watching the… couple… as they finish their food, pay, and stand to leave. He drifts along a distance behind as the pair visits all the little shops in the city from the heart all the way the edge in one straight line. Once they’ve finished, the end of the day dawning, they return to the castle with the intent of repeating the process the next day on another path.

At some point, Bowser had collected a few knick knacks to bring home, along with a pair of sunglasses that he wore constantly. They had been the first gift from Luigi that Mario had seen his brother present. Bowser returned the gesture by bringing the man out to the forest for a picnic lunch on top of a mushroom, overseeing the entire city itself. Neither brothers knew how good of a climber Bowser had been until he happily scaled the stem like it was nothing with a human clinging to the back of his shell like a koala.

…

It was on the last day that Mario finally lost his reservations. It had been a full week since Luigi had returned with Bowser, and the two had thoroughly explored the city. Luigi was packing up his suitcase that had been delivered early on by Kamek in preparation to return to Bowser’s castle. His expression was bright and cheery throughout as Mario watched silently from the doorway. It didn’t seem like Luigi noticed his presence at all.

“Lu?” Mario calls, his voice cracking in uncertainty. Luigi flinches, his humming cutting off in an instant.

“Oh! Mario! How uh… How long have you been there?” He asks nervously. However, it was so different from before. He didn’t cower; he didn’t even have the slightest hunch. His back was as straight as an arrow, and he tilted his head curiously with a gently questioning smile.

Mario takes a deep breath at that. When had he ever thought that that was ok? That it was just Luigi being Luigi? It wasn’t right, and he knew it. Mario reminds himself once again that this is the Luigi he’d hoped for.

“A while…” The elder twin mumbles.

“So uh… Headin’ back, huh?” He breaths. Luigi’s smile widens, and his eyes sparkle as he nods. Mario tries to smile back, landing somewhere in smirk territory. Mario watches as Luigi’s eyes dampen in an instant, the brilliant blues turning stormy, even as he still holds his head high with that same smile that had somehow turned a little sour at the edges.

“Is that ok?” Luigi asks, though his tone is more combative than ever before. Mario could count the times on one hand that they’d gotten into a fight, and he would rather keep it that way.

“I don’t care. Whatever you want to do, that’s up to you. You’re a grown man now; it’s your choice.” Mario sighs. The words taste bitter on his lips, even as the light returns to Luigi’s countenance and his humming restarts in earnest. Mario bites his tongue hard. He couldn’t be the one to spoil Luigi’s good mood; not after so many years of despair where neither knew when exactly it had begun.

He lets the silence be filled with that cheerful humming as Luigi returns to his task.

“Hey, Luigi?” Mario calls after a while. Luigi looks at him, and the words die on Mario’s tongue. They watch each other until the quiet becomes awkward, and Luigi is the first to blink and turn away again.

“I love you, little brother…” Mario whispers; so low that Luigi’s tune covers the sound completely.

The door closes after Mario as he leaves; Luigi none the wiser as he finishes packing his things.

…

Mario walks through the castle, intent on one specific room. The distance was almost grueling, but it felt about right. It gave Mario time to think; to school his expressions before they could ruin his hastily prepared speech. He was acutely aware of this karma as he had been the one to demand the Koopa king to have been set so apart from Luigi.

Mario felt sick the moment his journey ended. He didn’t realize just how much he appreciated the trek until it had stopped so abruptly. He takes a deep breath, steeling himself for all he’s worth, and lifts his fist to the door in front of him. He doesn’t even get the chance to knock.

The door swings open to reveal a giant turtle with the biggest smile on his face that Mario had ever seen. The stars in his eyes were so solid, Mario found them dizzying.

That was until Bowser finally glanced down at the red-clad brother standing at his doorstep.

Bowser’s expression shifted uncomfortably. It was clear that Mario was in the way of his visiting a particular someone, but he was trying not to be too bothered by it.

“Hey.” Mario mutters.

“‘Sup.” Bowser clips. They stand in uneasy silence, sizing each other up until Mario realizes what they’re doing and swallows his pride. He steps down.

“So… Can I come in?” Mario struggles out.

“Uh-… Sure…” Bowser winces himself, taking a step back and leaving space for the other to enter. Mario is not surprise in the least to find the room completely shrouded in darkness; the shadows seeming to ooze out of the doorway. The elder twin takes a deep breath and heads into the void waiting within.

…

The dead air between them is deafening as the dark surrounds them. Neither can see the other; one for the fact he simply couldn’t see, and the other because he kept his gaze elsewhere. The sound of their breathing was all that broke the stillness.

“Can- Can we… Turn on a light? Or something…?” Mario croaks.

“Oh yeah.” Bowser gasps; the turtle just as breathless against the tension. A bolt of fire zips through the air so quickly Mario yelps. It catches on a torch hanging on the wall across the way; something that clearly had been brought over from the Darklands, as Peach had full electricity and no need for it.

The light barely helped, but it was a boon Mario clung to as he sidled into the relatively small ring. Bowser remains where he stands, his two red irises floating in the darkness; watching and making Mario choke on his word for a second. The brother clears his throat and looks past them in order to get through.

“I wanna talk.” Mario grits.

“Do you now?” Bowser huffs blandly. Mario takes another breath and forges on.

“Yes.” Mario grunts. The air becomes thick with tension as silence returns between them. Mario waits; for what, he still isn’t sure, but he finds it a moment later.

“I’ve… Been keeping an eye on you and Luigi this past week, and… Luigi is… different. He’s… Happier. More sure of himself. And-…” Mario bites his cheek, trying to think of the words to prelude what he was truly there for.

“-And I think-… I think it’s… because of you.” He chokes. Bowser says nothing, but shock and curiosity seems to radiate through the room from him. Mario sighs again.

“I’ve been thinking.” He continues, more sure now that he was entering what he’d had prepared, “Luigi… He’s special. I’m sure you know, so just… Let me finish. My brother is smart and witty. He’s quick on his feet, both physically and mentally. He can get a little spooked sometimes, but he’s good at getting past it to get the job done. He’s sweet and caring and a gift-giver. He does need his space sometimes, but will drown you in his own attention whenever he feels able. He will give himself away so much until there’s nothing left. I think he has ADHD, so don’t be surprised if he forgets stuff a lot or jumps from one thing to the next at the drop of a hat. He’s a hugger, but refuses to ask. He’s got-… He’s got depression… So just- just be careful of that. He’s got his bad days, but… I already saw how you handled it the other day, and-… Anyway…” Mario pauses to take a final deep breath. He rubs his arm nervously, but finds his throat closing up before he can finish his speech.

“Why are you telling me all this?” Bowser asks quietly. Mario opens and closes his mouth, setting it into a thin line and finally looking straight into those blazing red irises.

“‘Cause if Luigi is happy, I just want the best for him. I-… I give you… my blessing, or whatever…” Mario hesitates. He grimaces at himself, and those fiery reds blink out of sight over and over. Finally, with the flick of a switch, light floods the room and Mario has to scrub at the spots in his eyes.

“You mean that…?” The hope in Bowser’s voice was enough to make Mario look back at him. The giant turtle seemed to be vibrating with choked-down excitement.

“Yeah, I guess-… Yes. Yes, I do.” Mario grounds out. The second he finishes, Mario yelps as he’s crushed into a massive hug. He distantly hears elated laughing and repeated “thank-you’s” as he’s swung about like a rag doll.

The human is unceremoniously dropped in the king’s excitement. Mario watches the latter from his new spot on the floor take off in a dead sprint out the bedroom door. With a heavy sigh, Mario allows himself to fall back, sprawling out on the floor and feeling all the energy he’d had drain out of him.

He needed a nice long nap.