Disclaimer: Adventure Time is owned by Pendleton Ward. I make no profit from this story.
Part 5
Candy Fangs
It was a sunny day in Ooo when a young Princess Bubblegum decided to take a stroll through the Candy Kingdom's apple orchards, carrying a light pink parasol as she walked down the beaten dirt path. She hummed a little tune to herself as she went, her eyes set on the trees up ahead when she happened to look up by pure chance, spotting something small and black falling from the sky, thick plumes of smoke rising into the air after it. She could swear she heard it hissing, or perhaps screaming, and watched as it plummeted downward, falling amidst the foliage up ahead. Slightly alarmed, but more curious than anything else, she ran the rest of the way to the orchards, her feet slapping the ground as her short, puffy locks of gummy hair bouncing about her small pink head. Once under cover of the trees, she began looking for the smoldering object, her sharp eyes scouring the fertile ground and the trunks of the trees. She could smell something, a rather awful smell she had never encountered before, acrid and nauseating, and yet the desire to know spurred her on to search for whatever had fallen from the sky. Following her nose, she weaved in between the trees, occasionally looking up and scouring the branches overhead for any form of debris. Then she saw it, tiny and black with tattered leathery wings and tiny blue limbs, thin steams of smoke still rising from its body. Remarkably, it wasn't on fire anymore, and wasn't moving either. Knowing she should leave it alone, but not really caring about what she should do, the young princess approached it, peering down at the strange little bat inquisitively. She kneeled down, studying its peculiarly humanoid hands and feet when all of a sudden blue eyes flashed open, staring right up at her. "
What're you staring at, kid?! Get lost!" The bat snapped in a shockingly female voice, tiny lips moving over the long fangs in its mouth, its large, squashed looking nose moving as it spoke. Bubblegum blinked in surprise, tilting her head curiously as she stood up. "
Are you alright?" She asked the bat. "
Do I look alright?" The bat snapped, and she indeed had a point. Her fur was singed in several places, scorch marks on her limbs and nose and there were holes burned right through her wings. And yet, she seemed to be healing right before Bubblegum's eyes, her skin on her growing back and the holes sealing shut. She grumbled as she moved into a sitting position, glaring up at the pink girl grumpily. "What, you've never seen a vampire before?" "
Well… no." The pink girl admitted, blinking her dark eyes as she brought one hand up to her face, tilting her head to the side in fascination. "Your ability to regenerate is quite remarkable." "
Uh… thanks." The bat blinked, raising one eyebrow up at her, feeling like a bug under a microscope. "Stop staring at me like that, it's creeping me out." "
Oh! My deepest apologies, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!" The young princess said quickly, shaking her head, making her hair bounce around. "I was just thinking… well, do you have anywhere dark to go? The orchards are somewhat shady, but I propose that you could come back with me to my castle for a while, at least until nightfall when you can leave safely." "You would willingly let a vampire into your castle?" The bat laughed incredulously, large eyes widening up at her.
"
Why not? Only the lowliest of creatures would harm someone who aided them in a time of such vulnerability." The princess declared boldly, surprising the vampire, who quickly masked it with a look of disinterest. "
Alright, I guess I'll go with you. Not like I have anything better to do." She sniffed, crossing her arms over her fuzzy little chest. "
Here, get under my parasol and I'll take you back with me." The princess said, smiling. The bat flapped her now mostly healed wings and plucked a bright red apple off of a low hanging branch, coming back down to rest on Bubblegum's right shoulder as she lifted the parasol over their heads and began walking down the path back to the castle. The vampire licked her lips hungrily, sinking her fangs into the apple and sucking the red from it with a rather loud, wet slurp before tossing the gray remains away, smacking her lips. "
How did you…?" The princess blinked, pausing to stare at the slightly shriveled gray apple on the ground. The bat belched. "
Vampires don't just drink blood, you know. We can drink shades of red too; pink included." She added with a hiss, but the princess didn't seem to be alarmed. "
Fascinating." Was all she said, and the pair continued on to the castle, the bat riding along on her shoulder, the smell of bubblegum thick in her nostrils. The banana guards stationed at the gate smiled and greeted the young girl as she walked by, staring at the little creature with obvious confusion when she stuck her forked tongue out at them, blowing a raspberry. Once safely inside the castle, the vampire transformed herself, her body elongating and taking on a more human shape, drawing a gasp of surprise from the young princess. A stunning young woman hovered in the air before her, vibrant red eyes set in a beautiful, angular gray face, a long mane of wavy midnight hair spilling down her back. "
I owe ya one kid, you've got guts. The name's Marceline." She said, jabbing one skinny thumb at her own chest. Then she laughed, reclining in midair and floating backwards with her arms behind her head. "
Pleased to meet you." The princess said, curtsying politely. "Would you care for anything else to drink from? I'm sure we have plenty more apples, as well as some strawberries, tomatoes and-" "I don't make it a habit of befriending mortals, kid." The vampire said suddenly, cutting her off midsentence. The princess paused, looking up at her with obvious bewilderment. "Would you consider making an exception for me?" She asked, turning the full force of those big, sparkling dark eyes on the vampire. For a second Marceline found herself thrown off guard, drawn to that sweet little pink face. Shaking her head slightly, she allowed herself a small smile, floating closer to the princess and drifting behind her back so that she had to turn around in order to see her. "…Perhaps. But you gotta promise me one thing." She said, striking ruby eyes meeting onyx. "Well, I can certainly try, if it is within my reach of course." Bubblegum said, straightening herself up in a rather regal manner. The sight was so formal, and yet totally adorable that Marceline would've laughed had she not been so serious about what she was going to ask of the princess. "You can't forget me. Ever." She said, her expression stony and firm. "Of course I won't forget you!" The princess said immediately, surprised. What a silly thing to promise someone. "But do you promise?" She repeated, pausing midair. "I promise." The princess agreed, her own expression perfectly serious. "Cross your heart and hope to die?" The vampire pressed, reaching out and poking the girl's chest where the little organ fluttered beneath her breastbone. "I swear it on my honor as a princess." She declared, her voice ringing with finality. "Good, cuz I like you, kid." The vampire's smile returned back to her face, the points of her pearly fangs protruding out from under her upper lip. "Please, my name is Bonnibel." The princess replied, beaming back at her new friend, the undead Vampire Queen named Marceline. "Doesn't it ever bother you that you can't see your reflection?" Bubblegum asked as they sat in the meadow, her fingers caressing the petals of a flower near her left foot. She glanced up at the vampire curiously then, her dark eyes questioning as they met crimson irises.
"I don't need a mirror to know I look great." Marceline said confidently, smirking at the princess as she flipped her long black hair back over her shoulder. "It just comes naturally."
"Like that cowlick there?" Bubblegum asked, one eyebrow quirked in amusement as she gestured to the top of the vampire's head vaguely.
"What!?" The vampire's hands flew to her head, feeling around vigorously when she caught Bubblegum trying to stifle a snicker, scowling when she let out a full blown guffaw.
"Yeah, you're funny. Ha, ha,
ha…" Marceline grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest grumpily. Bubblegum's laughter died down a little then, smiling at the gray girl as she reached out and stroked her cheek.
"Oh, don't be such a baby, Marce. I was only playing. Here," She reached down, rummaging through her satchel and bringing out a red rose, its petals slightly tattered from being squashed in between books. The vampire's eyes lit up when she saw it, licking her lips and taking it, sinking one fang into the its central cluster of petals.
"Thanks babe, I needed a snack." Marceline said, floating over to Bubblegum and pressing a sweet little kiss against her pink cheek, making her giggle a little.
"You're welcome." She replied, the vampire leaning in for a kiss on the lips when dark eyes lit up.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked, their lips a hairsbreadth apart.
"Uh, sure, I guess." The vampire replied, not bothering to hide her frown as she pulled away.
"What does pink taste like in comparison to red?" She asked, seemingly out of nowhere, looking at her with that bright, burning curiosity in her eyes. It was like she was thirteen all over again, like the day they met back in the apple orchards.
"Well, it's a shade of red..." She began slowly, but the princess shook her head vigorously.
"I know that! But does it taste any different?"
"Oh, yeah. A lot sweeter, and richer." She answered, smirking a little as she leaned in again. "I've had a bit of a sweet tooth lately…" She murmured, lips ghosting over Bubblegum's one again when suddenly there was a dainty pink hand pushing her face away, squishing her lips and nose slightly. "Wha!?"
"Not here." Bubblegum hissed, scowling slightly. The vampire scowled right back, then let out a huff and crossed her arms, looking away as she pouted. Feeling a little guilty, the princess reached out and touched her face lightly, a brief caress. "C'mon, let's go back to the castle." She offered, standing up.
"Fine." The vampire muttered, not looking over at her but following as she started to walk off. The two parted ways when they reached the outer gates of the castle, Marceline flying up and over the houses as the princess walked down the street, waving to the banana guards good naturedly as she passed. It took her a while to make her way up all of the long flights of stairs leading to her room, and when she finally opened the door she found the vampire hovering over her bed, still sulking.
"What took you so long?" She asked grumpily, glaring at the princess as she made her way into the room, pulling the deadbolt shut behind her.
"Well, unlike you, I have to walk places which actually takes more time than just flying through people's windows." Bubblegum responded with a little agitation, the vampire's temper irking her. But after all, it was the princess's fault, and she knew it. Perhaps the agitation came more from her guilt than the gray girl's snippiness.
"And why'd you lock the door?" The vampire asked, her voice getting harsher as she got angrier, her mouth pulling down sharply at the corners. She looked as if she might cry.
"Marce, I had that deadbolt installed because of you and the things we used to… the things we do in here." Bubblegum said, her voice sounding incredibly tired as she crossed the room and sat down on her bed, scooting closer to where the vampire hovered over her mattress. She could see the vampire's gray bottom lip trembling ever so slightly as she closed the space between them, and noticed the subtle wetness collecting at the corners of those ruby eyes. A little part of her heart broke at that, and she bit the inside of her cheek hard as punishment, getting on her knees and reaching up to pull the vampire down to her. She reeled her in close and hugged her torso gently, resting her chin on Marceline's ribs so that her dark eyes could meet crimson ones. Heaving a heavy sigh, long, slender hands came down to stroke Bubblegum's thick gummy hair, a tender touch as she managed to keep herself from crying in front of the princess.
"You know… I'll always love you. Like, forever… whether you want me to or not." Marceline said suddenly, her face dead serious as she stared down at the other girl. "I'm yours even if the world ends all over again. And if that happens, I'll protect you with everything I've got, with every ounce of strength I have in me. I'd even turn you if I had to, because your life matters more to me than if you hated my guts."
"Marceline…" She began, her eyes wide as she lifted her head. She looked at her squarely, seeing the truth hard and cold on the vampire's face. She felt her throat constrict, her arms falling away and dropping down to her sides, limp as they hung there. "I... I don't know what to say."
"What? You… you
don't know what to say Bonnie? You could say you love me too, that's what you could say! Ugh, you can't do this to me! You can't just… ugh! I'm out, just whatever!" She yelled furiously, her voice echoing off the stone walls as she rose sharply into the air, higher than before as she shot off toward the window.
"No! Wait!" Bubblegum cried, jumping slightly and catching her by the boot.
"Why? So you can hurt me more?" Marceline snapped furiously, the tears back in her eyes again, cheeks flaming red. Bubblegum felt sick to her stomach, pulling weakly at the girl's shoe as she stood up on her bed, grabbing onto the vampire. Both arms locked around her waist, pulling her into a tight embrace as the princess buried her face in the right side of Marceline's chest. Stunned, the vampire stayed perfectly still, taking in the utter surrealism of seeing Bubblegum so vulnerable.
"Don't go, please." She whispered hoarsely. She stood there, just holding onto Marceline for a long time, starting to tremble after a while. It started in her legs, then her back, moving into her arms until it became clear that Bonnie was actually
crying. It was something Marceline had only witnessed a handful of times, only once over something pertaining to her. At least, that was the only time she
knew of.
'
Glob, all this guilt is going to kill me. This is going rip my lumpin' heart right out of my chest if this keeps up...' She knew she couldn't keep hurting Marceline the way she was, and yet she couldn't allow them to be seen together, not yet. Responsibility, always responsibility. Why were things so complicated all the time? She hated it; it wasn't fair. Her happiness always came at such a high price, one that she could never hope to afford. The fate of life as they knew it depended on Bubblegum and her experiment. If she could just finish the formula and synthesize the cure to old age, she could be with Marceline for so much longer than previously conceivable and remain herself. She could prolong the lives of her people, and she was so close to being finished, just a few more calculations…
"Marceline, how can you still love me?" Bubblegum choked out, all composure lost as she pulled her pink face away, hot teardrops dripping down her cheeks. "How can you still want to be with me, and love me, and touch me after all the pain I've caused you? After I've hurt so much? And I-"
"Stop." Marceline's voice was firm, and yet the princess's mouth continued moving, more words spilling forth from her lips.
"I-I hurt you so much. I betrayed you, I gave you no explanation, and I treated you so coldly. I don't deserve your heart, I-"
"I said stop it!" Marceline snapped, her eyes fierce as she grabbed Bubblegum's wrists. "Don't say that. Don't ever say that!" Bubblegum stared at her in complete shock as anger shown on the Vampire Queen's face, her blood red eyes holding her in place and stilling her tongue.
"I love you because you are
strong, Bonnie. Loving someone like you isn't easy and I knew that from the start. But I didn't back down then, and I won't back down now, or ever. You're mine and I'm yours, and sometimes I may need to leave when you hurt me, but I will
always come back." A fresh wave of tears spilled from the princess's eyes then, and she closed them tight in a not so effective attempt to hold them back. The vampire growled softly and dropped one of her wrists, using her own hand and taking her chin in between her long fingers.
"Look at me." It was a command, and the candy girl found herself obeying it, forcing her eyes open as her hand was lifted up to the vampire's chest, spread out so that her palm lay flat over her still heart. "For what it's worth this is yours. It belongs to you. It always has, from the very first day I met you."
"I love you Marceline. I love you so very, very much." Bubblegum said, and the vampire had to blink her eyes furiously in order to keep from letting
yet another wave of tears from flowing down her face. Sniffing and wiping her eyelids with the back of her hand, she cleared her throat, holding Bubblegum tighter.
"C'mon, stop the waterworks, k? Hey, you remember that time you challenged Ash to a sword duel to get back at him over Hambo? Glob, that was like… the best day ever." Marceline laughed quietly. The princess made a funny sound, a choked laugh muffled by the vampire's shirt. "Or the time you took a bite of that apple I drank from? That was so funny."
"Blegh!" Bubblegum stuck her tongue out as she pulled her head back, her cheeks still wet and her eyes bleary as she laughed slightly. She looked so pitiful as she stared up at Marceline, so much so that the vampire took her face in both hands, wiping away the tears with her thumbs.
"Hey, why don't you go get cleaned up? I'll wait out here, ok?" The vampire suggested, kissing her forehead.
"Yes… that sounds like a good idea." Bubblegum muttered, nodding as she rubbed her own eyes and climbed off the bed. Marceline watched as she gathered her pajamas from her dresser and disappeared into the bathroom, the sound of running water reaching her ears a few minutes later.
"Oh Glob…" Marceline groaned, dropping her face into her hands. "This whole thing is just so emotionally exhausting." She rubbed her eyes slowly with her fingers, moving back to her temples and massaging them slowly. While the princess was busy bathing, the vampire went about lighting the candles and lamps in through the room, peeling back the blankets of the bed and lying down while she waited. She stared up at the ceiling, her arms behind her head as she started to hum a little tune to amuse herself. When Bubblegum finally came out, she was still damp and shivering a little, her skin glistening in the dim light.
"You ok, babe?" Marceline asked without thinking, sitting up. She felt herself blush then, biting her lip as she averted her eyes quickly and ran a hand through her hair. It had been a long time since she had called Bonnie 'babe'.
"I'm fine, just cold." Bubblegum answered, rubbing her bare upper arms as she walked to the bed. Cold? Marceline knew just how to fix that.
"C'mere." She said, steely gray hair sprouting all over her body while her jaws elongated into a muzzle, her body transformed into her garish lupine form. The large werewolf lumbered to the center of the bed, offering her a wide, toothy grin full of long fangs as leathery black lips stretched back. "I promise it'll be nice and toasty."
As if to convince her further, she patted a spot in front of her with one large paw-like hand, inviting her closer. Smiling, Bubblegum swallowed a tiny giggle as she walked up to the bed, climbing in as Marceline opened furry arms for her to crawl into, her thick tail thumping the bed as it wagged, like a monstrous, oversized puppy. She buried her face in the wolf girl's fur, which was surprisingly soft and smelled pleasant, the scent of Marceline's skin filling her nose and comforting her. Even though the undead girl's body didn't produce any heat, the thick hair provided insulation, bouncing the princess's own body heat back at her and warming her up effectively. Meanwhile, the werewolf just lay there, holding the other girl contentedly as her body relaxed little by little, slowly drifting off to sleep. She remembered the last time she had shifted into a werewolf in front of the princess, back when she was trying to teach her how to let loose and have fun.
She was running as fast and hard as she could, Bubblegum riding on her back and holding on for dear life so as not to be thrown off. Her fingers were tangled in the werewolf's fur, nails biting into the skin underneath just a little. "
Marceline, are you going to tell me where we're going?" She yelled over the whistling air around them. "
It's not… where we're going…it's….what we're doing!" She yelled back, her voice rough and gravelly, a bit breathless as she ran. How could she be breathless when she didn't even need to breathe? "
What does that even mean?" She yelled back, when suddenly the beast underneath her came to a skidding halt. Shrieking in dismay, the princess held on tighter, clamping her thighs around Marceline's ribcage so as not to be hurled several feet through the air. "
Tonight…Bonnibelle…I'm going to teach you… to howl!" She said enthusiastically, despite her panting as that long, bright red tongue lolled from her open maw. The princess stared at her incredulously, her expression clearly conveying her distaste for such an activity. "
You've got to be kidding me…" "
Nope, come on, over here." She said, grabbing her small pink hand in her large, rough paw and pulling her toward the rocky ledge overlooking the forest. "Now sit down, like this." She said as she sat back on her haunches, arms out in front of her. The picture it created was rather comical, a terrifying wolf-beast sitting like a dog in obedience training. "This...this is so stupid!" Bubblegum snapped, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the wolf-girl. "Maybe, but it's fun! C'mon… just give it a try. For me." She said, smiling a very fangy smile, a mess of long, sharp teeth peeking out through black leathery lips. It was a rather ghastly sight, one that might've frightened anyone else. But in fact, it had come to be a rather endearing look on Marceline, one she could use to sucker the other girl into doing almost anything. Who could resist the puppy-dog eyes of a big, hairy canine monster? "
Marceline…" she said slowly, starting to waver. The wolf-girl batted her large yellow and red eyes. "
Pleeeaaaase?" She begged. The other girl slumped in defeat, heaving a heavy sigh. "
Fine." She grumbled. "But you go first." "
You gotta sit down though, like this." The pink girl opened her mouth to protest, but just shook her head, sitting down on the ground beside Marceline in a similar fashion. The werewolf beamed happily, and then looked up at the moon, taking in its beautiful white glow and letting it coax the animalistic cry from her throat naturally. Her howl was long and beautiful, almost melodious, and was soon answered by another wolf, followed by several more until she was answered by a symphony of lupine voices. Bubblegum was a little dumbfounded by just how beautiful the call was, failing to mask her obvious surprise. "
Now it's your turn." She said, looking to the princess, who cringed in return. "C'mon, you said you would..." With a heavy sigh, the princess inhaled halfheartedly and tilted her head back. "
Ahoooo…" She said, then looked back to her girlfriend, who was glaring at her. "What?" She asked defensively. "
You call that a howl? No, again." She demanded. "
What? No!" She flushed indignantly, only to be met with those wide yellow and red eyes again, pleading with her. Groaning, she closed her eyes and took in the deepest breath she could, then tilted her head back and howled again. This time, she actually tried, doing her best to emulate the sound Marceline had made when suddenly another voice joined her, their howls intertwining. She opened her eyes and looked over, falling silent as Marceline continued howling next to her. Then she paused and took another breath, releasing another cry into the night when the princess joined her again willingly. When they finally fell silent, Bubblegum looked over at her girlfriend to find her already staring back. "
You're just so beautiful… I could just eat. You. Up!" She growled, pouncing suddenly and snarling playfully as she scooped the princess up in her furry arms, giving her a big wet puppy kiss across the face. "
Augh, Marceline!" She shrieked, laughing and swatting at her muzzle. Just when the vampire was about to fall asleep, she felt Bubblegum move against her, her voice making her fuzzy ears perk up and bright yellow-red eyes open again.
"Marce…?" She asked quietly. Marceline had thought for sure she was asleep.
"Yeah?" She asked, her voice rumbling out of her chest and throat, raspy and garbled like a growl.
"Would you sing me to sleep like you used to?" The question was so tentative and sweet Marceline let out an embarrassed cough, laying her ears back, thankful she had the fur to hide her blushing cheeks.
"Of course." She mumbled, transforming her body back into her normal self and clearing her throat lightly, her tongue snaking out to lick her dry lips. How long had it been since she sang a lullaby to her? It had to be seven years at the least since those sappy words had left her lips last…
"Hush little princess, Close your eyes, Drop off into dreamland and I'll fly you through the skies," She sang quietly, her lips a few centimeters from the shell of Bubblegum's ear. A smile touched the princess's lips at the sound of the familiar lullaby Marceline had written for her so many years ago. "Ain't no one gonna hurt you, Not while I'm around, Cuz I'll be there to catch you when you fall down. Hush my little princess, Close your pretty eyes, I'll still be here, Even after the night dies." As she listened, Bubblegum remembered the days back when Marceline had first sang to her.
It had been a long day of studying from dusty old books, and the young princess found herself tired and lonely as she stared out of her bedroom window, the cloudy skies outside the same color as Marceline's skin. She felt herself frown as she thought about her friend; it had been a few days since she'd seen her, and she rather missed the vampire. She set her head down in her hands, wondering what the older girl was up to. Probably playing a gig somewhere with her band, the low, rich sounds from her axe bass vibrating through the air as her fans screamed with adoration, the vampire eating up the attention all the while. That thought made her smile just a bit. It was selfish of her to want the vampire there with her, while she read from some dumb, dusty old books that would bore her to tears. Heaving a heavy sigh, she looked back down at the tome laid out on her desk when an oversized sunhat was set down atop her head, two hands coming around her face and covering her eyes. "
Guess who, little princess." A familiar voice whispered in her ear, the sound of boots touching down on the ground behind her sending a thrill right up her spine. She could feel the vampire's fangs nipping playfully at her gooey pink hair, and it had made her blush, her belly fluttering with butterflies; the vampire's rather obscure charm had been almost irresistible even back then. She whirled around in her chair, the vampire's hands falling away as Bubblegum turned to face the beautiful young woman behind her. "
Marce!" She cried excitedly, all but throwing herself into the vampire's arms, her chair falling backwards and hissing the floor as small pink arms looped around Marceline's neck. She laughed, catching the princess and pulling her in for a hug, reaching up and thumping the glistening blue jewel at the top of her tiara with one slender finger. Beaming, little Bonnie pulled back and stared up at her friend's gray face and into shining crimson eyes. "
Where have you been? I've missed you!" She exclaimed excitedly. "
You're just too cute, Bonnie." She chuckled, tucking a stray lock of gummy hair back behind her ear. "I missed you too. I've been around, ya know, hoola hooping in the fire kingdom, riding giant gold fish, playing a couple gigs with guys... Standard stuff, really. What've you been up to?" She asked, and Bubblegum let her go, studying her face carefully. She looked mostly the same as always, although she seemed sleepier than usual, small, dark bags hanging under her eyes. "
Well, I've gone to a few royal meetings with Grandma. She's been teaching me a lot lately… And I've been reading too, studying all about zanoits! They're so fascinating!" She said excitedly as Marceline floated over to her bed, laying down on the mattress and patting the space next to her. The princess grabbed the book from her desk and all but pranced to the bed, climbing up and sitting next to the vampire. "
So tell me about these zanoidy thingies." Marceline said, stifling a yawn and trying to look attentive. "
You're not going to fall asleep, are you?" Bubblegum asked, one elegant little eyebrow raised as she looked down at the tired vampire, who let out a loud, unladylike snort, rolling her eyes. "Of course not! I'm a vampire. I can stay awake for days on end, and go to sleep anytime I want." She sniffed, waving her hand nonchalantly as she spoke. Little Bubblegum then proceeded to talk about her 'zanoidy thingies', going into detail as she described every aspect of them to the vampire, who was desperately fighting the urge to close her eyes. "…
And that's why zanoits are poisonous." Bubblegum finished, looking rather pleased with herself. Her friend stared at her in complete bemusement, one eyebrow arching slowly. "
You really know how to entertain, don't you?" She asked sarcastically. "
What?" Bubblegum asked, blinking in confusion. "
Nevermind." The vampire laughed. "
Oh, can I read to you what I'm learning now?" The princess asked, suddenly excited. Marceline made a face, but held her tongue, nodding her consent. And so Bonnie began to read from her book, her voice calm and clear as she relayed pages worth of information to the vampire, when suddenly she came across a word she didn't understand. After a few moments of puzzling over it, she finally decided to ask for help. "Marce, do you-" She turned to see the vampire's eyes shut, her mouth slightly agape as she snored softly. Although offended at first, she couldn't help but smile after a minute, reaching out and touching the vampire's forehead, pushing that one stubborn lock of hair out of her eyes while she slept. After an hour or so, Marceline rose up into the air above the princess, taking the time to study the sleeping girl and memorize how sweet she looked. She was so beautiful and at peace as she lay there, her eyes shut delicately, her expression so utterly relaxed. The vampire reached out to her after a moment, stroking that thick gummy hair and pushing it back off the princess's face, caressing her cheek in the process. Then, knowing she should leave before daybreak lest Bubblegum get mad at her, she took the sheets in her hands and pulled them up over the princess's sleeping body, tucking her in. When she was done, she turned away, floating towards the window to slip out into the night and make her way back to the cave where she lived, alone in the middle of the ocean.
"Please stay."
"But I thought I wasn't supposed to be here during the day…" Marceline said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Forget what I said." Bubblegum mumbled tiredly, rolling over, her dark eyes opening just a fraction.
"Ok." Blushing slightly, Marceline floated back to the bed, settling back down next to the princess. She was shivering again, and so the vampire got under the covers and snuggled up to her, draping on arm comfortably over her waist as her palm cupped the tiny swell of her belly.
"You'll never be cold with me around, babe..." Marceline whispered, and kissed just below her left ear.
X
"So we have a deal?" The Lich hissed, the dim light eye his eyeless socket shining brighter than before, air hissing from between his teeth. The tiny man stared up at him with little white eyes, grinning widely.
"Why yes, yes we do. I will dispose of the princess as soon as the opportunity presents itself. The vampire is my only true hindrance." He replied.
"Good… With Bubblegum out of the way, no one will stand between me and the end of all existence. She is the brain behind the brawn of Finn, and all the others. Without her, this world, the universe, will fall…"
