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Late one evening, a lone woman sat in the Mushroom Kingdom castle living room, gazing past the window at the stars above. She wore a troubled look on her face and was lost in her own thoughts. She sighed, her breath gently pushing the bang that rested over her right eye. She knew she should have been excited; she would be joining some of her closest friends for a long overdue get-together tomorrow. However, there was something bothering her, and it was keeping her from her would-be excitement. As she rested her head on the windowsill, the sound of high heels clicking down the hall shook her from her thoughts. She turned to see another woman, blonde in a pink dress, approaching her.
“Good evening, Rosalina,” she greeted softly, taking a seat by the one she greeted.
“Hello, Peach,” Rosalina replied with a small smile.
“Is everything alright?” Peach asked.
Rosalina nodded slightly and mumbled, “Everything's fine...” Though it wasn't as fine as she would have wanted. “It's just...I...”
“Thinking about...?” Peach asked, her voice trailed off. However Rosalina knew exactly what she was talking about and nodded, blushing lightly.
The thing was...well, to put it simply, she had, over time, developed a strong crush on someone close to her. It wasn't the last person one would expect, but it certainly wasn't the first person either. Either way, she had fallen, and she had fallen hard. And she felt tangled in a mess of her own emotions.
“I wouldn’t feel too bad about it,” Peach smiled, wrapping her arm around her.
“I know,” Rosalina said, “...I-I just…wish I could...say something…”
“Well, why can’t you?” asked Peach, nudging her friend's arm.
“It's not that easy,” Rosalina replied.
“Why not?” Peach giggled.
“Come on, Peach, you know why,” Rosalina said, blushing harder and slightly rolling her eyes.
“No; I know why you think it’s not that easy,” Peach responded, a slight smirk crossing her face. “But I don’t think you have to worry about that.”
“I know,” the cosmic woman sighed. “I just worry sometimes, I mean...it's awkward enough as it is. I’m just afraid of…what would happen if things went wrong, you know?”
“I understand., but I really don’t think it will!” the pink-clad princess responded. You’ll both be okay! I know it!”
“…”
“...You know, if this is a band-aid you feel you need to rip off, why don’t you do it tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Rosalina asked, a little bit of panic in her eyes.
“Yes, we’re all hanging out together, remember?” Peach nodded. “Seems like a perfect opportunity to me.”
“...Do you really think I can do it?” Rosalina asked in a hushed voice. Peach nodded, and Rosalina inhaled in response. “Okay...then I'll do it!”
“Yay!” Peach squealed, wrapping Rosalina in a hug. “Don’t worry; I’ll make sure you two get some alone time tomorrow. Best of luck!” She said before running upstairs, presumably to get ready for bed.
“Thanks,” Rosalina said, even though she knew her friend couldn't hear her. She then turned back to the window and groaned softly. “I'll need it.”
Early the next morning, Rosalina stood outside the gates of the Mushroom Kingdom’s most famous amusement park. She, as well as Mario and Peach, waited patiently for the last member of their group to arrive. Her friends conversed beside Rosalina, but she paid little mind to them; she had other things to worry about. Beads of sweat began spotting her face as she debated whether or not she could actually go through with this. The sound of Peach calling her name a few moments later pulled her out of her thoughts, and she turned to address her.
“Since we’ve been waiting for a little while, Mario and I decided we’d go ahead and grab our tickets,” she said. “Do you want to come with us or wait here?”
“I’ll stay here,” Rosalina replied. “Hopefully, we won’t be waiting much longer.”
“Sounds good,” Mario nodded. “We’ll be right back.” The two walked off towards the entrance, and Rosalina leaned up against a nearby tree. There was a gentle, cool breeze running through the air; it was relaxing and paired well with the shade of the tree. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to let her mind finally rest. She wasn’t quite sure how long she was resting there, but she jumped when a sharp whistle eventually cut through the quiet. Turning around, she lit up when she saw who it was coming from.
Princess Daisy, a girl charming in ways Rosalina couldn’t even describe...and one she greatly, greatly admired. She was known for her liveliness and energy and brought smiles to everyone she came across. She was funny, laid-back, and a delight to be around. Not even to mention how beautiful she was; her smile was bright, and her sapphire eyes were full of life. Best of all, she had a big heart and was one of the most loyal people Rosalina had ever known, especially when it came to those she held dear.
Rosalina waved her hand when she saw her and felt her face warm up a little when Daisy smiled and waved back, bounding towards her. She was pleasantly surprised to see that Daisy had changed up her outfit for today; in place of her usual tank top and shorts, she wore a turquoise blouse with short, ruffled sleeves and a pair of white shorts. So simple, yet she looked so pretty. Daisy approached her and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug; Rosalina’s heart swelled as she returned it.
“Hey, I’ve missed you!” Daisy exclaimed. “How have you been?”
“I've been well, thank you,” Rosalina smiled back. “It’s lovely to see you again.”
“You, too!” Daisy replied with a wink. “Hoo, boy! I’ve been looking forward to this! It has been busy back in Sarasaland; I really needed this hang out!”
“Busy, huh? Is everything alright?” the taller woman asked.
“Yeah, it’s fine now,” Daisy shrugged. “Narrowly avoided a couple of disasters, but things are finally quieting down. I’ll fill you guys in on that later. Any idea of what we’re doing first?”
“I…am not sure,” Rosalina answered. “We didn’t exactly come up with a game plan, but I belie-”
“Hey, Daisy!!” Peach shouted, interrupting Rosalina’s train of thought; she and Mario were quickly approaching with tickets in their hands. Daisy lit up, rushed towards them, and practically tackled Peach in a hug.
“Bestie!! I missed you!!” the redhead cried out.
“Oh, I missed you, too! It’s been too long!” Peach exclaimed, holding her friend tightly. Daisy broke from their embrace, turned to Mario, and gave him a hearty high-five. “How have you guys been?”
“Doing great!” Mario replied with a set of finger-guns. Daisy shot two finger-guns of her own back at him and ushered everyone forward. “Come on, let’s have some fun!”
Once they got inside the park, they decided to go on some of the biggest rides first. The group came to a stop in front of the line for the Bowser Coaster; the ride was brand-new and said to be the tallest and fastest in the park. Everyone in the group enjoyed a bit of an adrenaline rush; that’s why they were at the park after all, and they were excited to start off strong, especially Daisy. As the four waited in line, Mario and Peach chatted away up front, but their topic of discussion seemed to revolve around a few Mushroom Kingdom issues and politics. It wasn’t uncommon for the two to talk about such things, even on casual hangouts like today; however, it didn’t leave much room for Daisy or Rosalina to join in, so they were more or less left to their own devices. Problem was, neither of them seemed to have anything to say at the moment, and the silence, already unusual for Daisy, was making Rosalina a little tense. Perhaps some small talk? A small conversation starter that was a little more casual? That wasn’t quite her strong suit…but she supposed it was worth a try. After all, she had wanted to tell her…
“Daisy, I quite like your outfit for today,” she said. “You look lovely.”
“Aw, thank you!” Daisy beamed. She played a bit with the hem of her shirt and added, “Thought I’d switch it up a bit for today. I’m glad you noticed!”
“Was there any reason for the change, or was it spontaneous?” Rosalina asked.
“Um…” Daisy hesitated to answer, a bit of pink dotting her face that didn’t go unnoticed by the cosmic woman. She shook it off and grinned. “It was mostly spontaneous. This shirt’s on the plain side, but it’s new, and I’ve been wanting to show it off for a while now. So, why not, right?”
“Of course,” Rosalina replied. “I understand why; it’s a lovely color.”
“Right?” Daisy laughed. “I only wear blue on a few occasions, but I like the look of it on me.”
“As do I, though you’re beautiful in any color, really.”
Rosalina’s heart sank a little when she realized she said that out loud. The comment made Daisy’s eyes go wide and her cheeks glow a little more. The smile she sent Rosalina’s way was as bright as ever. “Thank you! That’s sweet of you!”
“Aw, no problem,” Rosalina sent a shy smile her way as well. She tensed a little and glanced towards the ground before softly clearing her throat. “U-Um...well, while we have a moment, I, uh...I wanted to-”
“Um, girls?” Their attention was grabbed by Peach calling them from up ahead; neither one of them had noticed that the line had moved up without them.
“Whoops! Guess we don’t have a moment,” Daisy dryly remarked.
Chuckling out of embarrassment, they hurried towards the front of the line and waited with their friends. By this point, Mario and Peach began making conversation with them, so they don’t get left out or left behind again. They made it to the front of the line after a few more rounds of shouts and cries. The passengers on board the next train car pulled into the station and began trickling off one by one. The cars were grouped for two groups of two; Peach sat with Mario in the back while Daisy and Rosalina sat together up front. After getting buckled in and situated, the operator made a few announcements, hyped up the crowd a little, and started up the ride, slowly pushing the cart onto the chain that would take them to the top of the first drop. Daisy was excitedly fidgeting in her seat, but Rosalina paled. The ride was a lot…taller than it looked from the ground…the first drop looked a lot steeper, too. Of course, she was used to, and even enjoyed, high speeds and adrenaline, but her nerves were still a little shot by the change of perspective. Whose wouldn’t be? She took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down but jumped when she felt something wrap around her arm. She turned to see that Daisy, in a burst of energy, had latched on to her arm, smiling brightly and trembling in excitement.
“This is so exciting!! Are you ready?!” she cried, looking up at the cosmic woman with sparkling eyes.
Rosalina thought her excitement was the cutest thing. She chuckled, and a determined smile crossed her face. “I’m ready!”
“WOOHOO!!” the redhead screamed, and the others were quick to join her as the coaster crested the hill and began to plummet. The ride carried the passengers through loops and barrel rolls at unparalleled speeds, sending everyone’s adrenaline through the roof. It only took a couple of minutes for the ride to come to a screeching halt, and the group laughed heartily as they waited to be let out of the car. As they walked away to collect their picture from the ride, Daisy quietly jumped and stepped away from Rosalina.
“Uh…sorry,” she mumbled, red in the face. It was at this moment that Rosalina realized that Daisy had been clinging to her arm the entire time; she didn’t even notice...not that she would have cared.
“It’s alright, I didn’t mind,” she replied with a reassuring smile. Daisy grinned back.
The others returned, and everyone took a moment to laugh at the goofy picture before venturing on to look for the next ride. They spent the first couple of hours clearing most of the big rides, old and new, before breaking for lunch. They eventually decided on a large pizza and shared plenty of jokes and stories over the course of their meal. Once they were done, however, they were stumped on what to do next; everyone was full and tired, so another big rollercoaster was out of the question. As they glanced over the park map, looking things over and ruling things out, Peach gasped in excitement and pointed towards the left side of the map.
“What about the Tunnel of Love?” she suggested.
“Wait, they have a tunnel of love?” Daisy scoffed. “Since when?”
“It must be new,” Mario replied. “Definitely wasn’t here the last time we came.”
“Still, I’m sure it would be a nice gentle ride for the time being, yes?” Peach asked.
“Eh, guess you’re right,” Daisy shrugged. “I’m in.”
“Yay!” Peach cheered. “Come on, let’s go!”
“I-I’m sorry,” Rosalina said as she stood up to join the others. “What on earth is a tunnel of love?”
“Tunnels of love are indoor rides!” Peach explained. “They take you down a tunnel that’s covered with lots of romantic imagery and scenery. Seems like a nice and calm ride, don’t you think?” The slight smirk that Peach gave her was all that Rosalina needed to know. Genius!
“Oh!” she exclaimed. She took a second to regain her composure before adding, “T-That sounds lovely!”
“Heh, ‘lovely.” Was that pun intended?” Daisy snickered, glancing back. The joke caught Rosalina off guard, and she barely caught a loud laugh with a soft, “Pfft!” Though, she did end up quietly giggling alongside Daisy anyways.
The ride was only a short walk away. Everyone passed underneath the heart-shaped arch that began the queue. The path was made of cobblestone, red rose petals painted along in no particular pattern, red velvet rope outlining the queue. The walls were painted a dark pink, and the texture made them look like cave walls; every few yards or so, a crystal wall lamp gave off a warm glow, making it light enough to see where you were going, but dark enough to fit a romantic atmosphere. A flute cover of some famous romantic pop song played in the background; if the intro was any indication of the upcoming ride, then this was a probably a good idea.
The group kept light conversation going as they made their way to the front. They didn’t have to wait long as there wasn't that many people in line, and they soon found themselves at the loading dock. Rosalina could see from where she was standing that this was a water ride...or at the very least, a ride on water. The carts that they would be riding in were white wooden boats with pink and red hearts decorating the sides. How cute. Everyone decided on their pairs, and an usher led Mario and Peach to the next open boat. They rolled past the arch, turned a corner in the tunnel, and disappeared. Rosalina and Daisy slid into the next boat once it came around. It was a very comfortable seat, but it was a slightly tighter fit than expected...Rosalina couldn’t help but wonder if that was on purpose. Once the lap bar was secured, they were sent on their way.
Having never experienced a Tunnel of Love before, Rosalina had no idea of what to expect. However, she was very pleasantly surprised with what she saw approaching the main part of the ride; it was beautiful. The ceiling was painted to look like a sunset; pink, purple, and blue with the slightest bit of yellow, a full moon and many bright stars lighting the sky. Lining the deep green grass were sakura trees with flowers in varying shades of pink and purple.
“Ooh! This is something else!” Daisy said, smiling.
“Indeed,” Rosalina replied. “I didn’t know what to expect, but this is lovely.”
“A lot less pink than I was expecting, too! Feels like just enough,” Daisy commented.
“What do you mean?” Rosalina asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Okay, so here’s my problem with Tunnel of Love rides,” Daisy responded. “I’ve been on a few of these, and they’re really stupid and uncomfortable. You’re in a literal cave, everything’s covered in bright pink, there’s cheap plastic hearts all over the place, I’ve seen naked babies hanging from the ceiling, and-”
Even though she knew what Daisy was talking about, her delivery still made Rosalina burst into laughter, and this time she couldn’t stop or control it. “W-What?!”
Daisy started giggling, too. “Y-Yeah, I want you to imagine that for a second! And add pictures and statues of random people kissing, literally all over the place!”
“That is such a bizarre concept! I would be so uncomfortable!” Rosalina cried, still laughing with her face in her hands.
“Exactly!” Daisy exclaimed, clapping her hands on each syllable. “I was fully prepared to make fun of this ride. But honestly?” Daisy leaned against the back of the boat and took a deep breath. “This is really nice.”
“Mhmm,” Rosalina nodded, also resting her back. The girls quietly relaxed and took in the scenery; despite being fake, it was still colorful and comforting. The boat was riding slowly and smoothly down the "river," with a rock that was just enough to notice, but too gentle to make her nauseous. Alongside the view, there was romantic piano music playing in the background; Rosalina didn't recognize the song, but still smiled as she was listening to it. After about five of minutes of down time, she remembered the opportunity she was given; the two of them were finally completely alone together, and on a ride that was supposed to be centered around love, nonetheless. Suddenly, the silence became awkward. What should she do? Her gaze settled on Daisy, who didn't seem to notice as she was silently taking it all in. She looked calm...peaceful. Rosalina smiled at her; it was uncommon to see Daisy in such a serene state, but it was a certain kind of beautiful that she appreciated getting to see. Eventually, however, Daisy eventually caught her staring.
"What?" she asked, turning to face her. Her tone didn't imply any discomfort or anger, just curiosity. Still, it made Rosalina jump. "Um...n-nothing! I was..." her eyes frantically shifted back and forth as she thought of an excuse. "I was...l-looking at that tree behind you!"
There was, in fact, a beautifully shaped sakura tree behind Daisy; it would have genuinely caught her attention if she hadn't already been preoccupied. More importantly, it was a good save.
"Ooh! That's really pretty!" Daisy exclaimed. "Kinda wish these were real!"
I know what you mean," the taller woman sighed. “Um...o-on that note, I wanted to ask. Would I be correct in assuming you’re more drawn to nature in terms of romantic settings?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Daisy said, nodding. “I definitely have a personal connection with nature in general; of course it’s going to feel more romantic to me.”
“That makes sense...um…,” Rosalina turned away to hide a light blush before continuing. “Is there a...um...particular setting that you are more drawn to?”
“...Y’know, I’m not sure.” Daisy pondered on this for a moment. “Something with a lot of color…”
“The...forest during fall, perhaps?” Rosalina suggested, and the girl beside her immediately lit up.
“Yes! That would be amazing!” she gushed. “Bonus points if there’s, like, a river or something nearby? That would be perfect!”
“It sounds lovely...I do believe the leaves will actually be turning soon...do you know of any place like that nearby?”
“Hmm…maybe...I’m not quite sure,” Daisy replied. She smirked a little, though her face had turned pink. “Why do you ask~?”
“Uh...well, I, um, that is-” the cosmic woman panicked and frantically shifted her gaze to other areas of the room. She wasn’t entirely sure what to say here. The look on Daisy’s face, the way she asked that question...was she caught? What does she do now? Does she back out? Commit? Say nothing? Joking was more Daisy’s strong suit, so that was out of the question. Now what? In the midst of her short-circuit, her attention was grabbed by a gentle guitar melody playing in the background. When the song or instruments changed, she wasn't sure, but now that she had noticed it, she was genuinely fixated.
“Oh, hold on…” she mumbled. Both girls picked their heads up and also noticed that the scene was changing. The yellow and pink had all but disappeared, and more stars dotted the “sky” as the setting changed from sunset to night. A full moon peaking over the “horizon” in front of them kept the room well-lit even as the other lights had dimmed. The guitar was soon accompanied by a cello and piano. She smiled and took a relaxed breath; all of these combined elements sort of reminded her of home. This new setting was the perfect chance to calm her nerves a little. But after about a minute, her calm state was broken by a quiet, forlorn sigh nearby.
“Is everything alright, Daisy?” she asked. She turned to see that Daisy’s expression had darkened considerably, and the look on her face was one of longing. The redhead shook her head and smiled dismissively. “I’m alright.”
“Are you sure? I’m here to listen if you need it.”
“…”
“…”
“...I know it’s not,” Daisy sighed, looking up at the starry night, “but this song kinda sounds like Bella Notte.”
“...oh…” Rosalina felt her heart drop; she understood exactly what Daisy was talking about.
Bella Notte was a song that Daisy held close to her; it was a song she loved and often sung alongside Mario’s twin brother, Luigi. He lived in the Mushroom Kingdom a while ago...gee, it had been a couple of years by this point. And while he was here, he had stolen both of their hearts...somewhat. In hindsight, Rosalina’s affection for Luigi wasn’t exactly romantic, however, she had confused it to be at the time. And that confusion caused a lot of unnecessary friction between herself and Daisy, who was definitely in love with him. Those two were very close, too; whether or not Rosalina actually had romantic feelings for Luigi, she would have never had a chance anyways.
However, one day, he shocked both of them by not only coming out as gay, but admitting that he had been seeing someone in a different kingdom by the name of Peasley. Both women were, of course, very supportive and wished him well, and he departed for the Bean Bean Kingdom to be with him shortly afterwards. It broke Rosalina’s heart, more so to say goodbye than to not have him for herself, but Daisy was crushed. Rosalina felt genuinely awful about how it all impacted her. Even though they weren’t all that close, she did try to offer as much support to Daisy as she could. Daisy was resistant to her efforts at first, but as time went on, she let Rosalina in, and the two became very close very quickly. They had a lot more in common than they once thought. Their friendship stayed strong for the next couple of years; they had moved on and become much better for it. However, that didn’t mean that either of them, especially Daisy, didn’t still miss him from time to time.
“Y’know, I don’t think I’ve sung that song since he left,” she said wistfully. “It just doesn’t feel the same.”
“I understand,” Rosalina replied.
“Do you ever wonder how things would have gone if he never left?” she asked. “Or is that bad of me to think about?”
“I don’t think so,” the cosmic woman said, “I know how much you liked him; it’s natural to wonder about what might have been if things were different, even if you understand why it couldn’t be.”
“I guess...it’s for the better, though,” Daisy shrugged nonchalantly. “He gets to fully be himself, and he’s happy with his partner. I’m happy for him.”
“Me, too.” Something about the conversation mildly bugged Rosalina. She just had to know… “Do you...think you still like him, though, or…?”
“No, I don’t.” Daisy’s answer was swift, but sure, and Rosalina felt a bit more at ease. She continued, “It took time, but I got over it. I just...the whole thing kinda took a toll on my self-esteem, but, you know, that was my thing to work out. No big deal.”
“If I may, why did it affect your self-esteem? It isn’t that you weren’t good enough for him, right?” Rosalina panicked as soon as she said that and began backtracking. “O-Of course, if it’s none of my business, or if I’m prying too much, please let me know! I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I-I just-” but a little giggle from Daisy cut off her ramble.
“Don’t worry about it; you’re not prying,” she assured. Her smile fell again when she added, “I, uh...kinda have to put up with people trashing my appearance, my personality, my voice…that sort of thing. Dealt with that a lot and just kinda had to accept that I just wasn’t attractive, or that my voice was kinda grating, or that I was just too...y’know...much...for a lot of people. It sucked, but there wasn’t too much I could do about most of it, so I tried to just...do me.
“But Luigi was someone that didn’t make me feel like that; he accepted and appreciated me fully as I was. He loved my energy, liked to hear me talk. I don’t know; it was kinda hard sometimes to not feel like...like I’d have to be a completely different person in order for someone to love me like that. With him, I didn’t feel like that was the case. I didn’t feel like I was...I don’t know...wrong. So when he left, I…” Daisy trailed off, seemingly unsure of what else to add.
Rosalina was a little dumbfounded. The idea that someone who radiated such confidence could talk down about herself like that was astounding. And even more astounding was the idea that other people could talk down about her in such a way. Fools, the whole lot of them. She sighed to herself, not really knowing what to say. I don't know if there's anything I can say to make her feel better...I just wish she could see herself the way I do.
“Hmm? What do you mean?” Daisy suddenly asked.
Rosalina’s face immediately turned red. “What? I-I...I definitely said that out loud, didn’t I?” She muttered, bringing a hand to her face to grab the bridge of her nose. Daisy chuckled and said, “Yeah, you did.”
“Well, um…” Rosalina cleared her throat, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. No backing out now. “...I see...when I look at you...someone who is...witty and charming, cheerful and bright. Someone who is strong and compassionate. Beautiful inside and out.” She turned to face Daisy and placed a hand on top of hers. “You...are a wonderful person, Daisy. I’m very fortunate to have you as a...as a friend, and I...think anyone would be fortunate t-to have you as a girlfriend if it’s what you so desire.”
Smiling bashfully with scarlet cheeks, Daisy turned her hand over so she could grip Rosalina’s and gave her a quiet “Thanks. Means a lot coming from you.”
A small rush of bravery came over Rosalina; she took in a breath and somehow managed to stammer, “W-Well, I...um...s-so, uh...t-there’s...there’s something I wante-”
*WHISTLE*
The sound of a loud and abrupt whistle startled them both. They looked up to see a robot bird lifting it’s head and singing on a nearby tree branch. By this point, the “horizon” that they were approaching began to pull itself apart like a set of curtains, revealing a turn into a dark tunnel, the end of the ride.
“Guess that’s that then,” Daisy mumbled. “It was nice though, yeah?”
“Mm-hm,” Rosalina hummed. Blast her luck, she was so close. They rode along towards the exit, Rosalina barely able to see her nose in front of her face, when she felt something soft brush her cheek. It was feather-light and lightning-quick; she almost didn’t even notice it. But when it dawned on her what she just felt, her heart exploded. Did she...?!
Their boat pulled into the unloading dock, and an usher released the door to let them out of the boat. Since she still had Daisy’s hand in hers, she assisted her off the boat and led her into the lobby filled with souvenirs. Peach and Mario were waiting near the lobby entrance.
“There you girls are,” she smiled. “How was it?”
“I gotta say...I really liked it,” Daisy answered, glancing at the woman beside her; Rosalina noticed a light blush and dreamy smile on her face and was almost certain her face looked the same way. “I gotta run to the restroom before we move on to something else. Be right back!” Daisy let go of Rosalina’s hand to head towards the back corner of the lobby where the restrooms were...the cosmic woman’s hand felt cold...strangely lonely.
Mario wandered off shortly after Daisy left, presumably to look at t-shirts. Rosalina and Peach were left alone.
“So…” Peach asked expectantly.
“I...don’t quite know,” Rosalina hesitantly replied, nervously rubbing her arm. “I didn’t say it, but-”
“Rosie!” Peach whined. “I gave you a perfect opportunity! What happened?”
“I tried!” Rosalina huffed. “I tried, and I was close! I was so close, but we’d already been talking for a while, and then the ride ended, and...I was just too late. So, I didn’t say it, but...I don’t know…” she had to think about how she wanted to phrase this, not daring to mention what she thought happened at the end of the ride, though her hand somehow found its way to that spot on her cheek. “...it feels like there’s something there, like...like I still have a chance.”
“Well, judging from this, I say you do,” Peach replied. Rosalina turned to see Peach holding two pieces of photo paper in her hand and went pale; at no point did she realize there were any cameras. What could they have captured? The pink-clad princess handed a photo to Rosalina and added, “You’ve got this. I believe in you.” Rosalina looked down at the picture and could feel herself warming up.
Smiling at each other, holding each other’s hand, pure admiration in their eyes. She didn’t know what to expect from the picture...but to her, it was perfect. Hope swelled in her chest.
I’ve got this.
The rest of the day went pretty smoothly after that. Everyone rode more rides, got some ice cream, played a few games, and won some prizes. The sun was starting to set, and everyone knew that it would be time to wrap up things up soon. But before their night would be over, they decided to hop in line for the Ferris Wheel as a nice little cool-down. The seats were also made for two riders, so Rosalina and Daisy chose to sit with each other again. It was a slow ride, so the pair had plenty of time to talk. Only trouble was, once again, both of them were left without a clue of what to say. For the most part, they were looking everywhere except for at each other, and the music playing from the stereos on the Ferris Wheel only served to make the atmosphere more awkward. Finally, a few silent rotations in, Daisy cleared her throat and spoke.
“I, uh, had a great time today,” she said softly.
“So have I,” the cosmic woman replied. “Thanks for inviting me; it was wonderful spending time with you.”
“You, too.”
“…”
“…”
“So…”
“Hmm?” Daisy looked up at Rosalina, who was blushing as she fumbled for the right words.
“Nothing.” she gave up.
“...Well, while we’re up here,” Daisy began.
“Well, no…” Rosalina restarted.
“There’s something I wanted to tell you,” they finished their sentences at the same time. Both girls laughed a little before Daisy said, “Go on. You first.”
“Okay, well,” Rosalina said. “I, uh...um…” As Daisy patiently waited for a response, Rosalina breathed in and said, “You and I have grown...rather close, right?”
“Right,” Daisy nodded her head to signal that she was following.
“And...would I be okay to consider you my best friend?” Rosalina asked, lightly gripping the lap bar.
“That’s okay with me! As long as you’re okay with me doing the same~”
“R-Right, well...y-you’re...you are someone who is...very, um...very dear to me.”
“And you, me,” Daisy responded sweetly. She gently rested her hand on Rosalina’s, just as the cosmic woman had done to her earlier that day, and fluttered her eyelashes at her. Rosalina could see the nighttime stars reflecting in Daisy’s eyes; her heart rate sped up and the rest of her froze. Why do you have to be so cute?
“Something wrong?” Daisy smirked with a raised eyebrow.
“Uh! Nope! Nothing’s wrong here!” Rosalina answered a bit too frantically.
“You sure~?” Daisy pressed, leaning her shoulder into Rosalina’s, causing the taller woman to stiffen up in panic. Is she doing this on purpose?!
“I...just...thought your eyes were really pretty, that’s all,” Rosalina responded, talking quickly. She tried her hardest to sound calm, but from her wobbling voice, she knew that her panic was obvious.
“Why, thank you!” Daisy exclaimed, beaming. “Your eyes are really pretty, too! May I?” she gestured towards Rosalina’s bang. Still flustered, Rosalina silently nodded. The redhead’s fingers gently grazed across her forehead as she pushed the bang behind her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
“There we go!” Daisy said. “You’re lucky; aqua’s such a beautiful eye color~”
“Thank you,” Rosalina giggled, rubbing the back of her neck. “Though, sapphire blue is lovely, too.” Daisy turned away giggling and shaking her head. The taller woman chuckled along with her before her smile faltered a little. “Uh, Daisy?”
“Yeah?” Daisy asked.
“I, uh…” For a brief and shining moment, Rosalina felt a little more confident about telling Daisy how she felt, but as soon as she tried, she found herself immediately losing her nerve. “I was...I want...I need to tell you...um…”
“…” Daisy was patient.
“...I...I...don’t...think I can do it,” Rosalina finally mumbled, dropping her head in defeat. After all of this time, she psyched herself out so quickly and lost whatever nerve she’d garnered over the whole day. How pathetic could she be?
“Okay. Then I will.”
Rosalina picked her head back up in shock. Did she hear that correctly?! Sure enough, she turned to face Daisy, wide-eyed, and felt her lightly grip her hand as she said it.
“I love you, Rosie.”
Eyes immediately welling up, Rosalina leaned forward and hugged Daisy tightly. “I’m so happy to hear you say that,” she sniffed. “I love you, too.”
“Aw, Rosie!” Daisy exclaimed, leaning away to face her. “Don’t cry on me!”
“I’m sorry,” the cosmic woman laughed. “I just-” she was instantly cut off when Daisy suddenly pressed her lips to hers. But almost as soon as the redhead leaned in, she pulled back in a panic.
“Uh, sorry!” she cried. She pulled her hands into her chest and added, “I-I’m...I...shouldn’t have done that...I should have asked, and I already…” she buried her head in her hands, “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s...fine,” Rosalina replied, very dazed. She shook it off after a moment and added with a smirk, “You were welcome then; you’re welcome to kiss me now~”
She lifted Daisy up by the chin and connected their lips once more, a gesture which Daisy enthusiastically returned. They felt each other smile through the kiss as they held each other tightly. The next time their seat stopped, however, they heard latches coming undone just below them and looked to see passengers getting off the ride two seats ahead of them. Just as they were both wishing the ride would never stop.
“Guess that’s it then,” Daisy sighed.
“Mhm,” Rosalina replied. As the wheel moved again to allow Mario and Peach to get off, she turned to Daisy and added, “To be continued?”
Daisy smirked. “To be continued~”
They hopped off to find Mario and Peach waiting for them nearby. The lines on their faces were visible, and all four of them suddenly realized how exhausted they were. After agreeing that everyone would crash at the castle for the night, Peach turned to everyone and said, “I’m glad we got to do this! Thank you all so much for today!”
“No,” Rosalina replied, subtly grabbing Daisy by the hand again. “Thank you.”
Later that night, Mario approached Peach as she sipped a cup of lavender tea.
“Quite a day, huh?” he remarked, sliding onto the couch next to her.
“You could say that again,” Peach replied. “Are they asleep?”
“Yep. Together.”
“Well then, I’d say today was successful.”
“So would I,” Mario nodded. “You did a good job.”
“Hey, all of the doing came from them,” Peach waved off the compliment. She took another sip of her tea and placed it on the coffee table, adding, “I just...set up the right situations.”
“Nevertheless, they look really happy,” Mario said. “I hope they stay that way.”
“I hope so, too,” Peach yawned, leaning onto Mario’s shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her and lightly kissed her forehead. They enjoyed the calm and quiet for a few moments before they drifted off to sleep together, too.
The End