The snow had fallen heavy that day, leaving the Mushroom Kingdom covered in a thick blanket of white. On days like this, it wasn't too hard to see Toads and various other species all bundled up and playing in the snow, performing activities such as sledding, making snow angels, and building snowmen. It was nighttime now, though, and almost, if not everyone, had already gone back home to warm up, whether it be sitting by the fireplace, or drinking a nice, hot beverage, the lights in the trees providing a sense of comfort. Yes, this would seemingly be a troublesome slumber for all. Well, at least for most.

Within the outskirts of town, there was a house inhabited by the two iconic heroes, both now sleeping in their beds, the older one sleeping soundly and snoring, and the younger of the two tossing and turning. This wasn't from an uncomfortable sleeping position, but rather a nightmare. As the minutes passed, the stirring got more and more violent before the younger brother finally bolted up, letting out a cry of distraught.

Instinctively, Mario shot up out of his bed. For a second, he was confused as to what caused him to wake up so suddenly but soon picked up on a noise that broke the complete silence: sniffling. Mario turned towards the direction of the noise, his eyes still adjusting to the dark. Soon enough, he saw a silhouette he knew too well seemingly trembling. He got out of his bed and began to walk towards his brother, doing his best not to make too much noise, lest he startle him more than he already was.

He gently placed a hand on his brother's right shoulder, causing him to tense up before feeling the older brother's presence soon after. He turned towards Mario as a tsunami of relief flowed through him, his sapphire eyes injected with fear and sadness as tears began to swell up in them.

Sympathy clouded the older brother's eyes as he finally spoke up. "Hey, Weegee? You okay?"

Luigi just sighed as he patted the empty spot on his left with mild reluctance. "Yeah, I guess," he muttered.

Mario took up the offer, sitting upon the designated spot as he put his right hand on Luigi's left, taking note of how cold and clammy it was. He already had a clear idea of what caused his brother to wake up screaming. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Luigi fell silent as he cupped his hands together and hung his head, causing Mario to worry more. "Weegee, we're brothers, and you know I wouldn't judge you for anything. Just tell me what's wrong."

Luigi was still dead silent. Mario was starting to get fearful at this point. Was his brother hiding something from him? Mario cleared his throat, readying himself to speak again. "Bro, you're not hiding something for me, are you? If you really want, I won't tell anyone about it. Please, just tell me what's the matter."

Luigi still wasn't saying anything, leaving his brother not sure what to do. It was obvious the younger of the twins wasn't going to speak up anytime soon, and Mario wasn't sure if he should keep trying to persuade his brother to talk, or simply give up. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Luigi spoke.

"Y-You're not going to leave me, right, Bro?"

Mario felt a chill run down his spine when Luigi said that. Was Luigi simply asking for him to stay by his side, or was he trying to imply that he feared he would ditch him? Surely he had to know he would never do that, right? Mario realized his little brother needed him more than ever now, and he was determined to help him get through the long night. "Luigi," Mario finally responded, "you know I would never leave you. What'd make you think I would?"

Luigi shook his head, doing his best to make sure the tears in his eyes wouldn't fall. "No, I mean…" There was a long pause as he took a deep, shaky breath, causing him to tremble more. "I mean… What if you go on an adventure and never come back?"

Mario's blood ran cold. He fell silent for a moment, regaining his focus when he saw his brother's desperate eyes shooting right through him. "Luigi, you know that won't happen," he reassured.

"What if it does?" the younger brother responded almost instantly. "I've almost lost you at least three times now. F-First there was Bowser, then there was K-King Boo. What if you get captured again, or you get defeated, and I'm not able to save you, bro?" It was clear he was now struggling to keep his tears from falling, and soon picked up where he left off, the same choked up tone still there, a forced smile on his face. "T-That would make me a bad brother, wouldn't it? Not being able to save my own bro… How pathetic…"

In what seemed like a split second, Mario rested his hands on both of his brother's shoulders with a more serious look in his eyes. "Bro, you're not pathetic, and you never will be," he began. "All those times when I was gone, you were scared about my well-being, weren't you? Yet, despite that, all those times, you were able to rescue me. Do you even realize how proud and thankful I am of you for that? That just goes to show how you're willing to do anything for those you care about, even if it means traveling across the globe or entering a few haunted mansions. Luigi, do you know what I'm saying? If it wasn't for you…" At this point, Mario could feel himself getting choked up as well, but knew he couldn't let his sadness overtake him. "If it wasn't for you, I may not even be here. Do you know how scary of a thought that is? Not being able to see those you know and love, not being able to partake in the fun activities you used to, and more importantly, not being able to see you."

Luigi was astonished by his brother's change of tone. Despite the two being very close, Mario was never typically the type to talk about personal things. It was clear Mario was being dead serious, and yet, for some reason, Luigi still didn't really know what to believe.

Abruptly, Mario let out a chuckle tinted with melancholia. "Can I be honest with you, bro? Sometimes, I get kind of scared on my adventures…"

Luigi's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

The older of the brothers nodded and sighed. "Heh, sounds kind of hard to believe, right? Well, it's completely true. Don't get me wrong, I love rescuing the princess, but there are often times where I worry I won't succeed. Bowser's army is pretty tough, I'll give you that. At the end of the day, though, saving Peach and making sure the kingdom is safe… Well, it makes it all worthwhile."

There was a twinkle in Luigi's eyes for a brief moment before they grew dull again. He felt like a complete idiot. What Mario was saying the complete and honest truth, yet he still wasn't sure if he could fully trust him on that. He almost wanted to say something to retort his big brother's monologue, but he just couldn't find the right words. What would he even say anyway? He had something in mind, but he could already predict the outcome if he said it out loud. Despite that, though, something was overflowing within him say what was burning in his mind.

Through all his musing, he almost didn't see Mario waving his hand in front of him. "Bro, you've been kind of silent. You okay?"

"Bro, do you think of me as a burden?"

Mario was simply shocked at what his brother had just said. "What? Never! Of course not! Why would you-"

Luigi interjected. "Whenever we go on adventures together, no one ever seems to be able to remember me. It's either that, or they hate my guts, and you know what? …They have a good reason to. I'm a klutzy coward. They have good reason to remember you, though. I mean, you're Mario! You're brave and cool, and I'm nothing... Maybe it would be best if you just forgot about me, t-"

Mario put his hands on his brother's shoulders again, a cross look on his face. "And why would I do that?!" he snapped. "Are you even listening to what I'm saying to you? Even if you are a bit timid and shy, you're always able to put your fears aside if it means saving the day! Don't you realize how proud of you that makes me? Luigi, you're not a klutz! You're not a coward! You're none of the negative things you tell yourself, and you never will be! You're still loved by several throughout the kingdom, and anyone that says otherwise just don't see the true you! They don't see your big heart, your selflessness, your bravery, or your courage!"

Mario paused for a brief moment, taking a deep, shaky breath. "Even if it seems the whole world is against you, there's still someone who will always look up to you: me! You're my hero, bro, and I truly mean that! I mean it from the bottom of my heart! I'm always trying to better myself in order to be a better brother to you! Besides, I can't… I can't…" Mario let his head fall, allowing for a couple tears that he had desperately trying to fight off fall before finally speaking again. "I can't afford to lose you!"

Luigi's eyes widened once more, sparkling again. He was completely speechless, his attention focused solely on his brother, who was now trembling. He brushed the front tufts of his brother's auburn hair to the side, trying to get a close look at his sad expression. "Big Bro? Are you ok?" he finally asked. "Big Bro, please don't cry."

Silence fell upon the house again, with Mario eventually breaking the quietude, still quaking a bit. "W-Why can't you realize that pretty much everything I do is all for you? I-I can't afford to lose you, bro. If I ever lost you… I wouldn't know what to do. Y-You probably don't realize just how devastated I would be. We're basically two halves of one whole person. We're even called the Mario Bros. H-How could we be called that if one of us was gone?" He took another shaky breath, causing him to tremble more. "I-If there's one thing I fear the most in this world… It's losing you…"

Luigi was speechless again. All he could do was look at his sorry brother rest in a troubled fetal position, occasionally hearing a breath or two for air and a couple almost silent sobs. Luigi wasn't too sure what to do at the point, but he knew his big bro needed him more than ever now, and he was determined to help him get through the long night. He reached a hand out towards his brother, placing it on his shoulder like Mario had done for him. He had never truly realized his brother felt this way. "Mario, don't cry," he repeated. "It's okay. I'm here and I don't plan on leaving any time soon."

Mario soon poked his head out of his knees, rubbing his face with his left arm as he let out a bittersweet snicker. "Look at me, getting all teary-eyed," he finally stated before putting his hands on his brother's shoulders once more. "Luigi, the main thing I'm trying to tell you is that no matter what happens, I will always support and protect you and that you're the most important person in my life. Even more important than the princess, or even a box of everlasting wonder. You're far better than any other treasure because the best treasure I have is right here in front of me. I love you, Lil' Bro. I love you with my all my heart, and don't you ever forget that."

Luigi couldn't help but begin to tear up at Mario's speech, especially being moved by those last two sentences. His eyes glittered once more, tears beginning to fill his eyes. Without a second thought, he hugged his brother and began to sob. He couldn't hold his tears in anymore. He was just so happy and relieved that his nightmare wasn't true and that his brother would in fact always support, protect, and love him no matter what. Mario quickly returned the gesture, letting a few tears of his own fall. The two continued to embrace as time seemingly stood still for the two brothers.

Time seemingly resumed when Luigi began to slump, causing Mario to panic for a brief moment, before realizing his brother had just fallen asleep. He couldn't help but give a concerned smile. "Poor Weegee must've tired himself out," he thought to himself. For as long as he could remember, Luigi had always been relatively high-strung, so to see him in a state of peace like this, Mario couldn't be too much happier.

Mario did his best to get up, supporting his brother's head and body, lest he wake him up from his well-deserved slumber. After getting off, he proceeded to lift his brother up, resting his head on his pillow, following up by pulling up his green covers. The last thing he wanted was for his sweet baby bro to catch a cold. It was winter, after all.

Mario got down on his knees to take a quick look at his brother, soothed by his tranquil expression. He couldn't help put scruff his brother's hair a bit, not even realizing the exhaustion overcoming him until the last moment. Maybe it was Luigi's peaceful face, or maybe it was because it was so late, but before Mario could lift himself up, he fell asleep as well, the lower half of his face in Luigi's covers and his left hand still in his brother's now slightly disheveled hair.

Maybe this was for the best, though. Both brothers were in a vulnerable state, after all. Each of them had the strengths, as well as their weaknesses, but despite it all, as long as the two had each other, that's all they needed to know that everything was going to be okay. Mario and Luigi needed each other more than ever, and as long as the two were together, they could make it through the long night.