Chapter Text
At a certain point, you just get used to living the way you do. Ducking your head down. Apologizing for standing in the way as people bump into you. Accepting the casual dismissal when you accept a job and they still say,
"Oh. We were hoping to get the other brother, but you'll do."
That was Luigi. Good old fashioned, you'll do. He's heard it enough times that he's almost considered changing his name.
"Hey, is there some minuscule thing that we don't want to trouble Mario with but we also don't want to do ourselves? Somebody call Youlldo. That guy will do anything as long as there's not a spider spinning a thread in plain sight."
While it was true that Luigi wasn't fearless that didn't mean he was useless. He's seen his brother through on some impossible adventures. Heck, he's even gone off on his own a couple of times. His outings weren't glamorous by any means and sure, he didn't exactly save living lives, but Luigi still helped people in need. Just like Mario would. Of course, that didn't stop everyone in Toad Town from reminding him every chance they got what a coward he was compared to their hero.
Luigi loved his bro. Looking up to him just about as much as anyone, but it was hard not to feel the sting when he was reminded time and time again that he wasn't enough. What would it take to earn just an ounce of anyones' respect in this town? Thinking about all of this again was enough to spoil his appetite where he sat at the outdoor cafe, so Luigi rolled up the rest of his croissant for later. Mrs. Puffshroom wasn't going to appreciate him eating only half of her hand crafted pastries but that was nothing compared to what she'd do to him if he tossed it in the trash. The man was disgruntled– not insane.
As he stood from his seat Luigi could see a pair of toads racing toward him. Either they were mistaking him for someone else or he was just reading panic that wasn't there. The man got his answer as the both of them called out to him specifically at once.
"Luigi, thank goodness!"
"We finally found you, Luigi!"
This was a rather unexpected whiplash. It honestly made Luigi feel bad about letting himself brood over nothing. He was better than that.
"What's wrong? Is anyone hurt?" He began, wanting to address the worst case scenarios first.
"No, Toadby isn't hurt." One of them assured, "But he got stuck in a travel pipe!"
Luigi was glad to know he was alright for now, but they'd have to act fast to keep it that way. Thankfully he'd just gotten off from a plumbing call so he had all the tools he needed to do this safely.
"Take me to him guys. I'll get him out of there."
Rushing off to help a toad from a pipe mishap might not be exciting heroism, but that was just fine with Luigi. Being there for the small town problems was honestly what he preferred. By the time they got there a crowd had gathered. Toadby was stuck good. His head was a fair bit larger than just about any toad Luigi has ever seen at three stacks high, so he was going to have to be careful. Shutting off the magical connection, Luigi isolated the clear pipe from the rest of the system and began dismantling it.
That got him access, but that impressive cap was going to be a challenge to get out.
"Tell me the truth doc," Toadby uttered with dismay, "am I gonna make it?"
Luigi let out a faint chuckle at the guys' theatrics as he began gently twisting him around like a cork on a bottle. Toads sure knew how to see every situation as a catastrophe. He could relate to that feeling. Luigi often reacted to mild scares around the odd corner as if they were King Boo himself. At least he could say he was always prepared for the worst.
"I'm not a doctor." He dismissed, "But I think it's safe to say that you're gonna live."
"H-how can you–"
There was a pop– and then, just like that, Toadby was out. Free at last. Soon the startled toad was swept up by all his friends, all delighted and relieved as he was carted off. The whole crowd who'd gathered to witness his rescue began tossing him up and singing his praises as they cheered in victory. It warmed Luigis' heart just how much a simple helping hand meant to them, and he was glad to do his part. Setting his sights on the pipe Luigi began the task of reassembling it, and once it was all tightly secured he switched the magical connection back on.
There. A job well done. All they needed now was an ounce of prevention. Glancing around Luigi looked for the nearest guard he could flag down and spotting Todd not too far from the street, he called out to him.
"Excuse me sir, may I have a word?"
The solider shrugged before acknowledging him.
"What do you need, citizen?"
His tone was a harsh departure from the rest of the toads in town, but that wasn't unusual for the guards stationed here Luigi's noticed. They were often like that with him.
"Could you inform the royal construction crew of what just happened please? I think they should know that their pipes could use some restructuring."
Word would travel fast if this was brought to their attention quickly, and considering Todds' patrol route often led to the castle directly, he would be the fastest way to get it there.
"Ugh." He groaned, rolling his beady little eyes, "The princess has far more important matters to consider than the pipes here in town."
He was being spoken to like a child already. Luigi could tell where this conversation was heading but still, he swallowed his pride and remained polite.
"I understand that." Luigi accepted, "I just think–"
"Why should I care what you think? What are you– Mario?"
It took all of Luigis' effort not to crumble in the face of this guard, and more so not to clench his fists. He was better than that.
"That's alright." He answered through gritted teeth, "I'll just tell them myself. Sorry for troubling you."
Turning on his heel Luigi hurried off. Walking at the fastest pace he could muster as he took deep, steadying breaths. He did his best to calm the heady rush of anxiety, fear, and irritation creeping up on him. His fingers crackling ever so slightly at the tips, but Luigi refused to let himself stoop to anger. Instead he carried himself over to town hall, where the secretary was also too busy. So Luigi left a note.
One that, if the office workers' bored glance had anything to say, wasn't going to be delivered to the room just behind him anytime soon. Good to know that even his direct efforts amounted to nothing. Well, if all else fails, Luigi sure knew who to talk to didn't he? Trying to shake the thought from his head before he could let the envy fester, Luigi realized he was seeing the negative before he could rationalize it to be anything else. This was going to be one of those days. Well, Luigi was no stranger to bad days.
All he had to do was pick himself up and get back to work. There was always something to fix at the castle, right? Literally any sort of job was better than letting himself wallow in his own self pity. Adjusting his tool box strap along his shoulder Luigi made to set off, before a tug at his pant leg caught his attention.
"Hi Mr. Mario!"
Right at his heels Luigi looked down to find a small tike of a red toad. It was a kid, no older than five if he was to guess. Luigi smiled, despite the exhaustion of the day, as he bent down toward the little guy.
"I'm not Mario, bud." Luigi explained, "I think you've got me confused."
The kid stared up at him for a short while before rapidly shaking his head.
"Mama says you gotta call adults mister and misses an' such cause that's how you show respect."
Maybe that wasn't so bad. That was his last name after all. He'd call it an odd one, but it was his brother really who'd gotten the short end of that particular stick. At least the kids' heart was in the right place.
"But me and my friends just call you green Mario 'cause you're the second one."
Oh.
"Well– kid… t-that's not–"
"I gotta go! Later green Mario! Tell the real Mario I said hi, okay!"
Luigi's been called a handful of things since becoming a hero, and while green Mario certainly wasn't new it sure had a way of being the worst. That's it. He didn't have the energy to deal with this anymore. The day was over. Luigi would only be imposing himself if he stepped through the castle gates anyway. After all, where else would his brother be?
He might as well just head back home, and that's where his brother found him hours later. Out back in the garden. Luigis' one place away from it all. He'd brought a book to try and take his mind off the day, but he hardly had the motivation to read it. For the better part of the evening Luigi just sat there. Watching the setting sun as he let his thoughts wander.
"I made you some dinner."
Luigi turned back to see a plate in Marios' waiting hands. Turkey on rye with swiss. He could even smell the honey mustard. A classic, and his favorite. Taking the plate Luigi set it aside on the patio table. Right beside the book he intended to read.
Later. He'd manage to get through both of them later.
"Come on bro. You gotta be hungry." His brother urged, "All you've had is half a croissant."
Luigi would ask how he knew that but considering the freshly made sandwich, Mario probably saw the wrapper he'd left in the fridge. His fratello was a donut sort of guy. Or at the very least, someone who preferred a little bit of honey drizzled over his pastries.
"I'll get to it." He assured.
Luigi took a good look at his brothers' long face before frowning a bit himself.
"...eventually."
"What's goin' on?" Mario asked as he took a seat in the lounge chair beside him, "Talk to me Lou."
This wasn't that big of a deal. Luigi knew he was making a fuss over nothing and he really wanted to get over it, but this just kept happening.
"It's an ego thing." Luigi assured with a shrug, "I'll get over it."
"Were the toads picking on you again?" He asked.
Ever the problem solver, Mario always nailed the issue straight on its head.
"Yeah, but like I said, I'll get over it."
"That's what you said last time." Mario pointed out.
What he's said a couple of times actually.
"It's just the culture." Luigi waved off with a roll of his wrist, "I'd feel bad if I tried to get back at them for it. Sorta like punchin' down, ya know?"
They were fragile, right? Despite the blunt exterior? Still, Mario just sighed as he shook his head.
"Come on, Lou. We both know that's just an excuse." He rebutted.
Luigi could hardly find a way to argue with him, considering he was right, and at his silence Mario continued.
"Nobody's gonna treat you any better if you don't learn to put your foot down Luigi." He remarked, digging a stern pointed finger into his palm, "I know you didn't always used to be like this."
Wringing his wrist Luigi glanced down towards his hands wearily. There was a reason, but it was difficult to bring up with Mario. His brother's always been able to control his Firebrand, no surprise there. Marios' magic was similar to welding a fire flower from what he's said and they've both gotten a handle on how to control power ups like that over the years. Luigis' Thunderhand, meanwhile, had a tendency to spark with a mind of its own. The energy flow of electricity was different from the smooth control of fire and, despite his best efforts, mastering the element that was coursing through his own body outside of the Bean Bean Kingdom was still a complete mystery to Luigi.
What if someone got hurt because he "stood up for himself" against some sassy but otherwise harmless toads? Luigi would never forgive himself.
"What can I say? Brooklyn's a whole different world from Toad Town. Literally."
Once it was clear that this conversation had yet again gone through its familiar back and forth his brother dropped the subject with a sigh. They'd hang out for the night. Luigi would vent a little. Mario would tell him about his day with the princess. Maybe Luigi would suggest a boutique he'd passed that Peach would probably like, and then–
"You know," Mario remarked suddenly, derailing his train of thought.
"Oh?" Luigi replied, coming back into focus.
The stutter in their usual rhythm had him curious.
"You don't have to put up with it."
Luigi scowled at his brother. Mario was going to be stubborn about this today, wasn't he?
"Mario–" He tried to argue before his brother cut him off.
"It's a big world, Lou." He went on to say, "Maybe… maybe you should go out and see it for yourself."
Go on his own adventure? He's already done that.
"I've– seen it?" Luigi answered a bit confused. "I don't know what you're gettin' at Mario."
His brother wore a thoughtful smile. Patient with him in a way that was rare for his usual act first, ask questions later approach as he rephrased himself.
"What I'm saying is, maybe it's time for you to find your own place in the world."
Own place in the– as in… move out? The thought's never crossed Luigis' mind. They've always been the Mario brothers. A pair. A team. Mario wrapped his arm around Luigi, holding onto him shoulder to shoulder with a hug.
"I'll stand up for you for the rest of my life no problem," Mario assured with a gentle shake of his shoulders, "and you know the princess would too if you'd let her. But I know that's not enough to make you happy here."
He was right. No surprises there of course. Mario usually was when it came to him, but yeah. Having his brother and the princess fight his battles for him wasn't what Luigi wanted. It had never been possible to live on their own back in Brooklyn, what with the apartment prices, and when they first tumbled into this wonderland of pipes and magic mushrooms? Perish the thought of trudging the world alone!
Now however, all these years later after the two of them had gotten used to this place, it was an interesting question. Should Luigi move out?
"What about you?" He asked, realizing that he was already considering it, "W-what about the business? Would you really be okay on your own–… without me?"
Despite Luigis' efforts to quell the insecurity in his tone, the thought of Mario not needing him hurt to think about. He knew his brother would never say it but what if, deep down– Suddenly, Mario took a hold of both his shoulders.
"Hey." He said, "Look at me."
In an instant Luigi did, and found stern, thoughtful eyes waiting for him as he looked back up.
"You are my family. You mean everything to me Luigi. And I will always need you."
A weight Luigi hadn't even known that he'd been carrying was lifted off of him then. Enough to prickle tears into the corners of his eyes.
"I know you're capable of great things, Lou. I've seen it first hand. So if you're not happy here, don't be afraid to chase after your own dreams."
Luigi was afraid of course. That was just how his mind worked through anything strange and new. Still, that fear of the unknown didn't outweigh the surging hope of possibilities now that he gave the notion of moving some serious thought. This would mean his days of being a Mario plumber were over, and while he could start his own plumbing business elsewhere he realized that wasn't what he wanted. Plumbing was just the most affordable trade they could apply themselves to at the time. Though, as far as what Luigi actually wanted to do, something else came to mind.
"Do you– um…" He hesitated to ask, "think I could strike it out as a mechanic?"
The last time Luigi tinkered with anything his personality had been rewired to make him an obnoxiously assertive villain. He'd always found it funny, in that– you either laugh or you cry sort of way, that his passion for being a gear-head reared itself back when he was encouraged to lash out and do whatever he wanted to do. Luigi was still left with quite a bit of guilt for how he'd acted. Even if he wasn't in his right mind at the time, but that reignited spark for grease and wires never really went away after that. He found himself pulled from his thoughts as Mario wrapped him up in a proper hug.
"Luigi, you'd make an amazing mechanic!" He encouraged, "If that's what you want to do, then go for it!"
Yeah. Yeah! He could do this. Moving away to make it on his own was new, and honestly a bit terrifying, but after years of trying to make do with everything just being "okay" Luigi was ready for some actual change. The brothers shared a couple of grounding pats on the back and one last squeeze before they pulled apart, and Luigi could truly say he felt better now. About the rough day he's had and the hopeful future that was to come.
Picking up his sandwich, Luigi began to dig in, and found himself far hungrier than he thought he'd be. The relief on his brothers' face had him finishing up his first bite to offer a quick thanks for the meal.
"It's no problem. Sorry it's not as good as what you could whip up." Mario remarked a little sheepishly.
While it was a perfectly fine sandwich, the sentiment was still true. Luigi certainly was the better cook between the two. The thought brought up a fair share of memories, along with a smile.
"Mama would have taught you a thing or two about how she worked the kitchen. If she coulda trusted you not to lick the spoons." Luigi curtly noted.
"That was one time when I was six, Lou!" Mario argued, giving him a slight shove at the arm, "It was chocolate gauche! What'd she expect!?"
Luigi just laughed Remembering how his brother tried to lie to her with chocolate smeared all over his face. He couldn't help it really, and the small smile from Mario let him know it was a fond memory for him as well. For his part in it, Luigi also tried to act like he didn't notice the mess covering Marios' face, but that just roped him into trouble too. It's always been Mario and Luigi against the world. The two of them taking the good with the bad– together.
Luigi never thought he'd know a life without his brother in it but, then again, he never thought he'd wind up in a kingdom of talking fungus and flying hats either. Anything was possible these days. So if a flower could let him toss a fireball, then maybe Luigi could find the courage to believe in himself a little.
"You wanna help me pack after this?" Luigi asked with a leftover snicker.
Mario slung his arm around his shoulder.
"Sure thing."
The brothers' fell into a comfortable silence, and as Luigi closed his eyes he took note of every chirp from both birds and grasshoppers alike. He'd commit this last night home to memory. Heck, he'd bottle the air and all its comforting smells and take it with him if he could, but for now he'd enjoy it for what it was. A lovely evening. One Luigi could only hope he was ready to leave behind come the next morning.
***
Mario practically had to elbow drop Luigis' suitcase closed with everything he'd stuffed into it, but he insisted on making sure his fratellino had just about everything he could need for the trip. Luigi tried to argue that it wasn't necessary, but it was genuinely heartwarming in a way. If not outright funny to watch as Mario fought to stuff each and every one of his sweaters inside the tiny case. Scanning through the available listings in the paper, the brothers found a vacant apartment in a city not too far from Toad Town. It seemed cozy enough. There was a nice community garden available on the roof, and the place even accepted pets.
The woman on the other end of the line, Myrtle, sounded nice too. Spunky in that "sixties is the new twentys" sort of way. She asked him what species he was before setting him up with a room. Odd, if not for the fact that Luigi was aware of some toads preferring moist or dark homes. This was a big and wacky world filled with all sorts of folks, so he was glad to know people even considered those sorts of accommodations. Afterwards the pair divided the family photos between them.
Not a hard thing to do when there were only three to pick from, but it nearly broke Luigis' heart to be given the family portrait to take with him. It was just a crumpled old newspaper ad of their fathers' carpenter business, but it had everyone there. Three uncles, two aunts, their fathers' mom, their mothers' dad, their parents and the two of them– all cramped up into one tiny wallet sized clipping. Mario left no room for argument, but Luigi wouldn't be leaving it at that. If he was taking this with him, then he was going to print off another copy as soon as he got the chance and attach it to the first letter he sent back.
"And you'd better check the mail often, 'cause you're gonna get a lot of letters." Luigi assured.
"I know– but don't forget your phone, okay?" Mario reminded him, "Call me anytime."
Luigi promised, and by the next morning as he was dragging his stuff out of the house it began to sink in for him that this was it. There had always been a sort of certainty of what he was going to do when he was with Mario, but that chapter of his life was over now.
"Are you all set?"
Two suitcases and three sets of boxes said yes, but that still left Luigi. Was he truly ready for this? He gulped nervously, but ready or not, he nodded anyway.
"Yeah," Luigi remarked, hesitantly at first before he found his confidence, "I've got this."
The brothers shared the tightest of hugs before they broke apart, and while Mario had offered to drop him off at the train station himself, Luigi knew the longer he clung onto him the harder it would be to do this. So he hailed his own taxi, the brothers parting ways with an unbroken wave until the hills finally split them apart. The drive was brief and before Luigi knew it, he'd already gotten his ticket to the next town over as his things were loaded onto the train. It was supposed to be a larger city compared to Toad Town. A place that would be easier for Luigi to do his own thing without drawing any unwanted attention.
At least, that's what he was hoping for anyway. It was somewhere he'd never heard of before. Loggers' Port. A city by a bay? That was about as close to Brooklyn as Luigi was ever going to get around here. With his life already plunging this far from his comfort zone, he’d take any familiar ground he could get.
It was close to the professor too, but whether that was a good thing or a bad thing remained yet to be seen. Luigi wouldn't mind lending a hand every now and then should E. Gadd call for it, and he's sure the old man would be more than happy to take him up on that offer. Despite the anxiety the creeping specters left him with it felt good to be considered halfway competent at something. Who would have ever guessed that being afraid would end up working in his favor? It made Luigi cautious, patient, and brave. In a– loose sense of the word.
After all, it was brave to know when to run. Running wasn't exactly something anyone wanted to do, not when it was considered so shameful and unglamorous, but taking a step back to try again when he was ready wasn't something Luigi was afraid to do. Of course, he didn't always see it that way. Peach had been the one to show him that perspective. Hard be it for Luigi to try and argue with a princess. Between Peach the diplomat and "I'll throw you in a headlock if I start losing" Daisy, his odds of actually convincing either of them that they might be wrong were next to impossible.
Not that he doubted them. They were their nations' beloved governing regents for a reason. Still, it wouldn't hurt for the people Luigi saw everyday to offer that same level of support, would it? Apparently it was, considering where Luigi is now. Seated on a train. Traveling hundreds of miles away, as he stared past the blurring grassy plains of Mushroom Hills.
The chill of the glass cooled Luigis' head and helped to temper his thoughts. He really did just rush into this, didn't he? Mario's always done a good job of hyping him up, but that made Luigi wonder if he'd let himself get caught up in the moment. Sure he'd found a decent apartment and sure, he already had all the tools he needed to start his business and sure, he had enough coins to cover basic expenses for the next couple of months just in case but… what if something still managed to go horribly wrong? Misfortune was a constant bedfellow of the man, and this was all so incredibly risky. Although, Luigi supposed it was too late to change his mind now.
That would be awfully rude to the landlady who'd accepted him only to cancel on her under such short notice. He realized that Mario knew him better than he thought, remembering how he'd insisted on Luigi making the arrangements over the phone himself. She'd been such a sweet sounding old gal, and the thought of that nonna-coated voice laced with disappointment would haunt Luigi longer than any boo ever could. No, he'd made his bed in a new city, and now Luigi was going to lie in it. It would still be a while until he got to Loggers' Port and while he originally thought he might read, or take a nap knowing him, his phone unexpectedly started ringing. Worried he might have forgotten something back home Luigi answered it as quickly as he could.
"Mario?"
"Guess again Lucky Lou!"
Daisys' voice on the other end of the line was both a relief and a startling shatter of the peaceful quiet of the early morning.
"Good morning princess," He croaked out tiredly.
"Oh, Princess yourself!" She scoffed playfully, "You say that just to get on my nerves!"
"Maybe." Luigi admitted with a cheeky smirk, one he was sure she could hear, "What did you need Daisy?"
"Why didn't you tell me you were planning to move? I could have hooked you– up! My kingdoms' air carpets are the only way to travel, dude!"
That offer was the easiest no thanks in all his life. Luigi was already terrified of airplanes. Why not take away everything about them that made them "safe" to begin with?
"If I want to fall thousands of feet in the air, sure. But I'm not interested in skydiving."
"Oh, you're no fun. Falling's– the best part, Weegi! The carpets always catch you before you crash." Daisy assured.
"Tempting," He said with a laugh, "but the train's already halfway there."
"So– I've heard."
Grunting from the other end of the line, Daisy was likely multitasking while on the phone with him. She never sat still for long, and from the steady thwack as she caught her breath he was sure it was tennis this time around.
"Mario said you were heading to Loggers' Port."
"That's the plan." Luigi relayed as he glanced out the window.
The train was already crossing over the bay as they spoke.
"You know, I'm proud of you Luigi." Daisy said earnestly.
He almost didn't expect that. The gentle tone was so sudden, and certainly rare coming from Daisy.
"Really?"
"Yeah!" She assured with her usual bravado.
How nice of her. She had him smiling now.
"Thanks Daisy."
"I mean, talk about bold Weegi! You're– moving right into the Dark Lands! Bowser's certainly gonna have his hands full with you."
"... what?"
"Darn it! Best two out of three! Come on!– Sorry Lou, this is shaping up to be a tougher match than I thought! Gotta go!"
The call ended without another word as Luigis' phone tumbled thoughtlessly out of his hands. He was moving where!?