Disclaimer: I don't own SSBM.

“Hey Marth!” I called. My blue-haired friend turned to look to look at me, with an angry expression on his face.

What the hell do you want, Roy?” Marth hissed. “I’m really not in a good mood right now.”

“No need to get all pissy,” I assured him. “Link and I just want you to do something for us.”

“... a favor?”

“Well... yes and no. Will you?”

“Oh lord, what is it?”

“Come on, and I’ll tell you!” He followed me through the lounge, out the back door and into the courtyard, dark in the night. There was only one figure in the courtyard- Link.

We approached him, and Marth glanced surreptitiously at Link’s mischievous smile.

“Hey Marth!” the hero of time greeted, waving with his one free hand. In other hand, he was holding a mini boom box. He led Marth and I out to the center of the courtyard, where he sat the radio on the ground and clapped his hands.

“Welcome to the sun drenched paradise of the Melee Lawn!” Link exclaimed. Marth was not amused.

“Link, it’s not very sun-drenched,” I whispered, gesturing towards the moon in the sky. Link gritted his teeth and glared at me.

“Shut up, Roy,” he muttered. Raising his voice, he nodded towards Marth and continued, “Anyways, we have uh... we have a... well, Roy probably used the word ‘favor’, but it’s more like a ‘dare’. And, if you participate, Roy will give you twenty bucks!”

“What?” I roared. “You said you would pay him, you cheapskate!”

Link shrugged. “Well, whatever,” he replied lazily. “We’ll figure that out later. So- Marth, ready to hear your...dare?”

I snorted.

Link glared at me, and then turned to Marth, who nodded.

“Since the Christmas Smash Ball is going on right now, your dare is to pick anybody you want and dance the variation with them. You... do know what the variation is, don’t you?”

“The very suggestive version of slow-dancing?” Marth replied.

“Yep.”

Marth raised his eyebrows. “So I can pick anybody at all?”

“Yep, any Smasher at the ball.”

“Then I pick Roy.”

I froze. He did NOT just say that. I glanced at him. There he was, staring at me with that slightly perverted smile plastered to his face. Link was just as surprised.

“Well then...” the hero of time laughed. “I’ll leave you two alone.” He pressed “Play” on the radio and took his leave, but not before turning around and winking at me.

Pretty soon, the only thing I could hear was my own breathing and the slow, romantic music issuing from the radio. We stood there for a while, avoiding each other’s gaze in the moonlight.

Finally, a good minute into the song, Marth extended his hand, waiting for me to take it. I just crossed my arms and glared at him.

“Why the hell did you pick me?” I yelled. “Really?”

Marth stood still, his hand steady. “Yes really. I want you to dance with me.”

I glowered at him, barring my teeth. Marth took a step forward.

“Come on, Roy,” he said quietly. “Look, you don’t have to pay me. Actually, I’ll pay you if you dance with me.”

I furrowed my brow and took a step back. “Why would you do that? Pay me $20 just to dance with me?”

Marth’s eyes got a lost, misty look in them. “Well... why do you think?”

I looked at him. “Because you thought it would be a good joke?” I asked, sarcasm clear in my voice.

Marth sighed.

“You don’t get it, Roy. I could’ve picked anyone I wanted. Peach or Samus or... or Zelda. Actually, Link would’ve killed me if I had done that, but anyways- I could’ve picked anyone. Anyone at all. So why do you think I would pick you?”

A cloud passed in front of the moon, making the courtyard almost pitch black. I stared down at my shoes. “I think I know why,” I muttered. “But it’s not mutual.”

Marth shoved both of his hands in his pockets and looked away. “I thought so,” he said quietly.

The slow song on the boom box came to a dramatic end. Marth and I stood awkwardly in the courtyard, not speaking or moving. From inside the Smash Mansion we could hear that the ball was coming to a close. People were calling “good-nights” to each other, and doors were slamming. The music issuing from the ballroom had not been turned off yet, but anybody left was probably going to be shooed away and off to bed soon.

Link poked his head out of the back door.

“Hey, uh...?” he said slowly.

Marth turned around to face him. “We um... we’ve finished,” he said quietly. Link raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

I uncrossed my arms and nodded. Link sighed.

“Well, alright,” he said, opening the door all the way. “Not that I actually believe you or anything. Who’s paying him?”

“You don’t need to,” Marth answered quickly. “It’s um... well, don’t worry about it.”

I followed Marth back into the lounge and watched him walk slowly up the stairs to his dorm room. Link was staring at me with great interest.

“So what happened out there?” he asked. “Your face is all red. Kinda clashes with your hair.”

I shoved him playfully. “Alright, Mr. I-know-fashion. And I’m not telling you what happened.”

“You guys didn’t dance, did you?”

I bit my lip, then shook my head.

Link threw his hands up in the air. “Oh, of course not! Now, if he had picked Samus or somebody- hmm, why did he pick you?”

I started up the stairs. “I’m going to bed. Figure that one out for yourself.”

“Maybe he likes you!” Link yelled at me. I froze, then shook my head, blushing deeply. Luckily, I had my back to him.

“Nah, can’t be. He was probably just uh... just trying to irritate me.”

This is a remake of a very old oneshot that I never even finished. In the original version, they actually did dance together, but I changed it because I liked this better.

So...remember review and NOW I can aggravate you to read my blog! Because I got a blog! It's the homepage link on my profile. So review and read my blog (and leave a comment)!

-FC