Hi, everybody! If you enjoy this story, or just the Samus/Captain Falcon pairing, then make sure to check out my ongoing, "High Stakes in Mute City" (which I promise I'm going to update soon). Constructive criticism is always welcome.

P.S. This takes place during the original SSB.

Take the Hand

By Infinity Ranger

The crystal chandeliers sparkled as light reflected off of their faceted surfaces. The massive ballroom below was alive with the festivities of the assemblage of partygoers. Men and women in elegant clothing filled the area, whether they were gliding gently across the dance floor or socializing off to the side. A band played soft, classical music to best suit the high-class occasion. Along a buffet table against the wall was arranged a veritable feast of the most exquisite delicacies imaginable. Wine and champagne was aplenty and served constantly to the guests. It was the kind of event everyone would talk about for months to come.

Samus Aran was bored out of her mind.

The currently unarmored bounty hunter stood away from most of the other attendees, the glass of champagne in her hand barely sampled. She made no attempt to join the other revelers; she simply stood to the side, the only movement she actually made meant to straighten out the blue evening dress she wore. Her blue-green eyes cast their gaze across the room to take in the sights before her. The splendor, however, failed to truly capture her attention.

"That's the last time I accept an invitation from a complete stranger," Samus thought to herself. Some politician or some such had sent an invitation to this event to her for some unexplained motive. Samus was fairly certain it had been for political reasons. After all, having someone who had saved the universe more than once attend your gig would draw some good publicity.

"Of course," Samus thought with a small smile, "I doubt anyone here recognizes me without my Power Suit." She had never really tried to keep her true face a secret; it was just that many never seemed to give much thought to what the famous Samus Aran looked like under her armor. The ambiguity didn't really bother her, though. After all, she didn't really have any desire for fame or fortune. Samus was happy to just hunt down criminals and monsters for a living.

It was that moment that Samus' sights fell on the partygoers on the dance floor. Years of bounty hunting had given her a good sense of reading people, and this occasion lent little challenge. Samus couldn't help but note the expressions of all of those women, dancing contently in the arms of their partners. There were looks of satisfaction, peace, even joy on all of them. A small frown grew on her lips.

"Am I happy, though?" Samus asked herself. It was a line of thinking she followed every so often, in her most private moments. "All of those women have had probably no real excitement in their lives, and especially not anything like what I deal with. But look at them. They're doing just fine with what they have."

Samus shook such thoughts out of her head. It didn't matter what made those women happy. Her life had been shaped differently. There wasn't any point in imagining what kind of person she might have become if her home and family hadn't been eradicated by Ridley and the Space Pirates, if she hadn't been found by the Chozo, or if she had never become the universe's most famed bounty hunter. The past was…

"Penny for your thoughts?"

The interruption broke Samus out of her musings. She turned towards the voice to find a man standing a few feet away from her. Like everyone else present, he wore formal attire. It was his features, however, that distinguished him from the other partygoers. His face was slightly rugged with a strong chin and the remnants of a few scars here and there. His brown eyes were strong and focused, like a marksman's. The man had not apparently tried to do much with his short brown hair; it remained slightly mussed and spiky. His appearance differentiated him from all of the other men around in Samus' eyes: here was a man who wasn't trying too hard to conform to the rich atmosphere, but was just trying to present himself as he was.

"Oh, I don't think they're worth that much." Samus responded. "I'm just taking in the sights."

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you over here and not part of 'the sights?'" He asked in a curious tone.

Samus gave him a slightly amused look. "Well, let's just say that I don't have the time to socialize too often."

"Career gets in the way?"

"You have no idea."

"Oh, I think I can relate." The man chuckled. He then extended a hand towards Samus. "I'm Douglas. If I may I ask…"

"I'm…" Samus found herself hesitating as she reached to shake his hand. She should tell him who she was. But there was something about their conversation that was intriguing to her. She didn't want to scare him off by revealing she was the frequent savior of the cosmos. Samus decided a little white lie would be acceptable as she took his hand. "I'm Sam. I don't usually go by my full name."

"Fair enough." Douglas smiled. Off in the distance, the band started to play a new song. He extended a hand towards the woman before him. "I know this may sound a little rushed, but would you like to dance?"

Samus was surprised to find she was blushing at the question. No man had approached her that night to ask her to join him; no, the intimidating blond with the icy gaze standing by her lonesome was to be avoided. But this man had the courage to approach her. Samus could tell that he wasn't trying to seduce her or show her pity. He was simply asking out of… interest?

"Well, maybe one, I suppose… but I'm really not that good." She extended her arm to meet his waiting grasp.

"That's okay." Douglas assured her as he gently took her hand and led her to the dance floor. "I've never really danced before."

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The ballroom clock rang loudly as it struck two o'clock in the morning. Samus looked up from her place in Douglas' arms in surprise. The crowd had dwindled down to only a few remaining partygoers. The two must have been dancing all night.

"Did you have a good time?"

Samus felt her face turn slightly pink at the question. She had genuinely enjoyed herself, much to her own surprise. She frowned to herself with this thought. This man had had the guts to approach her, had given her a truly memorable night, and she hadn't had the courage to even tell him her real name.

"I did, actually, thank you. And…"

"What is it?" Douglas asked. The hesitation in her voice was obvious.

"I… just think I should tell you… my name is Samus. Samus Aran."

A look of surprise passed on his face, causing Samus' heart to drop. Now he would shy away, either too intimidated by the bounty hunter or too hurt that she had kept her name a secret.

He actually did the last thing she would have expected: he took a gentle hold of her wrist, lifted it up, and gave the top of her hand a light kiss.

"Samus Aran, the bounty hunter? Now I really am flattered." Samus had to blink in confusion.

"You're actually okay with that?"

"Of course. We still had a good time, didn't we?" His smile was small, but genuine, and Samus couldn't help but return it. However, a thought quickly popped into her head and, before she could stop it, made its way out of her mouth.

"This is going to sound a little awkward," Samus said, to her own shock, "but could we… see each other again?" Douglas smiled at the blonde's hesitant request.

"I think I would like that."

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One week later…

Samus grunted as she finished putting on her Power Suit. She was running late for her match, and Master Hand usually rewarded tardiness with horribly embarrassing punishments (Donkey Kong's lateness and the ensuing "Banana Peel Incident" had forever imparted that lesson onto everyone). Samus turned and walked out of the changing room, snapping her helmet on in the process. She mentally chided herself for being late in the first place, and particularly for why she had been held up.

"It's been a week already, and he hasn't sent me any sort of message. I actually gave him my contact number, for God's sake!"

Samus didn't know how she should feel. She had been so… cheerful that night, dancing with Douglas, letting all of her cares slip away. As embarrassed, as she was to admit it, there had been a part of her that was thrilled when he had promised to call her. Now here she was, waiting almost night and day for any sort of word from him. If any of the others found out that she was late because she had been checking her messages, she would die from embarrassment

God, I feel like such an idiot." Samus smiled ruefully as she emerged into the arena. "The great Samus Aran, acting as if she were a lovesick schoolgirl. Ridley would die laughing."

Samus cleared such thoughts from her head as she walked onto the stage floor. She smiled as she emerged onto familiar territory. The arena inspired by Brinstar surrounded her. The several platforms hovering above the stage floated precariously, and the ever-present acid bubbled far beneath her feet.

"Well, I've got home field advantage, at least. Now who am I up against?"

The answer came almost immediately. Across the stage she spotted her opponent. Whoever he was, he sported an indigo body suit, worn over a well-developed musculature. His red helmet was adorned with a bird-shaped emblem and covered the top portion of his head. The shapes of his eyes could be seen through his visor, studying his opponent carefully. Samus knit her brow in confusion.

"Who is this guy? I know Master Hand said that there would be new fighters coming in, but I didn't think he would send them into actual fights right away!"

Samus was pulled out of her thoughts as the announcer signaled the start of combat. Immediately, she fired off a small Charge Shot, in order to gauge her opponent's reaction. She watched as he easily avoided the attack by jumping over the blast and landing gracefully. The man immediately broke into a run as he touched the ground and charged right at the armored fighter.

"So bird man thinks he can just rush me? This guy must be an amateur." Samus waited for the right moment; just as her antagonist got within a few feet of her, she quickly shifted into her Morph Ball form. The now much smaller Samus rolled between his legs before coming back up into her regular form to launch her counterattack. Before she could fully gather her bearings, though, she heard her opponent speak for the first time.

"Falcon Punch!"

The confusion Samus experienced at the proclamation was quickly dealt with. Before she could react, a fist collided with her stomach, accompanied by a fiery aura. The impact sent Samus flying across the stage.

"What the… he managed to react that quickly? How could he possibly be that fast?"

Samus recovered from her rough landing and quickly got back on her feet. Her opponent was already coming right towards her, so she decided on a direct form of attack. She threw her cannon arm right towards him, catching him in a powerful roundhouse. Samus immediately followed with an uppercut from her left. This fist, however, met with empty air. Samus noticed her foe's evasion too late; a split-second later, a boot came in from the side and knocked her right in the helmet. Samus was actually sent spinning to the ground.

"Okay, he's a lot better than I thought, but now…"

Time flew by as the two Smashers fought. It soon became clear to Samus that "bird man" was much better than she had given him credit for. He could match her attack for attack in close combat, and her projectiles were easy for him to avoid. Not to mention that his "Falcon Punch" actually hurt. Unfortunately for him, Samus had managed to prepare and was now carrying a fully powered Charge Shot. She managed to pull back from their current confrontation, roll onto the ground, and take aim…

Samus was cut off by a loud voice announcing the end of the match. Samus couldn't believe it: she had just spent an entire match fighting, and neither she nor her opponent had gotten a KO! She was caught off-guard when said opponent offered her a hand up, a smile on his face. Samus' pride, however, wouldn't let her take it.

"No thanks, I'm fine." She stated matter-of-factly, as she raised herself off of the ground. Her body froze, however, when a familiar voice graced her ears.

"You didn't have any problems taking my hand to dance."

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