#heheehehehe

She could feel him stroking her hair, caressing the side of her face as his other hand brushed against her velvety pink dress, casting a weak smile as his lips slightly parted to let out a small groan.

Her eyes teared up, seeing his arms coated in those translucent black veins, his skin a pale white. His face appeared so lifeless, yet his eyes, even in their glazed haze, showed that he could still see her, thankfully. It was a wonder he was still awake, Peach admitted, but she was just relieved he was even breathing at this point. The only evidence that he was living were the soft breathing movements of his chest, as well as the tiniest bit of pink tinge painting his pale cheeks. Her every movement felt sluggish as she blotted his hairline with the dampened cloth, feeling like a walking corpse.

Still… he was alive.

“You sure you don’t want anything to eat, princess?”

Peach turned slightly at the sound of Toadette’s voice, only to find her peering out from behind the hospital wing’s archway, her eyes only displaying nothing but sympathy for the princess. It felt like looking at a lost puppy, if Peach were being honest. She knew she was obviously sad… how could she not be?

But she didn’t know the extent of all of it… she never could…

“No… no, I don’t need anything, darling…” Peach sighed, trying to hold back the lump in her throat. “Just… is Dr. Toadley back, yet?”

“Not yet. He’s still making sure the antidote won’t become poisonous, according to his intern… it’s one thing to eat a poison shroom, but being injected with it is something completely new to him.”

Peach trembled slightly at that notion.

“Did he tell you that?” she asked stiffly as she returned to blotting Mario’s clammy skin with the damp cloth, dipping it into the warm water of the washbin as it began to turn cold. She knew how cold her tone was… but at this point, any kindness left inside her felt like it had leaked out ages ago. She couldn’t focus on anything aside from the near-lifeless corpse she called Mario. With every shallow breath, she remained grateful that he was still there, but it couldn’t quell the sickening worry dwelling in her stomach.

“Yeah… yeah, he did…” Toadette replied awkwardly, rocking on her feet. “Anyways… Toadsworth told me to come up here to check on you… the intern said you’d been up all night with Mario since you awoke…”

“Is that a problem?”

“Well… no… as long as you weren’t planning on using your powers to heal him.”

Peach froze.

Thankfully, Toadette appeared not to notice as she continued to ramble on, most of which Peach blocked out as she mindlessly dabbed at Mario’s skin, thumbing at the water droplets beginning to trickle down the sides of his face. She smiled weakly as he stirred at each touch, however sluggish and pained they appeared. 

He was alive…

It honestly felt like a dream, Peach thought, recalling the incident that caused this entire mess. She dared not recall the details that caused it, lest she shatter her, so far, unbreakable shield. The images of the two men she adored most in that state… she didn’t know if she could ever sleep again. It was already bad enough having to awaken from a coma to… goodness how many bygone days. To make matters worse, last night had already been a horrid fever dream; when she was asleep, she only woke up screaming, the vivid imagery of the brothers’ pained screams as their skin bubbled from the poison, and the way their veins pulsated… it was enough to make her sick to her stomach. When she wasn’t asleep, she could only stare at the wall, recalling those same memories. Ultimately, she decided she was better off just seeing Mario in the flesh.

At least that offered some semblance of comfort.

She assumed she should have considered herself lucky that she managed to evade the attack with only a gash going up her leg… nothing a couple stitches and gauze could never fix, right? And the coma… she was awake now, wasn’t she? Yes… she was the lucky one…

Lucky…

Peach scoffed internally.

What was so lucky if Mario and Luigi had to nearly die in the process of saving her? All those weeks they spent locked away in those cells… they promised to always care for her. Mario’s strength was unyielding, always managing to fight off any enemies that dared cross him, but still used it to guide Peach through the rougher days as gently as possible. And Luigi… he was always terrified of what lay next in those days, but he made sure to put on a brave face as he fought alongside Mario, cheering up Peach with his lighthearted jabs, reassuring her that they would escape.

If she were being honest… she wished she could have been braver.

None of this would have happened if…

“Um… princess…? Did you hear me?”

Peach suddenly snapped out of her trance as she looked back at Toadette, only to find her staring up at her with worry, seeing her staring at Mario’s sleeping face numbly.

Of course, Peach couldn’t muster up the will to care too much as she removed the cold cloth from Mario’s hair, placing it back into the washbin as she replied, her back turned to Toadette, “Sorry… I was a bit preoccupied, darling… what was it you said?”

Toadette awkwardly cleared her throat.

“I… was asking if you wanted to visit Luigi. He’s awake now in his room… he already seems to be doing much better. I guess the poison wasn’t as bad with him…”

Peach bit her lip.

Of course…

Peach looked down at Mario once again, her eyebrows furrowed in apprehension. He was stable, thankfully. Toadley had said he would get better, so long as he got the rest he needed. She desperately wished that the antidote had been made ready beforehand… perhaps then she wouldn’t care so much.

She thought more about what Mario would want if he was still strong enough to speak… he’d want her to check up on Luigi. Heck… if anything, he’d crawl down the hospital wing’s hallway just to reach him.

It was okay…

…

…

…

“Alright,” Peach nodded, closing her eyes gently.

~~~

As Peach stepped inside, she could feel the apprehension rattling through her bones. She should have been happy to see Luigi thriving and alive after everything they had been through… why couldn’t she smile?

Upon entering, the first thing she saw was the crisp, clean room. The hospital wings were always immaculately pristine… just enough to let you forget what they were used for. She glanced over at the bed, covered in the soft, blue cotton blanket and plush pillows… she thought about how nice it would be to fall asleep right then and there. She glanced over at the nightstand where a green leather book lay, a canary-yellow, knitted bookmark poking out from the pages, all sitting in front of a small vase filled with bright daisies dripping with dew.

And of course… Luigi.

“H-H-Hey, P-Peach!”

Seeing her, his face instantly lit up, granting her a subtle wave as he sat up in bed. For the first time, Peach noticed the IV on his wrist, as well as the white bandages covering his arms… some bloodstained, but most clean. On his chest, there were red claw marks, thankfully just healed enough to not warrant patching. His movements were slow and tired, she noted… but with the way he looked at her, it was almost enough for anyone to forget that he was even hurting. And perhaps that’s what he wanted…

Still, she swallowed that thought as she shut the door behind her, “Hi, sweetie… you’re looking much better than before. Are you alright…?”

Luigi smiled.

“Ehe… a l-little sore… b-b-but I’m okay,” he nodded. “I g-got a nice b-b-bed… some f-flowers… and e-e-even my own book! You wa-wanna read some?”

Peach just stared at him.

“Not now… I just wanted to see how you were doing, is all.”

“Heh… w-w-well, f-feast your eyes…!” he chuckled. He then looked down at his chest and blushed slightly. “Um… f-f-forgive me f-for not wearing a sh-shirt, princess… I usually t-t-try to cover up…”

That time, Peach couldn’t help smiling.

“No no, it’s fine,” she replied. “I don’t mind at all… I’ve… actually seen far worse.”

Luigi’s smile faded upon hearing that, knowing exactly what she meant…

“Oh…” he sighed. “Is he… d-d-doing any b-better?”

…

…

…

“He’s still alive, if that’s what you mean.”

Luigi smiled nervously at that comment. 

“Well… uh… th-th-that’s better th-than… d-dead… right?” he chuckled nervously, tracing his index finger nervously into the knee mountain in the blanket.

Peach winced when she heard that word, “Y-Yes. Yes it is.”

“S-Sorry…” Luigi sighed again, shifting uncomfortably. “I’ve… I-I-I’ve just b-been worried about h-h-him… and y-you… Dr. T-T-Toadley said y-you’d been in a c-c-coma for a week…”

A week…

“Hm… so I’ve, too, been told,” Peach nodded, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. “I… apparently woke up yesterday morning… I spent the whole night in Mario’s room just to make sure he was alright after… well… you know…”

Luigi bit his lip nervously.

“Y-Yeah…” he replied, holding a bit of his blanket up to his bare chest. “He g-got it p-p-pretty bad, d-didn’t he?”

“Unfortunately…” Peach sighed, feeling the tears wanting to sprout in her eyes again. “He did what he had to… for both of us. I just wish… I just wish it hadn’t been him to take the fall…”

“Y-Y-Yeah… I kn-know what y-y-you mean…” Luigi weakly smiled. “M-My brother… he’s the c-c-coolest g-guy in the world… b-but he’s g-g-got way t-too much st-stubbornness for someone his si-size…”

Peach couldn’t help giggling at that.

“He certainly does…!” 

By stars it felt so good to laugh…

For the rest of her time there, Peach stayed by Luigi’s side in the chair, relishing in the reality of just how much she missed proper company like this. It seemed like ages since they were allowed freedom… so long, she could recall the last book club they had just over a month ago. 

She wished she could drag Luigi out of his hospital bed right then and there, all the way to their secret alcove in the royal library. He’d have his book, and she’d have hers. There would be peppermint-flavored tea sitting on the coffee table, usually left ignored once the two became invested in their discussion. Half the time, it all faded from their characters’ trials and tribulations to simply their own lives and the things they loved most about it.

She quite missed those days, if she were being honest…

“H-H-Hey, P-Peach?”

Peach looked up at Luigi curiously as they left off on moving forward… only to find him staring at her as if he were trying to solve a puzzle. She supposed his “Luigi Logic” was in the works again…

“Yes, Luigi?”

“I g-g-got a qu-question… ab-about that n-n-night…” 

All at once, Peach’s smile faded. She knew this would come up in conversation at some point… she just wished it hadn’t been so soon.

“What’s… that?” she asked uneasily.

Seemingly noticing her tense posture, Luigi guiltily backtracked, “Um… y-y-you don’t h-hafta answer r-r-right away… I w-was j-just curious is a-a-all…”

“No, no, it’s fine… what were you going to ask?”

That seemed to be all it took as Luigi averted his gaze from hers, awkwardly playing with the bedsheets.

“Um… th-the doctor s-s-said th-that I h-h-had bad b-blood p-p-poisoning wh-when I got here…” he confessed, looking down at the identical translucent black veins in one arm. “... but h-h-he s-said I’m f-f-fine… a-almost better from it.”

“Oh… well… that’s great…”

“Y-Yeah, b-b-but…” he then turned to look at her, a suspicious gaze crossing his expression. “... d-d-did you h-have anything to d-do with it?”

Peach’s eyes widened.

Instantly, she could feel her heart beating faster in her chest, dreading the answer she had to give, especially knowing how he would react. She had hoped that Luigi would miraculously forget what happened, somehow… or maybe even just accept it as nothing more than a coincidence. She should have known he was too smart for that…

She thought back to Mario in his state… oh how she wished he was there right now, if only to guide her through the difficult things she had to relive in those few sentences. He’d know what to do…

Reluctantly, she ultimately came to the decision that it was better to simply say the truth… it was better than feeding him a lie he could see right through. And so, she hung her head, nearly muttering as she replied, “... he told me to save you first…”

…

…

…

A still silence fell over the room as the answer came out, leaving her to mire in her own thoughts of what was about to come. She knew how stubborn the two of them were; that was practically a Mario Brother special. The two of them loved each other so deeply, they’d give their own lives just to save the other, something she, herself, had witnessed on more than one occasion. It was sweet… if not heartbreaking all at once.

She kept expecting Luigi to chide her for such an action… maybe over why she didn’t save Mario first, or simply her using her powers to begin with, knowing how detrimental they could be in a crisis. She wouldn’t have blamed him for either…

But instead…

“I see…” he sighed.

Peach peered up at him, only to find him staring at his hands as he wrung them nonchalantly. His expression now melted into that of soft melancholy: sad, but just as gentle and kind as she had known him to be. His eyes shone with a quiet, guilty feeling as he seemingly visualized Mario, just as Peach had all those thousands of times before. She wished she knew just what he was  thinking…

“He really cares about you, sweetie…” she whispered solemnly as she gazed out the window. “... he’d give his life for you if he felt it necessary…”

Luigi shifted in bed, pulling part of his blanket close, “I know… I j-j-just wish he w-wouldn’t be so p-pig-headed ab-about it is all…”

“I know what you mean… but if it helps… I helped him, too.”

At that, Luigi’s eyes widened as he sat up in bed, staring at her in horror. His every syllable trembled as he whispered timidly, “Y-Y-You… h-helped him? I th-thought you just h-h-healed him…”

Peach nodded, granting Luigi a blank look.

Slowly but surely, the slow realization dawned on him as he studied her cautiously for a sign that she was joking… none of what she said could be true… she knew how dangerous it was! She would never…

She couldn’t…

…

Unless…

…

“I did what I had to,” Peach stated simply. “I had to save both of you… no matter how bad it was for me. I couldn’t let the two of you die.”

Luigi just granted her silence as he continued to stare. She could see the cogs spinning in his head, processing all she had told him. She could see the apprehension, yet slight relief, lingering in his eyes. Every time he opened his mouth to speak, he too soon stopped as he glanced away. It continued on for what felt like hours as he tried to come up with something to say…

…

“Th-th-thank you…” he finally whispered.

Peach merely smiled weakly.

Luigi then turned over in bed to face her, “... I d-d-don’t like th-that you d-d-did that… b-but I kn-know it was for a g-g-good reason. B-But… P-Peach…”

“I know, sweetie…” Peach sighed softly. “... that was what I was thinking, myself… but that didn’t matter to me at all then, and it doesn’t now. As long as you two are alive… that’s all I care for…”

Luigi chuckled as he lay against his pillows, “You r-r-really are the p-princess…”

“Thank you…” She then noticed the tired look in his eyes, prompting her to get up from her place. “I think it’s best if we leave things here for now… you need sleep.”

“S-So do y-y-you…”

“I’ll try… I’ll see you later, Luigi…”

“L-Later…”

Peach then reached for the lamp to turn it off, shrouding the room in darkness, save for the gray light streaming through the windows. Nothing but the soft hum of the fan could be heard as Luigi slowly drifted in and out of consciousness; he hardly even noticed as Peach pulled the blanket over his chest as she began to leave.

It was just outside of the room that she felt tears blossoming in her eyes. All this time… she never considered the terrifying events the three of them had been through. It seemed more important to ignore the matter, if she were being honest… she had to show that she was strong, even after the coma. 

Perhaps now… she could rest easier.