just as thanks for your post earlier, I'm writing this based on events in Untarnished, with Mario still in the hospital bed and Luigi being worried sick (understatement) <3
She had seen him sitting on the floor by the hospital room door – Mario’s door – in fetal position, curled in on himself to the point he looked like a deflated green ball. Even in his most anxious moments, Daisy had never seen Luigi look so defeated, dejected… detached.
Mario had been Luigi’s main priority for the last month, almost entirely rejecting his own well-being (which she absolutely wouldn’t allow), and was more short-tempered, snapping at every little thing that didn’t help bring Mario back to him- even her.
Daisy almost wanted to give up on him. He had shut himself out; she felt like she was walking on eggshells around him, felt like a stranger around him.
But she wouldn’t give up.
Her best friend was naturally in shambles; plagued with everlasting guilt for the extreme hardships her husband had to endure just to save her sorry self (her phrasing exactly). But Luigi was Mario’s brother. She would definitely never fully grasp the turmoil tearing him apart. But she refused to lose another person she loved dearly.
Daisy’s heels clicked quietly against the hospital floor as she approached Luigi. Lifting the back of her skirts, she settled beside him, their shoulders almost touching. He didn’t move an inch, but she knew he must have sensed her familiar floral-vanilla scent that, according to him, was very strong.
Her hand hovered over his arm, trembling slightly. Mario’s current condition had caused such a deep rift between them that she couldn’t even touch her own husband. But she took a deep breath and let it gently land on his arm, stroking her thumb along it.
She didn’t expect anything to happen - Luigi had been in that same spot for who-knows-how-long - but maybe, just maybe, her quiet company would reach him.
But after a few long moments, she heard something, like a faint snap, though she couldn’t tell if it came from Luigi or somewhere within the hospital. Slowly, he fell limply against Daisy’s shoulder, before turning his body and curling up against her. Daisy wanted to roll her head back in sheer relief but settled for gathering him into her arms and resting her cheek against his head. He was trembling severely. He was murmuring almost inaudibly in his native tongue.
“Sono così preoccupato per lui… Non posso perderlo...”
Of course, the words were lost on her, but Daisy responded by stroking his hair, whispering softly, “I’m here.”
Luigi hiccuped, clutching onto her torso and burying his face in her chest.
“Ti amo... ti amo così tanto,” he whispered against her, and this, Daisy understood. It was a phrase she'd heard from him countless times. She pressed a light kiss to his hair as a silent “I love you too.” They stayed like that for hours, and as the minutes ticked by, Daisy’s heart grew a little lighter. Luigi’s love and trust in her had never left. They had each other, and for now, that was enough.
