**If anyone wants to correct the Italian featured in this drabble, please do. Anyway. This was written with half of my mind operating because I've recently gotten into Hardenshipping and I really want to write for that. Doesn't mean I'm abandoning my OTP permanently. I'll come back to it soon.
To make up for this shitty chapter, Collection will get a fifty-first chapter, and that will be the last one. 'Til then. **
Coming home to a quiet house was a terribly awkward way to end such a crazy day.
As he pushed the front door closed behind him, Waluigi leaned back against the chipping, purple wood and took in the tranquil atmosphere of the dark home. A small ring sounded in his ears, a chill ran down his spine, and he found it hard to take step forward less he disturb the shadows crawling around. He still felt the need to dart his eyes left and right, his fingers flexing as he wished he had an item to hold onto.
He also felt like he had to be moving. Flying down a road, with the wind blowing against his face and the taste of victory on his tongue. His lips twitched in a desire to snarl, his breathing becoming erratic from excitement.
Damn, if race day didn't ruin his senses.
Waluigi closed his eyes and slouched his shoulders, muttering the truth to himself; race day is over, it's time to relax. He was finally able to push himself away from the door, dirtied shoes shuffling along the floor past a small table with brochures and small papers littered with information about the same subject: race day.
Glancing at such things sent Waluigi's mind through a small flashback.
"Two racers per car? That won't work at all!"
"Because the cars need to be built to hold two people. The challenge this year is to develop teamwork so you can win."
Teamwork. The word made Waluigi want to gag.
Nonetheless, he had developed his own two-person car (which, he lovingly dubbed the Waluigi Racer), and opted into the race just for the sake of victory. He didn't care who he had to work with, he just wanted to hold a golden trophy (that wasn't from a tennis match, at least).
The past few weeks, he had been racing with Wario. The lanky male figured working with someone he knew would benefit him in the long run.
Wrong. So, so wrong.
The two, sadly, were not able to cooperate very well, the highest they had placed together was sixth (and that was only through some cunning on Waluigi's part and sheer dumb luck). He was sick of it; the bulky car that had pitiful acceleration and handling, a partner bossy, idiotic, and whiny, not to mention the feeling of losing.
The previous days, he had come home slamming objects and cursing his luck under his breath, flopping onto the couch and screaming into the cushions. Today would have been another one of those days, most likely. Alas, he didn't feel like he had the energy to even mumble to himself. Settling onto his couch, Waluigi let his head loll back so he could look at the ceiling.
Next week. Next week he could try again. Next week, he would win.
oOo
"We've switched up the teams for this week's race!" A toad announced to the group before him as he motioned to a bulletin board beside him, "Please come read the team roster! You have an hour to become buddies and discuss your racing strategies!"
Waluigi was the only one who didn't rise from his seat, instead slouching down and glaring at the others as they shuffled over to see who they would be racing with. He figured that if he was going to be assigned a partner, then that individual would have to approach him themselves.
The mumble of the racers was interrupted by an ear-piercing squeal, the hands of Princess Daisy rising to the air above the heads of the others.
The purple clad male paled, Please don't let it be me. The last thing I need is to be racing with her.
The yellow-gowned princess pushed her way through the small crowd, her arm behind her as she dragged her new teammate along. "C'mon, Birdo! We'll make the greatest team!" Daisy loudly announced, said dinosaur stumbling along behind her with mix of confusion and worry on her face.
All was quieter after that, as the rest of the group read the roster and then split up into their assigned pairs; some almost as excited as Daisy, some glaring at each other before sulking away, some merely shrugging their shoulders and holding their hands out to their new partner.
As the crowd cleared, one person remained at the board. His hands fidgeting against his chest, the toe of his shoe being dug into the ground as a nervous tick, blue irises darting over the names in worry before he slowly turned around and glanced in the direction of the lone male still sitting on a table.
Waluigi cocked his head in question, his eyes widening as he quickly realized what that nervous glance meant. Oh no. Oh, star haven, no no no...I changed my mind, I-I'd rather have Daisy...
Quietly, his green clad rival approached like he would a vicious piranha plant. The brunet pulled against the collar of his shirt, putting a (what Waluigi assumed to be) fake smile on his face when he was close enough to speak quietly.
"I-I guess we're racing together..." his meek voice sounded, followed by a nervous laugh.
Something began to pull in Waluigi's chest, and the taller found himself mentally swimming through a pool of emotions and thoughts. I don't want to race with you. Star haven you're kinda cute. No, go away, I hate you. I admire your racing skill, maybe we can win together. No, I don't need your help! You're hideous! Nerd! Can I at least hold your hand sometime!?
It all built up to the doppelganger coughing before spitting his reply, "You better not be the reason I lose this round of races, Luigi."
The Italian shrunk back, "I-I'll try not to, Waluigi. I think we could win, actually, if we just...get along."
He threw up his hand, "Oh, we'll get along, alright. But consider this the only time I'm not roughing you up, Eyeballs." He crossed his arms and looked away as he added under his breath, "I just wanna win for once, fair and square. It feels a hell of a lot more rewarding..."
Luigi nervously chuckled, "We can win, I know we can! Wh-which car are we using? Mine's – "
"We are using mine!" Waluigi snapped, leaping from his seat and rushing outside where his kart had been parked for the past month, "It's got better acceleration than your ugly green thing!"
oOo
In the end, Waluigi found himself wishing he could hunt down the person who decided to switch up the teams.
To thank them.
To thank them for the opportunity to win first place, to hold a well earned trophy above his head in front of everyone else, and to witness a side of Luigi he would have never thought existed.
He could still remember the surprise he felt when he first heard Luigi utter a profanity under his breath, pressing his brown shoe as hard as he could against the purple gas pedal to catch up to the team that passed them. His veins burned once again with the familiar terror he felt the first time the two spun out, Luigi shrieking and cursing the one responsible. His spine quivered the same way it did when Luigi scolded him for hitting an item instead of an item box.
All the words he said today...
"You fucking bastard! Get your ass back here!"
"Waluigi, you airhead! You're supposed to go around that!"
"Cazzo! Che puttana!"
"Damn it, Yoshi! Scopa tua mamma!"
"Let me drive, che cazzo!"
"Cazzo vai via strongzo!"
Ooh, the memory of the profanities sent his heart to drumming. Lost in his recollections of the day, the tall man didn't even notice he was still standing on his front porch until he heard a bird squawking nearby. He flinched at the disruption, glaring in the direction of the sound before balancing his long-desired trophy under his arm. Pulling his keys out of his pocket, he carefully fiddled with the small collection before he found the right one.
Inside, there was no hesitation at the door like there had been the previous few nights. Waluigi marched straight to his living room, slamming the trophy in an empty spot on his décor-shelf before stepping back. His chest stuck out proudly, his smile almost blinding.
Finally, he had his trophy. There it was, and there it would stay.
The satisfaction of winning, however, soon died away. Waluigi had turned and settled himself onto his couch, slouching as he began to stare at the room before him.
He won.
Why wasn't he feeling better than how he felt last week?
Desperate to feel the bubbles of joy, Waluigi closed his eyes and replayed the events of the award ceremony in his head.
Spectators clapping and whistling, Princess Daisy riding on the back of the second place kart, passing by that fat pig in the audience, looking to his left and catching Luigi grinning back at him...
Ah.
That smile.
Waluigi's eyes flew open as he grabbed at the couch cushions.
There was that feeling of joy, amongst memories of Luigi's happy face and laughter.
"We did it, Wally! I told you we'd win!"
That sweet voice, which had been spitting the foulest of words just a few hours before, was back to normal. A strangely welcomed change.
And there were the bubbles of joy.