You two are rested on one of the grassy hills that surround your kingdom and you often make your way up here on scenic days like this to relax in each other's company in the daytime. Underneath the shade of a large tree, you lie with your head in her lap as she strums light, feathery tunes that carry themselves off in the wind, but she makes sure not to disrupt your reading too much with the noise.
You appreciate that she puts the effort into literally risking her life to spend time with you during day hours knowing she can burn to a crisp at any given second. However that feeling is immediately shot down as soon as she speaks.
"Whoa, who is that hot body?" Her fingers pluck a nasty chord and you shoot your eyes up as she gazes off into the field that stretches out before you. The glint of her fang almost blinds you as you glare at her through squinted eyes.
"Excuse me?" You huff.
"No, I'm being serious, look." You turn towards the direction Marceline points in and in the distance are Finn, Jake, and a young, orange-skinned girl who looks to be engulfed in flames. You hope the girl is actually burning as Marceline excitedly hurries off to greet them, half-throwing you off of her in the process.
"Oh, it is so on." You hiss under your breath as you slam your book shut. You stand and take some extra time to exaggeratedly smoothen out the wrinkles in your dress before straightening your back and standing tall. You might not be overjoyed to hear about this new girl, but you are still the princess of your kingdom and foreign affairs are always in order. You take a deep breath before softening your features but keeping your eyes sharp.
Before you reach them, Marceline is already introducing herself with an outstretched hand. Was she insane? That girl would scorch her very being. Nonetheless, the mystery girl offers her hand and much to your utter disdain, Marceline cups it and you watch it like a slow-motion movie scene: she brings it up to her mouth and kisses it. Your nails dig into your clenched fists but all you can think about is the sizzling noise the contact creates against her lips. To make matters worse, the young girl does not draw her hand back, surprised to see that Marceline shows no pain towards the touch.
"Marceline, your highness, Marceline the Vampire Queen." Her tone is so ridiculously well mannered that it drains your own sweetness. Your highness, you mock. Marceline might call you her princess but she's never addressed you like that before. In fact, you don't think she's ever addressed anyone like that before.
"Flame Princess," the mystery girl finally gives herself an identity, as if it couldn't be redundant enough. She's amazed still, observing Marceline's hand in hers, but stern, giving you a vibe that she has zero sense of humor, but then again she could just be putting up her princess front.
"Peebles!" Finn's cracked voice exclaims when you finally reach them; you almost forget that he was the reason this girl was even here. You smile politely.
"Good afternoon Finn, Jake," you address each respectively before turning your attention to the third person of the party, "Princess Bubblegum of the Candy Kingdom." You curtsey because you don't feel like treating third degree burns today.
"Pleasure," she tries to sound enthusiastic but the way she eyes you is piercing. "Finn has told me all about you."
Oh no, you're already off to a bad start. You want to play nice but you notice her hand is still in Marceline's nimble hold; you can't help but sound bitter.
"Is that so? He hasn't mentioned you before." You hope it doesn't bruise too much but as Marceline recognizes your tone and narrows her eyes down at you, you decide to finish off with something lighter. "But I'm happy he has brought you here to familiarize yourself with us."
Everyone is still and from the corner of your eye you see Finn let out an uneasy breath as Jake twiddles his thumbs together in front of him. The former finally clears his throat and decides to alleviate the tension. "So, are you two ladies busy? We were wondering if you guys could join our picnic." He holds up a wooden basket and a tattered white-and-red checkered cloth. "And don't worry Marceline, we brought tons of red for you." You hear her tongue slither out in approval.
"Oh, and Lady Rainicorn's already on her way PB," Jake adds, a little more relaxed. "It's going to be a blast! How about it?"
You and Marceline weren't doing much in the first place, nor have you eaten. A picnic sounded great, but before you can accept the offer, Flame Princess speaks up.
"We understand if you have your duties to attend to, even if you were just sitting up there," she gestures to the hill and then shifts her gaze to look between you and Marceline suspiciously. "What were you two doing anyway?"
Your brows wrinkle dangerously and you feel that your own heat is enough to overrule the princess in question. You open your mouth to furiously retort about:
A, how rude it is to question another one's duties,
B, that it's also rude to interject her own estimation on how you spend your free time and lastly,
C, that you were spending quality time with your girlfriend, all in one breath but Marceline quickly lets go of the princess' hand to cup your own mouth closed. Surprisingly, her flesh hasn't turned to ashes yet. She must've already regenerated what cells she lost but you can still smell the faint odor of burnt hair. You try not to dry-heave into her palm.
"How about you guys go set up? We'll be there in a sec. Oh, and under the shade or something, still a vampire and all." She waves the trio off and when they're out of earshot, she turns to you and you're engulfed in her floating shadow.
The fact that you still haven't told anyone about your year long clandestine relationship makes it rather difficult to avoid topics that end up leading back to it, but you just don't want to deal with what anyone might have to say about it right now. Marceline understands; it's for the better of your kingdom that your personal life doesn't involve itself in your duties after all. Yet, you still feel a slight pang in your chest when Marceline refers to you as being just a friend.
She grabs your forearm and whispers tersely. "Whoa, cool it, blabbermouth. Are you ready to tell them about us?" You want to ask her if 'us' matters anymore, but you know that might just be blowing things out of proportion. Instead you shake your head, as your eyes don't meet hers. "Then watch what you say." She's painfully harsh for someone who presents herself as aloof ninety-nine percent of the time. "I don't know what your friction is with this girl, but if it's about Finn, save it for when he's not around."
Finn? Please. He wasn't the one dating you while drooling all over the new girl.
Your frustration eases slightly when she kisses your forehead, sheltering her movement underneath the brim of her large hat. She slides her hand down to meet yours and intertwines your fingers loosely. "Play nice, alright?"
You simply grunt but nod nonetheless. She turns your face towards her to flash you a wink before giving your hand one last squeeze and letting go.
"Come on, I'm starving."
The picnic is… relatively civil. Jake and Lady finished eating two hours ago and are frolicking in the meadow while Finn has fallen asleep uncomfortably still beside the other monarch; he stayed to make sure another catfight didn't break out. You sometimes catch her looking up from her food now and then to witness you feeding Marceline a red colored something from Finn's basket. Her fingers are busy dancing over her bass, so this gesture is necessary and thankfully the young girl doesn't question it. She does, however, turn her attention to Marceline.
"Aren't vampires supposed to drink blood?" She's genuinely curious, but you can't help but scowl at her accusation.
The strumming stops, and Marceline's mouth hangs open about to sink her teeth into the apple you are offering her. She grins then, and drains its color. "I eat shades of red. I could drink blood, but it tastes funny in my mouth, you know? Like metal."
You see Flame Princess nod before she asks, "What about pink? Or even, orange?"
You tense. Maybe Finn should've stayed to calm you down because your other hand is hanging onto the grass so tightly to keep yourself from launching at her that, if you wanted to, you could uproot the whole field with one pull. Orange? Don't flatter yourself. Marceline likes my color better than—
"Pink's yummy, but orange is more of a mouthful. A little on the tangy side, makes you think of, well… oranges and stuff." You see a sly smirk creep across her face and the Flame Princess' hair grows at the tips in delight.
"Fascinating… May I watch you eat?" She doesn't even hesitate as she cocks her head and you swear you see a twinkle in her eye.
"Anything for a loyal fan," Marceline revels. "Bonnie, hold up an apple, would you?"
"Bonnie?" The other princess inquires with a smile in her words, "Princess Bonnie Bubblegum?"
"Bonnibel, actually," you jeer at her. "And I would rather appreciate it if you didn't refer to me at such a casual level." You don't bother to look up at either of the two girls whose eyes are burrowing through you.
"And yet, the vampire queen is given exclusive rights to said name?"
You've had enough. You rise to your feet and groan melodramatically, frustration bursting at the seams. Was this girl beyond dense? The sovereign in question begins to stand as well, eyes locked as you begin to pace towards her. "I have known Marceline for years. I believe she reserves the right to—"
Marceline literally jumps between the two of you and interjects before this becomes an all out war. She pushes you both away at arms length and sighs. "Relax." She looks down over at Finn to see if he has awoken from all the noise, which he hasn't. "If you two have shit to deal with, do it on your own time." She looks between the two of you with her brows creased. "Are we going to be big kid's now? Because I always hated being the responsible one." Neither of you say anything, your eyes still clashing between the distance that separates you, but you see her tense flame burn lower and your own muscles relax at the sight.
Placing your hand over the one Marceline's rests on your shoulder, you state to neither one in particular, "Maybe it's time for me to go," you've done enough damage today. You direct to the princess now, "It was a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, to say the least, Flame Princess. I do hope our future encounters do not mirror today's events, be there a future at all." You hesitantly bow your head but see her do the same regardless. Your eyes flit to meet Marceline's, who glances warily. "I'll see you later, then?" You try to pull away to gather your things but she holds you in place.
"No, I'm coming with you," she answers softly, but there's a hint of suspicion behind her words.
"Oh, but do you have to go, Marceline?" Flame Princess' words are tight and restrained, trying their best to keep the disappointment from showing. You sigh inwardly at the thought of Marceline not being quick enough to catch your fist as it darts to reach the other girls face if she says another sickeningly saccharine word to your girlfriend, but her reply to the monarch relaxes you.
"Yes, I do. " She doesn't have to think twice. "On my behalf, it truly was a pleasure meeting you, Flame Princess, I do hope Finn brings you around more often." This time, when the younger girl has her hand outstretched, Marceline simply shakes it with mirth.
"Do tell Finn we said thank you and goodbye when he wakes. The sandwiches were delicious." The princess nods at you and bitterly waves you off. Marceline picks up her bass and it's nearing nightfall so she opts to do without her hat. You pass Lady and Jake on your way to the castle's path and both hug you goodnight.
The air tastes stale as you take in shallow breaths; it's a warm night, so at least you're comfortable in your loose shirt, despite wanting to crawl out of your own skin. The two of you are making your way back to Candy Kingdom, side by side, and thankfully Marceline hasn't yet said a word since you left the group. You try not to seem frigid towards her, but you're obviously nowhere near relaxed; earlier events prove to still be imbedded in your mind. Unfortunately, luck isn't on your side today as you happen to speak too soon and Marceline's voice cuts the silence.
"So… Looks like someone didn't enjoy her company…"
"Looks like someone enjoyed it a little too much," you snap back.
"Ugh, Bonnie. Seriously, what's your deal?" She throws her hands up in exasperation. "I was just trying to be nice, unlike you. Did you hear yourself back there? Look, I know the whole Finn thing is—"
You stop dead in your tracks and dust from the ground clouds around your feet at your abrupt movement. "This is not about Finn! In no universe is this about Finn! It's about you!"
Marceline halts mid-air and when she turns back to face you, her eyes flicker with incredulity and the bewildered look plastered on her face tells you that she had absolutely no idea that anything about the tone in your voice towards the newly introduced monarch was about her.
"I— okay, I…" She's at a loss for words for someone who's so lyrically gifted and you watch her carefully. You see her internally contemplate whether to stay calm with you to better understand what you're so upset about or lash out at you for being irrational.
Of course, being Marceline, it was the latter.
"Ugh! What the hell did I do?" She seethed through clenched her teeth and let out a long growl. "You're angry at me?" She took deep, calming breaths that she didn't need, making sure to restrain the anger sweltering deep within her; she always regretted yelling at you afterwards anyway. However, you happen to lose your own composure when you hear her mutter something along the lines of 'sometimes, I don't know what to do with you' under her breath.
"Well, wouldn't you be upset if I ogled over another girl in front of you? Hmm? Would you be okay with that, Marceline? Is that something you want to see?" The words are drenched in envy and you taste the bitterness on your tongue, but you can't help the way it flows out of you like water from a faucet.
Marceline's balled fists unwind and she looks baffled for the second time on this walk home. "What?" She doesn't handle serious circumstances well; you know that for a fact and your point is proven further as her lips threaten to smirk at you, at a time like this. "Okay, now I'm lost. Is Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum jealous?"
You wonder if it would satisfy you more than it would cause you heartache to pull her down and chain her to the ground until sunrise, just so she'll learn that you're being serious. "Marceline, I am not going to do this; I am not going to play this game." You finally erupt, your voice echoes through the air and Marceline jerks at the sudden volume change. "If you want to run off with that— that… literally hot-bodied siren, as you so cordially regarded her previously, then be my guest." You voice cracks, much to your disdain. You turn away before Marceline can see the first etchings of tears at the corners of your eyes. "Seems like you'd choose her anyway," but you mumble that last bit.
In one soundless, swift motion, you're in the air and in her arms. When you finally register that she's carrying you back towards the castle, you squirm in her iron grip. You completely forgot about even getting back to the castle, thinking that you'd be on foot the rest of the way by yourself. "Put me down Marceline, I can walk home."
"You can, but I won't let you." You continue to thrash in her hold until you accidentally elbow her in the sternum. "Ow, damn it Bonnie. That hurt." Her grip tightens, probably expecting an apology.
"And what? You think it didn't hurt watching you gawk over—"
She scoffs before you can finish. "Bonnibel, she's thirteen. You're honestly jealous of a thirteen year old?" You don't reply. "I take that as a yes."
"And if she wasn't, would that stop you?" The question rouses an overly hyperbolic eye roll and a sharp snort, but goes unanswered. "I take that as a yes," you mock in irritation.
You know Marceline's all fun and games, so being with her has one major downside: you constantly find yourself doubting her feelings towards you. She loves to tease, definitely loves to flirt and maybe to her, you're just another toy who decided to stick around and at that, you sigh.
You stopped fighting her off when you reached castle grounds. You expected her to drop you off at the front gate and leave, but she makes her way up to your bedroom window instead. You've done enough arguing today, so you let the one itching at the back of your throat go. When she reaches the balcony, you quickly scramble out of her loosened grasp but she manages to catch your wrist just before you're out of arms reach and pulls you towards her. A rumbling noise deep in your throat threatens to escape; to yell her off to go home but you can never resist her soft touch as she holds your face firm to look at her. "No kiss goodnight?"
You stare at her wondering if anything you said tonight, as ridiculous as it may have seemed to her, registered at all. Your face scrunches up in infuriation, "Obviously not." The words tangle with your tone, as your voice is soft, torn between wanting her to leave and wanting her to stay.
Her eyes are almost tired as you look through them. Tired of today's emotionally exhausting fight, yes. Tired of you, maybe. You wonder if she second-guesses her decision to be with you as much as you think she does, seeing as you two are complete polar opposites.
But the thing about opposites, you see, is that they always find a way to attract back to each other time and time again.
She lets go of your wrist to rest her fingers against the nape of your neck to draw you closer. "Geez, Bonnie," she blows warmth onto your lips, "I'm yours, you jealous prick." She leans in slowly, closing the distance between your mouths and your thoughts swim frantically in your mind until you're left with only one clear thought: you hate how she makes you feel.
You hate how your body automatically melts into her.
You hate how easily she can get you riled up.
You hate how she makes you forget how angry you are when she's the reason you're upset in the first place.
But most of all, you hate how much you undeniably love her.
She moves back by the smallest margin and whispers, "Always remember that." She pulls away fully now, preparing to take her leave but, technically, you still haven't given her a goodnight kiss yet. Reaching for her face, you bring it down towards you once more.
You pull her into the bedroom and draw the curtains closed behind you. She picks you up to lay you down on the edge of the bed and here, in the privacy of your moonlit chamber, does she let you see for yourself just how much of her is truly yours.
You're still unhappy with her, after all the trouble she's put you through today, but it puts you at ease knowing that she always has, and always will, like pink better than orange anyway.