Best Days We'll Never Know

Coming Back Down to Earth vs. Waking Up on the Concrete

❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌

Mario drives like a bat out of hell the entire drive back to Brooklyn, only barely going under the speed limit so he doesn't get pulled over.

When he gets to the hospital, he's directed to a room that of course isn't close to the nurse's station, so he has to make a dash for it, and the only reason he didn't pass by it is because he hears someone call out,

"Mario!"

He promptly skids to a stop, and walks towards their family, where they're all gathered outside the room.

"Is he awake?"

Dad demands instead, "Why weren't you already here?"

And Mario deflates almost immediately, ashamed.

"He got hurt because you decided visiting an old flame was more important than protecting your brother." Dad keeps going.

He's absolutely right, but Mario still tries to object, "It was Pauline."

"Who lives 4 hours away from where your brother was working when he broke his kneecaps."

"It was one weekend!" Mario protests hysterically. "How was I supposed to know this was gonna happen?"

"You should count your lucky stars you came home when you did." Dad growls.

"Because you called me on his cell phone." Mario reminds him. "And you knew I'd haul ass to be with him the moment I heard what happened. But no, that wasn't enough, you had to start yelling at me and make me feel worse than I already do!"

Everything just breaks down into a shouting match after that.

"This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"You're supposed to look out for him, no matter what!"

"Of course I came home!"

"I don't even want to look at you right now." Dad says suddenly, and walks off in a huff tossing a, "Get in there, and don't leave his side."

Mario only nods and walks into the room.

Luigi's awake, a nasal cannula in his nose as he calls out weakly,

"Mario?"

He sounds like he's in pain, and Mario's heart just shatters as he rushes to his side, pulling up a chair and grabbing Luigi's hand, looking at his knees all wrapped up in bandages.

"I'm sorry." At that, Mario's head snaps up to look at his brother.

"Excuse me?"

"It's my fault. Some guys were asking for someone to use the jackhammer, and I volunteered, wanting to prove myself."

Mario's blood boils. "Lu, this is not your fault. Those jackasses knew damn well you didn't know not to use a jackhammer on the kind of floor you fell through."

"But it is!" Luigi insists, eyes wet. "I just...got used to you being there, and forgot you weren't this time."

"Never again." Mario promises.

"No, Mario--"

"No, Luigi ." Mario says firmly. "This whole thing with Pauline is finished. You're my number one priority. I promise."

Luigi knows he means it, so he doesn't bother arguing.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Mario asks, and when Luigi nods, both brothers relax, and Luigi closes his eyes, Mario's hand squeezing tightly.

✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

"You're sure you wanna do this?" Mario asks Luigi for the umpteenth time.

"Mario!" Luigi rolls his eyes, exasperated. "We're already here!"

Sure enough, they're sitting in their van in front of their parents' apartment.

"I know." Mario says. "But you don't have to be here just because I quit my internship. You've still got yours."

"No I don't." Luigi says, startling Mario.

"What? "

"I quit mine too."

Their current situation is forgotten for the moment as Mario demands, "Why would you do that? You said you got nominated to the NAE, shouldn't you be getting ready for some kind of recognition ceremony?"

"I am." Luigi replies, which confuses Mario even more. "I'm just not interning anymore."

"No, Weeg--"

"It's already done." Luigi puts his foot down. "Nothing either of us can do about it."

"You shouldn't have done that." Mario says bitterly.

"Hey." Luigi grabs Mario's chin, making him look at him. "I'm an adult, I make my own decisions. And truthfully, I was thinking about quitting a long time ago. I was only sticking with it because you were."

"But you were doing so well!" Mario protests. "You were on track to be one of the best mechanical engineers of the 21st century!"

"Who says I'm not still doing that?" Luigi challenges. "I told them I needed to put more focus on school, and I couldn't commit to all of that and the internship too. I wasn't even lying."

Mario turns away to look out the window, clearly still conflicted, but this time, Luigi puts a hand on his shoulder, prompting him to look over.

"Come on." Luigi says, nodding towards the building. "Let's go visit our family."

After a beat, Mario nods, and they both get out of the van, making their way up the stairs.

Upon reaching the door, they knock, and they're met with greetings and hugs,

"Mi rigazzi!" their mother says, grabbing them both in a hug, before they're moved to hug everyone else one by one.

"Sure you can't stay longer?"

"Sorry about Pauline."

"Hey, let them in before bombarding them with questions, would ya?"

Immediately, they all part to let the brothers inside as they carry their overnight bags in.

"Hey Weeg?" Mario asks once they settle down. "It's not just me, right?"

"Nope." Luigi replies, understanding immediately. "It's weird."

Just then, Mario's phone goes off, and when he checks it, his eyes go wide.

"Lu, come here."

Luigi does, moving to look over his shoulder.

"'The New York Maker's Faire'?" he reads. "And they're taking submissions?"

"Crazy, right?" Mario drops his hand holding the phone shaking his head. "I'd be a laughingstock and drag you down with me in one fell swoop."

Mario doesn't give Luigi a chance to dissuade him, as he just goes to his bed and lays down.

❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌

Later, while Luigi's dozing, Mario's scrolling through his phone.

He sees a post about the reunion party again, but he scrolls past it a second later.

He's not prepared when he sees a post of Pauline with Michael.

And an engagement ring on her finger.

Mario promptly drops his phone on the hospital bed, shaking his head at himself.