Peach and Sakura: To Save Jasminasia

"Hey, Princess Peach."

Peach looked up from her desk to see Mario standing in the doorway of her study. "Oh, hi," she replied. "What's up?"

"Princess, I'm worried about you," he said, looking at the papers and books scattered across her desk. "You're always down here studying these days, and I don't think it's healthy for you."

"Well, I've got to keep myself busy somehow. Unless you want me to spend all my time knitting hats or whatever."

"That's not what I meant!" Mario said with a sigh. "I don't know why you need to be so *stoopid* about this, Princess." He took a deep breath. "With Bowser gone and all, there's no one else out there trying to kidnap you or whatever." Peach just shrugged and turned back to her work. Mario sat down on the edge of her desk. "Look, Princess," he said softly, taking her hand in his own. "I care about you, and if something happens to you..." He paused before continuing in a soft voice that was barely audible above the sound of Peach's quill scratching across the paper. "...then what good am I gonna do?"

Peach's eyes welled up with tears as she set aside her work and took Mario's hand in both of hers. He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed the top of her head as she sobbed quietly against his shoulder. After a few moments had passed, he looked down at her tear-stained face and spoke softly into her ear: "Princess... can we stop pretending? Can we finally admit that we love each other?" She closed her eyes and nodded slowly as a smile crept across her face. The two of them stood embracing for several minutes until they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Peach called through the door.

"Uh... Princess? We have an urgent message from a townsperson! It looks really important!" Toad said through the door.

"Fine! Just give me one second!" Peach shouted back as she wiped away a tear from her eye before turning back towards Mario with a knowing smile on her face. She reached out and grasped his head between both hands before pulling him down towards her for another passionate kiss. Mario let out a contented moan as he wrapped his arms around Peach's waist again, pressing their bodies together as he felt himself go hard against his pants.

"Hm... Maria..." Bowser said thoughtfully as he paced around his throne room back in Dorian Castle while his minions cowered in fear at his feet. "Hmm... Maria..." He stopped pacing abruptly and turned to face Goomba directly. "Goomba! Remember when you helped me kidnap Princess Maria before?"