-The Memories We Make-
By the time Bubblegum was done with her, Marceline was back to being her normal, laid back self. The two had cuddled for a long while, talking, giggling, enjoying some intimate moments. They had been interrupted only once, by Charles, wondering if he and Marshal could excuse themselves. He wanted to make dinner for everyone, so he needed to head back home. Marceline sent them on their way, shutting the door, and turned to look at her girlfriend who was still laying on the soft pillow top bed.
The vampire took a step closer, simply watching her girlfriend laying there quietly, smiling as she closed her red eyes, imagining the time when she would be able to do more than just watch her, just lay next to her. She wanted to do more, but she also wanted the time to be right too, and that time was not tonight. Marceline felt much more at ease, and she owed that to this woman, this one single person in this world that could calm her down with just a look or make her heart pound with just a touch. The vampire leaned over her girlfriend, and gently kissed her forehead, making Bonni smile up at her.
"Did I hear the word 'dinner'?" Bonni played with the long purple and black locks of hair that slightly obscured her view of the vampire leaning over her.
"Mhmm. Gummy is an amazing chef. His wish is to live forever so he can learn and cook every dish ever thought up. Then he wants to create a brand new type of food. You know, simple stuff." The girls looked at each other and snickered at the joke. "Are you hungry now? I can text him and tell him to hurry…" Marceline started to look around for her phone, but Bonni speaking stopped her.
"N-no it's ok, I can wait. A certain vampire however, did promise to take me shopping?" Bubblegum tried to put on her most innocent smile, but Marceline simply shook her head and chortled.
"Heh…the way to a woman's heart is shopping after all…" The vampire shrugged and was met by a soft pillow to her face.
~~ooOOoo~~
When Charles and Marshal arrived back home, Gumball immediately took to the kitchen, bustling about while Marshal simply watched him as he floated overhead. The vampire wasn't horribly lazy, he just didn't have a lot of domestic skills, his fields of expertise lied elsewhere.
"So what are you gunna make her? Marce mentioned spaghetti." Marshal hummed as he spoke, content to watch his lover bend and move around from his high perch near the ceiling.
"Mmm well, spaghetti is ok, it will be a side dish with some sort of meat sauce or the even more uncouth, meat balllll." Gumball rolled his tongue as he pronounced ball, making Marshal snicker at him. "No I think tonight calls for, dare I say it….Lasagna!" And triumphantly he held up his best casserole dish eliciting another loud snicker from his boyfriend.
"I love you. You make me laugh everyday kitten." Marshal smiled lovingly at his pink boyfriend, Gumball blushing as he kept himself busy preparing his meal.
The vampire laid back on his folded arms, thinking about the immediate future. He was happy Marceline had already given the pair her blessing about the Wer Shartleg, but he had other things on his mind. Mainly about how things were going to go down now that a normie was going to be present as a witness. Not just a witness, but as consort to the most powerful vampire in the Nation. I have to be prepared…things will get out of hand quickly and if something happens to Bonni…I wouldn't be able to forgive myself…I will protect her with my life…He looked down at Gumball who was starting to hum happily as he worked. I hope you understand that my love…
~~ooOOoo~~
Marceline and Bubblegum landed in the Commons, the pair walking past each shop slowly, hand-in-hand as the vampire looked past the storefront windows to see if one had the type of clothing that was as close a match to her wild style as the pair could find without leaving campus, but she was coming up empty.
"Yea I didn't think we would find something here." The vampire sighed, looking defeated as she turned her gaze towards the barrier wall. "We have time, want to head out?"
"Ok…but shouldn't we wait for sunset?" Bubblegum noticed that the sun wasn't completely down yet, and Marceline agreed, "Ah right, guess that would be a bad thing. Welp…let's go watch…"
The vampire wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and lifted them both off the ground, moving up much higher before coming to a stop. She narrowed her eyes at the horizon and the ball of firey death with a bit of resigned resentment.
"I hate being restricted…" The vampire mumbled, letting a small growl rumble in her throat. She really disliked how the sun ruled her life, she hated the thought of anything ruling her. But, when she looked at Bonni and saw the kind smile upon her girlfriends face as she watched the sunset, she thought that, she wouldn't really mind if the princess ruled over the vampire…in small increments at least.
"At least it's pretty…and…romantic?" The princess cooed quietly as she began to nuzzle the vampires' cool gray cheek, trying to get her to relax again. "Vampire…you need to remember how to simply enjoy moments like this…" She whispered, laying her head upon her girlfriends chest.
Marceline blinked at the words, realizing she was ruining a moment with her girlfriend by being bitter. This is why I need her…She gently nuzzled the pink hair, smiling at the princess' ability to change the vampires attitude. She held the girl tight to her, enjoying the warmth of her body, enjoying the beauty of the sunset as the pair simply floated there, making a memory.
Bubblegum smiled to herself, closing her eyes as she listened to the vampires heart beating, sighing happily. That's better…I love being with her like this…being the one to remind her about how beautiful this world is…She slowly glided her hands from around the vampires body and up around her strong shoulders, her fingertips curling against the cool gray neck as she looked up, her sweetest smile on her lips. Look at me…
And Marce did, her red eyes smiling down at her girlfriend. The two gazed at each other for a long moment, listening to the other breathing, feeling the other's heart beating, feeling the warmth of the embrace as the two enjoyed a slow, gentle kiss just as the sun finally disappeared from the horizon.
~~ooOOoo~~
A few hours later, the girls landed in front of Marceline's campus home, the vampires' arms laden with gothic themed shopping bags and Bubblegum was in a new outfit the two had picked out, looking a bit edgier in a tight fitting black halter top that had a pink laced front, tight black leather pants, and of course, black leather ankle height boots with thick three inch heels. She looked like a completely different person, and the pair had agreed on that point when the outfit was put together.
"I still approve. I am thoroughly enjoying the feel of your legs clinging to me in tight leather." The vampire stated as she moved to try and open the door despite being overburdened by the pair's shopping trip. Bubblegum blushed horribly, her hands gliding along her leather clad hips, still unsure about the look herself. "I don't know…and we picked so many other risqué things…although…it does feel very sexy…" Bubblegum smiled at her thoughts before she realized the vampire was staring at her with her mouth open. "Wh-what?"
The red eyes blinked and slowly looked over the pink target. "Uh…uhm it's just that…you look amazing in that…" AHHHH SHE LOOKS SO HOT! The vampire swallowed hard, trying to shake her lewd thoughts away. "SO UHM CAN YOU…I mean..AHEM..could you…the door babe…" GLOBGLOBBITGLOB….She inhaled as the wisps of pink hair flowed past her, enjoying the scent of her girlfriend, enjoying everything. Wow…everything is like…beautiful right now…I feel like…she is making everything around her beautiful…what is this…Marceline still didn't understand all that went along with being in love with someone, about how just the presence of that person could change how everything else felt and looked. But she couldn't deny it, Bonni was the thing making her outlook change, and she was liking it.
"The look on your face is priceless by the way…" Bubblegum giggled as she opened the door, grabbing a couple of bags from the vampires' arms as she stepped inside.
The foyer was dark but felt welcoming with small patterned rugs dotting along the hardwood floors, paintings and assorted art were hung or displayed along the gray hued walls; all of which could have given someone seeing it for the first time the impression that the home was quite old, but the modern furnishings said otherwise. All in all the home décor worked rather well for a vampires' dwelling on a present day college campus.
"Mistress is that you?" Called a kind voice that could only be Charles still in the kitchen. Marceline headed down the hallway towards the stairs, poking her head in as she passed by. "Yea it's us, smells amazing by the way. We'll be down ina few." Bubblegum waved as she passed by also, inhaling the scent of the Italian cuisine being prepared and smiling widely. "Oh it does smell so good in here." She praised the butler before ascending the staircase, following the vampire up to the third story, then down another hallway until the pair came to the corner room.
"And…unf…here we are…" Marceline lightly grunted as she shoved the door open with her shoulder, not even thinking about using her powers at the moment, more concerned with the awkwardness of the bags in her arms that she promptly dropped onto a blood red shag rug that was in the center of the floor. Man I'm glad I cleaned up earlier…go me…
"Jeez Marci do you not let Charles clean in here?" Bubblegum teased as she looked around at all the odds and ends, the knick-knacks, the collection of things belonging to a vampire.
"SIIIGH why do I even try." The vampire hung her head in defeat as she started taking clothes out of the bags, searching around for the things she had bought for herself, and out of the corner of her eye watched her girlfriend wander around.
Many things looked very old, possibly hundreds of years old, and all very much fit the personality of the owner. One thing however, caught the attention of the princess almost immediately as not fitting at all with the rest of the room. On a shelf near a very large, king-size bed with its thick wooden bedposts, sitting all by itself, as if in a place of honor, was a small ragdoll. It was damaged, the color was faded, and it was missing an eye. But it also had small stitches and patchworks as if the owner had taken great care in repairing burst seams to prolong its life.
Is this hers…? Why does it look familiar…Bubblegum began to reach for the object and instantly Marceline was in front of her, blocking her way. Bonni blinked in surprise, not exactly expecting that to happen. "S-sorry, I just wanted to look at it. I didn't…" She began before the vampire cut her thoughts short. "No no its fine it's just uhm, its amazingly delicate. A relic really haha…haaah…yeah." The vampire put on a fake smile as she quickly hid the object in a drawer in the bedside table.
"Uh-huh…" That was weird…Bubblegum shrugged it off, not wanting to start drama over a small child's toy. I'm sure it will come up again at some point, then I can ask her about it without making her go on the defensive so quickly. It must be precious to her…She moved to the rug, snickering at how old fashioned it was as she slid her fingertips along the long strands of yarn.
Marceline frowned at her overreaction, What was that Marce…apologize…She looked at her girlfriend, rubbing the back of her gray neck, and floated closer. "Hey I'm sorry about how I just acted. I'm not used to having anyone in here and that doll…it's just something important to me. I didn't mean to react like that, sorry." She sat down on the rug next to Bonni, feeling an awkwardness between them suddenly. Man I bunked up…she must be mad…The vampire continued to mentally scold herself as she felt fingertips gently squeeze her hand.
"It's ok Marci. Baby steps. I'll be more careful of being in your space and respecting that there might be some things in it that you aren't ready to show me yet. It's ok to have things like that, it gives us something to look forward to sharing with each other." Bubblegum smiled kindly at her girlfriend as she leaned close, laying her head on the vampires shoulder. She gently rubbed her pink cheek against the black fishnet material, further trying to reassure the vampire that everything was still fine.
"D..do you have things like that?" Marceline whispered, still looking sullen as she fidgeted with her free set of fingers. Bonni couldn't help but smile. So moe vampire…so cute when you pout like that…She reached over and gently stroked the vampires cool cheek, her fingertips prodding her girlfriends' chin to tilt her way. "I do have one thing I don't want anyone else to touch…guess what that is…" Was all she whispered before giving Marci a sweet kiss, making another memory.