Dancing Under the Star Bits

by KaiserErebus

I'm not good at dancing, but my instincts come in two modes: fight or flight. So, there's only one way to go. Time to fly around the dance floor with the woman I've come to love. What about my flaws though? Why does she even bother with someone like me? This is her answer.

A/N: Something short and hopefully sweet. I've read the comments, but a sequel to Riding to Another Dimension isn't possible at the moment. Hopefully, this will satisfy some cravings? Merry Christmas!

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When I first set foot inside Peach's Castle, I was amazed by how beautiful it really looked. Multiple games portray the resident in various fashion, and I was hoping that Mario Odyssey would have a bigger exploration of the castle, but I was happy with what we got. Peach's Castle is something to gawk at, but for this occasion, I wasn't feeling all that thrilled.

I entered the establishment with my well-tailored suit hugging my large form. I'm not one to wear suits, or at least, nothing this formal. I can handle formal casual, but strictly formal, I get nervous, and for whatever reason, the lovely Princess Peach invited me to her castle for a nice little get together. That's what Luigi said when he informed me of the message. It was tempting to ask what Mario had to say since he's so into the Mushroom Princess, but something told me I would die if I asked. Don't get me wrong; I'm still going to die after this night is over. Mario and Bowser already have it out for me because of how close the princess is to me, but what can I do? I can't tell her to keep her distance; that would be rude, and I am a gentleman. The best thing I can do is try to ignore any advances.

…Easier said than done. Let it be known that I do find Peach very attractive. I wouldn't say I have a crush on her. My heart belongs to the lovely Rosalina, but the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom does indeed have her charms. I wonder what sort of activities we'll be participating in. I know she loves to dance, but I hope she doesn't ask me to. One thing to know about me: I can't dance. I have absolutely no rhythm.

"Welcome, Master Marquis," Toadsworth greeted me. Contrary to what people say, Toadsworth is pretty cool. He reminds me of Mr. Herriman from Foster's Home, but if you're decent in manners and rules, you'll quickly become his favorite person. I know my manners are hundreds of times better than the Mario Bros. and Bowser.

"Good evening, Toadsworth," I bowed back. "Is the night treating you well?"

"Certainly. It's been a while since the night been this peaceful. Are you looking for the princess?"

"Yes. She invited me over, but she didn't mention where, and I do not want to keep her waiting any longer than need be."

"Ah, very punctual. I like seeing that in young folks." With his cane, Toadsworth gave me the directions. "Go down the hall and make the first left. Continue onward until you come across a set of stairs leading up. Once you enter the next level of the castle, you should immediately see a set of large double-doors. That's where you'll find the princess."

"Got it. Thanks, Toadsworth." I bid the elderly gent farewell and followed his instructions. Thank goodness, the man's memory is picture perfect. I had no trouble finding the room.

However, trying to enter was another problem.

My heart is pounding. I know there's no reason to be nervous, but when I think about what can lie behind this set of double-doors, my nerves grow stronger. As I said, I'm meeting with Peach for a friendly get-together. There's nothing that should warrant such hesitation. I know spending time alone with the princess is nerve-wracking, but if I can stay calm and act like normal, it shouldn't be a problem, hopefully.

It would be rude to keep the lady waiting, so I swallowed my fears and pushed the doors open, where the sound of music became that much clearer. A soft but lively melody entered my ears as the lights from the chandeliers illuminated the room with a soothing glow. The lights weren't too bright nor too dimmed.

But towards the back of the room, I lost my ability to speak. My mouth fell off its hinges and dropped to the floor as my eyes checked out the piece of art before them. When the door opened, she was alerted to my presence and turned away from the window to scope the scene, and when our eyes met, the most beautiful smile enlarged on her lips. Her skin is pale like snow while her eyes, a beautiful light-blue, sparkled like the water on a crystal blue lake. Her eyelashes, long and curly, fluttered slowly as her ebony irises kept my face in sight. They were breathtaking, surpassing the beauty of even the most radiant gems, but I was left with one question. What is Rosalina doing here?

"You made it," she said. Her lips, dolled with peach-colored lipstick, were stuck in a beautiful smile. For some reason, I was heavily drawn to them, but when she spoke, I hastily looked back into her eyes. She wore a beautiful, teal colored, strapless dress that barely touched the ground. Long white gloves enclosed her delicate fingers and slid up her arms. She looked stunning.

"Of course, it's rude to keep a lady waiting. I didn't know you were coming though. Why didn't you tell me?"

She floated towards me and surprised me with a sudden hug. After my first Grand Prix, I should be used to such interactions but I'm not. That didn't stop me from returning the gesture though. I love hugs, and Rosalina shares my interest. We're practically joined at the hip when together. Even Daisy and Luigi make fun of us because of it.

"It would ruin the surprise if I did," she told me, leaning back to gauge me. "But then the thought of dancing with you changed my mind."

And just like that, an arrow pierced right through my chest. She has that affect on me. For someone new to this whole dating thing, Rosalina isn't an amateur. She tends to go with the flow and just let her feelings guide her, but I'm glad she's happy.

"I promise not to disappoint. Also, you look gorgeous. I am stunned right now."

She giggles and leans down to plant a thank you kiss on my cheek. Rosalina is taller than I am, much more than I originally thought, but the difference wasn't so staggering that we had issues with certain gestures.

"You're looking really handsome yourself." She stepped closer and snaked her arms around my neck while mine remained ensnared around her curvaceous middle. "The princess won't be coming. She wanted us to have this special moment. What do you say?"

I'm hoping things don't blow up in my face. "I would be honored to spend the evening with a woman of your beauty. Quick warning: I've never danced before."

"That's alright." Rosalina placed her right hand on my shoulder and laid her left in my right. Meanwhile, I had my left arm secured around her waist still and my right hand caressing her left. "I'm not expecting anything major. Just try not to step on my feet."

I chuckled nervously. "I only promise to try."

The music started to get loud, and the lights dimmed to a perfect setting.

"You can lead," Rosalina told me. I hope she doesn't regret saying that. We started with the basic steps, moving in tune with the music. I'm surprised by how easy my body moved despite not knowing the initial steps. My instincts are in full control, but my eyes are only focused on the beautiful woman before me. She was surreal, like a diamond shining bright. The soft flutter of her eyelashes made me swallow the lump in my throat I never knew was there. Her lips were curled into a small smile, not entirely a smirk but not a big grin either. I slowly think back the very first kiss we shared. It was nothing short of magical.

"I thought you said you never danced before," she interrupted my train of contemplations.

"It's true. This is the first time I've ever danced and with someone. My nerves are so strong that my instincts are the only saving grace."

"I think you need to have more confidence in your abilities," Rosalina replied and pressed her forehead against mine. It was getting very hot all of a sudden. I didn't want to avert my eyes, but it was hard to focus when Rosalina is looking at me so hard.

"Is everything okay?" I asked her.

Her smile enlarged. "Everything is just right. I'm glad to be here right now, in your arms."

I stifled a laugh. "You do love hugs."

Her cheeks turned a rosy pink as she pouted. "As do you."

"Yeah, but I get mine from a beautiful woman. What kind of man would say no to that, especially when she's the initiator?"

"I remember when it was me making you flustered and not the other way around," she continued to pout. It was pretty freaking adorable.

"And whose fault is it for wasting your best tactics? I have to gain the upper hand somehow."

She surprises me with another sudden kiss and giggles at the stupid look on my face. "I agree."

"That's not fair."

"All is fair in love and war." She closes her eyes and leans her head on my shoulder. We continue to sway back and forth, the soft tune of the music lulling us to a world only we could see. It was just Rosalina and me, alone to enjoy this wonderful night. No outside distractions, no audacious visitors to swoop in and ruin the moment. I know we'll be interrogated the next day, but until then, I only thought about her and the magic that surrounded our shared domain. She was the queen, and I was the king. We ruled this world.

"I behave this way because of you," she suddenly said. It wasn't enough to make me jump, but I couldn't help but consider her words. She behaves this way because of me? I fail to see how I did such a thing.

"I don't see how's that possible. What could I have possibly done?"

"A lot. There is a reasonable explanation for my recent spike in playful banter. It started when you came into my life, so obviously, it must be your influence."

"More like I give the better reactions."

She continued to smile as her piercing blue-eyes looked deep into my fragile soul. "That too. I don't mean to make you miserable. I just like seeing you flustered. It's cute."

"Cute huh? I haven't been called that a lot."

"Really? Hmm, I wonder why."

"I've never actively tried to pursue a relationship, and it's hard to trust the words of others."

"Do you not trust me?" she asked, and I can tell my words must've hurt because of the look in her eyes. She's never given me a reason not to trust her, but just because a reason doesn't exist, it doesn't mean it can't be concluded.

"I trust you. Do you trust me?"

"You haven't given me a reason not to." We're truly on the same wavelength, and that's what scares me. She's able to tell what I'm thinking. That means it won't take her long to learn all she needs to. "Were you disappointed that Peach wasn't here to greet you?"

"Not at all." I want to pick her brain. "When I realized it was you, all my fears vanished in an instant?"

She smirked. "And what fears did you have?"

"That Mario and Bowser would hunt me down and hurt me in the worst and most humane way possible. Peach has them wrapped around her finger, and because you like to tease me, I know she does too."

"True, but when she teases people, she does on a psychological level. Me? I do it to show I care, and before you ask; have any of my jibs made you feel inadequate or ashamed?"

She's already a couple steps ahead of me. I'm not sure when this game of chess began, but I know she has my king cornered.

"I'll give you that one," I said. "But when you say that, do you really mean you care? Can I take your words to heart?"

"Absolutely. I have nothing to gain from toying with you. Although, now that we're a couple, I have to do everything I can to keep the lead. Call it a woman's tuition, but I sense you can be pretty dangerous with words."

I had to smile at that. Some people actually call me a wordsmith, but I, for one, cannot see it. When I put pencil to paper do the words come flowing out, but when verbal action is required, I fail horribly. Maybe…

"Well, guess I'll never win then. I'm only good at seduction when I write scenes about it. What do you think? Could I really make your heart race with mere words?" I whispered. Time to test a theory. My face is completely serious, and I'm going to test some phrases. "You're giving me too much credit. I doubt I can make a woman like you swoon."

I can't tell if it's working or not. Rosalina's face hasn't changed from the small smile. Although, I have noticed her cheeks getting a little flushed. Is she getting flustered perhaps?

"You give yourself too little credit," she said. "I can name many times you've made my heart skip a beat. The time you first regaled me with poetry for instance. I was overwhelmed by how deep and beautiful you spoke. Not everyone can communicate so eloquently."

"I'll recite poetry for you any time you want," I stated. Her smile enlarged, and she thanked me with a small kiss on the cheek. This woman is too much for me. I can already tell she's going to be a tricky to deal with.

"I would love that, but for now, I just want to share this moment with you." She laid her head on my shoulder and let the sound of the soft music lull us back to our world.

"Are you truly happy with this? Happy with me?"

"Of course. I'm new to this, but I'm sure I know who my feelings belong to. You're special. Special to me, special to the Lumas; I can't believe I haven't met you before."

"Now you're just trying to flatter me."

She shook her head. "It's not flattery. It's the truth. You may find it hard to believe, but I will always hold you in high regard."

When I opened my mouth to speak, she placed a finger over it and shook her head once more. "I won't have any of it. You said you trust me. Prove it then. Show me a sign of your trust. Say something, do anything, just return my feelings like I know you want to."

She's really smart, but what can I do? What will be enough for her? Our world is starting to shatter. I have to keep everything safe, but how? How do I do that? What do I say? How should I respond?

"I love you," my mouth ran faster than my thoughts. I didn't even know I said it until just now. "I've always longed for a love so true, but at the same time, I try to avoid it because I'm afraid of screwing up. I'm afraid to do something that will change your opinion of me. I want to explore the cosmos with you and show you the beauty of my galaxy, but I'm worried if I show you who I really am, you'll want to leave and try your luck at love elsewhere. You deserve happiness, and I want to be the one who gives it to you."

There was no thought behind my words. Everything I just said came from the heart. It may be fragile, but it's capable of wondrous things. I just pray this is enough to satisfy Rosalina. Her silence tells me otherwise.

"And that right there is exactly why I have no regrets," she stated, much to my surprise. "Everything you said made me extremely happy."

She caressed the sides of my face and awarded my small speech with a hard kiss on the lips.

"I love you too, and believe me when I say that I understand your insecurities. I'm new to this just like you. I don't want anything to sever what we have. So, I'm telling you, as your lover, to be more confident in yourself. I will never, ever, ever make you feel ashamed of yourself. I promise."

She embraced me tightly. "Let's dance one more time."

I was hesitant. Our first dance turned out great, but with these new feelings, I don't think I'm in the right state of mind. Regardless, I accepted.

"Not here." I grew confused. "On the Comet Observatory."

"Why there?"

"Please?" I couldn't say no to such a face. This game of chess ended about twenty statements ago. It's obvious who the winner is; Rosalina is just too good. It makes me ponder why she's still accepting of this arrangement.

"We can't just leave without letting Peach know. That would be rude."

I think I'm starting to see a problem with our height now. As I mentioned before, Rosalina is taller than me. She's about seven feet tall, and I am only six feet and four inches tall. It's only a foot and some inches difference but nothing major. That being said, I have to be more careful how we hug because I just realized it's possible to be smothered in Rosalina's bosom.

I'm not trying to use perversions in order to make Rosalina more seductive, but she's still a woman. She's a towering figure in the Mario universe, and she's quite the developed young lady. She's not depicted with oversized features like anime women, but at the same time, she's well on her way there.

"Don't worry about Peach. She'll understand," the Queen of the Cosmos assures me. When she hugged me just then, she pressed my head in between her bosom. Again, not trying to make her sound amorous or make myself sound like every generic anime male protagonist.

"I want you to focus only on me." She brandished her trusty wand. Where she keeps it, I'm nervous to ask. Maybe she have pockets in her dress.

"Let's go." She waves her wand, letting her magical powers engulf us like a warm blanket. It's hard to describe the effects of teleportation. Everything moves beyond human comprehension. Reality seems to freeze as we make our way to our destination, and upon arriving, everything resumes like normal. Is this how Goku feels when he uses Instant Transmission?

Arriving at the Garden dome, Rosalina and I separate. She points her wand skyward and lets the power flow once more. Ordinarily, the Garden is bright and sunny, but with her magic, Rosalina changed day to night and turned the sky from a beautiful light-blue to a mysterious midnight-black. Following up, the princess made copies of the pull star, spread them out, and changed their colors to a fiery orange-red. The lights from the pull star served as our answer to the mass darkness.

"I didn't know you could do that," I commented on the pull star bit.

"I've never had to. This is the first time I will use this function." She sent her wand away and curtsies. "Are you ready to resume where we left off?"

Not really, but we're already here. "As ready as ever." I bow and hold out my hand with a flourish. "Shall we?"

She places her hand atop mine and closes in, her hand sliding up my arm until it reaches my shoulder. Her other hand did the same, and I feel a jolt surge down my spine. Her eyes watched my every move. As I wrapped my arms around her hips, she never stopped observing me.

"Am I that interesting?" I inquired. We started moving, swaying back and forth to the beat of the music.

"You are."

I don't know. Maybe it's because we hail from different dimensions, but I fail to see what fascinates her. Then again, humans are strange creatures. I'm not sure if the human like characters can be classified as humans, but until Miyamoto says otherwise, Rosalina is a human.

"I want to help you see that," she continued. The spotlight swerved with us. This became our new world, just the two of us stuck in one another's embrace as a meteor shower of star bits rain overhead, rainbows of small comets racing through the sky. It's hard to believe this is the same dome that aided Mario and Luigi in their space adventures.

"Do I come off too strong?"

I shook my head. We were talking, but our bodies were still moving to the rhythm. Hell, somewhere down the line, I got playful and spun the beautiful woman around and pressed her back against my chest, my hold around her waist clamping into place.

"No, I don't think so. It's entirely me."

"It has to be my fault somewhere too. You refuse to believe every word I say, so there has to be something I'm doing wrong, right?"

"Wrong," I tell her. She's completely wrong.

"Then why? Why do you not believe me?"

I don't have an answer.

"Show me a sign of your trust," she demanded.

"I love you." Like before, my mouth moved ahead of my brain. It became instinct.

"Again. Show me a sign of your trust."

"I love you."

She turned in my arms and buried her head in the nape of my neck. "One more time. Show me a sign of your trust."

"I love you."

She stole a kiss, and lightly slapped me on the cheek, nothing hard, nothing vengeful, just a little pat.

"I love you too. Get used to hearing that because I will say it a thousand times if I must."

She took my hand and placed it over her chest, her eyes closing. Again, not trying to make things sound sexual. I can feel her heart accelerating.

"This looks wrong, you know?"

"Only if you bring attention to it," she replied. "That's not what I want you to feel though. Do you notice how fast my heart is beating?"

I gulp. Don't bring attention to it? That's a hard notion. "Y-Yeah."

"It beats this way for you. It's been like this since I heard you enter the ballroom at Peach's Castle."

Her piercing blue eyes flutter open, and her unoccupied hand lands on my chest.

"Yours is beating sporadically too, and yes, I know your position has a factor in this. Is it wrong to desire your lover's touch sometimes?"

She wants me to touch her? No, I'm reading way too deep into this.

"I love you," she states. "You set my soul afire, whether it be with simple words or subtle actions, you ignite a flame, not just a little spark, but a big roaring flame. I can feel it now."

Rosalina takes our hands and lace our fingers together. Our next dance started like this, but it ended with both of us snuggled in each other's arms, the shower of star bits whistling as they passed by. Dancing with the star bits.

"Hey," I whispered.

"Mhm?"

"I love you."

Rosalina giggles softly. "I love you too, Papa."

I forgot all about that title.

"Mama wants a kiss, Papa," she said. "Will you kiss me?"

"You've been spending too much time with that Luma," I retorted and leaned forward, pressing my lips squarely against hers. What erupted was a massive flame in the pit of my chest. It burned away the enemies that tried to uproot the seed of my securities. The parts I did have confidence in were protected by this intense fire.

"I love you, Marquis. Even across the galaxies, I'll cherish this love with you."

Our dance came to an end, but neither of us had the courage to leave. One more chapter in our story reached its resolution, but another one is lurking right around the corner.

"And I love you, my beautiful star."