Tuesday, January 20th

Marceline stepped foot into the open room. After Bonnie and Marceline moved their stuff in, they found they had a lot more space and not a lot to put in. Eventually that wouldn't be the case, but as for now, Marceline's room was void of creativity.

There was only one solution: to fill the room with musical instruments and make it as much as man cave as she possibly could. Unfortunately Bonnie wasn't there to help organize. So as a result, Marceline gathered Keila, Bongo, and Guy to pack a few things from Simon's house. As usual, she had to prepare herself for the inevitable descruction of some item, as when they were all gathered, chaos ensued.

"Yo, Keila," Bongo yelled from across the room. "Can you hand me the tuning key? I think one of the toms are out of tune." He glanced down at the head of his set, skimming the imperfections withstood from the constant beatings. "Actually, I should probably replace it soon. Maybe we can stop by guitar center later."

"Good idea." Guy said, setting down his keyboard against the furthest wall. "You haven't played with that set for over a year."

Bongo smiled as if thinking back on those memories. Although it had been a while with this specific set of drums, he was mostly working on figuring out the best acoustic set. "Well I needed something to play on today. If we're making this a practice room then we need to jam in it. It's like an initiation."

Marceline walked into the music room that Simon had set aside for her, lifting her large amp and setting it down beside the keyboard. "We can jam once we move everything and unpack, but the second bedroom may not hold as much as we think. I don't think I could fit your set, Bongo."

Bongo pouted at the sudden realization that he couldn't play drums at Marceline's new place.

A small thud sounded from the other room, before Keila emerged, carrying a different amp that was half her size and weight. "I had a question about that." She said with an oof as she set it down by her feet. "Why two rooms?"

Marceline shrugged. "The extra room is specifically for my equipement."

Guy leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "Have you told her about how you're affording this?"

"Not yet. I don't want her to stay just because of financial stability."

"If that's what you want to call it." Keila sighed. "You literally paid for a year in advance for the damn place."

"I see your point though. However, is she not the least bit curious about how you're going to afford staying in such a nice place?" Bongo asked, genuinely interested.

"Uh..." Marceline looked down at the floor, as to avoid his gaze. "I told her it was because I was getting a job."

"A very part time one, I might add." Keila butted in. "You need to tell her. She's smart enough to figure it out sooner or later."

"You're right." Marceline admitted, corssing her arms over her chest with a huff of frustration. "But I want to give it time. I'll tell her before that point though. Promise."

"Just don't put it off." Guy wrapped an arm around Keila. Considering they'd all been friends for years, it was weird seeing the two together like that. Or at least romantically. But after the talk with Bongo the other day, Marceline realized it was a long time coming. "Trust me, it could end badly."

"You know, this place will end up looking pretty awesome when you're done." Keila interjected, nudging him in the side to avoid further conflict.

Guy shrugged. "So your bass amp, the guitar amp, the black bass, the wood finished bass, and your acoustic electric?"

"That's all the music stuff I'm bringing for now. You took the two boxes downstairs, right?"

"Yup, they're in Bongo's truck."

"Okay, sweet." Marceline nodded. "Is it bad that I'm nervous?"

"Not at all, hun." Keila left Guy's conforting arm to swing an arm around her friend instead. "It's okay to be nervous. This is your first apartment after all."

"Well technically-"

"No, Ash owns his house. You didn't pay a dime. You just moved in. This is different." Keila made sure that was clear. "You pay for this place, you're living with someone you haven't known for a long period of time, and you've got your first job at Guitar Center."

"Wait," Bongo's eyes widened. "You got the job?"

Marceline raised an eyebrow. "I started yesterday, Bongo."

Bongo pouted. "No one tells me anything. You guys need to keep me in the now." Bongo proceeded to throw himself on Marceline's bed. "Your bed is really comfortable by the way."

"Thanks, you guys ready?"

"As we'll ever be." Bongo sighed, forcing himself off the bed. He grabbed the amp Keila brought in with one hand while taking one of the cased basses. Guy grabbed the other bass and Keila grabbed her guitar. Marceline picked her amp up again and they all made their way to Bongo's truck, ready to set off on her next adventure: being an adult.

Bonnie stared at the glass door, waiting, begging for someone to walk in. It usually wasn't this slow. Sure, it was a Monday, that usually meant it would be a slow work day, but it was never this slow. Usually college students would come in, loud and obnoxiously clattering chairs around and creating a fun atmosphere.

As of right then, there was only one person sitting in the coffee shop, a regular that went by the name of Squirrel who was freakishly in love with Jake. Jake just so happened to be too oblivious to notice. But Bonnie noticed immediately. Any time there was movement the boy would look up from his book and stare at Bonnie, as if she were Jake's gatekeeper. The dragon hiding away the princess, or in this case, prince.

Jake was again in the back, cleaning up the stove and putting away the rest of the cooking materials, as it was an hour until close.

The boy looked at Bonnie once more and finally walked out, leaving his trash on the table, just like he did every day.

Bonnie groaned and went around the counter to pick up the mess. He even had the audacity to write 'thanks' in ketchup on his plate. She wasn't sure if it was genuine or his best shot at a prank. She brought the dish back for Jake to wash so she could stand at the counter.

"So I heard you got an apartment with ol' Marceline." Jake said, breaking the silence.

"Yup, across the street. You can come see after our shift is over, if you want."

He nodded, taking the dishes from her and starting to wash them in the sink. "Sounds good. I'm going over to Rain's dorm afterward."

Bonnie smiled, nudging him in the side. "Well I know you two will have a lot of fun."

"Oh shush." He tried to conceal his blush by brushing his face with the back of his hand. "We were thinking about getting an apartment and asking you guys to move in, but guess you two figured the rooming situation out by yourself."

"I'm sure I could convince Marceline to do that. We have two bedrooms."

"Nah, it's fine." He shrugged, placing the dishes into the dishwasher and drying his hands. "I'm saving up for one of those nice apartments across town."

Bonnie leaned against the sink's counter, crossing her arms over her chest. "Will you be able to afford that?"

"No idea," He chuckled "It'd be nice though."

Bonnie nodded, opening the kitchen door to see someone waiting at the counter. How had she not noticed the little door bell ring?

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. I was cleaning up in the back."

The man smiled, waving a hand at her. "It's okay. I'm in no rush. You were just doing your job." He told her as she approached the register.

She noticed immediately how he loomed over her. He gave no indication of ill meaning, or at least it didn't seem that way, but he gave off an odd vibe. It wasn't his oddly colored platinum hair, or his lax-ripped clothing. Something seemed off and she couldn't place her finger on it.

"What'll you have today?" She asked, trying not to assess the man's persona too much.

He scratched at his scruff of a beard for a moment, staring up at the menu board behind her before looking down with a smile. "What do you recommend?" Not a hard question, but he didn't seem the type to ask. He looked like he knew exactly what he was there for.

Bonnie turned to look at what they had in the confections case. "I recommend the coffee cake, if you're hungry. It usually goes well with black coffee or green tea."

He smiled, staring intently into her eyes. They were a dark brown, enticingly dark. They almost reminded her of Marceline's but without the hint of red.

"I'll have that then." He said suddenly, snapping her out of her daze. "Actually, make that two."

She nodded, getting a plate and opening the confections counter. "And did you want coffee or tea?"

"Tea for me, and I wasn't sure if you wanted a coffee or tea. You looked content with both."

"Oh." Bonnie realized what was happening. "I can't-"

"I insist." He gave a wide smile that somewhat put her thoughts at ease, so she complied.

The only thing allowing her to continue with this transaction was her boredom. What else did she have to do? She had warning signs flashing everywhere, when there was no reasoning behind them. She knew she shouldn't have sat down with him, but then again, she had nothing else to do.

"Your name is Bonnie right?" He asked, taking ahold of the warm mug that held his tea. Little wisps of steam emerged from the cup and dissipated at they went. Bonnie sat down across from him at one of the tables, coffee in hand.

She wasn't alarmed that he knew her name. After all, she was wearing her name tag. "Yeah, um, thanks for the meal. I appreciate it."

"It's no problem. I don't like eating alone." He gave another smile and broke his cake in half, nibbling at the crumbs on top.

She raised an eyebrow. "You'd rather eat with a stranger than to eat alone?"

"Yeah, I uh...I like to get to know people too, build friendships." He finally took a bite of the cake and nodded, happy with the flavor.

Bonnie nodded, taking a bite out of her slice of coffee cake too. "I wish I had the guts to do that. I'm much more of a 'stay at home' kind of girl."

"Then why not try sometime. You never know if thats exactly what someone needs one day."

"I suppose your right, but it's much out of my comfort zone to do so."

The man shrugged. "I don't consider you a stranger, Bonnie." His voice dropped a little deeper as he sipped at his tea, wincing at the heat. "I've never met a stranger." He set the tea down and grasped his mouth with his hand. "Damn, you really made that hot."

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry." She stood up, ready to get something to sooth his wound. "Do you want me to get some ice to-"

"No no, it's okay. Please," He gestured for her to sit down, and she did with only a little hesitance.

He took the last bite of his coffee cake, content with his meal. She tried not to stare at him, or study him, but God was it hard not to. He was such an odd character, she still couldn't put away the odd sense of feeling like she knows him.

"Hey Bon-" Jake opened the kitchen and stared, his face contorting into something Bonnie hadn't seen from him. Was he actually mad? Was it because she wasn't at the counter or was it because she was eating with a customer?

"I'll let you get to work." The man said, standing and handing over his plate and mug. He made his way toward the door, ignoring Jake's glare. "Oh," he turned to look at Bonnie as he opened the door, smile on his face. "and you were right about the coffee cake. It was delicious." He smiled once more and walked out, the ring of the bell indicating their time together was over.

Jake jumped over the counter and grabbed the plates. "What the hell, Bonnie." He tried not to yell, but his face and actions said it all.

"I'm sorry, Jake." Bonnie stood, looking down at her feet apologetically. "I didn't think it would be a big deal if I sat and ate with the customer, no one was here and I would have gotten up if I saw someone come in-"

"What?" He gave a confused look. "Do you really think that's what I'm mad about?"

Bonnie rubbed her arm in nervousness. "What are you mad about then?"

He pointed toward the door. "You were talking with Ash. You know, Marceline's ex." He threw his hands up, trying to get her to understand the importance of what happened.

Bonnie's stomach dropped at the realization. "Should I call Marceline?"

Jake shook his head. "God, I don't even know where to begin..." He sighed, placing the dishes on the counter.

"Oh my God, he seemed so nice though, nothing like Marceline told me."

"He can be good when he wants to, but that...he was playing you. He must know you two are together." He rubbed his chin, taking his phone from his pocket to look at the time. "Why don't you call Marceline, and have her walk you home. I know it's only across the street, but it's dark out. I don't think Ash will hurt you, but you should still be cautious."

"Okay." She nodded, taking her phone out to dial for Marceline. It rang twice before she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, will you-" It just hit her that Marceline would be just as much in danger if she walked over here by herself. "Will you make sure we have eggs? I was going to make us breakfast in the morning."

"How sweet." There was clattering on the other end of the line. "We have half a dozen. Will that be enough?"

"Yup, thanks hun. I'll be home in an hour-"

"Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No no, that's okay. Jake was going to come see the house anyways. We'll be home after we clean up." She looked at Jake for confirmation. He nodded and walked into the back again to presume whatever he was doing before.

"Oh, okay. I'll see you soon."

"Bye." Bonnie tried not to sound nervous.

"Bye."

Review Time!

D3nsei: Yup, I was finally able to do some work in my chapters. I felt it showed more of Braco's character, also the apartment thing is playing right into my hands. So, indeed, it will be interesting.

Bibss 3: I was never a huge fan of Braco either. He was only in one episode in the actual series, but there was so many things going on, that the only thing I could actually figure out about him is that he doesn't stop trying. And that's not necessarily a good thing. So, In general, because of my shipper heart, I cannot like Braco. Thus my anger toward him. Also yes, I try to keep up with the weekly updates, but it never quite works out in my favor. I try to keep up with it the best I can, but...yay college. It really likes to ruin plans.

Radcoolbro7: Oh my gosh, thank you so much! It fills my heart with joy to see you say that. Like, that made my entire day. I always worry that there needs to be more detail and that it needs to be more immersive, but hearing you say that fills made my day. Also, I've thought about publishing some of my other non-fanfic stories, but I wasn't sure if I should revise or not. Also, I heard that there was a published bubbline fanfiction. Like paperback and everything.