OKAY, FIRST OF ALL, I DO NOT OWN ADVENTURE TIME, ONLY THE PLOT AND VANKKEI. DONE, NOW, LETS MOVE ON.

How can something so complicated become so simple in so little time? The idea of that kiss, that magnificent kiss, being the whole reason why Marceline now feelt so damn warm inside made her tense under the unnecessary blanket wrapped around her body. She didn't like that. At all. A kiss, it had been one hot kiss, from the person she liked. And it had been enough to make her feel as though she were safe and sound in that parallel universe, and that could only mean something: she wasn't safe anymore. Experience had taught her, by the hard way, that giving anyone else but yourself the power to make you feel safe, and warm and as though you were home, was dangerous. And oh Glob, she was in trouble.

She bit down on her lower lip as she clenched the useless blanket 'what the heck, no, no, no, not again, no, nope, not gonna happen, no' she thought. Being in a...sort of red relationship was something she had feared since Ash, so about 3 years or so ago. Her defenses were falling way too fast, her thoughts wandering on him for far too long, feeling way too good when thinking about him.

That scared the living days out of her.

With a sharp movement she got up and tossed the blanket aside, feeling sick about it wouldn't make it stop. She needed a way to cool down, Marshall wasnt home (probably making up with FP for leaving the other day) so she had the house for herself, and her axe-bass was upstairs. And so were music sheets and schist. Music would fix this, yes. Music, the answer to everything.

As she flew upstairs she begged Glob for help, He/She/Wathever had helped her out through music a lot of times before, she needed that help now. With her heart in her throat she opened Marshall and Vankkei's room and took her bass, which was waiting for her patiently by Vankkei's bed. She played the first few strings and sighed, feeling the need to sing at the top of her lungs, but that would have to wait. She had a song to write.

As she played lazily with the strings, trying to catch a slow rhythm, she thought about the feeling that place gave her. Since she came, though not realizing it at first, she felt as though she was where she needed to be, sure she wanted to come back, but still...

It's was nice in here, in another universe. She felt good, wanted and happy. A part of her felt guilty for saying so, but maybe she was happier there, if only she could bring her friends. 'Glob, Finn and Fionna would probably start dating in no time, and Glob knows, maybe Cake and Jake would be friends. He he, I bet Bubblegum would have the biggest crush on Bubba, too bad he's more into Vankkei... Or not? Maybe Fionna? Maybe Marshall!'

The Vampire Queen laughed halfheartedly, not thinking about it much. With her friends there, everything would be so perfect, it would be like... Home

With words crashing through her mind and a uneasy feeling in her gut, she began to sing.

"Home,

I've heard the word before,
but it never meant much more
than just a thing I've never had.

-No shit, it was true-

A "place,"
They say, "Hey, know your place!"
But I've never had a place to even know,
or a face that I could go to
if I needed someone there...

She wrote down the lyrics, she could only hope Vankkei didn't need the notebook that was lying there. As she wrote them down she felt guilty, she had someone to go to if she needed... Almost. She had PB, and Finn and Jake... Simon, long ago, was there for her. Even the immortal creatures like Pebbles and Simon and once left her, but they had came back. And now, she didn't have to worry much about it. She had the ones in Aaa. She had them both.

I'm laughing
it's hard to hide a smile
My Glob, it's been a while
since I have had a reason to.

-And it was all because of Aaa...-

To think
it's been here all along
somewhere to belong,
and a reason,
a something-to-believe-in

I've finally found it,
a place where I'm wanted...
This must be how it feels to have a home

- a home, finally!-

I used to dream about it
but never schemed or counted
on fantasies or wishes-
it breaks a girl to see what she misses!

So many nights I'd pray
for a better life, a better day
but I never thought that it'd come true
now that it's here, I don't know what to do
and I'm trying not to cry

- because after all she had been through, she finally had a home-

This must be how it feels
to have a home

I've finally made it
I've hoped and I've waited
and for the first time in my life, I don't feel so alone

My heart starts to heal
to know that it's real.
This is how it must feel
to have a home!"

she finished with a way more easy stomach, and a smile on her face. Almost.

She had a home now, she wasn't alone. She smiled, and it was all because Marshall had decided not to kick her out of his house, the man deserved her gratitude. She looked up, to the roof too near her head, and thought, as silently as she could, that maybe, if he tried real hard, he could also have an opportunity with her.

Vankkei had been in Bubba's Candy Castle before, no biggie. Just that, maybe, she had never been there alone, without Marshall. She twitched her fingers, she hugged herself, she had even bit her own hand on her way to Prince Gumball's laboratory. AKA, the dungeons.

Anxiety was her biggest enemy, as she had found out almost two centuries ago, when she and Marshall had not yet met. She would go and hide in a dark cave, or in a tall tree. Sometimes spying on all the other creatures that had a pair, that belonged somewhere. Never being able to bring herself to talk to them. No, no, wait. That wasn't true, she had talked to them before, once. It ended up badly, only making her anxiety worse.

It was hard, wanting to go out and have fun, when also being terrified about going out.

And then, Marshall came along. She wasn't sure how or why, but he knew how to help her through her anxiety, he told her to find something to hold on when going out, or something to do with her hands while she was talking with someone. He teach her how to make eye contact without wanting to cry. All in all, she had never realized that the thing she used to hold onto was Marshall. Damn her, fuck him! Why hadn't she noticed before?

So now here was she, at the door of a handsome pink Prince's lab, and with a terrible ache in her stomach. She shouldn't feel that way with him, they were friends! She took a deep sigh and put on a façade, a good one, one that showed a "nah-man, I'm-here-for-a-sleepover" Vankkei, instead of the "nope-please-no-I'm-scared-MARSHALL" one. She guessed she was somewhere between the two, but that Bubba had no need to know about the second one.

Her fist came in contact with the iron door but made no sound. A controlled Vankkei wouldn't ask to go inside! She would just go inside. She nodded to herself and threw the door open, yelling "SLEEPOVER!" At the top of her almost useless lungs. The Prince of the Candy Kingdom looked like a royal mess, his gummy hair stick up in every direction possible, and he had dark, purple circles under his eyes. Still, a smile was drawn on his hair-less face when he recognized Vankkei.

"Yuck, what happened to you?" She demanded. She was playing with her hands behind her back, so the sexier-than-ever guy wouldn't notice. She hated it that he looked sexy with that "Marshall look". It felt incest.

"Well, thank you! You look radiant tonight too, if you really need an answer though, I've been busy" he retorted. Damn, even his voice sounded different, had he drank anything? When was the last time they met? She hated her memory, or lack of it therefor.

She eyed him "So, how long have you been busy without a break, huh?" She touched her fangs with her tongue as she floated near him, deciding wether or not making him have a sleepover with her was a wise decision. Well, he could make it through without fainting, probably.

He took off his googles and rubbed his eyes with one hand "A lot, most likely" The creature of the night looked around the room, everything seemed normal, except for the 3D green map behind them. Something was off in there, she made him look up and pointed at the map with her chin "And that..." She decided to let him finish her sentence.

He stretched his back and turned around lazily, looking a little crazy with that pose and those eyes. Crazy eyes. He rubbed his chin "That is a map of our land, Aaa, with a lack of portals opening to Marceline's universe, as you can see" Vankkei nodded.

He seemed angry with the portals for not being there, and she decided to qualify that as crazy behavior. Great, a crazy pink dude made out of bubblegum, and a creature of the night with social anxiety. Perfect pair.

"Let's go to sleep" the words seemed to fit the situation. He looked at her, they locked eyes "Sleeping could do me some good" he declared.

"You look like you need it" she said.

Something moved behind Bubba, and Vankkei tried to see what it was. She floated over there, ignoring the questioning nose made by Bubba, and tried not to make a sound. The thing, a creature, moved in the shadows. A par of red eyes and white fangs appeared through the darkness and smiled at Vankkei.

She smiled back.

"What is Ice Cream doing here, Bubba?" Her eyesight still on the red eyes. She heard his response "I felt lonely" she could almost hear him shrug. Almost.

"Let's go to sleep" she announced, to the three of them.

Vankkei heard Bubba snicker behind her and turned around, fire wolf in hand, to give him a nasty look "What is so damn funny, mister pinky dicky doo?" She mentally high fived herself, best nickname so far!

But of course, that only seemed to make him laugh more, she decided to let it slide, after all, he was real tired, and didn't quite look like he could stay awake much longer.

she blew some of her electric blue hair (that looked like Bubba's, now that she thought about it) out of her face and floated out of the room, with her back to the door and looking straight into Bubba's eyes the whole time. He was still cracking with laugher. She gave him a small laugh before going out of his eyesight.

He followed her shortly after, locking the door behind him "So, why do I have this honor, m'lady?" She was now floating upside down, much to Ice Cream's dismay "Marshy and Marcy had a fight" she used her best "I'm a little girl" voice, and made it look as if they were the parents and she was the little baby girl. She was proud of herself.

He didn't buy it. He glanced at her, and took the poor fire wolf out of her hands "Hey you! Leave Ice Cream alone, he likes it" he looked at her as if she were an actual child. She didn't like it "You know, maybe he doesn't. I'm helping him - she was going to say something, but he cut her out before she could- what they were fighting about, anyway"

She realized she didn't quite know, so she decided to guess "Their undying love for each other, obviously" and by guess I mean make up whatever the frick she thought it could be about. He laughed softly "I see, it was about time! Those two had been flirting for ages!" Vankkei was sure the sound she made sounded a bit like 'Pshhhhooo' "They have known each other for like a month" he smiled "They're meant to be together"

They arrived at Vankkei's bedroom, and he began to say the usual good night stuff, but never finished "I said sleep over!" She was floating in a normal way now, and she opened the door with a "craaaacksh". He decided it was okay, probably before of his lack of sleep. And like that they were having a sleepover. Almost.

OKAY, YES I KNOW. THIS TOOK MONTHS IM SORRYNOTSORRY!

But I decided to put a song here, "To have a home"-A Very Potter Sequel, and I was too lazy to look for the lyrics. But here you have, another chapter. Hope you liked, it! More fluffy lovely stuff will be on the next one, with our favorite Marcy and Marshy.

THE CLUE WORD OF THIS CHAPTER WAS: ALMOST.