Super Mario Christmas

2. An almost perfect lunch

The next day, Peach was in full on party planning mode. It had been years since Santa Claus had visited Peach's Castle and she refused to let it disappoint. She had polished every surface from top to bottom, hung wreaths on every door and replaced the 480 portraits of herself with pictures of Christmas scenes. Captain Toad had brought her the perfect Christmas tree back from his travels and it now glimmered beautifully in the centre of the foyer, bedecked with invincibility stars and a large 3-up moon from the highest bough.

She ran her hands down her perfectly laundered white and red Christmas dress. Despite all her preparation, something still felt wrong, and she had no idea what. She went over her mental list, checking each item as she went. Perhaps it was just that she hadn't checked her make up in the last 15 minutes and her guests would be arriving at any moment.

As she trotted in the direction of the mirror, the doorbell rang. She let out a sigh. She could just let one of the toads answer the door, but she was hostess. And anyway, she had been kidnapped by Bowser multiple times, not to mention going on numerous missions, and participation in thousands of cart races, and her make up had never looked anything but flawless. She would survive a dinner party where her face had been touched up 20 minutes before greeting her guests.

She plastered her award winning smile across her face and opened the door.

"Hi," she beamed in her high pitch sing-song voice.

Mario and Luigi stood expectantly, with their pet Yoshi at their side.

"You're not going to try to bring your animal in again, are you?" she asked, barely managing to keep her smile in place. "Can't you put it in the stables with the rest of them?"

"Yoshi's not our pet, Peach. He's our friend." sweet-hearted Luigi admonished.

Peach sighed. Santa would know if she wasn't being charitable, but the thing was just so untrained. It ate anything in sight and the moment anyone bumped it, it took off and Mario and Luigi needed to run after it, just to make sure it didn't fall off the edge of anything.

She counted to three in her head. "Fine. It... I mean HE can come inside." she said deflatedly. "As long as he takes those massive muddy shoes off. I don't want to be cleaning those footprints off from every room he runs into, like I had to last time."

Yoshi's long tongue sprung towards her giving the side of her face a wet, wet lick.

Peach recoiled, and this time she didn't manage to mask her disgust. Mario furrowed his eyebrows and gave her a meaningful glare. She knew that look. It was his 'don't ruin this for Luigi' glare. She giggled playfully, hiding her momentary lapse in facade of perfect hostess.

As she wiped her face clean with the back of her hand, she took in the sight of Mario and Luigi. The two wore matching Christmas sweaters - the former in red and white, the latter in green and white - with rows of knitted bells and Christmas trees alternating in neat lines horizontally from bottom to top. No one could say that Mario's physique was in anyway impressive, however he looked so cute that Peach couldn't help but want to smoosh his cheeks and cuddle against the softness of his wooly jumper.

Peach's heart swelled as she looked at her two boys. They were not the type of men she would have previously entertained, but after so many rescues, she couldn't help but develop feelings for both of them. Luigi was the kindest and sweetest friend she knew, and Mario... his bravery gave her palpitations. She had rarely lost control and given him more than a peck or a nose rub, but those few times she had allowed herself to be swept up in the moment, his kisses had left her wanting more and more.

She breathed in deeply and tore her eyes away from her champion. The two of them could never be together within their current social structure. Toad Princesses and plumbers were not meant to even meet, let alone marry. That was why it was so important that today's dinner with Santa went well. Maybe, if he were able to help, she would finally be able to admit her feelings to Mario, and she could finally claim him as her own, stopping him from flirting with all those other women.