Cap 9.-

She was just Marceline. He only wished her name wouldn't make him feel so...

Annoyed with himself and the feelings her name brings to him.

Annoyed was a perfect way to describe it. And so was relaxed, and happy. But only because those two are friends, nothing else.

'She's just an almost friend, no need to be all weird about her. It's weird, though. She's me, or no me. She's...like me' fuck his thoughts. Fuck them with a ballo on stick.

He already had someone like him. Vankkei. He did. and he didnt need anyone else. He's just spending time with her so it won't be weird to sleep under the same roof. Yes, that's the reason.

Marshall glanced towars Marceline, who had fallen asleep under a tree, just after self-proclaiming herself as 'Queen of races'

He told her he had let her win. She ignored him and proceed to relax agains the tree "just five minutes..." She said, half asleep. He had fallen asleep almost as soon, but now, a few minutes, hours or days later he found himself needing to wake her up. He couldn't stand his inner thoughts anymore. She wasn't that much of a big deal, actually. Why even bother thinkng about her? She was the kind of person you don't look at twice, the one that works in the shadows and doesn't like being the center of attention (except when it comes to her friends or music) so why even bother?

With and inner sigh he realised that was exactly what made him think about her so much. He liked it.

He cursed under his breath.

He tought what Bubba would say. As best bros his opinion was rather important, and he was the only one who could put Marshall's life in order. Oddly enough, Vankkei only helped to get it messier. So Bubba was officially the one who had the answer, who would look after him, he just knew that wouldn't make him take the wrong step.

He stole a sideways glance at the sleeping Vamp. He was sure Bubba wouldn't let him take the wrong step. He would take care of him, like he always did.

It wouldn't be fair for him to even ask him about it though. He was too busy tying to help Marceline out with the whole universe-travel thingy. If he distracted him for that he might stop working on it. And she might stay longer with him. Him and Vankkei, of course. That was what he was thinking. He and Vankkei. Yup. Just that.

"But maybe, just maybe you could admit for once how you actually feel instead of saying stupid things like 'Yup. Just that'"

What the actual heck

"You could start with something easy, like how you feel lonely and you know it hurts"

"Wha- who are you? What are you talking about dumbdumb?!"

"Well, isn't it obvious?...I'm you"

"I- no. No,no,no, NO. Listen to me, I've heard about it before. How your subconscious suddenly starts to talk to you in order to I don't know what the heck and let me tell you one fucking thing... "

"LOL, you act as if I even care, I'm not even paying attention dude. So for Glob's sake STFU, ok? Yeah. So see, we have a problem here"

"No, you have a problem. Go away."

"That didn't even make motherfucking sense, my man"

"Don't start talking like Gamzee, it distracts me."

"Listen to me Lee, you little shit!"

"Nope, AVPM also distracts me, what were we even talking about?"

"About your crush on Marceline"

"No, this conversation isn't going ther-"

"-Shut up. We are talking about this. It. Whatnever"

"Whatnever? Can't you talk properly? WHAT-EVER, man, it's whatever ."

"You're deep down In the train of Marcy-Crush and you know it"

"And I thought we weren't talking 'bout this? It."

"Shut up, this is necessary. She's been here for a while now and you haven't even started to admit that you might think of her in a way that might be romantic"

"I do not. Ok? I don't have 'romantic feelings' anymore. I'm done with that"

"That's my point, insufferable prick"

"How is that your point?"

"She's done with that too"

"Ok, yeah. Of course she is you idiotic prick! We are the same-ekk, we have a lot of coincidences in our lives."

"My point"

"You're not getting to it"

"That's only another reason to like her, she understands. Together you two love birds could idk man, learn to love ag-"

"That's not happening. It's not fair"

"How so?"

'"Cause she's trapped in another universe, she's alone, scared and wearing oversized clothes. Just no, man"

"Those do look cute on her, don't they?"

"You're not getting my point"

"Yeah, I'm the part of your mind which only cares about two things: love and lust, babe. I don't care about your stupid little point"

"You know, I've met some pricks in my immortal life, but you're the fucking cactus. Don't call me babe."

"I'm you"

Okay, so Marshall decided to stop that awful conversation with himself for good, just in time to see that the Queen was awakening. He stared at her for a second, maybe he did like her after all.

She got up and looked up, before looking at him. Marshall did too. The sun was already down, they guessed. It was definitely darker. Much darker. How come that he hadn't noticed? Idiot.

He finally locked eyes with her, an uneasy jumpy feeling on his stomach, something on the back of his mind told him to run as fast as he could. He stood there though.

Marceline got herself up and ran a hand through her now messy hair. She was still sleepy and her puffy eyes we're something to laugh at. He didn't do that though.

"You wanna go now, or are you in the mood for having a romantic, sexy night with me?" The question was meant to tease him, he had stared at her for far too long, so it was a punishment. But it was a playful one. It wasn't meant to make him growl. She thought it would be okay asking something as flirtatious as that, she would not have minded. Nor get angry and growl.

But maybe it wasn't just playful anymore, and maybe he realized. She was screwed.

Oh so screwed. He was so, so screwed. He wasn't blushing, was he? No. He wasn't. He couldn't blush. He couldn't, could he? Oh Glob, oh Glob, OH GLOB. Was he blushing?! He mentally slapped himself. He couldn't fucking blush.

Glob

He hadn't mean to actually growl, but the conversation he had had with himself had left him quite mad and honestly that joke just got on his nerves, just what he needed, righ?

With a sigh and an apology mumbled under his breath he got up and stretched, closing his eyes. He cracked one open to see Marceline standing there, almost as tall as he was, with a frown. Whatever, he wasn't in the mood to cheer her up or whatever, he had just realized he had feelings for her. He just wasn't feeling like doing something good.

"Let's just go" was all he said

She nodded

As they flew under the star, that were making different constellations all over the sky, but totally unaligned, he realized how much of a jerk he had been. Maybe he should apologize.

His sight went to the girl above him, who was flying expressionless and, if he was honest, quite clumsily. She must be sleepy.

"So... Did ya' had a great nap in the forest or what?" He asked, pulling on his face a fake ass smirk. She didn't buy it.

"Yes" was all she said. She didn't even look at him.

A feeling of guilt made its way across his chest and to his stomach, and it only made him feel even worse than before. He didn't want her to be upset, but he had too many problems himself to bother with hers.

The realization came in like a wrecking ball. He was feeling so sick, so sad and really upset not because he had too many problems himself but because he hadn't want to help end with her own.

He realized that he wanted to help her with every single damn problem she could ever face.

"I'm sorry" his voice echoed the walls of his and Vankkei's cave.

She didn't reply.


On the other side, Bubba was having some trouble with Marceline's problem. It had been a while since Vankkei and come to the Candy Kingdom and into his Castle to try and help him, which he had been really thankful for. He had been stuck for a couple of hours (maybe days) with a situation.

The situation of course being his total lack of knowledge about how other universes work and about universe-travel. So the fact that Vankkei had come really made his day and he was sure that the moment he saw her his face lit up. That is how desperate he was.

"You look like trash" she had said and he gave her an apologetic smile.

"Well- chuckle- it is kind of hard to find answers to a problem you don't understand, you know" he had answered.

Making a ponytail with her hair she smiled at him, it was a fanged grin and it send shivers down his spine. 'How easily could she rip me apart with those teeth?' He though.

"Then we oughta get started, don't you reckon?" Her voice was the one a little Candy kid would have, she was excited.

They began working right then; they went down, straight to his laboratory in the dungeons, passing some hallways which looked like they needed to be repaired, and finally got in.

Time flew by, they didn't notice the clock ticking while they ran from a place of the lab to another, comparing ideas and helping each other with what they could. Their research had been hard, and it was far from over, but at least they had more information now.

"Okay, so what we found out today is that it will be really hard to find a portal soon-" she was rather rudely interrupted

"- and that they open only near a space we decided to call "The triangle of Bros"" the prince declared

"Which is, by the way, a stupid name" was Vankkei's own declaration.

"Excuse you, my lady, but the name is accurate. The portals open only near my castle, your cave and Fionna and Cake's tree and we are all "bros""

She laughed at this, but even if it's sounded really silly it was true, so she let the stupid name slid and continued

"We also discovered that making another portal will consume the power of the Candy Castle and quite possibly your whole Kingdom"

He frowned, the Candy Prince had no idea how he was supposed to help the girl without damaging his kingdom, or scaring them. He sighed. His candy people got scared with everything.

"Also, we are not sure that more than one person can travel through a portal. It will most likely close itself"

'More good news' the pink nerdy hot dude thought.

Vankkei gave him an apologetic smile and shuddered, like saying 'Well, what else can we do?' He had to admit she looked rather cute.

"Well then, I guess I'll be going. Haven't seen Marshy in like, five hours? What time is it?"

Checking his clock he thought it must been broken or something "it can't Siriusly be over midnight, you came here at five!" Well, if he think it well enough, it was quite possible. He glanced at her and catch a perfect view of her tired face

"Yeah. Go if you must"

With a nod the girl flew through the window and into the night sky. He sighed.

Even if they could find something to take Marceline to her own universe, how would they make a portal? Will Marcelone be up to wait until a natural portal open? He doubted, but then again she and Marshall had seemed to get one pretty well. He smirked. Maybe they should date or something, it had been a while since he had been in, well... A relationship. But most importantly it had been a while since he had been emotionally and romantically involved in any sort of relationship.

That thought made him sad, he also had none of those. Well... There was someone ...no. No.


When Vankkei arrived at her cave and into her house she had expected Marshall and Marceline to be talking, or joking or something. Not to be on opposite sides of a new velvet red couch, which she guessed was Fionna and Cake's gift or soemthing? And she definitely didn't expect to find them so... Awkward. The tension was killing her.

"What" she said between gritted teeth.

"Nothing" they both answered.

"What" her tone was demanding now, not much of a question.

"I...-" she never finished her sentence and sinked even deeper into the couch.

"I guess we hit a rough spot" oh, and he had thought thing will finally be good for him. Ha, no such luck.

"I'm leaving" announced Vankkei "I'll stay in Bubba's Castle for the night. Work thing out vampires" and with that she left.

The King and Queen locked eyes.

"I swear I don't like you" she said

"Cool, I don't like you either" he assured her as he lean in closer

"Good" she replied, her face inches apart from his

"Good" he repeated.


Yes I am evil

how have you guys been, anyway?