The sky was a murky grey, congested with rain clouds, the rain creating large puddles on the pavement. The nearby trees were covered in raindrops and the air smelled earthy. A walk in the scenic forest had been interrupted by this unexpected downpour.
The princess and her companion stood under a shoddy structure. It was half of a shed, the wood battered by the elements and the floorboards creaky. There were a few white paint flecks clinging to the darkened wood.
The princess - her name was Daisy - glanced up at her companion.
"I'm sorry, Luigi, I didn't realize it was gonna rain today."
"It's okay."
Their clothes were relatively dry, but since neither of them posses an umbrella or raincoat at the moment that would change quickly.
Thunder rumbled as the rain continued to pour. Daisy looked out at the concrete path and gave a resigned sigh.
In the shelter was a cubbyhole locker. It might have been storage for whoever owned this shed long ago. Luigi searched through the cubbyhole for an umbrella.
As he he looked, opening up each little door, Daisy stared out at the rain. Apprehensively, she stretched out her hand to touch the water. Her gloved hand quickly became soaked by the water.
"Well, we're going to be stuck here until the rain stops, so might as well," she thought.
Her excuse finalized, she stepped out of the shelter and into the downpour.
The cold rain fell on her and she experimentally stomped on a puddle. The water shot up, soaking her shoes. She smiled and jumped on another puddle. Enjoying the sensations, she got a momentum going. However, in one mid-jump, Daisy stumbled and fell with a yelp and a splash.
"Daisy!"
She looked up to see Luigi in front of her, offering his hand.
"Are you okay?"
She laughed, brushing her wet hair out of her eyes. She was still giggling as she was pulled back up.
"Did you see that? I really ate dirt there!"
"I didn't see," Luigi admitted as he lead her back to the shelter. He picked up a cylinder-shaped object from the top of the cubbyhole.
"But I found an umbrella!"
He opened the lime-colored umbrella, to find it covered with holes.
As Luigi stared at the umbrella, dumbfounded, Daisy laughed again. When she calmed down, she reached for his hand.
"Well, so much for that! Let's run for it."
Luigi was pulled from the structure and quickly ran as Daisy pulled him forward. After a few feet, she let go and jumped into a puddle, the water spraying everywhere. She turned towards him with a smirk, goading the plumber to do better.
Taking the challenge, Luigi determined which puddle would produce the best splash and jumped. He put all of his weight into the stomp and a torrent of water washed over both of them.
Daisy sputtered a bit and rubbed her eyes. Luigi's cap sat soggily on his head and his clothing was soaked, but he still wore a triumphant smile.
"If it's a competition, Luigi, I'm gonna win," Daisy teased playfully.
She pointed to a tree about twenty feet away.
"Whoever gets there first wins, okay?"
Luigi nodded and the two raced towards the tree. Daisy shielded her eyes from the rain. She was already in the lead and gained a bigger advantage when Luigi's cap flew off his head and he ran back to retrieve it.
The princess hit the tree first and cheered.
Giddiness bubbled up so much in her that when Luigi caught up she took his hands and spun around.
The feeling was exhilarating for him; the air that he breathed through his nose hurt but it was raw and powerful, the pinnacle of living. Raw and powerful, so much like her and so much he wished to be.
When they stopped, Daisy rushed forward and hugged him, alternating from laughing to catching her breath.
Luigi's face felt warm, despite how cold it was.
When Daisy pulled away, she had a bright smile on her face. She clasped his hands.
He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Her skin felt cold.
Luigi suddenly let go of her hands, his face reddening. He covered his face and said, "I'm sorry."
Daisy put a hand to her forehead, and wished the kiss would stay there forever.
She gently moved his hands away from his face. Smiling warmly, she said, "You win, sweetie."
A/N: Originally posted on AO3 on October 12th 2016
Summary taken from Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros.