Sometimes when it came right down to it finding an important star was just plain boring. At least in its context and acquisition – Luigi had to race around the Fluffy Bluff galaxy to find coins and feed them to a hungry Luma.

He would readily agree that the Luma was downright adorable. A diet of coins sounded downright unappetizing. Luigi bit down on a coin just to be sure; all he got was an unpleasant sensation against his teeth and a taste of instant regret.

The actual quest to get the star was downright strange, too.

A Gearmo wanted some boxes destroyed, which seemed like a waste. Luigi thought they could be taken away, stacked up and put to use. A time limit to destroy them sounded weird. It wasn't like they were going anywhere. But he was not one to argue about a quest to get a star.

Unless it involved ghosts. Those quests would be eagerly avoided when escape was an option.

The attempt should've gone by quick but the Gearmo finished off the request with a pet name, "sweetie," and it caused a great distraction.

Immediately he thought of Daisy. The feeling of missing her began to pull roughly at Luigi's heart. His hands were stationary as he began to imagine what they could do together the next time they met.

He thought of a flower she had mentioned to him in a letter, a sunflower and it meant – something very good indeed.

Luigi was lost in a daydream about a bicycle built for two, when he abruptly snapped out of it and began to destroy the boxes.

He didn't finish in time and got chewed out. And then he was too nervous that he would mess up and ended up failing seven times. On the eighth time he succeeded.

Relieved, Luigi took the star that the happy Gearmo gave him and headed back.

An unfamiliar impulse bubbled up in his heart and he fondly thought that this sort of impulse better suited Daisy instead – that he would go and visit her.

It was an optimal time. The threat of danger was over and now the only quests were to look for any left behind stars. Daisy would find the search fun.

Luigi quickly dropped off the star and said his usual cheerful farewell to his big bro and set off.

Luigi lost his balance at the last step of stairs and slammed against the stone wall. Destroying those boxes was a work-out. Luigi rubbed his face and tried to walk it off like nothing happened.

He went to his scrappy ship, a misfit thing built on determination and whatever courage he had in him. It looked like it had enough room for two.

Satisfied with this estimation Luigi left without any modification to his ship and sailed off into in an ocean of stars.

He found his own galaxy and planet, his heart beating quicker with anticipation the closer he got to Daisy's home.

The castle was in sight and he saw Daisy in the garden tending to sunflowers and he called her name. Daisy perked up and looked about until she spotted him, a bright smile on her face. She waved at him.

Luigi landed the ship, began to close the distance between them, and when he was a good distance away from the ship he immediately fell onto his back because Daisy had run to hug him so quickly that both of them toppled over.

He blinked up at Daisy's face, the sky above them, and then was acutely aware of the apology kisses she pressed to his face.

Daisy pulled him up so he could sit upward; his reason for being there quickly spilled out of his mouth. Luigi held her hands as he spoke.

Daisy nodded enthusiastically, and rushed off to prepare the castle for her absence. Luigi waited by the ship, admiring the sunflowers.

Daisy returned after a time and eagerly joined him on the ship. Their adventure together would begin.

A/N: Originally posted on Ao3 on July 14 2020

I bought Super Mario Galaxy 2 for my cousins and I to play together. We finished it together and I went back to find any stars we missed.

I found the secret star route, kept failing the timed mission and probably looked desperate and I frantically swung the Wii remote around.

I'm bad at timed missions. I'm really, really bad at timed missions. My cousins thought it was hysterical.

As an addendum, sunflowers are my favorite flower, their meaning is usually along the lines of "unconditional love," and the first volume of Yotsuba&! shows her holding a sunflower so that was more reason for me to put it into the fic.