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A small snowflake slowly landed harmlessly on my nose as I focused on the horizon before me. It started snowing a few minutes after I stepped out on one of the many balconies outside of Princess Peach’s castle. She was hosting her annual Christmas party: a tradition that began five years ago after Mario and I introduced the holiday to the Mushroom Kingdom.
The princess visited Mario and me out of the blue when we were in the middle of exchanging gifts. Witnessing that and the tree and decorations, she was curious to know what was going on. We explained to her we were celebrating Christmas, which is a holiday that comes from our world. We also explained why it’s celebrated and what we do during it. Upon hearing our explanation, her eyes lit up like Christmas lights, and she wanted Christmas to become an official holiday in the Mushroom Kingdom. The first thing she did was decide to throw a party at the castle the following week and invite everyone from around the kingdom to attend. The party was a booming success and thus, the annual Christmas party tradition was born.
Everything went on without a hitch in the main lobby when I stepped away. Last year, Bowser crashed the party and threatened not to leave unless he received a Christmas kiss from Peach underneath some mistletoe. Thanks to some quick thinking from her, however, it resulted in a hilarious moment. Long story short, she agreed to his demand and got Bowser’s hopes up, only for her to sneak away and have Birdo kiss him instead. Bowser completely freaked out and hightailed it out of the castle with Birdo hot on his tail while seductively puckering her lips. It was reminiscent of when Bowser tried to get a kiss from the princess after winning (i.e., cheating in) a tennis tournament a few years back. Fortunately, there haven’t been any signs of him, and I hoped it stayed that way.
Leaning on the balcony rail, I sighed in relief while welcoming the quiet solitude. I have never been much of a party person, especially ones with huge gatherings. Nonetheless, I attended every single one that the princess hosted, and this year’s Christmas bash was no different. Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m not antisocial or anything like that. Despite my shy and introverted nature, I can mingle with other people when the situation calls for it. In addition, the Toads, Toadsworth, and the princess are really nice to talk to. It’s just that I can only do it for so long before I become emotionally drained and need to both physically and mentally retreat to somewhere less noisy and recharge. Needless to say, I am currently at that point. The plan is to be alone for a little while then return to the festivities before Mario started searching for me.
My arms folded over my chest as a harsh wind assailed me while flying by. It made me regret not grabbing my suit jacket before coming outside, but it can’t be helped now. I chuckle to myself as I continued to brave the wind chill. I was deep in my thoughts when a pair of gloved hands covered my eyes.
“Guess who?” a husky familiar voice breathed into my ear.
My heart skipped a beat at the voice because I knew exactly who it was. However, I tried to play it cool externally and decided to have some fun.
“Mario, you really need to work on your female voice impersonations,” I smiled cheekily.
“Very funny, you jerk!” the person laughed as the hands released their grip from my eyes, followed by one of them playfully slapping the back of my shoulder.
I turned around and found myself entranced by Princess Daisy's beaming smile. Upon recovering, a wide smile formed on my face; hers is so contagious that people can’t help but return one of their own. I was perhaps the most vulnerable to it. She enveloped me with a snug hug with her cheek resting against mine, causing me to stiffen and my own cheeks to heat up before returning said hug. I took in her heavenly floral scent while our bodies were together. She really gives the best hugs, at least the ones that don’t cause my ribs to pierce my vital organs.
“Nice to see you again, Luigi,” she said after releasing the hug and dusting some invisible lint from my shoulder. “You look great.”
“Thanks. So do you,” I said.
Actually, great doesn’t do her justice; she looked outright stunning. Then again, I always think she’s beautiful, but that’s just my pathetic lovesick self speaking. She was wearing a sleeveless tangerine floor length gown with an orange scarf-like thing covering her shoulders similar to what Princess Peach wears in the winter, a gold choker with her signature flower jewel in the middle, her flower earrings that had gold pedals instead of the usual white, and a gold tiara atop her auburn hair. Speaking of such, her bangs were wrapped around her head in braids, and the back appeared to be in a mini bun from what I could see. I’ve never seen her wear her hair like this before, and I have to admit it looks nice on her.
“So, you were able to attend this year’s party?” I asked.
“Yep,” she nodded happily. “My parents told me I could come here if I wanted this year.”
Daisy learned about Christmas the year after Peach did due to visiting the Mushroom Kingdom around that time. She enjoyed everything about it and took all she knew home with her. She told her parents about Christmas, and fortunately they were intrigued by the holiday that they decided it would be celebrated in Sarasaland as well. Because of that, however, she had to stay home and couldn’t attend any more parties in the Mushroom Kingdom until this year. I, for one, was ecstatic to see her here.
“Did you see the princess and Mario?” I asked.
“Sure did,” Daisy answered, “but you’re the one I looked forward to seeing the most; however, you were nowhere to be found. I figured you were somewhere alone to have some quiet time to yourself. Fortunately, a Toad maid spotted you and let me know where you were!”
“Lucky me,” I playfully rolled my eyes.
“Aw, don’t be like that!” Daisy joked while giving me a mocked pleading look. “You know I have to see my favorite person in green.” She shivered from the latest wind chill that swept by. “Aren’t you cold out here?”
“Kind of,” I answered truthfully.
Daisy wrapped an elbow around mine and laid her head against mine. My face became warmer from the intimacy, and my nostrils inhaled more of her sweet scent. “Say, why don’t we go inside? It’s much warmer and besides, there’s something I want to give you.”
My curiosity had now peaked. “Oh, what would that be?” I inquired, clearly interested and perhaps a little too eager.
“Hehe, it’s a secret,” she cheekily placed an index finger over her beautiful orange lips, much to my disappointment. “So, are you coming or not?”
“It looks like I don’t have a choice, do I?” I sighed.
She flashed a victorious smile at me as she tugged my arm. “Oh Weegee, don’t be like that. I promise it will be worth your while. Now, let’s head inside before I turn into a human ice sculpture!”
“OK, OK, no need to rush!” I laughed as she dragged me towards the French doors that led back into the castle.
“Oh, sorry about that,” she chuckled as she slowed down but kept her elbow around mine. We entered the castle to escape the rapidly falling temperature. As I closed the door behind me, I noticed that the snow was falling at a faster rate. I chuckled to myself, which received a raised eyebrow and curious smile from Daisy, as we continued down the hall.
“Before we continue, we need to stop by my room first,” Daisy told me. “I have to grab something.”
“OK,” I replied.
When we reached her room, I stood to the side as she was about to enter. However, she paused and gave me a look I couldn’t read before grabbing my hand and nearly ripping my shoulder out of its socket as she dragged me in. She quickly shut the door afterwards.
“Uh, what’s going on, Daisy?” I asked, confused as to why she pulled me into her room.
“Luigi,” she started as her beautiful blue eyes gazed into mine, “before we continue further, I need to ask you something.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Do you trust me?”
“Huh?” That admittedly caught me off guard. Why would she ask me that? Now I’m even more curious and a little apprehensive at what she had in mind. I hoped she wasn’t planning a prank on me because she has done so plenty of times before. However, none of them were malicious in nature, and she made up for them when they went too far. Also, the look on her face appeared to be serious enough, and that helped ease my fears some. When it came down to it, I knew I wouldn’t learn anything just standing here and thinking about it.
“Of course, I do,” I replied, hoping it sounded confident.
“Good,” she smiled. “Now I need you to do a favor. Can you please shut your eyes for me?”
My eyebrows raised at the request, but I said I trusted her, so there was no going back on my word. I nodded and squeezed my eyes shut. My interest was at an all-time high as I contemplated what Daisy had planned. A part of me wondered if she were to change clothes and asked for my opinion. However, she could’ve had me wait outside and invite me in after changing or do so in the bathroom. Wait, what if she wanted…
No! I emphatically scolded myself. Get your mind out of the gutter, Luigi. I felt ashamed for even thinking such a thing as my cheeks warmed in embarrassment. Now I hoped she’d do what she needed to so those thoughts don’t come back.
The next thing I knew, I felt something being tied around my eyes. My eyes opened in surprise, but I could see nothing but darkness in front of me.
“Um, Daisy,” I began, “what’s going on?”
“Didn’t you say you trust me?” she asked in playful yet dulcet tone.
“I did say that,” I answered with a defeated tone but couldn’t help but grin.
“This will be worth it, believe me.”
She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards what I assumed was the door to the hall, seeing that my vision was compromised. The next thing I knew, she was leading me somewhere because I did my best to keep up with her. She said everything would be worth it; I hoped that would be true.
~~~
“OK, here we are!” Daisy sang cheerfully as we apparently reached our destination. “I’ll need you to stand here for me.”
“OK,” I said, still unsure of what was going on. “So, can I take this thing off from around my eyes now?”
Instead of an answer, I felt my hands being placed behind my back, followed by my wrists being tied together by what felt like a cloth. At least it wasn’t rope.
“Sorry about this, Luigi,” Daisy said after finishing bonding my wrists together, “but I need to take care of something. Don’t worry, it’s almost here. You’ll have to trust me a little bit longer.”
I sighed before weakly nodding in response. “What’s a few minutes longer?”
“Thank you, Weegee. Wait right here; I’ll be right back.” She slowly rubbed her gloved hand down my cheek and chin before I heard a door close mere seconds later.
“Luigi, is that really you?”
My eyes widened, or they would have had they not been covered, at the voice. “Mario?”
“So, you got roped into this as well?” Mario chuckled.
“Let me guess: you’re also blindfolded with your hands tied behind your back,” I laughed.
“Yep, the princess told me she had something special for me and asked me to go with her. We went to her room, and the next thing I knew I was being blindfolded. I was then escorted here and had my hands tied behind my back. I take it Daisy did the same with you.”
“Unfortunately,” I chuckled weakly. “I wonder what those two have in store for us.”
“Whatever it is, it should be good. I doubt the princesses would do something like this to us with cruel intentions. I’m finding myself looking forward to it.”
“In a way, me too.”
“Lucky for you two, the wait is over!” Princess Peach's voice rang throughout the room.
She and Daisy giggled before two sets of heels clicked softly towards us. My wrists were set free, followed shortly by my blindfold finally being removed. I blinked my eyes and shook my wrists for a short time just to get used to them being free again.
“Man, I thought I’d never get free,” Mario laughed as he shook his wrists. “That was torture!”
Daisy teasingly glared at him with her hands rested on her hips. “Hey, be thankful we set you free! We could’ve kept you tied up, you know.” The glare slowly transformed into a pert smile. “I guess you boys are wondering why we brought you here.”
“Yes, that would be nice,” Mario replied with a wry grin, which earned him a playful eyeroll from Daisy.
Peach giggled at the playful banter between Daisy and Mario before becoming more poised. Although Daisy is the princess of my infatuation, Peach looked really beautiful as well. She wore a soft pink sleeveless floor length ballroom gown along with a different set of white opera gloves than she usually wears, a crystal pendant with a small sapphire gem around her neck, crystal teardrop earrings, and a matching tiara adorned with ruby and sapphire jewels. Her long golden hair was done in a bun updo that rested atop her head. She quickly glanced at Mario and me before a wide smile formed on her face.
“Mario, Luigi,” Peach began, “although Daisy and I have said this many times before, we really appreciate everything you’ve done for us and our kingdoms. Without fail, you came to our aid when we needed you the most. Not only do we see you as heroes, but we also consider you wonderful gentlemen. Since this is the season of giving, we decided we wanted to give you something to show our gratitude.”
“Oh, that isn’t necessary, Princess,” Mario said humbly as he rubbed the back of his head. I nodded in agreement with him.
“Oh, but we insist,” Peach pushed back with her smile still intact. “I have a feeling you two will enjoy what we have in store for you.”
“Oh, and what would that be?” Mario asked as his eyes widened.
Daisy grinned impishly as she pointed upward, which admittedly made me a bit nervous. “Why don’t you two see for yourself.”
Mario and I shared a quick glance with each other before looking upward, and what awaited me made my throat parch. Hanging from the ceiling right above us were multiple sprigs of mistletoe. I gulped some and my eyes widened as I looked at Mario – who shared the same expression – then peered at the princesses, both of whom had conspiratorial grins on their faces. Suddenly, beads of perspiration formed under my hairline, and my face gradually became warmer.
“S-So t-this is what you had p-planned?” I stuttered as I played with my shirt collar.
Daisy nodded with her grin still intact. “Now you understand why we blindfolded you and tied your hands behind your back. We knew both of you would take off your blindfolds and spoil our surprise.”
“You could’ve asked us not to do so,” Mario chuckled nervously as his face slowly became redder with each passing second.
“It’s not that we didn’t trust you,” Peach chimed in. “We just wanted to ensure that there were no potential drawbacks. I hope both of you understand and can forgive us.”
“I guess so,” Mario said dryly before a small smile appeared on his face. “You’re both lucky tis the season of forgiveness after all.”
“Good,” Peach smiled. “Without any further ado, ready Daisy?”
“I thought you’d never ask!” Daisy hopped while pumping her fist in her air with a huge smile.
The princesses nodded at each other before stalking Mario with dazzling smiles on their faces. They flanked him, with Peach standing to this right and Daisy his left, before bending down and placing soft lingering kisses on his cheeks. Mario’s face turned as red as his suit, and his eyes drooped as a satisfied smile formed on his lips. I would’ve laughed under normal circumstances, but I couldn't bring myself to do it because I was next. Upon removing their lips from Mario’s cheeks, they locked their eyes on me before nearly blinding me with their pearly white smiles.
“Now it’s your turn, sweetie,” Daisy said sweetly as both women slowly made their way towards me.
I started shaking as I felt a flock of butterflies occupy my stomach. “Y-You don’t have to do this. I-It’s OK, really.”
However, like with Mario, both princesses flanked me – taking the same sides – then gently but firmly placed their hands on my shoulders to keep me still. Before you can say ‘Happy Holidays!’, two pairs of soft lips made gentle contact on my cheeks. I completely went stiff as I felt my entire face heat up. It was a good thing I was being held in place because I would’ve tumbled like a tree after being axed down while shouting ‘Timber!’ along the way.
“That wasn’t so bad now, was it?” Daisy purred in my ear. Since I was at a loss for words at the moment, I weakly shook my head. “I told you that you would like what we were going to give you.”
“I-I guess so,” I rubbed the back of my head with a chuckle.
Peach looked at me and Mario as a genteel smile formed on her face. “I’m speaking for myself, but I believe Daisy will agree with me. It was a pleasure and a lot of fun to do that. From the looks of it, both of you seemed to really like it. Now, as fun as it was to give, I think it would be just as fun to receive. Don’t you think so, Daisy?”
“You know Peach, I completely agree,” Daisy smiled while placing a finger on her chin. “I’m sure there are two handsome men who would be willing to accommodate us in our time of need.”
“Most definitely, Daisy,” Peach giggled as both women turned to me and Mario with pleading looks in their eyes.
Mario and I looked at each other and exchanged grins before returning our attention to the princesses. “Who are we to turn down such a request from two lovely ladies,” Mario said as formally as possible.
We nodded to each other and bowed before the princesses, then we slowly approached Peach. I stood to her left while Mario flanked her on the right. Peach squatted some to make it easier on us. I could’ve stood on my toes with no problem; however, Mario would’ve had to leap or stand on top of something to reach her face. Simultaneously, we kissed Peach on her respective cheeks, and I found myself briefly relishing the taste and smoothness of her unblemished skin on my lips. However, I began to panic and pulled away as quickly as possible without it being too obvious; fortunately, I don’t think anyone noticed. Peach’s cheeks turned a light pink, which made her even prettier, and she brought a hand to her lips and giggled as she stood to full height.
“Your mustaches tickle,” she said between giggles. Mario’s cheeks turned red, and there was a good chance mine were as well based on the heat forming in them.
After recovering from Peach’s comment, Mario and I focused our attention on Daisy, who was pointing at her cheeks with an anticipating smile. Gosh, she was so cute! I held in a chuckle as we approached her. Although Daisy was shorter than Peach, she was still taller than us, so she kneeled down some so we could reach her cheeks. Without hesitation we pressed our lips against her cheeks; however, while Mario released his almost immediately, I left mine on a few seconds longer. As nice as it was to kiss Peach’s cheek, it was even better to kiss Daisy’s. The taste of her smooth lightly tanned skin was intoxicating, and I felt myself lamenting as I removed my lips from her cheek. Like Peach before her, Daisy cheeks flushed a rosy pink, and she also giggled while pressing her fingers to her lips.
“You’re right, Peach. Their mustaches do tickle!” she said after giggling, making my cheeks feel warm again. She wrapped her arms around me and Mario and brought us in for a group hug. “You guys are the best!”
“T-Thanks, Daisy,” I said as I felt my face heat up again.
Peach approached us and also enveloped us with a group hug after Daisy let us go. “I’d say this has been a wonderful Christmas thus far.” She then grabbed Mario’s arm and coquettishly batted her eyelashes at him. “Having said that, the night is far from over. I have yet to dance, and I would very much love to have a gallant knight accompany me on the floor. Would you perchance happen to know one?”
“I think I may know someone to help you with your problem,” Mario answered with a cheeky smile. Peach giggled and wrapped her arm around his as the two walked out of the room together, on their way to the main lobby no doubt.
I smiled as Mario and the princess exited the room. Once they were no longer in sight, Daisy grabbed my arm, causing me to turn my head towards her. Like Peach, she batted her eyelashes at me in a flirtatious manner, and my cheeks started burning again.
“Oh Weegee,” she began with a teasing lilt to her voice. “Dancing sure sounds like fun. Although I can dance alone, it’s a lot more enjoyable with a partner. There has to be someone who’s willing to dance with me.”
I gulped at the insinuation, knowing very well she was asking me to dance with her. However, I felt brazen all of a sudden and decided to tease her. “If there’s someone who’s brave enough to have their feet crushed by your heels, I’ll be sure to send him or her your way.”
“Ha ha! You have a future as a comedian if the plumbing thing don’t work out!” She slapped the back of my shoulder, which made me wince in return. “Just so you know, I happen to be a great dancer, and anyone would be honored to dance with me!” She blew a raspberry in mock disgust, causing me to chuckle.
Despite my teasing, she was right. Daisy was an extraordinary dancer who excelled in whatever style that’s thrown at her. It’s difficult not to be mesmerized by her when she’s occupying the floor. As for me, I consider myself an adequate dancer. I’d like to think I’m light on my feet; however, I am much better at solo dancing.
“Now, if you’re done joking around,” Daisy wrapped her elbow around mine, “I want to go dancing. Besides, we can show everyone, especially Mario and Peach, how it’s done!” A wide impish smile etched itself on her face. I knew that smile; it was the one where her competitive spirit announced its presence.
“Fine,” I sighed while shaking my head amusingly. As Mario and Peach did earlier, we made our way to the main lobby with elbows interlocked. I found myself looking forward to cutting a rug, especially considering who my dance partner was.
~~~
The snow fell heavily while Daisy and I stood on the same balcony from earlier. I made sure I put on my suit jacket this time, and she had on a leather jacket.
“Weegee, you were great down there!” She complimented me on my dancing. “I haven’t had that much fun dancing in quite a while!”
“Thanks,” I shyly rubbed the back of my head. “It was fun dancing with you as well.”
We danced to a couple of up-tempo songs, which were more in my element. However, there were a couple of slow dances that I wasn’t all that confident in. It mostly had to do with a combination of being enthralled by Daisy’s scent and a lack of graceful footwork. Fortunately, Daisy was such a patient partner who waited for me to settle down, and everything was smooth sailing from there. We practically treated the lobby floor as an ice-skating rink, and it felt like we were the only two people in the world. In fact, I was still somewhat in bliss from it all.
“Man, Peach throws the best parties, doesn’t she?” Daisy sang as she twirled some on the balcony before reaching over the rail and catching some snowflakes.
“Can’t disagree with that,” I chuckled. “Everyone appears to be enjoying themselves. The kids looked especially happy when they received their gifts from Santa.”
“Yeah, you can’t help but have joy in your heart over how ecstatic the little ones were.” She turned her head towards me and flashed me a tiny smile. “Speaking of gifts, I know you said so earlier, but did you appreciate the one that Peach and I gave you and Mario?”
“Absolutely,” I smiled. “I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy be kissed by two beautiful princesses?”
“I’m glad you did.” Her eyes narrowed more seductively as they locked on mine. “That’s because I have another present for you.”
“You do?” I raised my eyebrow curiously.
Daisy nodded her head before reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out a sprig of mistletoe. A flirtatious and dazzling white smile gradually appeared on her face as she sauntered towards me. I gulped while subconsciously backing away from her until I bumped back first into one of the French doors.
“What’s the matter, Weegee?” she taunted when she closed the distance between us. “As much as I enjoyed the previous one, I guarantee this present will be much better.” She dangled the mistletoe over my head, and my heart felt like it was trying to break through my sternum.
“It’s not that-”
A pair of petal soft lips against mine cut me off before I could finish (I wondered how she was able to bypass my schnoz). My body went numb from the shock, and my eyes were probably as wide as the saucers that the appetizers were served on. Although it was freezing outside, my face was as hot as Bowser’s flame breath; it wouldn’t surprise me if it were completely red. I was completely entranced by the sweet citrus flavor from her lips and the warm minty flavor of her breath. Although this lasted only for a few seconds, it felt like an eternity to me. She pulled away from me with a gentle smack, and I immediately felt the absence.
“That wasn’t so bad now, was it?” she flashed another brilliant smile. Because my lips were still tingling, I only shook my head. “See, I told you this was better!”
As loath as I wanted to admit it, she was right. Though the kisses Mario and I received from her and Princess Peach were great, they couldn’t hold a candle to the one I just received. While I received plenty of kisses from her, they were usually on the cheek, nose, or occasional forehead. This was the first time she had ever kissed me on the lips. To take it even further, this was the first time anyone had kissed me on the lips. Thinking about it, I could do much worse than receive my first kiss from a princess, and the thought made me smile inside.
“You have some very nice lips. They were a pleasure to kiss,” she said softly, which made my cheeks flood with heat again. “In fact, I want to feel them against mine again.” She gave me another smile before placing the mistletoe above her head. She closed her eyes and leaned her face towards mine before lightly puckering her lips.
My heart pulsated against my chest again as I gazed into her face. She looked so beautiful like this. It was obvious she wanted me to kiss her, and this would’ve made me nervous had she not already kissed me. However, I felt empowered by the situation, and who was I turn down such a request? I took a quick breath before tilting my head slightly upward. I angled my face some so my nose wouldn’t be in the way and gently pressed my lips to hers. Again, I found myself reveling in the sweet citrus taste and softness of her lips; this could get quite addicting. After roughly the same time she kissed me, I tried to pull away, only for her to wrap her arms around my neck and deepen the kiss.
I was completely caught off guard as my eyes shot wide open. My mouth involuntarily opened slightly, and the next thing I knew, Daisy’s tongue quickly darted into my mouth. Once again, I was completely powerless as her tongue freely explored the inside of my mouth. Seeing that this was the first time experiencing a French kiss, I had zero idea what the etiquette was. As I stood rigid, her tongue gently stroked mine, as if it was trying to spur it into action. I had no clue what to do, but I figured I would try to mimic her actions to the best of my abilities and besides, I found myself desiring to explore her mouth. My tongue went into her mouth, and I used it to explore her cavern. I ran it over her teeth and the root of her mouth cautiously as I tried not to shove it down her throat. This went on for a short while until we broke the kiss due to needing some air. She planted her forehead gently against mine and started giggling, which made me giggle as well.
“Wow Weegee, you’re a great kisser!” Daisy exclaimed breathlessly. “That was the best kiss I’ve ever had!”
I felt my face burning yet again at her compliment. Of course, I wasn’t going to tell her that was my first time doing something like that. Yet, for some reason I became jealous due to her saying I was her best kiss. That message told me this wasn’t her first time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not naïve enough to think I was her first; I’m sure she’d kissed other people before, but it did little to curb my jealousy. In an ideal world, I’d be the only person she would kiss intimately. However, this is reality, and I became disappointed in myself for thinking that way. I was able to overcome my jealousy and appreciate the moment, especially since she said I was her best kiss.
“T-Thanks,” I stuttered.
She giggled again and gave me an Eskimo kiss before moving to my side and leaning her head against mine. “Merry Christmas, Luigi,” she said softly.
Feeling bold again, I pecked her on the cheek and pressed against it with my own. “Merry Christmas, Daisy.”
She returned my peck with one of her own, and I had the urge to do so again. However, I knew it would awaken her competitive spirit, and she wouldn’t rest unless she got the last one. As tempting as it was, I declined the opportunity to peck her cheek again. Instead, we wrapped our arms around each other as we watched the snow blanket the grounds of the Mushroom Kingdom.