Hi everyone! I'm a hardcore Luaisy and Meach shipper, but this time, I decided to do something a little different. But, this fic is not entirely anti Luaisy either (you'll see what I mean)...

Disclaimer: All characters and games referenced are owned by Nintendo. Without them, this fanfic wouldn't have been possible.

"Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Princess,
Happy birthday to you!"

The crowd cheered as Princess Peach blew out all of the candles, twenty five to be precise. A beautiful pale pink, four tiered cake, decorated with sugar roses, stood in the middle of the long table in the dining room, and a variety of balloons in different shapes, colours and sizes adorned the entire place. A typical party, nothing special. But the Princess, judging from the wide smile on her face, was perfectly pleased with what had been planned. Joy could be felt in every corner of the room, and it was clear that the celebration was a success.

But, if one was to look closely at every person in the crowd, it could be said that one particular person didn't look quite as happy as the rest, his smile not as wide, a sad look in his eyes. A person wearing plumber's overalls, and a green hat...

"You okay?" Princess Daisy, seated right next to Luigi, asked him.

"W-what? Y-yeah, of course, why wouldn't I be? Heh heh... I mean, it's Peach's special day, after all!"

"Hmm. Great party, huh? Trust Mario to organise all of this!"

"Uhh? Y-yeah, I guess..."

Luigi lowered his face to hide a scowl. Princess Daisy, always sticking her nose into everything. He supposed they were close friends: after all, she was one of the people he spoke to the most. Some gossips in the Mushroom Kingdom had started rumours that they were dating; he was okay with that. People assumed that because Mario had his Princess, he should have one too. Who was he to correct them? Let them talk about him, let them have their fun. At least it meant he wasn't totally forgotten, not completely hidden in Mario's shadow.

But what if the Princess he really wanted was, in fact, Peach? Was that so wrong? Was it that mean spirited of him, that he wanted nothing more than for Mario and Peach to break up, though of course he'd never do anything to hurt his brother?

It had been Luigi's idea to organise a surprise party for Peach. It was true that Mario had done most of the work, but Luigi had told him how to arrange it, where to put everything, how to make it special for her.

"But of course Mario's gonna get all of the credit, as always," he thought bitterly. Since middle school, it was always Mario who got the girls. His most painful memory of all was the time he'd had a huge crush on the girl who'd sat next to him in English... who turned out to like Mario. Now history was more or less repeating itself, except this time it was worse because not only did Peach like his twin, she loved him. It was obvious when you saw them together, always flirting, playfully teasing each other, just like it was obvious she'd never want someone as shy and clumsy as himself.

His eyes began to idly focus on Toadsworth, who'd begun to cut the cake, making sure that everybody had a slice, and poured out some lemonade into all of the cups. All guests then started to eat and chat with one another.

"Mmmm," said Daisy as soon as the chocolate sponge entered her mouth, "this is delicious!"

"Yeah, it is," Luigi agreed.

"At least Bowser can't kidnap Peach this time. Heh... bet he's still recovering after last week. Remember last year, and the year before that? I mean, that's low. Even for Bowser!"

Yes, of course he remembered. The event last year especially, when Mario had been far too sick to attend, leaving himself and a couple of Toads alone with her. Ahh... He fondly recalled their conversation, short but sweet, and when the Koopalings happened to be hiding in the cake, similar to what had taken place at her previous birthday, he was, of course, disappointed. And afraid, for the Princess. But for once, he put his own cowardice aside to run after her, and run he did, for he set himself time limits so as to reach her as soon as possible, unlike Mario, who always took his time. He banished the thought from his mind, feeling guilty. It had been scary fighting all those enemies alone, but boy was it worth it when Peach kissed his nose at the end...

"Luigi? I... I didn't mean it as a joke..." Daisy said slowly, with a questioning look.

"Oh?" He blushed. He hadn't realised he was smiling. "No no, I was laughing at something else, of course I wasn't laughing at what you said,,,"

"Hmm, okay. Well, what were you smiling about then?"

Luigi's blush deepened. "N-nothing..."

A knowing smile appeared on her face, making him fear the worst. Daisy, unaware of this herself, had the uncanny ability of being able to read her friend's mind.

"Oh, right. Is it... a girl?"

"Daisy! N-n-no, no!"

"I knew it! Don't you dare try to deny it! Oh my gosh, you're blushing! Your face!"

"No Daisy, it's not a g-girl, no way..."

"Oh, so you're not gonna tell me..."

"But it's not a girl!"

"Is it Rosalina?"

"No!"

"You sure? I mean, you did get a photo with her, and..."

Princess Daisy at her most annoying. Great.

"Hmmm, maybe not. Is it Starlow? No, probably not. Then again it could be a love-hate relationship, I mean I know she acts like she hates you, but she did say you look cute when you're asleep, so..."

"She... she did?"

"But nah, I doubt it. I mean, you're both different species. Hmmm, is it, umm... Princess Eclair?"

"Who? Oh, her? Now Daisy, I-I kind of exaggerated that story, she wasn't as beautiful as I made out, I never had a crush on her, and..."

"Okay, so who else could it be? Pauline... no, can't be. Ahh..."

"...Why are you looking at me like that for Daisy?"

Oh no. Oh no. She guessed. She guessed! No, no, please, no! Daisy would not keep her mouth shut about this! Why did bad things always happen to him? Why, why?

"I knew it! It's me, isn't it?"

"Y-you?" Luigi almost fainted with relief. Though he had a feeling she was just going to get more and more irritating by the minute...

"Ohh, I knew you couldn't resist my charm, could you? I knew you'd fall for my gorgeous looks eventually! It's me, isn't it? C'mon, you know it's true..."

Was she serious? Or just kidding? He could never tell. Maybe he should just play along with her.

"Heh..." He put his hands up in submission. "You got me, Daisy."

"Oh, so you do love me..."

"Y-yeah, I... guess...?"

Her face was now close to his, so close he could feel her breath. Too close. Much too close.

She was serious.

"D-Daisy, wha... what are you doing...?"

She gave him an evil-looking smirk. "Why? Don't you love me?"

Luigi gulped as their foreheads touched. He was well aware that everyone was watching them at this stage.

She was definitely serious.

She put her gloved hands on his face, still with that look in her eyes. He'd never noticed it before, but they were quite a nice shade of blue, sapphire blue, and sparkling with mischief... Then, just as suddenly, she pulled back. She threw back her head, and began to laugh loudly.

"Your face..." she gasped. "Your face! Ha ha... Oh my gosh, Luigi! You... ha... you thought I was actually going to... ahahahahaha!"

She was kidding. She was kidding. She was kidding all along.

This was too much...

"Oh, heh heh... I... I'm going out for some... f-fresh air... I'll be right back!" he managed to say, before hurriedly leaving the room and exiting the castle. Only Daisy had the power to mess with his mind like this, occasionally make him feel almost... attracted to her. Not even Peach could leave him so confused. In another universe, one where he didn't have such a hopeless crush on Peach, they might have became a couple.

He stared out beyond the emerald green fields, taking in the view. He sat on the soft grass right outside the castle, idly picking at a few daisies. He took one, and placed it in his left hand. This was futile, but... why not. She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me. He kept at it for a short while longer, until he was down to the last few petals. She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me...

Not.

He sighed heavily, flinging the petal-less flower on the ground. He had enough of stupid daisies for one day anyway. What was the point in all of this? It wasn't like Peach would ever be interested in him. What was there to like? He wasn't a true hero like Mario, he wasn't handsome, he didn't know how to act around girls, he was awkward... the list was endless! Princess Peach, on the other hand...

Beautiful, had the looks and voice of an angel. Ladylike, mannerly and most of all, kind. No matter what. Kind to villains like Bowser who kidnapped her every week. Kind to lovelorn idiots like himself.

He put his head in his hands. He couldn't live like this anymore. He'd had feelings for her since he'd first met her. Now it was time to accept defeat and move on. He had a vision of himself settling for Princess Daisy, putting up with her hyper and at times annoying personality, day after day, just so he wouldn't die alone. Others might have laughed at his thoughts, but it was a genuine fear. He'd always be second best in life, and that meant getting the second best girl, too, if he let that happen.

A sudden noise startled him out of his moment of self-pity. He turned around, expecting to see the Sarasaland Princess again. Wait, huh? Daisy didn't wear pink...

Peach.

As he looked at her beautiful face, so perfect in every way, he felt his heart beat faster. Move on, he'd told himself seconds before. As if he ever could.

"Hello Luigi," she smiled. He could look at her all day, as thought, as he noticed the way her golden hair swayed with the gentle breeze, her ocean blue eyes twinkling like stars. He'd do anything for her to make her smile like that for him again. If only he was more like Mario...

"H-hi Peach," he stammered, half hoping she'd stay, half praying she'd leave in case he embarrassed himself in her presence.

She seated herself on the grass, her hand accidentally brushing off his as she did so. He jerked back his own hand in shock, then cursed himself for doing so. Please say she didn't see him, please...

Phew. She didn't. And if she did, she didn't let on.

"So..." she said. "How are things with you lately?"

"G-good, I guess."

Bad. Very bad. Last week, a Toad child had approached Mario asking for his autograph, while not asking for Luigi's. Whether it was because she didn't know him or from lack of interest he'd never know, but both options hurt him equally. Oh, and Yoshi ate all the food in their house when he'd come to visit and the shops closed early that day so he'd had no dinner, and he'd also found another grey hair the same evening. Seriously, was twenty six years that old? And Peach didn't like him and Daisy kept annoying him last week, not to mention what had happened at the party, and there was so much more that had went wrong but he wasn't going to dwell on it because he'd promised himself yesterday that he'd be a more positive person but now those plans were going down the drain, oh and speaking of drains there was also that pipe he'd fixed last week and Mario hadn't helped him at all because he was "tired"!

And this, this was the exact reason why Peach would never like him. Because he was negative. Mario was positive. That was why he got all the girls.

"Luigi? Are you okay? You've gone all quiet."

"M-me? Yeah, of course, why wouldn't I be? Heh..."

She was the second person to ask him that question in the space of an hour. Not only was he a pessimist on the inside, now he also looked like one. Great.

"So, Princess..." he said, trying to start a conversation. "Umm... what did you think of the party?"

"Oh it's great, Luigi! The cake was beautiful, too. In fact, I came out here to thank you for that. It was really sweet of you and Mario to do that for me."

"M-me? You wanted to thank me?" Princess Peach, who always gave Mario all of the credit, was acknowledging his efforts?

"Of course! Why wouldn't I? It was your idea, after all. Mario told me all about it."

"He... he did?"

"Yes, he did. So, Luigi... how come you're out here alone? I thought Daisy might have come with you... You two seemed to be having a lot of, ahem, fun inside the castle."

Was it just him, or did her smile fade slightly?

"No, no. I just needed some air, you know, time away from all the people. Just some time alone."

"Oh? Oh, of course. I'd better leave, in that case. I'm sorry, I didn't think..."

"Oh no, no, I didn't mean it that way Peach, I-I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry, I want you to stay..."

"You want me to stay?" Peach, who had begun to walk away at that point, sat down again.

"Y-yes Peach, I... yes," he stuttered, his cheeks flushing slightly. To his relief she wasn't giving him any weird looks, if anything, she seemed delighted, her own face glowing, her eyes lowered. Was there a chance... No. He had to stop this. She was Mario's girl, not his. She didn't care about him that way.

"You're such a good friend, Luigi... And Mario too, of course," she murmured. Friend... Ugh. Better than nothing, he supposed, but still.

Then her comment registered in his brain.

You're such a good friend, Luigi... And Mario too, of course.

Good friend. Mario.

Was "good friend" synonymous of "boyfriend"? No, she'd called Luigi a good friend too. Then... what did she mean by that?

"You look so confused, Luigi," she giggled. "Is everything okay?"

"Peach, I... Mario... he's your... friend?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. A boyfriend could be considered a good friend too. Now he just sounded... weird. As if he was reading into her light-hearted remark too much.

"Yes Luigi... we're friends. Why do you ask?"

"Friends? As in, just... friends?"

"Why yes, Luigi. Why? Didn't... didn't Mario tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Her mouth twitched for a second, then she started to laugh, really laugh, not the usual reserved giggle.

"Oh Luigi... haha... you thought we were... sweethearts?"

"B-b-but, but... I mean..."

"Luigi, we're not together at all!"

"You're... you're not?"

"No! It's a joke, Luigi, a big, huge joke! Look Luigi... you don't know anything about me and Mario, do you?"

He thought he did, but obviously that wasn't the case, so... He shook his head slowly.

"Then I'll tell you everything, but you have to listen carefully, since it'll be a lot to take in. I'm surprised Mario hasn't told you already, but..."

"Hmm?"

"Okay... So, it's true that myself and Mario had feelings for each other at first, but after a while... we realised that we weren't that well matched. I don't know. I led a very sheltered life, while Mario was very adventurous, and I thought that it wouldn't work and we'd lose our friendship with each other. So, we decided that we'd spend some time away from each other, maybe start looking at other people... and it worked. Mario met Daisy, and they started dating for a while, as you know."

"But they broke up within weeks..."

"That's true, but it was enough for Mario to stop liking me that way, and we became friends again after a while. But, the town gossips insisted on saying we were together. You know how... presumptuous they can be."

Luigi nodded, thinking of the rumours involving himself and the Sarasaland Princess.

"At first it was slightly irritating, but then, we started to see the funny side, so we began to act like we were courting each other. It's like our own private game. We still do it to this day. Mario's especially realistic about it, sometimes I have to force myself not to laugh at him in front of everyone! I mean, Luigi... why do you think I've never kissed him, well, properly?"

"I know that, but I just thought... I thought..."

"What? That we love each other? We do, Luigi. Just not in the way everyone thinks. Mario, he's like... he's like a brother. He's the sibling I never had. He's sweet and funny and protects me just like an older brother would. And that's all he'll ever be to me."

Luigi was silent as he took the news, with mixed feelings. She wasn't in love with Mario, which technically meant he had more of a chance with Peach, but in all her talk about Mario, she hadn't mentioned Luigi once. Mario was like her big brother. Luigi was just one more person to add to her long list of friends. So she still cared more about Mario. Her words this afternoon changed nothing. Nothing at all. Mario would always come first in her life. Luigi, second. If even that.

He picked at the grass next to him, deliberately avoiding Peach's eyes. He was stuck in Mario's shadow, no matter what the situation. Even Daisy liked Mario more. She always spoke of her ex with admiration, though she no longer had a crush on him. When would this cycle ever end? When would people recognise him as Luigi, a person in his own right, not Green Mario or Mario's sidekick or Mario's brother or the second best Mario bro? Even his surname was Mario... and hence, he had his answer. The cycle would never end. He'd always be in Mario's shadow.

"Luigi? You've gone quiet again... are you sure everything's okay?"

"I guess..."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure? You've been acting funny since I came. Look at me, Luigi."

"I'm fine Peach, I..."

"Look at me."

"There's no need..."

"Luigi, we've been friends for a long time. You know you can tell me anything. Luigi, I want you to look at me. Please."

Luigi reluctantly raised his tear-filled eyes. How humiliating... now she'd think he was a wuss... well she probably thought that already but this time there was no apparent reason and... oh no, oh no...

"Luigi... What's wrong?"

Her caring tone made the tears stream down his cheeks, unstoppable. But he couldn't tell her what he was thinking, he couldn't. To do that would involve revealing how he felt about her, and he'd lose her friendship as well as his dignity.

"Luigi... don't cry..." She gently wiped his tears, her hands lingering on his face. "What's wrong..."

"... I... Peach, I..." He took a deep breath. "I'm just so sick of being Player Two! It's always the same, anyone who likes me likes Mario better, and... Peach, I... I can't hide it anymore, I've been holding this in for so, so long and I know this will ruin everything, but... I have to tell you this, I have to."

This was it.

"I... I like you Peach, I like you a lot. Ever since I met you I tried to stop, but I can't. I know Mario will always come first in your life and nothing can change that and... I'm sorry, Peach, I'm so, so sorry..."

And with that he broke eye contact, placed his head in his hands and sobbed his heart out. But through his heartbreak, he felt a strange sense of relief. Now she'd tell him how she felt, there would be no more wondering. Just the truth, the truth that would hurt and wound him like nothing ever had. But it would free him, he'd be finally liberated from years of suffering and uncertainty.

"... L-Luigi? L-look at me. Look at me! Luigi? Come on, I want you to look at my face. Luigi?"

"Y-you're gonna tell me... you d-don't feel the same..."

"How do you know that? How do you know anything if I've never said that? Look at me, Luigi. Look at me now."

He forced himself to raise his head. He was such a mess right now. Who could love a blubbering grown man like him... Concern was written all over her beautiful face, along with another emotion we couldn't quite work out. Now Peach had to shoulder his burden. Now he'd ruined her birthday. Now he'd wrecked their friendship.

Now she'd tell him that his feelings weren't reciprocated.

"Luigi, I told you that when myself and Mario stopped being around each other for a while, we tried looking for other people, didn't I? I told you Mario's side of the story, but I didn't tell you mine, because..." It was her turn to lower her gaze, as her speech tumbled out of her mouth, as if in a hurry to leave her mind. "I'll be honest with you Luigi, there was a time when you didn't mean as much to me as Mario, there was a time during that, well, separation that I wished I'd stayed with Mario when he wanted us to be more than friends. It was stupid, but I couldn't help it.

"Then I started spending time with you, remember? I missed Mario so much, especially when I heard he was with my cousin, so I thought you would do for a while until I got over him. At first I hated that you were so different, but after a while I started to like you. Not just as a replacement for Mario, but because you were you, you were sweet and shy and clumsy and cute and more my type of person."

"C-cute..."

"Yes, cute," she giggled, her voice taking on a slower pace. "I've had a bit of a crush on you since then, Luigi. But I never thought you'd feel the same way, and I've been trying for years to stop thinking about you this way, but I could never manage it. I like you Luigi. I like you a lot. Never change, okay? Even if some think you're second best... always remember that there's someone out there who likes you for you who are."

She stood up, her cheeks flushed, and smiled down at him.

"See you inside," she said, pecking his cheek. Leaving it at that she walked briskly to her castle, her long hair flying with the wind.

Luigi put a hand to where she'd kissed him, unable to believe his ears. She liked him... She liked him back... Heat rushed to his face as he stayed there, grinning like an idiot. His luck was changing for the better.

Finally.

Eventually he stood up, still in a daze, and once inside he returned to his seat next to Daisy.

"Luigi? Are you okay?"

"Of course," he replied, this time honestly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Your face is all red... you look like you've been crying."

"Oh yeah, heh... must be hay fever, heh..."

Daisy raised an eyebrow, but dropped the subject without another word. As she stared at his face, wondering if hay fever could really have that strong an effect, she noticed him blush and smile across at someone. She followed his gaze, and spotted a red faced Peach, returning the smile.

The Sarasaland Princess smirked. She knew Mario and Peach weren't really together. She knew Luigi had been thinking about a girl. And now she knew that the girl was Peach. And by the looks of it, her cousin felt the same.

Now to decide what she'd wear on her next date with Waluigi... He was turning out to be a much more charming, romantic man than she'd ever anticipated.

Please review!