The air in the shack was somewhat lighter, even with his difficulty to breath thanks to the gash on his torso, Mario could feel the lightness that lingered in the air, specially all around her. The princess stood in front of him, rubbing her hands together with gel, there was a particular feeling of ease that surrounded her and could bring some form of relief to his pain.

"Hold still and relax your muscles, please," the princess calmly said while placing her hands on his reddened feet.

She said as much, but Mario could not begin to rest when the princess gripped his feet then moved her fingers all around them. It hurt badly he couldn't do much other than complain. His breath became hasty by the second; her massage was more painful than what he could bare. However, his pain promptly diminished, bringing to him a cold feeling to his feet that numbed him. Soon the careful massage of Peach's fingers became unrecognizable tickles, the sensation that invaded his nerves spread further to his ankle, relieving his pain massively. When he recovered the touch of his feet, the grip of her thumbs against his insteps made him tremble with a strange feeling of pleasure. Mario felt his feet healed and, almost out of impulse, he sighed with ease.

Peach remained silent while massaging his leg, pressing ever so slightly his skin and getting a grasp of his bruises up close. Along with the feeling of her heal and the gentle touch of her delicate fingers, Mario became lightheaded and dozing off, struggling to stay awake.

A stinger of pain irrupted his daze, he could still feel his wounds after all. Mario quickly snapped out of his relaxation the second he realized he was enjoying himself a little too much. "What am I doing?!" he thought to himself. The princess was working herself out healing him, he couldn't just take it easy at the expenses of her efforts. Even if it was admittedly enjoyable, he could not let it get to him when it felt disrespectful to her.

But then Peach sought his doozy eyes. "Does it feel good?" she asked, almost in a whisper. Her tone was gentle and attentive, very much so Mario's heart skipped a beat.

With hesitation, he nodded. It was not right to find himself so pleased by her treatment, but he couldn't deny to her that what she was doing was indeed nice. Mario saw her smile quite faintly at him. He began to wonder how she was feeling, reason told him she would have rather not be treating his wounds, or touch his bare skin as intensively as she was. There was no way that she was enjoying healing him, it just didn't make sense to him.

Another stinger of pain irrupted his train of thought, then the refreshing feeling suddenly came to him while the princess stroke his thighs, massaging with a slow rhythm and diminishing the pain of his bruises and burns. Her fingers pressed against his ached skin ever so slightly, but he wasn't feeling anything other than relief. His pain was drowned by that pleasant sensation and he let go another sigh, closing his eyes as they felt sleepy. The princess slowly reached for his arm and began treating the bloats it had. Quickly he opened his eyes again. "Stop it!" he shouted at himself. It annoyed him, it wasn't a vacation, she wasn't a servant, he had no right to enjoy himself. Even if his body couldn't help it, he continued to shake off his relaxation.

Peach was gripping the muscles of his arm gently, covering his bruises one at a time, and while her massage was hurtful at first, the refreshment of her healing always came to soothe his pain and bring him upmost comfort. Mario was relieved, although he still couldn't help but think about how Peach was feeling. She was not giving him much, based on her calm and zoned-in expression, she seemed like she was more focused on getting the healing done with than anything else. Silently he hoped she would be done with it sooner just so she could have some rest of her own. Although his carnal body wished otherwise, he just wouldn't admit it.

"Princess?" Mario called. She never lost sight of his arm while her thumbs massaged its shoulder, yet the hum that came from her signaled her attention to his call. "Isn't this uncomfortable to you?"

With a grip of his bruise, the last of his injuries on his limbs were covered. Mario could feel his entire arm tremble for just a minute, then it would be invaded by the refreshing touch of her healing. "Why would it be?" she replied, their eyes didn't meet for one second.

Her tone was calm, almost monotone, it really felt like she was perfectly fine with touching his bare skin. Even though he was embarrassed and restless over her giving him such a pleasant treatment, she didn't seem to mind at all. It very much confused him.

"I'm not sure," he muttered. Peach moved towards the gash on his torso, he wanted to talk but he could only protest for the pain while her whole hand rested on the wound. Her healing took a while to give him some kind of relief. Once the pain calmed down, he continued. "I wonder if you're okay with treating my wounds like this."

Peach gave him a reassuring smile. "Of course I am."

The cooling touch finally made its way through him, the large cut in his torso was diminishing and he could finally breathe with ease. Mario sighed again, he really was enjoying himself and couldn't help it, as wrong as it felt, he just couldn't stop feeling so utterly relaxed. The princess' hand moved towards his remaining bruises, gently tracing a path around his chest.

"It pains me to see you hurt like this, truly." Peach looked away, focusing on the bruise in Mario's chest. Her steady breath was so close he could hear it. She then sighed, a faint smile made is way from her focus. "So, being able to bring ease to your pain like this, it makes me really happy."

Even though he was worried about her having to put up with the clearly taxing job of taking care of him, Mario felt a slight relief in his chest by her confession. Though some worry still lingered in him, threatened to fade away by the soothing sensation coming from her healing touch.

Peach lifted her head again to meet him, eyes with a concern of her own. "Is this uncomfortable to you...?"

"No! Not at all," Mario quickly responded. Those gloomy eyes of hers could immediately make him lower his guard. "It's just that…"

Mario remained quiet, he couldn't begin to tell her that he was enjoying her treatment very much and he wouldn't admit to it either. The princess was left expectant for a response and her eyes began to show sadness. He couldn't bare making her feel awkward or outraged for him loving the way she treated his injuries and how she brought to him so much relief, but with those eyes looking at him that way, it was very difficult to keep it to himself.

"Mario, please tell me."

Ashamed, he looked away, "I can't…" He couldn't take the look in her eyes.

He couldn't find the words to say it to her, let alone in a way it wouldn't sound wrong. Mario could only hope she wouldn't mind his concern. But then she placed her hand in his chest, right where his heart was.

"Whenever I'm upset, you're always so eager to help me, even at times I feel I'm asking too much from you."

It was not her cooling touch what he was feeling, but rather the warmth of her palm, resting on his chest and feeling his heartbeat.

"You've become a person I came to trust, someone that would chase my worries away." Their eyes met, there was tenderness in her blue eyes that could soothe his worries the same way her touch could soothe his wounds. Even though his best judgement protested, he couldn't keep his worries to himself when Peach looked at him in such way that denoted a commitment for his wellbeing.

"I know it's selfish, but… Let me be that person to you as well, please."

Her words were heartfelt and the way she looked at him was radiant. He placed his hand where hers rested, feeling her delicate touch. Before he knew it, his thumb was in her palm and her fingers kept it in place.

He sighed in defeat, "Is it okay for me to enjoy your treatment this much?"

His eyes moved away, smile riddled with shame. It was scary to admit to her that he was very much enjoying her healing, even if a part of him saw it wrong to enjoy himself at the expenses of her. Her hand opened and slowly retreated, such a small gesture was able to sink his heart into dread. "Now I've done it…"

But when he looked, she wasn't mad, she wasn't grossed out. Instead, Peach was stunned, with a tad touch of excitement. "Do you mean it...?"

Her features were of genuine daze, even her cheeks had a faint touch of red. Her eyes were shining with a strange, albeit endearing light. His feelings came clear and she didn't look disdainful, but rather glad, almost joyful. Mario's worries diluted and the weight of his shame fell down his shoulders.

He nodded, "Of course, and how couldn't I? Being so well treated by someone so wonderful..."

There he was again, not minding his words. It was too late for him to even try to come up with excuses in his head. Mario thought it was pathetic, for him to not keep his feelings in check and be so weak to the mystery that hid in the princess' sky blue eyes. He let go a nervous chuckle, he couldn't lie to her for much longer.

But then his reason snapped him out of it. "I-I know I shouldn't! This is really selfish of me. And you really must be tired and-!"

Without warning, he had his left eye obscured, her hand covered what was his last bruise, right in his eye. Their gazes met again, there was really nowhere else they could be. Peach had in her an expression of serenity with a delight of sorts, with her face turning bright red by the second. Her lips struggled to keep themselves steady, almost as if she was containing something like a smile. The cooling touch was on his eye, as well his neck, she had trapped him in what could have been an overwhelming amount of pleasure. Both his mind and body gave in to her and once again he sighed.

Finally, Peach spoke, "If that's how you feel then…" Her hand let go his eye, only for her to kiss his cheek. "…by all mean, enjoy it."

And with that, he finally allowed himself to be spoiled. Mario let go a bright, albeit dazed smile. There was no point in holding back anymore, he enjoyed her treatment, he loved it so much he couldn't get enough of it. Her touch, her grips, the gentle strokes and light massages she gave to him, it was relieving to his muscles as much as it was intoxicating for his own mind. Mario felt his heart relieved in full, thinking that maybe it needed healing as well and the warmth in her feelings was the only thing it could heal his heart. His body slid from the bed and he laid down, when he opened his eyes again he saw the princess go back to his right feet. Once the touch of her healing made its way through his system again, he realized Peach was going for a double check, starting from the very bottom to the very top, slowly stroking his limbs with a lovely rhythm.

So much was the enjoyment he struggled to keep his eyes open. But he wanted to stay awake, he wanted to see and feel the whole process through again. Mario couldn't dare to miss those eyes of hers, full of mysteries, emotions he wanted to unravel and discover.

He wondered, if there was love in those tender eyes of hers, then it showed.

Gentle strokes brought back to him that refreshment that set his mind on a high. The princess's fingers ran across his feet, stimulating his worn down joints with delight. Slowly she climbed to his knees and thighs, hands pressed against his skin and carefully massaging while delivering that peculiar feeling of fresh that healed him from the inside out. Mario sighed again, he had lost count of how many times he voiced his ease in such a shameful way, but there was really no point in keeping it to himself anymore. However, his worry still remained somewhere in his mind, so he sought the princess' features in hope she didn't find herself uncomfortable.

Her attentive eyes never lost sight of her path; however, a curious look in her face had Mario wondering what was up with that shy smile of hers. One stroke to his side and he saw it up close. Her voice let go an odd, long sigh of her own. Peach would refuse to look at him, whenever she did by mere chance, her eyes immediately looked away. And yet that smile stood there, indecisive to come out; it was strange, but even though their gazes never met, her body didn't seem disdainful in the slightest.

The delicate hands of the princess slid across his torso like a waltz, making gentle caresses that went seemingly nowhere, not his injuries, not his cuts, not his bruises... Her hands moved erratically but slowly, almost like she was getting distracted. She sighed again, it sounded in her voice, as if she was relieved herself. But as his heart skipped a beat, Mario had a thought. He noticed how she closed her eyes shut and gently shook her head, her smile still there. She was struggling, keeping something away from her mind like it was shameful, or wrong.

Without thinking, he called her. Finally, their eyes met. Her tired eyes had a faint touch of excitement to them and her cheeks were red. Didn't seem quite like it at first glance, but Mario knew she was as happy about something as she was guilty of it. He couldn't have known about those feelings if he didn't experience them first hand.

Mario smiled and asked her, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Peach hopped in surprise. Quickly her faintly blushing cheeks turned her whole pale face red, her eyes looked elsewhere, completely lost in her confusion. She tried to come up with words, but nothing coherent came out from her lips, only stutters. Mario couldn't help but chuckle, for she was adorable and the way she was at a loss of words even more so.

"I don't mind," he said, then proceeded to hold her hand that was just leaving his side. "If there's something for you to enjoy in all of this, then take it."

Mario gave the back of her hand a singular gentle stroke of his thumb, then let it go; one more and it would have been too much for him to handle, maybe a little invasive for her too. Peach kept looking at him with a special feel to it, like a tenderness of sorts.

Then she looked the other way, embarrassed. "M-maybe I do, just a little..."

Her hands were hesitant, but soon they touched his chest and she let go another sigh. The way they gently ran across his shoulder, collarbone and pectorals didn't signal any kind of pattern, the princess wasn't trying to carefully mind her moves. Her healing touch was nowhere to be found either, she was not trying to heal him anymore. For as long as her hands touched him all over, it wasn't for the purpose of healing his already diminished wounds, but merely for the sake of enjoying his touch.

Peach was not doing anything other than feasting upon his skin with her bare hands, and yet it never stopped to bring Mario comfort. It really made no difference at the end, he was still feeling doozy, he was still feeling happy. And when he looked at her, he saw a beautiful smile of pure delight.

He was not supposed to enjoy her healing at the expenses of her efforts. She was not supposed to enjoy touching him at the expenses of his wounds. However, they found pleasure in each other, in their closeness and the emotions such a simple gesture could bring. They both sighed in perfect unison.

Catching their mutual delight, they began to laugh, they really were in sync with their feelings. At one point they forgot how they got into such situation in the first place. She forgot all the dread of captivity and he forgot all the perils of his journey.

It was only that moment what truly mattered for both of them.