A/N: Not-so-random story I thought of while listening to Losing Grip by Avril Lavigne. Hope you like it! It's kind of based off the fact that Luigi is in his brother's shadow, but they're more equal near the end. Try to read every single word, I'm bad at transitioning scenes and you might miss something. It's not very long (it's a one-shot), but it's the first Mario fanfiction I actually completed. (There's some bloody parts, be warned.) I don't own any Nintendo stuff.

Luigi stared at his brother as tears fell down his cheeks.

"I hate you." Luigi muttered, and instantly regretted his words. Mario just stood there, not wanting to look at his brother. After a long silence, Luigi turned and headed back to his room, sobbing quietly. Mario sighed and wiped away his tears before heading to his room.

Four Months Later

Mario woke, still mourning from the incident that happened shortly after his fight with his brother. He mentally beat himself every day, wishing he could've understood all the pain and suffering Luigi was going through. Now, when it's too late, he realized how badly Luigi wanted to prove himself to him. A tear fell down Mario's face, leaving a wet, salty streak down his cheek. He wiped it away and got breakfast.

A loud knock on the door startled Mario, and he dropped the bowl of cereal he was holding. No one ever visited him anymore. Not even Bowser invaded. Not after he was told about the incident. Bowser had made a peace treaty with the Mushroom Kingdom. He knew what it felt to lose family, and respected it.

Mario made his way to the door, still in his pajamas. He opened it, and blinked when the sunlight flooded into the house. After being holed up in his dark room for so long, the sunlight seemed like a foreign thing. Peach was standing in front of him, dressed in her normal princess dress. Mario looked like a mess, with unbrushed hair and bags under his dull blue eyes.

They were once a very vibrant blue, Peach remembered.

"Mario, are you okay? No one's heard from you in almost four months now! Everyone's super worried, and-" She got cut off by Mario.

"I'm fine. Really. Thanks for caring, though." He yawned. Peach wondered how much sleep he was getting, and how much food he was eating.

"May I come inside?" Peach asked. Mario looked startled for a second, but then stepped aside to let her in. The house was cleaner than she expected it to be, but she was still worried about him. She sat on the couch and looked around.

"Want something to eat?" Mario offered. Peach smiled.

"Sure. Thanks," she said, and he handed her some cereal and toast. He grabbed his own food, and they ate on the couch in silence. Peach noticed his faded red hat on top of some boxes in the corner, neglected. It must remind him of the times before.. that happened.

"How's the peace treaty between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Darklands?" Mario asked, trying to start a conversation.

"It's going fine. That reminds me, Bowser wanted to talk with you." Mario's eyes widen.

"Why would he want to talk with me?" He asked, still cautious of his old nemesis.

"I think he wants to apologize.. for everything. He feels like it's his fault." At this, Mario grew silent, thinking. Peach stood.

"Thank you for the food, but I must be going now. May I come back tomorrow?" She asked. Mario got up and escorted her to the door.

"Sure, how about two thirty. Then I'll have time to get ready." He looked down at his wrinkled pajamas and smiled. Peach nodded and smiled back, happy that she got him to smile. She hasn't seen him smile since.. well since 4 months ago.

"Goodbye, and see you then," Peach said, and smiled again.

"Bye," Mario said, and headed back inside. Almost instantly, he started cleaning the house. Knowing Peach, she'll bring someone along with her.

The Following Afternoon, At 2:00pm

Screaming, Mario woke with a start. He had the worst nightmare.. the one that was reoccuring for 4 months now. His fight with his brother. He remembered the day afterwards, when he woke up to find Luigi missing. After a few days of him not returning, Mario had fear gripping him. What if he died? What if he was captured and was being tortured? His last memories of the brothers together would be of hatred..

He shook off the memory, and looked at the clock. He had overslept! Scrambling out of bed, he quickly showered and put on a dark red shirt and blue jeans. He had just finished combing his hair and had started pulling on socks when he heard someone knock. He opened the door, finding Peach and Daisy riding Yoshi. Mario stepped aside so they could enter. After dismounting Yoshi, Daisy ran straight up to Mario and hugged him. Peach giggled and joined in, with Yoshi not far behind. After their long group hug, Daisy looked around. She grabbed a beanbag that was in the corner of the room and brought it out. She flopped onto it, smiling widely.

"I'm so glad to be here again. It's so awesome to know you're alright.." She said, looking at Mario.

"Come on, everyone knows you're talking to the beanbag," Mario replied, rolling his eyes. Everyone laughed at this, and Daisy decided to throw it at Mario, which slammed into him at full force. He was caught off guard and staggered from the impact, but didn't get knocked over. Daisy smirked and reached for another one.

This time Mario was ready. When she threw it, he dodged, narrowly missing the beanbag by a few inches. Peach thought she saw a sparkle in his blue eyes, and they seemed more full of life. She smiled, but instantly stopped when the beanbag came into contact with the boxes in the other corner. They toppled over, and things fell out and made a mess everywhere.

Daisy gasped and ran over to try to stop the toppling boxes, but it was too late. Everyone started cleaning up, box after box, until there was only one left. Peach could tell Mario found something nostalgic, because he instantly stuffed it in his pocket and looked away. When all of the boxes were cleaned up, Peach realized what he found.

Later, At 5:00pm

"I should probably head back now," Peach sighed. Everyone looked up from the board game they were playing.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay longer?" Daisy asked.

"Hey, I have an idea," Yoshi started. "Let's have a sleepover!" He said, excited. "If it's okay with you, Mario," he added after noticing Peach's menacing stare.

"Of course it's okay with me," Mario said, smiling.

"Oh, okay. I'll stay, but I want to call Toadsworth to see if he can bring Daisy and I's pajamas and sleeping bags over."

Everyone agreed to this, and after all their stuff was brought over, Mario got up.

"Who want's dinner?" He asked. "I have a cheese pizza in the freezer," he added, and Yoshi instantly perked up.

"Can I help?" Yoshi asked, a little too excited. Daisy and Peach giggled and went back to talking about kingdom business.

"Of course you can," Mario said. Yoshi dashed over to Mario's side, and they cooked the pizza.

Although Peach and Daisy were talking about important business, Peach was only half listening. Daisy rambled on about how much paperwork she has to do, and Peach only nodded when it was appropriate. Her mind was on Mario. He seemed much happier, but it was still.. different. She wished she knew what he was going through, but her parents had both died before she could remember them, and Toadsworth had cared for her her whole life.

"Pizza is ready," Yoshi almost shouted. Peach snapped back into reality and noticed Daisy staring at her.

"Weren't you listening to anything?" She asked, frowning. Peach sighed.

"No, not really," She confessed.

"Well, at least you're honest. What are you thinking about?" Daisy asked.

"To be completely honest, I was thinking about Mario. It must be hard, losing a family member." She said, lowering her voice so he didn't overhear. She didn't want anyone to think about what's happened.

"Pizza!" Yoshi yelled happily, handing a plate to Daisy and a plate to Peach before he slurped up his own two pieces. Mario walked over and sat down on the floor with them.

"So.. what do you want to do now? We've played all the board games here," Mario started, before Peach cut him off.

"Let's go for a walk. Everyone could use some fresh air," She stated. She has a point, Mario thought.

After Dinner

"Let's go," Mario said as he slipped on his shoes. Peach still had her dress on, but Daisy had changed into more comfortable clothes, an orange t-shirt and dark blue jeans. The air smelled crisp, like fall turning to winter. Soon it would be cold out, Mario supposed.

"I'll be right back, I want to get a few things," He said, and ran back into his house. As he grabbed coats for Peach and Daisy, his hand brushed against his pocket. Remembering his cap, he pulled it out and studied it for a while. Then he remembered the girls and Yoshi waiting outside. Sliding his hat back inside his pocket, he ran out to catch up with them.

"Here," he said, exhausted from running.

"Thank you," Peach said, and smiled.

"I don't need a coat," Daisy declared. "I don't get cold," she added, crossing her arms.

"Okay, you'll want it later though. Here, Yosh." He gave Yoshi the coat. Gladly, Yoshi wrapped it around himself, sticking his tongue out at Daisy. She giggled and they started walking.

"It's.. been a long time since I've been outside," Mario sighed. "I missed it." Peach smiled widely, glad that he missed the outside world; his old life.

"Which path are we going to take?" Daisy asked, suppressing a shiver.

"You cold, Daisy?" Yoshi asked, smirking.

"No!"

"Ye-"

"We're going to take the forest edge path," Peach interrupted. At this, all of them burst into laughter.

As they walked down the path, no one in the group noticed a figure as he watched them from among the trees. The figure quietly and silently moved along, following..

"That's a beautiful sunset," Peach exclaimed. She suddenly grabbed Mario's hand, which startled him. He blushed but didn't let go. She rested her head on his shoulder and they stood like that for awhile.

The scenery was as beautiful as the sunset itself. The group was at the top of a large cliff overlooking the Mushroom Kingdom's docks. Ships came in and out all day, but at this time, everything was quiet and peaceful. The forest was to their right, and Toad Town to their left.

Yoshi noticed Daisy sitting near the edge of the cliff, her knees pulled close to her chest. She was staring out at the water below, watching what's left of the sun's rays dance across the water's surface. Yoshi came up and sat next to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, hugging her.

"Yeah.. I've just been thinking.." She sighed.

"Thinking about him..?" Yoshi asked. He's always known about Daisy's crush. He was pretty certain he was the only one to know.

"Yeah…." She looked away, but he thought he saw a tear roll down her face. Yoshi hugged her tighter.

"It'll be okay," He said, comforting her. Crack! Yoshi stood up. He thought he heard something.

"What was that?" Mario had heard it too. Daisy and Yoshi stood, and they ventured closer to the source of the sound. A boomerang whipped out of the darkness, narrowly missing them. As it came back, it cut open Mario's pocket, and his cap fell out. He quickly grabbed it and put it on before he ran out into the forest to find the boomerang bro, ignoring the others. Peach hurried after, but couldn't keep up. She looked around wildly, trying to find Mario. She turned to see a boomerang headed straight for her face.

Peach's scream could be heard for miles. Mario instantly stopped and turned back, running faster than he ever ran before. The boomerang bro was standing over Peach's limp body. Mario slammed his fist into the boomerang bro's face, cracking the koopa's skull. The boomerang bro ran, leaving Mario to check if Peach was okay.

Daisy and Yoshi were very worried, wanting to run in and help but knowing that they most likely will get lost in the forest. They decided to wait for 5 minutes. When the time was up, they were going to search for them. When they were finally preparing to venture in, Mario burst out, carrying Peach. She was unconscious, but it looked like there were no serious injuries. The boomerang that had hit her was a dulled one, used for the purpose of knocking people out without doing serious damage. The ones thrown at Mario, however, were as sharp as daggers, ready to kill.

"We need to get back," Yoshi said. "Do you want me to carry her?"

"No, Yosh. I'll do it." Mario was clearly determined to carry her, so Yoshi asked no more questions. The group walked in silence. Nothing but their footsteps were heard. When they finally got back, Mario laid Peach down on the couch and sat on the floor with Yoshi and Daisy.

"Your leg," Daisy gasped, pointing. Mario looked to see a bleeding gash where the boomerang had cut his pocket. He had payed no mind to it until now.

"Here, let me help you," she offered, getting a wet towel to help clean up the wound. It wasn't a deep one, but it was deep enough to bleed. After cleaning it up, she wrapped it and laid down. Exhausted, Mario went to change.

"We could've helped!" Daisy blurted out when Mario was out of earshot. "We didn't have to stand there and wait."

"What if the boomerang bro knocked us out too? How would Mario take all of us back?" Yoshi had a point. Daisy sighed and straightened out her sleeping bag. As she climbed in it, Mario came out with a couple of blankets. Yoshi curled up on the fluffy blanket Mario laid on the ground for him.

After putting the other on Peach, he laid down in his own sleeping bag and fell asleep soon after.

In the Middle of the Night

Mario woke up screaming, again. Daisy and Yoshi instantly woke from their sleep.

"Is everything okay?" Daisy asked, wiping the sleep out of her eyes.

"Yeah, just a bad dream," Mario sighed. It had been the same one, the one that haunted him for 4 months now.

"Hey, it will be okay," Daisy reassured as she walked over and sat cross-legged on Mario's sleeping bag. It was raining hard outside, and he thought he could hear the sounds of rumbling thunder in the distance.

"Daisy," Mario started, "You're probably the best one to talk to about this." He paused, and Daisy looked at him, willing him to go on. He sighed. "Do you think he's still alive?" He asked, not wanting to say his name. He looked at Yoshi, who had went back to sleep after knowing everything was fine.

"Of course." Daisy looked down so he doesn't see her eyes watering.

"You love him, don't you," Mario stated, sighing. At this, Daisy's heart stops. Should she tell him she loves his brother? After a long pause, she looked up, tears in her eyes.

"I.. I do."

"You know, he always used to talk about you. He used to talk about how pretty and smart you are, and how he adores spending time with you." At this, Daisy blushed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"He said all that?" She never thought he liked her back. I guess he is good at hiding emotions, Daisy thought. Mario smiled.

"He used to rant about it all day," Mario replied, smiling. A huge lightning strike lit up the room. For a second, Mario thought he saw a cloaked figure in the window.

"I'll.. be right back." He got up and looked out the window, but no one was there. Must've been a hallucination, he thought as he walked back to Daisy.

"I don't think I can fall back to sleep. I'm going out on a walk," He said, grabbing a coat.

"Okay," Daisy sighed, "but be careful! If you're not back at 3, I'm going to come looking for you."

"Deal." He pulled up the hood and walked out into the rain.

Peach woke with a bad headache. She moaned and sat up, surprised to be laying on the couch. The clock read 2:30. It was dark out, rain thumping against the roof of the house. The light was on in the kitchen. Daisy was up, making hot chocolate out of a packet.

"Peach? Oh I'm so glad you're awake," Daisy said loudly, before giggling and running over to her.

"Are you okay?" She asked, quieter.

"Yeah.. what happened?"

"Long story short, you were knocked out by a boomerang bro. Mario carried you all the way back, though Yoshi offered multiple times," Daisy answered.

"Where is he?" Peach asked, noticing his empty sleeping bag.

"He said he was going to go take a walk. He had a bad nightmare, and couldn't sleep. I found some more packets in the pantry, want some?" She asked, motioning to the hot chocolate.

"Yes, please." Daisy got up to go make another one. "How long ago did he leave?" Peach asked, standing. She instantly felt dizzy, and sat back down.

"Oh, he left a few hours ago. If he doesn't come back by three, I'm going to search for him."

"Oh." Peach tried to stand again, but Daisy sat her back down.

"You still need rest, don't try to stand for awhile. Here," she said, handing Peach a steaming mug of hot chocolate.

As he walked through the forest, Mario thought he saw the cloaked figure again. Am I going crazy? He asked himself. After walking a little while longer, he saw the boomerang bro again. He knew it was the same one, since it now had a bandage across his head, and his jaw was crooked. Mario assumed it was dislodged. The koopa spotted him.

"Please, don't hurt me," he pleaded as Mario took a fighting stance. After seeing the regret in the boomerang bro's face, Mario straightened and calmly walked up to him.

"I.. I'm sorry," the koopa started. "It wasn't of my own accord, I swear!"

"How do I know that?"

"Look." He showed a tattoo on his neck, showing he was one of Bowser's most trusted minions. "We have a peace treaty, I wouldn't attack you." Mario could tell he meant it.

"I believe you." Mario smiled, and the koopa sighed, relieved.

"It was a boo that possessed me into attacking you," the koopa explained. "When you hit me, it fled my body."

"Sorry for hitting you, by the way. Are you okay?" Mario asked, feeling ashamed.

"I'm fine."

"Why would a boo want to attack us?" Mario asked, mostly to himself.

"Good question. I think-" He was cut off as at least twelve boos emerged from the forest, circling them, laughing. One of them invaded the koopa's body, and Mario reached out, knowing he couldn't do anything.

The koopa blinked, eyes blood red. The possessed koopa pulled out a dagger-like boomerang, aiming at Mario. Mario jumped back, but not far enough. The boomerang sliced across his chest, and he felt his own warm blood seep through his clothes. The next boomerang lodged itself in his arm, and he cried out, and fell to his knees. The boos were circling them, cackling.

Then the boos suddenly disappeared. The hooded figure jumped out of nowhere, stopping the possessed boomerang bro before throwing. He drew the boo out of the koopa, and it vanished as well. He then took the unconscious koopa and disappeared, leaving Mario by himself.

He staggered along the trail, weak from blood loss and pain.. When he made it to his house, he felt like he couldn't take it anymore. The pain was too unbearable, and he could see blackness creeping around the corners of his vision. As he stumbled in, Daisy ran over to help.

"Oh my gosh! What happened? Are you okay? Peach, help me!" She yelled frantically, holding him upright. Peach stood, ignoring the dizziness, and woke up Yoshi, who instantly started helping Peach find bandages and medicine. Daisy quickly laid Mario down on the blanket Yoshi was on. Thunder rumbled, and the front door opened. Lightning flashed, illuminating the hooded figure who stood in the doorway.

The figure ran instantly toward Mario, but Daisy stepped in front of him. The dark room was lit with another lightning flash.

"Who are you?!" She yelled. "Were you the one that hurt him?!" She was shrieking now, tears falling. Peach threw her a frying pan, which she nimbly catched. "One more move, and I'll whack you unconscious!" Peach and Yoshi were at Mario's side, tending to his wounds. Peach was wiping tears from her eyes.

"Daisy.." the figure whispers, and stepped forward.

"How do you know my name?!" She screamed. She gripped the frying pan tighter and raised it, ready to swing.

"Please, let me see him," the figure pleaded, louder this time. Recognizing his voice, Daisy's frying pan dropped to the floor with a loud thunk. She stepped to the side, silently. Everyone staring at the figure, he knelt down at Mario's side.

"L-Luigi?" Mario whispered weakly. The figure slowly nodded.

"I'm sorry… Sorry for everything," Luigi sobbed, taking off his dark purple hood. "I ran away, truly thinking you didn't want me anymore. But after watching how distraught you were for the past few months, I realized you still loved me. It's all my fault you're hurt, if only I got there sooner.."

"The… boos would've.. killed me if you.. hadn't been there... to help," Mario murmured, trying to stay conscious. "I.. love you."

"I love you too," Luigi whispered, sobbing still. Peach broke the emotional silence.

"His cuts are too deep for me to heal, we'll have to take him to the hospital." Peach stood. "Yoshi, go with Daisy to the hospital and tell them what happened. We'll bring him over." She looked over at Mario. His breathing was slow and shallow, and his eyes were closed. Daisy and Yoshi left, leaving Peach, Luigi and Mario the only ones in the room.

"We have to hurry," Luigi said, and slowly picked up Mario. He made no noise, but he was clearly in pain. Peach put a blanket over Mario so the rain didn't get in his wounds. They walked as fast as they could over to the hospital, in silence. The only noises were their footsteps and Mario's uneven shallow breathing.

As they neared the hospital, Peach spotted the dark figure of Bowser waiting outside of it.

"You keep going, I'll stop and tell him what's going on." Luigi nodded and walked faster. Peach walked up to Bowser.

"Daisy called me as soon as she got here. She told me I needed to come quick," Bowser explained.

"Did she tell you why?"

"No. What happened?" He looked concerned.

"Mario's been injured. Really badly. Apparently a boo possessed a boomerang bro, who attacked Mario. That's what I got from Luigi, at least."

"Luigi? You found him?"

"Yes, he saved Mario from the boos, but Mario was already badly injured."

"Let's go in. I want to see him."

2 Hours Later, at 5:00am

"The cuts are deep, but thankfully not fatal. He will be fine. If you brought him any later, though, he might've died." At the nurses reassuring words, everyone sighed in relief. He is going to be okay, Luigi told himself. He's been telling himself that for two hours now, over and over again. He didn't want his brother to die, not after he just talked him for the first time in 4 months.

"Can we visit him?" Bowser asked. Luigi didn't believe it. Even though Luigi knew there's a peace treaty, Bowser, out of all people, wanted to see Mario.

"Yes, but one at a time. He's resting." Typical, Luigi thought, sitting down. Bowser followed the nurse around the corner and out of sight. The rest of them sit, Yoshi snoozing on the bench.

Bowser first went straight to Mario. Seeing him sleeping on the hospital bed made him sad, so he looked over to the table next to it. On it there was the boomerang, sterilized, in a plastic bag. Bowser walked over and picked it up. He'd never seen a boomerang as sharp as this before. It must've been a customized one, for the sole purpose of killing. He sighed and set it back down. With one last glance at Mario, he left the pale white and blue room that smelled of medicine and blood.

When Bowser came back from his visit, Peach went next. Bowser and Luigi discussed the customized boomerang for a while, and Yoshi still snoozed on.

Peach stood beside the bed, crying slightly. She had never seen him like this before. He'd never faced anything stronger than Bowser, who never even tried to kill him. I don't think Bowser's ever killed someone in his life, she realized. She held his hand for awhile, before silently exiting, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Daisy?" Daisy looked up at Peach.

"No, I don't like hospitals. Or seeing people hurt. Wake Yoshi up, though."

"You sure?" Peach asked, and Daisy nodded. Peach walked over to Yoshi.

"Yoshi, wake up," Peach whispered. She nudged Yoshi until he almost fell off the bench.

"Wh-" he yawned, "What do you want?"

"You can go visit now." Yoshi nodded, and stood quietly, following the nurse. Yoshi was having the best dream ever, where he was at an all-you-can-eat buffet, but his friend came first. Still, he sighed, hoping the dream would come back.

As he watched his friend sleep, Yoshi silently licked him. He left soon after, smiling. His friend tasted like pasta.

Luigi stood up when he heard Yoshi and the nurse's footsteps. He wanted to be last. As the nurse walked Luigi to the room, he mustered up the courage to ask her.

"Do you think.. If I could.. um.." he stammered, trying to think of what to say.

"Can I stay for a few hours? I want to be there when he wakes up."

"Of course," the nurse said sweetly, smiling.

"Thank you." Luigi entered the room, the nurse silently shutting the door behind him. He pulled up a chair and sat by his brother, crying silently to himself.

Two Hours and 45 Minutes Later, at 7:45

Luigi sat there, holding Mario's hand, humming a tune he knew oh so well from his adventures trying to save his brother from boos. Princess Peach had decided that she'd host a celebration party when Mario's recovered, welcoming Luigi back to the kingdom. He wasn't sure if he wanted to, was the thing. He had been faring pretty well for himself out in the woods. Still, it would be nice to be back in my bed, in new clothes. He sighed.

His brother squeezed Luigi's hand, and he looked up to see his shining blue eyes open and staring at him. He was smiling a sort of sad smile.

"You.. you're awake!" Luigi laughed at his own obvious statement.

"Oh really? I didn't notice," Mario replied sarcastically, smiling.

"How long were you awake?"

"About 30 minutes or so, I didn't want to disturb you. Plus, I really like your humming."

"Do you want me to get the others?" Luigi asked, smiling at the compliment.

"Yeah.. I want to see them too." He stared at the door. Luigi stood, stretching his legs.

"Alright, I'll be right back." He walked out into the waiting room, where Peach and Bowser were talking about their kingdom's peace treaty. Yoshi was taking a nap, and Daisy was talking to the nurse. They all stare at Luigi when he walks in.

"He's awake," he said, smiling. They all shot up, Daisy waking Yoshi, and filed down the hall.

When they were all in the room, the nurse smiled and checked Mario's blood pressure, and stitches, then changed his bandages. When she's done, she left the room, leaving behind an awkward silence.

Mario stared at Peach, who in turn met his gaze. They stared for awhile before Bowser spoke up.

"I'm.. uh.. sorry. Mario. For everyth-"

"It's okay, I forgive you," Mario said, cutting into Bowser's apologie.

"You do? It's just.. I've caused you so much harm.. I don't think I deserve to be forgiven." At this, Mario smiled. "You do deserve to be forgiven. And you are. Don't worry about it. None of this is your fault."

"Thank you." He stepped forward and shook Mario's hand.

"Does anyone know when I'll be let out?" Mario asked, obviously bored.

"I'll ask Jennifer," Daisy said. When everyone looked at her, she added, "the nurse." She walked out of the room, bringing the nurse back in a minute later.

"When will he be out?" Daisy asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, his stitches are doing fine, but the-"

"Shut up, Jennifer. A simple answer would be fine."

"In about a week. Depending on-" One more glare from Daisy and she was out of the room.

"There you go, in 4 days," Daisy said, grinning evilly.

"But she said in a week, so we should wait a week," Yoshi insisted.

"I'll ask them to let you out sooner, Mario."

"But-" Yoshi started, but then realized that it was no use.

4 Days Later

"Finally," Mario sighed, getting wheelchaired out of the hospital. "I can walk, you know," Mario said, rolling his eyes but smiling. He couldn't wait to get back home. The nurse sighed.

"I really don't think it's a good idea letting you out this early." She admitted.

"I promise you I'll take it easy for a week or two." He said. Jennifer sighed again.

"Alright." He almost jumped out the wheelchair, but then remembered what he just promised. He got off carefully, and smiled to the nurse.

"Thank you," he said before turning to walk home. As he was walking, he was greeted by the children playing in the streets.

"My mommy said you were hurt," A young girl toad mumbled shyly. "Are you okay now?"

"Yes, I am," He replied.

"Good," She giggled, and hugged his legs before returning to join her friends. They're so cute, he thought as he neared his home.

When he finally opened the door, Luigi greeted him with a long hug.

"Hey bro, how are you? I knew Daisy would make them let you out early." Luigi chuckled.

"Like I've said ten billion times before, I'm fine. I have to take it easy for a week, though." He rolled his eyes. He obviously wanted to go for a walk, but since he's been lying bed for nearly 4 days and still healing, he was weak.

"Peach is planning on the celebration, and she decided that it'll be tomorrow. Are you up for it?" Luigi asked.

"If it's one of those icky slow dancing regal ones, you know I'll never be up for it," he replied, smiling.

"Sadly, it is. Come on, it'll be fun," Luigi said, punching Mario's uninjured arm.

"Alright, fine," he said, knowing he has no choice. Mario entered the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. He looked pale, and his hair was messy. After thoroughly combing his hair, he walked to his room. With nothing else to do, he punched his punching bag mercilessly, deciding to start building up his strength again.

The Next Day, Before Peach's Party

"Seriously?" Mario asked when Luigi walked in wearing a tux.

"Oh come on, get yours on too." He threw Mario his tux. Mario sighed and walked to his room to change. Luigi smiled. Today was the day. When Mario came back, Luigi laughed. It was really rare to see Mario in a tux, but whenever he is, it was very funny.

"You look.." Luigi paused, trying to find the right word. "..On fleek." He laughed some more. Mario's neatly brushed hair was ruffled again from changing.

"Whatever, let's just go," he growled, suppressing a smile.

As the two walk, the night grows darker and darker. Entering the gate, Luigi tripped and slammed his palms into the ground. He got back up quickly, blushing.

"Smooth," Mario murmured to him, smiling. They met up with Princess Peach, who was waiting for them at the front of her castle. She first nodded to Luigi.

"Daisy is over there," she said, nodding to the right. Luigi hurried off, leaving Peach and Mario alone. They watched him for a second, before Mario turned to Peach.

"What is he doing?" he questioned, and Peach smiled.

"Asking her out." A moment later, Daisy kissed Luigi, and you could see him blush from 20 miles away.

"He's lucky," Mario sighed.

"Why is that?" Peach asked. She looked more like a queen than a princess, with a beautiful pink and white ball gown and her hair done up in a bun.

"I've never had a girlfriend before," He explained. She thought for a second, before answering.

"I guess it's a first time for both of us, then." Before he could ask what she meant by that, she kissed him, catching him off guard. She then pulled away, hugged him, and ran off to go talk with Daisy. Luigi was walking back to where Mario stood, stunned.

"Today went nice, don't you think?" Luigi asked, standing next to his brother.

"Nice.." Mario blinked. "Nice is an understatement."

~End~

A/N: Looking back on this, I realize some characters (Bowser especially) are OOC, and the plot was poorly planned out, but oh well.. I still wanted to upload it. I wrote this some time last year, and as I am currently writing one and not sure if I should upload it or not, I decided to test with this one. Hope you liked it!

Until next time!