(As Long as We're Together) Everything's Gonna Be Okay

It May Be a Bros Chapter, But It's a Far Cry From Warm Fuzzies

"Mario?"

The call from his brother startles him, as he looks up to see Mr. L in the doorway, "Hey, Lu." He greets with a smile. "Did you talk to Peach?"

Mr. L comes closer, "She's going to handle Nastasia for us."

Mario's eyes go wide, "Are you serious? That's, that's...wow."

"I know." Mr. L agrees. "She said she'd see to it personally that Nastasia has incentive to leave us alone."

"Never doubted Peach for a second." Mario declares.

"Me neither. She's not in the Light Prognosticus for nothing."

"The minute I get my life back on track, I'm giving her every last coin to pay her back."

"Oh me too, trust me!" Mr. L informs him.

"No you're not." Mario shakes his head. "This was my mess; I want to handle this bit on my own."

"Mario, knock it off!" Mr. L flicks him in the forehead. "How many times do I have to remind you you're not doing this alone? That includes this."

"Stubborn little brother." Mario mutters affectionately. "Nice to know that hasn't changed."

"Betcha you don't miss it now." Mr. L teases.

"Every day." Mario informs him. "There was this one time, when we were still with the Wrecking Crew, after Spike had gotten on your case again, and I begged you to quit and find another job, and you flat out refused."

"I did?" Mr. L laughs.

"And nothing I said would change your mind. Not even when I got Mama and Dad involved."

"Oh geez, how did I stick to my guns after that?"

"But it ended up being just what I needed, because not long after, I told you I was quitting, and you didn't hesitate to follow right after me. And before we knew it, we'd made our commercial!"

"And I'm the stubborn one?" Mr. L's not gonna let him off that easily.

"I don't deny it." Mario shrugs. "I don't care what people think, if there's something I think is gonna work out, I'm gonna do it. Especially if it involves someone I care about."

Mario looks pointedly at Mr. L, the implication clear, but Mr. L just changes the subject, "Peach should be paying off Nastasia as we speak. Hopefully that's the end of it."

Mario nods, but he's still just looking at Mr. L as he says, "I don't think what happened is ever really gonna go away. I left someone for dead."

"It was an accident." All the exasperation is gone from Mr. L's voice. "You stopped Bowser from strangling me. I know that's one thing I will never forget."

Mario laughs, then says, "And I'll never forget how hard you tried to protect me."

Mr. L smiles, then tells him, "I gotta go. Looks like this little alliance is officially over."

"Uh huh." Mario nods. "I guess..."

"Right." Mr. L can feel the awkwardness, so he makes excuses, "I'll...see you.", and turns to go.

"No, Weegee, wait." Mario follows him, and when his brother doesn't leave, he comes to stand in front of him. "What if it doesn't have to be over?"

Mr. L shifts awkwardly, "Meaning?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Mario chides affectionately, grabbing Mr. L's arm. "You and me."

Mr. L pulls his hand away, but Mario won't stop talking, "I know you have a new life that you love. But look at what we just did together! All I could think about was how much I miss you."

"Mario--"

"We've always been the best team, Weegee." Mario cuts him off. "Even before we ever came here, it's always been you, and me. I can't lose you again."

"You're right." Mr. L says, "We do make a good team. Some part of me knew no matter what happened, all that mattered was we were going through it together, and that somehow made it all okay. I felt lucky you still wanted to protect me, after everything I did to you. As my brother."

He sees the hope in Mario's eyes, and kicks himself when Mario replies, "We are so much more than just brothers, Weegee. You need to know that hasn't changed, not for one second."

"Mario, don't." Mr. L pushes him away. "Just don't." He puts one hand on Mario's shoulder, "Don't make this harder on yourself. Please."

"I'm sorry." Mario puts his hand on Mr. L's squeezing it. "I wasn't trying to put you in an awkward position. That's just how I feel."

"Awkward is an understatement." Mr. L says. "But I'm not going to make fun of you for telling me how you really feel. I can't even imagine how hard this has all been for you. Seeing me live my own life. Making new memories you're not in."

Mario's hope is slowly fading, but Mr. L makes himself keep going, "You're right about these past two weeks. I don't know what it was, but it was there. It felt like a pair of well-worn jeans. Or overalls. But only as brothers in name."

Mario nods in resignation, "Brothers in name."

"Hey." Mr. L squeezes Mario's shoulder. "That just means we're always gonna be a part of each other's lives. No matter how often or rarely we see each other." Mario nods again, so Mr. L forces himself again, "But that's it. And that's all it can be."

"You're sure?" Mario asks more out of formality than anything.

"I am." Now Mr. L feels guilty. "If I led you on in any way, I..."

"No, you didn't." Mario won't let his brother think that.

"Yes, I did." Mr. L can't let Mario absolve him this time. "You wouldn't be hurting like this if I didn't."

"Don't apologize for telling me the truth." Mario says firmly.

"Hey." Mr. L puts his other arm on Mario's other shoulder, then squeezes his neck. "I know you're my brother. And I'm yours. I don't even need to remember to know that. I know who you are now, and who we're gonna be going forward. Brothers."

Mario says nothing, so Mr. L says with a sense of finality, "But I don't want to be an active part of your life. I love my life exactly as is. I don't want anything else."

Mario pulls away and takes a few steps away to compose himself.

"I know you wanted to hear something else."

"I did." Mario turns to look at Mr. L, still by the front door. "I really did."

"We tried, after we saved the world." Mr. L reminds him. "We tried still working together. But we both knew it wasn't the same."

"I didn't set out to ambush you." Mario says. "I know how you feel about your life and everything you're doing."

"But you needed me to know how you feel." Mr. L fills in the blank.

"Can we just skip past the awkwardness?" Mario begs with a tease.

"Yes please." Mr. L replies. "I know that had to be hard to tell me, but I don't regret that you did. You're a good man, Mario." He takes Mario's hand and squeezes it, "And one day, you'll find a partner that's going to see all of that and more."

I already did. Mario thinks but doesn't say.

Almost as if Mr. L heard him, he drops Mario's hand and says, "I'm gonna go. If Peach tells me anything, I'll let you know."

Mario nods, and suddenly, Mr. L comes closer and wraps his arms around him.

If Mario had his way, he'd never let go, but he forces himself to be the one to pull away first and nod, which Mr. L takes as silent permission to open the door and start to leave.

He looks back one last time, at Mario's shaking body, every instinct in him telling him to stay.

But he just shakes his head, turns, and leaves, right as Mario turns to watch him go through the pipe outside.