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Princess Peach was nothing if not observant.
It was something that she’d learned through experience. It helped her differentiate the hundreds of Toads she’d met in her lifetime in the Mushroom Kingdom, helped her know when someone was lying, helped her know when someone needed help but didn’t want to ask for it. It helped her be a good princess to her people.
She stood on her balcony, leaning against it as she breathed in some fresh air. For the first time in a long while, peace had settled over the kingdom, and she spent her time observing. No imminent threat of war or destruction loomed over them today, and it was obvious in the air. The city below her bustled with happy chitchat, laughter carrying on the breeze. Turning her head up to the sky, she closed her eyes for a moment to let the sun hit her face, bathing her in warmth, until she heard the telltale back-and-forth teasing between two brothers from the world of Brooklyn (or city, as she had been told.)
Looking out from her balcony, her eyes scoured the city until she found the small house that the Toads had offered to them, and noticed the blur of red and green hopping up past the shops. She grinned as she watched them both wave at passersby without even pausing their conversation, and she turned to rush down the stairs, hoping to meet them.
Once out of the main palace doors, Peach lifted her gaze to the pipes, where, with perfect timing, Mario came tumbling out, followed closer by Luigi, who stumbled on his feet. He still hadn’t quite gotten used to the kingdom, but Mario assured him over and over that he’d get the hang of it soon.
Smoothing out her dress, she smiled and approached them. “Hey, you two. What’s got you so excited today?”
“Princess! I wanted to ask if we could use the training course,” Mario replied, clearly a little winded. His cheeks were rosy red, perhaps from the trip to the castle, and he was grinning widely, his eyes sparkling. “I want to try it again, and Luigi wants to give it a go too!”
She turned her gaze toward Luigi, who was trembling slightly, though he gave her a timid smile and nod in response. She’d quickly learned that he would follow Mario wherever he went, even if he was scared, because it didn’t matter as long as they were together.
So how in the world could she ever think of saying no?
Clasping her hands in front of her, she gave them both an amused smile. “Of course you can. On one condition.” She paused to watch them exchange a look, and couldn’t help but giggle. “I want to come, too.”
Immediately, they both lit up. Mario’s grin, for a moment, reminded her of the sun she had just felt on her face. “Great!”
“C’mon, I’ll race you,” she offered, winking at them before taking off. She could hear them both laughing after her, telling her it wasn’t fair that she got a head start, but she didn’t stop until she made it to the training course. She whirled around, finding Mario close behind, and Luigi a little behind him.
“Wow…you’re…fast,” Luigi huffed as he caught up a moment later, bending over to catch his breath. Mario chuckled and gently pat his back.
“You bet she is. Speaking of, Princess, couldja show my brother how the training course is done?”
Mario had an earnest look in his eyes now, like he wanted to see her do it again, too. She giggled behind her hand, turned, and ran. Weaving through each obstacle she knew like the back of her hand, she twirled, jumped and dodged, finally landing in a float beside the flag.
Luigi’s jaw was practically on the floor by the time she turned to face the brothers again, with Mario giving him a knowing look. “So, that’s how the training course is done.”
“Mamma mia,” was all the younger could manage, and Mario laughed good-naturedly, walking up to the block beside the flag. He hit it twice, procuring two mushrooms, and pressed one into Luigi’s hands.
“All right. Come on, Lu. We’ll do it together. I still haven’t finished this thing yet.”
Luigi seemed unsure, but perhaps the idea of doing it together comforted him a little. He took a deep breath and stuffed the mushroom in his mouth, with Mario following suit. “Since when did you eat mushrooms?”
“Ever since I didn’t have a choice,” Mario replied, sharing a grin with Peach. “C’mon!” Taking off, he hopped up onto the training course. Luigi scrambled to catch up.
It was nearly an hour of chaos. After a few failures, Mario successfully completed the course, which led to cheering, whooping, and a handshake between brothers. Lots of screaming, splashing, and groaning from Luigi, who, despite his anxious demeanor, also seemed just as determined to finish.
Watching him yelp and jump out of the way of the metal Piranha Plants, Peach sat on the edge of the course, her legs dangling over the edge as she leaned back on her hands. She watched with a fond smile as Mario called out encouragements from beside the ending flag, telling Luigi he was doing great, telling him to breathe, telling him to keep going. Something about it filled her stomach with butterflies and her head with fog. She couldn’t help but stare.
It hadn’t taken her long to notice the difference in Mario. He seemed a little more carefree, a little happier. He shone brighter than he had before. In fact, she was even beginning to think that she hadn’t really met the real Mario until she also met Luigi. Now that he was whole again, he was even more wonderful than before.
She remembered watching them tease and poke each other as they went about their day, almost even finishing each other’s sentences. She remembered how often they both smiled when they were together. She remembered when Luigi came to the castle in a panic at four in the morning because Mario had a fever, begging her for any kind of power up that could soothe him. She remembered when Mario held Luigi as he cried, telling him he could still feel the hot air of lava on his skin, and the older of the two just gently listening until the anguished crying made way for quiet snores.
“Hey. You okay? You’re staring into space…”
Realizing she’d still been staring at Mario, a blush rose to her cheeks - thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice. “Oh! Yes. I’m fine. Just thinking, is all.”
He gave her a gentle smile, one that made her heart skip a beat, and they both glanced up to watch as Luigi yelped, trying desperately to sprint across the falling blocks. As he jumped out of the way of an incoming bullet bill, his foot slipped, and he was sent tumbling into the water. Mario smiled fondly.
The pipe spat a wet, shivering Luigi out of it, and Mario went to help him up. “That was the best one yet, Lu! Good job!” The praise seemed to help him relax, and it even made him smile. Mario continued, a more worried tone to his voice now. “You wanna stop?”
Warily, the younger man eyed the course, then exhaled, clearly exhausted. “I think I need a break.”
“That’s okay! You know I didn’t get it the first time, and I tried all night! C’mon, you can air dry with us over here.”
He led Luigi to where Peach was sitting, and they sat together. Mario’s shoulder almost touched Peach’s as he doted over his brother, but he’d already stopped shivering - the water below wasn’t too cold. She made sure of that.
“Hey,” she said, gently, making them both pause, “You did a great job, Luigi. I think you did even better than Mario.”
Luigi’s brows shot up as Mario laughed, shoving her gently. “Hey!” The former gave her a slight but genuine smile - she wondered if he would do that more. She liked to see it.
The slight breeze blew past again, and for just a few minutes, the three of them could sit there in silence, taking in that peace again. Much to her surprise, Mario gently nudged her shoulder, and she turned to find him smiling incredibly fondly, showcasing Luigi slumped over, cheek squished against Mario’s shoulder. His eyes were closed, his mouth slightly open, quietly dozing after the excitement of the day so far. Peach met Mario’s eyes, and they both shared a silent giggle.
She was quiet for a moment before deciding to voice her thoughts. “I’m kind of surprised he wanted to try the course. He doesn’t have to. Bowser’s still safe inside this castle, and he’s not getting out any time soon.”
“Yeah. He knows that.” Mario sighed softly, looking out at the water. “It’s just…well, it’s taking him some time to get used to livin’ here. He wants to be able to take care of himself. Worst case scenario, if something like before happens again, and I’m not with him...” They turned their gazes slowly down to the other man, blissfully unaware that they were speaking about him. “He’s always been a real scaredy-cat, but he never lets it stop him. He’s my hero.” Blushing slightly, he looked up at Peach. “I’m glad you could finally meet.”
She smiled gently. “So am I. Maybe you should tell him that more often.”
He returned the smile, that cute blush still painting his face. “Yeah. You’re right.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her hand and his hand were mere inches apart. She tried not to think about it. “How’s your new house?”
“Oh, it’s great. Getting away from my crazy uncles was a great idea,” he sighed dramatically. “I mean, the snoring shook our whole apartment!” As she laughed, his eyes turned a little more genuine. “…I’m really happy here,” he admitted. “Luigi is learning that this place isn’t all scary.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Something about his sincerity made her stomach fill with butterflies. “All we’ve got to worry about now is Donkey Kong looking for a friendly fight.”
“Worry? Aw, c’mon. You know I’d win.”
She rolled her eyes, grinning, but she had a feeling he was still right.
A growling stomach spoke before either of them could. Mario looked down at himself, and Luigi sat up groggily, blinking slowly. “Whoa. Mario. We gotta get you some spaghetti.”
Sheepishly, Mario smiled and got to his feet, helping him up. Then, he offered his hand to Peach, who gratefully took it. When she was on her feet, she held on and only let go after a few awkward seconds, clearing her throat and smoothing out her dress.
“Let’s go to the castle. You must be hungry too, Luigi. I’m sure we can whip something up.” She clasped her hands in front of her, turning over her shoulder as she walked. “I want to hear more about the land of Brooklyn.”
Mario giggled while Luigi gave her a strange look. “We already told you it’s a city. Didn’t we tell her it’s a city? I thought we mentioned it was a -”
“I’m messing with you,” she said through a laugh, reaching over to gently knock his head.
“Oh.” Luigi looked up, presumably only able to see the brim of his hat, then smiled. “That’s not fair! Oh, I can…I can totally mess with you back, Princess!”
“I’d love to see you try.” She winked at him, keenly aware of the way Mario was staring at her. She turned around so she wouldn’t have to see it, and led them both back up to the castle, finding herself enjoying the Mario brothers’ company much more when they were together.