"IF I AM!
Another waste of everything you dreamed of,
I will let you down...

IF I AM!
Only here to watch you as you suffer,
I will let you down..."

9 Inch Nails, If I Am

"Zoinks! Daisy, that all most ripped my head off!"

"Oh, Luigi, you calling me a guy?!"

Daisy shoved a hand on one hip, the other hand tapping the tennis racquet against her leg. She raised her eyebrows, a smirk lurking in the corner of her mouth.

However, the young man had not seen it. He had focused his gaze on the ground, caressing a hand on the back of his neck.

"Uh…anything I say won't get me out of this, will it?"

"Afraid not."

******

A beautiful, spring Saturday. Sunny and not a cloud in the sky. What better way to spend the day than playing tennis with your best friend?

Wait! Her best friend was Luigi of the Mario Bros.? So what?

Let her friends tease her behind her back; guess they wouldn't be considered "friends" then, eh? Let the other students bombard her with their peculiar eyes; don't they have anything better to stare at? Let her parents declare her a stupid girl for not falling for the Doctor's "perfect" son; Mario just wasn't her type!

Mario attained the status of the "perfect" student. Homecoming King. Graduated first in his class. A social butterfly. Most athletic. A hero to the community. What hasn't the guy done? For crying out loud, he couldn't walk from one destination to the other without being mobbed. They literally clung to his arms and legs, him struggling to drag the dead weight along. 'Please be my best friend, Mario!' – Phl!

But that doesn't mean she hated him! She just…she wasn't into that type of guy. Mario had to learn that the hard way…

Yes, you heard her! Mario had asked her to the prom, he a senior and she a sophomore. The whole school pinched their noses and cupped their mouths. Mario, one of the hunkiest and most revered guys, asked Daisy! It's a girl's dream come true! How could she not say 'no' to him?

Easy – "No thanks."

Everyone's response?: "What?! How could you say no?!", "What were you thinking?!", "You'll never get that chance again!". She let them vomit out their vile and chunky insults, but she just wiped their crap off her with a flick of the wrist. It's not the end of the world. She's a human being like everyone else, just with a different taste in guys. So shut up, dumb bitches!

Daisy had been known as a tomboy, able to win a fight against a guy with one arm tied behind her back, not afraid to get a bit of mud on herself. Basically, she was a tough bitch. So why had she fallen head over heels for the clumsy, lonesome, shy Luigi?

Those twinkling eyes…

Sure, he was clumsy, tripping over his feet every other step. Eh, he was rather lonesome, his nose constantly buried in strange books. He was definitely timid, afraid what people will think of him. He was the complete opposite of her. And he was like straw compared to his brother, the brick. But there was one thing that Luigi possessed that Mario didn't.

Those twinkling eyes…they held an immense power…a gateway to an unfathomable future…

In those eyes she saw herself, Luigi's arms looped around her waist. His breath like an avalanche down her spine. His touch like the sizzling sun. The sky was blue, the grass was green – and those eyes were beautiful. Piercing into hers, choking the sins and evils that haunted her. And, oh yeah, such a lean, hard body…

Hee hee; She couldn't help it. Those eyes turned her into a bubbly school girl.

Because of his shy nature around girls, Daisy knew she'd have to be the one to do some "poking", talk to him when he was alone. But she might as well as hit a punching bag; she'd punch a few compliments his way, but he'd just rebound back with nervous glances and fidgety fingers. He had no idea she was flirting with him. Probably wasn't used to having a beautiful, intelligent girl talking to him.

Sigh…

The school still whipped her for rejecting Mario. They watched her every move, spreading gossip around like the black plague. So it was only a matter of time before they noticed her flirting with Mario's brother.

"What? How could you?!"; "That little dweeb? How about digging around in me, babe?"; "How could you stab Mario in the back?!"; "What do you see in that weirdo?" – Once again the atmosphere stunk with snide remarks. And when the whole school knows, the whole school knows. But one person saw her actions in a different light.

Mario had taken her aside to talk to her about Luigi. To her surprise, she wasn't greeted by anger, but with a smile. Said that he loved his brother dearly and wanted him to break out of his shell. Wanted to help and had an idea. He'd speak with Luigi and convince him to go to prom.

Yeah, that's really going to work. Okay, thanks a lot. Go me.

But Daisy could not guess how powerful the bond between brothers was. Though he doesn't directly express it, Luigi admires his brother. Stands on the sidelines and cheers for him. Respects him. Loves him. Would endanger his own life to save Mario's.

So the next day at school, Daisy had to bite her tongue. Right at the end of the day, when the building pooped out its fill of students. She had stayed after school to work on a project, her mind locked on to her work, Luigi fizzling around in the back of her mind. Spelunking in her locker, she nearly toppled into it when someone thundered on her locker door.

Head perking like a teapot, she flung her locker door closed. But when she saw Luigi standing there, her heart melted into mashed potatoes.

Mario. Wha – How – How did you do it?

Luigi had grown balls. Here he was, standing before her. Though, he looked like he rather have his balls surgically removed than to be here. How could she tell? Call it a girl's tuition.

He would not look at her, more interested in the dust rolling on the floor. His feet fidgeted and constantly shifted his weight- someone could have confused him for performing some bizarre rendition of an Irish jig. He twiddled his thumbs like he was playing a video game. Any second now he'd have a nervous breakdown - Daisy expected him to keel over and have a stroke.

C'mon, Daisy! Snap out of it! He needs some encouragement. Flash him your giddy smile. Yeah, that should do it.

Daisy shot a girly smile but it felt like a piece of paper glued to her face. She quickly dropped, a little embarrassed herself.

They stayed like that for two minutes, interested in everything but each other, Daisy with her hands twitching on the small of her back, Luigi tracing the floor with his shoe.

Daisy, say something! Don't let this sexy fish slip away! Ah! I said sexy!

"Hey se…uh, Luigi," she squeaked out. Whoo! That was too close for comfort.

"Hi," he squeaked back.

Awkward silence.

That didn't work. Try something else! Ask him about his day!

"I'm Daisy."

No, you ditz! You can shatter a guy's ball with one swift kick, but you can't do one of the simplest forms of human communication…talking?! Gah!

She watched for Luigi's reaction from the corner of her eye. To her surprise, he strained a smile, but still will not look at her.

"Hee. I know who you are."

Her little mishap must have injected him with confidence, for he now looked into her eyes. She looked back. Those eyes…

He suddenly inhaled a large of air and sputtered out, "WillyougotothepromwithmeeeEEEE?" he turned his head slightly away, expecting the cold rejection.

She didn't have to think twice.

"Of course I will!"

Luigi fainted.

Faint he did, but from that point on, Luigi's fear in girls diminished. He spent more and more time with her, revealing his hobbies and interests, his ambitions, and even his secrets from the past. When you tell someone their deepest, darkest secrets, you know you have achieved the pinnacle of "best friend"; every girl knows that, duh!

Best friend status was great, don't get her wrong. But she wanted more than that…

Either Luigi seemed oblivious to her hints or he was afraid to go the next step in the relationship. She waited and waited and waited…she even waited some more! Nothing. Looks like he just wanted to remain as friends.

Now, two years later, just a week from graduation, he had still not unleashed his innermost feelings.

But his eyes…they spelled the future...

*****

"Daisy, what are you doing?"

"You called me a boy. Well, boys wrestle, don't they?"

"Uh…we're playing a tennis match…"

"Not anymore. Ha!"

Daisy hurtled over the tennis net and speared for Luigi, who hid his head behind open hands, ready to embrace contact.

She pounced on top of him and they sprawled to the macadam. What followed was not a beating, but something much, much, much worse.

Daisy pinned Luigi's legs down with her knees. Then she proceeded to rake at his sides, tickling him like there was no tomorrow. Helpless beyond helpless, the teenager could only retaliate with crazy laughter. Oh, he was in trouble. Look, he can't even breathe anymore because he's laughing so hard!

"Okay, Okay, Okay, Okay! You win!"

Baring a smile, she released Luigi. He crawled over to the gate and sat against it, reeling to catch his breath. Daisy skipped over and plopped down next to him.

"You had it coming, you know."

"Well, you do have a powerful swing," he wheezed.

They sat there in silence, the birds chirping, the dandelions blowing, the sun shining. The day crawled to a snail's pace, trying to hold out on its beauty as long as possible.

Daisy rested her head on Luigi's shoulder, absorbed by the magnificence of the world.

"Luigi?"

He put an arm around her shoulder. "Yeah?"

"What do you like most about me?"

"Ooo, that's not tough. You can make a whole gang of mobsters run crying with their tails between their legs. You're determined to achieve every goal you've set for yourself. The hair on top of your head is pretty cool, too. Silky and smooth, smells like strawberries. Children look up to you like you're their mother. You can punt a football all most sixty yards. Heh heh, you're no ditz – ousted me from graduating top in our class. The way you care about me, make me feel accepted, when I thought only my father and brother did. Um…oh yeah, and you dress pretty sexy."

Daisy raised her head up and looked down at herself. Tight orange athletic shorts, tight yellow sleeveless shirt with a green daisy on the chest area. Damn, she was good.

"Yeah, I do dress sexy, don't I?" She beamed at Luigi, who nodded in agreement. "Eh, you're not so bad yourself."

Luigi raised an eyebrow and looked down at himself. Wrinkled blue athletic shorts, green shirt with a hole in the collar, green sweatband that needed a year's worth of washing and drying. She had to be kidding, right?

"Uh, thanks, Daisy."

She rested her head on his shoulder again. "Don't mention it."

A hawk swooped down from a tree outside the fence and all most kamikazed to the ground. But at the last second, it ripped out a U-turn and flew upward, now with a tasty little rodent clutched in its talons. Luigi and Daisy watched the hawk fly back to its perch, and Luigi asked, "What do you like about me the most?"

"You want a girl's honest opinion?"

"Sure. Kind of hoping you would."

"Your ass."

He hesitated before responding. "I could have guessed that by your 'sly' attempts to pinch me there."

"That obvious, eh?"

"Let's just say, I can feel the pain for a few days afterwards," he laughed back.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Daisy traced a finger along Luigi's knee while he watched her.

"I thank you for the compliment, but really, what do you like most about me?"

"Hee hee. Okay, I'll be serious." She raised her head to look at him. "The way you smile, which lights up a thousand rooms. How your touch feels so warm against my skin. How you're so courteous to others, even if they're bastards or treat you like crap. You'll go out of your way to make sure everyone is safe, all ways caring about yourself last. How you greatly love your father and brother. And you being best friends with me, I couldn't ask for more. And your eyes – " She stopped herself and looked down to the ground.

Luigi scratched his knee. "That was beautiful. But, uh, why did you stop?"

Once again she rested her head on his shoulder, baring a slight frown.

"You'll think I'm nuts or something."

"Hey, if I thought you were nuts, I would have eaten you all ready."

She raised her head and plopped it against the fence, a small giggle escaping from her lips. But she still did not look at him.

"Luigi. That was the worst joke I ever heard."

"Yeah, I know. Made you smile though, didn't I?"

"Yeah…," She looked over at him, his eyes shining along with the sun. "Every time I look into your eyes, I see…um…I see us. In the future. Holding each other very close. In…In love…"

She watched herself twiddle her thumbs, loathing the kind of response she was going to receive.

He didn't speak for some time. But then he muttered, "I see the same thing in your eyes."

Daisy's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She rolled onto her knees and clutched one of Luigi's hands to her chest.

"You do?"

"Yes, I see the same thing," he repeated. Luigi smiled in her direction, but she couldn't help but noticed how weary his eyes looked. Was he not telling her something?

He replied to her thoughts. "Daisy, there's something I have to tell you. The reason why I never said I loved you."

Stunned, Daisy gently released his hand and let it dropped to the ground. She plopped down on her butt and wrapped her arms around her legs, tightening up like a ball.

He straightened his posture. "Once we graduate, I have to leave. And I'm never coming back."

A tear trickled down her eye. "Why? Why can't you stay here?"

"My father says we must go. Something about mine and Mario's destinies. The reason why we were sucked into this world."

"I…I…"

Luigi sprung to his knees and grabbed her hands. While caressing them, he said, "Daisy, I know this is all so sudden. But I can't say something so strong, so life-changing, to you and not be able to live up to those words. And I feel like a monster for zipping my mouth shut for so long."

Daisy finally looked back at him, right into his eyes. "But…don't you think we were meant to be together? Don't you think it's our…destiny?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. It's hard to tell. I really want it to be."

More tears drizzled down her cheeks but she remained strong. "This is all so confusing, so out of nowhere. This sucks!"

Luigi leaned closer to her and gently pressed a finger to her lips. He, too, had tears flowing, with a sad smile blotched on his face.

"Daisy, can I at least do this for you?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist, stroking the small of her back. He leaned in with puckering lips. And he kissed her. For how long, no one knows, but Daisy wished this kiss would never end.

*****

"How's the princess business?"

"Eh. It has its ups and downs. Nothing I can't handle like kicking someone in the balls."

Mario took as second to glance at her, but returned his attention to his driving when a car horn blasted outside.

Daisy leaned against the passenger door, her eyes lost in her thoughts.

"Mario, do you really think this is such a good idea?"

Still focused on the road, he replied, "What, about meeting Luigi? Of course! You two acted like lovebirds years ago. Still to this day, he doesn't stop talking about you."

"Really?"

"I don't kid around, Daisy."

Daisy leaned against the side door, watching the scenery rocket by her.

How many years has it been? She couldn't remember. The day Luigi and his family left was when the darkness pillaged the kingdom. She had been depressed, believing she would never love a man like him, but then a strange circumstance occurred a few days later.

Apparently, the king of Sarasaland was actually an uncle of hers. Why her parents never told her about him, she didn't know – could have been an asshole? Whatever. Regardless of the reasons, the king died of the flu. Though, he had no children of his own to claim the crown. So, her father and mother took over the throne, although reluctantly. But sadly, with only a few days of experience under their belts, her parents were killed in a terrorist bombing. And of course, the closest heir to the throne was her.

Since the age of eighteen, she had ruled the Sarasaland Kingdom. Her people loved her, thankful for all the changes she made that enhanced their way of living. But her servants and royal guards encouraged her to get married, to have a loving husband rule alongside her.

She couldn't admit to them, because it would show weakness. But her love was sealed in a bank vault –only one person in the world knew the combination. And he would never be here to open it.

But as time crept by, her thoughts and feelings about Luigi slowly escaped her mind. Her time was all ways occupied with her work, wanting what was best for her people. And then one day, she just…forgot about him.

Until she received a call from Mario.

Could this be destiny? The future she foresaw in Luigi's eyes? She couldn't wait to see him, to let him open up the vault and greet her love with open arms. Only…would he feel the same way?

Supposedly, he does, as Mario had just informed her. This bit of information lifted her heart.

She looked back to Mario. "How has he been doing?"

Mario smiled. She must have asked a sensitive question, because a tear stroked down his face.

"I'm so proud of him. For years he had to linger in my shadow, never getting the credit that he deserved. But he remained strong, never showed it on his face. According to my father, I had broken the egg that is my destiny. But not Luigi. It bugged the hell out of him."

Another car horn blared by them. He scowled out his side window, but returned his gaze to the road with a sigh.

He continued, "But then we received these invitations for the Super Smash Bros. league. And I tell you, I feel like I'm the number two. Everyone respects him, the kids want to play with him, the adults want to be around his presence. But there are four Smashers in particular that really adore Luigi. You see, these four have had terrible lives, loved ones killed before their very eyes. They lost the will to live. But when they met Luigi, they kind of…went through a metamorphosis. I really can't explain it."

Daisy smiled, tracing her finger along the dashboard. "But he's happy now?"

"Never saw him happier in my life."

She smiled. "You know, I really appreciate this, Mario. I really don't know how I can repay you. For crying out loud, I owe you two! You saved my kingdom from that alien, remember?"

He waved a hand at her. "Nah, don't be ridiculous. You owe me nothing. Besides, I like doing this kind of stuff. Especially for my brother." He paused, his smile fading away. "For some reason, right out of the blue, I thought 'man, this would be a perfect time to call Daisy and get her together with Luigi'. All most like…someone told me to do it. Kind of kooky, huh?"

Daisy scratched her chin. Yeah, all most like it was…destiny?

They rode in silence for a few minutes, the car humping over the rivets and bumps in the road. Daisy broke the silence.

"So…how was the plumber business?"

"Shitty."

They laughed, driving toward the Smash Mansion. Unfortunately, in an hour or two from now, it will be the empire for one of the sweatiest, fattest, ugliest, greasiest, smelliest, crudest, craziest bad guys to have ever existed.

Hey, fellow fanfic readers and writers; romance isn't my strongest, so let me know how I did between Daisy and Luigi. Suggestions are welcomed.