Luigi continued his clandestine visits to Bowser over the next two days, slipping away when his brother was occupied or under the cloak of night. He took great care to remain discreet, adhering to Daisy's "orders," and his efforts seemed to go unnoticed by everyone... except for his brother. Mario could sense that something was afoot from a mile away; actually, he's been aware of Luigi's change in demeanor for a while now. The recent sneaking around just solidified his suspicions.
Mario guided Luigi back to their room, under the promise of treating his brother to lunch and a game of cards, which was true! He just omitted the interrogation part. It's fine. Luigi walked into the room and made a beeline for the prepared spread laid out for them. Mario was grateful for the cooks' help cuz' he wouldn't have been able to make this much food on his own.
"Is... is that fresh mozzarella?" Luigi asked, shaking him from his thoughts.
The scheming brother quickly grabbed a plate, fighting for his life to hide the smirk trying to surface on his face. Mario nodded. "You can't have caprese salad without fresh, homemade mozzarella," he responded.
"Just like Nonna would say," Luigi said innocently as he piled food on his plate. "Then she'd threaten to haunt us if we ever used the store bought stuff."
The brothers burst into laughter as they settled into nearby seats. Mario couldn't shake off the pang of guilt for keeping secrets from Luigi. Still, seeing his brother chuckling beside him, relishing the spread before them, he decided to cherish this moment of togetherness before delving into the truth. The red twin grabbed one of the provided bottles of ale. "Hey, Lu. You know what will make this better?" he asked. "Let's get some music going, bro!"
"Oh! Here," Luigi reached into his pocket and threw his phone at him, then grabbed a deck of cards on the table. "You pick something. I'll shuffled the cards."
Mario caught the phone with ease and scrolled through his brother's playlist, feverishly looking for a particular song. It was a vital part of the questioning! Plus, who doesn't love Dean Martin? Mario quickly found the song he was looking for and played it, allowing the smirk he'd been hiding to show. Luigi slowly stopped shuffling as the guitars and violins started to play. "Oh no.... Nononono." Ignoring his brother's reaction, Mario took a deep breath and began to sing.
"In Napoli where love is king.
When boy meets girl here's what they say.
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore!
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore!
Bells will ring, ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella."
Mario circled around Luigi's chair, a playful smirk dancing on his lips as he noticed his brother's attempt to hide within the furniture. While Luigi might have successfully deceived everyone else in Sarasaland, he couldn't fool Mario. The signs were unmistakable: Luigi had feelings for someone. According to their longstanding tradition, Mario was obligated to sing and celebrate the fact that his little brother had found someone to capture his heart.
"Please, stop," Luigi begged.
The older brother shook his head, a smile playing at the corners of his lips as he continued to dance and sing. He pretended to use the bottle in his hands as a microphone, his voice carrying the tune effortlessly. As Mario burst into another verse, Luigi couldn't contain himself. He curled into himself, a strange sound escaping him, somewhere between laughter and a sob.
He was determined to tease his brother relentlessly until he spilled the beans about his secret crush. After all, what were brothers for if not to embarrass each other in the most loving way possible? Finally, after what seemed to be a torturous eternity, Mario sang the last verse, purposefully prolonging the high note. Luigi glared at him, "ARE YOU DONE?!"
"Yes."
With a dramatic flair, Mario settled into his seat, deftly uncorking the bottle. He poured the wine into both his glass and Luigi's with practiced ease. "Next time you're planning a sneaky getaway," he teased, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, "maybe try some new tactics, huh? My methods seem to be a bit too obvious."
Luigi accepted his glass from Mario but avoided meeting his brother's eyes. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind when Mario suggested they hang out. And the jab at his sneaking skills felt unnecessary, adding a tinge of discomfort to the moment. His brother laughed at his silence, "You've been caught red-handed so spill."
The green twin could feel his face reddening, so he covered it with his glass. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Lu, I've figured you out! Someone's caught your eye~"
Luigi froze at his brother's words. That... that was ludicrous! He's not... Well- Um... No! He and Bowser were friends! Just... friends... So, what if the thought that Bowser's very handsome (for a nonhuman creature) has crossed his mind? It was in a complementing way! He gets happy and excited to see him because, again, that was his closest friend in this strange world.
During his silence, Luigi could feel Mario's stare drilling into him. His older brother casually plucked an olive from his plate. "Come on, bro. You know I'm right."
"How do you know? Huh? What's your proof?" Luigi stammered, his voice strained with anxiety.
The regret was instantaneous. Mario flicked his toothpick onto the table and sat upright, his hands clasped together. Luigi slouched in his seat, feeling the weight of Mario's scrutiny, and pulled his cap over his reddening face. "For starters," Mario began, his tone measured, "like I said earlier, you've been sneaking around, disappearing to who knows where, and coming back all giddy and stuff."
The younger twin narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't mean-"
"Shush, I have more proof," Mario said. "You've been bringing food and gifts to whoever it is you're seeing, and I know for a fact that's your love language."
The comment hit Luigi like a ton of bricks. I was just trying to cheer Bowser up! He was really hurt after his fight with Rool, he thought. Plus, he just wanted to make sure he was eating properly while he was recovering. Although, Luigi admitted, I did go out of my way and helped him visit the Fortress to feel better... And I even spent two sleepless nights fixing my phone to play music for him...
Mario used his fingers to count. "Sneaking around, gift-giving, the fact that your face is so red while we're having this conversation."
"It's the alcohol!"
His brother threw his head back and laughed. "You've barely drank, and we both know you have a liver of steel."
No matter how hard Luigi tried to brush it off, his brother's words struck a chord. He squirmed in his seat, the weight of Mario's observations pressing down on him. He hadn't meant for his actions to be seen in that light, but now, confronted by Mario's insight, he couldn't deny the truth of it. "It's not like that, Mario," Luigi protested weakly, but even he could hear the lack of conviction in his voice. He rubbed the spot between his eyes as more proof surfaced in his mind.
Junior has called him "dad" a few times, possibly under the impression that Luigi was already dating Bowser.
The way he's so comfortable around Bowser and always yearned for his company.
The intense butterflies he got in his stomach whenever he looked at him.
Luigi sighed, running a hand through his hair in defeat. He hadn't meant to develop feelings for Bowser. It had started as a simple act of kindness, a gesture of goodwill towards someone who had been hurting. But somewhere along the line, his feelings had become muddled, tangled up in a mess of emotions he couldn't quite fix.
A soft thunk snapped him out of his thoughts. Looking up, Luigi noticed Mario's eyes soften, the mischievous smirk replaced by genuine concern as he set his plate down. "Hey, you okay?"
Luigi sighed heavily. "I don't know," he admitted. "I- I'm just really confused right now."
"Are you afraid they won't feel the same?"
"A little bit," Luigi replied, feeling vulnerable.
As the words hung in the air, Luigi realized how ridiculous they sounded. Bowser trusted him implicitly, sharing his deepest traumas. Their interactions were filled with closeness and affection. Oh God, Bowser had been practically confessing his feelings all along. Well... that's one question answered, isn't it? Mario gestured with his hands. "Whoever he or she is," he said reassuringly, "they'd be lucky to have you."
The comment brought a smile to his face. "Thanks, bro."
"Now tell me who it is."
"NO! I- He doesn't know that I like him back and things are... complicated.'
Mario groaned and leaned back. Luigi quickly stuffed some food into his face, so that he wouldn't be able to respond to any more questions. Plus, he can't tell him he's interested in Bowser; his brother barely tolerated his presence. After a moment of respite, Mario leaned forward and rested his hand on Luigi's knee. "Listen, if the Koopa General does it for ya, I'm not going to judge."
"THAT'S YOUR FIRST GUESS?!"
His bro shrugged. "They kinda seem like your type."
Luigi opened his mouth to ask but decided against it. He would end up going off on Mario's type of partner, how he so conveniently ended up becoming the short king in the relationship. The green twin refilled his glass, "I'm not telling you."
Mario narrowed his eyes, "... it isn't DK, right? If so, come on, you can do better."
"Mario, DK has a girlfriend!"
The red twin scratched his chin. "Oh yeah, that might've been a stretch."
Luigi was seriously considering walking out of this conversation. He's not prepared at all to tell his brother that he's fallen in love with a nine-foot-tall, dragon-turtle with a dad bod and a mullet. For God's sake, he found him so attractive, his brain short-circuited sometimes. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves as Mario continued to speculate about his mystery crush. The idea of revealing his feelings for Bowser, especially to Mario, felt daunting. He knew his brother well enough to anticipate his reaction, and the thought of facing potential judgment or disbelief made his stomach churn.
Maybe the genuine reason he's only realizing this now is because of Bowser's previous marriage. Had he recovered from his wife's abuse? Ten years was a long time but was it enough to mend the wounds that she gouged on him? Sighing heavily, Luigi fiddled with his cap, his thoughts consumed by worry and doubt. What if Bowser hadn't fully recovered from the ordeal? What if his past experiences prevented him from opening up to someone new, someone like Luigi?
The weight of uncertainty pressed down on Luigi's shoulders, threatening to suffocate him with its crushing force. He wanted nothing more than to reach out to Bowser, to offer him the love and support he deserved, but the fear of rejection loomed large in his mind. Lost in his thoughts, Luigi barely noticed Mario's concerned gaze until his brother spoke up, breaking the silence that hung heavy between them. "Fine, you don't have to tell me now," he said. "But when you're ready, please do."
Luigi sighed in relief, then lightly laughed as he brought his knees to his chest. "Why are you so excited about this?"
Mario tilted his head in thought. This little ritual had been done at least three times in the past; from Destiny Del Vecchio, Luigi's first crush in high school, to the very kind man he met on a dating site. But this time, Mario seemed to have put extra effort into it this time. Finally, his brother answered. "Since we fell into this world, our version of normal no longer applies," he said. "And... well, I was scared that maybe we wouldn't find our special someone."
The confession hung in the air slightly. Luigi listened to Mario's words, feeling a deep resonance with the sentiment expressed. Their lives had indeed taken an unexpected turn since they found themselves in this strange world, where the rules of their old reality no longer applied—every day brought new challenges, new wonders, and new dangers.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Luigi said softly, his gaze drifting towards the window where the world outside seemed both familiar and alien. "It's like we're living in a whole different universe, with its own set of rules and possibilities."
Mario nodded, a contemplative expression crossing his features. "Exactly!" he said, bolting up from his seat. "And, despite all of that, you fell in love. You found love in the oddest place we've ever been to, even after everything we went through. So... when things aren't complicated, just tell him how you feel, okay?"
His words resonated within him. Luigi wanted to tell Bowser, he wanted to hold him close and kiss him (if they could! He's not sure how things would work between them) and live happily with him. As Mario said, he wanted to do so when things weren't complicated, when he didn't need to sneak around just to see him, and when he got confirmation from Bowser that he was ready to get into a new relationship.
With those thoughts in mind, Luigi raised his glass. "Deal."
"Yes!"
The interrogation was over. Luigi was aware that his brother's curiosity was not satisfied since he didn't know the identity of his crush, but he seemed to accept the compromise. Music was turned back on, and they enjoyed the remained of their lukewarm food while enjoying the evening sunlight.