Chapter Text

The Reason

Music had always been a constant in Bowser's life, though he would never admit it aloud because it wasn't worthy of a king of his stature. Music was associated with delicacy, but the truth was that it was an art few understood, and for that reason, some considered it a weakness, and he refused to be weak in front of others.

Songs were an open door to stop thinking, to simply feel, to be himself. They were the memories that seeped like smoke through the cracks he swore to seal; they were his safe haven, and now they had taken that away.

They could take away his freedom, his kingdom, his size, and his power, but taking away his music was something that truly devastated him. He hated silence; it was a constant reminder of what he had lost, but now, the absence of that silence was somewhat irritating. An irritating green man who talks too much.

"Fine, I won't bother learning your name, not that it matters much," Bowser huffed, leaning back against the bars of his small cell. "I just want you to leave me alone, okay? Just let me be a quiet prisoner serving my sentence. Is that too much to ask?"

Luigi blinked, a little puzzled. It wasn't the reaction he'd expected, but it didn't surprise him either; it was Bowser, after all.

"I'm not very good at leaving people alone," he replied, scratching the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. "Especially when I think... well, that they might be feeling a little lonely."

"So, you're a therapist now?" Bowser let out a short, dry laugh. "Have you come to redeem me? Are you some kind of hero with delusions of grandeur?"

"No, I just thought you wanted some company."

"Company from Mario's forgotten brother? The coward?" He pointed at him, a little annoyed. “I've been defeated, but I haven't fallen so low as to need your help.”

Luigi wasn't offended by the response; he was used to it by now, to being underestimated, to being minimized, to being seen as Mario's shadow, as that extra who was there by accident, to being pigeonholed into a stereotype, in a single word. Perhaps that's why he understood Bowser more than he seemed to, because he refused to believe he was just a villain. He knew he was much more than a simple monster.

"I know," he said gently. "I know you don't need me. You're Bowser; you don't need anyone in the end. But I believe people don't deserve to be punished for their mistakes. They deserve a second chance, and if no one comes to see you, you can't redeem yourself."

"Why do you want me to redeem myself?" Bowser growled, baring his fangs. "I'm King Bowser. I'm a villain."

"No," Luigi looked at him intently. “I believe that people aren't just one thing their whole lives.”

The silence fell heavily between the bars. Bowser didn't respond immediately. His eyes darted around as if observing something only he could see, but the truth was he was uncomfortable. This green man made him nervous, and he didn't like it.

"Don't give me any speeches," he growled, a little annoyed. "You don't know anything about me."

"Maybe not," Luigi conceded, taking a step forward. "But I'm good at listening and giving advice."

Those words were what made them stay. It wasn't the pretty words, not the cheap hope, but that phrase spoken without expectation, without demands, because no one would ever have offered it without wanting anything in return -except for Kamek, but he didn't count since he was his advisor-.

The following days were... strange, to say the least.

Luigi began to appear without a fixed schedule. Sometimes in the morning, other times after lunch, and still other times at nightfall, he would stay for hours on end, despite Bowser's hostility. Luigi never lost heart; he didn't bring weapons, even despite Bowser's threats. He would simply arrive wearing his green cap and speaking in that unsettling way, as if the distance and history between them didn't exist.

He only came to tell him stories: his new travels and adventures, where he met new people, and about his constant fear and how, despite the passage of time, he kept moving forward. Bowser pretended not to hear anything, closing his eyes, huffing, or yelling at him, but he always heard him and knew where Luigi was in the story when he continued speaking after his interruption.

"And you didn't think about running away?" he asked once without opening his eyes, indifferently.

Luigi stopped dead in his tracks, surprised.

"Run away?"

"Yes..." Bowser yawned, as if he were tired. “Leaving all this behind; your fears, the heroes, the kingdoms, the princess, all of it. Returning to that strange world you came from.”

Luigi pondered the answer for a few minutes.

"Every day," Luigi whispered. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about it."

Bowser opened one eye, slightly surprised by the confession.

"What's stopping you?"

"I don't want fear to control me. I'm more than a coward." Luigi lowered his voice for a moment, as if what he had said was too intimate and private. "And I think you're more than you let me see."

Bowser, didn't know how to respond. He felt those blue eyes, like the sky, pierce him completely, as if they saw into his soul and knew he was truly more than what he let on, and that made him a little nervous.

He didn't like that this human disarmed him so much, left him speechless, got so close.

They didn't speak again that day, but the silence wasn't as uncomfortable as he thought, because he was accompanied, he was with him. However, in the middle of the night, surrounded by darkness and silence, he noticed that the silence weighed more heavily than before because he was completely alone.

"They say music is a way to express your feelings."

Luigi's voice pulled him from his thoughts, not his voice itself, but his words. Those same words Kamek had used at some point in his childhood to help him learn to control his temper.

Bowser felt a pang of sadness because, while Kamek was only his royal advisor, he was much more than that to him; he was almost like a father, and Bowser didn't know how he should feel now. Did Kamek think he was dead? Had he abandoned him? Did he miss him?

"Are you alright?" Luigi asked quietly, pulling Bowser from his thoughts. "You were staring into space for a long time."

The Koopa blinked, a little surprised to be caught, but also embarrassed. He wasn't someone who constantly lost himself in thought, much less sentimental. A king of his stature shouldn't be thinking about whether someone missed him; he should be thinking about how to escape, how to get back on his feet, how to win Peach back.

Although doing all that seemed exhausting and a waste of time, this was now his new life and reality. After all, he didn't know when he would be able to go out again and return to his normal size. He didn't know if the mushroom they gave him had a limited effect or if being shrunk for so long would affect him, but he had already lost hope of ever becoming big again, of ever seeing the stars again, and of ever returning home.

"Yes…" Bowser cleared his throat, his voice coming out very hoarse. "I was just thinking."

"What were you thinking about?" Luigi approached, genuinely interested. Bowser simply bared his teeth, almost threateningly. "Sure, if you want to say."

Luigi raised his hands, trying to appear innocent and peaceful before Bowser, still keeping a safe distance in case he wanted to shoot fire to him. He remained silent, observing the Koopa closely. He seemed a little angry, but nervous at the same time.

"What do you want, human?" Bowser growled.

"I was just saying it's so quiet here, I thought I'd put on some music," Luigi said, pointing to the record player beside them. "They say music is a way to express your feelings, a complete art form for letting everything out and fully conveying what you feel."

Luigi didn't wait for Bowser to reply. He simply started searching for a record among the things he'd brought, something that might distract his companion, but he didn't know what songs to choose. What kind of music did Bowser listen to?

He stared intently at some records, unsure which one to pick, still debating, when Bowser finally caught a glimpse of him over his shoulder.

"If you put on a Love song, I'll throw you against the wall," Bowser threatened with a growl.

Luigi was startled by the comment and blushed immediately at being caught out. Was it so obvious what kind of music he liked?

"Relax," Luigi smiled slightly, completely dismissing the Elvis Presley record. "I won't play any Love songs, I promise."

He took the record and carefully placed it in the player, following the steps he knew by heart: the needle dropped to the very beginning, waiting for the song to start. A few seconds later, the melody began to play; AC/DC's "TNT" filled the room.

"What's that?" Bowser grunted, though he liked the tune.

"They're songs from my world," Luigi said, sitting on the floor and looking at Bowser in his cage. "I managed to convince Peach to let me bring you something to distract you, so consider yourself lucky to have one of these. They're relics from where I come from."

"Why?" Bowser mimicked Luigi and sat down, slowly looking at him, a little curious. “Why would you be here with me?”

"Why not?"

"I try to kill you, we're enemies."

"Yeah, it's good that I'm not resentful, isn't it?" Luigi smiled slightly, nodding his head to the rhythm of the song. "Besides, I think I'm the right person to accompany you. You already tried to kill me and failed, and I'm the only one in this castle who doesn't think you're a complete monster. There's something good in you, deep down."

Bowser chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Luigi looked at him, equally amused.

"That you think there's something good in me." He laughed again, this time heartily, so much so that his laughter drowned out the music for a few seconds. "I don't know if you are stupid or incredibly naive. It's not easy for me to read you, to know your intentions.”

"I have no intentions, and I don't think I'm either of those," Luigi said, not entirely offended by his words. "I'm just Luigi, I'm TNT, I'm dynamite, TNT, and I'll win the fight."

Luigi let the conversation die down as he sang, getting carried away by the song and the band's other songs, which, surprisingly, Bowser ended up liking. He decided to go to the human world someday and get more records for Bowser, give them to him to distract him a little, and who knows? Maybe Bowser will change if someone is kind to him.

The days passed, Luigi kept his promise and brought Bowser more records to listen to, who only had to ask a Toad or Luigi to change the record whenever he wanted.

For Bowser, that small detail of giving him the record player was a little jarring, because it had been a rather kind gift, as if Luigi knew him, but it was strange, because that human knew nothing about him, yet he still gave him a perfect gift.

The idea of ​​that human starting to know him and getting used to his presence, even a little, bothered him. He refused to accept that he eagerly awaited those visits, hoping they brought a new anecdote or song. He refused to accept that he began to anxiously listen to the footsteps in the hallway, that he was already starting to know them by heart.

He refused to accept that when Luigi didn't come, that day he felt… incomplete, abandoned, alone.

"That doesn't mean anything," he told himself one night, after not having seen him for a whole week. "I'm just bored, that's all."

He managed to convince himself of this all week, without his company, but deep down he had already begun to grow fond of that stupid human. That's why, when Luigi returned after two weeks with a black eye and a crooked smile, Bowser felt something twist inside him.

"Who did this to you?" he growled, jumping to his feet and approaching as close as the cage would allow. "Who dared to hurt you?"

Luigi blushed slightly at this reception, stopped abruptly, and shrugged, dismissing the matter.

"It was nothing, just a little training," he replied, walking indifferently to the cage. "Mario says I need to 'toughen up.'"

From that distance, Bowser could see how nasty the wound was, how the man couldn't fully open his eye because of the swelling, and how his blood seemed to boil. How dare Mario hurt his own brother like that? Not even he had dared to hurt him like that.

"It looks painful," Bowser growled in annoyance.

"It looks worse than it is," Luigi gave him a small smile as he took something out of his bag. "Although that doesn't matter, I brought you some fruit from the Kingdom of Sarasaland."

Luigi didn't give Bowser time to reply; he simply held out some small, juicy fruit with open hands and a smile. The Koopa could see the anxiety in Luigi's eyes. Was that fear? He shook his head, trying to push that thought away, and took one of the perfectly cut fruits. With a little hesitation, he put it in his mouth and tasted it.

The fruit was juicy and quite delicious; it was very sweet and left a pleasant taste in his mouth after swallowing.

"It's not bad," Bowser tried to appear indifferent. "I've had worse."

At that moment, Luigi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He wasn't going to deny that he was filled with anxiety, wondering if his new friend liked the fruit.

At that moment, Bowser put down his food and studied Luigi closely. He was a little more tanned and looked relaxed, but he couldn't completely ignore the bruise on his eye. Who would dare hurt Luigi? He was the kindest, sweetest, and most pleasant person he had ever met. Hurting him was like hitting a dog.

"Your brother is an idiot," he growled after a while. "Why would he hurt you like that? I think he deserves a good beating for it."

Luigi blinked, slightly surprised.

"Are you defending me?"

"No," Bowser immediately interrupted, blushing slightly at being caught out. "I'm just swearing, that's different."

Luigi smiled, a small, genuine smile. And at that moment, Bowser hated how much he liked seeing it.

"Fine," Luigi shook his head, a little amused. "I'll pretend to believe you, but I didn't come for that. I brought you a new record."

Bowser seemed even more interested in his arrival. He peered through the bars as Luigi slowly unpacked his things. In complete silence, he put the record in and turned to face Bowser.

"What new song will we listen to?" Bowser chewed the fruit comfortably.

"The Reason by Hoobastank," Luigi plopped down beside the cage. "It's a song I can't stop listening to. I think that's why I bought it. I wanted to share my new obsession with you."

The music already filled the place, but it wasn't completely focused. Lost in thought, he was only thinking about the man beside him who had decided to share something he liked with him. Something in his chest began to stir, almost excitedly.

"You're strange, Greenie," Bowser chuckled.

"Greenie?" Luigi raised an eyebrow, a little curious. "What's that?"

"I told you I wouldn't bother learning your name, so I gave you a new one," Bowser made a small face dismissively, but he was a little anxious to see the human's reaction. "So, from now on, you're Greenie."

Luigi smiled broadly at that moment, overflowing with happiness. A nickname? Very few people had ever given him such a friendly and respectful nickname.

"Is that a nickname?" Luigi chuckled. "Well, I like it, but now I have to find one for you."

"No, please don't," Bowser looked at him seriously, but couldn't help wagging his tail. "Don't even think about it."

That day, Luigi didn't come up with a nickname for him, but they spent a rather pleasant afternoon together. Luigi told him about his adventure in the kingdom of Sarasaland, how they met a new princess, and even how a kind of dinosaur joined their mischief.

When Luigi left, Bowser listened to that song and understood why he was obsessed with it; the instrumental, but more than anything, the lyrics. He didn't know why he couldn't get the lyrics out of his head or why he couldn't stop thinking about Greenie's smile or how angry he was about seeing that punch.

Had Greenie done something to him? Some kind of spell? No, it was that stupid kindness that was affecting him.

It was night, he was in complete darkness, and he stared at that stupid starry sky through the window, listening to that stupid song over and over again. Weeks had passed since Luigi had brought it to him, but he couldn't stop listening to it; he even knew it by heart.

The soft melody was too much for someone like him. Slow piano music, notes that demanded no strength, only patience. It bothered him that he liked it, that it fit.

The steps weren't firm or confident; they were clumsy, hurried, as if the person walking was afraid of being late to some unseen place. It took Bowser a couple of seconds to recognize them, and even then, he wasn't surprised when the door opened almost abruptly.

Luigi closed it behind him with more force than necessary.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, even though he was already inside.

Bowser didn't answer immediately; he didn't know how to respond because he was surprised to see Luigi.

"If you came to apologize for existing, you're late," he growled, trying to make a joke. "I was already awake."

Luigi didn't smile. That was the first thing Bowser noticed, and the second was worse; it was like a punch to the gut. He was pale, paler than usual. His shoulders were tense and his hands were clenched in front of his chest, as if he were still holding onto something he didn't want to let go of.

"What happened?" Bowser asked with forced annoyance.

Luigi swallowed nervously.

"I had... a dream."

Silence was his only response. Bowser leaned back slightly in the cage, crossing his arms.

"And what does that have to do with me?"

Luigi hesitated, took a couple more steps, and stood still near the record player, noticing that the song was still playing. He didn't sit down and didn't get as close as he usually did on his other visits.

"You were there."

That caught Bowser's attention. Luigi had dreamed about him, and he was nervous. Had he done something wrong in that dream? He didn't know how to answer, he wasn't able to ask for details, he couldn't apologize because he didn't know how.

Luigi took a deep breath, gathering his courage; his body trembled like a sheet of paper.

"It was like before, in your castle," Luigi said, staring at the ground, unable to lift his gaze. "Everything was big, dark, very... you. I was hanging over the lava and couldn't move."

Bowser clenched his jaw.

"That wasn't a dream," he murmured, aware of where the conversation was headed.

Luigi closed his eyes for a second.

"I know."

Another pause, a silence between them filled only by the song. The room was thick with that awkward tension that only exists when two people know exactly what they're talking about and neither wants to say it out loud.

"You were yelling," Luigi continued, having mustered his courage. "It wasn't what you were saying, but how you were saying it. You weren't angry, you were happy... like you were enjoying it."

That hurt more than Bowser expected.

“I always do that, yell, scare,” he replied curtly, even though he was injured. “It’s part of the show.”

“No,” Luigi denied quietly. “This time was different. You weren’t a villain, but someone who… was enjoying my suffering.”

Bowser stood up abruptly, the cage swaying from side to side at his actions.

“That’s enough.”

Luigi jumped slightly but didn’t back down.

“I’m not saying this to reproach you,” he said quickly, not because he was afraid of angering him, but because he didn’t want to hurt him. “I just needed to vent. I woke up, I couldn’t breathe, and I didn’t know where to go.”

Bowser stared at him, trying to find some lie in his words.

"And you decided to come here?" He looked at him, a little surprised. "With me?"

"Yes."

The word hung between them, the music still playing. Bowser ran a hand over his face, frustrated.

"You're an idiot, Greenie," he muttered, a little disappointed. "There's literally a castle full of people better equipped to help you."

"But they weren't there," Luigi replied. "You were."

That shouldn't have meant anything to Bowser, and yet it did. He turned around and sat back down in the middle of the cage, just staring intently at his claws, the same claws that had once hurt Luigi.

"I'm not good at this," he finally said. "If you were expecting me to say something nice... it's not going to happen. I'm not like that."

Luigi shook his head slowly.

"I didn't come for that."

"Well, because all I can say is…" He paused, considering his words. "That what happened, happened, and I can't undo it."

It's something I must live with every day.

Luigi nodded.

"I know."

"And if you dreamt about it, it's because your brain is a traitor," Bowser added, unable to meet his gaze. "Not because I want to do it again."

And all the pain I put you through.

Luigi looked up.

"No?"

Bowser didn't answer immediately, simply observing him, so small and fragile, yet strong enough to stand there and face him.

"No," he finally said. "Not anymore."

I wish that I could take it all away

Luigi relaxed slightly. He didn't smile, but his shoulders lowered a little; he was no longer on the defensive.

"That helps," he admitted.

Silence fell again, but was broken by a short, humorless laugh from Bowser.

"Talk?"

"Sharing the things that make us feel vulnerable to others," Luigi said, sitting back against the wall, a little way but still there. "Even if they don't give us a solution, it helps."

Bowser looked at him for a few seconds. The blow Mario had given him had disappeared days ago, leaving no trace. He also thought that what Mario had done to him hadn't left any trace either, but he was wrong because Luigi had apparently been having nightmares, all because of him.

The song ended without either of them noticing.

Silence settled slowly, gently. Luigi remained seated on the floor, his back against the wall, breathing more calmly than when he had arrived. Bowser stayed close to him, as close as the cage allowed, watching the window as if the stars could move if he looked at them long enough.

"Do you want me to put it back on?" Luigi asked softly.

Bowser shook his head.

"No, it's fine like this." Bowser looked at the record player. "I've been listening to it nonstop all day. I think I should rest a bit."

Luigi nodded and lifted the needle. He held it in the air for a few seconds before placing it back down, then spoke, almost shyly.

"Do you mind if... I stay for a while?"

Bowser snorted in mock annoyance.

"You already have."

Luigi smiled slightly and rested his head against the cold stone. His eyelids were heavy, but he didn't want to sleep. Not yet.

"Tell me more about yourself," Luigi asked.

Bowser felt those blue eyes pierce his very soul, as if under a spell. He shifted nervously in his seat before speaking, trusting Luigi because, well, he had already opened up to him; it was his turn.

"Kamek taught me to play the piano when I was little," he said suddenly, in a whisper.

Luigi froze at the answer. If he was honest, he hadn't expected Bowser to respond.

"The piano?"

"Yes." He turned his head slightly. "When?"

"When I was a child, long before I became King."

Luigi said nothing; he didn't want to break the spell.

"He said that a king who doesn't know how to listen will never know how to rule," Bowser continued in a whisper. "And the piano... forces you to listen, to wait, to not pound the keys, and to be patient."

He lowered his gaze, looking at his claws again.

“I was never good at it,” he chuckled. “I’ve improved, but I haven’t practiced since I’ve been here, and I’m afraid I’ll forget what I’ve learned.”

Luigi looked at him with a small smile, happy that Bowser was opening up to him.

“I’d like to hear you play,” he said softly and kindly.

Bowser snorted in mock annoyance.

“It’s not something I do for others.”

“I tried, didn’t I?” Luigi shrugged. “Although I’d ​​really love to hear you.”

“If you get me a piano, I might consider it.” Bowser looked at him then, really looked at him.

Luigi blushed slightly at the Koopa’s piercing red gaze.

“W-Well,” Luigi cleared his throat to avoid appearing nervous. “Is there anything else you need, Your Highness?”

Bowser knew that was sarcasm, obviously, but he decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

"I'd like to see the stars," she said with a smile. "Not through a window, really, for a whole night."

Luigi laughed, considering He was thinking about the words he'd just spoken, even though his eyes were already starting to get heavy; he knew he'd fall asleep any minute.

"I'd like to see those fire plants everyone talks about in your kingdom."

Bowser raised an eyebrow, looking at Luigi, watching him slowly drift off to sleep.

"Is that an invitation?" Bowser raised his eyebrow, amused. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"No," Luigi replied quickly, blushing furiously. "It's... just an idea, okay?"

Bowser looked back at the sky, laughing uproariously.

"Maybe," he murmured with a grin. "Although to me, that sounds like a date."

"I don't want a date with you, Bowser."

Luigi was completely red-faced, unsure how to act or where to hide.

"I don't blame you, Greenie. I'm the King of the Koopas," he grinned boastfully, flexing his muscles. "I'm perfect. Who wouldn't fall for me?"

"Peach," Luigi raised an eyebrow, amused. "I'm sure she won't fall for your charms."

"She will, sooner or later," Bowser said confidently. "You already fell for me, and I didn't even try. With her, it'll be a piece of cake."

"For the last time, I'm not in love with you!" Luigi shouted, feigning annoyance. "If anyone were to fall for someone, it would be you."

"I don't think so, Greenie," Bowser shook his head and looked him straight in the eyes. "I think you're thinking about how to propose to me right now. I bet you that."

"I don't feel anything for you!" he half-shouted, blushing furiously. "And I don't want to marry you! We're not getting married!"

The idea had been born like Luigi's worst ideas: silently, late at night, with a "What if…?" that hadn't asked for permission.

His first idea was to ask Peach for a piano for Bowser. He tried to convince her as much as he could, but she refused every single one of his requests. They even reminded him that they had been more than generous to let them spend time together and with that record player.

So, he had to go with Plan B, that Plan B that could end badly, but he wasn't going to think about it because if he did, he would panic.

Luigi arrived just after nightfall. He had done his research, and that would be the most star-filled night of the entire year in the Mushroom Kingdom, so it was his perfect opportunity.

He wasn't stealthy; he never was when he was nervous. The bedroom door opened with a creak that was far too loud, and Luigi stood still for a second, as if he were doing something illegal, as if that sound had betrayed him to the entire castle.

Bowser looked up from the cage where he sat.

"You're early," he grunted, a little surprised. "Or late, I don't know. Not much interesting happens here."

Luigi closed the door behind him with excessive care. His hands trembled slightly, not much, but enough for Bowser to notice.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, frowning.

Luigi shook his head quickly, his face a mask of nervousness.

"No, yes, no..." he sighed, trying to calm himself. "Bowser, I need you to trust me. Just for a little while, okay?"

That made Bowser straighten up, his curiosity piqued.

"That doesn't sound good at all, Greenie."

Luigi walked over to him, uneasy, glancing at the window, the door, the invisible passageway behind the walls. He opened the door slowly, as if he might change his mind at any moment.

"Come with me," he said softly, extending his hand like a mount. "Now."

Bowser blinked, slightly surprised.

"That's it? Not even dinner first?" He smirked. "What's next? Are you going to kiss me, so I'll do whatever you want?"

Luigi blushed instantly.

"No! Of course not!"

"Too bad," Bowser replied, slowly getting up. "I was already practicing my romantic face for when we kissed."

"Just move."

Luigi rolled his eyes impatiently and urgently moved his hand so Bowser could climb on. A few seconds passed before he could feel Bowser's warmth and weight on his hand.

"Let me guess," he said, settling into the middle of his hand, still watching Luigi. "You're kidnapping me in the middle of the night to take me to our secret wedding."

The human cautiously left the room, worried about being discovered and keeping Bowser as close to his body as possible in case someone saw him and didn't notice him at first glance.

"What?" Luigi looked at him, surprised and blushing. His mustache ruffled slightly from the movement of his head. "That doesn't make any sense!"

"Of course it does," Bowser chuckled, amused by Luigi's reaction. "I always wanted a dramatic wedding, a nighttime elopement, or for someone to interrupt it like when your brother came, but with me getting married in the end. You know."

Luigi was about to reply when he heard something in the hallway, voices and footsteps approaching. At that moment, Luigi's face went completely red.

"Someone's coming," he whispered fearfully. "Oh no! They're going to find us."

Bowser tilted his head, his voice brimming with energy.

"So?" He opened his mouth menacingly. "I can handle it. No one's going to interrupt our escape attempt at the wedding."

"No!" Luigi panicked. "They can't see you outside the cage."

He spun around and started running as fast as he could without drawing attention.

"We have to go back!"

"Hey, hey," Bowser protested, clinging to his hand. "You have to decide, Greenie. Are you going to kidnap me or not?"

Luigi wasn't listening to Bowser anymore. He ran back to Bowser's room, to his cell, as fast as he could, breathing rapidly, his heart pounding in his chest.

"This isn't supposed to happen like this."

Luigi rushed inside, closed the door behind him, and as he ran toward the cage, he tripped. Everything happened so fast he barely had time to react.

His foot caught on the edge of the rug; he lost his balance and fell forward. Bowser flew through the air at that moment, as if in a movie. Luigi watched him fall in slow motion. The human tried to catch him mid-fall, but his hands weren't fast enough, and Bowser fell to the ground unconscious. His hands reached the ground seconds later and struck the shell hard, injuring himself.

The pain was sharp, brutal. He felt his skin tear, the impact dry, the immediate burning.

Before Luigi could see the wound in his hand, he noticed the room dimly light up, like when a power-up wears off. Bowser had returned to his original size from the violent and abrupt blow.

Luigi was in trouble, serious trouble.

The impact had left Bowser unconscious, so he shouldn't deal with Bowser trying to escape yet. Luigi lay to one side, clutching his injured hand, breathing in short gasps, staring in horror at the enormous body in front of him.

"Oh, no! No, no, no…" he whispered, frightened.

Luigi was on the verge of panicking when he heard voices approaching down the hall. He panicked again; anyone could come in, and if he saw him in that state, everything would be ruined. None of this would be good for Bowser, especially if he wanted to be freed. He had to do something.

Nervously, he went out into the hall. He noticed Peach's shadow and someone else's rapidly approaching from the corner. He looked around, a little worried, until he spotted a decorative suit of armor. Without thinking too much, he ran with all his might toward it and crashed into it a few seconds later.

He fell on his back, the armor landing on top of him. He let out a groan of pain, and before he knew it, he saw Peach standing in front of him, worried.

"Luigi!" the girl gasped, concerned. "What happened to you? Are you okay?"

Mario appeared beside him, looking at him, a little surprised and worried. He noticed Mario was a few steps away, and at that moment he remembered that He was going to ask Peach out that night, which was why he was going to bring Bowser out, because no one would be in the castle.

Damn it. Everything I did that day went wrong.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Luigi tried to sit up, but Peach stopped him, placing a hand on his chest. "I swear, I just tripped on that stupid rug and fell."

"You're hurt, Luigi," the woman said, pointing to his hand with concern. "We have to go to the infirmary now. Mario, could you help me with this?"

Luigi noticed his brother sigh in annoyance and disappointment, and he immediately felt guilty. Mario lifted the armor as if it weighed nothing and put it back in place.

"I'm fine, G-Grazie," Luigi sat down on the rug, feeling his hand sting from the cut. "Really."

"Don't lie, Luigi, you're bleeding," Peach said, taking his hand to examine the wound. "We have to go take care of you."

"I-I don't want to be a bother."

"You're not," Peach said, looking at Mario. "We'll take you to the infirmary, right, Mario?"

Mario looked at her, slightly annoyed, and nodded, agreeing with the princess, but it was clear he was still a little irritated for the presence of his brother. 

"No!" Luigi stood up with some difficulty. "I mean... you don't have to come with me, I can go by myself, don't worry. It's nothing."

Mario frowned. Even though he was angry with his brother, it didn't mean he wasn't worried about him.

"That doesn't look like anything, Fratello."

"Seriously, it's just a scrape, besides..." Luigi insisted. "Didn't you have plans for tonight?"

Mario stood still for a moment. Peach looked at him, confused, and at that moment Luigi took the opportunity to back away a little and try to escape.

"Do what?"

Mario scratched the back of his neck, a little nervous.

"I... uh... I was thinking," he sighed, blushing slightly. "I wanted to take you for a walk, you know, a surprise, and see the stars."

Peach looked at him, a little surprised, and smiled gratefully. Luigi took advantage of the moment to give his brother a little push.

"Yeah, they say tonight's going to be the starriest night of the year," he said, taking a little more step back. "I don't want to ruin your night because of my clumsiness. I really can handle this myself."

The princess hesitated, but Luigi seemed determined. He was determined to go off on his own completely and finally understood why Mario had been so nervous these past few days, especially this afternoon. He decided to give in to Luigi's requests.

"Fine," he conceded with a small sigh. "But promise me you'll take care of yourself, that you'll take a healing mushroom, okay?"

"I promise."

"You know where the mushrooms are," Peach took a key from one of her pockets. "I want you to take a healing one, rest, and I'll come to see you tomorrow, okay?"

Luigi nodded vigorously, grateful that he could leave and that he had found a solution to one of his problems.

"Grazie, Princess."

He gave a small bowl, then looked at his brother, who looked at him gratefully.

"Don't do anything stupid, little brother," Mario said, pointing at him with a small smile.

"As if I were you," Luigi laughed nervously.

Mario turned to the princess and offered her his arm so they could walk together. I heard them talking about what they were going to do that night, their plans and expectations, as they walked away smiling. In the end, one of the Mario brothers was going to have a date.

Luigi didn't go straight to the closet. First, he leaned against the wall, breathing, waiting for the trembling in his hands to subside and the adrenaline to dissipate. Then he headed to the north wing, to the infirmary, right to the closet where the power-ups were kept under lock and key.

With trembling hands, he began searching for the right mushroom. He was about to take one to heal himself when he noticed a shrink power-up. Bingo. Now he'd found a solution to another of his problems. He took the miniature mushroom and stepped back a bit to put it in his pocket when he noticed a magic counter next to the closet, indicating its contents.

Good. Now he had a problem, although the decision was quite obvious.

"Sorry..." he whispered, putting it in his pocket. "I promise to return it."

When he returned to the room where Bowser had been, a little over half an hour had passed. He entered, somewhat nervous to find the room empty, but was even more surprised to find him still unconscious in the middle of the room.

Luigi locked the door and cautiously approached the Koopa, forgetting the pain to focus on his ragged breathing. He still had time to react; he was about to force the mushroom down his throat when he noticed Bowser beginning to wake up, so he decided to look for another option.

He noticed some chains on a nearby wall, so he ran towards them and began wrapping Bowser in them, practically subduing him. His hands were trembling, but he did his best to position them carefully, encircling his torso and arms.

He was about to get another pair of chains when Bowser began to wake up, first with a grunt, and then he started to move. Luigi froze at that moment, carefully observing Bowser, a little nervous about his reaction.

"Greenie?" Bowser spoke in a deep voice, making Luigi's entire body tremble. "Where are you? Why is everything smaller?"

He finished opening his eyes, looked at Luigi, a little confused, and then lowered his gaze to the chains.

"Oh!" He smiled, still observing his body. "That explains a lot."

At that moment, Bowser stood up effortlessly, quickly closing the distance between Luigi and him. The human gasped in surprise and backed away as fast as he could, his back hitting the wall when he had no escape.

Bowser growled softly, lowering his head and facing Luigi again. Damn it! How he had missed his normal size. While he could make himself bigger or smaller at will, he hated being the size of a baby Chain Chomp.

He lowered his face, just above Luigi's head, a short distance from his face. He could observe Luigi completely, his expressions, his blue eyes, and that mustache that was now a little disheveled.

"Is this part of the plan or is it a personal whim of yours?" he asked in a deep, seductive voice.

He noticed Luigi blush completely and opened his mouth slightly indignantly.

"What?!" he stammered nervously. "No! Of course not! It's for safety! I don't want you to escape!"

Bowser smiled, showing all his teeth.

"Oh," he laughed amused. "And I thought you liked seeing me tied up."

"Why do you keep insisting on that?" Luigi tried to back away, to put some distance between them, but Bowser was too big to escape. "You're crazy!"

"I don't think so. You're the crazy one here." Bowser lowered his face, moving a little closer to Luigi. Their breaths mingled. “You drag me out of my cell, fall on top of me, and now you've chained me up. I think that's pretty intense for a first date, don't you?”

Luigi felt like he was going to explode.

"Bowser!" Luigi yelled, pounding his chest in annoyance.

Bowser laughed at his cute reaction, but then he noticed something that angered him.

"Hey," he said, leaning slightly toward Luigi. "What happened to your hand?"

Luigi tried to hide it, but he couldn't because Bowser growled. garlic and froze.

"It's nothing."

"Luigi," he growled, annoyed. "You're bleeding."

Luigi lowered his gaze, unable to hold it. He felt like his face was burning; he couldn't blush anymore. He never expected Bowser to say his name in such a Bowser-like way.

"Was it my fault?"

Luigi hesitated.

"I fell."

"On top of my shell," Bowser added, remembering what had happened. "That doesn't count as just falling."

Bowser looked at him seriously, and Luigi felt pierced by those red eyes that glowed in the darkness.

"You should have gone to get healed."

"I will," Luigi whispered. "But first I had to make sure you were okay, besides, we have to go to the stars."

Bowser watched him for a few long seconds, pondering those words, but then smirked.

"You're a disaster, Greenie," he muttered, amused. "And a terrible kidnapper."

Luigi chuckled wearily.

"Is that a compliment?"

"No, it's just concern." Then he smiled slightly. "Although I must admit I like it when you chain me up before taking me for a walk. Very thoughtful of you."

"Stop flirting with me!"

Bowser just chuckled, enjoying teasing his now favorite human. He had to admit that seeing Luigi blush was addictive, especially knowing it was him causing it.

They slipped out of the room quietly, Luigi pulling Bowser along with a bit of force, almost forcing him to run down the hallway as he felt anxiety begin to take hold. Was there someone in the hallway? What would he do if he ran into someone? How would Bowser react?

Luigi guided Bowser through the corridor, along the route he had previously planned to get him out, praying that no one noticed the large turtle he was dragging. Meanwhile, Bowser kept talking and making comments about the two of them while chuckling at their reaction.

"Do you realize what you're doing?" Bowser asked, quite amused. "If anyone sees us, this will be considered outright treason against the Mushroom Kingdom, and I'll put it straight on the 'weird things Greenie did' list.’"

"Don't talk," he whispered. "We're almost there, but I need you to be quiet."

They went through a side door that led directly to the garden. Luigi breathed a sigh of relief as he gazed at the starry night above them. The danger had passed; they only had to walk a few meters to that secluded spot, hidden by tall trees and thick bushes, where the castle's light barely reached them, but it was perfect for stargazing.

Luigi felt the chain being pulled. He was about to protest to Bowser when he noticed he was still, gazing at the sky with a broad smile and a peaceful expression that told him it had all been worth it. He stood for a few seconds watching Bowser, so calm and at peace, so different from the Bowser everyone knew.

Was he the first to see this side of Bowser? No, of course not. Surely someone else had already seen it: Kamek, his family… a love interest.

"They look like diamonds," he whispered, almost surprised. "They look perfect."

"Yeah…" Luigi cleared his throat to look at the sky. “They're supposed to be brighter than ever tonight, that's why I wanted you to see them, because I couldn't get you the piano.”

Bowser lowered his gaze and studied him closely, unsure how to react to those words.

"A piano?"

"Yes," Luigi nervously fiddled with his gloves. "I asked Peach for a piano for you, you know, so you wouldn't forget to play it, but she said no, so I had to resort to this."

"Kidnapping me for a date?"

"It's not a date!"

Luigi shouted, a little annoyed, but then he remembered where they were and decided to pull Bowser to the hiding place he had prepared earlier. Bowser just chuckled and followed him under the trees. It was a bit difficult to pass between them without damaging them, but he finally managed and reached the small clearing where they could barely fit comfortably, but he sat down right next to Luigi.

The place was dark, almost pitch black, but it was lucky that Bowser could see in the dark, because now he could see the little human shifting nervously beside him, trying to get comfortable. Above them, the trees left enough space to see the stars.

"You know," Bowser sat down noisily on the ground. "I feel like you overcomplicated this for it not to be a date. I think you're lying."

"For the last time, this is not a date, Bowser." Luigi turned to look at him, a little exasperated.

"Fine," Bowser chuckled. "I feel like you went to a lot of trouble for this non-date, and I appreciate it. It's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."

Bowser noticed Luigi's mouth drop open in surprise, and his cheeks flush red. The color seemed even more pronounced against his mustache, but his eyes... Damn! They seemed to shine much brighter than those stars above him.

"You're welcome," Luigi said. Trying not to show his nervousness. “It's something friends do.”

“Are we friends?”

“I don't know” Luigi shrugged “I honestly don't know how to classify my relationship with you. We were kidnapped and kidnapper, and now…”

“We still are” Bowser interrupted “It's just that now we've switched roles. You kidnap me down.”

Bowser took advantage of the small space that existed and the fact that Luigi couldn't escape and moved a little closer to his face.

“Now that we've cleared that up, and now that you kidnapped me” He smiled wickedly, his tail wagging mischievously behind him “What´re you gonna do marry me?”

Bowser noticed how Luigi blushed more than usual, how he frowned, and even how his mustache bristled with anger, which amused him. Did Luigi's mustache react to his emotions? It looked adorable.

"Mamma Mia! No!" Luigi shouted angrily, feeling rage coursing through his veins, but also shameful. "F-For the last time, we're not getting married."

Bowser lowered his gaze, a little disappointed, mostly because he was playing his part, continuing to torment the human.

"For a “Good Guy” it´s pretty cruel to get a bad guy´s hopes up…” he sighed with mock sadness.

Luigi gasped in surprise, feeling the temperature rise in the room. Was Bowser serious? Did he really want to marry him? His hands trembled with nerves as he covered his face, trying to calm himself.

A few long minutes passed before Luigi could speak.

"B-Bowser," he called in a small whisper. He peered through his fingers. "Why are you saying that? Why do you insist we get married so I can kidnap you and chain you up?"

Bowser momentarily tore his gaze from the stars and looked at him, a lopsided smile playing on his lips.

"In my culture, that's a marriage proposal, Greenie," he said calmly, as if discussing the weather. "When you kidnap someone and chain them up, you're telling the whole world that that person is yours, that you're willing to fight anyone for their love, that you wouldn't give them up."

Luigi nodded slowly as some pieces began to fall into place. That explained a lot about Bowser, most things, and now, knowing that he couldn't blame him for kidnapping Peach. After all, that's how he showed his love. His way of showing love was through acts of charity and cooking. What's the difference between the two? Nothing -let's ignore the fact that one involves violence- ultimately, it was a display of genuine love.

"Oh, cazzo!" Luigi laughed nervously. "If I'd known that, I wouldn't have sent mixed signals. Sorry."

Luigi started chuckling softly, and Bowser joined in shortly after, understanding his confusion. Although, well, he had to admit that now that he knew it was a misunderstanding, it was a blow to his ego, even if he got over it.

"I thought it was like that in the rest of the world, you know?" Bowser tried to explain. "Although now I realize our worlds are very different. What do people usually do in your culture to win someone over?"

Luigi remained silent, unsure how to respond. He'd never been good at love. First of all, he was gay, and because of that, he'd only been on a couple of dates -which ended pretty badly- and well, he'd never been attractive or confident enough to ask anyone out. So, all his experience with love was based on Mario and his adventures.

"Well…" He pondered for a few seconds. "People usually give chocolates and flowers. People like that. They go on romantic dates, under the stars, alone together, listen to music, spend time together, and give each other gifts. There's nothing specific; it all depends on the person”

Bowser then burst into laughter, so loud that the tree trunks around him trembled.

"What?" Luigi blushed with embarrassment. "Did I say something funny?"

"No, it's just that…" Bowser tried to control his laughter, but it took him a few seconds to stop completely. "I just don't understand, Greenie. You say this isn't a date, but you did almost all the things you mentioned with me. Are you trying to win me over?"

Luigi's eyes widened in surprise, and he understood Bowser's words. Yes, while he had done those things, he never did them with that intention. It was always to make Bowser feel better, and well, because he was his friend.

"No!" Luigi shouted and covered his face again. At that moment, Bowser laughed once more. “I'm not flirting with you, that was never my intention.”

Luigi wanted the earth to swallow him whole right then and there. He was mortified, especially hearing Bowser's laughter. He felt so humiliated. As he hid his face in his hands, he felt something warm grab his waist, pulling him a little closer to Bowser. He looked at his companion, a mixture of fear and surprise in his eyes.

"Come on, Greenie," Bowser said, smiling at him, his teeth gleaming in the darkness. “There's nothing to be ashamed of, I'm just teasing you. I know you didn't mean to.”

The human looked at him for a few seconds to check he was still tied up, then lowered his gaze and gasped in surprise when he noticed Bowser's tail wrapped around his waist like a tentacle. His cheeks flushed again.

"So, you're just joking?" he whispered, still embarrassed.

"Yeah, it's fun teasing you, Greenie," Bowser winked at him, a little flirtatiously. "Your reactions are very different from everyone else's. I like them."

"Thanks for not saying I'm weird," Luigi said, looking him in the eyes with a small smile.

"Well, you are," Bowser grimaced slightly. "I mean, your reactions are different from everyone else's, almost cute, but I do think you're a little weird."

"Thanks," he said sarcastically, quite offended. "That's very kind of you."

Bowser glanced at him sideways, noticing that Luigi's confident and happy demeanor was vanishing as he withdrew into himself. He didn't like that at all.

"I'm just telling the truth, you're a little strange to me." Bowser turned to look him in the eyes, noticing a hint of sadness in those blue eyes. "It's very easy for me to read people, to know their intentions, but when it comes to you, things get a little weird."

Luigi frowned, a little confused. He didn't know if that was an insult or a compliment.

"You, Luigi, are very different from everyone I've ever met, and yes, you're strange, but strange isn't ugly or unpleasant." Their eyes met again; there was a small spark in the air. "Strange is different, it's unique, and something I want to discover."

Luigi blushed again, and he hated blushing so much because of that Koopa. The truth was, no one had ever treated him like this, and he didn't know how to react.

"So that's why I'm weird to you..."

"Yeah, I don't know how to react to you," Bowser lowered his voice a little, moving closer to Luigi. "My instincts don't know what to do, they don't know whether to believe your words or your actions."

Luigi chuckled a little, feeling Bowser return to that topic that annoyed him. Now that he knew this "flirting" was a game, they could play it together.

"So, what does your instinct say about me, about my intentions?" he asked, moving a little closer, trying to sound flirtatious, but all he managed to do was come across as a little anxious and nervous.

Bowser smiled a little more, moving closer again.

"That you don't want anything from me," he whispered. “And yet you do so many things to make me happy, to make me feel comfortable.”

Luigi swallowed.

"Maybe I just want you to be comfortable, not to feel alone."

Bowser chuckled softly.

"That's worse, Greenie."

"Why?"

"Because it makes me want to strive to deserve those things," he replied without taking his eyes off Luigi. "And I'm not used to that."

"You can do it."

"You trust me too easily, Greenie."

"And you distrust me too easily," he replied gently.

"I have to. We're enemies."

"Are we really?" Luigi raised an eyebrow. "If we were, we wouldn't be here, stargazing and chatting."

"You're right..." Bowser looked him in the eye with a small smile. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"You're welcome," Luigi smiled back. “But promise me you won't tell anyone about this. They could arrest me for taking you from here.”

"I'm not promising anything, Greenie," he said mischievously, but they both knew he would keep that promise. "I have to tell everyone you kidnapped me for a date night."

"Bowser!"

Bowser laughed loudly, looking at the sky and letting himself be carried away. He decided to remain silent because he felt there was nothing more to say to Luigi, and besides, he liked these comfortable silences they shared. These silences in each other's company, sometimes filled by a song, or like now, simply by their breathing.

They spent the next few hours observing the silence, in each other's company. At times they spoke, but then fell silent again, in each other's company, until the stars began to slowly disappear at dawn, almost a reminder that they had to leave now and return to reality.

Luigi shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to proceed. Although he trusted Bowser, he wasn't sure if he could persuade him to take the mushroom back and return to his cage after experiencing freedom.

"Bowser…" he said softly, looking at him expectantly. "It's almost dawn."

Bowser didn't respond immediately. He simply observed the silence, trying to memorize every point of light, knowing it would be a long time before they saw each other again.

"I know," he muttered, a little disappointed. "Time flies when you're having fun."

Luigi smiled slightly. He hated ruining this moment. His good hand went to his pocket, right where the mushroom was.

"We have to go back to your… cage." The word tasted bitter to him. "I have to shrink you down before someone notices that you're not here.”

Bowser closed his eyes, trying to etch that moment into his memory, to cling to it as his torment continued. He felt Luigi sit up beside him, and at that moment, he knew he couldn't go back to that place, not after Luigi had given him a taste of what was good, of the freedom he so desperately craved.

Without thinking too much, he helped him up and with a simple movement, as if it were effortless, he broke the chains. The metallic clang echoed through the area as they hit the ground.

Luigi froze, unsure how to react, but before he could do anything, Bowser took a step toward him, closing the small distance between them. He leaned down slightly, almost at Luigi's eye level, and with a swift movement, pinched his cheek, forcing him to look at him.

The situation was almost surreal, how things had spiraled out of control in just a few seconds.

Bowser's size, his proximity, the warmth of his breath made Luigi's heart race with pure instinct and fear.

Bowser growled with satisfaction.

"Greenie," he hummed with a dangerous smile. "The fear in your eyes looks good enough to eat."

Luigi swallowed nervously, his body trembling with anticipation, his gaze fixed on those red eyes that glowed like fire.

"I don't know what you see," he whispered, swallowing nervously. "Because I'm not afraid of you anymore."

And it was true; he knew how his body reacted to fear, and he wasn't like that, he wasn't paralyzed. His body was alert, yes, but also expectant, filled with adrenaline and excitement coursing through his veins.

Bowser, on the other hand, blinked, slightly surprised.

"What?"

"I'm afraid of many things," Luigi continued, his voice firm. I'm okay with making mistakes, with losing people, with things going wrong, but with you… “He looked him straight in the eyes, so he would see the truth in his words” Not anymore.

The silence fell heavily between them.

"I trust you, Bowser," he added when he felt brave enough to say it. "I trust you won't hurt me again."

Bowser looked him straight in the eyes, considering his words, and sighed directly in his face, a puff of smoke, but Luigi didn't flinch. Bowser's claws slowly loosened until they released Luigi's face and stepped back.

Damn it. Bowser had expected to see fear in Luigi's eyes, to try to uncover his lies, but all he saw was someone who trusted him completely, and he saw blue eyes for which it was worth changing.

Bowser took a step back.

"You don't know how dangerous it can be to trust me, Greenie," he said quietly, as a warning.

"I do know," Luigi replied confidently. "But I do it anyway."

Bowser lowered his gaze to his own claw, observing it slowly before extending it open toward Luigi, waiting.

That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me

To change who I used to be

A reason to start over new

Luigi didn't know how to react; he was a little perplexed by the King's actions. Was it really that easy?

"Give it to me," he ordered immediately, as if he could change his mind. "Give me the mushroom now."

Luigi held out his hand to give it to him, slowly placing it in his palm, but he didn't remove his hand. Instead, he looked Bowser in the eyes.

"Before you eat it..." Luigi took a deep breath. "Why are you doing this? You have a chance to escape."

Bowser looked me in the eyes, pondering his words.

"I can't do that to you," he whispered. "I can't disappoint you."

And the reason is you.

At that moment, Luigi hesitated, for just a few seconds. A thousand things flashed through his mind: his friends, his brother, the castle, the rules, and how the world was at peace as it was now, and then Bowser, the stars, and how the Koopa gazed at the sky as if it were all he had left.

Luigi closed his eyes for a moment, lost in thought.

No, he couldn't take away Bowser's freedom now, not when he had already changed, and especially knowing how trapped he felt in that cell. In the end, he knew that when he got him out, he would let him go; he had too noble a heart to punish people.

I've found a reason to show

A side of me you didn't know

When he opened his eyes, he looked at Bowser and immediately removed the mushroom before Bowser could snatch it away.

"I can't do it."

"What?" Bowser frowned, confused.

Luigi took a step back, then another, his back hitting a tree, halting his escape.

"Go," he said decisively, almost shouting, because all he could hear was the loud, rapid beating of his heart. "Go now, in the middle of the night, and don't come back."

"Luigi…"

"Please show me you've changed," he continued resolutely. "Do it, but not because I ask you to and you're afraid of disappointing me, but because you chose to."

Bowser remained motionless.

"And when you come back," Luigi added. “I want it to be so that the world no longer sees you as a monster, but rather... The Bowser I saw today, right?”

At that moment, the sky began to clear, quickly becoming bright and indicated that they had little time left. Bowser watched him for what seemed like an eternity, then smiled, not mockingly, not dangerously, but gratefully.

"Thank you, Greenie," he said happily. "I promise to come back changed..."

A Reason for all that I do

And the reason is you

At that moment, Bowser turned around, left without looking back through the trees, and disappeared into the shadows just as the sun began to rise.

Luigi stayed there, alone in the garden, trying to understand what he had just done, the mushroom still in his hand, but with the certainty that whatever happened, that night something had changed forever in Bowser... and in him too.

A few weeks had to pass before things calmed down a bit. As soon as they realized Bowser had escaped, everyone panicked and panicked, expecting an attack at any moment, either in revenge or another attempt to kidnap the princess.

Luigi had to act surprised by the disappearance and even lie during some interrogations, because after all, he was the one who had known and spent most of most of his time with Bowser. But in the end, everything turned out alright, because no one suspected that he had let Bowser escape.

What did surprise him, however, was that Bowser went to the castle the very day he escaped and took the record player he had given him. He never imagined the Koopa would return for something material, much less for that, but he had to admit that it made him happy. It was as if he had taken a piece of him back to his kingdom, as a reminder.

As the weeks passed and with no further threats, the Toads began to relax, except for Mario, who seemed paranoid and now wouldn't leave Peach alone, though Luigi suspected it was just a silly excuse to spend time with her alone.

Luigi was so lost in thought when he entered his room that he didn't notice the square box on his bed until it was practically in front of him as he was about to lie down after a long day. A little puzzled, he picked up the box and saw that it was a case for storing several records, though there was only one record inside.

He moved the box around, trying to find something else, a clue as to who might have sent it, when he noticed a note had fallen out. He picked it up; it was a letter, and on the cover, it said, "Play me."

Luigi went to his record player -which he had to buy after Bowser took his- and put the record on. Without knowing what it was, I waited expectantly when I realized it was "The Reason" by Hoobastank. I let the music fill the room as I decided to read the letter.

Greenie,

I'm not good at writing or expressing what I feel, you know that.

I brought the record player because music feels different when you're not locked up, when you look at the stars, when you're free, but this record… this one is yours.

I also can't stop listening to the song, not since you showed it to me and I didn't know why, not until that night.

That night, when you weren't afraid of me, when you trusted me completely, I realized there was a reason to change, to be better…

I'm not a perfect person, but I can improve, I can be good… or at least I'll try.

I promise you.

Although the letter wasn't signed, I didn't need it to be to know who it was from. Luigi smiled happily, knowing he had done the right thing, that this was just a small step towards something bigger.

Luigi didn't know when he would see Bowser again, but he knew Bowser would keep his promise. 

I've found a reason for me

To change who I used to be

A reason to start over new

And the reason is you

I've found a reason to show

A side of me you didn't know

A reason for all that I do

And the reason is you,

Greenie…

Chapter Text

The Scientist

The weeks following of Bowser escape were strange for Luigi, because he no longer had his friend to talk to, to share his anecdotes and everything with, and besides, that friend had taken his records, so he couldn't listen to anything other than the record Bowser returned to him and a couple more he had stored in the attic.

Although he only kept that one song, he wasn't completely bored. He started cooking for Mario, Peach, and her new friend and accomplice Daisy more often, he also started a vegetable garden in the yard, which took up almost all of his time, and finally, he rediscovered his love of reading.

In a way, he became himself again, although a little different this time.

He had already begun to adapt a little to that strange world, more or less. He found it very difficult to get used to those magical creatures that appeared on any given day; he still found it hard to believe that there were talking apes, that his friend was a hybrid between a dragon and a turtle, or that there was now a kind of dinosaur that was friendly and spent all its time near him, as if he were a little dog.

Although what surprised him most - and terrified him - were the ghosts.

He'd always been a timid boy, ever since, but he'd always tried to be brave to Mario and to everyone else. But when one of those ghosts appeared in the castle, and everyone expected him to react like his brother -brave and fearless- he understood that he would always live in Mario's shadow, with that weight on his shoulders because everyone expected him to be like him. But the truth was, he was never going to be Mario. He was Luigi, and nobody seemed to notice.

Nobody except Bowser, obviously.

Bowser.

He hadn't heard from the Koopa since his letter and he understood; obviously Bowser was going to be busy, after all his kingdom had been without its ruler for too long, he had to put things in order, besides he probably had someone waiting for his return.

Luigi wasn't going to admit out loud that he didn't miss talking to Bowser, especially now that he had discovered that there were more magical creatures. Surely Bowser could give him some advice on how to deal with a ghost or whatever, but there was no way to communicate with him, and he didn't dare go to Bowser's castle to look for him, not even knowing that things were tense between the kingdoms after his escape.

That's why he kept himself as busy as possible, to escape his fears and his own thoughts. Sometimes, right in the middle of the night, after looking at the stars and remembering him, he would start to think about his decisions and how he had practically betrayed his brother and the Mushroom Kingdom by letting him go free.

At times he felt a lot of guilt, especially when he saw Mario so stressed and anxious about Bowser, so he decided to help him with some tasks. That's how he ended up involved in a not-so-pleasant adventure to confront the Ghost kingdom and King Boo and get them to leave the kingdom in peace, but every time he thought about it, his legs turned to jelly and he couldn't breathe.

How on earth were they going to face that King when he couldn't even stay still for two seconds when considering confronting them?

That's why he was now sitting on his bed, reading one of the books Peach had given him about the plants of that world, with a cup of chamomile tea beside him to help him relax. He was so engrossed in his reading that he was startled when he heard a vase fall in what he assumed was his living room.

"Mario?" he asked from the bed, but he could already feel his pulse starting to race. "Please tell me you didn't break our Nonna's vase."

Luigi received no answer, so, feeling a little uneasy, he got out of bed, left the book on it, and walked slowly and anxiously toward the door. What if someone had broken into his house? What if it was a ghost? What if…?

Another thud was heard, this time a dry one, as if something had hit the floor, something heavy.

The human began to tremble with nerves but forced himself to be brave and go investigating; after all, he was Mario and should act like one. His hand instinctively went to his right, where there was an umbrella, one that Peach had given him a few days ago because of the rain that could arrive at any moment. Luigi never thought of using it as a weapon, but he moved forward, swallowing hard.

He took one step, then another, and peered into the hallway, which was dimly lit by the moonlight streaming through one of the windows. His heart was pounding so hard he was sure whoever was there could hear it.

"You've just wandered into Mario Bros' house," I muttered with feigned confidence. "Leave right now if you don't want trouble."

His only response was silence. He continued on until he reached the living room, which was dark, but noticeably empty. Just as he began to think it had all been a figment of his imagination, something moved behind the sofa and jumped on him.

“Boo!”

Luigi screamed. It wasn't a scream worthy of someone brave; it was sharp, desperate, and accompanied by a clumsy jump backward that left him sprawled on the ground. He threw the umbrella at his attacker and cowered, breathing heavily, his eyes wide open, waiting for a blow.

The laughter that followed was grave, deep, and all too familiar.

"Ha!" The voice echoed through the place. "You still react the same as always, Greenie. You're still adorable when you're scared."

Luigi blinked several times in surprise before focusing his gaze properly on the figure in front of him.

“Bowser…”

There he was, almost as he remembered him, although he seemed different, but he didn't know how; the dimness didn't allow him to see him clearly, although there was no doubt that it was him.

" Stronzo! " Luigi shouted angrily, still from the ground. " Figlio di... Are you crazy?!"

Bowser didn't care much about what Luigi told him - because he didn't understand it - and continued laughing loudly; he could stop being evil, but that didn't mean he wouldn't occasionally play pranks.

“Come on Greenie, calm down.”

“Silence” Luigi stood up abruptly, still a little angry. “Idiota di merda! You could have given me a heart attack.”

"But you didn't have it," Bowser replied, shrugging dismissively. "That counts as a victory for me."

Luigi ran both hands through his hair, then over his face, breathing heavily, pacing back and forth trying to release the adrenaline and annoyance.

"What are you doing here, Bowser?" he asked quite seriously. "If Peach finds out you're here, they'll think I'm a traitor, and if Mario finds out, it'll be worse; he'll kill me if he finds out."

"Relax," Bowser said with a big smile. "I came in peace, and I don't think they'll find out."

"You barged into my house in the middle of the night, you scared me," Luigi turned to look at him slowly, a little annoyed. "That doesn't seem like it is coming to 'Peaceful' terms."

"It's different, I did it with love," Bowser winked.

Luigi huffed, but deep down he couldn't be angry with Bowser; after all, he'd always been like that, albeit in miniature. He sighed in resignation as he glanced at the clock on the wall: 11:32 PM. Mario would be here any minute, if he came at all. His gaze shifted to the dining room, where a plate of lasagna sat the one he'd lovingly prepared for Mario that afternoon while he waited… the one he'd left him abandoned.

"Yeah, whatever," Luigi waved his hand dismissively, pushing away any negative feelings about Mario. "Not that I'm complaining, but why the nighttime visit?"

“I wanted to see you.”

Those words shouldn't have made Luigi nervous, but they did. His heart fluttered slightly, making him forget everything else he'd been thinking about.

"Well, you could have come any other time," he said, scratching the back of his neck, trying to look excited by her presence. "It's almost midnight, normal and decent people usually sleep by this time, you know?"

"You're not sleeping," Bowser pointed out with a small, almost victorious smile.

Luigi let out a small laugh, feeling exposed.

"I was going to do it a couple of hours ago, but this book has me hooked and I can't stop reading it," Luigi said, feeling the need to explain, but he knew Bowser wasn't judging him. "Has that ever happened to you? That feeling of being so obsessed with something that you can't get it out of your head and can't do anything else?"

Bowser looked at him with narrow eyes, letting out a sigh that was a clear 《Obvious, Greenie》

“Yes, lately, yes” Bowser admitted calmly “I can't stop listening to your albums, they're addictive, I try to listen to at least one every day.”

" Eccellente " Luigi exclaimed with a smile. "You have no idea how glad I am that you liked them. It feels like you have a part of me with you."

"So, you admit it was a romantic gift," Bowser purred, sounding a little happy. "I must admit it's a great gift, though I hate not having more discs. Do you have any new ones?"

“Do you want more records?”

“Yeah.”

"If you ask me nicely, maybe I can get you some," Luigi said, looking at him, waiting for a comment, but Bowser remained silent, refusing to use those words. While Bowser had changed in some ways, he was still the same as always in others. They locked eyes, a brief staring contest, but in the end, Luigi gave in. "Fine, no new discs for you."

Bowser looked at him somewhat seriously; they both knew it was a lie. Luigi had a soft spot for the King and would do anything to make him good and a little happy, as he'd shown in the past.

"Come on," Luigi broke the silence and pointed to the hallway. "Before you break something else and we have to come up with another excuse."

Bowser followed him without protest; he truly trusted the human completely. His steps were quieter than usual, something that caught Luigi's attention without him quite knowing why, though he found it endearing. While Bowser didn't seem to mind trespassing, he considered that there might be other people sleeping there and respected that.

Luigi chuckled at the realization that Bowser was being careful and quiet so as not to disturb Mario's sleep -Mario hadn't returned home because of a meeting with Peach that possibly lasted until midnight, and he would arrive later or in the morning-

They both headed towards the only lit room, Luigi was the first to enter, quickly scanning the room and mentally thanking himself for having organized the place earlier; the only mess was the book he was reading and the chamomile tea.

Luigi turned to see Bowser's reaction to his space -a place only people he trusted were allowed to enter- and finally noticed something different about Bowser. It wasn't just that he looked tired, but completely exhausted, with a weariness that wasn't just physical, but something deeper within him.

He hadn't thought it possible for Bowser to have dark circles under his eyes, but right beneath those crimson eyes were dark shadows he didn't recall ever seeing before, never in fact. Even his posture was different; he seemed less imposing, as if the weight of his own existence was too much for him.

The human stared at him for a few extra seconds, worried.

"You look horrible," he blurted out without thinking too much, although he later regretted his comment.

"Wow, thank you," Bowser raised an eyebrow. "What a warm welcome, Greenie."

"No, no, wait," Luigi raised his hands, trying to excuse himself. "I didn't mean it like that, well, I did, but..." He sighed, trying to calm himself. "I mean, you look really tired, like you're exhausted. Is everything alright?"

Bowser didn't respond immediately; he simply stared away from those blue eyes that scanned him and pierced his soul. He observed the room; it was cozy and filled with that distinctive human green, with his belongings. There was a bookshelf full of books on one side, some posters of things he didn't recognize, and that large window where he could see the starry sky, with enough space to sit and read for a while.

"I've had a long week," Bowser replied after a long silence, pretending that the subject didn't interest him.

“Do you want to talk about that?”

“No” Bowser's voice was firm.

For Luigi, it was a clear "Be quiet," so he decided to follow his instincts and went straight to his bed. He picked up his book and sat by the window, his "safe" spot now, and decided to stay there until Bowser got bored and left or wanted to talk. He watched Bowser for a few seconds; he seemed interested in some books on the other side of the room, so he decided to start reading and escape the awkward silence.

He read a few paragraphs about how to care for a piranha plant, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed Bowser lay down on his bed, which creaked slightly under his weight. He ignored it and continued reading, hoping the information would draw him in, but he felt those red eyes on him, and it made him uncomfortable. He tried to concentrate a little more.

“You always stick your tongue out when you're trying to concentrate.”

Bowser's voice broke the silence, startling Luigi a little, who immediately stopped doing that.

"That's a lie," he said, trying to sound confident, but he was too red. "I can't concentrate if someone's watching me."

“And I can't stop looking at you.”

Luigi looked up, a little surprised, hoping that was one of his typical jokes, but the silence stretched on a little longer, before Bowser smiled a little wickedly.

"You're the only living thing in this room that can have a conversation with me," he argues, still with a smile on his face.

“I thought you didn't want to talk.”

"I didn't want to talk about it," he emphasized, sounding a bit serious. "Even though your voice is a little irritating, I want to hear from you."

“What do you want to hear?” Luigi seemed a little unsure “I'm not usually a good conversationalist, I'm a bit "intense" and annoying.”

“About anything” Bowser shrugged dismissively.

“I have nothing to say.”

"I remember you used to talk for hours when you visited me," I said, smiling at the memory. "Or was it just because I had no other choice? You're wicked, Greenie, deep down."

“Nothing interesting has happened in my life to tell you about” He explains, which was a big lie, but she didn't want to disappoint Bowser with his cowardice or bother him with her problems.

“If you don't want to talk, I think I'll be forced to keep seeing you all night. Which do you prefer?”

“I don't understand why you would look at me, I'm not that interesting.”

“You're still the only living thing in this room; not even I find myself interesting enough to talk to myself.”

“I thought that was your specialty, being egocentric.”

"I know I'm the best thing in this universe. I think that's why you fell madly in love with me, Greenie." He smiled proudly before giving him a slightly flirtatious wink. "Although it's no use being the best thing in the universe if no one admires you or listens to you. It's always better to have an audience."

Luigi chuckled softly, about to come up with something creative, when he allowed himself to observe him more closely. It was easy to overlook it when he joked around like that, when he was Bowser, but looking closely he seemed more tired, much more so than he'd ever seen him before.

“How long has it been since you slept?” He asks him, full of concern.

"I knew you couldn't take your eyes off me," Bowser said, trying to change the subject.

“Bowser” Luigi looked at him quite seriously.

“Be careful, Greenie, or I'll start to believe you really care about me.”

"You're my friend, of course I worry about you," Luigi said, moving a little closer, his concern evident on his face. "How long has it been since you slept well?"

"I don't sleep more than three hours a day, four at best. I have too much on my mind." He rubbed his face, as if the mere thought of sleeping bothered or anxious him. "Normally insomnia isn't this bad, but I feel like being huddled up for so long and everything that's happened is taking its toll."

“Aren't you tired?”

“Of course I'm tired.”

That comment completely broke Luigi's heart; he understood Bowser, especially since his anxiety wouldn't let him rest and he could only long for even a few minutes of sleep and peace.

"Don't look at me like that, Greenie," he pleads, almost as if he hates being looked at with pity. "The Dragons Koopa can survive for several days on just a few hours of sleep."

That doesn't reassure Luigi. He knows Bowser isn't well, not only because of the consequences of not getting enough sleep, but also because of whatever is causing his insomnia. Anxiety, perhaps? Anxiety keeps him awake for days, and it even affects other aspects of his life.

“Do you want some tea?” Luigi asks in a whisper, only considering the remedies that work for his anxiety.

“No.”

"Fine, your loss." This time he grabbed the teacup that was beside him and made a mock toast to the Koopa, then took a sip. He grimaced at how cold it was. "I'm lying, this is disgusting. Never drink cold tea in the middle of the night."

The reaction Luigi was expecting was a chuckle or something, not Bowser stretching a little, gently taking the mug from his hands, and blowing hard on it to heat it up in seconds. Sometimes he forgets that Bowser can breathe fire and that it almost killed him.

Bowser silently returned the cup, settled himself more comfortably in bed, turning his body to the side, almost face down, and rested his head on the pillow, closing his eyes, completely at ease.

“Tell me about your books or about music” he murmured after a while “Tell me whatever you feel like.”

"Why?" he asked, taking a sip of her tea. It was hot, too hot, almost like lava. "Don't tell me it's curiosity."

"I need to keep my mind occupied," he sighed wearily. "Come on, tell me anything, about your books or your world. Anything at all."

“If I tell you, you'll get bored.”

“I don't think you're going to bore me.”

Luigi blushed at that comment and was grateful that Bowser had his eyes closed and couldn't see his face. When he calmed down, he took a second to look at him again, with that quiet attention that only appears when someone matters to you more than you're willing to admit. Bowser was still lying down, enormous even at rest, but there was something fragile about the way he kept his eyes closed, as if sleep were a luxury he couldn't quite afford.

"I see that the lack of sleep is making you friendlier than usual," he finally said, trying to ease the tension.

Bowser opened one eye, barely.

“Don't get too excited, it's temporary.”

“Sure, sure” Luigi smiled “Tomorrow you'll be back to being an unbearable tyrant.”

“Clearly”

The silence returned, but this time Luigi didn't rush to fill it. He took another sip of tea and, without realizing it, let out a long sigh, the kind that comes when you've been holding something inside for too long, trying to hide it so deep that no one can notice.

Bowser didn't open his eyes, but he heard it.

"That was a stifled sigh," he remarked with a touch of seriousness. "Do you want to share, or are you going to make me guess?"

Luigi hesitated a little about what to answer.

“I thought you were good at reading people.”

“And I told you that you were different, that you were strange” This time Bowser opened his eyes and looked directly at him “I can't read you completely and the truth is that I don't want to, I want you to talk to me, because you want to.”

That made Luigi opens up, wanting to tell one of the thousands of things that tormented him at night.

"In my world, it's not normal for men to talk about their problems, you know? They're almost always forced to face them alone and in silence. I've tried to do it, but I was never good at it." He began slowly, as if considering his words. "I was never good with my feelings, I haven't been good at hiding them, and well, when it comes to feeling, I always feel too much."

Bowser turned his head slightly towards him.

“Is that bad?”

"It depends on who you ask," he acknowledged in a whisper. "Mario considers them a sign of weakness and believes only some emotions should be admitted, like happiness or anger. I even think you don't let all your feelings out either, do you? I've never seen you sad or depressed. Only anger and happiness."

"Feelings cloud your judgment, Greenie," Bowser said, keeping his eyes closed. "I agree they make you vulnerable, but you have to know who to be vulnerable with, right? In the end, if you hide them, you'll stop feeling."

“Sometimes I wish I could stop feeling so much.”

“Why?”

"All my life I've felt too much. Since I was little, I've been told I'm very sentimental, that I take things too personally, that I'm very sensitive, that I'm weak." He lowered his gaze to his hands, to the still-warm cup between them. "I wanted to be like Mario, confident in myself, and I think that's why I started loving in silence, watching from afar, not feeling beyond what was allowed. Hiding who I am."

“Why would you hide who you really are?”

Luigi lowered his gaze, feeling the anxiety begin to rise and his body start to tremble with fear. It was never easy to say it out loud, especially knowing how everyone had reacted, but he knew Bowser was different. Who knew how he would react when he learned the truth?

“Greenie?”

"In my world, they don't accept everyone for who they are; they'll always criticize and point fingers at those who are different," he replied after a few moments when he mustered his courage. "I've always been different; I'm the weird one."

Bowser frowned.

“Does that bother you?”

“I'm used to it by now” He let out a long sigh “Many people distance themselves from me because they know who I am, so after a while you get used to being the weird one, to being the black sheep of the family.”

“Does your family reject you?”

"No, of course not," Luigi raised his voice slightly, thinking he was making his family look bad. "It's just that I'm not who I expected, that's all."

“And who did they expect you to be?”

“Mario.”

Admitting it out loud, felt like it burned even more; he felt a lump form in his throat, slowly scorching him, as those feelings he had repressed throughout his childhood and adolescence began to surface. He didn't dare look at Bowser anymore, so he closed his eyes, trying to hold back her tears.

"Your family are idiots for expecting you to be like that red dwarf," Bowser growled in annoyance. "They're different people, they can be different, and they should be. Who would want to be that dwarf? He's an idiot who always thinks he's right, he's a bit of a grouch, and he's pretty annoying."

"Hey," Luigi opened his eyes and smiled slightly; it was the first time anyone had taken his side when he talked about this. "Are you describing yourself or my brother?"

Bowser merely let out an annoyed sigh, smoke billowing from his nostrils.

"You shouldn't let your family's opinion affect you so much," Bowser said, looking at him with a slightly stern expression. "I advise you not to listen to the negative comments; they'll always be there. Just focus on the positive ones, especially if they come from people who love you, who truly know you. People who love you aren't going to ask you to change who you are to fit some mold they expect of you, but because they love you and want you to be the best version of yourself."

Luigi held his gaze but felt a little uncomfortable; he didn't know how to respond. He looked away, slowly considering his words, then began to chuckle softly, but in the silence of the night, Bowser heard him clearly.

"What's so funny?" Bowser asked, a little offended.

"Nothing..." Luigi calmed down but couldn't help but smile. "It's just that your comments surprise me; it's like you care. Watch out, Bowser, if you keep this up, anyone will think you care about me, even if only a little, deep down."

“Maybe I will. “

“That shows you might not have a heart of stone.”

"I don't have it, I just don't show it to just anyone," Bowser said, closing his eyes as the conversation eased. "I don't like people knowing I like sad songs like others do."

Luigi opened his mouth in surprise at this sudden attack.

"Hey," Luigi protested with mock annoyance. "Not all of them are sad, I have all kinds, but I think you've just been listening to the same old ones on repeat."

"I only have a couple of songs to listen to," he admitted with a small smile. "You should get me a couple more records, Greenie."

“I told you that if you didn't say it nicely you wouldn't get any new records.”

At that moment Bowser knew that Luigi was telling the truth, that he wouldn't give him anything until he did what he wanted, so he swallowed his pride and gave in a little.

“Please, can you give me more records?”

Luigi's wide grin was worth it, so it didn't hurt too much to give in a little and be nice to that human. Besides, no one would believe he was nice to the green Mario, so his reputation would be safe.

"Good," Luigi stuck out his tongue victoriously. "I'll get you more records when I go to the human world. In the meantime, I can offer you..." He stood up from his chair and walked over to a shelf where his new record player and some old records sat. "Some sad ones, and some in Italian."

"Italian?" Bowser repeated from the bed, a little confused. "Is it some kind of human spell?"

"No, although it may seem like it if you don't understand it," Luigi chuckled. "It's a language, it's my language and my family's”

“Language?”

"Yes," Luigi turned to look at him, pointing to his mustache. "It's where I come from, the mustache, the pasta, the accent. It comes from Italy, in Europe. It's a language many people consider romantic. My family is from there, so I've spoken it since I was a child."

Bowser opened his eyes curiously, as if he only understood half of what she was saying.

“So, you speak more than one language.”

“Yes, English and Italian” Luigi agreed with a smile “I grew up speaking both languages, it would be a sin not to know them, it's part of me now, I suppose. Sometimes I feel like I think and speak in Italian when I'm nervous and in English with everyone else.”

"That sounds unnecessarily complicated," Bowser grumbled. "I already have trouble understanding you in one language."

“And that's why” Luigi picked up the Italian record and put it away. “I'm not going to waste time playing you real music; I'd have to explain every word, and right now I don't have the energy to give lessons.”

“Wise decision.”

Luigi looked at his records; he had very few, actually, most of them in Italian, so he decided on an English record. It was a bit sad, but Bowser didn't have a say. He chose "The Scientist" by Coldplay. He let it roll a little in his hands as he walked to the record player and put it on. The soft click of the needle filled the room before the music began to flow. It was a familiar song to him, and he kind of liked the lyrics.

"A sad song? Really?" Bowser looked at him a little seriously, but he wasn't really upset. "It was to be expected."

"What's wrong with it?" Luigi turned the volume down a little, so it wouldn't be heard down the hall if Mario came in. "It's a good song, listen to the lyrics and you'll thank me."

“I don't believe it.”

“If I tell you, it's one of my favorites, will you reconsider?” He asked with a small smile.

"No," he said, amused. "Although if I have no other option, I'll listen."

“That's already a win.”

They both remained silent for a couple of seconds, listening to the melody.

“I prefer the other songs.”

“Like what?”

"The Reason," Bowser said, looking him straight in the eye. "I think it reminds me of you. You should put it on."

Luigi blushed instead.

"We've listened to it enough already. You should give the other songs a chance, don't you think?" He pointed to the record player. "I can get you new records, but I have to go to the human world, so in the meantime I can lend you this one."

“No thanks, I prefer torture.”

“You're going to take it anyway” Luigi assured him “Although you're right, The Reason is better.”

“I'm always right, Greenie.”

"When I was little, I couldn't stop listening to it," Luigi said, ignoring the comment and continuing as he returned to his spot by the window. "I think it's one of my favorites. It shows that when you love someone enough, you can change, you know? Just so you don't hurt the people you love."

Bowser did not respond, but listened attentively to Luigi, even with his eyes closed.

"Deep down, I believed my family could change... accept me for who I am," He whispered, opening up a little more. "And don't get me wrong, I love Mario, he's my brother, my personal hero, but I've always been in his shadow. He always walks into a room, draws everyone's attention, and then there's me, always the other one."

He swallowed, feeling the lump in my throat grow larger.

“When we were children, I always had an affinity for reading and the garden, for staying home, whereas Mario always wanted to run, fight, and be the strong one. The world decided that he was better, more useful, and that I was just his backup.”

Bowser grunted, a little annoyed.

" Greenie," he called, a little serious. "Can you promise me one thing?"

“Depends.”

“Don't let anyone make you feel less than, and when that happens, tell them, even if it hurts” He asked, quite seriously, but also worried “Don't let them hurt your beautiful heart, please.”

"I promise," Luigi whispered after a while. "But I'm not promising anything; I'll probably start crying by the time that happens."

"It doesn't matter, just don't let the world walk all over you," He pleaded, looking him straight in the eyes. At that moment, Luigi knew he couldn't deny him anything. "The world is stupid and doesn't deserve you, nor does your family treat you like that."

"It wasn't all bad, I also liked to cook, and in my family, that's essential," Luigi said with a sad smile. "That's where I became closer to my mother and my Nonna. They taught me all the recipes that have been in my family for years, and I hope to pass them on to someone someday."

“Your children?”

"I…" Luigi trailed off, speechless. Of course, he'd thought about having children, about being a father, but he was aware that it was highly unlikely in his future for many reasons. "I don't think I can have children, but I could teach them to my nephews, keep the tradition alive."

“What does your family say about that?”

"That's why Mario is the perfect son," he admitted in a whisper, but Bowser could clearly hear him. "He always has been, that's why I've tried so hard to be like him, to fit in, to meet his expectations, but I'm not Mario, I'm Luigi."

“That has never been a bad thing.”

"I know, it's just that everyone expects me to mature and become like him at some point." He looked at Bowser with a small smile. "You were the first one who didn't look at me expecting me to be someone else."

The silence grew thick; Bowser decided to open his eyes and observed him with a seriousness uncommon in him.

"It's not fair to ask you to be someone else," he said slowly. "Besides, I met Mario after I met you, so I would expect him to be like you."

“Scared?”

“With a pure and good heart.”

Luigi blushed deeply at the compliment; he never knew how to react to compliments, so he focused on what made him feel secure.

"Now it seems you're the one flirting with me and wanting a date," Luigi laughed, trying to relax a little. "Who would've thought I'd have the great King of the Koopas in my bed, saying things like that to me? I have to tell everyone."

“Nobody would believe it.”

“You're right, but that wouldn't make it any less true.”

Bowser smiled and closed his eyes again, noticing how Luigi relaxed once more. He didn't like the way the human tensed up when these topics came up, as if he felt inferior and hurt. It angered him to see Luigi hurt; he would do anything to see him happy.

“And who would you tell about Us, Greenie?” He asked with a small smile.

"Not many people," Luigi said, leaning back against the wall and putting his legs up on the windowsill, getting more comfortable. "I think only Daisy."

“Daisy?”

“Of course, she's my best friend.”

"I thought I was your best friend," Bowser growled with mock annoyance. "What a liar you are. I guess you're not such a good guy after all."

Luigi let out a small laugh.

“Yes, you are too” He stick his tongue out playfully. “You can have many best friends, you know?”

"I don't have many friends," he admitted, a little uncomfortably, as if acknowledging his failures. "I think you're my first friend, Greenie."

“Should I feel special?”

“Yes” Bowser smiled this time, full of pride. “Not everyone can say they are friends of the Great King Bowser.”

Luigi laughed and decided to throw a pillow at the Koopa's head, who simply opened one eye to look at him threateningly for a couple of seconds before relaxing back in place.

"Well, I don't have many friends either," Luigi admitted after a while. "I think everyone is either my friend or they put up with me because I'm Mario's brother, but as for friends who are just my friends, I think you and Daisy are the only ones."

“But I'm much better.”

“Yes, you were the first.”

Bowser grinned at that moment. Luigi simply rolled his eyes at his reaction, but he noticed a slight movement just behind Bowser, where his tail should have been. Luigi stifled a laugh at his discovery.

You don't know how lovely you are

"So…" Bowser spoke in a deep voice after Luigi had been silent for a while. "Tell me more about your world and about that Itaman."

“Italian” Luigi corrected. “And what do you want to know?”

“I don't know, I just want to hear from you.”

Luigi remained silent for a few moments, considering what to talk about first, so he decided to tell Bowser about his origins and those of his family. He began to speak nonstop, and Bowser listened as if every word were something precious worth preserving in his memory.

He started talking, recounting every adventure they had as children, how Mario always got him into trouble, how he hurt his knee and couldn't walk for almost a month trying to catch Mario when he fell out of a tree, and how he told him about his few hetero romantic encounters. He told him everything that came to mind, without fear of thinking it was too much, because he knew Bowser would tell him when it was.

Tell me your secrets ans ask me your questions

At one point, he opened up again, feeling her heart shrink at the not-so-pleasant memories.

"You know," he said to the air, looking out the window at the stars, "I think the first time I truly felt seen was with you."

His eyes were still on the stars, remembering how, as a child, he had prayed with all his might to the stars to send him a true friend, someone who would love him for who he really was. Perhaps his prayers were answered years later, and that's why their paths crossed, in such a strange way.

"Which is a little strange," I chuckled softly. "Considering you tried to kill me when we first met."

His only response was silence. Luigi frowned slightly and turned toward the bed to look at Bowser.

That's when I noticed he was asleep. Koopa chest rose and fell slowly and deeply. His brow, always tense and angry, was now relaxed, and he let out a small, warm exhalation from his snout.

“Bowser” He whispered, knowing she wouldn't get a response.

He stood up carefully, trying not to make too much noise, went over to the record player, and turned off the song that had been playing on repeat since he put it on. He went to his closet and took out one of the largest blankets. He didn't know if Koopas got cold; after all, they were warm-blooded, fire-breathing creatures. But he didn't want to risk Bowser getting sick, so he carefully placed the blanket over his shell, making sure not to wake him.

"We're both going to have to sleep here," Luigi whispered, looking at him, aware that he wouldn't fit in his bed unless Bowser used him as a teddy bear, and he knew that wasn't going to happen. "Mario would ask too many questions if he found me asleep on the couch."

Luigi took another blanket and made himself comfortable by the window, where he could lie down a little on his side and sleep for a while. It might not have been the best position, but he had to be an excellent host and let Bowser sleep, who apparently hadn't been sleeping well lately.

Oh, let's go back to the start

Bowser was the first to wake up, slowly and with that feeling of peace in his chest. It took him a couple of moments to remember where he was and who he was with, so he felt a little disoriented.

He had fallen asleep in Luigi's bed, and Luigi hadn't woken him; in fact, he'd tucked him in. What's more, for the first time in weeks -practically since he escaped- he didn't wake up with a headache, a headache he blamed on the fungus, but which seemed to be due to lack of sleep.

The Koopa was about to get up, but the blanket on his back slipped and fell to the floor, knocking over some small decorations on a nearby table. The noise woke Luigi immediately, who jumped slightly before landing with a thud.

Bowser chuckled softly. That human was kind of cute.

“You're awake” Luigi said from the floor, his voice a mixture of shame and guilt.

The human got up as quickly as he could, although he still had traces of sleep in his body, so he tried to disguise it by fixing his mustache and clothes.

“Did you sleep in the window?”

Bowser's voice was very rough and deep, so Luigi was a little startled when he heard it.

"No," he answers quickly, but they both look at the spot where Luigi had been earlier, recognizing the lie. "Well... I mean... I started talking and at some point, I... fell asleep." Luigi's cheeks turned red. "Could you give me back my bed, please?"

Bowser considered for a moment whether to obey the human; after all, he was very kind to let him rest there. But he wouldn't be the same old Bowser if he did it as soon as he was asked, so he lay back down on the bed, resting his head on the pillow.

"So…" Bowser yawned, sounding a little tired. No, just lazy; the tiredness had already vanished. "You let me sleep in your bed and didn't wake me up."

“I fell asleep before you.”

“I remember you were talking about your childhood, your first loves” he said with a small smile “Your voice is mesmerizing, Greenie.”

Luigi let out a whisper of embarrassment, one in that language that Bowser doesn't understand, but he smiles when he notices him embarrassed.

"Putting aside what a bad liar you are," he continued happily, "I can't explain the thing about the window."

“I wasn't going to get into bed with you.”

"Why not?" Bowser purrs proudly. "Anyone would die to be in bed with the King of the Koopas. It would be an unforgettable night."

"You're asleep, Bowser." Luigi couldn't look him in the eye; he tidied up a bit to calm his nerves. "I wasn't going to get in bed with you when you were unconscious."

"Well, I'm awake now," he murmured flirtatiously as he shifted, making room on the bed for Luigi, but given the Koopa's size, there was practically no personal space. "You can still come, if you want."

Luigi blushes deeply, almost turning as red as Mario's hat. Bowser laughs victoriously, loving these moments when Luigi doesn't know what to do, when he's intimidated, and all because of him, not because he's afraid.

"Don't you have a kingdom to rule?" Luigi tries to change the subject as he throws open his closet.

"Are you going to kick me out right after spending the night with me, Greenie? " He glared at him. "Careful, you're going to break my heart. That's not very nice coming from a good guy."

“I liked you better when you just grunted.”

"I already told you that you're a bad liar, Greenie," he replied confidently. "If it were true, you wouldn't be so red."

Bowser lets out a low, deep laugh, the kind that resonates more in the chest than the throat. He settles in a little more comfortably on the bed, his hands clasped beneath him, his chin resting on his wrists, his eyes closed as if he were thinking… or trying not to think.

A few seconds passed; it was a strange silence, but not uncomfortable, it was just different.

"Hey," he says suddenly, still with his eyes closed. "About... letting me sleep here."

“Yes?” Luigi remains still, with half his body still inside the closet.

“It wasn't horrible.”

Luigi blinked, slightly surprised by the words. Was that a sign of gratitude? He slowly closed the closet door to look at Bowser.

“Is that a thank you?”

Bowser opened one of his eyes to look at him out of the corner of his eye.

“Don't make me repeat myself.”

For Luigi, that was a confession, and he couldn't help but smile. It was a small, lopsided smile that appeared when he was about to tease someone he cares about, especially knowing that the other person is a little annoyed. Does Bowser really think he won't get revenge for his comments? Ha, you fool!

“Wow, that “It wasn’t horrible” is like a compliment coming from you” He chuckled softly. “Is that how you flirt now?”

"Shut up," Bowser growled, but he wasn't angry. "I could have left and burned this place down, but I didn't."

“Aha.”

“And you didn't wake me up when I fell asleep.”

Luigi crossed his arms, a floating smile playing on his lips as he leaned against the closet.

"If I didn't know you very well, Bowser, I'd say that sounds..." He pauses, emphasizing his point. "Yeah, that sounds suspiciously like 'thank you.'"

Bowser sighed heavily, as if admitting that was a defeat. He slowly began to sit up in bed, practically sitting on it as the mattress creaked under his weight.

"Okay, thanks," he said as quickly as he could, a little clumsily. "Happy now?"

“A lot” Luigi replies with a big smile. “That's the weirdest "Thank you" I've ever received.”

“He's the only one you'll get from me.”

“That's already a reward, although you say it as if I'd done you a huge favor” He points out while readjusting his mustache, which seemed to be unruly and out of place.

“You did it.”

“I just let you sleep.”

“Yes”

Bowser emphasized the word, but Luigi didn't seem to grasp its importance. The Koopa let out a long sigh before slowly getting out of bed, taking one step after another.

Luigi swallowed instead, not knowing what to do.

“Bowser?”

"I'm not saying I couldn't have managed on my own," he explains, slowly approaching. "It's just that I needed a distraction for a while, so I came here and you let me stay, without questions or lectures."

Luigi laughs softly, trying to lighten the mood.

“That's what friends are for, right?”

At that moment, Bowser stopped in front of him, too close. Luigi could feel the heat of his body, the smell of smoke and ash that always surrounded him.

“That's what you say.”

“And what do you say?”

Bowser lowers his head slightly to look at him better; his eyes showed calmness and vulnerability.

“I'm not used to that.”

"Well..." Luigi murmured, trying to sound calm, pretending his heart wasn't beating too fast for what was supposed to be a casual conversation. "You can get used to it; that's what friendship is all about."

For a second, Bowser was about to say something, but he remained silent, just staring at him, as if trying to understand something that didn't yet have a name. He still couldn't read the human, couldn't know his intentions or plans, but he didn't care because now he trusted him.

The silence lasted barely a second longer than necessary. Luigi was the first to break it, awkwardly averting his gaze to the side, feeling nervous under Bowser's stare.

“Uh… well…” He cleared his throat, a little awkwardly “Since you're here… Would you like some breakfast?”

Bowser raised an eyebrow, barely amused by Luigi's reaction.

“Is that an invitation or an excuse to escape from me?”

"I'm not running away!" Luigi retorted too quickly, blushing at the comment. "I just... thought you might be hungry."

“I'm always hungry.”

The way he said it, with a lopsided half-smile, made Luigi feel an uncomfortable heat rise up his neck.

“I-I can make you something” he added, taking a step back and then another. “Something Italian, I'm good at cooking.”

"I know," Bowser replied, without taking his eyes off him. "You mentioned it last night."

Luigi blinked, a little surprised.

“Did you hear me?”

“To the point where I fall asleep, but yes…”

That was enough to bring back his nervousness with vengeance. Luigi spun around almost immediately and left his room, practically fleeing the place.

"Come on! The kitchen's this way," he shouted, knowing Bowser was following close behind. "I'll make you the best breakfast you've ever tasted."

Bowser followed Luigi down the hallway, his footsteps making the place rumble slightly, and as soon as they reached the room that connected to the living room, they found an open kitchen. The human was already in the kitchen, staring at the remains of a cup on the floor, frowning.

"What happened here?" Luigi turned to look at Bowser, a little annoyed.

“That” Bowser didn't even dare to look at what the man was talking about.

"Yes, that," Luigi said, crossing his arms angrily. "What happened to 'that' Bowser?"

“I needed to get your attention.”

"Excuse me?" Luigi looked at him incredulously. "Why did you want to get my attention?"

“Because I wanted to see you.”

"You must be joking," I muttered irritably, furrowing the brow in anger. "Mario's going to kill me as soon as he finds out."

"He doesn't have to know," Bowser said matter-of-factly. "We just have to get rid of the evidence, that's all. I don't think he'll notice."

"No," Luigi said, crossing his arms. "I can't do that. This is the mug our father gave her many years ago; it's one of her most treasured possessions. Of course he'll notice!"

"If you try to make me, feel guilty about what happened, it won't work." He smiled at her, a little maliciously. "Even knowing that, I enjoy the fact that I destroyed it even more."

"You're crazy, Bowser," Luigi spun around to turn his back on him. "You're inconsiderate and so... Ah! Bowser!"

That reaction made Bowser chuckle softly, pleased with his actions, although he had to admit that it made him a little uncomfortable to see Luigi so annoyed and upset.

“I don't understand what the problem is with that; it's just a cup.”

"How would you feel if someone broke something that someone important to you gave you?" Luigi asked, annoyed. "I honestly don't know if you have anything you value as much as this. Do you have anything?"

“Your record player.”

Those two words shouldn't have affected Luigi as deeply as they did. He felt his cheeks flush completely, but he didn't know if it was because of her words or his anger.

"Well... that's it." Luigi couldn't meet her gaze, so he busied himself picking up the pieces of the cup. "How would you feel if someone broke it?"

"I'd burn him alive with my fire breath," Bowser replied, a little threateningly. "He'd regret ever touching it."

"And how do you think Mario will feel when he finds out?" He pointed to the remains of the cup. "He'll be furious with me."

“Then tell him it was me.”

"You're his enemy, Bowser," Luigi said with a disbelieving laugh. "That would only make things worse."

"For him, maybe," Bowser replied calmly. "For me... no."

Luigi had had enough of that, so he finished picking up the cup and set it aside to fix it later, focusing on his new task: preparing breakfast for both of them without killing Bowser in the process. He quietly took out what he needed, completely ignoring Bowser, but it was difficult with him hovering behind him.

He could feel it, its size, its warmth, and its gaze.

"You're tense," Bowser commented from a safe distance away from Luigi.

“I'm not.”

“Yes, you are.”

"It's normal," Luigi murmured, still with his back to him, but he could feel himself blushing. "It's not every day I have... well, you, the King of the Koopas, in my kitchen."

“Should I feel flattered?”

"You should feel... lucky I'm not kicking you out," Luigi replied, trying to sound firm. "You broke into my house in the middle of the night and broke something of Mario's. That's reason enough to throw you out of here right now."

"You could try," Bowser chuckled. "But we both know I could easily subdue you."

Luigi didn't answer, he simply concentrated on breaking eggs in a container, although one of them ended up slightly crushed by his force after Bowser's comment, did I hear right?

"Relax," Bowser added, finally approaching Luigi. "I won't bite you... unless you ask me to."

Luigi almost dropped the bowl at the response; that's clear flirting. Are they going to start flirting shamelessly again as a joke?

“Bowser!

2

"What?" he replied, completely calm and enjoying Luigi's reaction. He was becoming addicted to human gestures. "Just saying."

Luigi took a deep breath, trying to regain some dignity and stop his heart from beating excitedly in his chest.

“You're impossible.”

“And yet you invited me to breakfast.”

“Because I'm a good person.”

“Or because you like my company.”

"Don't get too excited," Luigi said, turning slightly and looking at him out of the corner of his eye, quite seriously. "You're not as important as you think."

“Too late.”

Bowser approached Luigi with more confidence, about to tease him with another comment, when he noticed a plate on the table beside them, covered with another plate and left there, almost as if abandoned. He approached it, somewhat curious.

"Hey..." the Koopa suddenly said. "What's that?"

He pointed at the plate, his eyes wide with curiosity. Luigi didn't turn to look at it, because he already knew what it was, and he couldn't help but feel sad when he realized it was still there.

“I…” Luigi still had his back to him. “I cooked last night, it's lasagna.”

"It looks delicious," Bowser complimented, lifting the top plate to examine the food. "Why is it here?"

“It's for Mario” The way he said it was softer, more fragile than he would have liked.

“And why is he still here?”

“He didn't arrive.”

Bowser said nothing, but he did not miss Luigi's body language; he seemed dejected and uncomfortable with the situation.

"He said he was coming early... that we'd have dinner together... like we usually do." He smiled slightly, but without joy, as he rested his hands on the counter. "I suppose the meeting ran long or he had something important to do; he always does."

There was something restrained in his voice. Not exactly anger, but not resignation either.

"It's not that it bothers me," he added quickly, noticing Bowser's gaze. "It's just... well..."

“He left you waiting.”

Luigi didn't respond, and that was enough. Bowser took another step closer, standing right beside him.

"Listen to me," he said with unusual seriousness. "If he didn't come, it's not because he's not worth being here with you."

Luigi looked up, surprised to see Bowser comforting him. If he was honest, he would have expected Bowser to make fun of him a little, but he had just noticed a new side of the Koopa.

"Sometimes people..." Bowser continued, searching for the words. "They have their own battles; they don't always know how to be in two places at once."

"I know," Luigi whispered. "Mario is always helping someone."

“Of course”

The tone didn't help. Luigi frowned, a little uncomfortable.

“What does that mean?”

Bowser took a step towards the plate, looking at the lasagna more closely.

“It means I don't feel so bad about breaking his cup.”

“What?” Luigi looked at him, surprised.

Bowser barely turned his head towards him.

"If he leaves you waiting like that..." He shrugged. "He doesn't seem to care much about what he has and what matters to him."

"That's not the case," Luigi replied immediately, though his voice wasn't as firm as he'd hoped. "Mario is just... busy."

“He always is”

The word landed heavily. Luigi gripped the spoon tightly between his fingers.

“He's helping people.”

“And you?”

That left him speechless. Bowser held his gaze for a few more seconds and then approached Luigi again.

"I wouldn't have been late," he said calmly. "And if I had been... I wouldn't have left you here waiting alone."

Luigi lowered his gaze in embarrassment.

“He must have a reason.”

"Probably," Bowser admitted, a little annoyed. "But that doesn't change what he did."

A silence settled between them, different from before. It was no longer awkward, but it wasn't easy to maintain either.

Luigi was the first to break free. He spun around with a small, almost clumsy movement, as if he needed to escape this moment, which was more vulnerable than he cared to admit. He grabbed the whisk and began mixing the eggs with more energy than necessary, focusing on something simple, mechanical. Something safe, because if he stopped to think about what Bowser had said, how he had said it, he wouldn't quite know what to do with it.

I had never expected comfort from him, and yet, there he was.

"Incredible..." he murmured to himself, barely shaking his head.

Bowser didn't say anything, but he also didn't stop staring at him.

That didn't help either. Luigi cleared his throat softly and began searching for the salt, moving things around.

“Where…?” He frowned, checking the countertop, then another shelf. Nothing, until he remembered. “Oh, no…”

He looked up at the top shelf. Of course, Mario. A few days ago, they had been joking around -or fighting, depending on who you asked- because Mario always ended up asking his for-help reaching things. He decided to get revenge and, in a childish fit of pique, had decided to "punish" him by leaving the salt right where he knew he couldn't reach it. Neither of them could reach it without help

Luigi narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

“Questo idiota…”

He stretched, but nothing; he stood on his tiptoes, and still nothing. He sighed, resigned.

“Brilliant.”

Before he could try anything else, a shadow fell upon him. Bowser. Without a word, he reached over Luigi and effortlessly snatched the salt bottle, pinning him against the counter. But he didn't move; instead, he leaned slightly forward, placing one hand on the counter, right next to Luigi, then the other. Trapping him.

The space suddenly became too small.

"You know..." Bowser murmured very close to her ear, "You could have asked for help."

Luigi felt the heat rising to his face; he was grateful to have his back to the Koopa.

“I was going to do it.”

“You didn't.”

“You didn't leave me.”

That brought a slight smile to both of their faces.

“What a convenient excuse.”

The bottle was left behind somewhere between them. The contact was brief, but enough.
Luigi inhaled slowly, trying to control his racing heartbeat.

"I don't need help," he said, though he didn't move away.

“It didn't seem like it.”

There was a brief silence. Then, without fully realizing it, Luigi turned his body just enough to face Bowser. And there they were again, close, too close, and together.

"Do you always do this?" Luigi asked in a low voice, but Bowser heard him perfectly.

“Do what?”

“Invading people's personal space.”

Bowser barely smiled, leaning in a little further to annoy Luigi a little more.

“Only when I want to.”

Luigi's heart leaped.

“And… do you want to?”

“What do you think?”

Luigi swallowed, trying to maintain his composure.

“I think you're a problem.”

“And yet you don't leave.”

He didn't do it, he couldn't. There was something about that moment, something that didn't make sense, but he didn't want to break it either. Those moments were addictive.

"Maybe I'm waiting to see what you do," Luigi murmured, not knowing where he got the courage.

Bowser's eyes glowed with something different.

“That sounds dangerous.”

“It is.”

Bowser raised his hand slowly, as if giving Luigi time to back away, but Luigi didn't move. His hand rested on Luigi's cheek, stroking his mustache the same way he had the day they first met. Their faces were inches apart; he could feel his breath.

“Luigi…” Bowser murmured.

Luigi didn't respond, he just stared at him, waiting for something to happen, completely focused on Bowser. On how warm his scales felt, how his breath mingled with his own, and how those scarlet eyes slowly scanned him.

They were close, dangerously close, and completely focused on each other. Nothing could break the moment, except…

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The sound of the front door broke at the moment of the banging. Luigi jumped back as if Bowser were on fire.

“What?” He gasped in surprise and fear.

Bowser merely grunted in annoyance at the interruption, but if he thought about it, he didn't know what would have happened if they had continued at that moment.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

There were other blows, this time a little louder, accompanied by a scream.

"Luigi!" Mario's voice called from outside, on the other side of the door. "Open up! I think I left my keys in the castle."

Luigi's world came crashing down in a second.

"Mario!" Luigi panicked instantly, staring wide-eyed at Bowser. "You have to hide!"

Bowser blinked, confused.

“What?”

"He can't see you here!" Luigi whispered, gently pushing him. "Hurry!"

“Why not?”

“Because it's you!”

That seemed like a sufficient reason, although not necessarily a fair one.

“And?”

"You have to hide," Luigi whispers to Bowser, placing his hands on his chest. "If Mario finds out you're here, there'll be a war, or worse, he'll never speak to me again."

"Really?" Bowser raised an eyebrow, amused by the situation. "I think I'll stay here. It's been a while since I fought Mario."

“Bowser” Luigi whispers, pleading. “Please.”

Bowser wasn't going to obey; the idea of being there and having Mario discover him was tempting, too tempting knowing that the red human wasn't expecting him to be there, he even had the element of surprise, but Luigi's tone made him hesitate a little.

Was he really going to risk Mario hating Luigi because of him? He could do it, it's what his past self would do, but that would make Luigi cry, and he didn't want the human to suffer because of him.

They look at each other for a few seconds, Luigi practically begging him to hide, and Bowser gives in.

Shit, what have I become? What has that human done to me? Why can't I say no to him?

"Please!" Luigi insisted, practically dragging him out of the kitchen.

The knocking on the door continued.

“Luigi! I know you're there!”

"I'm coming!" Luigi shouted back, his voice cracking.

He looked around in despair.

"There," he finally pointed. "The closet!"

Bowser looked at him. Then he looked at the wardrobe. Then he looked back at him.

“Are you telling me to get in there?”

“Yeah!”

“I don't fit.”

“You'll manage!”

Second of tension.

"I don't like this," Bowser growled.

“Me neither! Come in!”

With obvious resistance, Bowser bent down and managed to squeeze in as best he could, shrinking into the confined space.

“This is humiliating.”

“Shhh!”

The closet closed with a soft thud. Luigi barely had time to breathe before the front door opened.

“Luigi! I found the keys.”

Mario burst into, as if nothing in the world was wrong. Luigi could only feel his pulse racing.

"Fratello!" He smiled broadly as he placed his cap on the table. "Sorry I couldn't come last night. Things got complicated in the kingdom, but you can't imagine..."

He paused for a second and sniffed the air, detecting something different.

“Wow…” His smile widened at that moment. “It smells amazing in here.”

Luigi, standing stiffly near the entrance, forced a smile.

“Uh… yes. I was… making breakfast.”

"For both of us?" Mario asked in an almost childlike tone, approaching his brother. "Perfect! I'm starving."

He moved with complete naturalness, as if the tension did not exist, as if Luigi was not on the verge of a collapse at that moment.

“Peach would be thrilled with this too,” he continued, eyeing the food still simmering in the pan. “Speaking of her, she stayed at the castle last night, and we ended up talking until late. She’s excited to get out a bit, and I’m thinking of taking her to Brooklyn. Can you imagine? She’ll love the Statue of Liberty.”

Luigi nodded, distracted as he began serving breakfast, trying to calm his nerves.

“Yes… sounds good.”

“Although I also thought about the bridge” Mario added, starting to look for the coffee to pour it. “It has more… presence, don't you think?”

“Yes… it's more impactful” Luigi replied automatically, without really thinking about what he was saying.

Mario smiled, satisfied.

"I knew you'd say that." he picked up the coffee pot and looked around. he frowned, looking again. "Where's my cup?"

Luigi's world stopped.

“What?”

"My mug," Mario repeated, now looking directly at the counter. "The red one. I always leave it here."

Luigi felt the air get trapped in his chest.

“I… uh…”

Mario slowly turned towards him, noticing his brother's nervousness.

“Luigi” That tone was one of disappointment. “Where's my cup?”

"Did it break?" he whispered, unsure how to answer.

“What?”

"It was an accident," Luigi said, swallowing nervously.

Mario didn't speak; he just looked at him waiting for a logical explanation.

“I was… washing and… it slipped.”

Mario's gaze slowly drifted down to the floor, where small bits of debris remained that Luigi hadn't quite managed to clean up. His expression changed.

"It didn't slip," he said quietly.

Luigi did not answer, knowing that if he continued speaking the truth would come out.

"That doesn't seem like what happened," Mario said, crossing his arms. "What happened? Because that wasn't an accident."

Luigi clenched his fists. He could lie, he could try to keep going, but he knew it wasn't going to work. It never worked under pressure.

“I broke it on purpose” he said the first thing that came to mind.

Mario blinked in surprise.

“What?”

“I broke it” he repeated, now more firmly. “On purpose.”

The silence grew heavy.

“Why would you do that?”

Luigi looked up, with something restrained in his eyes.

“Because you didn't come last night.”

“And what does that have to do with this?”

"It's all connected," Luigi replied, his voice barely trembling. "You said you were coming, so I cooked for you."

He pointed towards the dining room. Mario looked at the lasagna, which was untouched and cold, waiting for him.

“Luigi, I told you that…”

"You didn't say anything," he interrupted, a little annoyed. "You didn't warn us. You didn't send a message. Nothing."

Mario frowned.

“Something came up with Peach, I couldn't…”

"Something always comes up," Luigi replied, now faster. "There's always something more important than me."

“That's not how it is.”

“Yes, it is.”

Mario slammed the coffee pot down on the table with more force than necessary. The glass rattled in frustration.

“You're exaggerating.”

"Sure," Luigi chuckled briefly, humorlessly. "Because waiting around all night like an idiot is nothing, right?"

“I didn't say that.”

“But you make it seem that way.”

Mario shook his head.

“Luigi, you're taking this too far”.

"Oh, really?" he took a step toward him. "Then tell me, how long were you going to leave that there without saying anything?"

He pointed to the lasagna. Mario didn't respond immediately.

"I didn't think about it," he finally admitted, defeated.

That answer was worse than any other. Luigi looked down for a second and then looked up again.

“Exactly, so yes” Luigi added, more quietly. “I broke your cup.”

Mario looked at him, incredulously.

“As revenge?”

Luigi held his gaze.

“Yeah.”

The silence hung between them, heavy and uncomfortable. Mario exhaled through his nose, running a hand over his face as if trying to hold something back.

That mug was his favorite; it was from the best moment of his life, and his father had given it to him when he was "proud" of him. Although he knew it was silly to cling to material things, besides, he couldn't stay angry with Luigi for too long.

"Good," he said finally, in a low voice. "Good."

Luigi did not respond, waiting for her reaction.

"It was a stupid thing to do," Mario added, trying to downplay it. "You shouldn't have done it... but..." He waved his hand dismissively. "It's okay, no big deal."

Luigi looked at him, confused. He hadn't expected that and didn't know how to feel about it.

"Just…" Mario continued, avoiding eye contact. "Next time, talk to me, okay?"

“Yeah…”

“Come on. It's going to get cold” Mario pointed to the table.

The change in tone was abrupt, almost artificial, but Luigi did not argue.

They sat down. The clatter of plates and cutlery filled the space, masking what neither of them wanted to say yet. Mario took a bite.

"It's good," he murmured with a small smile. "It tastes like Nonna's cooking."

Luigi barely nodded in response to the compliment.

“Grazie.”

“Seriously” Mario insisted. “You're getting better and better at cooking.”

He didn't know how to respond, so they remained silent. Matio put his fork aside, knowing that things weren't going to be easy from that point on.

“Luigi…”

“What?”

“You didn't have to do that with the cup.”

Well, it's better to talk things out while they're still fresh, right? Even if it wasn't his fault and he was covering for Bowser. Luigi clenched his jaw; he was good at enduring scolding and taking the blame for things that weren't his fault. He always blamed himself for Mario. What harm would one more could do?

“You already said to leave it like that.”

"I'm trying," Mario replied, a little frustrated. "But that doesn't mean it's right."

“What you did wasn't right either.”

“I already explained what happened last night” Mario frowned, a little offended.

“No, you told me that “something came up” He said, making air quotes.

“Because something came up.”

"Something always comes up," Luigi repeated, more tense now.

Mario let out a louder sigh.

“Are you going on about that again?”

“Yes, not again.”

“Luigi…”

"No, seriously," he interrupted. "Have you ever stopped to think about how it feels?"

Mario looked at him, slowly losing patience.

“How does what feel?”

“That they leave you waiting.”

"You're exaggerating," Mario said, more drily.

"Of course, as always," Luigi said with a humorless laugh. "You always have to tell me how to feel, don't you?"

"Because it's true," he replied irritably. "You can't take everything so personally."

“It's not "everything," Mario” he replied, raising his voice slightly. “It's this, it's always this.”

Mario placed both hands on the table.

"You know what's going on? Ever since Bowser escaped, you've been different, very defensive, looking over your shoulder and distrusting everything." Mario sighed, running a hand over his face. "I'd understand if you were scared, he might come looking for you or something, but it's like you're hiding something from me."

"Againt with that?" Luigi tensed up, knowing that if Mario persisted, he wouldn't be able to hide the truth.

"Yeah, yes again," Mario replied. "Because it's not normal, Luigi. I know you. You're hiding something from me."

“You're wrong. Nothing has happened and I'm not hiding anything from you.”

They both knew Mario didn't believe him; as Bowser had said, Luigi was a terrible liar. At that moment, Luigi knew Bowser was grinning from the closet, delighted to overhear this conversation, and he just prayed he would be wise and keep quiet.

"Of course," Mario said, taking a step toward his brother. "Every time I mention his name, you get defensive."

"It's not as you make it out to be, Mario," Luigi said, looking down at his hands. "Bowser and I have a history, okay? It's not as simple as you make it out to be."

Mario let out a dry laugh.

“Really?”

"No," Luigi stood firm. "Bowser isn't just the same old villain, your enemy."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Mario raised his voice in offense. "It's Bowser! The same one who tried to marry Peach! Who destroyed the kingdom! Who tried to kill...!"

"He's the one who's changed!" Luigi interrupted, his voice trembling. "He hasn't attacked the kingdom since he escaped. Doesn't that tell you something?"

Silence fell like a rock between them. Mario stared at him for a long time, as if he couldn't believe his words.

"You're amazing," he said after a while. "Really, Luigi."

"You know I'm telling the truth," Luigi said, holding his gaze. "I'm just not saying it for no reason."

"No, you say that because you always want to see the best in everyone, even when it doesn't exist," Mario shook his head indignantly. "That's your damn obsession."

“It's not a mania.”

"Yes, it is," Mario said, running a hand over his face and scratching his brow in annoyance. "And do you know who has to clean up the mess when things go wrong?"

Luigi swallowed hard and replied involuntarily. Mario stood up angrily from the dining room, a sign that the fight was about to escalate.

“That's not fair.”

"No?" Mario took another step. "Who rescued you from Bowser's clutches? Who took care of you when you hurt your knee? Who was there every time you got into something bigger than you?"

“I didn't ask for that…!”

"But it always happens!" Mario raised his voice. "I always have to be on your tail, Luigi. I always have to fix your problems."

Luigi felt a knot on his chest.

“I'm not a nuisance.”

“I didn't say that.”

“But you're implying it.”

Mario clenched his fists in annoyance; Luigi always did the same thing, always putting words in his mouth, playing the victim.

"What I'm saying is that you're naive, that you trust people too much," I muttered irritably. "You don't know how the real-world works, Luigi."

"Maybe it's because I don't like how it works," he replied softly. "Maybe I don't want it to work the way you say."

Mario looked at him incredulously.

“Excuse me?”

"Maybe I don't want to live fighting all the time," Luigi continued. "Maybe I want to believe that people can change, that there's something good inside them."

"When you haven't seen true evil firsthand, it's easy to be naive," he growled irritably. "It's easy to say stupid things when you're not the one fighting."

That comment was a direct blow to Luigi.

“I fight too.”

“Not like me.”

“I am not like you.”

“Exactly” Mario pointed out. “That's always been the problem.”

Luigi felt the knot tighten and his eyes fill with tears.

"You know what's most tiring?" Mario continued relentlessly. "That you always hide behind fear, always, and then you want to give moral lessons."

“Yes, I'm scared” Luigi admitted. “I always have been.”

“And you never get over it.”

“Because it's not that easy!”

“For me it was.”

"No!" Luigi raised his voice, which trembled slightly. "You were never afraid, your hands never shook before a fight, but mine did! You'd never understand!"

Mario looked at him harshly.

“Then stop getting involved in things you can't handle.”

Luigi tried to keep his tears under control, but it was difficult.

“I thought you would understand me.”

"There's nothing to understand," Mario replied sharply. "Bowser is evil, you're the weak one, and if you keep this up, someone's going to get hurt."

Mario was breathing heavily, the echo of his own words still hanging in the room. Luigi still stood before him, shoulders rigid, fists clenched so tightly his fingers trembled. His eyes shone dangerously, full, but still nothing was revealed.

"You've never understood how this works," Mario continued, wanting to get everything off his chest. "You never have. You were always the one who lagged behind, the one who hesitated, the one who needed to be pushed to move."

Luigi swallowed hard; his throat was burning.

"That was cruel," he said, his voice tense and slightly broken. "You're being cruel, Mario."

"I'm being honest," Mario frowned.

"No," Luigi said, slowly shaking his head. "You're using everything you know about me to hurt me."

Her eyes filled with tears, and this time a tear escaped, sliding down his cheek. Luigi quickly wiped it away, as if he were embarrassed for Mario to see it.

"You always say you protect me," he continued listlessly. "That you do everything for me, but that's not what protection is supposed to feel like."

Mario opened his mouth to reply, but Luigi kept talking, unable to stop.

“Do you know what it feels like to grow up being “Mario’s brother”?” His voice trembled with sadness “To hear my whole life that I’m the other one, the one who accompanies, the one who gets in the way, the one who needs help.”

“I…”

"Always!" Luigi interrupted, raising his voice for the first time. "You always decide for me, you always know what's best for me, you always fix everything... even when I didn't ask you to."

Mario pursed his lips.

“If I didn't do it, you'd be dead.”

"Maybe," Luigi took a deep breath, fighting to keep from breaking down further. "But at least it would have been my decision."

The silence fell again, heavy like a stone. Mario looked at him more closely, saw how Luigi avoided looking directly at him, how his chest rose and fell rapidly, how he bit his lip to keep from crying. He saw how he had hurt him.

“Luigi…” he said softly, noticing her mistake.

“No” he replied immediately, sharply. “Not now.”

“Mi dispiace, non l'ho fatto apposta…” He admitted, taking a step forward and nervously clearing his throat. “I didn't mean it like that, it's just that I…”

"It doesn't matter how you meant it." He finally looked at him, his eyes red from tears. "You said it."

"Scusa" he said again. "I shouldn't have..."

“Go away.”

“Lou…”

"Go away," he said sharply, but Mario didn't move. "Go away!" This time he shouted, and tears began to fall uncontrollably. "Get out of the house! I don't want to see you now!"

Mario froze.

“I just wanted to protect you.”

"Well, congratulations," Luigi said, wiping his face with his sleeves. "All you did was remind me why I always feel so small."

That was the final blow. Mario took a step back, as if those words had physically struck him.

“That wasn't my intention.”

"But you did it anyway," Luigi replied without looking at him. "Go, please. Go with Peach; you always do in the end."

Mario hesitated for a few more seconds. Then he nodded, defeated.

“See you later?”

"No," Luigi whispered in defeat. "Not today."

Mario looked at Luigi with pity before slowly leaving. As soon as the front door closed and Luigi felt the enveloping silence, he let go, releasing a trembling sigh as he tried to control his emotions, his pain, but he couldn't. He covered his face with his hand, weeping silently as his body shook with small sobs.

He could only let his feelings out for a few seconds, because a soft creak pulled him from his thoughts. The closet door opened slowly, and Luigi immediately knew who it was and what he had overheard.

Bowser left cautiously, as if unsure whether he had any right to occupy any space in that room. His eyes immediately fixed on Luigi, who had his back on him at that moment, as if fleeing from his gaze, as if running away from him.

" Greenie? " He murmured, a little uncertain.

Luigi was startled by his voice, even though he knew he was there. He quickly and clumsily wiped his face and tried to keep his voice from sounding broken.

"Go away," he told him bluntly, ordering him. Her voice was empty, broken. "Please go."

Bowser remained still in his place.

“Greenie…”

"I don't want you to see me like this," he added weakly, still with his back turned. "I've had enough for today. Mario... he's done enough. He left me alone last night, said all that... and now you have heard it all. Just... go."

Bowser frowned. He didn't like the idea of leaving Luigi alone at that moment, especially knowing how sensitive he was to words. He still remembered how Luigi's eyes would darken with sadness when he used cruel words in that cage. He didn't know how Luigi must be feeling now after Mario's words.

“No” he said decisively. “I'm not leaving.”

Luigi turned his head to look at him. His eyes were red, and he bit his lip to keep from sobbing uncontrollably. It was a sight he would have enjoyed in the past, when he was the evil Bowser, but now it only pained him, knowing how kind and loyal Luigi was, how pure and good he was to the world.

“Mario is an idiot.”

The silence fell like a slap in the face; seeing Luigi frown, annoyed by his comment, disconcerted him for a moment.

"What did you say?" Luigi blinked, offended.

"Your brother," Bowser continued, feeling the rage coursing through his veins. He needed all his strength not to rush out and punch Mario right then and there, knowing it would only hurt Luigi. "He's a complete idiot, just a cardboard cutout hero who thinks he has the right to decide who you are and who you aren't. He abandons you, doesn't show up when he promises... and yet you still wait for him. If you give me the chance, I can break his..."

"No!" Luigi immediately turned to face him. "Don't you dare speak about him like that."

Bowser stopped, surprised by Luigi's reaction; it was rare to see him raise his voice, not when he was so shy and afraid of confrontations.

“After what he told you, he deserves it.”

"Stay out of it!" He snapped angrily. "You don't know anything."

"I know what I heard," Bowser growled defensively. "He talks to you like you're a problem he always has to fix, like you're not enough on your own, like he's your personal savior."

“That's not true!”

"It is," Bowser insisted, taking a step forward. "And you know it. He speaks to you as if your fear were the worst flaw in the world, knowing that it's a part of you."

Luigi clenched his fists even more offended; he hated that he was scared and even more that people knew it, that they pigeonholed him as such, and now Bowser says it's part of him, as if it were inevitable, as if it were his only characteristic.

"He never said that" He said. "He just..."

"You can't justify it," Bowser said, looking at him, confused by his reaction. "Damn, he treats you horribly and you're defending him? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Luigi glared at him, filled with anger over everything that had happened.

"He's my brother," he simply said, but that only made the situation more painful. "He may have said those horrible things, but that doesn't give you the right to say those things. He’s, my family."

“Just because they're your family doesn't give them the right to make you cry.”

"No," he admitted, his eyes glistening with tears he was trying to hold back. "But that doesn't give you the right to punch him in the face either."

“I just wanted to look out for you; in my world, friends are looked out for when they are spoken to like that.”

"In my case, it's not so simple," he whispered, too weak to fight back. "The people you love can hurt you, and that's okay. It's part of loving, part of being a family."

"No, it isn't," he said, letting out a long sigh of annoyance and despair. "Where I come from, when someone hurts you, they immediately become an enemy."

"By that logic, you and I would still be enemies," Luigi said, looking him straight in the eyes, annoyed but also sad. "All the harm you did to me is unforgivable by that logic. How do you expect us to remain friends if you still think the same way?"

Bowser didn't like that comment; he simply raised his gaze slowly, feeling anger brewing inside him.

"Because we're not the same," Bowser replied with a suppressed growl. "You can afford to forgive, I can't. I learned that if someone hurts you, you cut them out of your life before they can do it again."

Luigi clenched his trembling fists.

"And where does that leave us?" he asked, his voice breaking. "Because you've hurt me, more than once! You tried to kill me! And yet... I'm here with you."

Bowser frowned, uncomfortable for the first time.

Runnin'in circles, comin'up tails

“That's different.”

"Why?" Luigi raised his voice as he angrily approached Bowser. "Why do you decide what matters and what doesn't? Why do you decide who deserves to stay in my life and who doesn't? That's not how friendship works."

The word landed heavily between them at that moment. Were they truly friends, or just tolerating each other? Friends don't tell you what to do, they don't force you into anything… friends don't try to kill you.

“You don't know what friendship is.”

Luigi let out a bitter laugh, heavy with pain. It was true, damn it, obviously it was, because he'd never had any friends. Everyone was Mario's friend, never his. His only friend was Bowser, and he hadn't seen him since he escaped. Sometimes he thought Bowser had just gotten used to his presence, not that he considered him important in his life, because he'd never gone looking for him.

Even though Bowser seemed worried about him, that made him a friend, didn't it?

"No, you're the one who doesn't know," he said defensively, pushing those thoughts away. "You'd never understand, ever. You have no one, Bowser, no family, no friends who care about you. You have no one who has loved you enough to stay and teach you what unconditional love is, who cares about you when you fail."

The silence was immediate, dense, and dangerous. Bowser's eyes hardened, his pupils contracted, just as they did when he was about to fight.

“Careful, plumber” he said in a low voice. “There are things that shouldn't be said.”

Luigi swallowed hard at the tone of voice, that warning he could read between the lines, that Bowser was about to attack. He decided to ignore all those warnings.

"It's the truth. You say it as if cutting ties were easy, as if family were disposable, and it's not for me," He continued, not backing down. "You'd never understand what love is, staying with someone even when they hurt you. You don't know what it means to forgive or to love, because all you produce is fear and hatred."

“Luigi” Bowser growled in a warning tone.

Luigi swallowed hard, but he didn't back down.

“All you know how to do is hit, shout, and break things…”

The movement was swift. Bowser slammed his fist on the table in a fit of rage at Luigi's words, and the impact sent a nearby mug crashing to the floor, shattering into pieces. It was a green mug—Luigi's mug.

The sound was sharp, definitive, and painful. Luigi froze, staring at the remains of what had once been his cup.

All that remained was silence, apart from Luigi's ragged breathing. The atmosphere was thick with tension; it was only a matter of time before everything exploded.

“That was…” His voice broke. “It was mine.”

Bowser also stood still but did not back down.

“It was an accident.”

Luigi slowly raised his gaze.

“An accident?”

His eyes were shining again, but this time not just with sadness. He was reaching her breaking point.

“Sure…” He laughs humorlessly. “Breaking things. You're good at that, aren't you?”

“That wasn't my intention.”

“But it happened” He replied curtly. “Like always with you.”

That hit Bowser hard.

“Don't compare this to…”

"With what?!" he raised his voice. "With everything you did before?!"

The air became unbreathable.

"You don't change," Luigi continued, his voice breaking. "You just... find new ways to hurt people."

Bowser gritted his teeth, and when he spoke, he did so with an icy calm, ready to hurt Luigi in the same way he had hurt him.

“And you know exactly why Mario can say whatever he wants to you” he said irritably. “Because you always come back, because you'd rather be trampled on than be alone, because you hide behind that “family” so you don't have to accept that you're completely alone and that no one else could stand you.”

Luigi gasped for breath; that blow had struck him straight in the heart. Bowser knew how to hurt, though it was to be expected; after all, he was a villain and reveled in evil.

"You're not strong because you endure, you're weak because you don't know when to stop, because you don't set boundaries," Bowser continued. "You're pathetic."

“Says the one who came to seek solace with his enemy.”

"Are you seriously judging me?" He laughed humorlessly. "You? The one who prefers to stay small rather than risk living without his brother's permission. The one who prefers to feel pain, because that pain is familiar, and that way he doesn't have to discover who he is without Mario standing in front of him, showing him the way."

That was another direct blow. Luigi inhaled deeply, trying not to let those words affect him too much.

"You know nothing about me," Luigi whispered, his lips trembling.

"I don't need to do that to see the truth," Bowser retorted. "That you hide behind him, that you use his shadow to avoid facing the world, and yourself."

Luigi clenched his fists angrily.

“Get out.”

Bowser was about to reply, but he noticed Luigi trembling and holding back tears again. Damn it. He'd criticized Mario so much for making Luigi cry, for letting his anger get the better of him, and now he'd done the same thing.

He hurt him again.

Nobody said it was easy

He decided to obey Luigi, to give him space and let him think things through. He looked at him one last time, not with anger, but with disappointment in himself, in how he had shown himself to be the same old man, that he hadn't changed.

"When you realize your brother is an idiot, you can come find me," he said, though that made no sense considering his past words and actions. "If you can forgive him, I think I can forgive myself too."

With those words, he turned around and disappeared from Luigi's sight.

It's such a shame for us to part

Bowser leaves the ball in Luigi's court; it's his decision. But he won't lie, he’s afraid he won't forgive him, that he'll take his advice and they'll be enemies again. Although, well, it was the natural course of their relationship. After all, they'd never lived together for more than a couple of weeks, and it was always Luigi who did the talking. But last night something happened—a moment of connection and intimacy.

They could certainly say they had a "friendship", but who knows if it can survive that fight.

Luigi didn't move immediately. He stared at the pieces on the floor, as if something inside him had also broken at that very moment. He swallowed, feeling that heavy emptiness in his chest, the same one that had been with him all morning… only now it was worse, deeper and more real.

Slowly, he bent down, ignoring the slight trembling in his hands, and began to carefully gather the fragments, as if by doing so she could fix it, as if he could fix everything. His fingers brushed against the sharp edges without a care, holding the pieces with an almost desperate delicacy, because if he could put the cup back together… perhaps all wasn't lost, but deep down he knew it wasn't. That some things, once broken, simply never go back to being the same. And that hurt more than anything else.

Luigi was left alone, heartbroken, with a burning question in his head. That wasn't friendship, no doubt about it, but if that wasn't friendship, then what was it?

Nobody said it was easy

No one ever said it would be this hard

Oh, take me back to the start

Things weren't fixed the next day, or the day after.

Luigi avoided Mario for the next few days, using a skill he'd developed over the years: becoming practically invisible in his own home. He spent the entire afternoon in the garden, pulling weeds to drown his anger, and focused on other things to avoid thinking about what had happened. But sooner or later, he had to face reality.

He kept a great distance from Mario, but she did nothing, no shouting, no reproaches, nothing. Just a subtle, cruel distance that was more noticeable than any shout. He spoke only, when necessary, smiled when appropriate, and acted as if nothing was wrong. He did his usual things, but he lacked that spark that was always inside him, and everyone noticed.

Mario tried to get closer, telling Luigi at every opportunity that he was sorry, even whispering during diplomatic meetings with Peach. At times, Luigi was about to give in, but Bowser's words kept creeping back into his head, like an uncomfortable echo he couldn't silence.

" You're not strong for enduring, you'd rather be trampled on than be left alone," he kept repeating to himself.

Those words hurt him deeply, because he knew they weren't false, because Bowser could see inside him who he really was and his true fears, his true self.

Luigi wanted to forgive Mario, because they almost never fought, and this was the longest they'd ever been fighting, and his heart was already starting to ache from being away from his brother. He wanted to go back to normal, to that strange balance where he was second best, the one who followed, the one who was okay with being left behind, but something had broken, not in Mario… but in him.

For the first time, the idea of forgiving didn't feel noble or easy, but rather like betraying oneself, and even forgiving him felt as if the fight with Bowser had been in vain.

Several days passed, then a week, and then another. Mario apologized more than once, stumbling over his words, sincere, clumsy, and deep down he knew that Mario was also suffering, that he wasn't good at apologizing either, but he did it for himself.

He told him that he didn't mean to say those things, that he was tired, stressed about Bowser, and that he cared a lot about him, that he just wanted to protect him.

Luigi heard everything, and yet he couldn't forgive him. Because every word clashed with a question that kept him awake at night: What if Bowser was right?

He never said it out loud. He wouldn't even allow himself to fully consider it, but it was there, deep down, growing like a dangerous doubt. And alongside that doubt, guilt grew.

Luigi began to hate himself little by little, at how he reacted, how he had taken a step back, how he had let Bowser go after what he said, how those red eyes looked at him before leaving, not with anger, but with something worse, with disappointment and pain. He hated himself for how easily he had hurt him and how much it hurt him to have done it.

It was absurd how he felt, because he hated Mario for the things he said to him, he should hate Bowser - he has many reasons to do so - but when he thought of him, he only felt sadness.

He missed him again, but this time it was much more intense. He missed how it was just the two of them, where they weren't enemies and he wasn't seen as "Mario's brother." He missed having someone listen to him, even if he was a little intense.

He missed that strange, awkward, poorly constructed friendship, but the most real one he had ever had.

Daisy arrived like a blessing. Although she never knew about his fight with Bowser, she knew Luigi was hurting, and like any friend, she supported him, helped him consider many factors, and was patient with him. That's why she was able to forgive Mario.

It took me three weeks to forgive him.

Not because he forgot what he said, but because he decided not to let that define their entire relationship, because he loved him and because he had always loved him, because in the end Mario was there trying to do better for him.

When he finally hugged him after accepting his apology, he felt relief, but not peace, because something was still missing.

Don't speak as loud as my heart

He still didn't know what to do about Bowser, or rather, what to do about what he'd said and how it made him feel. He knew he had to apologize; it was pretty obvious. But he was aware that simple words wouldn't do the trick, so he considered giving him a gift. Food? No, he didn't know what Bowser liked, and well, what could he give a king who could buy himself whatever he wanted?

A few days later the answer arrived: some records. He had started cleaning his room when he noticed them and decided to give some to Bowser, so he went to the human world and got a couple -too many for him to have a few weeks of new music-, taking all the ones, he thought Bowser would like and others that he loved.

But tell me you love me, come back and hunt me

Now only the hardest part remained: going to the Dark Kingdom. Going to that kingdom meant many things: betraying his friends and family, facing possible imprisonment with the enemy, and worst of all, losing his friendship with Bowser, if he hadn't already lost it.

He walked with a determined stride the whole way, the discs wrapped affectionately against his chest. As he walked, memories flooded back to him: how he had first fallen there and felt that same fear, but at least now he was prepared when they attacked.

Many shy guys surrounded him with weapons before someone threw something at his head, knocking him to the ground. Slightly dazed, he lay on the ground, feeling his head throb from the blow, as they tied him up again.

They dragged him, somewhat roughly, to Bowser's castle, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu from when they first met. Though at that moment, he couldn't stop thinking about how Bowser would react. Would he yell at him? Ignore him? Lock him up?

Anxiety began to overwhelm him, and so, when they arrived at the castle, he tripped and fell to his knees in the royal hall. Right in front of him stood Bowser, imposing as ever, just as he remembered him.

Oh, and rush to the start

His entrance interrupted the conversation, because everyone turned to look at him and he couldn't help but blush, but he kept looking at Bowser, waiting for any reaction from him, but he was indifferent, almost bored with his presence.

"My lord," one of the Koopas said, giving a small bow. "We found this human wandering near the kingdom's border; we captured him and brought him here for questioning."

Bowser then turned his gaze to Luigi, who felt really small at that moment.

"Leave us alone," He ordered in a loud voice without taking my eyes off Luigi.

Kamek, who was beside him, looked at him for a moment, as if he doubted his actions.

"My lord," he whispered, but everyone heard him. "I can interrogate the human; there's no need to waste your time with him."

"I said leave us alone," Bowser ordered, his voice rising. Some Koopas trembled and ran for the door. "You two too. I'll let you know when I'm done with this simple human."

The few remaining Koopas quickly disappeared, while Luigi remained kneeling on the ground. Kamek passed by him, looking somewhat annoyed, eyeing him suspiciously. A few seconds later, another Koopa flew by, this time on a flying broomstick, very similar to Kamek's, who looked at him curiously and then at Bowser.

"Don't kill him, okay?" the Koopa pleaded. At that moment, Luigi realized it was a woman. "I don't want to have to deal with the Red one."

"Go away!" Bowser roared impatiently.

Coming back as we are

The walls shook with the noise, and Luigi lowered his gaze again, feeling incredibly nervous. Although he wasn't afraid of Bowser or what he might do, he couldn't help feeling a little worried. He kept his eyes on the ground, feeling Bowser close the distance between them.

Bowser was quickly in front of Luigi, but Luigi didn't take his eyes off the ground, still nervous, so Bowser let out a huff of annoyance and with a quick movement removed the restraints from Luigi's wrists.

Luigi didn't know how to react to that. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

“Bowser… I…” Luigi began to speak and looked up, but he was speechless.

Nobody said it was easy

When he finally got a good look at him, he noticed that Bowser wasn't the same as usual. He looked much worse, very ill. He had dark circles under his eyes, looked tired, and he could even say he was depressed. That left him speechless. Was Bowser sick? What had happened to him? Why didn’t he come to talk to him if he felt unwell?

Luigi searched for the words to speak, but he couldn't; his mind went blank. This time, Bowser was the one who spoke.

“Get out” he said seriously, but indifferently. “Now.”

Without waiting for a response, Bowser turned around and began walking back to his throne. Luigi was left confused.

“What?” He asked the air. “No.”

At that moment Luigi started running towards Bowser, wanting to talk to him; after all, that was why he had come.

"Wait!" he said, her voice breaking. "Bowser, please, not like this..."

Bowser stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't turn around immediately, but his whole body tensed, like a beast holding back before attacking.

“Do you have any idea what it means for you to be here?” He finally said with a rather dangerous calmness.

Luigi stood still. Bowser turned slowly, his red eyes piercing him with a hardness he had never seen before.

"You're in my castle, you invaded my kingdom, I could consider you a threat. You're surrounded by my troops, without any protection," he stated quite seriously. "I could send you to a cell right now, or I could execute you, and no one in your world would lift a finger for you."

Luigi swallowed hard at that reality.

"But I won't," Bowser continued. "For one simple reason."

He took a threatening step towards him.

"Because you set me free once." Her eyes met then, the memory of that night flashing through her mind. "I'm returning the favor, but only this once. There won't be any second chances."

Luigi shook his head in despair.

"No…" he said, a little worried. "Please, I'm sorry, Bowser. I'm sorry for what I said, for crossing that line, I…"

“Shut up”

The order was curt, sharp. Luigi was instantly speechless, his heart pounding in his chest, but he also felt small, sad. Bowser advanced toward him with firm steps, forcing him to retreat without him even realizing it.

"I didn't ask for apologies," he growled irritably. "I didn't ask for explanations, I didn't ask you to come and ease your guilt."

Bowser pointed at the door with a brusque gesture.

“I told you to leave.”

Luigi's hands were trembling.

"I can't," he whispered, defeated. "Not after all this."

He took the package he was still carrying on his back and held it up in front of Bowser, like a peace offering.

"I brought you some records... they're for you," he said. "They're a gift, I..."

Bowser snatched them from his hands with an impatient swipe. At that moment, Luigi thought he would keep them, look at them fondly, but instead, Bowser threw them violently to the ground. The plastic crunched as it hit the stone, some sliding down to Luigi's feet.

"Take them away," he spat angrily. "Burn them, break them, do whatever you want with that garbage. I don't care."

Luigi felt the blow as if something had been ripped from his chest. A lump began to grow in his throat, and his eyes started to sting, threatening to spill over with tears.

"We..." he said, his voice breaking. "We were friends."

Bowser remained motionless for a few seconds, analyzing the words, but then he laughed. It wasn't a loud laugh; it was brief, empty, and cruel.

“No” he replied curtly. “We never were.”

He raised his voice, advancing again until Luigi was cornered against one of the columns.

"You were a loser who talked too much," he roared to emphasize his point. "And I was a monster who allowed himself to listen to you. That's all."

Luigi felt his cold back against the stone, tears welling up and unable to stop them.

"Now we're enemies, which is what we should always have been," Bowser continued, leaning over him. "And you should be grateful that I'm still being lenient today."

He raised his hand, not to hit him, he just grabbed his forearm tightly to pull him out of the place, knowing that if he didn't throw him out, he would never leave.

"Get out!" he shouted forcefully. "Before I forget why I let you go!"

Luigi burst into tears at that moment, making no attempt to hide it this time. Bowser's words stung because it was what he'd been dreading for weeks, because he knew he'd hurt him, and where it hurt most. He was a monster who didn't deserve forgiveness, he deserved this treatment, though that didn't make it hurt any less.

"Bowser, I..." he whispered, with the faint hope that Bowser could hear him. "I'm sorry, I know I was wrong, I know I said things I shouldn't have, but..."

“Shut up.”

The word landed like a blow. Bowser whirled around, his fangs bared and his eyes blazing.

"Don't apologize to me," he spat angrily as he began to arrest him. "I'm disgusted to hear you."

Luigi froze, so Bowser couldn't arrest him easily, which irritated him even more. Why the hell was this human so difficult to deal with? Why couldn't he just understand that he didn't want to see him anymore?

"Do you know why?" Bowser continued, now very angry. "Because I could never be friends with someone who's afraid of everything."

Luigi swallowed.

“You're afraid to fight, you're afraid to make mistakes, and you're afraid to say what you think.”

Bowser kept dragging him; they were almost at the door.

"I thought... that at least you would understand me..." Luigi whispered, letting himself be drawn in. "I thought you would understand why I'm afraid of everything."

Bowser let out a short, bitter laugh.

“Understand you?” He repeated angrily, venomously. “I don't respect cowards.”

The silence became unbearable for both of them at that moment. Luigi lowered his head.

"So..." he murmured, but the words were hard to come out. "I guess I deserve your hatred."

Bowser stopped at that moment and looked at him with contempt.

"I don't hate you," he said, and Luigi hoped everything would be alright. "That would imply I care about you more than I should."

At that moment, they reached the main door of the hall. Bowser pulled Luigi harder than he should have, and he felt his claws tear through the man's sleeve and dig into his soft, fragile skin. Without a second thought, he flung open the door and forcefully threw Luigi through.

“Get out of here.”

He ordered, his eyes fixed on Luigi, who looked pathetic and had somehow lost his hat. Those blue eyes gazed at him sadly, and he noticed his other hand clutching his bleeding forearm tightly. He saw his pain and for a moment regretted his cruelty. For a second, he thought about opening the door and apologizing, but he knew he couldn't.

He couldn't let Luigi back into his life, because he would hurt him again.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang that echoed throughout the castle, and for Luigi, that was the end. It was all over; their friendship was completely finished.

Oh, it's such a shame for rus to part

Nobody said it was easy

No one ever said it would be so hard

I'm going back to the start