Hi everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I don't have much to say so we'll get to the story. Except two things.
1. You guys seemed really pepped about the DDR thing. I'm sorry to report this, but it's not happening this chapter. This chapter is focused on Marth/Samus the whole time, because it will be their last big debut for a while. It's basically the question people have been asking about the two of them. What exactly happened in their past? This is what the chapter is dedicated to. So...now you'll finally know. I hope this isn't a let down. You'll definitely see the DDR next time.
2. Bumble Bee, I can't reply to you since you have no log on or email I can refer to. So I wanted to tell you, I did watch Sad Tango. It was a quite alright video. Thanks for that link.
Okay, please enjoy!
Thanks for the reviews! And mistakes told to me, are much appreciated!
Chapter Thirteen
"They've been up there for a long time. I was only kidding when I told them not to kill each other. Think they went through with it?" Roy asked Peach.
Peach was lying on her stomach on the couch, gazing at one of Gem Stevenson's magazines. The cover had a combined picture of Chyna and Ginger in swimsuits. She saw a couple of pictures of Daisy on the inside. "You've never been in a real relationship have you? Listen. It's quiet. You don't hear any arguing, so they're up there forgiving each other intimately." She flipped the page of the magazine.
"Intimately? You mean?" Roy jumped up from his chair, and ran towards the edge of the stairs. "HEY! MARTH! SAMUS! I'M TALKING TO YOU! YOU BETTER NOT BE HAVING SEX IN MY ROOM! ESPECIALLY ON MY BED!" Roy shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Roy. How did your parents put up with you?" Peach asked rhetorically before going back to her magazine. She looked up again when she heard thumping above her head. The rickety noise grew louder.
"Oh man. They're really doing it," Roy said in a panic. "In my room. On my bed."
"Calm your dirty mind. It's just the stairs," Peach explained. She smirked when she saw Marth and Samus walking together down the steps. "Ooh la la. What do we have here?" Peach said, referring to the two's interlaced hands.
Samus blushed at the comment while Marth simply grinned. He was so happy that he didn't know what to do with himself. "Well, you two may as well know that Sam and I are together again," he announced.
Samus turned to Roy, with flustered eyebrows. "By the way, get your heard out of the gutter. We didn't do anything in your bedroom. We know better, give us some credit here."
"Hey, when lovers makeup in a bedroom you can only assume one thing," Roy said, but received support from no one.
"Anyway," Peach spoke, "where are you two off to?"
"We're going to my apartment to go get Marth's blazer," Samus answered. "Then we're going to have to make a couple of phone calls to our parents."
Marth took over for Samus. "I've decided to let my parents know I'm okay now. They deserve to know before my mother turns this city upside down. Plus we need to get our parents together and tell them the news." he smiled at Roy and Peach. "Thanks for putting up with me these past days.
"Oh, it's no prob. You just gotta help me out on the next rent," Roy said. "And that's no joke."
"You're too kind." Marth put his arms around his girlfriend's waist. "So, we better shove off. But..." He started to feel at Samus' jeans pockets. "Where are your car keys?"
"You're not driving my car. Besides…" Samus smiled as she got out of his grasp. "They're not in my pockets. Now come on." Samus waved to Peach and Roy before heading towards the exit.
Marth copied the same gesture to his friends, before following Samus. "Where are you hiding them then?"
"Some place you don't need to be checking!" Peach and Roy heard Samus yell from the outside.
"Oh, so that's where you were keeping them. I'm bound to be checking there sooner or later!" Marth called back with a laugh. The door slammed shut.
Roy sighed, realizing what Marth had meant. "You know. I think I liked it better when they hated each other."
Peach dreamily looked at the couple through the window. "Well, I think they're just too cute for words. Seeing them like that, you really can't understand why they broke up at all."
ooo
"So, what are you going to say to your family? Have you planned it out?" Samus pulled the car out onto the road. She glanced at Marth, who was now resting his head against the side of the car.
"Mm, I'm not sure. Something will come to me before we get there." He fell silent, and Samus looked at him when they stopped at a red light. He wasn't thinking at all, but sleeping peacefully. Samus chuckled. I guess he hasn't done much sleeping since his disappearance. This feels so weird, to just be sitting here with him like a happy couple again. That time was so long ago.
Two Years Ago
"So, this is where you've been hiding." Samus knew the voice well enough to not turn around. She simply ignored Marth, and continued to stare out at Nintendo City.
"Sam? Hello? Anyone home?" Marth playfully asked. Samus kept her lips fastened together. Suddenly, she felt a chill run up her spine as Marth tickled her waist, making her jump.
Samus flipped around. "Would you stop joking around?" Marth had fallen back when her eyes flared at him. His own eyes started to pout, making Samus slightly guilty. But not guilty enough to speak kindly to him. "Just leave me alone."
"Leave you alone? But I need you to come with me. We'll be cutting the cake soon, and I would like it if you come up there with me," Marth explained. "Otherwise it won't be as special."
"I'm sure there are other special people in your life. Like your stupid agent buddies. Why don't you guys just get married, cut the cake, and dance on top of it!" Samus snapped before facing the city again.
"So, that's what this is about." Marth stepped over to the spot to the left of Samus. He tried to look at her, but she turned her head again. "Sam, listen to me. You know as well as I do I have no control over my work. I have to go where I'm needed."
"For two years? Your work has lasted a week, sometimes two. But never have they been a two-year expedition." Samus turned back to Marth, looking as angry as ever. "Obviously, you don't understand how long that is. You are leaving me for two years."
"You know we'll talk everyday.
It's not as if I'm going off to war." He moved to put an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "I'm coming back as long as you're here waiting for me." Samus moved further away from Marth, making his attempt to get her in his arms a failure. She shook her head and walked as far away from him as she could. "Come on, Samus. This is ridiculous. You know I love you. What do you want me to do to show it?"
Samus stopped at the other end of the balcony. She turned back around to face him with eyes closed. "If you love me, you'll turn down that stupid mission and stay here with me. It's not worth it. And if you don't, I don't want to see you any more."
Marth was taken aback by what she said. He could tell Samus was serious about what she had said to him. But at the same time, he felt anger towards Samus for being so selfish. How could she put such a question on the line? There was only one way to answer it.
"Fine then." He started. Samus opened her eyes and saw the solemn look on her boyfriend's face. "I guess I can't love you then. I am going to France. I want to do this, and I wish you would be more supportive."
Samus' face hardened. "Then there's nothing else to say to you. Just know you're making a big mistake. I'm going home." Samus walked past Marth, shoving into him on purpose as she went back through the door.
Marth wanted to follow after her but held still. He loved Samus more than anything, but he knew she acted like a brat whenever she didn't get her way. He couldn't always cater to her wants. He sighed as he walked back inside to see his friends and family all waiting for him to return.
"Come on, Marth." His mother exclaimed as she pulled him over to the three-layered cake. "Everyone's eager to eat that cake. Doesn't it look great? Sure, it took three times to get it right, but only the best for my little boy."
"Um…yes. Thank you, Mother." Marth came to a halt in front of the cake. He looked at the crowd of people on the other side of the cake. Some shouted for him to do a speech and Marth saw a flashing light from a camera every now and then. He smiled weakly, embarrassed by the attention. "Well…I don't know what to say. First off, I'd like to thank all you all for throwing this "Going Away" party for me. It has been real fun getting to see everyone I've known throughout my life. So, I want to thank all of you. My family, my friends, for just being here all these years for some troubled guy like me."
He got a few laughs from his audience. He chuckled himself, but it faded as he peered to the back of the room. He could spot Samus' blonde head as she rummaged through the front door closet of his home. He sighed. "But out of all my friends, I have a special one, who's more important to me than she realizes. Right now she hates me for even deciding to leave."
He observed Samus stopping at the door, knowing he was talking about her. He continued, "Though I cannot blame her. Being apart from her will be painful for me as well. You all know her. She's the cute blonde with those gorgeous green eyes brighter than any emerald."
Samus blushed madly when she saw the audience of friends and family turn around and face her. She started to hear all the "aww's", "how cute's", or people just snickering away. He lives to embarrass me. I swear I'll kill him!
"She's my girlfriend. My beautiful Samus. She gives herself to little credit on how great she is. She's smart, funny, and caring when she isn't pouting." Marth explained. Samus walked away from the door and continued to listen to him. "Back when we met as kids, I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her, we would have a strong connection. Well, look where we are now: four years and still together." Marth smiled at his girlfriend. "And I wouldn't do anything to ruin it. I'll miss you more than you'll ever know."
He then dove the knife into the cake, cutting the first piece. "With that said, let's all eat cake!" The crowd cheered and they immediately charged for the cake. Marth dodged the hungry guests smoothly while making his way over to the patiently waiting Samus. "Did you like the speech?"
"It was sweet, but did you have to go and embarrass me like that?" Samus first said.
"It was just to lighten the mood." The two of them stared at the other guests pushing and shoving for the dessert. "Something tells me my friends were more excited for cake than me," Marth said with a chuckle.
"Your mom's cake is good. But you matter much more to me." Samus dodged Marth's slow movement to kiss her. "Which is why I don't want you to go. Are you sure you can't get out of it?" Marth shook his head, making Samus sigh. "Then I guess I'll have to be the adult here and wait for you." She placed her arms over his shoulders. "You know, this really sucks." Samus said in a whisper.
Marth nodded against her hair; an amber smell roosted deep within the locks. "I promise you're not going to lose me. Count on it." The two shared a brief kiss, thinking they were the only ones in the world. But a soft click from a camera proved otherwise.
Marth looked up. He groaned when seeing the camera in his friend, Roy Varvel's hands. "Say Cheese."
Marth simply rolled his eyes and played along as he pulled Samus into him by the waist, and they both smiled for the picture.
CLICK!
Samus looked up at Marth as he suddenly laughed, before letting go of her to retrieve the camera from Roy. Samus felt tears building her eyes, but she stopped herself from crying by laughing. She needed to stay strong. Marth, you say everything's going to be okay. So I'll believe you. You've never let me down before, so you better not start now.
The Present
"Here it is," Samus said as she ventured into her closet She came back out with Marth's black blazer bundled in her arms.
Marth sat at the studio mirror, looking around the mirror's frame."I see you took down all the pictures of you and me."
Samus sat down on her bed across from him. She nodded. "Isn't that normally what you do after two people break up? You throw out everything that carries a memory of your relationship with your ex. Didn't you toss some stuff?"
"No," Marth answered. Well that's partially a lie. I threw out a few things that reminded me of her. But I stopped when I realized I couldn't do it anymore. I was still in love with her. I wonder how Samus could do it with such ease. I guess what happened did have a terrible effect on her. But what was I supposed to do? It just happened.
France, Two Years Ago
"This place is great. Maybe, I should become a CIA agent too," Roy said for what seemed like the fifth time that day to Marth.
Marth chuckled as he looked over at his friend. The two were sitting outside of a French cafe after eating lunch. Marth had invited Roy to visit him over the summer. Samus was his first choice, but her father immediately dismissed the invitation, saying her singing engagements were far too demanding at the time, and then added something else about father-daughter bonding that summer. Marth was no stranger to Mr. Aran's disapproval of their dating, and though he knew he was purposely trying to keep them apart, the young man was eager to do whatever he could to make her father accept him. But if all else failed, as it did, Roy was always Marth's go-to for a good, fun time.
Roy's dropped jaw followed the French girls walking by their table. He had a video camera in his hand, taping the girls walking by with their short skirts. "Ah…" Roy said as he saw the girls' skirts sway back and forth. "I love zee' French girls," he said in a fake accent.
Marth shook his head, reaching out for the camera. "You're terrible. How can you sit there taping those girls in such a disgraceful way? What happened to the 'He-Man Woman-hater' Roy? No dating, no kissing?" Marth questioned.
"College can change a boy into a man, Bro." Roy fiddled with the camera. "Now, how do I rewind this thing?"
"You're setting a bad example for the people of Nintendo."
"Oh, sorry. Let me tape you, instead. This is Marth Lowell everyone." Roy shoved the video camera in his friend's face. "He likes ponies, kittens, and puppies. Instead of hooking up with the sexy French babes of Paris, he likes to stay pure by drinking Shirley Temples." Roy laughed, seeing his friend getting annoyed. "You're hopeless, dude. What's the point of going away if you're not going to check out the sites of Paris? Every single beautiful site?"
"First off, there's absolutely nothing wrong with drinking Shirley Temples. They're quite refreshing. Secondly, this is why you are still searching around for a girlfriend. You do too much ogling."
Roy snorted, still taping this conversation. "Please. If you don't ogle, how do you know when you'll find Miss Right? We can't all be as fortunate as you, finding your first and only love in the playground sandbox." Roy sighed. "Girls are complicated creatures. Take that blonde heiress I told you about who moved into the hostel. She acts as if she's just an alien to this world. She doesn't understand the concept of cleaning and she's just an oddball. But she is just fine!"
"Anything else interesting about her? You have to go for more than just looks. Is she sweet and sincere? Intelligent or witty? Something?"
"Let's just say she's a more classy and sophisticated girl. But she has a great smile. She seems right, but then she doesn't like my jokes."
Marth sucked the last bit of his drink out of his straw. "But no one likes your jokes. So I think it's a start." He looked past Roy to see a crowd of people all looking over the edge of a railing out to the man-made ocean. When he turned, he would've snapped at Roy for just stealing his cherries off his drink, but he was too interested in the commotion. "What do you think is going on over there?"
"Dunno. Let's go check it out." Roy popped the last cherry in his mouth. He shot up from his chair, bringing the video camera with him. The two males rushed to the scene. They stood right body of water's edge. Roy was the first to spot the trouble. "Oh, dude! Check it out!"
Marth looked in the direction of Roy's eyes. Far out into the ocean, there was a woman fighting with the current. he was gasping and flying her arms around wildly. She fell beneath the surface of the water, dipping up and down. Marth's eyes widened. "She's drowning and no one's out there to help. Isn't anyone going to save her?"
"Well..." Roy looked at the spectators. They look worried but did not move a muscle. "I'm afraid they're not fans of the water. Someone with elite swimming skills should go out there and save her." Roy patted Marth's shoulder. "So, hop to it!"
Marth looked at his friend like he was crazy. "Why can't it be you?"
"I'm a slow swimmer, I wouldn't get there in time. More importantly, I'm wearing nice clothes." Roy argued. "You wouldn't want me to be sopping wet, would you?"
Marth glared at him before sighing and readying himself. "…why am I always getting the hero jobs!" He said as he dove into the river and swam as fast as he could to the slowly drowning girl.
ooo
"Marth! Lie her down here!" Roy was standing by a nearby bench. The crowd had now moved from the ocean's edge to surrounding Marth who carried the girl in his arms. The girl had brown hair cut in a cute Pixie style. She was dressed in a green summer dress, indicating she had not jumped into the river on purpose. Marth knelt by the body and listened by her mouth.
"She's not breathing." He looked up at the crowd of people. "Can someone call for an ambulance?"
"There's no time for that. Why don't you give her CPR?" Roy had the camera running in his hand, taping the whole event from the beginning. Roy shrugged innocently as Marth once again gave him one of his death looks. "Come on. You know how to do it. Unless you want to live a life feeling guilty about a girl's death."
Marth bent down next to the girl. He knew he had to do it. For some reason his mind went to Samus. Was he being unfaithful by doing this? No. She would understand. He pressed his mouth against the girl's pushing his own breath into her lungs. He lifted his head for a second to see she still hadn't made any movement. He went down again. Then, once more. As he readied himself again, the girl coughed, trapped water spraying out like a mist. Marth kneeled closer to make sure she was okay. What happened next, happened in seconds. He felt arms wrap around his neck in a quick motion. Marth's eyes flew open when he felt a tongue slide into his mouth. The girl was wide-awake now, but she was kissing him! Marth felt the need to move and rose his body up, but the brunette rose with him; her lips still attached to his own. Though Marth wanted to pull the girl off, all he did was shut his eyes and kiss her. He was losing all sense of what he was doing, until he felt someone catch a hold of his shirt and yank him loose.
"Marth!" Roy called.
Marth's eyes opened and he pushed himself away from the girl. Did he just do what he thought he just did? He looked at the girl who was now smiling at him innocently. Her big brown eyes stared gratefully at him. "You wonderful man. You saved me," she said in her French accent. "I just thought I would reward such a handsome guy with a kiss and maybe more?"
"No. No, that's alright." Marth got off the bench. He stepped far away from the girl. "Just be more safe in the water!" He said with a nervous chuckle. He quickly grabbed Roy's arm, getting a complaint from him. But Marth didn't care as he dragged him and his friend away from the crowd as he could. I can't believe…I mean, it only took one second
"Marth, you're gonna get us lost in this city!" Roy yanked his friend to a stop. They stopped in front of one of the oldest museums in Paris. Marth nodded and sat down on the Museum steps. Roy happily sat down next to him. "Wow. That was something, huh?"
"Did you not notice what happened?" Marth saw Roy's video camera in his hand. "Is that thing still recording? Erase all of it!" Marth snapped at his friend. He ran a hand through his hair. "How did this happen? I can't believe…I just… I can't even say it." He shook his head. "I know Samus wanted a video of France, but I can't let her see that kiss. Sam can't know a thing about this."
"Hey, it was the French girl who assaulted you first," Roy said.
"But I didn't have to go along with it. I don't know what came over me...Samus can't see this."
Roy nodded. "Don't worry. I got it covered. My laptop's at home, we can edit out that whole kiss. She won't suspect a thing. But you are eventually going to tell her, right?"
Marth looked at Roy only for a second before shaking his head. "No. As long as I can prevent her from knowing," Marth started to get horrid thoughts of what Samus' face would turn into if she ever saw it, "it will never be revealed."
Present Time
And I didn't say anything. Roy and I erased that scene from the video that very same day. But I guess seeing me give the girl CPR was too much for her. Sure, it was like a kiss. I think I only kissed the girl because I hadn't seen Samus in so long. But it still gave me no right. Marth's thoughts came to a halt when he saw Samus bring out a big brown box from her closet.
She carried it back over to where Marth was sitting. She grinned sheepishly at him, as she sat back down. "Confession time. I said I threw our memories away, but I actually stored most of them in this box." She opened the box while opening Marth's eyes to seeing memories of their past.
"After what you said earlier, I was sure you had a big bonfire and burned everything." Marth dived his hands into the box. His eyes came across many of the gifts and mementos he had given his girlfriend. There were pictures, preserved roses, and he laughed when he saw his self-portrait from the third grade.
"I still love it to this day," Samus said.
Marth went further into the box and pulled out something that made Samus' heart almost stop. It was a DVD Rom entitled, Summer in France. It was the DVD that had ruined Samus' relationship with Marth. That one kiss from the girl. As soon as Samus saw that part she immediately stopped watching the video. She never even finished it nor put it back in her player ever again.
It was funny how one little video could just ruin everything.
Nintendo City, Two Years Ago
"Hey Sam."
Seventeen-year-old Samus looked up from her music theory work as her parents approached her with happy looks on their faces. Or at least her mother looked happy. Mrs. Aran waved a manila envelope in front of her face. "Guess what came in the mail today, babe? It's from you-know-who."
Samus felt a large grin plaster on her face. "Don't joke around. You know how much I've missed him." Samus squealed as she watched her father nod. She took the envelope from her mother. "This must be the DVD from his summer vacation in France. I asked him to videotape everything. Let's watch it."
As Samus watched the movie she felt relieved to see Marth safe. Marth showed the beautiful sights of France, some of the boring sights (Marth was way into history, and Samus could only pretend to be interested), the funny things, and then showed the romantic Eiffel tower as he whispered a promise to take her there some day. Her grin only grew as she watched her boyfriend enjoy his time abroad. But then, she didn't expect to see what happened next. Samus watched as Marth dived into the ocean to save a drowning girl. Her boyfriend quickly brought the girl in to safety, making Samus proud of his rescue. But what she saw next made her just freeze her place. Samus felt paralyzed as she watched Marth lips fall on the woman's.
Samus gasped, pausing the tape right on the two kissers. She didn't want to believe it was true. She was praying it was someone else. But there was no point in feigning. Marth had really kissed the girl, and Samus was punished by seeing the terrible scene. "No way. How could he?"
ooo
"Marth! Are we going out to eat or what?" Mr. Lowell had called out to his son as he pulled on his overcoat. "I'm gonna have a hunger hangover if you don't hurry up."
"Hold on, Dad. I just want to see if-" Marth's words were interrupted from a beeping sound from his laptop. He looked to see Samus had sent an email to him. He smiled, realizing Samus must have gotten his email. He asked how she was doing, if she got the DVD film, and if she enjoyed it. "Wait. I want to read the email Samus sent me. I haven't heard from her in a while." Marth opened the email, but he didn't expect to see that the contents of the letter were full of anger and hatred.
Marth-
Let me see if I can clarify what you asked me. You asked me what I thought about your video? Well, what the hell do you think I thought of it? You send me this BS and think I'll be happy with it. How dare you send me a video of you kissing some other girl! I don't know what possessed you to send me this! But if you think I'm smiling about that stupid video, you can think again! I never want to speak to you again, Marth Lowell! You cold heartless jerk!"
Marth almost fell out of his chair as he read the email over and over again. This couldn't be Samus who sent this. His father was standing over him, reading the letter. Marth looked up at him, wondering what was going on, but his father simply shrugged. Marth knew he left the CPR part on there, but he took the kiss right off the video. Was Samus getting uptight just for saving a girl's life? He immediately wrote back to Samus, explaining the whole situation to her. He mentioned to her over and over again about how he was only giving the girl CPR. He didn't mention the "after kiss" that the woman gave him for saving her. Samus didn't take that long to reply back:
Oh yeah, like that was really CPR. I know a French kiss when I see one! Nice try, but I'm not stupid. I suggest you save yourself the trouble of explaining your making out with that girl. You already dug your grave, now lay in it. I'm through with you. Do you know how hard it was for me to agree with you leaving for two years? But I trusted you. You promised everything would be fine, that nothing would change between us. Then you pull something heartless like this. That was a great speech at your Going Away party about you promising our relationship can never be ruined. Congratulations, your promise has failed. I hope you and your pretty little harlot are happy together. We're done, Marth. Done.
"Whoa," Mr. Lowell said as he looked down at his equally shocked son. Marth couldn't believe it.
"Why doesn't she believe me? It really was CPR. She should...she has to know I would never do this on purpose." Marth's hands were trembling against his keys.
Mr. Lowell placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Tension is just high, son. You can try to explain it to her again. Though she may not listen according to her letter. This only proves my point about that Aran family. They just cannot be taken seriously. They nitpick too much about the little things. You should have known their daughter would turn out the same."
Surprisingly to himself, Marth didn't jump to defend Samus. He never would let his father speak hatefully about her while he was around. But at the moment, all he felt was a sudden bitterness towards her. He thought Samus would understand but she was being selfish. She had never hurt Marth as much as she did in that email. He angrily pressed the reply button on the computer, planning to write a hateful email to Samus that she would never forget.
ooo
Samus-
I didn't want to send a response to you, but you just really surprise me. I never would have thought you were selfish and possessive to this degree. As I said, no matter how much you want to stupidly go against it, it was just CPR! She wasn't breathing! Did you want me to let the girl just die?
Maybe it would be hurtful in my eyes if I were in you shoes, but I wouldn't hate you for it. Instead I would be proud, because you would have saved a life. But no, you only were thinking about the fact that I'm your boyfriend and I can't put lips on anyone else. You should know I would never willingly do anything like that to you.
You're quick to say I'm not trustworthy. Let's talk about you, Samus. I'm sure you put your lips on a hundred boys since I left! That's the way you singing celebrities are! Kissing every male in sight, throwing your bodies at them like prostitutes. Maybe it's best this did happen. We really aren't meant for each other.
You're better off on your own.
Marth's email took Samus' rage to a whole new level. "Marth…YOU BASTARD!" Samus angrily grabbed her laptop and, without thinking, threw her laptop against the wall. She swore she heard several "cracking" noises from the laptop, but her blind anger stopped her from caring. She grabbed the laptop again, and started slamming it furiously against the wall over and over again. "STUPID! STUPID! I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"
In between her ranting her mother and father had entered the room. Mr. Aran tried to pry the laptop away from his daughter, but she refused as she screamed at him to let go. Mrs. Aran wrapped her arms around her shoulders trying to hold her down. Eventually Samus collapsed against her mother's body, falling on her knees and sobbing. Her mother stroked her hair, trying to console her daughter to the best of her abilities as she kept muttering how she hated Marth.
Samus felt as if death would clutch her at any moment. She had never broken down this much in her life. She had her share of fights with Marth, but none like this. Did he really not care about her at all? "I loved him, Mom…I really did." She repeated to her mom over and over against her body. "I really did."
"Samus, you have to calm down for a moment. Try talking with him again when you're ready," her mother suggested.
Mr. Aran shook his head. " "Why bother? That family. I swear that they can't be trusted. They sweet talk you and then they lure you in like kids with candy. They manipulate you in their trap until they grow tired of you. God, and when they're through, they think of cruelest way to rip you apart."
"Darren!" Lydia snapped as Samus sobbed even harder. "How could you even say a thing like that?"
"No. It's true, Mom." Samus said through her sobs. "I'm such an idiot. He just toyed with me. It was too good to be true, that'd he would truly be in loved with me. I was caught the moment I said I loved him, too. If I could get those years back I would. Now, I have to be plagued with this for the rest of my life. I will never forgive him!"
ooo
"WHY!" Marth yelled as he angrily swung his fist into the hallway mirror. The mirror easily cracked from the force behind his fist. His right fist trickled in blood as he punched his fist over and over again. He had to fill himself with pain, anything to fight back the tears threatening him."I wasted my whole life with her!" Marth shouted.
His father was watching from far away, not wanting to interfere. Marth and anger were rarely together, and when they were in company, his father knew his son had the tendency to fall into a rampage. He may have been angry with Samus, but he would move his physical anger from the mirror to his father in seconds. It had happened before. "She wasn't who I thought she was!"
He finally paused, breathing hard. All he could see was red. The red blood on his hands, the mirror, and the now the little sparkling shards with sprinkles of blood. He tried to punch those too, the tears attacking him again, those tiny shards reminding him of the so many shards of memories he shared with Samus. The shards became smaller and smaller, but never faded away. His tears finally found their way out. There were too many good memories, unforgettable memories of someone he truly cherished. There was no fighting it.
Marth banged his fist against the mirror. He slid against the mirror to floor, leaving a blood trail on the mirror on his way down. He fell on the ground, and his frustrated tears attacked his weakened body. "I can't forget her," he said, so low his father didn't hear him. "No matter how much it hurts that she didn't believe me. I can't forget her. I can't lose her. I still love you, Samus."
Present Time
Samus slid to the floor as she clutched the video in her hands. She sighed and thought back on what happened after that day. Samus remembered crying for hours nonstop. She neither left her home for the rest of the summer nor did she focus on her music. She hardly spoke to her family or her friends. She just stayed in her room, wrapped in her sheets. The pain of Marth's words left her in that critical state for at least a month and depressed for many months following it.
"I can still remember how shocked I was when I saw you kiss that girl on that tape," Samus said to Marth with a laugh. She didn't want him to see she was still skeptical. She could see Marth ready to argue against it, but she continued. "I wanted to strangle you for looking like you enjoyed it. Luckily, Roy pulled you off before you two got too intimate."
Marth got down on the floor, approaching Samus. "Did you say Roy pulled me off?" Samus nodded. "Wait. But that means you saw the whole kiss?"
Samus lowered her eyes at her boyfriend. " Yes, Marth. I saw the girl shove her tongue down your throat. Do we have to go back to this again?"
"But there might be an answer to all of this. Can I see your laptop?" Samus edged across the floor to where her laptop waited. She brought it down and placed it in front of the two of them. Marth held his hand out to her. "Can I see that DVD too? I promise this will make sense soon." Marth placed the DVD in the drive and waited for a screen to pop up.
Samus watched the screen show Summer in France. Marth clicked the play button with the laptop mouse and memories from the movie started to replay in Samus' mind. But Marth took the mouse and started to fast-forward through the DVD. He stopped at the scene right after he had saved the French girl from the water. Samus watched as the scene came once again:
"There's no time for that. Why don't you give her CPR?" Roy had said on the video camera.
Marth did his best to ignore Samus' discomfort as she turned away from the laptop and groaned. His eyes became perplexed as he saw something unsettling. It was still there. The scene where the brunette planted a kiss on him. He started to feel crummy as he watched the tape. "So, that's what happened."
"What? You don't remember making out with that woman on the bench?" Samus suddenly wanted to be far away from him.
Marth stopped looking at the video and gazed at Samus. "Who gave you this DVD?"
Samus looked at him puzzled. "My parents did. My dad said he went to go pick it up in the mail, so I guess it was him. The first time I saw it was when my mom gave it to me. She said it was from you," Samus explained. "But what's that have to do with anything?"
"This isn't the DVD I mailed to you. This is the default copy from the actual video camera. The default has every single bit of what we recorded in France. Somehow, you received this instead of the one I made you." Marth sighed. "I sent a version of the video without the kiss. No wonder you were so angry about it.."
"Wait, I was supposed to get the version hiding the kiss? So you're saying if I did get the right version you were going to keep that kiss a secret from me?"
Marth coughed. He just now realized he had squeezed out a bit too much info. "I didn't want to tell you. We were doing so well as a couple. But it seemed that as soon as I went away, I started feeling lonely. So when that girl kissed me by surprise, I lost all my senses. I was thinking about how I hadn't kissed you in so long and I just wanted a moment to where I was desired by someone."
Marth's explanation didn't seem to be making Samus any happier with him. "It wasn't like I was turned on when I kissed her. My mind was on you the whole time." Samus lowered her eyes, knowing his lies. "Okay, maybe I was turned on for a moment. But afterwards, I felt like crap. You are the only person I have ever been serious with, and then this happened."
Samus sighed and leaned back against the bed. Marth thought for sure she was going to scold him. "So, was she better? Did she kiss you better than I ever did?"
Marth quickly protested. "Samus-"
"I have to know, Marth. She must have kissed you good enough for you to kiss her back."
"Samus. I could kiss a thousand women, and none of them could ever kiss me the way you do. You are far better, it's impossible for any one to even compare-" Marth's words were whisked away as Samus leaned forward on her knees and kissed him square on the lips. She invited herself deep into Marth's mouth. A cool and soothing air settled in him as Samus chased his tongue with her own. He was dazed when she finally let him go, leaving him to wonder where she learned to kiss like that.
"And don't you ever forget it." She smirked at Marth's reddening face as she fell back against her bed again. She sighed. "You know, I'm really glad you told me this. I was feeling the same exact way after you left, just feeling lonely. I felt guilty about that tension, that need to feel intimate with somebody. I wanted that same touch." She sighed, a boastful grin on her face as Marth looked stunned. "I'm just not as bad as you. But I think it's safe to say water under the bridge, now."
She leaned against his shoulder. "That day we were arguing, I shouldn't have said those things about you. Calling you heartless and saying I never wanted to see you again. Especially after I did the same thing. But I guess just seeing it with my eyes really hurt me." Samus felt a bit better as Marth nuzzled his head against her hair. "I really wanted to hate you after you tried to play like nothing was wrong. But even though I was mad, I knew I still loved you. Even after you wrote that rude email to me."
"Wait. What email?" Marth questioned.
Samus noticed the perplexed look on Marth's face. "You don't remember it? It was about well…hold on." She got out from under Marth's hold and went into to her memoir box. She pulled out a white sheet of paper, neatly folded. She handed him the document. "I saved it. Read it yourself."
Marth took the note and read over it. "I did write this when I was furious at you. But I didn't send it, and I never even called you these names. I would never even think of calling you a prostitute. "
"You don't have to lie. It was how you were really feeling at that moment," Samus stated. "My anger pushed you towards it."
Marth tried again. "Samus, I didn't-"
"Samus, are you back there?" Mrs. Aran had returned home.
"Yeah!" Samus got up quickly and hurried out to the door. She jogged down the hallway to meet her mother. "What's up?" She called when she was far away from the bedroom.
Marth crossed his ankles and began to think. I know for a fact I didn't send that letter. Right after I wrote it, I left the house to go take a walk and think about if I really wanted to send it to her. But if I recall correctly, after I got home from the walk it had mysteriously disappeared. I thought maybe I erased it and left it alone. But I couldn't have. Someone else must have-
"Is it true? Marth!" A woman's voice, one Marth had known for twenty-one years. He stood up and readied himself for the owner of the voice. Sure enough, his mother came running down the hallway. She gaped at Marth from the doorway. She looked as if she hadn't eaten in days. She was dressed in a long maroon colored jumper, with a short-sleeved ruffle top. Her hair was in a very messy black bun. "Oh my gosh. Marth!" Tears were leaking from her eyes.
Marth stood up as his mother entered the room. She quickly embraced him, weeping into his shoulders. Marth rubbed his mother's back. "Mother. I missed you." Although Marth couldn't stand how protective his mother was of him, he understood this protection to be love.
"Don't you ever do that again," Sonia said through her sobs. "These days have been unbearable without you. I thought you really…" Her words were cut off by her uncontrollable sobs.
"I'm glad to see you're okay, Marth," Mrs. Aran said, walking into the room with an arm around her daughter. Samus was snickering at Marth's embarrassed face at his mother's emotional reaction. Lydia laughed. "Sonia, you might want to let go of Marth before he turns from red to blue. How are you possibly going to be okay when Marth leaves again?"
"Oh, there's no chance of that," Sonia replied. She finally released her son. "He's never going on a two year trip like that again. I told Carter to never sign him up for another one."
"Another one? You mean Dad signed me up for that trip?" Marth asked. It always puzzled my why I got the opportunity to go to France. I didn't sign up for it, but I didn't question it at all. My father signed me up? Why exactly? He never liked my job.
Mrs. Aran walked over to where Samus had left her laptop. She dropped to her knees and squinted at the screen. "Hmm…is this the video from the vacation? Your father gave it back to you? I thought he threw it out for you."
"No. This was in my memory box," Samus answered. "But what do you mean he threw it out? Are you sure it was this video?"
"I'm quite sure. Your dad told me that you asked him to get rid of it. He threw it out in the garbage a few days after we watched the video. I thought you were aware of it," Her mother explained.
Marth and Samus looked at each other. It couldn't be true. They wouldn't stoop that low would they? Marth watched his mother look at the video, too. She smiled. "Oh. I remember this video. Carter showed me this while you were out on your walk, Marth."
"Right after I left?" Marth asked. Her mother nodded. "What was he doing in there?"
"While cleaning your room, your father came in and got on your computer for a while. Then after he was finished, he asked me if I wanted to see your video before he sent it off in the mail. So, we watched it together in each other's embrace and-"
"Okay, Mother." Marth cut of his mother's dreamy romantic state. He scratched his chin as he started to put things together, First the trip…now this. Why would my father want to send me on a two year trip? It just doesn't make any sense. Then I find out he sent my video home to Samus' place. But since I sent the edited video of my trip here too, that means there must have been two DVDs sent here from the trip. But Mr. Aran threw out one of the versions. The one I sent.
"Excuse me." Samus approached Marth and grabbed his hand. "I need to talk to Marth for a sec. We'll be right back." She tugged him out of the bedroom and down the small hallway. Marth had a feeling Samus' thoughts were not that far from his own. She finally came to a halt when they were in the kitchen. "Marth…you do realize what happened, right?" She asked as she turned to face him.
Marth nodded. He started from the beginning. "My father signed me up for that two year job in France, separating you from me. Things seemed to be in order until after that incident with the drowning woman. Right when I showed that video to my parents, my father took full advantage of it. He sent my default DVD with the kiss on it to you, which led to our fight. After I left to take a walk, my father took the email I wrote and altered it a little. He's the one who said those things about you. Then he sent it to you to make sure you would never want to speak to me again."
Samus nodded. "This all could've been avoided if I was allowed to come and see you over the vacation. But my dad planned to make me stay here, so not to interfere. When your actual video arrived he trashed it quickly. It would have ruined everything." Samus banged her fist against the kitchen table. "I can't believe this. All these things happened to us just because of their stupid feud."
"I know." Marth started. "They put aside their differences for one plan to make us break up."
End of Chapter
A/N: Ah…what an exciting find! But how will they handle this. Heh..heh…I lied you guys. A small scene will be left for these two at the beginning chapter, then that will be it! No more! It will definitely focus on the other chapter. Errors, concerns, wonders, ponders, or anything else, please be sure to tell me. I'll be glad to clear it up. Like this whole discovery Marth and Samus find out. I'll tell you, if you're way confused! So now this couple will be small time. So, DDR next chappie! Yay!
Anyway thanks for your reviews, faves, and sweetness. I love your comments! So please review and I'll try to get a sooner update!
Royal Kenya