Chapter Text
"So you called about plumbing?" Luigi asked, unamused from having to call Bowser.
"Oh yeah, about that," Bowser started, "I actually meant to speak to you, but I heard Mario and panicked a little. I didn't want to risk him getting upset because I wished to speak to you."
"Ah, that is... Understandable, actually," Luigi said, surprised Bowser had thought about that. Bowser usually lacked a certain tact when it came to such things.
"Thank you," Luigi said, "but why did you want to speak to me?"
"... I am going to be honest, I just wanted to talk, just to talk," Bowser admitted.
"Then maybe next time don't use the landline phone," Luigi said, "didn't I give you my number a while ago?"
"Ah, I actually deleted you and Mario's number some time ago," Bowser said, "I didn’t want to keep you two’s number after putting you through all of that."
"Ah, thank you," Luigi said.
"Yeah, but if you want to message me I can give you my number," Bowser said. The koopa then recited a phone number, which, for reasons Luigi didn't understand, he wrote down. Perhaps it was curiosity, but he still did it regardless. Curiosity killed the cat, after all.
"Now that that is all sorted, I should go, food will be ready soon and the kids will be upset if I skip supper. Night, Luigi," Bowser said before hanging up.
Luigi would have to hide the slip of paper with Bowser's number. Mario likely still knew the number. He didn't need to hear Mario's questions.
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Luigi wasn’t doing much when he got a call on his personal phone. Good, he didn’t care to use the landline if he didn’t have to. Checking the caller Id gave away who wanted his attention- Princess Daisy. It was far from expected if Luigi was being honest. Daisy was very busy. Despite that, the call was hardly unwanted.
“Hey Lu!” Daisy said once he picked up, “has Peaches called you yet?”
“I called her to tease Mario, but that was about it. Why?” Luigi asked.
“Soo,” Daisy started, and Luigi could hear her smirk, “apparently Mario asked her out. She just called to tell me. She sounded so surprised as if they aren’t super obvious about all of it.”
“They like to think they are, at least for Toadsworth’s sake,” Luigi said, “but good for them.”
“Yeah, and hey, it’s fun to tease her,” Daisy said, “ especially after what she pulled with me and Rosi.”
“Oh yeah, I remember that,” Luigi said, of course he did, he was part of the problem. Him and Peach had learned of the two Princesses’ crushes and had made it their problem. At one point they had even made them ride a swan boat by stealing a normal paddle boat.
“Oh yeah, that reminds me, I still have to get you back too!” Daisy said, sounding threatening, “be careful about your love life, Luigi, because you’re next!”
“Terrifying,” Luigi said, deadpan. Daisy was no real threat in any capacity. There was no one to be set up with. Currently, all the available suitors Luigi knew either didn’t catch his eye or weren’t a good choice.
“Just watch out,” Daisy teased, ominously before hanging up.
With his chat with Daisy at an end, the two said their goodbyes and hung up. Luigi had the remnants of a smile on his face. Chatting with friends always gave him that.
The idea of a boyfriend was a fun idea, Luigi thought. Someone to hold and be held by. Someone to care for and run to for comfort. The idea of it made Luigi feel warm but he could also feel a sliver of want.
Despite that, Luigi didn't actively seek a partner. He was content with life. He had friends, his brother, and a comfortable life. Aside from the Bowser front, everything had been coming up Luigi. He couldn't imagine shaking that up.
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Bowser Pov
Bowser had been on edge for the past few months now. He was no stranger to why either. Those humans and their friends. It wasn't even anything they did to him, but rather, the consequences of what he did to them.
Watching Junior work on some craft reminded him of that. Junior had torn some cardboard project he was working on. He had glued it but was too impatient and kept messing with it before the glue did its job. In the end, everything was too messy. It was very similar to Bowser's situation if the severity was ignored.
Unlike arts and crafts, his rushing would be worse. It wouldn't be as fixable as torn cardboard or glue on his claws. If he rushed this it would cause much more than torn cardboard. He didn’t want more people getting hurt on account of his own actions, he’d seen and heard how he was still affecting the Mario brothers. He didn’t want to keep doing that. He had to go slower.
Luigi’s words the previous night had told Bowser all he needed to know. Despite his minimal responses they hurt, although perhaps that was only a sliver in comparison to what he did. Bowser had objectively known everything Luigi told him from day one. Mario breaking up, the cold glares, the silence of his castle, he would have been blind to not see it. Still, it was different to hear it from Mario's brother. It made everything so much more real. Bowser refused to be angry at the plumber. He did what he viewed as best.
Which begged the question of why had he called again? He knew he needed to give the Mario Brothers space. Reasonably, at most, he should be making small talk at races, but no, he called.
Stars, it had been terrifying, too. Hearing Mario's voice was like getting doused with ice water. So many memories, good and bad, came back. And stars, the venom drenching Mario's words hurt so much. More than even Luigi's icy words to him. Bowser's feelings for Mario were gone but it still cut like a knife.
"Papa!" Junior suddenly said, snapping Bowser out of his funk. He looked at Junior and saw what he had created. It was a cardboard thingy that looked like the castle, coloring and all. It wasn't perfect, and the now-repaired cardboard shone through, but it was sweet.
"That's great!" Bowser said, "you did a great job. I swear I could live in that!"
"Thanks Papa!" Junior said.
"Of course!" Bowser said.
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Walking through the halls, everything now felt so warm in comparison to while Mario lived in it. Unlike the coldness near and especially after the relationship's end, there was warmth in the halls now. It was nice, it made it easier to breathe. He also knew his kids didn’t hate him anymore.
For a while, he had wished so much for Mario to come back to him, to just return. He had so falsely believed that the heaviness of the air would go away if Mario returned. Now, he saw with clarity how suffocating it all was for the both of them. Instead of begging for a time now lost, he instead focused on bringing the ease of breath back by focusing on his kids.
Nowadays, Bowser had been hearing from visitors to the Mushroom kingdom that Mario had moved on and started dating again. Dk for a while and now Peach. Bowser was not that surprised, he had seen them interact, and before they started dating Mario had confessed he was open to dating either of those two if he didn’t find someone else. There was probably an alternate universe where Bowser and Mario made a polycule with the two of them, he had to push that away though and focus on the now in that sense though. Bowser was happy for Mario, truely. He was glad Mario could find someone better than Bowser.
Once Bowser had been angry over Mario loving others. He remembered that sick pit of jealousy whenever he spoke of Peach or Dk. Hell, he still felt the echoes of it, he was just glad it didn’t reach him too close to the relationship’s end. He feared what he may do otherwise. He could admit to that, although he didn't feel pride in it.
Now, in the present day. When Bowser thought of having a partner again, he felt a sinking in his stomach. He feared being in another relationship, and he knew why too. After all, what if it ended the same way him and Mario had, or what if it was worse than that? He wasn't sure if he would ever be ready. That thankfully wasn't an issue, though. Bowser was happy and content with just spending time with his kids for now. They deserved it.
Bowser's thoughts just kept swirling in his mind. He had so much to mull over. Maybe he should take a lava bath, do something while fanning the flames. Or he'd refocus onto more pressing matters, such as him and his kids' trip to the island Delfino for the Karting event. Rooms would be cheap around the event. And he didn't want his kids to feel like they missed out on racing.
Bowser took a bit to get to his bathroom and start the bath. As lava flowed out of the faucet, Bowser was glad the kids had only messed up his sink. Luigi fixing these pipes could have had worse results.
Sinking into the lava was clearly what Bowser needed, though. He could feel his very bones getting warmed up and his joints relaxing. He let himself lay back and absorb the lava's heat.
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It had been a major mistake, an oversight even, on Bowser's end. He hadn't even realized the small error in his calendar. Not until now. After Mario and his breakup they had made arrangements for events. It was a system that worked for them in order for them to not run into each other. A precaution.
It was now the day of one of Princess Peaches' "parties." It wouldn't have been a big deal, usually. Nothing happened to them... Usually that is. This time he slipped up for the first time in many months.
Mario was at the party too. It wasn't one of the days Bowser was supposed to show up, it was Mario's turn to attend. Bowser wasn't sure how he had messed up.
He could see Mario's shock and pain too. Talking over the phone was one thing. Being face to face was a whole other thing.
Bowser could feel old emotions surge up from deep. Love, anger, pain, sorrow. Yet, at the end, he knew he was happy. Mario looked to be doing better than he was while dating Bowser. That was all he could ever hope for.
As much as Bowser had wanted to come, seeing Mario so upset doused all of that. He wouldn’t party at Mario’s expense. He wasn’t that kind of koopa anymore.
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Luigi's pov
It was the day of Peaches' party. Luigi was glad for the event, it gave him a chance to spend time with Mario. The two were a team after all.
All of this had unfortunately been complicated by one person- Bowser. He wasn't supposed to be at this event. Everyone knew this. So why did he show up?
"That damn turtle," Daisy practically snarled, "why is he here today of all days?"
"If only I knew," Luigi said.
The first one to directly address Bowser was the host herself. She was likely busy but someone had to have notified her. Good, someone who could mediate this new mess.
"Bowser," Peach said, noticeably unamused, "why are you here today of all days? Don't you have anywhere better to be."
Luigi watched as Bowser just... Shrunk in on himself, like a can that was crushed. He was staring at his claws refusing to look at anyone. It wasn't the anger and fire he expected.
"My apologies," Bowser eventually said, quiet, he was rather hard to hear, "I must have gotten dates wrong. I can go."
With that, Bowser just turned around and left. The only sign he came was the stares where he used to be and angry looks that were once directed at him. It all made Luigi feel a pang in his chest- odd.
“Good,” Mario eventually spat, “we didn’t need him around. Come on Lu. We have a party to win!”
