O~o~O

The room was dark and quiet, save for the sound of fabric shifting.

"Oh, Mario…" she couldn't help but let out a soft moan. "That feels so nice…"

He adjusted his angle, slow and deep. "Is this okay?" he asked her, his voice soft like moonlight.

Peach tilted her head back. Her eyes fluttered shut. "Oh, stars, yes. Please..."

His hands were so warm. She clenched the fabric. Every breath she took in came back out without much control. He was methodical and precise. He knew exactly where she needed him.

He was so good to her. "How did you learn how to do this?" she asked, and her voice was husky and weak.

"Practice." he replied easily.

She wondered just how much practice he had. It had to have been a lot. With the way he moved, his proficiency, she imagined he must have been quite experienced. She found herself grateful beyond belief that she was receiving what must have been the fruit of years of honing his technique.

He worked slowly but relentlessly. "You're very tight," he murmured. He kept his tone low, and she could hear his concern.

She didn't want him to worry. "Harder," she urged, and then she remembered herself. "Please."

Mario obliged. He kept his rhythm constant, but his steady pressure grew. She got the chills. He was finding places she had never felt before. He was pushing more and the goosebumps were just racing over her skin and couldn't open her eyes even if she wanted to. All of the sensations were blending together.

"Oh!" she let out a sharper sound just as he found a particularly sensitive spot. She had never felt anything hurt so wonderfully before.

Mario immediately let up. "Ah, I'm so sorry, Princess." he pushed with a fraction of the force he had before. "Are you okay?"

He must have mistaken her cry for pain. Peach squinted up at him with a tired smile. "Please, don't stop." she told him.

His hands still worked gently, and he searched her face for a moment. She assumed he sought assurance that she really was okay. His blue eyes reflected the soft evening light from the window. Soon enough, he went back to his task. Peach closed her eyes again.

She would have never believed what sort of pleasure would come when Mario offered to rub her shoulders.

He released tension in her neck and her back that she hadn't known about until it was gone. Her muscles ached and stung, but it satisfied her. His thumbs found every knot and worked them until they were smoothed over. He did deep tissue work in her shoulders, and the relief was immediate.

She winced when he found a particularly tense spot in her shoulder blade. "Oh!" she hissed, and he held his thumbs there, working slowly but with lots of pressure.

"Relax," he encouraged her. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe consistently. There was something very soothing about his voice. A calm concentration, a deep focus in his tone as he stood behind her. She found his presence to be assuring. Bit by bit, the tension left her shoulders, and Mario's gentle coaxing with his hands and words finally got her to relax.

Peach let out a deep sigh, and slowly rolled her head to stretch her neck. "Oh, thank you, Mario. You have no idea how much better that feels. You're amazing, thank you so much."

He came around in front of her, offering his hand to help her stand with a bashful little grin. "Ah, it was nothing." he looked off to the side. Peach watched his face, the way his big eyes shined in the low light, and those adorable dimples in his cheeks.

"Mario, it was not nothing," she chided him, though she smiled so that he knew she was teasing when she shook his shoulder. Even though she was playing around, she noticed that she couldn't budge him. He stood too firmly. She shouldn't have been surprised; he had proved his strength again after battling Bowser for a second time to bring her back earlier that week. Then again, everything about him managed to impress her over and over again. "I feel so much better now, I might actually be able to get through this meeting without a headache."

And then, of course, she would have to go straight to the club for her shift later. She would be tired, but she promised Rosalina that she would cover for her. Worrying used a lot of energy. More so than dancing at times. But, luckily for her, Mario's treatment left her feeling lighter and ready to take on the rest of the day.

He kept her hand in a gentle grasp as she got to her feet. His hands were so warm. Such a gentleman, she thought, with a pleased smile. Before he could know what she was doing, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his cheek. A quick kiss. She hoped, with the way that he practically jumped, that he was remembering those rumors that had been going around. The rumors that she kissed him every day. The ones that he himself had deemed false, now proven to have some truth. "Really. I mean it. Thank you." she kept her voice low, and remained so close that she could hear him let out a shaky breath.

Mario rubbed the back of his head, and gestured for her to go ahead. "I am always happy to help, Princess." He always had a slight strain in his smile around her, out of nervousness, but Peach thought the deep blush in his cheeks had to do with something much different. She couldn't stop smiling at him.

He was so sweet. He was still so nervous to be around her, and Peach thought he had to be the most adorable thing. After glancing over her shoulder to make sure he was following, she opened the door just a crack. She peered left and right. The hall was clear. With a slight nod and a beckoning gesture, she slipped through the door and began walking as if she hadn't just snuck away with Mario into the nearest empty room.

"Would you accompany me to the conference?" she asked, as soon as she heard his footsteps beside her. He walked just off of her shoulder. She was aware, out of the corner of her eye, that he kept turning his head to check the area. He was guarding her constantly, or as constantly as he could. Danger could lurk around every corner and within every shadow, as Bowser had shown them, even in her own castle. He hadn't even been formally appointed as a guard. Even so, Peach quite liked to think of him that way.

"Oh. I, ehm." Mario adjusted his hat, and fussed with his overall strap. "Yes. If you want me there."

She glanced down to him, and smiled. "I feel safer knowing that you're near." she told him.

Her compliment was purposeful. She didn't miss the way he glowed at her words, the little smile he tried to hide. The way he abruptly ducked his head and averted his eyes to the floor. Pleased, Peach kept up her brisk pace toward the conference room.

A passing guard saluted her, and she nodded back. Mario exchanged a friendly wave with him. They walked by the tall windows that opened up their view of the sun setting over the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario was apparently fascinated by the paintings on the walls. The colors, the history, she wasn't sure what exactly appealed to him. She would have to remember to let him take a better look and ask him next time she got the chance.

The meeting was going to be long and boring. Persuading Mario to stay with her was both a political move and a friendly one; the Mushroom Kingdom's allies had yet to meet her fabled hero, so she found it necessary to introduce him. The meeting also had the added benefit of making Mario believe that she both liked and trusted him. Asking him to do small favors, such as accompanying her, would send that signal.

He had expressed that night at the strip club that he wanted her to know that she could rely on him. So she was doing what she could to let him know that she sincerely appreciated his efforts. After that conversation, she realized he was far more attentive to her than she had previously assumed; he knew when she was faking and when she was being genuine. Luckily, she didn't even have to pretend to show him that she wanted him around.

She wondered how he got so good at reading people. Before him, she hadn't met anyone who could see through her with quite the detail and insight that he did.

Perhaps his people skills also stemmed from his insecurity. She didn't get him to admit much, but she saw the way he was ashamed about himself. She had a few theories. Over time, maybe he had learned to listen and watch carefully for signals from others that he wasn't wanted.

The thought made her sad. The one man who she did actually want in her life was constantly searching for reasons that his presence wasn't desired.

He was also a very good judge of mood and atmosphere. "Princess?" he called for her gently, and she blinked, shaken from her thoughts. "The conference, what is it for?"

The question he asked her wasn't the question that was in his face. No, his head was tilted with concern when she faced him. He had noticed she was preoccupied about something, but he knew better than to be direct. Peach was impressed; he had the potential to be a better politician than she was, if he wasn't such a sweet guy.

She knew, as she forced an easy smile, that she was in trouble.

"Trade talks," she answered him casually. "Some of our neighbors aren't happy with my tariffs recently."

Mario nodded, apprehensively. "This is bad?" he assumed, with all the innocence of a man who didn't know the first thing about foreign policy.

The conference hall was coming into view. Peach slowed to a stop right before the doors, and tapped her chin as if in thought. "Not exactly. I can use this situation to my advantage. You'll see." she winked at him. "Just watch and learn."

The eager look he gave her was positively adorable. He was genuinely excited. Why anyone would be excited for a trade meeting was beyond her, but she assumed that it wasn't exactly the case. He was just excited to watch her work.

Yes, she was in big trouble. Mario offered to get the door for her, like the gentleman he was. Peach smiled and thanked him. Doors were opened for her all the time, by guards or servants who had to supplement her dramatic entrance by acting in sync, and with fierce flair as she entered the room. This was designed to give the impression of strength and order. The Mushroom Kingdom would not be idle. She enjoyed orchestrating such displays of power, for the effects were subconscious. Anything more overt, and the other representatives would take it as a threat.

However, with Mario, Peach decided on a new policy. He opened the right door, quietly, and they both strode into the room full of chattering nobles. No trumpets, no servant waiting to announce her presence. Of course, Mario had no idea that this was abnormal. But as she moved through the room, she noticed her subjects were ill at ease. They didn't understand why she instructed them to keep her entrance to this particular meeting on the discreet side.

Still, everything fell silent as soon as the other nobles spotted her.

With her head held high, she made her way to the floor. The room was still. There were a few spare murmurs, no doubt about the man beside her. Without even picking up on any words, she recognized their belittling tone. She was all too familiar with it.

She did not miss the way Mario hesitated. He could sense it, too. The disdain and derision was aimed at him. She was dragging him into a place full of people who all sneered at him, and he was all too aware of it. Sure, he certainly stood out the most, in his working overalls, but Peach had a point to make. She could only hope he would understand later. He was brave. She assured herself that he would be able to stand his ground in the face of all the subtle mockery.

The meeting was not exactly as dull as she had anticipated, or hoped. She was pleased by Mario's steady presence just behind her, and was very aware of his unwavering gaze. Even knowing he was there, or maybe because he was there, one bureaucrat in particular was making things difficult for her and the other representatives. She couldn't even begin speaking before he decided he had to get his word in.

She did not know the man who stood before her. He was quite tall, with flowing blue hair and a pink uniform that resembled hers. "Greetings, Princess Peach. I was so relieved when I first heard word that you returned safely to the Mushroom Kingdom; we were all very worried for you." he bowed deeply. "Ah! My apologies. I am Prince Haru of the Flower Kingdom.

"Prince Haru." Peach acknowledged with a nod, which Haru understood as an invitation to come closer. He came in even closer than the men were allowed to the dancers at the strip club, and Peach had no choice but to stand her ground. He smelled a little funny. Like garlic. She chose her words carefully. "Thank you for your...Gallant concern. I appreciate that you thought of me while I was in trouble."

He looked down on her, just slightly. Mario shifted behind her. "Gallant is my middle name." he flashed her what was supposed to be a charming grin, to which Peach gave a polite smile in return. He moved closer. Her choices were to stand her ground despite how close he was, or move away to prevent him from touching her, and neither option gave her any advantage. She felt forced to step back to try and indicate that he was violating her personal space. Not only that, but most of the room had gone quiet to watch Princess Peach and Prince Haru. The pressure was building.

She narrowed her eyes; she could recognize his intentions. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that he was dangerously close to crossing a line, and he also believed there was nothing she could do about it.

He kept an elegant dance very close to it, moving to and fro an invisible boundary that Peach strained to maintain with calculated steps away from him. The Toads that were stationed as guards in the room watching their Princess helplessly. She wouldn't stray from decorum; her expression never faltered from a gentle smile. Still, she continually had to step away each time Haru tested the line. She was playing his game in an attempt to avoid it. "Yes, quite." she responded, over the murmurs of the other royals. "I had a lot of help."

Her "help," stood behind her, though none of them could know that. They were all so dense, they wouldn't consider the only man in the room not dressed in regal attire was the one that had rescued her. Her point still remained to be made. If only Haru would allow the meeting to go on without trying to take the floor. She wouldn't get the chance to be discreet if he was going to be a pain in the ass.

"The rumors told of how you called for the Jumpman to rescue you. Jumpman!" Haru spoke the name in a haughty, resounding voice as if to mock the idea, and the room echoed with tittering laughter. Behind her, Mario looked around with wide eyes. His attention returned to Peach when Haru swept her hand up and gave his biggest leer again. "But, my dear, sweet Princess, you need not call upon the Jumpman any longer! Legends, of course, can't do any rescuing. What you require is a noble Prince to protect you from the evil King of the Dark Lands. The Jumpman is just a tale. But, me, your Highness? I am real."

Haru leaned close with a smolder, like he expected a kiss. Peach couldn't help but wrinkle her nose when she turned her head up to avoid him.

"Excuse me, Princess, is this man causing you trouble?"

Peach blinked, and looked to her left to see Mario. He had taken his hat off to address her. His voice had projected throughout the room, and now all eyes were on him.

She couldn't show that she was startled that he spoke up. He was trying to help her, no doubt; she knew that concerned look in his eyes. Even despite how uncomfortable he was in the spotlight, the poor man still wanted to stand up for her. Perhaps she could use his unexpected actions to bring her to her point. "Well, yes. I am feeling quite uncomfortable." she gave a stiff smile.

Mario nodded to her. Then, he put on his hat again and slowly turned to face Haru. He considered the Prince for a moment, narrowing his eyes. Peach could see the evaluation he was making. His expression became cold, and he crossed his arms. "I have to ask you to leave the Princess alone." he stated sharply.

The room went silent. Peach had only ever heard him use that tone twice before. She raised a brow, impressed. He had the guts to order an entire Prince, a man several ranks above him, to leave. The whole situation reminded her of a bouncer fending off aggressive customers from the dancers. She wondered if he would ever consider that line of work.

The moment of shock, however, did not last long. The entire room burst into laughter.

Haru gave a chortling laugh. "What is that?" he inquired, pointing at Mario like he was a bug.

Mario didn't appear to care. "I will not repeat myself." he uncrossed his arms and took a couple of steps forward, fists clenched. At his advance, Peach noted Haru eased back a step.

She raised her chin. He had given her a perfect opportunity to shame them all. "That?" she spoke, with new power in her voice. Pausing just a moment to look back at her, Mario saw her stand tall, and watched her with wide eyes. She fixed Haru with a stare that could level a mountain. "You shall not call him 'that,' for he has a name. He is called Mario. Though, you may know him as the Jumpman."

The stunned silence she was met with pleased her, and Mario met her proud smile with shock equal to the crowd. She heard 'Jumpman' echoing all around the room, as everyone whispered the name to each other. Haru looked particularly struck. "Excuse me—?" he sputtered. "The Jumpman is merely a story!"

Between them, Mario shifted from foot to foot. He managed to keep his head up. Peach felt bad for him, but she had to shine the spotlight on him for a little longer. "I, too, believed him to be merely a story. However, as Bowser invaded my land, I had to believe that there was a noble, nameless hero out there who would listen to my plea for help. Whether or not they were the Jumpman, whether or not he was real, I sent my wish across the worlds in the hopes that it would reach that hero. None of you had responded, and I had no one left to turn to. I can only thank the stars that Mario heard me."

Her words were scathing. The entire room regarded her with a rush of noise, of excuses in the face of her bluntness. Her point. King Bowser stole her away from her castle, and who helped her? Out of everyone she asked, a legend came to her aid, a man no one believed was real. She collected just enough materials and power to send word to every single one of her allies. Yet, none of them answered her. And now, here they all were, trying to explain that she couldn't possibly understand the circumstances. They were hung up on other matters. Of course they were. Peach listened to their excuses with a wry look. Some said they never even received her letter. Others claimed they had their own troubles that prevented them from assisting the Mushroom Kingdom in its time of need.

And poor Mario, who stood there before her in the midst of the chaos, only just now learned the magnitude of the way other Kingdoms treated Princess Peach.

They would only help others when it was convenient. When it benefited them. Despite how their alliance specifically enumerated that the Kingdoms would help each other when one was imperiled. No, Peach knew the truth. She was a commodity. A prize to be won, a trophy to cling obediently to their arm with a loving smile. Rationally, they would only act in ways to benefit their own kingdoms. But she they wouldn't hesitate to take any action that would have her at their mercy. However, there was one big factor that couldn't be ignored when her allies saw that she had been kidnapped. They were all just scared of going to war with the Dark Lands.

They weighed their options, and decided that opposing King Bowser posed far too great a risk. So they stayed out of the matter.

Sure, she was just as averse to going to war. The Mushroom Kingdom alone was obviously not strong enough to defend itself against the full military force of the Dark Lands when the Princess had been kidnapped not just once, but twice by the King. But with the others, the power of the alliance had the potential to triumph, if only they would all work together.

But, looking across all the representatives of her allies, Peach knew they were all hopeless. They weren't capable of acting cohesively. The bickering, the contests, it was all so very tiring. Peach resisted the urge to yawn. She still had to dance later, and she knew she was going to have to deal with the same bullshit from the men at the club.

"What can the Jumpman do that I can't?" Haru finally asked. "He is nothing but a commoner!"

Peach took a step forward to stand next to Mario. "It's not a question of what he can do. It's what he already did." she responded easily, putting a hand on Mario's shoulder. "He's not even from this world, but he heard my call and came to help. You heard my call and ignored it."

There. She said it. Now they all knew that she saw right through them. If politics was like chess, this wasn't quite checkmate. However, it was a start. They still wouldn't see her for the woman she was. But she preferred it that way. She would have to go back to her sweet, mild demeanor to get what she really wanted from them for this particular conference.

"Prince Haru, Mario has asked you already. So if you please," she started to say, moving toward the podium and looking down on Haru. She clasped her hands to her chest and batted her eyes. "Sit down so that I can get on with the meeting?"

What she actually said was meaningless. All Haru heard was "Please," and "Sit down," and a sugary tone of voice. And who wouldn't comply when a pretty lady wanted something? Between the Princess changing her tactics, and Mario standing by, ready to reinforce her orders, Haru determined the best course of action was to obey. He had nothing to say to her. None of them did. But, as all pretentious men do, he tried to get the last word anyway. "Your wish is my command," he sneered, before flipping his hair and going back toward his seat.

Mario turned to look at her. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. Peach hoped her nod to him would let him know that he could relax; she was done making him the center of attention. "Good evening, everyone. I sincerely apologize for the delay." she approached the podium and faced the crowd with a demure smile. "This meeting concerns the trade deal we negotiated two months ago."

O~o~O

Peach was in more trouble than she cared to admit.

Ever since that night at the club, Mario had been the only man on her mind.

Her advisor had gotten onto her about being distracted from her duties. Down at the club, her boss had pulled her aside and asked if she was feeling alright; she had apparently not been dancing with enough focus. It wasn't like she could actually tell anyone the real reason she was so lost in her own head. She hadn't wanted to admit it to herself at first.

But, as time went on, as the days passed with him in her life, she knew the truth had become unavoidable.

When she was alone with Mario, he made her feel as if they were walking through a fairytale. She wanted to see him smile, make him laugh, anything, just so that he would be happy. Everything about him was so soft. She wanted to breath him in, she wanted to listen to his heartbeat and match with her own. She wanted to be with him.

Except, that she couldn't. There was one thing, among a variety of factors, that stopped her from pursuing a genuine relationship with Mario.

The trouble was that she didn't know how to tell him that she was a stripper.

Specifically, that she was the stripper that urged him to court her in the first place.

She couldn't imagine how he would feel. Would he be angry? Not only that he lied to her, but that she spent her nights teasing other men? Sure, it was in his nature to be kind and polite, but everyone looked down on strippers, didn't they? No one around her could possibly imagine that a Princess could be anything like a stripper. How would he react when he found out that she was the same woman? She had technically forced him to betray himself to her, hadn't she?

Peach let out a long sigh as she dusted the heavy makeup on her face. Rosy cheeks, smoky eyes, the whole sexy shebang. Her hair had to be done up in a manner that couldn't be compared to her classical Princess look. Her bangs, she parted them at the middle, though they still formed a heart no matter how she tried to straighten them. The rest of her long, blonde locks, she tied up at the top of her head. By day, Princess Peach rarely wore her hair in a ponytail. By night, she wore her hair in whatever trendy style she felt like.

The face that looked back at her in the battered mirror hardly resembled the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom at all. Especially when she painted her lips a bright, glossy red. No, the woman looking back at her wasn't a Princess at all. To the outside world, she was a stripper, a slut, capitalizing off of her conventional attractiveness. Providing temporary relief to the primal desires of lonely men.

Surely, she was no different in Mario's eyes.

As kind and tolerant as Mario may seem, the biases against dancers like her were powerful. He couldn't be any exception to the norm. In some ways, neither was she. Her upbringing had taught her to look down on the girl in the mirror. She had to actively reteach herself to see the profession of stripping as one just as worthy of respect as a Princess.

Though, it was difficult to do that when it felt as if the entire world opposed that view. Most of the time, not even the Princess got respect.

"Hey!" several knocks resounded on her door. "You're up! Daisy's almost finished!"

"Okay, alright!" she called back, and stood to adjust her outfit. She wore yellow this time, with accents of rainbow sequins, like an invincibility star. For the same reason Daisy never wore gold, she never wore pink. Rosalina never wore blue, and Pauline never wore red. None of them could risk being recognized. Though, as the club was located in Toad Town, Peach had to take extra precautions and request that no one address her by name. The bouncers, her boss, they had to get her attention another way. It was usually her stage name.

She slipped through the door and got to the curtain just as Daisy was coming off stage. "Hey, girl." Daisy greeted her, and gestured behind her with a wry grin. "Tough crowd. I think they like me better when I wear the pig-tails. Those sick fucks. It makes me look like a little kid."

Peach scoffed. "That is sick," she agreed, shaking her head.

"Good luck out there! Oh, and hey," Daisy leaned in close just as she was about to head back to the dressing room. "I think your friend is here tonight. Maybe he wants you to have a chat with him again." she winked.

The music was starting up again. They were waiting. "My friend? Which one?" Peach tilted her head. She had several regulars.

Daisy just gave her signature smirk and strutted away. "You'll see!" she called over her shoulder.

With an amused sigh, Peach shook her head after Daisy before she peeled back the curtain to make her way to the pole. "Milli Vanilli!" her name was announced by the DJ. The music began to pick up. She had already gone through the first few parts of her routine when she managed to spot him across the room.

The room was humid with desire. She was immediately deaf to the hooting and hollering on the floor before her. Mario happened to look up and catch her gaze.

She winked at him, without breaking her stride, before she hefted herself up and began spinning.

Locking her knees, she leaned back until the world was upside lights were bright and hot. The ground practically buzzed from how loud the music was. His friends, they were back. She managed to spot their faces on perv row. So Mario was there to look after them again? Peach couldn't help but smile.

She wondered if he would ever be inclined to watch her perform. The exercise was hard, but her excitement was bourne of anticipation. Every time she stopped spinning, she cast a glance across the room to see where he was looking. But he only seemed to be keeping half an eye in her direction.

Perhaps he just wasn't into this form of entertainment. That shouldn't be too surprising; everyone had different preferences. However, while she flipped up on the pole so she was only supported by her thighs above her head, she couldn't help the sinking thought that he also looked down on dancers. Mario had to be biased one way or another against strippers. Everyone was.

She wanted to explore him, to find out what those preferences were. His would be so interesting and rewarding to discover. She could perform exactly to his taste. That night, when she had spoken to him as a stripper, she had wanted to undo him for the purpose of learning just what kind of man he was. Now, she thought with an ironic smile, she still wanted to do the same thing. Just with different intentions. He had a special performance waiting, just for him. If only he would have her. Not because she wanted to test him, or because she needed information, but because she genuinely wanted to entertain him in the way she knew how.

But Mario couldn't love a stripper.

No, he was too damn morally principled and kind and good, and all the things that men who consumed her work were not.

She came down to circle around the pole, her hips moving in time with the beat. Her smirk was dangerous. While she scanned the crowd, she could see more than a couple of the representatives she had spoken with earlier. Even through their meager disguises, the hungry look in their eyes hadn't changed. She was certain she spotted a trace of blue hair in there somewhere. The crowd let out a whoop when she leapt back up onto the pole, colored beams of lights flashing all over the stage.

Princess or not, Mario just couldn't love her. She couldn't lie to him. He would see through her front, eventually. He might think that he was madly in love with Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom, but Peach was certain those feelings would change if he knew the full truth about her.

The song ended. Peach didn't bother to check if Mario was watching while she gathered her tips.

She had painted herself into a corner.

That was her conclusion, as she made her way off stage. By encouraging Mario that night, she had set a series of events into motion that severely limited her options. She wanted him. He thought he wanted her. But it was all a mistake. She had to make him believe he didn't want her anymore, without revealing the truth, and without hurting him. The process had to be natural.

Still, it would also be painful for her. She changed into something temptingly red, with velvety texture and straps that framed her bust. Anything to distract from her face; as long as he couldn't look closely in the dark room, he still didn't have a chance of recognizing her. Even so, she worried. He had been in her company frequently enough that he had to be familiar with the shape of her face. The makeup could only alter so much.

Her heels were beginning to hurt. The arch of her left foot had been bothering her throughout the day, but she still had a job to do. She made her way out to the floor while the next dancer was starting her routine.

She came up behind his booth, steeled herself with a big breath, and then nudged his shoulder. "Well, hello there, stranger!"

His eyes lit up as soon as he saw her. "Ah! It's you!" He already scooted down the booth to make room for her and patted the seat, before he gave her a bashful smile. "I'm sorry. I don't know how to call you. If you want me to call you anything. Your stage name, it is Milli Vanilli?"

Oh, that sweet smile of his made her heart melt into a little puddle. He seemed so happy to see her. Why was that? She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and crossed her legs. "Blossom. You can call me Blossom." she answered. Her middle name worked just fine for a fake name. Many men wanted to know her real name, but any good stripper knew better than to give that information out. In any case, he probably knew she would never tell him her real name anyway. "So, what brings you here tonight? Have you finally come to your senses and decided you wanted to have some fun?"

He chuckled when she wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Not this time," he shook his head, amused, before he indicated his friends over across the room. "They wanted to come. But I was hoping that I would see you again." he had a guilty look, to which Peach couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, sure, you came to watch your friends. I think you just missed me." she nudged him and winked.

Perhaps she had just forgotten what he was like when he was relaxed. But his casual demeanor felt so natural, compared to when he was stiff and afraid to be himself around her as Princess. "Maybe just a little." he grinned. She would never have been able to tease him as Princess Peach, but this way, he didn't appear to mind one way or the other. At least, not yet. There were a few ways she wanted to try getting under his skin before he left for the night.

She leaned back, resting her arm across the top of the booth. And Mario, bless him, he had such bright eyes, she couldn't miss the way he happened to glance down at her and just as quickly corrected himself. She existed to be admired. That was her job. Surely he knew that, and still, he resisted the natural human impulse to look at her when she moved. Such a try hard. She wondered if he liked boobs, or if he was more of a butt guy. "So? How have you been? Any luck chasing after those sweet Peaches?" she shifted her shoulders with a sultry smile.

Mario pretended to roll his eyes, shaking his head. "I have been good." he said. "And I am not sure about the Peaches. But I think you were right. The Princess, she might like me now. As a friend. I think we are closer now. What about you? How is work?"

She blinked. "Oh." she didn't know how to answer; no one usually asked about her. It was her job to make the customer feel special and appreciated, not the other way around. Mario spoke to her stripper self as if she was an old friend. "Well, you know. The usual."

He didn't respond, except to watch her patiently. What was he doing? He was waiting. Waiting for her to say more. She was already scouring her brain for ways to answer his question in a more suitable way. That damn silence! She used that trick in politics. And now, he was using it on her, and it was working. "I mean, it's just always loud and a little crazy. A guy almost threw up on me last night, so that was fun. I'm pretty sore because I tried a new trick today that needs some more practice." She knew she was babbling and she hated it, but she couldn't stop until he stopped looking at her like that. "I'm in for a long night. My feet really hurt."

Mario nodded, and she was finally released from the spell. "Mine would too." he nodded to indicate her feet, crossed under the table. Her heels. "If I had to wear those."

She gave a breathless smile. "Yeah. You should try it sometime." she couldn't believe him. No one had ever gotten her to answer more than a sentence about how she was feeling. And with that innocent look on his face, she knew he hadn't intended any of it. No, he was just a sweet guy who genuinely wanted to know how she was doing.

He grinned at some distant thought. "Can you imagine?" he tried to mock her pose, and pointed his toes. "Me, as a dancer. I think I could do it. But I would look stupid." he sounded like he was trying not to laugh.

The image in her head was pretty silly, too. But she had seen the way he jumped and flipped during his battles with Bowser. He was extremely acrobatic. More so than she ever could be. "I think you would be great at dancing." she tried to compliment him, but she realized what she was saying. She could not think of anything other than Mario in a goofy little outfit, with heels that gave him more height than he would know what to do with, spinning around a pole. She tried desperately to hold back her laughter. It shouldn't be so funny.

Mario, however, seemed endlessly amused by the idea. He coughed into his fist to keep from snickering. "If you ever want to put this club out of business, let me know. Just one dance. I will empty the room."

Shaking her head, Peach covered her mouth to hide her smile. "I'll keep that in mind," she giggled. He was right. It was a little sad, but true. Mario just didn't have what it took to attract an audience as an exotic dancer. Not that he ever wanted to be one, but Peach couldn't help but think that regardless of how he looked, he would be amazing at it. She wondered how much talent went to waste in the world just because someone wasn't attractive enough.

She took a deep breath. "Well. Anyway, you said you wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes. I do." Mario rubbed the back of his head. "I just want to ask a question."

Raising a brow, she watched Mario's hand ghost over his face. Right close to his cheek. "Oh?" she shifted the way she was sitting so that her body was angled more toward him. "Well, fire away." she smirked.

He nodded, and fussed with his hands in his lap. She was used to his small periods of silence by now. After talking to him nearly every day as Princess, she noticed he often took a moment to speak. She figured out that he wasn't just being quiet for the sake of being quiet; he was actually just taking some extra time to figure out what he was trying to say. Time came with the language barrier, she supposed. Words were sometimes hard for him. "The Princess, she, ehm." he pulled at his collar. "She kissed me. Today."

The music picked up again. The crowd over by the stage began hooting for the woman who was dancing. "She kissed you?" Peach pretended to let her jaw drop, and leaned toward him to inspect him. "What kind of kiss are we talking about? How long was it? Was there any tongue? Or did she kiss you somewhere else, like on your—" she started to point down.

"No, no!" Mario backed off, shielding his lap with his hands. She had to try hard to keep from laughing at the horrified look on his face. "Ahi, not like that! She kissed me on the cheek!"

She scoffed. "Oh. Well, that's just boring."

Letting out a deep breath, Mario relaxed again. His cheeks had gone a little pink, he was probably embarrassed about having such a reaction. Or he was embarrassed about the thoughts she had put in his head. "It was fast. A small kiss." he contemplated the worn table, before he looked up at her.

With a cheeky grin, she tapped her own cheek with her finger. "Would you mind demonstrating?" she asked him, leaning in.

He blinked several times. "Ehm. The— the rule. There is a rule not to touch the dancers." he stammered. While he didn't try to move further away, he angled his head in such a way to avoid contact, though she didn't move any closer. She couldn't help but think she saw a slight amount of fear in his face.

"Relax, honey, I'm only teasing." she leaned back to give him some more space. The poor man became so flustered at the mere suggestion of giving a kiss to a stripper. The idea must have been repulsive to him. "So? She kissed you on the cheek. That's a good thing, right?"

Mario let out a big breath and rested his hands on his knees. "I don't know. I don't know what it means. That was what I want to ask." his voice got quiet. Peach thought he was going to say something else, but he closed his mouth and shook his head.

What do you think it means, you adorable dumbass? With a small smile, Peach touched his shoulder. She had to know what he was thinking before she could try to influence him. "What do you think it could mean?"

He shrugged. "I am Italian. Kisses are normal where I come from. But it is different here. Does that make sense?" he winced. "I don't know. I don't know what is normal here. If it is like America, or it is different, I don't know."

Italian. Kisses were normal there? She remembered him trying to explain nationalities from his world. While she had done a fair amount of her own research about his earth, she still couldn't get a solid idea with just books. America, she recognized that name. That was where he had spent most of his life. He and Luigi had worked there for a long time before they stumbled into the Mushroom Kingdom, though he was quick to tell her, the Princess, that he liked the Mushroom Kingdom much more than his own world. However, he didn't need to tell her for her to know that.

She decided she had some questions for Luigi. She needed information.

"Oh, sweetie, if a girl kisses you on the cheek, it means she likes you." she decided it would be safe to clear that up for him. But, she had to keep in mind that she was trying to make his feelings for the Princess fade. She couldn't keep encouraging him. "She probably trusts you. You have been very useful to her."

There. That was exactly what she needed to say. For a moment, Mario's eyes had lit up. Then, they dimmed again. He cleared his throat. "Ehm. Yes." he agreed, looking off to the side. "She, she asked me to a meeting today. I think I was only there for— for, ehm, how do you say? Leverage. I was only there for leverage." he frowned at the table until he found the word he was looking for.

Damn, he was good. Peach was impressed, but also concerned; how could he be so spot on? Could he see through every single one of her intentions? Had he really figured her out so easily? No, he also doubted himself. As long as she neither confirmed nor denied any of his thoughts, he would never be sure. She chose not to answer. Instead, she nodded along to show she was listening.

The silence worked. He gestured in circles while he tried to think. "But— But I don't mind. If I am just a tool to her. I don't mind. It is enough that she wants me close to her." he let out a quiet sigh, and looked off beyond her, to the distance. He had a dazed smile. "She is so smart. I wish I could explain better. There was a problem, she explained to me but it is hard for me to say. The, ehm, the tariffs. With the other Kingdoms. They were not happy because they have to pay more for her exports. But she convinced them to accept the deal. It was amazing."

She raised a brow while she watched him, brows furrowed, hands gesturing, to convey an idea that went over his head. So he had paid attention. Seeing him try so hard to explain what the meeting was like for him was hopelessly endearing, and she could feel her chest surging with warmth. She was already smiling before she realized it.

His voice was so mellow and relaxed. He must have been caught up in his thoughts of the Princess, of the woman he believed he loved, while he spoke. He had such a faraway look in his eyes. How did he spend his time alone? Did he think of her, or dream of her? Did she make him happy? To think she had to take that away from him, Peach pursed her lips. She wished she didn't have to.

The room went dark for a moment. There were eyes on her, from across the room. Blue hair. She spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. A man, he was walking by.

Mario spotted him, too, and stopped talking. The silence felt stiff. His expression became hard. "Blossom," he used her fake name, lowering his voice. The man moved out of their view. "That man. Do you see him?"

She would recognize that sly smirk of Prince Haru's anywhere after that afternoon. Trying not to show her disgust, she nodded. "Yeah, why?" feigning ignorance left a sour taste in her mouth.

Those lovely blue eyes of his became dark and cold. "Listen. I get a bad feeling from him. I think he is dangerous." he told her. Peach wondered why he didn't mention that he had actually met Prince Haru. Perhaps it was to keep her from asking too many questions. "Something is wrong about him. I look at him, and I know he is not friendly. So please, avoid him if you can."

His tone was grave. She had never heard him speak that way. Forcing a smile, she elbowed his arm. "So what? This is a strip club, hon. There's a ton of weirdos hanging around. Besides, I can take care of myself." she winked. "I know you're, like, a hero and all, but you can stick to rescuing actual Princesses. You don't have to worry about me."

Mario tilted his head with a strange look. Shock? She couldn't pin it down. The way he stared at her, that imploring gaze of his, gave her no sense of what he might have been thinking. He let out a long breath, and slowly reached across to touch her hand. His eyes never left hers.

She shifted out of discomfort when he didn't say anything. "Hey, what's the big deal?" she asked, with a nervous laugh. His gloved hand was warm. The room itself was hot, but the weight of his gesture was more of a comforting contact than the heady atmosphere of the club. Didn't he just cite the rule not to touch the dancers? She couldn't tell what he was thinking. Seeing him so serious made her nerves spike briefly. He was reminding her of her encounters with Bowser, when she and everything she loved was threatened. Mario was only so solemn in such situations.

"Blossom." he said her fake name again, but in such a delicate tone that Peach found herself too afraid to move. He did not usually make so much eye contact. His intense stare and quiet voice compelled her to hang on to his every word. "I need you to understand this. The Princess, she is important. But you are also important to me. Everyone is. I just want for you to be safe."

Her mouth was dry. "Yeah?" she managed. "Well, that's sweet of you, darling. I'm sure you'll get all the ladies with that kind of smooth talk. But I'm just a stripper. I see guys like that on a regular basis. Nothing new to me." she strained to keep her front.

Mario shook his head. "You think I am joking but I am serious." his expression became stern, almost frustrated, and Peach instantly felt a heated rush in her chest. "I don't care what you are or what you do. You are my friend."

Why was he trying so hard to convince her that he cared? Could it be that he was possibly telling the truth? No, it was all wrong. Mario was only acting the way he was because he was kind. He didn't care all that much about her, personally. He couldn't. She was just a stripper. At the moment, all he wanted was for Prince Haru to leave everyone alone. So he was just doing everything he could to make her avoid trouble. Right? He just couldn't care so much. "Your friend, huh?" she responded, shifting under the weight of his gaze.

He nodded. The pressure let up a little. He patted her hand twice, before he finally let go of her. "Yes." he answered her with wonderful simplicity. He did not have to say anything else for her to know that he meant it.

She reached up to touch a stray strand of hair, feeling her hands and knees buzzing with restless energy. Why was she reacting so much? "Imagine that. Mario, hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, friends with a stripper." she gave an ironic chuckle. "You don't even know my real name."

With a shrug, he leaned back in the booth and looked out across the room. The floor was at a normal level of chaos, all the noise, light, and music showcasing the dancer. No sign of Prince Haru for the time being. "It does not matter if you are a stripper. What is important is your character, yes? You are a good person. I can see it. You help me even though I do not want your service." he smiled. "I do not have to know your name to like you. You want me to call you Blossom, so I call you Blossom."

He didn't even acknowledge how she tried to flatter him, with the hero talk. Perhaps he was ignoring it? He had told her once, to the Princess, that he actually didn't like being called a hero at all. She wondered why it had bothered him so much.

And why was he telling her that he liked her? He was so odd. Sometimes, she didn't have the slightest idea what he was thinking.

Staring out across the club, Mario crossed his ankles. "Your stage name. Milli Vanilli. I did not know that you like music from my world." he grinned.

So he wanted to continue the subject of names, huh? Peach wondered what he was talking about. She frowned. "I'm not sure I know what you mean, darling."

His smile became bashful. "Oh. I was hoping that you would know." he rubbed the back of his head. "Where I come from, Milli Vanilli was a band. They were popular for a little while."

A band from his world? Peach got her name from an old shirt that she owned. She couldn't remember how or why she got the shirt, or if it had always been there. But she thought the name was cute, so she used it onstage. "I see. You'll have to show me their music sometime." she arched her back while she sat up, hoping to catch Mario glancing at her chest. But he wasn't paying attention to her.

He was shaking his head at some inner thought, smiling to himself. She wondered what could be so funny about Milli Vanilli.

The song ended, and a new one was starting up. Mario's friends were talking to each other. They would likely leave soon. Then, Mario would go, too. She pursed her lips.

"Hey," she got his attention, and waved vaguely over to his friends. "So those two perverts. Why are you friends with them? You're such a sweet guy, it makes no sense that you even associate with guys like that."

She wanted to understand his definition of a friend. Maybe if he gave her a solid answer, she would know why he apparently wasn't bothered to be friends with a stripper. Perhaps a friend was something much less serious to him than it was to her.

Raising his eyebrows, he looked over to where she indicated. "Oh. Wario and Waluigi?" the two began walking away, toward the door. Mario did not seem in the least concerned or rushed. Instead, he leaned so he could reach his pocket. He pulled out his wallet.

She blinked at him. He was going to pay her? They hadn't even been talking for very long. Had they? A glance to a clock on the wall to her left told her that they had actually been sitting together for quite some time. She nodded, while watching Mario count up the coins.

"I know they seem odd. And they are. A little. But they are not so bad when you talk to them." he watched them with a wry sort of fondness. Then, he set down his payment, and slid it toward her with a guilty smile. "Besides. If I am not their friend, then who will be?"

Then who will be, indeed? "Thank you, sweetie," she hummed, accepting the coins. He was even more generous than last time. She shook her head, trying to disguise her surprise. "I'll have you know, you are one interesting guy, Mario."

He slid out of the booth and got to his feet. At first, he didn't say anything. He only tilted his head at her with a contemplative look. "Is that bad?" he asked, blinking at her with those honest eyes.

That poor, sweet man. Peach had to try and distance herself again. There wasn't a choice. If she didn't act like a stripper, then he might actually begin to believe they could be friends. She followed him up. Her heels added a few extra inches to her height, enough for her to tower over him. Their part of the room became dark, briefly. She could still see his widening eyes follow her every move. As she stalked around him, she ran a finger across his chest with a widening smirk. "Oh, no, hon. Actually, I think you might find that the women in your life think of it as a very good thing." she purred.

Mario must not be used to such attention at all. "Oh." he stood, frozen, while she circled around him. The light came back. She could see the color in his cheeks. He didn't know what to do.

No, she wasn't an enemy, where the easy answer was to fight back. But she also wasn't enough of a familiar friend to him. He didn't know how to react to a stripper doing her job. No, that was wrong; he knew how to react to that just fine. Perhaps he must have forgotten that strippers try to convince their customers to buy more of their services? No, he could clearly see the other strippers milking other men of their money all over the club. So what was it?

He was tense, braced beneath her touch, ready to fight or flee. He was afraid? She wasn't sure. When he was facing Bowser, she remembered touching his shoulder. He was tense then as well. But this was different. Then, he was animated and focused, driven by a specific goal. Now, he was just caught completely off guard. Why was a stripper more intimidating to him than a raging Koopa King?

Then, it clicked into place.

He wasn't used to being the object of seduction. He wasn't, because society had told him he wasn't desirable that way. If he truly saw the world in terms of friends and enemies, she was neither. She wasn't out to harm him, but her touch surely wasn't welcome. And he didn't know how to deal with that. He couldn't decide on any course of action, and his indecision gave her all the more power over the situation.

Oh. That was why he was so reluctant to act on his romantic feelings. That was why he was insecure. He must have only ever had negative experiences concerning love, being so certain that he would never be desirable enough. Then, that would logically lead him to avoid romance entirely. That would explain why he wasn't used to a woman giving him such attention. It was all a feedback loop. And, his helplessness was a negative experience as well. She was only reinforcing what he had learned, what he feared.

Peach came to understand a lot more about him in that instant.

And she knew that in order to make him feel secure again, she had to relinquish some of the power to him.

Her hand moved to gingerly touch his shoulder instead of his chest. She stopped circling to give him a route of escape. "I'll bet your Princess likes a man who's interesting." she changed the subject so that the focus wasn't immediately on her anymore. "I'll bet you're already closer than you think to those succulent peaches."

She tapped his nose. His face was bright red. "Ehm— I…" he stuttered, searching for words in her face. He couldn't find any. When he sought space by backing up a step, she didn't try to follow him. She had to let him find control again.

His friends were watching. They had stopped a good distance away to watch her mess with Mario, and she saw them snickering together. At least it was just those two who had noticed. She couldn't do anything more to mar his image; others in the club might recognize him.

Standing up to her full height, she indicated his friends with a nod in their direction. "Your buddies are waiting for you." she told him.

He turned to glance over his shoulder. Wario and Waluigi waved gleefully at him. He raised his hand, and gave a halfhearted wave back.

Then, he faced her again. "I have to go. It is late." he said, rubbing his temple and starting to back off. His voice was soft at first. But he was gradually regaining his nerve. "Good night, Blossom. Please stay safe. I hope work goes well. See you soon?"

She grinned, and nodded. "Sure thing, hon. Thank you for your patronage." she held up the money he had given her. "You stay safe, too, alright? Goodnight!"

With one last nod and a friendly little wave, he turned and left. She watched him for only a moment. His friends would tease him if she continued to watch him go. He needed the chance to recover from her teasing in peace, without the pressure of his friends. Not that they were going to be considerate of his feelings. In any case, that was all she could do. So, she tucked away the money, and started to the back; she had another dance to get ready for.

As soon as she had turned, her smile fell. Dammit! She wasn't supposed to be giving him hope. She was supposed to be trying to make his feelings fade. Instead, she managed to dig herself even deeper than before. Frustrated, she let out a rough sigh just as she got to the door. She glanced back, and saw Mario's bright red hat disappear out front. He was gone. He was gone, and she had yet again strengthened his hopes that the Princess could return his feelings.

She groaned to herself. Yes, of course she returned his feelings. But she just couldn't act on her desires. There was too much at stake. The welfare of the Kingdom relied on her. Her safety relied on Mario. And if she were to anger him by telling him the truth, what then? Would he leave? Would he become an enemy? Would he decide to just stand back like her other allies if King Bowser came again? There was no way she could predict the scope of the fallout if she allowed herself to follow her heart.

No. He couldn't ever love her. She sighed, and reached to open the door.

Her hand froze above the handle. Someone was watching her.

She glanced up, to her right and left. There wasn't anyone she could see. Perhaps she was imagining it? Shaking her head, she twisted the door handle and started inside.

The instant before she got through the doorway, she caught a glimpse of blue hair and cold eyes.

O~o~O

Will Nintendo ever forgive me for this? I highly doubt they read what their fans write in any case, but I still feel as if I have to repent for my sins...I turned their most iconic female character into a politician masquerading as a stripper! Then again, I suppose it's better than rule 34 or whatever. Geez this chapter got long, and the story isn't even over yet! This has actually been done for quite some time; I was saving it for when I had more of the last chapter done. Also, for those who recognize Prince Haru from the Mario movie, please forgive me haha I needed a humanoid villain to project misogyny onto and I couldn't think of anyone better. Anyway, this AU is fun to play with even if it is more mature than I usually write. I hope you enjoyed, and I especially hope you enjoy the last chapter!

Thanks for reading!