Chapter Text
The next few days were an overall blur with Luigi listening to Mario’s slight rambles while he was packing up to go to Sarasaland. Luigi often sat on his brother's bed or at his desk while Mario asked him questions about what he should take. Luigi would often respond with some sort of sense of reason when Mario would ask some of the more ridiculous questions.
Often, Luigi had to play the part of some sort of reason and maturity despite Mario being the older one. While Mario had tried to turn that around and become more responsible when they made it to the Mushroom Kingdom, Luigi couldn’t completely fall into the mold of being the one that Mario had to be overly attentive of.
However, Mario still managed to turn everything around and basically smother Luigi practically every chance he could. Not that Luigi minded or thought was annoying but… it could be a tad bit overbearing.
“Hey, Weegee?” Mario asked suddenly as Luigi looked up at the blob of deep red. He assumed that Mario moved closer to him and away from his luggage as he seemed a bit closer yet Luigi had a hard time telling.
“Hm, what’s up?” Luigi asked as he looked towards Mario, feeling him grow closer yet again and feeling the bed slightly dip as Mario took a seat, both of the brothers remaining in silence before Mario rubbed the back of his neck and slightly fidgeted with his fingers.
It was a habit that Mario had begun to pick up from Luigi, one that he was glad that Luigi couldn’t see on account of him not wanting to worry him even more.
“I know I’ve asked you a million times but.. are you-a gonna hee okay?” Mario asked in a tentative voice as he turned to face Luigi, looking for any signs of uncertainty or of fear. If Mario even found the slightest amount of worry then he knew he would stay back. It wouldn’t kill him to stay and support his brother. As a matter of fact, he thinks that it might be better if he could stay. To keep Luigi safe.
However instead Luigi decided he couldn’t keep worrying Mario like this. In the span of the time in which they were in the Mushroom Kingdom… Hell, even when they were in Brooklyn, Luigi had been observing the many changes of his brother.
Watching him go from a hardworking plummer, to a stranger in this new world, to a fearless hero and now… playing the part of juggling his relationships with playing the part of a hero, a lover and an now the beginnings of watching Mario descent into a ball of anxiousness whenever he watched the red blob step into Luigi’s bedroom…. It was scary.
Everything was happening fast. Too fast for Luigi’s taste.
So instead of shaking his head, Luigi pulled on what he hoped was convincing enough for Mario. “Mario, you don’t need to stay… you don’t need to be constantly on my case either, it isn’t healthy for you.”
Mario seemed slightly flabbergasted at Luigi’s point as he immediately opened his mouth to contradict Luigi’s words but was interrupted by the green plumber speaking again.
“That isn’t me taking a jab at you either,” Luigi clarified as he slightly fidgeted with his gloved hands before he looked again towards Mario. “But I still want you to live your life without being hindered. I will be fine for a couple of days, and if I have any sort of problems I’ll call you and I'll go to Doctor Toad.”
Mario digested Luigi’s words again. Sure, they had had this conversation basically a few nights ago but it took a lot more than that just to get it through Mario’s thick skull.
“Besides, might I add that traveling um… across kingdoms? Might end up being a tinsey bit more dangerous than just loungin’ around the house.” Luigi teased slightly as Mario let out a light chuckle as he wrapped his arm around Luigi’s shoulders as they once did when they were kids.
“Alright.” Mario whispered softly as he carefully rested his head against the side of Luigi’s head in an affectionate manner.
It yet again brought Luigi memories of when they were children, whenever either of the twins would wander under the covers with each other whenever there were thunderstorms or if their parents were arguing particularly loud that night. Sometimes they brought their pillows and blankets together and built a fort to keep the aforementioned monsters of the apartment at bay. Mario would bring a flashlight and Luigi would tell Mario about whatever book or current interest had plagued his mind that night. Their impromptu sleepovers always ended the same way, with Mario placing his head against Luigi’s forehead and reassuring him that no matter what happened, the two of them would be brothers to the end. No pouring rain, bickering parents or monsters in the closet would change that.
They both promised.
A million days ago, a whole world apart and in what seemed like simplistic times. They both had much more to worry about then rain and fictitious monsters, now they actually had monsters!
It was a bittersweet feeling.
•••••
Mario had been gone for about a week and some days. Luigi had ended up largely lounging around the house and taking Polterpup out on walks every evening when the sun wasn’t so harsh on his eyes.
He had slightly sighed upon getting a letter from Mario and Daisy, he knew they could just call but Luigi often liked keepsakes more than just the words of having been there.
He liked seeing the journey. Hearing of it, more than he did actually experiencing it.
It was a tricky little thing, Luigi thought.
For the most part, however, whenever Mario did call him (since he did not have the patience nor the best penmanship to write letters every day.) Luigi would often have his mood improved. Especially when he got to Daisy and the occasional Peach.
Today was different though.
Luigi had sat in the grass near the home of the brothers. Enough that the home was in sight but also still secluded enough so that nobody would approach him. Not that he would mind too much but… he wouldn’t really see why anyone would particularly want to.
Luigi had been writing mindlessly. Well, not completely, he was trying to draft up a letter to the trio in Sarassaland however he was at a greater loss for words than usual. He wanted to tell Mario about a new recipe he was rolling around with his mind but… it sounded so… inconsequential compared to what Mario wrote about.
Luigi slightly furrowed his brows as he looked down at the paper. He could make out a couple of the words that he had written already but it still sounded like the ramblings of a mad lad.
Damn.
However he was soon cut short from the writings as he placed the old paper aside and began to work on a new letter, however, before he could get past the “Dear, Mario.”, a shadow obscured his view.
Luigi slightly shifted in his position as he looked up at the shadow, squinting slightly at the muted blobs of colors.
“Ah, Mario isn’t around here if that’s who you’re looking for.” Luigi found himself saying as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.
“Who said that’s who I was looking for?” The deep voice bordering a slight growl came out as Luigi’s eyes slightly widened as he tried to stop his trembling.
“Bowser.” Luigi breathed out as he dropped his pen into the grass as he slightly sat up, still completely towered by the koopa.
“Luigi.” The koopa responded slightly, catching Luigi off guard by the fact that he knew his name rather than calling him… well.. anything else.
Today was most definitely different.