A/N: Holy moly, my longest chapter to date! Some of it smacks of filler, but I really do prefer the term "exposition". Either way, here's hoping it gives you something to be excited about. Also, there is sort of an "ooh-la-la" moment with Mario and Pauline after it starts to rain. If you're terribly uncomfortable, I suggest you avert your eyes. Thanks again for reading, love all of the great reviews!
Daisy sat wide-eyed as Peach recounted the story of what happened to her at Bowser's Castle. It had been only a week since her safe return, but it already felt distant, like a dream.
"So let me get this straight," Daisy started, "He just, brought you back here because you asked him to? No Mario Brothers? No butt kicking?"
"Yes, he just came right to my balcony and dropped me off, as if he were an old friend of mine or something. But, that's not even the strangest part. When I got out of the car, he just sat there, looking at me, then he left."
"Uh huh," Daisy smirked. "Someone's in love with Peachy."
"Wh-what!" Peach stammered. "Do you really think so?"
"Well, why wouldn't he be?"
"Oh, well, nobody's ever been in love with me before, that's all. Well, nobody besides maybe TEC, that strange computer on the moon." Peach murmured.
Daisy rolled her eyes dramatically. "That's why you're going on a date with Mario tomorrow night, right? Because nobody loves poor Peachy."
"Hey, it isn't a date!" she lied. "Mario is my friend, we're going to see a movie and going to eat, and that's all!" In reality, she was quite thrilled that Daisy had called it a date as she had never been on a date before and they always sounded so exciting.
"Oh really?" Daisy teased. "Is that why you were so concerned that I come over and help you pick out what to wear? Listen, if you're saving all your love for the Koopa King, I totally understand, but you shouldn't lead poor Mario on…"
"Oh enough! I certainly am not 'saving all my love' for Bowser!"
"I'm just kidding!" said Daisy lightheartedly, flipping through pages in her magazine. "Lighten up. Hey, what's your sign anyhow?"
"Um, I was born in the year of the Wiggler, why?"
"I'm going to read you your horoscope! Here we go."
"Wigglers should expect many surprises in the coming weeks as the change in season causes disruption in Star Road. Keep your mind and heart open and give generously to all who cross your path."
"Um, that was so vague!" exclaimed Daisy. "Why can't it say something simple like 'lotsa smooching'?"
"Because then it wouldn't come true. Of course I should expect surprises and give generously; it's almost time for the holidays!"
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, let's finish picking out your makeup for tomorrow. If the Stars won't help us out in the romance department, then we'll just have to help ourselves!"
Bowser looked out the window of his castle at the silvery moonlight illuminating the hills. It was hard to believe that only a week ago, he had been enjoying a nice day out with Peach, just talking. Although the happiness from her visit had stayed with him, his loneliness had begun to creep up on him the moment he left the princess on her balcony.
He turned to his shelf and grabbed a small, worn book and a blue feather pen. He untied the side of the book, turned to a fresh page and wrote:
Day: **
Month: %*
Drizzling, then clear
Today I had to sit though another meeting and listen to some whiny jerks talk about their problems; it was totally boring. After that, I thought of a brilliant plan to surprise my brats. I'm gonna bring Peach over for the holidays, it's gonna be awesome. It gets pretty boring without those little monsters so…I hope they're making lots of trouble for those teachers. Dinner was good tonight, but I'm getting really sick of eating alone.
He closed the book and placed it back on its shelf. He slipped out of his shell and slid between his red satin sheets with an enormous yawn. Maybe she's thinking about me too, that'd be pretty cool.
Peach looked in the mirror for the thousandth time that evening. She anxiously grabbed a can of hairspray to plaster her curls even further into submission, and then looked at the clock. Mario would arrive at the castle in ten minutes to pick her up for their date. Peach was giddy with excitement. She had never known anybody to have romantic feelings for her, much less ask her on a date. Although Peach did not exactly burn for Mario, she rationalized that she had just not gotten to know him in that way yet and that when she did, she would probably fall in love with him.
She looked at the clock again, eight minutes left. She paced the floor and finally turned on her television to half-watch a boring sit-com that flickered onto the screen. She tapped her baby pink nails on her thigh as she waited in anticipation.
After what felt like hours, the sit-com ended and Peach once again looked at the clock. It was time, but he had not arrived yet and the suspense was killing her. Peach continued to pace the floor and looked in the mirror again to reapply her lipstick. She hastily cleared off her vanity, as if worried that Mario would suddenly appear in her room and see what a horrible mess she had made.
Earlier that day, she had tried on nearly every dress she owned in order to pick the best looking one. She hung up the rest of the dresses in the "maybe pile", which she had previously spread out on her bed. At last, her room was clean and she was satisfied with her overall appearance. She glanced at the clock. Ten minutes late. Where is he? I hope he didn't forget.
She sat back down on her bed and watched the news, shaking her dangling foot as it hung off the bed. With every minute past, her excitement turned increasingly into frustration and disappointment. At this rate, they might even miss the movie! Finally, she heard a soft knock on her door and the sound of Toadsworth's voice.
"Princess! Mario has arrived and is waiting for you downstairs."
Her stomach did a flip-flop. He was finally here! She quickly opened the door and walked downstairs slowly. As Mario came into view, she was slightly disappointed that he seemed to be in his normal clothes and that had not brought anything for her.
Although she knew it was wrong to compare real life to things she saw in movies, she had always imagined that her first date would be a magical night. She had visions all day of Mario coming to the door, all dressed up just for her, with a bouquet of flowers. However, this was reality and she was not about to let trivial things get in the way of having a wonderful first date.
"Um, hello Mario." She said with a blush, keeping her lovely eyes cast downward. She remembered reading in a magazine that men preferred women who were shy and reserved, but also friendly and polite.
Mario cleared his throat nervously and offered her a coat. Outside, he opened the car door for the princess and got inside next to her. During the car ride, Peach remained mostly silent, occasionally chancing a glance over at her date. She was trying very hard to take everyone's advice and make the night a perfect success.
Mario shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Why is she acting so weird? He pretended to be interested in the city lights outside the window so he could avoid Peach's shy looks. He had known her for years and she had never once given him a look like that. Mama mia, she must really, really like me, more than I thought.
Peach smoothed her hair and straightened her dress. Mario looked so nervous; she wondered if something was wrong. Perhaps Bowser was right, maybe this kind of love could make you weak. Actually, he looks a little sick. But how would Bowser know anything about that kind of love? She wrinkled her nose as she remembered Daisy teasing that Bowser was in love with her. That would just be weird.
When they reached the restaurant, the maître d' seated them immediately. Mario's eyes danced over the menu with delight. Peach mindlessly played with a ringlet of her hair as her eyes glazed over the menu. Bread, pasta, and then perhaps dessert with a sugary drink. Peach smoothed her dress over her stomach. None of these refined carbohydrates will do anything good for my figure.
"Good evening, a pleasure to see you again! Will it be the usual, Sir?" asked the neatly groomed waiter.
Mario nodded in affirmation.
"And for you, Miss?"
"Oh, uh, I would just like water please," said Peach softly
Peach smiled at Mario as the waiter took the menu. He smiled back with his eyebrows raised.
"They have a fabulous menu here and the ambiance is wonderful; I mean, who knew you could do so much with stained glass?" she said, gesturing to the chandeliers above the tables.
Mario once again nodded in affirmation.
Thankfully, at that moment the waiter interrupted the awkward conversation by bringing the appetizers and asking for the main order.
"I would like the seasonal dinner salad, please," said Peach, hoping the dressing would be on the side.
As soon as the waiter left, Mario began to eat right away, while Peach politely picked at the deep-fried calamari rings. Peach was not normally a health nut, but for whatever reason, she just did not feel like eating anything fattening.
"Um, so what movie are we going to see after this?" Peach asked.
Mario presented her with tickets to Super Blooper, a comedy.
"Oh, this looks like fun, I've wanted to see it, but Daisy hasn't had the time to go with me."
After a few more attempts at small talk, the waiter returned with the main dishes. Peach looked down at her salad, a stunning array of field greens and colorful fruits and vegetables. Every crunchy bite was like an explosion of bold flavors that blended in perfect harmony. Feeling cheerier, Peach smiled up at Mario who was also obviously enjoying his food.
By the time the dessert had arrived, Peach and Mario were chatting just like usual. Peach took a small bite of her fire flower gelato and her eyes went wide. "Oh, hot hot hot, but so tasty!" she exclaimed happily, forgetting her shyness. Everything was going so much smoother now that Peach had stopped focusing on Mario as her date, and instead focused on their existing friendship. At last, the check was paid and they were on their way to the Mushroom Multiplex.
At the theaters, Peach and Mario quickly rushed to the "best" seats in the theater: middle row, middle seats. The movie began and Peach put her arms on the armrests. Sometime, in the middle of the movie, Mario realized that he had not yet seized an opportunity to get closer to Peach. He slowly slid his arm next to hers on the armrest and gently put his hand on top of hers. Peach sat stiffly and attempted to concentrate on the movie, but she could feel the warmth from his hand reaching her fingers. Peach blushed and began to feel shy again.
After the movie was over, Peach and Mario politely discussed the movie. Mario seemed to enjoy the movie quite a bit and the princess said she liked it too. However, in truth, she found it a bit boring. At last, the car finally reached the castle and Mario escorted Peach to the door.
"Well, thank you," she said softly "I had a lovely time."
Mario nodded his head and the two stood awkwardly for a few seconds before Peach leaned forward and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "Well, goodnight Mario."
Peach entered her castle and quietly made her way to her room. Immediately, she kicked off her shoes and massaged her tired calves. After changing into her most comfortable pajamas and washing her face, she grabbed Buzzy and opened her pink laptop. As expected, Daisy was online and waiting to hear every detail of her first date.
Before Peach could finish climbing into her fluffy bed, a window from "PrincessEclair" popped up on the screen. "Peachy, you're finally back! How did it go? Tell me everything!"
Peach smiled and her keyboard clicked furiously as she typed the story to her eager cousin. After she sent the story, she yawned softly and waited for a reply. While waiting, she brought up her e-mail. Eleven unread messages, and that's just since last night!
She was excited to receive an e-mail from her old friend Twink, a Star Kid who had once helped her escape from Bowser. Apparently, the Star Elders had recently appointed him to a wish granting committee and they were making big changes to efficiency up in Star Haven.
The laptop emitted a soft chime which pulled Peach back to her conversation with Daisy. "So did you kiss him, or what!?"
Peach blushed and smiled, thankful to be hiding behind a computer screen.
Prettyinpink: Well, yes, I mean, sort of…
PrincessEclair: How do you 'sort of' kiss someone?
Prettyinpink: You know, like a peck on the cheek
PrincessEclair: Aw…how cute! Sounds like you had a good time.
Prettyinpink: Yeah, I did. We'll talk more later though; I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open!
When he arrived home, Mario was disappointed to find Luigi already in bed, snoring. He had really wanted someone to talk to, even though he thought that Luigi probably could not understand what he was going though and was possibly still mad at him.
He reached into his pocket to take out his valuables and felt some photo paper next to his wallet. He pulled Pauline's picture out of his pocket and stared at it. She certainly was attractive back then; he wondered how she looked now. He turned the picture over and looked at her new number, written in red pen. Sure would be nice to talk to somebody. He looked over at the clock. 11:30. I couldn't possibly call her now.
The words on the back of the picture were haunting him. "Call me anytime." Mario slowly pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed.
"Hello?" Pauline's voice rang clearly though the phone, although it was apparent she was somewhere quite noisy. "Oh my Stars! Mario? It's been so long, I'm so glad you called!"
Mario felt foolish for calling. At least she's not sleeping.
"You have great timing, as always. I'm down here at Harry's, you know where that is, don't you? Anyhow, if you're not busy, I'd love for you to meet some of my friends and maybe we could catch up a little?"
Mario's mood brightened up immediately. He checked his reflection in the mirror once before heading out. Still looking good. He rushed out the door to take the pipe downtown.
The sound was overwhelming as Mario entered Harry's Pub, a classy establishment with brass furnishings and marble floors. Mario scanned the room for Pauline, a task made especially difficult by the fact that he was not entirely sure what she would look like. Suddenly, he heard a loud laugh that chimed like a bell cut across the noise of the room. He turned to face the bar and saw her sitting there, her bright bluish-gray eyes met his with a smile and she waved enthusiastically.
She was even more beautiful now than she was in his pictures and memories. Her brown hair was full and bouncy, painted red lips curved into a devilish smile, and her short red dress hugged the curves of her perfect figure. To Mario's dismay, however, there was a handsome, dark-haired man sitting at her side. Of course. There's no way a girl like her would ever be single for very long.
"Mario! I'm so glad you could make it. How have you been?" Her golden bangles jingled as she gestured to the man by her side. "This is my best friend Emilio; he's a great performer, an acting genius."
"Oh Pauline, you flatter me, look you're making me blush! So this is the famous Mario whom I've heard so much about?" Emilio said, looking him up and down with a devious smile, "Hmm, you're right, he is pretty cute."
"Oh, Emilio stop. Don't be such a tease," Pauline said with a grin. "Besides, I don't think you're really his type."
"Humph, well mustaches aren't really my thing anyhow. I think I'll be on my way now though; I'll give you two a little time to catch up. See you on Monday," he said with a wink.
"Sorry about him, he'll flirt with anything that moves," Pauline said, rolling her eyes. "Hey listen, it's kinda hard to talk in here, do you think we might be able to go somewhere a little quieter to chat?"
Even though he had just arrived, Mario jumped at the chance to go somewhere private with Pauline. They stepped outside and Mario hailed a cab. Once inside, Pauline asked the driver to head to Lakeside Park. Mario knew he had heard of the place before, but for some reason he could not remember when he had been there before.
The cab driver stopped at the lake and said he would wait for them to return. As Mario peered out over the water he remembered, this is where he and Luigi took Daisy and Peach picnicking. He felt a little stab of guilt as he remembered Peach. How would she feel if she knew he was out here with Pauline? All of his guilt melted away, however, when Pauline grabbed his hand and sat down with him on a park bench.
"Okay, tell me how you've been, what you've been doing since you left. I want to know everything!"
Mario began telling her about how he and Luigi bought a house together, their business as plumbers, and his adventures in saving the Mushroom Kingdom.
"So, the princess," Pauline started. "You have feelings for her?"
Mario shook his head, feeling a little guilty. He opted to leave out the fact that he told Mama he intended on marrying her, instead he asked Pauline to tell him about her life.
"Well, as you know, I moved to the Mushroom Kingdom to pursue an acting career. I'm actually in a performance right now; we're going to debut in a few weeks! It really is a full time job, I don't do much else, the cast has become like a family to me, but sometimes it gets tiring seeing the same people all the time. Sometimes, it's very lonely…" She trailed off, looking into Mario's eyes seductively.
Mario could not believe what was happening. Before he knew it, they were getting closer and closer until their lips softly touched. They began kissing each other softly until a large raindrop fell on Mario's cheek.
He gestured to the sky, indicating it was going to rain.
Pauline shook her head and grinned, "Good, it'll be more fun that way!" she exclaimed, pushing Mario to the ground and falling on top of him, rolling down the grassy hill as the rain began to fall heavily. They remained in that embrace, passionately kissing for a good ten minutes before Pauline broke away with brown hair dripping wet and her soaked red dress clinging tightly to her body.
She looked into Mario's eyes passionately and kissed him one last time. "It's pretty cold out here but, we should do this again," she said softly, walking towards the waiting cab. "I'm going to try to get you tickets to my performance, I'd really love it if you'd come see me."
Mario nodded and walked her to the cab. He felt like he was in a dream as he saw Pauline drive away with the cab, disbelieving that just a few seconds ago, he had been rolling in the grass with someone as beautiful and wonderfully fun as she was. He hurried to the nearest pipe and traveled to his dry and cozy home.
A blue glow cast over Bowser's face as he sat in the dark in front of his computer. He looked at the empty bag of Koopa Krisps with regret, wishing that he had just a few more. However, he was unwilling to ask for another bag, because he knew he would definitely devour the entire thing. He knew he ought to keep his claws off the snacks at night, but something about after-midnight just made everything taste so much better.
A few hours ago, Bowser had been rolling around in his bed, his mind barraged by a whirlwind of thoughts, some pleasant, others not. Bowser found on nights like these it was better to just get up and do something useful than try to tell his mind to shut up. As usual, his thoughts tonight were about Peach.
I can't have her over here for the holidays without some kind of gift. He clicked on Koopazon's "gifts for her" section. What kind of gift would she even want?
Bowser wrinkled his nose as the page popped up with thousands of gift baskets with scented bubble baths, perfumes, and makeup. "What even is this crap?' he growled, scratching his thigh.
"Oh yes, hi Peach," he squeaked in a mock falsetto. "This is a present for you; do you know what it is? Yes, you're right, it's bath crap! Just what you always wanted, right? After you're done taking a bath, you can smear this weird stuff all over your face to make you prettier!" Why would she want that? She's perfect how she is.
He scrolled though pages and pages of gift ideas, finding something wrong with every single one of them. He passed over the books and music section, thinking of those things as "friends only" kinds of gifts. He skipped the jewelry section with a growl of "Been there, done that." He chortled at the house wares section. I feel bad for the stupid idiot who gives his woman a vacuum cleaner. His mouse briefly hovered over the lingerie section before Bowser burst out in a loud laughter. He could imagine Peach's outraged face so perfectly.
"Oh Bowser," he said, mimicking Peach's voice. "What a lovely and thoughtful gift, I'm going to try it on right now! Wait right here so you can tell me how it looks!" Heh heh, I wish.
He heard a knock at his bedroom door. "What the-- it's four in the morning," he growled loudly through the door.
"Sire, it's Kammy. I heard a ruckus in here and wanted to make sure nothing bad had happened."
Bowser glared at the door. "I'm fine! Actually, get in here, I need your help," he growled, throwing on a robe to hide his nakedness.
Kammy magically walked through the closed door and into Bowser's chamber, a blue gooey paste plastered to her face. "I heard about your blood pressure from Dr. Koz," she said lazily, munching on a cucumber slice.
Bowser frowned. "Whatever, I'm fine. What's on your--actually, save it, I don't want to know. Listen; you're a girl, what do you want for the holidays?"
Kammy raised her eyebrows. "What do I want? Hah, I want a raise! But--" She continued hastily, seeing that Bowser was not amused. "Why not give her the best gift of all, My Lord? You know what it is."
"Uh, of course I do, but why don't you refresh my memory, O Wrinkled One?" he asked with his brows furrowed. He hated her stupid puzzles, especially this late at night.
"Why, the best present is you, of course! Why not spend some time with her instead of giving her stuff?"
"Hm, yeah, I like that. Will do, thanks Squinty!"
"My pleasure, Your Lordship," Kammy said before she disappeared.