It All Comes Out
-Luaisy Fanfic-
ASDM
Luigi had always been shy and extremely introverted, just like his mother. He didn't mean to be so weak but he couldn't find it in him to fight back against anyone, not even his brother. Sure he was frequently swept under the rug and overshadowed, but in his heart he knew that he'd never be anything close to brave, strong or sociable like Mario. So he stuck close to his books.
He traveled all over the world from his living room couch. He studied like a college student at Harvard and cooked like a master chef, but never when anyone but his brother might be watching. Mario had never been able to cook in his life, and so the role of meal-providing was strictly Luigi's.
He didn't mind, though. He loved cooking and also loved reading. The red-clad plumber had arrived home many times from saving the Mushroom Kingdom to find hot dinner on the table and his twin brother absorbed in a book.
Then one day on Princess Peach's most celebrated occasions, the Spring Peach Tree Festival, Luigi was introduced to Princess Daisy Sarassa. He'd heard of her after Mario's unusual trip to Sarasaland to save a princess that wasn't Peach. (Those two needed to get married already- the suspense of their not-so-inconspicuous crushes on each other was killing him and he'd really love to see his brother married before he grew old and went west.) So in spite of his shy nature he'd attend small gatherings- enough of them to befriend Princess Daisy.
She talked of just about anything, and she knew Luigi didn't mind her babbling. He rarely spoke but was always listening as if he were clinging on to every word. She spoke like a professional storyteller, and while he loved listening to Daisy and simply being with her regardless of the topic, her stories of her past were like audio books.
Daisy and Luigi began to discover a budding feeling inside that they'd never felt before. They recognized it to be love, though Daisy didn't know what to make of it. She was never really the romantic type. She was a Princess, but she was also headstrong, sporty and independent. She didn't fancy herself with cheap fairytale thinking. However, she knew that she only felt so queasy when she was around the green-clad young man, and so she figured that maybe her heart was trying to tell her that something about this boy was different. Different than all the suitors her parents had forced her to spend countless afternoons with. Afternoons that she personally considered wasted.
Luigi on the other hand was a romantic and knew without a doubt that she was the one. He wasn't a hopeless romantic and positively didn't believe in love at first sight, but being with Daisy meant a great deal to him. He eventually admitted to himself that he was in love with her. Not puppy love or simple infatuation; the I'd live and die for you, lift you when you're down, you can't stop staring, don't feel pain as strongly kind of love. True and virtuous love. And it all had happened so quickly.
He's never saved her life, taken her out on a real date or spent sleepless nights planning something special to say that he loved her. On the other hand, he recognized that true love wasn't just about what one could gain from the other person- he wanted to grow old next to her, cure her when she's down, root for her in Mario games and be with her every single day. He wanted the perfect and the imperfect, the beautiful and the wreck, the combat boots and the glass slippers. He had to tell it to himself- he loved her more than he loved his brother. That was a big deal and a huge step to take for him, because though he hid behind his brother's shadow, Mario was always there for him and their brotherly bond was stronger than steel.
Anyway, Luigi and Daisy started running into each other more frequently. What is more, Luigi was getting braver. He began attending more social events with his brother regardless of the presence of royalty and definitely talked more. Most people were surprised when he'd say something: not only did they not ever hear him speak, but he was also extremely intelligent. This was something that had really gotten Daisy hook, line and sinker.
She had never realized how brilliant her friend was. They shared so many connections in books and tastes in music that it was uncanny, and while she didn't really enjoy cooking (mostly because she'd never tried- she's a Princess, remember?), she loved dancing as much as the plumber. Their conversations were deep and revealing.
Then Daisy knew: this was love. And she wanted this with Luigi for the rest of her life. They had never been more close. Granted, he was still shy and anything she said that was borderline flirting made him blush violently. He'd stutter and become incapable of meeting her eyes. And he'd speak in almost whispers because he could barely bring himself to continue breathing.
Daisy would never tell anyone this, but she enjoyed watching his introverted reactions. She found his intelligence, humility and shyness actually attractive. Like, really attractive as if she were becoming magnetized to him. On top of it all, he was very handsome (she would never tell anyone, but she could stare at his face all day).
It was only so long before another royal ball was underway and of course Peach invited other nearby Kingdoms to share in the festivities. Her bestie Daisy was third on the list after the Mario brothers. Next there were princes and princesses from far-away Lumaland, Sand and Cascade kingdoms as well as Kings and Queens Sarassa and Cascandre.
Tired but admittedly eager to see his friend again, Luigi was persuaded by Mario to attend the ball. Everything had been going smoother than Luigi had thought it would be, but he was still wary of talking to strangers, or worse, embarrassing himself in front of two Kings and two Queens, four princes and three princesses. If he made a fool of himself in front of Daisy's parents or dear god Daisy herself, he would very easily crawl in a hole and die in the center of the earth. Eventually though, Daisy found him.
"Hey Luigi!" She greeted in her normal cheery nature, though it was a bit muted by the vast crowd of citizens and royalty on the dance floor.
"Also hello," He replied with a small smile. He was barely audible but Daisy could read his lips. She didn't stare at them for very long, knowing she wanted nothing more than to kiss him.
God, even his greetings were adorable! If he was always going to be like this she'd never not smile again. He'd be a worthy king of Sarasaland, but she didn't want to get ahead of herself. They weren't even dating, much less married. But the thought of the major possibility only made her love for him grow.
She flashed him her signature smile, one that showed confidence and acute mischievousness.
"Would you care to dance with me?" She asked casually. Blushing, he nodded yes and took her hand. The two unrequited lovers made their way to the dance floor. He bowed like he'd read in a book once (Ella Enchanted's Prince Charmont was a fine example, he supposed) and she curtseyed like…
Oh, what was that girl's name? The French one. It took him a moment, but it was like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The dress she wore tonight was unlike her normal yellow, orange trim gown. This one was a golden, strapless gown that screamed the year 1989 but also LaLa Mira Prom from 2019. Vintage advantage but modern: he loved it. Anyway, the dancing began with a slow, dreamlike waltz. Both being supreme dancers (Luigi because he loved the arts, Daisy somewhat because she was forced to learn- it was this or the salsa with the Beanbean prince -No thank you), they stole the floor as they swept across it.
They danced as if they were walking on air and moved together like destined lovers (this description fits perfectly here because it's the truth). Finally, the music swelled and began to fade out to the end, and at this time Luigi spun her in the air like a famous Nutcracker Prince and dipped her over like Prince Siegfried from Swan Lake (so many wonderful classics; he wanted to reread them again soon). And this was just the first dance.
Honestly Luigi had been quite nervous, but dancing with Daisy almost made him forget where he was. All he could think about was being with her, dancing with her, and having the privilege to gaze upon the princess' beauty. And then the practical romantic-fantasy came to an end. Two certain uninvited guests had busted through the castle doors and bustled through the crowd, a purple tie-clad Waluigi shoving people out of his way. Wario closely jostled behind, not minding the sudden intrusion.
In fact, they'd come to celebrate.
Waluigi immediately spotted Princess Sarassa and made his way to the center of the room. With one hand he pushed Luigi aside and to the ground (Luigi had stumbled, He was just pushed very forcefully and had been knocked out of balance with purpose), then grabbed Daisy's hand. Everyone was staring.
"Greetings, Princess. Care to dance?" He flirted. Daisy just rolled her eyes. Had he practiced saying that or what? She tried to yank her hand away but it wouldn't budge- Waluigi's grip was much tighter than she could easily get out of.
"Um, no thanks," she stated sarcastically. "You can let go of my hand now. No point in trying to beg for something you're not going to get." she snipped. This didn't please the tall, slender cousin of the Mario brother's at all.
"I wasn't really asking, highness. It was more of an obligation." He pulled her close but she plunged her heel into his foot. He let out a small grunt of discomfort before tightening his grip. Bending his head to allow their foreheads to meet, he snarled. "You'd better dare not do that again if you want to ever get your hand back."
Obviously, King and Queen Sarassa were watching and demanded from this creep that their highly-esteemed daughter be released immediately, but Waluigi refused to comply.
"She owes me a dance, and I won't release her until I get one." He threatened.
"Let me go!" She demanded loudly, trying to get free.
"No."
"Let her go now!" another voice demanded. Everyone turned their attention to a very-angry Luigi Mario. Many people did not know who this person was. The few that did gasped in shock. He talks‽
"Oh, hello again, cousin. Who invited you, a toadstool? Or did you show up in Mario's shadow?" He spat. He said this all while still having a firm hold on the Princess.
Honestly, Daisy was shocked. Her best friend just was standing up to the one person the entire Mushroom Kingdom knew he despised the most. And he didn't talk, much less talk back to a villain.
"No. Who invited you, the memories of rejection?" The crowd gasped and went silent. Waluigi replied with a glare of hatred. If looks could kill, Luigi would have been murdered three times over. "I'm Princess Daisy's best friend and date, for your information. You'd better listen to me and release Daisy if you know what's good for you." Waluigi released the girl and she backed away into the arms of her receiving parents. She clung to her injured wrist. Peach and multiple other royalties demanded the 'guests' vacate the ball immediately, but Waluigi and Wario refused with malicious snickers.
"So you wanna tussle with me, huh? It's about time you said something, though I think I liked you better when you were quiet and obedient." He quipped, but this didn't phase Luigi. His heart was racing not out of fear, but out of the overwhelming sense of protection he had towards Daisy. Waluigi swung a fast fist and punched Luigi square in the right cheek. The boy stumbled backwards into his brother who stood him up, but he simply walked over and offered the other side of his face.
Waluigi scoffed and backed off. What was he doing? He was practically offering himself as a punching bag. He wasn't afraid, which meant something was wrong here.
"What is this‽" He exclaimed, bewildered.
"Come on," Luigi said firmly. "Hit me again. Prove to everyone what you're really like. If you're so tough and sure of yourself, just do it." He almost smirked when he said that last part. Daisy had never seen this side of her friend before. Five minutes ago she was falling in love with a romantic shy-guy and now she was even further enamored by his fearlessness.
Waluigi's hand dropped. He couldn't hit him now. It wouldn't be satisfactory at all. Because he would be giving Luigi exactly what he wanted, and he'd vowed to himself to take away from him everything he cared about- His love interest, his spotless reputation, and his courage. Now, he'd realized, that remotely trying to take away- or better yet, hurt -what he loved only served to provoke him.
He turned towards Wario. "Let's go," He said menacingly, his older sibling grumbling before following behind him. And in a moment they were gone. Peach continued the ball, ensuring everyone that everything was over. The crowd began to enjoy itself once more as the incident was quickly forgotten by the mushroom kingdom's subjects' small brains.
Peach and Mario met Daisy and Luigi in the middle of the crowd to thank the daring-do for standing up to Waluigi.
"That was amazing!" Daisy praised her almost-lover as she placed a gentle hand on the small of his back. He blushed modestly.
"Yeah bro, that took a lot of guts!" Mario expanded. "I never knew you could do that."
Peach gave a more royal reply. "Thank you for being brave enough to save the party. It will be over in a couple of hours but at least Wario and Waluigi are gone." She heard Toad, Toadette and Yoshi call the Maripeach couple over for some drinks, and so the green-tied plumber and his princess were left to their own devices.
"This party is getting old," Daisy replied in her nature of despising formalities and royal gatherings. "Let's go!" She said as she saw her parents coming over. She took Luigi's hand and ran off before they could make their ways through the crowd. The couple slipped outside and into the Castle's secret garden.
Meanwhile, Daisy's parents had wanted to talk to the mysterious young man who'd stood up for the sake of their daughter. Knowing their daughter well enough to know that she saw them, they scowled, irritated that she'd purposefully run away from them.
It took them moments to remember that the young man had coined the term 'date' as he identified himself with their daughter. Curiouser and curiouser, they agreed to split up in order to find their child. Well, first they'd have to get through the other royals and other esteemed guests. This was going to take them a while.
Back to the couple, Daisy was content with stepping into Luigi's personal bubble. His slack-jawed expressions of surprise toned down by his shy nature only made her want to continue doing it. It was clear he didn't want to hurt or take advantage of her, but he also seemed as if he was lacking self-confidence. Like, as if he weren't worthy of her presence- a thought that saddened her (how could he think that of himself?) -but also melted her heart. To know that he looked at her the way one would look upon angels made her heart swell.
Finally she resorted to kissing him straight on the lips. It came slow so that she might not scare him, but with enough determination to tell him that he was what she wanted. At first he didn't move and gasped into her act of bravery but quickly returned her affection.
Feeling more sure of himself- he wanted this as much as she did -he allowed his hands to fall to the waist of her dress and held her there as she clinged to his tie (almost as if her existence depended on it). She'd never loved anyone so strongly and he'd never felt as brave. In a kind act of fate the two had collided, changing each other for the better.
Eventually Luigi needed to breathe and broke off from her.
"Are we..?" He didn't need to finish that sentence.
"Yes Luigi, I love you and we are together."
"Together..together?"
She just kissed him. She assumed that answered his question. He laughed into her kiss.
"Okay, I got that part.." he chuckled adorably. I'm talking about what we're going to be called."
"I was aiming for boyfriend and girlfriend, if that's what you mean." The Princess didn't tell him that she would easily accept becoming something more- like, married -but she thought about it on multiple occasions. She just barely caught herself from saying that now. Daisy didn't want to scare him off after all the time it took to get him this far. On the other hand, she knew Luigi wasn't the type of person to run away like that- he loved her and that's all it took for him to come back every time.
They were both giggling fondly, enjoying each other's presence, warm caresses and witty banter. Again, there was much about her best friend that Daisy didn't know and his personality behind the gentleman started to shine through.
Time passed- they didn't know how long and didn't care to find out. Their private moment didn't last forever; The King and Queen eventually found the couple (Finally!).
"Daisy Sarasa, where are you?!" The King exclai-never mind, the Queen just found them and gasped in shock.
"Daisy, What on earth are you doing?!"
Daisy and Luigi had repositioned up against a tree- er -Daisy had Luigi pinned to the tree and both were blushing furiously. When they knew they'd been found out, the couple clung to each other, both pairs of eyes widened. The boy was beet red, which seemed to only make the King curiouser. Daisy cleared her throat and stepped in front of Luigi, still holding his hand.
"Mother, Father, this is Luigi. He's my closest friend and hopefully-" she blushed as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, "-King Of Sarasaland one day." Luigi's eyes widened. Though he was standing behind her, the Queen and King surely noticed it.
"K-King?!" He stammered. "A-Are you sure about this, Daisy?" He said, stepping forward to meet her gaze. His hand was placed on her shoulder.
"I have no doubts, Luigi." She said through smiling eyes.
The parents didn't even know what to think. They had no true intel on this young man, only that he is supposedly her best friend, saved their daughter and that she's (apparently) in love with him. It took them both a moment to realize what they were thinking. This young man, Luigi, stood up for the heir to the Sarasaland throne. Who knows what else he would be persuaded to do for their daughter.
The Queen liked him. He was handsome and smart (from what she could tell from the party) and seemed genuinely interested in their daughter (and not just for the crown, either).
Queen Diane smiled.
"I think he'd be just perfect, darling." She replied sweetly. The Queen was no man's fool when it came to romance. When you loved someone enough to commit to them forever, just like that- to a point where talking about your future together was a normal thought and easily spoken in general conversation -that was true. She looked towards the man she'd come to love so many years ago. At the time, she hadn't even known she was dating the prince.
The King didn't quite agree. He'd told himself that the heir to the throne would be properly married to another royal.
"But dearest, we promised our daughter she'd be married to a proper prince! We can't go back on our word, can we?"
Daisy's eyebrows furrowed.
"Dad, with all due respect, you know I'm not interested in those kinds of things. I'm different than most princesses."
"But-"
"Is this about me being happy or more about me being politically correct?" The girl demanded. The King was quite concerned with this outburst. He knew his little girl was different- almost like a prince, actually (she was such an athlete she put other kingdoms' princes to shame)- but this comment was borderline disrespect, and he would not tolerate it. Before Daisy's parents could say anything to her, Luigi asked her a question.
"Daisy, I don't know the first thing about being royalty despite the many books I've read. Are you sure I'd even be good enough for the Kingdom?" He said nervously. It was just like him to always think things through.
"Luigi," the girl began, "You are more than good enough! All you'd need now is a little training and a title. You're nearly a prince just the way you are. I wouldn't change a thing about you." The plumber smiled.
Another thing she loved about him so much; They balanced each other out. Things he couldn't (or mostly wouldn't) do she'd have no second thoughts about. Then again, anything remotely royal she couldn't stand she'd come to enjoy through him -dancing, singing, speaking to other royalty, banquet etiquette and the like. And she really loved dancing with him.
Of course, the Queen and King could clearly see that he was a gentleman. Humble, brave and properly educated, they supposed. Queen Diane had made her decision. She could tell by the way they looked at each other that their love would last forever. Then she remembered something and smiled mischievously. She turned face to her husband.
"Say Creo, didn't you marry a middle-class maiden like myself?" She teased. "I don't see why our daughter cannot marry someone she truly loves."
The word marry was what made Luigi blush violently.
"Y-you what?" He spluttered. "But we just-?!" Daisy giggled.
"Come on, it's getting darker by the minute. Let's get inside before we die of hypothermia out here." She said casually. There was the tomboy her parents knew so well. The princess took Luigi by the arm and brought him inside, her parents following suit. This was going to be interesting.