Author's Note: Ummmm... I have no explanation for certain things. Like how I vanished from fanfiction for half a year (has it really been that long?). I really wasn't trying to - heck, I wasn't even just thinking "I'll just take a small break." It came out of nowhere, honestly. One of the reasons for this being that I haven't been really motivated to write lately. I dunno. This lack of interest was mostly due to the fact I couldn't seem to finish writing anything I started because I didn't like any of it. It's been tough lately, to even just come on fanfiction and read/review things. I'm trying to get back into my groove, however ("DAW! You threw off my groove!" If you get this reference, you're my favorite person ever XD), and to start off, I decided I'd write a pointless romance/drama/friendship story. You know, like the ones that overran the site back during Melee? Seriously, it seems any old fic I find in this category is a romance drama featuring three pairings - Link/Zelda, Roy/Peach, and Marth/Samus. Not to say I don't like those stories, or those pairings (they're actually three of my favorite pairings, with Marth/Samus being the absolute best ^_^), just that I noticed that.
Anyways, I really should stop procrastinating. Please keep in mind, if this writing isn't my best, I'm trying to get back into my writing groove ("I'm sorry, but you've thrown off the Emperor's groove.") and this how I'm attempting to do that. This is really just something I'm doing for fun, with only a vague idea of where the story is going. Also keep in mind, updates will be weird. I'll try to be consistent as possible, but you know that thing called "real life"? It takes up a decent portion of my time.
RANDOM HEADS UP: There will be pairings. Many pairings. This story solely exists for me to play with some of my favorite pairings. I don't plan on spoiling the pairings I plan to include, just know that you don't have to read if you don't like the ones I include. And if you have an account, and would really like to know what pairings I have in mind, just leave a review asking to know and I'll try to shoot you a quick PM. And another note, though this first chapter focuses on just one character, the following chapters will focus on others. Believe me, I have plenty of characters in mind for this story!
Without further procrastination, here it is - chapter 1!
Thoughts echoed in her mind, words, sentences, things that happened in the day. She wished there was an on/off switch for her mind, if only so she could get some sleep. Unfortunately, it seemed that switch had yet to be invented, and she was left up the proverbial creek without a proverbial paddle.
She rolled onto her side, ears picking up on the gentle snores of her roommate. Daisy always seemed to be able to instantly fall sound asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, despite what may or may not have happened during the daytime. Peach envied her that ability, since the blonde was having a particularly difficult time sleeping at the moment. And all because she did that…
Earlier in the day...
The fight was intense. So much so, in fact, that Peach could barely watch, but also found her eyes refused to tear themselves away. Screams surrounded her, all other Smashers supporting their friends. Peach knew she had a favorite fighter on the stage currently, but to admit that would be admitting she was playing favorites with her friends, which was not exactly admirable.
Still, thinking his name over and over in support wouldn't give her away.
'Link, Link, Link,' She thought his name repeatedly, watching as the Hylian in question shot an arrow at one of his two opponents. Captain Falcon dodged the projectile easily, smirking at Link while charging at him. Meanwhile, Link's teammate, a certain overall clad plumber, pulled his cape out to flip Marth around and avoid a particularly devastating sword swing.
"Isn't this exciting?" Daisy squawked, popping a piece of popcorn in her mouth. "Seriously, this is one of the good ones!"
"It is," Peach said quietly, watching Link get kicked around by Falcon.
Daisy bumped the other princess's shoulder with her own, munching another popcorn piece. "Who do you think's gonna win? Or better yet, who do you want to win? I personally think Link and Mario are coming out on top, though I'd prefer if Marth and the Captain did."
"Of course you would," Peach's lips quirked up into a small smile, "since Loverboy's on that side."
She didn't even need to look to know Daisy's cheeks were heating up.
"His name's Marth, thank you very much," Daisy said, "not 'loverboy'. Though, actually, that's not bad. Maybe a new nickname?"
Peach laughed aloud, and finally turned to face her friend. "You give him the weirdest names, you know that?"
The orange-clad princess just grinned and shrugged, before turning back to watch the fight. Peach did likewise, just in time to see Link score a K.O. on Marth.
"Dang it," Daisy muttered, watching as the prince flew off the stage. The clock was quickly ticking down, just over a minute left, and Peach didn't dare look away. "Hey, wait," Daisy muttered, "you never told me who you want to win. Though, I do have a guess."
Peach felt the color drain from her face. If her best friend had figured out she was rooting for Link, and why she was, she'd never hear the end of it.
"I bet you want Mario and Link to win-" the breath flew out of Peach's lungs like someone punched her- "because Mario's on that team."
"Huh?" Peach couldn't help the tiny noise of disbelief she made at her best friend's reasoning. Daisy laughed, popping another piece of popcorn in her mouth to eat before continuing.
"Seriously, you're horrible at hiding your feelings," Daisy said. "I think everyone knows by this point you have a thing for him. I mean, cake and a kiss on the nose? You obviously like the guy, and are holding yourself back from things like, say, kisses on the lips and pet names, because you don't know if he likes you back."
Peach's brain hurt. Physically ached. She barely could wrap her head around what just came out of Daisy's mouth.
Before she could protest, or even snap out of her stupor, the announcer's voice echoed around them all.
"GAME!"
Peach watched as one of the teams was declared the winner, with the other one clapping in the background. Captain Falcon did one of his trademark poses, Marth standing right behind him, beaming. But the princess could only watch Link, clapping for the other team and looking slightly disappointed.
"Don't worry," she whispered under her breath so as not to be heard (not that Daisy was listening anyways, instead cheering for her "Loverboy" at the top of her lungs), "you did good."
Maybe she'd sleep better if she found a nice rock to hide under. Yes, a large, concealing rock that could keep her secret all the night long, and perhaps even longer than that - say, a decade. Of course, Peach knew she was overreacting. Honestly, it wasn't like what she did was completely mortifying or something.
She rolled over again, eyes now travelling over the ceiling. Sleep just was not coming for her, and the longer she stayed in bed, awake, the more antsy she got. The more antsy she got, the more her mind went over the day's events. The more her mind went over the day's events, the more embarrassed she got. The more embarrassed she got, the harder it was to sleep. It was a horrifying chain of events that kept her awake into the wee hours of the morning, but she couldn't seem to end them.
"Congratulations!" Daisy practically forced herself into Marth's arms with the way she lunged at him, barely giving the prince time to react. But he still smiled, swinging her around in the air a few times before planting a quick kiss on her lips.
Peach watched the scene, a few yards away, and felt a strong pang of jealousy. There her best friend was, currently in a happy relationship, and she was left all on her lonesome. It wasn't a good feeling, and it made the blonde a bit sick to her stomach, even though she tried to dispose of it. She should be happy for Daisy and Marth, not envious. But that got more and more difficult for her to accomplish with each passing day.
The room they stood in was small, but not many people currently occupied it. It was the room Smashers were teleported to after a match, a place where they could recuperate for a few minutes and offer proper congratulations to their opponents. Peach wouldn't be there at the moment, but Daisy convinced her to join her while she went and attacked her boyfriend with a kiss and a new pet name.
Peach felt a presence to her right, and she turned. Mario stood by her side, and she hated to admit it, but she felt a small sense of disappointment. She wished the plumber was someone else, no matter how many times she told herself that the one she longed for would never like her in that way.
"Hello, Mario," Peach smiled at the hero, and he smiled back.
"Hello, Princess!" The plumber grinned, still looking a bit winded from the match he'd participated in not five minutes previously. "Were you watching the fight?"
Peach laughed goodnaturedly, "Everyone was! It was probably the best one this season. You all did fantastically."
"Thank you," Mario blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his head and pushing his trademark red cap askew, "I'm sure there'll be plenty more that are just as good - or even better - as the matches become more frequent."
"True," the princess smiled, "but this'll always be remembered as the first." She glanced up, a different voice than Mario's catching her ear. Of course, the speaker wasn't addressing her, but anytime she got to hear his voice was marvelous.
Link shook Captain Falcon's hand vigorously, a smile gracing his perfect lips (Peach had noticed their perfection a long time ago, and the perfection of Link's other features - hair, eyes, even ears). "Good game, Captain," the Hylian hero said, and Peach felt her heartbeat quicken at just the sound of his voice.
Captain Falcon smirked, shaking Link's hand before pulling away and giving the other man a punch in the arm. "You too, elf boy. Maybe a rematch sometime, just me and you?"
Link mirrored the captain, smirk and punch and all. "You bet - I've been waiting to kick your sorry butt since the last tournament."
Peach could've just kept listening in on the two (a task made convenient by the fact they were only a few yards away), but she was pulled from her spying by Mario repeatedly saying her name.
"Princess? Princess Peach? Are you okay?"
The blonde snapped out of her stupor, looking at Mario who looked more than a bit concerned.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mario," Peach finally responded, "I was just- thinking about something." 'More like someone,' she thought miserably, but pushed the thought aside.
Mario smiled, "It's alright, Princess. I was just-"
"Mario!" The voice came from seemingly out of nowhere, but was easily recognizable to Peach.
"Hey, brother!" Mario grinned, and he and Luigi shared a quick hug.
Peach wondered if this was her moment to slip away, to perhaps approach Link like she'd been wanting to for so long, but then Luigi's words pulled her back to reality.
"Everyone's waiting to see you all out there," Luigi grinned, pointing behind him to the door. "They'd come in, but we all know this room's too small for 50 people!"
Laughter filled the room, and Peach smiled to herself. Ever since Luigi's first tournament, he was coming more and more out of his shy shell. She felt like everyday she met a side to the green-clad plumber she'd never seen before.
"I guess we'd better get out there, then," Marth smiled, Daisy holding his hand, and the small group walked out of the room.
Peach slowly pulled the covers back, legs sliding off the bed. Her feet slipped into a pair of hot pink fuzzy slippers, and she stood. She wondered if perhaps a walk would do her overactive mind some good.
The princess walked to a chair that was sitting in front of a desk, careful to be quiet so as to avoid waking her roommate. On the back of the chair was a loose-fitting silk bathrobe, and she slid it onto her thin frame. Still keeping quiet, she walked to the door and cracked it open slowly, closing it behind her swiftly.
The halls of the mansion were, unsurprisingly, dead silent. It was almost two in the morning, after all. Peach slowly tiptoed down the corridor, unsure of her destination. Her shadow followed behind her almost eerily, moonlight spilling in from tall windows that showcased a huge field just outside the mansion walls.
Peach's mind was still abuzz, thinking over the day. As she walked, she began making a mental list of people to avoid the following day so as to avoid the most embarrassment. There were Fox and Samus, although she doubted the bounty huntress would give her trouble for what had happened (and for that matter, she doubted Fox would either). Then there was Zelda, and although Peach could normally trust her, in this particular instance, she wasn't so sure… Then, of course, there were Marth and Daisy. Daisy would, for sure, be the most difficult one to deal with. Luigi was also present on Peach's mental list, though she wasn't sure if he'd be problematic or not. On the one hand, he was a wonderful person and extremely trustworthy, but on the other hand… Oh, she didn't even want to think about the other hand.
Peach came out of her thoughts, noticing with a start she'd walked almost the entire length of the mansion and reached the front door. 'Perhaps some fresh air would do me some good,' she thought, reaching for the gold handle and opening the heavy mahogany door. Instantly, chilly fall air spilled into the front hall, and Peach shivered. Her robe was very thin, as were her pajamas. She wondered if it would have been smarter to change before taking her walk, but decided it was pointless to wonder. She was already here, and here was where she was going to stay.
The moon was the first thing she noticed upon stepping outside. It was huge, and the "Man on the Moon", as he was dubbed, was perfectly light being given completely illuminated the field on her left, and the woods to her right (which were maybe a mile away from the mansion itself).
"Isn't it nice?"
Peach almost had a heart attack, and she spun to face the man lying in the grass a few yards away from her. As soon as her eyes stopped on her companion's face, however, she was sure she actually did have a heart attack.
"...Link?"
The sound of the billiard balls bouncing off one another was almost soothing to Peach. She didn't know why, but that sound was one of her favorites. Of course, she could barely hear it over the ridiculously loud chatter of the room's occupants, but that didn't really bother her at the moment.
"...and can you believe it, my canon was clogged." Only the second half of Samus's sentence reached Peach, and she blinked, oblivious. The two were sitting on a large couch in the game room of the mansion, other friends of theirs doing various activities. Samus raised a blonde eyebrow, visible since she wasn't wearing her power suit, instead opting for a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. "You listening?"
Peach nodded, hoping the bounty huntress would believe her. Samus looked skeptical, but continued. "Alright. So anyways, I lost the match because of it, and that space pilot has held it over my head since."
"You know I won that match fair and square," Fox called from his spot leaning against the pool table, "and you've just been using the 'clogged canon' excuse ever since to make me look bad."
Samus scowled. Peach (and every other Smasher, for that matter) knew all about how much Samus and Fox hated the other one, but the princess hadn't really known why. Up until now, that is.
"So," Peach started, addressing both Fox and Samus, "you two have this heated rivalry because of this match you just told me about?"
Fox scoffed, turning to the table to watch Daisy finally make her shot, which failed. "Nah, it started waaaay before that match. In fact, that match was during the Melee Tournament, wasn't it?"
Samus scowled, "You know full well it was in 64, you idiot. Don't play dumb."
"Why would I do that?" Fox queried, lining up his cue stick.
Samus began responding angrily to her rival, but Peach tuned them out. Her mind was more attracted to the idea of thinking of Link than listening to the two bicker. Thoughts of sky blue eyes. Thoughts of perfectly sculpted ears, soft, golden hair, and a smile that could kill it was so amazing. She thought of the time she first met Link, how he was so cordial and polite. The time she actually was lucky enough to be on a team with him and he took more than one hit for her (she knew he probably did it so they could win, and not because of some secret affection, but a lovesick girl will dream about these things).
The couch cushion sunk underneath someone else's weight, and Peach snapped out of her reverie, turning to watch Daisy settle in.
"Fox is gonna take forever to take his turn," she groaned, glancing at the Smasher in question, who was currently entering a heated argument with Samus.
"Maybe," Peach giggled, scooching a bit to give Daisy more room. "Where's Marth?"
Daisy smiled, pointing across the room. "He and Luigi are playing cards. An intense game of 'Go Fish', apparently."
Peach laughed aloud, knowing full well that a simple game of Go Fish could be very intense if held between Smashers.
"Oh, I envy you," the blonde said a minute or so after her laughing bout, "you and Marth have such a great relationship."
Daisy's smile flickered, but only for a split second. Peach was sure she'd imagined it because it was so fast and nearly imperceptible. "We do, don't we?" The tomboyish princess said, leaning back on the couch. "You know, you and Mario could have the same thing, too, if you or him got enough courage to confess your feelings to the other."
Peach felt her own smile falter, and she decided it was time to set her friend straight. "Daisy, I don't like Mario. At least, not in that way. We're just friends."
At this Daisy snorted, "I don't believe that! Seriously, it's obvious you two like one another."
Peach felt her teeth clench slightly, "I'm being serious, Daisy. He's my friend and nothing more."
"Why do you keep denying it?" Daisy said in a wondering tone, eyeing Peach strangely.
"Because I'm trying to tell you the truth," Peach said simply. "I don't like Mario like that. I like someone el-" She felt her breath fly out of her lungs, realizing what she just said aloud.
Daisy's eyes instantly lit up, and she leaned forward. "Oooh, so it's someone else, huh? Who? You've gotta tell me!"
"No, I don't," Peach almost stuttered, "because you just heard wrong."
The blonde's friend smirked, "I don't believe I did. Who is he? Who?"
Peach really tried to ignore her. For the next half hour, the auburn haired princess followed her around like a lost puppy, trying to bug her into telling her. She even forfeited her billiard game with Fox just to devote all her energies to figuring out Peach's secret crush.
After 45 minutes, Peach felt herself cracking. The same people were still in the room, though Zelda had joined them and they were all doing different things. Samus and Fox had started their own game of pool, possibly the most aggressive game of pool anyone present had seen. Marth and Luigi had started playing Old Maid instead, and let Zelda join them. Daisy was still trailing after Peach.
"Who is he?" She asked for the millionth time. "I won't be able to sleep tonight unless I know!"
Peach's left eye twitched. If Daisy asked one more time, she might-
"Pleeease? Who is h-"
"IT'S LINK, OKAY?! I LIKE LINK, NOT MARIO! NOW WOULD YOU STOP BOTHERING ME?!" Peach wasn't really planning on spinning on her best friend while screaming her secret crush's name at the top of her lungs: it just kind of happened. As soon as she yelled the words, however, her hand flew to her mouth.
Daisy seemed to be at a loss for words, and for possibly the first time in their long friendship, Peach heard her stutter. "I- P-Peach…"
Everyone's eyes were on her, and she knew it. Without a second thought, she turned and ran out of the game room, ignoring half-hearted protests from Fox to try and get her to stay. Her eyes were already filling with tears, and she just had to hide before she burst into uncontrollable sobs.
'What have I done?'
"That's my name," Link laughed in response to Peach's reaction to seeing him there. "If you don't mind my asking, why are you up so late?"
Peach watched as the Hylian sat up, looking back at her expectantly. She couldn't tell him exactly why she was still awake, as that would require telling him that she liked him, and that just wouldn't do. So she decided to turn the question back around to him.
"Why are you still up?" Peach said, pulling her robe closer to herself.
Link smiled, looking up at the sky. "Because I love the moon. When I saw it was so big tonight, I couldn't resist coming out and watching it for awhile."
"It is very pretty tonight," the princess admitted, glancing up at the glowing orb hanging in the sky. When her eyes went back down to Link, he was patting the ground next to him.
"You can join me, if you'd like. Company is always appreciated."
Peach felt like her heart jumped straight out of her chest, traveled halfway round the world, and slammed back into place. He was asking her to sit with him. Link was asking her to keep him company. She couldn't speak, and was sure her facial expression was completely ridiculous looking. Link was still waiting, though his own facial expression began to reveal he was wondering what was taking her so long. Finally, she choked the words out.
"I- I'm not sure I can," she said, mind screaming at her mouth to stop. But now that it was going, it just kept running against her wishes. "I mean, it's kind of cold out." She shook her robe a bit at these words, further explaining with the small action. "I was only coming out here for a minute because of insomnia. But thank you for the offer." 'What are you doing, you idiot - he just asked you to keep him company and you turned him down? AREN'T YOU TRYING TO DEVELOP A DANG RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, HERE?!'
"I understand," Link nodded, smile looking a tad disappointed. 'Now look what you did, you made him sad you monster-' "I come out here most nights the moon is visible, however, so you can join me whenever you'd like. The offer stands," he smiled, lying back down on the downy grass.
Peach blinked once. Twice. Slowly she nodded, before she realized he wasn't looking at her anymore and she choked out a measly "okay". Then she turned around slowly, walking back inside.
'He said I can join him whenever. He said I can join him whenever.' The thought was like a mantra, repeating itself the entire walk back to her room.
Peach stepped into the room, half her mind trying to tell her to be quiet while the other half couldn't care less. She took off her robe slowly, and her slippers followed. Once she was safely back in bed, her mind seemed to snap out of it.
'Keep it together, Peach… I can't believe I just turned him down out there! What is wrong with me?' She thought of Link's sad expression, and his offer, and everything that happened during the day.
It took her hours longer to get to sleep, and when she did, there was a small smile on her face and a new thought in her head - 'Maybe I have a chance.'
Author's Note: So. The first sight of pairings! Peach likes Link, and Marth and Daisy are dating! Also, random rivalry between Fox and Samus, lol. Don't worry, I plan on including much fluff/drama/angst/romance/humor in this fic. I love those genres, sooo... Yeah. Don't think everything is gonna solve itself for our lovely characters - they'll have to fight for their happy endings ;) Thanks for reading, and reviews/favorites/follows are always appreciated. And if you have any constructive criticism for me, I'll take it gladly.
See you next chapter, if you'll join me! :D