Blossoming Affections
Throughout history, many have woken from a dream and remembered nothing but a feeling, a sense deep in their heart that what they dreamt was wonderful.
Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom woke from just such a dream this very night, her cheeks pleasantly pink. She fluttered her eyes open, a phantom tingle on her cheek that felt delightfully fuzzy. She reached up and ran delicate fingers over her cheek as the sensation faded before lowering her hand and clenching it in her pastel nightgown, over her racing heart and she took deep breaths to steady the beat and her thoughts.
Thoughts that were centered on one person, as they had been for weeks: Mario.
She couldn't help but smile at the thought of her friend, the brave plumber who had fought Bowser himself to protect her homeland. She knew that Mario was the subject of her dream, as had happened numerous times over the six weeks since he and his brother, Luigi, had officially relocated to the Mushroom Kingdom.
In that time, she had gone out of her way to spend time with the Mario brothers, often inviting them and Toad to the castle for lighthearted runs on the obstacle course, for any meals throughout the day, or simply to drink tea and watch the sunset. Even outside her frequent invitations, she heard tell from all of her toad subjects that the Mario brothers were always out and about helping the Mushroom Kingdom, whether by learning to fix the intricate magical pipe system, actually fixing them, or just offering a helping hand.
Every story made her care even more deeply for these adorable human brothers that had come so suddenly into her life. The elder in particular, as the butterflies in her stomach persistently reminded her.
Peach sighed as her thoughts turned to those self-same feelings. She was no fool — she knew what romance was, even if she had never had an opportunity to experience it herself. And even more, she knew that she was, by now, deeply infatuated with Mario. She giggled at the thought of his soft features, those piercing blue eyes, and his kindness that wrapped around a core of iron determination.
But though she was self-aware, these feelings still left her uneasy. For one, she had no experience with romance, and it was hardly something that she had trained for to be a princess. She knew even less about the conventions of his home of Brooklyn. Where would she even begin to pursue something with him? Did she ask for his parents' blessing? His brother's?
For another, Mario was the first human she had ever met, and it was possible that she was projecting her years of faint hope for love onto him — though that possibility was rapidly eroding as she spent more time with both brothers and her feelings had yet to fade. Quite the contrary, they had only grown stronger.
Lastly, many romance novels she had perused through her adolescence had written of romance possibly ruining friendships. Granted, the plots more often than not ended with friendships growing stronger with the relationship, and she was confident in her friendship with the Mario brothers. But still, the very notion made her heart clench with dread. She couldn't lose these friends.
Peach bit her lip as hopes, fears, affections, and dreads twisted together in her mind. It was like a knot that seemed to grow tighter and harder to unravel the more she tried. She seemed to recall a term Luigi had mentioned, a Gordian knot. Whether that really applied, it … it sounded appropriate.
She hid her face in her hands and groaned. What was she supposed to do?
"This is insane," Mario groused.
No, he was not referring to taking a late-night walk through a forest of giant mushrooms in his pajamas and red cap. It also wasn't the bizarre flora or fauna of the Mushroom Kingdom. He'd grown used to that idea over the last several weeks. It wasn't even the fact that he was walking through said forest of his lifelong least-favorite food that he'd slowly been warming up to lately through sheer exposure. That would have actually been simple, or close to it.
What was insane were the feelings stirring in his stupid heart. Feelings for a certain princess.
He plodded along, running his hand over the stem of one of the massive mushrooms as he passed. He idly wished that the Mushroom Kingdom had a power-up to clear the heart, and snorted at the crazy notion. But his thoughts soon wandered back to their more sobering trail.
Mario wasn't dumb enough to deny his feelings. He'd had enough crushes during his school years to recognize the warning signs that came with it. The clammy hands under his white gloves, the feeling of butterflies in his stomach that somehow mixed with elation whenever Peach was around, wandering into daydreams about her when he had nothing else to occupy himself …
And, really, could he be blamed for it? Peach was … amazing. Sharp as a tack, tougher in mind and body than pretty much anyone he knew, stunningly beautiful, determined to the end, and sweet as could be, to boot. What sane man wouldn't be attracted to Princess Peach? She also got along with his brother, which was a big plus in Mario's book.
He groaned at himself and knocked his knuckles against his head, as if to drive the thoughts away. C'mon, he was supposed to be handling these feelings! He sighed as he crested the last hill before the forest transitioned toward brick and concrete of the castle town.
If history was anything to go by, he should just brush this stuff to the back of his mind and let it fade away on its own. With every crush he'd had, he'd either done that or confessed his feelings … and been mocked or belittled for it. Well, once the girl had turned him down gently saying she wasn't interested in any relationship … and then gone out with the football captain that Friday night. Yeah, that one hurt.
Granted, Mario doubted Peach would be cruel to him if she found out. He wasn't sure she had it in her to be cruel to anyone, even Bowser. But the certainty that she would let him down kindly was the crux of the matter: the certainty that she would turn him down. Something that would almost as certainly make things weird for them, at least on his end. And that was the last thing Mario wanted. No matter what Toad told everyone, Peach was the best friend Mario had ever had aside from Luigi.
'What princess would stoop to being with a plumber, eh?' Mario thought dryly. That sounded like a corny fairy tale. It was best to just keep quiet and let himself move on in time. It would be rough, sure, but it was best for everyone.
… Right?
Mario was quiet as a mouse as he entered his and Luigi's apartment, careful not to wake his brother and worry him. He was pretty sure he'd made a clean getaway, so now all that was left was the reentry.
A lamp clicked on and that hope died quickly.
"Evening, Bro," Luigi said amicably from a recliner in the living room, a glass of milk on a small table beside the chair. Luigi glanced at his watch and amended, "Actually, good morning, now."
"Hey, Lu," Mario said with a faint chuckle. "Uh, hope I didn't wake you."
"Nah, I had to get up to get some water," Luigi deflected. "Though, not seeing you in bed almost gave me a heart attack."
"Guess I shoulda left a note, huh?" Mario asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll be sure to remember that."
Luigi pressed his lips tighter beneath his mustache. "Mario, do you wanna talk?"
"About what?" Mario asked with a casual shrug. "There's nothing to talk about, y'know?"
Luigi looked at him quietly for a long moment before flicking his hands in a "whatever" gesture. "If you say there's nothin', I guess there's nothin'." He stood and offered Mario the glass, which he took gratefully and drank in one long pull. Luigi took the glass back and placed it on the table on their way to their shared bedroom.
"Sleep tight, Mario," he said warmly.
"You too, Luigi," Mario sighed as he turned over and got comfortable.
Luigi pulled up his covers, but he didn't fall immediately to sleep. He knew for a fact that Mario wasn't being honest with him about there being "nothing" to talk about. He'd seen his brother hiding a crush more than once, just as Mario had seen it from Luigi. There was also not a shred of doubt in his mind about who held his brother's heart.
Princess Peach, a girl to whom Luigi would gladly give his full support.
Luigi was also fairly certain that Peach felt the same way. He may not know her nearly as well as he did Mario, but he was a perceptive guy at times. He saw the quick glances and pink cheeks. He heard the subtle, sweet undertones of flirting in her friendly teasing of Mario that she didn't have for Luigi, Toad, or Donkey Kong. He felt it in his gut, that they were crazy about each other.
Luigi pulled himself back from those ruminations and listened carefully. Mario was snoring just a little, so he was in the clear. He grabbed his phone and made a quick call. "Hey, Toad. Sorry to wake ya. Oh, you're hiking at this hour? Okay, good, I guess." He took a breath. "Listen, there's something we need to talk about."
The rebuilt Warp Pipe gave its trademark warble as the Mario brothers were launched from it, straight from Brooklyn and back home to the Mushroom Kingdom. Both landed with perfectly symmetrical grace on a nearby mushroom in a dramatic pose, legs spread, knees bent, and arms outstretched.
Then both folded to their knees to sigh with fatigue.
One side effect of saving Brooklyn was all of the publicity giving their plumbing business unparalleled exposure. It meant that they were bombarded by plumbing jobs, which brought their small business to the next level. It also meant being bone-tired nearly every evening when they finished up. Thank heaven for weekends!
"Ah, I'm so tired," Mario groaned as he stretched his back with some concerning pops.
"Why did I have to get bad knees?" Luigi whined as he massaged his kneecaps.
Both brothers looked at each other and laughed. Were they tired? Yes, they were. But Super Mario Brothers Plumbing was booming, their shared dream was alive and well, and so far no loony fans knew how to find their home. Life was good.
"I could go for pizza, huh?" Mario commented. "What about you, Lu?"
"Yeah, that sounds pretty great," Luigi said, smiling even as his eyes tracked around the mushroom forest.
The brothers moved to begin the trek to town, but rustling in the brush caught their attention. Both tensed, fully aware of how hazardous the wilds of the Mushroom Kingdom could be, and braced themselves for anything. Anything that included Toad leaping out of the brush with a whoop of excitement.
"Hey, guys!" he shouted. "How was plumbing today?"
"Eh, the usual," Mario replied with a shrug and a smile under his mustache.
"Ready for the weekend," Luigi commented, scratching the back of his head. He glanced over at Mario and then gave Toad a meaningful look. Toad's smile turned mischievous for a split second before he looked fully at Mario.
"Hey, Mario. Y'know, we haven't spent much time together lately. You know, being best friends and all."
"Second best friend," Mario said, firmly but without malice. He'd explained to Toad after everything with Bowser that Luigi was his best friend and would remain so in the foreseeable future. Toad had taken that with surprising grace, perhaps muted by the fact that he'd witnessed Mario go through so much to save his younger brother.
"You're still my best friend, man," Toad said with a wide grin. "So come on!" He gestured at the woods. "Let's walk and talk!"
"Uh, Toad-" Mario began, but Luigi put a hand on his shoulder.
"I, for one, think that's a good idea," Luigi said with an easy smile. "You two go and chat. I'll run some errands and then get started on the pizza, eh?" He chuckled. "Besides, I'm the better cook anyway."
Mario gave him a flat look. "I'd argue if it weren't true." He sighed and ran a gloved hand down his face, then gave Luigi a more concerned look. "You sure you'll be okay?"
"I'll be fine," Luigi assured. "Go on." He lightly pushed Mario forward by the shoulder. "Shoo. Have fun with Toad. I'll see you at home." He gave a two-fingered saute and began jogging toward town.
"C'mon, Mario!" Toad cheered, heading down a roundabout path through the forest. Mario watched Luigi disappear over the massive mushrooms that led to town before following Toad.
As such, he didn't see Luigi pick up his pace to a dead sprint.
"So, what's new, Mario?" Toad asked as he skipped along the trail.
"Eh?" Mario asked, breaking out of his thoughts. "Oh, uh, nothing much. Business is going great. Mom and Dad invited us over for dinner Sunday night."
"That's nice," Toad commented. "So what were you doing out here last night?"
Mario blinked and looked at Toad with wide eyes. "Uh, what? I wasn't out here last night."
"Really?" Toad asked. "Huh. Guess it was some other mustached human in a red cap wandering the mushrooms with a thoughtful look on his face." He prodded his chin in apparent thought, but his small smile showed he was messing around. Unbeknownst to Mario, Toad really hadn't seen him and had actually been camped on the other side of the woods at the time. Luigi had helped him come up with a cover story to avoid suspicion.
"Ah, fine, you got me," Mario admitted, hands in his overall pockets.
"So what's up?" Toad asked, walking backwards with perfect confidence to face Mario.
"It's nothin'," Mario shrugged.
"Nothing had you wandering these woods at night?" Toad asked with evident disbelief. He came to a halt and crossed his arms, one brow arched. "Come on, Mario. If something's up, you really need to talk to someone. Could be me, could be Luigi, could be your parents, or the princess. You gotta get it off your shoulders." He didn't miss that slight tensing of Mario's shoulders at the mention of the princess, either.
Mario regarded Toad before glancing around. "This stays between us, you got it?" Mario said.
"Between us," Toad said, raising a palm in a gesture he'd learned meant honesty to humans in Brooklyn. Internally, though, he specifically defined "us" as him, Mario, and Luigi. He lowered his hand and rolled his wrist at Mario. "So?"
"I've, um," Mario removed his hat and settled to sit on a tree stump. "I've been thinking a lot."
"About …?" Toad asked, settling on the ground with his legs stretched out like a little kid.
"Peach," Mario admitted tightly. It had taken a while to adjust, but Peach had continually insisted that the Mario brothers call her by her given name rather than her title. In her words, it was long earned after working so hard to save her home.
"What about the princess?" Toad asked, reining in his eagerness. Peach had extended that same informality to Toad, but he'd politely yet decisively refused. He was one of her people, and he would grant her the respect of her title.
"I, erm-" Mario tensed and swallowed before squeezing his eyes closed. "I like her. As more than a friend."
"Finally," Toad sighed theatrically, flopping backward.
Mario's eyes shot open and he looked at Toad. "What's that mean?" he asked.
"Mario, it's plain as day that you like the princess," Toad chuckled. "I mean, Donkey Kong picked up on it at the Rainbow Road." He sat back up and flashed a thumbs up. "And for the record, you have my undying support."
"Thanks, but that's not necessary," Mario sighed, waving off the thought.
"Hey man, I know I'm not the princess's majordomo or whatever," Toad said with a huff, "but I'd think the support of her citizens would be a good thing." He shrugged. "Not that the hero of the kingdom and our unofficial champion wouldn't have crazy support, but still."
"I mean, there's nothing to support," Mario clarified. "It's not like I'm gonna try and pursue this."
"Wait, what?" Toad asked in obvious shock. "Why not?!"
"I'd rather not make things awkward," Mario said, tapping his cap against one arm and slumping down to rest his elbows on his knees and look down at his shoes. "She's one of the best friends I've ever had. I don't wanna put her in that position."
"What position?" Toad asked, his tone careful. He had an idea about that.
"Having to turn me down," Mario finally admitted, his tone frustrated as he squeezed the bridge of his nose.
Toad bit back his impulse to jump to his feet, point at Mario with every shred of conviction in his tiny body, and shout at the top of his lungs that the princess would definitely go out with him, very much like he had declared on the Rainbow Road. Donkey Kong wasn't the only one who had picked up on the chemistry between those two, Toad having traveled with them and seen it for himself.
"Mario, man," Toad said, carefully calm, "I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit." He raised his hands to stall Mario's protests and barreled on. "I know you're probably thinking stuff like, 'Why would she like me?' and 'She's a princess, it won't work out,' but I'll tell you right now-" He fixed Mario with a stink eye and pointed at him, "there's tons of reasons to like you and we toads don't care about politics in love. If the princess chooses you, that's the end of it."
Mario still looked hesitant and unsure, but Toad could see a tiny spark of hope in his eyes.
"Look, just give it a try," Toad said. "I guarantee that it won't make things weird."
"You can't promise that," Mario said, though he smiled as he said it. "But … Okay." He stood up, brushed himself off, and settled his cap. "I'll give it a shot." He pointed at Toad with a sharp look. "On my time, though. Alright?"
"Fair enough!" Toad chirped and hopped up. "Now come on. Let's keep hiking!"
Mario laughed and hurried to keep up.
Luigi huffed and puffed as he raced through town, nimbly dodging all of the toads in the streets with the grace of a dancer. Had he been more self-aware, it would have made him happy. But right now, he was one-hundred percent focused on getting home to pick up some things before he ran for the castle to talk to Peach. Then he'd have to hope he could make it home in time to whip up Mario's favorite pizza and make it look like he hadn't been in a rush.
"This is gonna be a close one," Luigi grimaced.
He slid to a halt and unlocked the door before darting in and into his and Mario's shared room to change into fresh overalls and gloves. Peach was a friend, yes, but she was still a princess and a lady, and so in Luigi's mind deserved such courtesy. He gathered a few things in a bag to hopefully help his case and raced back. As he flung the door open … he paused in shock at seeing Peach herself standing there with a hand raised to knock.
"Luigi!" Peach yelped, then laughed nervously, fiddling with her hands. "You're, um, going out." She gestured backwards. "I'll just come back later."
"Actually, Peach," Luigi said, "I was actually going to talk with you? If that's alright?"
"Really?" Peached asked, and Luigi nodded. "Well, in that case, may I come in?"
Luigi stepped back and gestured to welcome her. "I hope you don't mind if I cook. Toad ambushed us at the warp pipe and took Mario on a hike. I offered to bake pizza for supper." His eyes brightened. "Would you like to join us?"
"I'd like that very much," Peach giggled. She took a place at a chair in the kitchen to watch closely as Luigi took ingredients and began mixing them into crust dough, sauce, and sundry toppings. "So what did you want to talk about?" she prodded.
"I could ask you the same thing," Luigi said, his gloves in his pocket as he kneaded the pizza dough. "And since you came all the way here, I think you should be able to talk first."
Peach was silent for a moment before she straightened her back, took a deep breath, and visibly braced herself. "I have feelings for Mario," she said. "I have for some time, but I don't know what to do with them."
Luigi looked at her with wide eyes before smiling in delighted triumph. "What a coincidence. I was going to tell you that I'm pretty sure Mario likes you, too." His smile faded. "And that you're gonna have to take the reins on that."
"What?" Peach asked, a blush paining her cheeks.
"Mario's my brother," Luigi said confidently. "I know when he's got a crush." He was silent for a while as he tossed the pizza dough to spread it into a disc and then settled it on their pan to start ladling the sauce he'd whipped up in between the dough over the pizza, followed by cheese and toppings. He slid it into the preheated oven before washing his hands and taking the seat across from Peach.
"Peach, you're a princess of a magical world." He gestured at the window and the Mushroom Kingdom outside it. "Mario's a plumber from Brooklyn. Neither of us were good with girls growing up, and I have a strong feeling that he feels he's …" Luigi trailed off, gesturing aimlessly with his hands as he tried to find the right words. "That he's not good enough for you."
"That's ridiculous," Peach said, without hesitation and with faint heat in her voice, though thankfully not directed at Luigi. "Mario's kind, independent, determined, smart …" Her blush lightened a bit and the last part came out as a giggle, "and adorable."
Luigi smiled, both at how adorable Peach herself could be and that she clearly cared so much for his big brother. "Be that as it may," he said, "Mario's probably gonna talk himself out of trying anything. Maybe he'll think it's best for your friendship, or that you've got your duties and he shouldn't distract you, or maybe something else entirely."
"Luigi," Peach said seriously, "I have no idea how to approach this. I don't-" She bit her lip and rubbed her arm. "I never thought I'd ever even meet another human."
"I don't have any personal experience, either," Luigi shrugged with a tight smile. "But I figure it'd be smart to start slow. Just ask him to spend time alone without specifying anything at first. Then, when you're ready, ask him to dinner. And at that point, be clear that it's a more than friendly dinner."
"That seems smart," Peach chuckled.
Luigi hummed as something came to mind and he drummed his fingers on the table. "You know, something's been bugging me ever since I realized it all."
"What's that?" Peach asked.
"When I was captured and brought to Bowser, the last thing he asked me about Mario. He asked, 'Do princesses find him attractive?!'" He rumbled the question in his best Bowser impression. Which, while not accurate, did make Peach laugh. "I responded in a panic, just the first thing that came to mind. I said, 'They do if they have good taste.'"
Peach blinked before giggling, covering her lips with her fingers.
"So, now I gotta ask, Peach," he continued and gave her a level, almost challenging look. "Do you have good taste, Princess?"
Before Peach could answer, the door opened and Mario and Toad came in. "Hey, Luigi, Toad asked if he could stay for dinner and I-" Mario's sentence snapped to a halt at the sight of Peach in their home. "Oh! Hey there, Peach." He waved awkwardly, then looked at his hand and tucked it behind his back. "What, uh- Is everything okay?"
"Just having a talk with Luigi, making sure the apartment is treating you well," Peach replied smoothly. She arched an eyebrow with a small smirk. "Is it, Mario?"
"Oh, yeah! It's great," he said, clearly nervous. "It feels just like home."
"I'm glad," she said in perfect honesty.
"I invited Peach to stay, too, Mario," Luigi said. "Why don't you two share the first pizza? I'm sure Toad wouldn't mind helping me with another one."
"I accept the challenge," Toad said with playful intensity, brandishing his frying pan for effect. As Luigi led Toad to the kitchen, Mario brought two extra chairs out of a closet and set them up for the extra diners.
"So, just thought you'd check in, eh?" he asked, taking a seat.
"Something like that," Peach said. "So, how was your day?"
As Mario and Peach chatted, Luigi and Toad were listening intently as they cooked.
"Any progress?" Toad whispered.
"She's got the nudge," Luigi reported. "You?"
"He's got hope."
Both of them continued to listen in on the easy banter between the princess and the they did, both of them thought things would turn out well.
"Hey, uh, Peach?" Mario asked. She looked at him with a smile and curious eyes. "Mom and Dad invited Lu and I over for dinner on Sunday. Would you like to, y'know," he shrugged and his cheeks pinked, "come with us? Have some good Italian cooking?"
Peach's blush reflected Mario's and her smile turned fond. "I'd love to."
Because, to silently answer Luigi's question, yes.
She did have good taste.
Hello to all! Here be my first "Super Mario Bros." fic - it was fun to write, and I've been planning it since I first saw the film. I waited to write it until after the film came out on DVD, back when it was going to handle the Mario family. But, as luck would have it, now that scenario will be handled in a follow-up that is on its way. So if you liked this, be on the lookout for that!
The entire story was built around Luigi's line in the film that he mention, "They do if they have good taste." I wondered how Peach would react to learning of Luigi's claim, and the rest grew like a grape vine.
As always, I hope this was a fun read! Leave a review if you like! And may your own works be inspired and beloved!
Oh, and HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! Especially for our favorite red, white, and blue plumber!