(A/N) And here we go again. I'm a little nervous about this one because it's a bit more, I guess forward, than the previous story? Here's hoping for the best.

Happy reading!

It was meant to be a more extravagant affair, or at least fancier than what was considered the norm at the Smash Mansion. It was understandable that Master Hand demanded everyone to act a bit more civilized than usual given the glove had a more professional sense about himself than the majority of the people there, asides from the royalty like Peach and Marth. He also demanded that everyone dressed nicer than usual as well, requiring dresses and suits with ties. It's not exactly the kind of "party" Fox found him being drawn to, but regardless he was there.

Being the winner of the Smash tournament kind of required to have him present.

Fox leaned back against the counter of the bar, idly rolling his wrist causing the ice cubes in his drink to bounce off one another and the sides of the glass. The event was a strange one to behold- the vulpine thought that a mass majority of the smashers looked completely out of their element, both with how they were acting and how they were dressed.

People like Mario seemed to be no different, abandoning his hat and overall outfit for a nice black suit and bowtie, or Link, who had found a more elegant tunic to wear. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong had both swapped out their ties for nice bowties, but for the most part remained unchanged. Then there were people like Wario, who for the most part looked uncomfortable to the point of passing out at his table from too much to drink.

The pilot took another sip of his drink, straightening his tie for what felt like the fifth time that night. Fox settled for simplicity, given the fact that he didn't come to the mansion prepared with nicer outfits, and ended up wearing a black button up shirt, black pants, and a plain white tie. He didn't stick out too much in the crowd and was thankful for that since he was unsure if his win in the tournament would bring along unwanted attention from the others, whether it be questions on how he secured his victory or unnecessary jabs from some of the more bitter competitors.

"Is your martini okay, Fox?" A voice from behind the pilot broke him out of his thoughts. Fox turned to look at Luigi who stood behind the counter of the bar, shaking another drink.

"It's really good. Thanks," he responded, placing the glass down as Luigi poured more into his glass. Fox lifted the glass up, swirling the liquid around in the glass before taking a small sip. The timid plumber mumbled a quick 'you're welcome' before returning to mixing more drinks for the other smashers who came up to the bar.

Fox sighed, placing the heel of his boot against the base of the bar as he leaned back once more. He decided to look around the room again for something to entertain him, but felt somewhat disappointed at the lack of events. Most of the Smashers were standing around in separate groups, talking amongst themselves. A few of the younger Smashers were running around, poking at the older residents who were bordering the line of becoming drunk. For the most part, Fox found himself underwhelmed, and painfully bored.

He settled for distracting himself with the ice cubes in his martini again, not noticing a person boosting themselves up onto the empty stool next to him.

"For the guy who won it, you sure don't seem too happy."

Fox looked over at the girl next to him, his bland expression morphing into a tiny smirk. "Who said I was unhappy?"

Pikachu shrugged her shoulders, sipping the rest of her own drink. She placed the empty glass down onto the bar, smiling at the Luigi. "Another mojito please," she drawled in a sweet voice. She returned her attention to the pilot. "I did, obviously. Just a guess."

Fox raised his eyebrows at the girl for a brief moment for it dawned upon him that she had previously told him amidst one of their many training sessions that she was in fact 18 years old, only three years younger than Fox himself.

"Master Hand's cutting back on the rules tonight?" Pikachu shrugged her shoulders in response.

"He's letting some of us who are pretty close to the legal age to participate since it's the first party," she commented, taking a small sip from the drink that was just placed in front of her. She whirled around in her seat to face the pilot. "So why so sour?"

Fox scoffed. "I'm not sour. I'm just not a huge party person."

"I hardly consider this a party," Pikachu retorted with a sly grin. Fox looked away from the girl, who continued to stare at him with curious eyes. "Are you upset that you won?"

The vulpine felt his drink catch in his throat, causing him to sputter and cough. The alcohol burned slightly, and he attempted to clear his throat before speaking again. "Of course not. I'm really happy. It's just not exactly how I pictured it."

"Winning?"

He shook his head. "No. Just that I had to beat you to win."

Pikachu pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Well, it was a long time coming. We didn't fight each other at all during the preliminaries or the start of bracket play."

Fox scratched the back of his head and sighed. "I guess it's more bittersweet than anything." He gave the girl a weak smile. "I know how badly you wanted to win."

Pikachu's ear twitched a few times and she smiled back. "I'm happy you won it though. If I wasn't going to win, then I was hoping you would," she admitted. Fox felt the tips of his ears get warm with embarrassment.

"You almost got me though. You were full of surprises."

Pikachu laughed. "You can't blame me for being a little secretive."

Fox swept the back of his gloved hand over his brow, his forehead glistening with sweat. His heart was pounding heavily against his chest, his breathing slightly labored. The vulpine stood up from his crouched position, rolling his neck in a circular motion.

"I've been thinking," Pikachu's voice cut through the silence. She took a few steps towards him, and Fox noticed the creases in her forehead, her eyes clouded over. "Maybe we should stop training."

"You tired?"

"I don't mean tonight," she corrected with a frown. "I meant for the rest of the tournament."

Fox felt his chest clench uncomfortably, for a reason he was sure of but chose to ignore. Pikachu noticed the change in his expression, and waved her hands back and forth in front of her.

"It's not because I don't want to anymore!" She cried. Pikachu puffed her cheeks up, and breathed out slowly. "It's just…. The semi-finals are starting tomorrow," she began slowly, her eyes not leaving Fox's for a second. "You and I are both still in this. And if by some chance we end up fighting each other…" Pikachu's voice trailed off as she tilted her head to stare at the ceiling, contemplating her next choice of words. "You know my moves better than pretty much anyone else here. And I now know yours pretty well too. If I'm going to stand any chance against you, I need to come up with a new tactic."

Fox felt the tension that settled within him dissipate, and he relaxed. He said nothing at first, letting her words sink in as he thought about it. He felt her stare at him and looked up, seeing the worry in her eyes and the slight pout on her lips.

"I get it," he finally acknowledged, and Pikachu visibly relaxed as well. "It's probably a good idea now that you mention it. We've been together almost every night for the past few weeks."

Pikachu nodded her head vigorously. "Yes, exactly!"

Fox gave her a tired smile. "Then that's that."

The girl returned his smile with a sheepish one of her own. "Also, thanks."

Fox quirked his eyebrow in confusion. "Thanks?"

"For all of this. I wouldn't have been able to do it without your help. So thanks."

Fox nodded at her, saying nothing more. Pikachu put her head down and quickly walked around him towards the door leading out of the training room. Fox was unable to push back the smirk from appearing on his face when he noticed the tint of pink on the Pokémon's cheeks.

"And Fox?"

"Hm?"

"Good luck tomorrow. I'll be watching, like always."

"It paid off," he admitted with a shrug. The girl merely hummed in agreement. "You almost got me," he complimented, earning a grin from the girl.

"Good. I wouldn't have wanted your fight for the championship to be any less difficult than it would have been fighting someone else."

"It was tougher really." Fox's ears dropped slightly. "Fighting you I mean. I never thought I would have felt as guilty as I did."

Pikachu narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't allow them to gain a cold exterior. "Guilty?"

The pilot's tail swayed back and forth, his boot tapping on the floorboards. He tilted his head to the side and chewed his lip in thought. "I mean just taking it away from you. I know you were nervous. I was too, you know."

Pikachu huffed out in frustration. "I was at a disadvantage, that's all. You're a better fighter than me. Always have been. Always will be."

"Don't say that."

"But it's true!" Her voice rose slightly, but was still quiet and controlled compared to the rest of the room. Pikachu's blue eyes widened briefly before returning to normal, her attention moving towards the drink she held tightly in her hands. Fox frowned at the outburst, while Pikachu's face changed into a sheepish expression.

"You almost won," Fox reminded her. "You caught me off guard, you know. For a while, I really did think I was going to lose."

Fox gritted his teeth, firing off his blaster a few times towards his opponent. A blue orb encased his target, the blaster shots bouncing off of the shield. He narrowed his eyes in irritation, his opponent zipping back and forth in front of him making it difficult for him to focus on where to aim. His finger rested on the trigger, prepared to press down when an electric shock struck him in the arm, causing him to jump backwards with a yelp.

Pikachu watched his movements carefully, jumping into the air with a spin and bringing her tail down on Fox. He quickly moved out of the way with his Fox Illusion, twisting his body around as he fired more shots from his blaster. Pikachu's cheeks crackled with electricity and she grunted as she launched a thunderbolt, the electricity colliding mid-air with the shots from the blaster. The collision made small explosions; temporarily blinding Fox who squeezed his eyes shut and reflexively shielded his face with his available hand.

The bright lights subsided and Fox opened his eyes, squinting as he attempted to readjust to the differing amounts of light on the Battlefield stage. His eyes widened, his head whipping around when he noticed Pikachu wasn't in front of him anymore.

He yelped in surprise again as he felt a powerful force knock his side. He staggered over a few steps, lifting his gaze to look at the mouse. Fox let a gasp escape his lips- Pikachu was no longer in her small mouse form, but was now in her human form. Pikachu gave him a knowing smirk.

"Surprised?"

Fox growled to himself, dashing towards her and flipping his legs over his side in a kick. Pikachu activated her shield and Fox rebounded a few inches back off of it. Another Fox Illusion was activated, striking Pikachu in the side. She winced at the stinging sensation, quickly ducking under the punch thrown from the vulpine. She swung her leg, catching Fox's and making him fall on his back with a thud. Throwing his legs over his head, he flipped back into a crouching position, firing his blaster a few times. Pikachu's shield reflected a few of the shots, and she moved gracefully out of the way of the rest.

The vulpine swore under his breath, watching her land with ease on her feet and return to a fighting position, fists raised.

"You're pretty good."

She shrugged, smirking again and making Fox feel his face get hot with frustration. "I had a pretty talented fighter help me. No big deal."

Pikachu crossed one of her legs over the other, twisting her wrist that held her glass. She tilted her head, face scrunched up as she thought. "It was the toughest fight I've ever had."

"You didn't make it seem like you were struggling," Fox confessed. Pikachu gave him a soft smile.

"Thanks," she replied in a tiny voice. She looked down at the floor again, while Fox looked around at the still lively party. A good amount of the Smashers were still conscious, dancing and laughing with one another. Fox felt as though he were out of place again, no urge or desire to join everyone else who seemed to be enjoying themselves. He saw very little movement out of the corner of his eye. He drank the rest of his drink, the alcohol leaving a soothing burning sensation in the back of his throat, and placed the empty glass on the counter behind him.

The air became thick between the two, neither bothering to try and start another conversation. Fox was about to consider calling it a night when an idea dawned upon him.

"Want to go for a walk?" He looked over at Pikachu, whose eyes widened and blinked in surprise.

"Right now?" She questioned. "In the middle of your party?"

The Starfox leader remained unfazed, offering a hand to the girl. Pikachu's gaze settled on his hand, her face showing no emotion whatsoever. Fox was about to retract his hand when he felt hers give it a squeeze, and began to pull him towards the door.

"Let's go."

The evening air was slightly chilled, but still held a tint of humidity, making Fox immediately loosen the collar of his shirt to allow more air flow. The sun was gone from view, resulting in a dark blue sky littered with bright stars and the always-present moon illuminating the darkness. A warm gust blew past the two, and Fox silently thanked it for the relief from the warmth encasing his body at the moment. Glancing at his companion who was a few steps in front of him, Pikachu for the most part appeared content. The wind picked up her long blonde hair, blowing in off of her shoulders and twirling it in the air. He couldn't help but smile a little bit at the way she puffed out her cheeks and furrowed her brow in annoyance, grabbing her hair and holding down so the wind wouldn't continue to move it around her head.

Pikachu turned and stood, staring expectantly at the vulpine, who was lagging a few steps behind. Fox jolted, breaking out of his thoughts when he noticed the girl waiting for him, and jogged to catch up. She gave him a cheeky grin and he returned it with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"You seem to have a lot on your mind."

Fox chuckled. "Nothing seems to get past you, huh?"

Pikachu pursed her lips, rolling her head back and forth from shoulder to shoulder. "I guess I'm just a bit observant. I know you a lot better now than I did say a month ago," she pointed out.

"Same with me."

"So?"

He blinked. "So?"

She gave him a sly grin, stepping forward and moving up onto the tips of her toes to get close to his face. Fox felt him involuntarily lean back, his ears pressing down against his head in discomfort. Pikachu noticed the change in his behavior, and let out a quirky laugh.

"You're funny," she mused, and he eyes lit up with curiosity. "Fights, being under pressure- none of that gets to you. But as soon as someone gets close," she reemphasized this with taking another step forward, prompting the same response from the pilot from a moment before. "You get all nervous."

"No…" he stated, voice cracking.

"Or is it just me?"

Fox couldn't help but roll his eyes, and Pikachu snorted at this. "I think you're looking a little too much into this."

Pikachu's eyes bored into his skull. "It is, isn't it?"

"What?"

The girl pointed a finger accusingly at Fox, who scowled at this. She said nothing for a moment, her eyes looking into his with no explicit expression readable. She then continued.

"Let it go already Fox. You won," she instructed, placing her hands onto her hips.

Fox groaned, throwing his head back and then looked the girl straight in the eye. He crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive matter. "I can't," he hissed, although he didn't intend for it to come out that way. "How can I not feel bad about taking that away from you?"

"Oh my god Fox!" Pikachu cried, stomping her foot. "News flash. Every other person here was doing the same exact thing as you- trying to win. Why can't you be happy for yourself? Why am I happier for you?"

He said nothing at first. Pikachu raised her eyebrows expectantly at the vulpine, who remained silent. He finally spoke up again after a few seconds.

"I just…," he began, licking his lips. "I didn't want to be the person to stand in your way of this."

"This?"

He looked away, unable to hold eye contact any longer. "From realizing how talented you really are."

"Why would you think that?"

"I guess I was kind of afraid," he admitted. "After we talked for the first official time those few weeks ago, I guess I got to see how amazing you are. I was afraid of you reverting back to how just weak and upset you sounded if you lost." He paused for a moment, looking back at Pikachu. "I didn't want to cause that."

Her blues eyes widened for a brief moment, before softening again. She smiled softly at him. "You never would be."

Fox bit his lip, and turned his head away to stare at the mansion in the distant, all lit up and standing out among the darkness surrounding them. "I just care about you too much now."

Pikachu's face broke out into a grin, and she launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around Fox tightly. He let out an 'oof' of surprise at the sudden force of the contact.

"Me too," she giggled, her voice muffled by her pressing her face into his chest out of embarrassment. "I'm happy to hear that."

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her and placing his chin on the top of her head. Fox watched with amusement as her ears twitched, flicking him on the side of the face lightly. Pikachu lifted her head to look at his face. Fox gave her a nervous smile, eliciting another laugh from the girl.

What caught him off guard was the way she lifted herself onto her tips of her toes and pecked him lightly on the lips.

Fox blinked wildly, unsure of what just happened when he watched Pikachu stride away from him back towards the mansion. He stood there, his mind slowly processing what just happened when her voice broke the silence.

"Let's go back- someone had probably noticed that the champion of the tournament isn't at his own party."

Fox said nothing, but felt his cheeks get hot. Pikachu rolled her eyes at him, running over to him and grabbing his hand, dragging him back to the Smash Mansion.

Falco tilted the glass all the way back, letting the alcohol flow into his mouth and throat. He swallowed, releasing a satisfied sigh. He slammed the glass on the bar counter, making Luigi jump, startled.

"Another drink, please," he slurred faintly. The blonde woman sitting next to him rolled her eyes.

"Easy there, tiger," Samus reprimanded. "You've had plenty to drink." She crossed one of her legs over the other, her leg finding its way out of the slit in her golden gown the flowed elegantly to the ground.

"Nonsense," Falco dismissed her comment with the wave of a wing. "I'm making up for the lack of drinks I'm guessing Foxy had, because if you look around you, he isn't here!" Falco's voice rose in volume and pitch towards the end, and he showed his point by swirling around in the bar stool, his arms raised out to the sides of him.

"Funny," Samus spoke. "I would've figured you would have been keeping tabs on your friend."

"Pah," the bird spat, picking up the drink Luigi placed down in front of him. "Fox was never one for these kinds of things. I would have wasted more of my night trying to get him to loosen up and have fun than actually enjoying myself."

Samus smirked at the ace pilot's apparent irritation with his friend. "This doesn't have anything to do with him placing higher than you in the tournament, does it?"

Falco shot her an agitated look. "Don't act like I'm the only one. He won the damn thing. He placed higher than every other person here."

"Doesn't answer my question."

"No," he stated, firm. "I am not jealous of my friend for doing better than me." He took a long sip from his drink. "Where is he anyway?"

Samus looked over towards the doorway, her eyes lighting up with amusement. "Speak of the devil."

Falco whirled around in his stool, his jaw dropping at the sight of Fox, who had just walked in, his hand wrapped shyly around Pikachu's. The girl had a large grin on her face while Fox's was a more nervous smile, but a smile nonetheless.

The bird spun back around, placing an elbow on the counter and resting his head in his hand. Falco grumbled incessantly to no one in particular. Samus smirked at him again.

"What's the matter? Jealous?"

"At what?" He cried, throwing his arms up in the air. "That my best friend won the tournament and got the girl? Of course I'm jealous!" Falco frowned deeply at the woman, who laughed in return. She looked over at the green plumber who couldn't help but allow a timid smile to settle on his face.

"Keep 'em coming Luigi."

(A/N) I'm a sucker for these two, so sorry. Ahhhh- I wish they interacted more in other fics, but that's just me really. Oh well.

Longest thing I've written so far- in a single chapter format. Hope y'all enjoyed. Lemme know what you think! It's always greatly appreciated(: