Marceline spent the next few days waiting, no more searching with bonnie, no more hunting down wizard convicts.
Instead she spent her days at home, waiting for nay kind of note from the wizard, anything at all, she rarely spoke to bubba except in small, soft talk. His presense made her uncomfortable each and every time he was near her now.
Ugh, she couldn't say anything to him anymore, at least say anything without blushing and stuttering.
What was she supposed to say to him that wouldn't freak him out? Hey, bubba, lately I've been thinking and i think i might like you more than a friend? She already kinda rejected him once, it was possible he might have even lost any feelings he might have even had once for her.
So admitting anything after something like that, well...
Bubba stayed with her in their home, finn and jake were now busy helping bonnie instead. For once, marceline wouldn't have minded those two being in her home, something to ease the tension.
She was beating herself up since the incident, she was at fault for losing this one chance to save bubba, and there was nothing he could do to convince her otherwise. Sure the plan to get them both away from finn and jake and bonnie to talk to her alone wasn't the best, but it was marceline's fault that it had went the way it did.
Bubba would suggest getting the book they needed now, but marceline refused to screw it up, or draw any more attention till they got a new message.
She just stayed in their room, playing the bass sometimes, humming to herself, and staring out the window. Bubba brought her food and tried to keep her company but she kept pushing him out, making him worried about her health.
Despite losing jess, and marceline's behavior, the event made him feel much better.
Everything made sense, and the thought that not only could he go back home, but he could also come here again too, it was an amazing feeling. It would just be so much more amazing if marceline wasn't being as sad and hurt as she was.
It was now the 4th day since the event and bubba went up the ladder carrying a box in his hands, it was wrapped up with ribbon and newspaper, the best he could do in short notice, he went into the room carefully.
"Marceline? Hey, it's me...", he said, marceline was staring at the window, wrapped up in a blanket, sheets were messed up and bass was on the bed next to her. Bubba attempted to sit next to her the best he could.
"Hey...I have a present for you...", he said, holding the box out to her, "It might be slightly big but i spent yesterday making it and i really hope you like it...", marceline slowly took it from him and opened it.
It was a big pink sweater, with a heart and an M on it, it was clearly hand-made.
"Sorry if the color bothers you, but i always thought pink looked great on you...so...i asked bonnie, and she found me some leftover yarn...and i just kinda thought...since it's been getting colder around here..."
"Thanks...", she said.
"You wanna bake? Play some pranks? Read dumb romantic novels together?", he asked, "C'mon marceline, please talk to me, we're friends...you can always talk to me, you don't have to stay up here..."
"It's my fault bubba...", she mumbled, "Leave me alone..."
"It's not...things are looking up, i'll get home eventually, look at my face...i'm not upset with you...", he told her, touching her shoulder, "You can't mope in here forever, even if you are a vampire..."
"Watch me...", she grumbled, blowing more hair out of her face.
"I could help trim your hair? We could go out to eat? Please marceline...talk to me..." He said, other hand laying on top of hers, "I don't like seeing you like this...it's just like...me..."
"Bubba...I don't care ok?", she replied, in a sarcastic tone, "Just leave me alone..."
"Marceline, c'mon...for me?"
"Go...", she growled, frightening him.
He let go of her shoulder and hand and stomped out, leaving the room in a mix of sadness and anger. Ugh, what had he done? Even if jess came here on a silver platter, she still wasn't going to go back to normal.
Her patted schwabl as he put on a sweatshirt on over his shirt and left the house, maybe they needed some time apart, it wasn't like marceline was going to talk to him anyway. Might as well find something else to do...
He found his way into the candy kingdom, it was starting to get dark out, maybe even rain soon. This might not be the same kingdom he ruler for what he thought was years, but he still knew his way round.
He slipped into a bar, maybe not a place he'd go on normal days, but tonight was definitely not a normal day. Nobody really payed him much mind when he walked in, even though he did kinda stand out a little.
He sat at the bar and ordered something to drink, both arms on the table and his head sitting in them sadly.
He felt tired, but not in a sleepy way, his body was tired and he didn't even feel like standing up. In a normal state, he would've thought twice about entering this place, or at least entering it without marceline.
He got his drink and sipped softly, ugh, for once he didn't really care. Maybe he could go to bonnie for help while he was here? Although knowing her, she would tell him that marcy would need space to calm down and relax.
He finished his drink quickly. Ugh, he needed a sign, something, anything, he needed to help his friend. The candy bartender gave him strange looks and walked over to him, "You related to the princess? I don't think I've seen you before..."
"Sorta, but...not...", bubba replied, before asking for another glass, "I used to be somebody once...nowadays...i'm no different than anyone else sitting in here...". He got his drink and took a sip, the bartender looked at him skeptically.
"Why are you in this kinda place? , he asked, cleaning glasses, "Break up or something?"
"Something like that...what makes you think so?", bubba took his head out of his arms and looked up sadly, at least someone was talking to him, that usually made him fell better, even if it wasn't marceline.
"I see people like you come in all the time, you look like a broken heart...", he replied simply, cleaning out glasses now, "Girlfriend? Boyfriend? Were you two together for a pretty long time...?"
"Well, we aren't really dating...we just...we hang out..a lot.." He tried to explain, "She's just really upset and i can't seem to cheer her up, just like how i was once...I don't know what to do..."
"Do you like her?" The man asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Wh-what?", bubba said, turning red, "I-I mean...well...of course I like her, w'we're friends! We both really do care about each other, and we protect each other, and we help each other...dispite what happens..."
"You know that's not what i mean..."He replied.
"Well...I, I mean...IDid really like her...It's just..." He explained.
"You don't now?"
"What?! No of course I still do! I-I...", he sunk back onto the stood in embarrassment, "I-I...still like her...". He rubbed the front of his head, "Look I just...I want her to be happy again...that's all I want..."
"Then why are you here?", he asked, "Look, I don't know what you two have been through...but if she means this much to you, you should be with her right now instead of a place like this...", he finished cleaning his glasses and put them back.
"She doesn't want to see me..." He argued, "Why do you think i'm here alone? I don't think me bugging her is going to help...she needs time, as far away from me as possible...", he stopped looking at the bartender, trying to end this conversation as soon as possible.
And sure enough another customer came in and he left him alone.
Bubba was there for what he assumed was about half an hour before a girl sat next to him and ordered herself a drink, she looked at him as he pitifully moped on the table. "Hey...what's wrong with you man?"
What was it with people and his personal business? He just wanted to be left alone.
He looked up at the girl, a candy citizen, she looked at him with a grin. "You here alone too? It's cool cutie, you have nothing to be ashamed of...", she received her drink and he looked at her, confused and rather dazed.
"Well...I..." He started, "Ugh...f-forget it..."
"Well, I haven't seen you around the kingdom...tell me a little about yourself?", she said, winking at him.
He blinked at her, was she flirting with him?
Nonetheless, it was still someone to talk to for the time being to get his mind off his troubles, so he chatted with her, trying his best to lie through his teeth about himself. Not revealing anything particularity...important.
And what happened next went by much too fast for him.
He was being pushed against a wall behind the bar, and she was much too close to his face to make him feel comfortable. His vision felt blurry, and then he remembered he had bought him his last drink.
"Y-You...", he slunk back against the wall, unable to think properly.
"Drugged ya?", She answered, "Man, you finally got me...you are much more clever than you look...". She took a small dagger from her purse, "Now just relax...the two of us are going somewhere together...".
"N-no...i-i'm not going anywhere with you..." He couldn't focus, but he still attempted to try to disarm her. She pushed him back and off of her, " Stop struggling...you don't want to ruin that pretty face do you...? "
Bubba fell to the ground, he couldn't get himself to stand, then he felt himself bleeding from one of his hands, his attempt to disarm her caused him to cut him hand, ugh, this wasn't good.
She pinned him down successfully, making it even harder for him to fight back. He felt himself slowly slipping away, his viosn was blurry and his mind extremely fuzzy, he was done...it was over.
He blacked out.
The girl smirked and started to search him, until something grabbed her from behind and threw her to the ground. A figure with long dark hair growled at her deeply, and judging by her glowing eyes and horrifying face, she wasn't someone to challenge.
But instead of trying to kill her, they went straight to the limp body on the ground and tried to wake him up.
"Bubba...oh god...c'mon...wake up...", she scanned him over, he was still breathing, good. But she could still smell the blood coming from his hand, she was relieved he was cut anywhere more vital, but still very much angry.
"Ugh...i'm so sorry...I-I should've been a better friend, shouldn't have let you go off alone...", she held him in her arms, "It's ok...i'll get you home, we'll fix you up...you'll be alright...", she was rambling to herself, trying to reassure herself.
It took every once of will not to drink from him, the smell of blood was always too tempting to vampires.
That's when she felt someone stab her back, causing her to drop him. She stood up, healing abilities pulled the knife out of her back and healed up the wound instantly, it frightened the candy woman, she stepped back.
Marceline lurked towards her, she pushed her down on the ground. "I'M SO SICK OF PEOPLE HURTING EVERYONE I FREAKING CARE ABOUT! Bonnie, finn, jake, my mom,...simon...", she said sadly. Then she got angry again and exposed her teeth, "EVER SINCE HE GOT HERE EVERYONE'S DONE NOTING BUT HARM HIM AND I'M SICK OF IT! " . The candy woman backed off, "Y-you his girlfriend?".
Marceline paused suddenly.
"What?"
"The girl...he kept talking about a girl...a-a tough girl...are you her?!", she demanded.
Marceline snarled, "Why do you care?!"
"H-he did nothing but talk about you...", she said, "W-when we spoke...". Marceline aggressively threw her over to where bubba was at, completely avoiding the question, "What where you going to do to him? Steal? Kidnap? Something Else?"
She didn't reply, but instead found her way back to her knife quickly, holding it out to defend her.
"What does it matter to you? you didn't care about him...at least i talked to him...at least i made an effort" She said, then marceline immediately realized her biggest mistake when the woman made her way back to bubba, knife in hand.
If she wasn't so panicked right now, she'd be furious with herself.
"You can't even defend him properly, letting me this close...that's cute...now i have the upper hand...", she held the knife up to his neck, "He means alot to you huh? Well, then how bout you let me go and he won't get hurt...?"
Marceline backed off, " Fine...but if you do anything to him...you'll never use that arm again"
She walked past her, keeping bubba close, marceline watching her the entire time. When she was almost free of the vampire's grasp, marceline called out to her, "Now drop him...and get out of my sight...".
She smirked before moving her knife away from his throat, and instead cutting his chest before dropping him and making a run for it. Causing marceline to rush forward after her, but she disappeared, without a trace.
Marceline turned her attention back to bubba, who was now bleeding from the chest.
She picked him up, she had to get him home and clean him up right away, the girl must've wanted to get one hit in to get revenge on her, but it wasn't vital in the slightest. But then again, maybe she knew what marceline was...
Bubba awoke to find himself bandaged up, and hungover.
He felt sick, and he couldn't remember why, he felt the sheets around him with the hand that wasn't injured, he was in a bed. He blinked a few times, his vision was slightly blurry and he couldn't tell where he was.
"Bubba?! Ugh...finally..you're awake..."
A familiar figure loomed over him, and he smiled.
"Heh...bet bonnie didn't get into this much trouble when you too had fights...", he chuckled, oddly.
"Oh, you never know with bonnibel honestly...", she gave a meek smile, " How are you feeling? You were sorta out for awhile...but at least you didn't freak out when i had to play doctor on you...", she joked.
"Well, i'm starting to see properly again..." He started, "Why am i aching?"
"Well, it could be for a number of reasons, but you did get cut up a bit..." She said simply, " Luckily she didn't get you anywhere horribly, but then again, i think she was really bad with using a knife..."
He looked down at himself, realizing he wasn't wearing a shirt anymore, and had bandaged wrapped around him.
"Yeah...sorry bout that, you sorta bled through your shirt...i had to remove it...", she said, "But i cleaned you up...i had to treat myself for wounds and cuts all the time before i was a vampire...".
He sighed, "I'm sorry...I must've really freaked you out...", he felt his forehead, he felt hot all over. "I shouldnt have gone running off out there...and to a bar no less...i'm really sorry marceline..."
She huffed, "Well, it's not like you could've known that that chick was crazy...but even you should know by now that the candy kingdom is not as safe as it looks...", she bit her lip, "They may be made of sugar, but they all aren't sweet as sugar..."
"Heh...guess not...", he looked at her, "How did you find me...?"
"I came down to apologize...and you were gone...so...i put on your sweater and went looking...", she shrugged, and for the first time he realized she was wearing the sweater he presented to her earlier.
"And?"
"Well...i went to the kingdom to ask bonnie if she'd seen you and well...the scent of your blood is getting way too common for me...", she looked at his injured hand, "As bad as it hurts, it did help me stop her from doing anything worse..."
"I was being an idiot...", he said, "I shouldn't have left...not to drink, not to do anything..."
"No bubs...I snapped at you...you were trying to help...I-I've just been so...ugh...", she crossed her legs on the bed, "Look, you were only trying to help...i shouldn't have snapped at you so much...ok? I was just so upset because I ruined everything and I was such a failure to you..."
"You know that's not true...I mean...look at this, you saved me! Well, saved most of me...", he reached out and grabbed her hand, "You are no failure marceline, far from it...you did good...really good...".
"Yeah...well, finding you unconscious, and bleeding wasn't exactly a happy sight...", she said, " if i didn't know any better...I could've easily thought she had killed you or something and then i might've done some things i would regret quickly after..."
"Unconscious and bleeding..?", he said, "Heh...just like how we met..."
"Yeah..."
He bit his lip, "Hey uh marceline?...do you wanna...talk?".
She gave him a look, "Talk? About what exactly ?".
"About...things...important things I think we both need to talk about..." he started, blushing, "Marceline...you wanted to say something to me...before everything fell apart...why won't you tell me it now...?"
She twisted her hair in her hands, "Look...after everything...it wasn't a good time to say it...it really wasn't...everything had gone totally wrong.", she hugged her arms, "Look, it's not that big a deal...don't worry about me..."
"You know i can't do that...i always worry about you...why do you think i spent so much time taking care of you these last few days?", she sighed, "You know how much you mean to me...you help me, and I help you...we're a team..."
"Yeah...but..."
"Look, it's ok if you don't wanna say it...it's just...I want you to know that you can trust me...", he bit his lip, "Which exactly why I have something I need to say to you...and I hope you won't get freaked out by it...or anything..."
She blinked at him in confusion, "Uh...yeah...what's up?"
"Listen...I...I like you...I-I mean...well, I Still like you..." He stuttered, not really looking at her, "And I just...I-I just...I know you don't feel the same way anymore...and I get it...I don't want to ruin our friendship..."
Marceline suddenly put her hand over his mouth, " It's ok..."
He calmed down.
"Bubs...look I...when this all is over...I want to see you again...", She said, "I want us to continue hanging out together and doing stupid stuff...and acting like the outcasts we are..."
She bit her lip, "And...I kinda sorta maybe...like you too...sorta...", she twisted her hair in her hands, feeling sick to her stomach, it didn't get more awkward than this. "Sorry if i'm being weird..."
He removed her hand, " Wait...you do?!"
"Well, what do you expect when you keep being so nice and kissing my cheek...and...being so supportive...", she trailed off, "Look...I guess I just didn't want to say anything because you might freak out or get upset..."
He smiled fondly, "Heh...sorry...awww, i wouldn't get upset...it's kinda cool to be crushed on by someone...well it also happened with fionna but that changed alot after that one ice queen incident...", he rubbed the back of his head, " You don't need to freak out...i-it's ok..."
that got a laugh out of marceline, "You must mean that weird one where you got iced on the ceiling? Yeah i bet that must've been pretty uncomfortable...but i know simon was really proud of that story...".
Bubba pouted, "Pfffftt, still sucked for me though...i really liked her..."
She ruffled his hair, "Eh...don't be sad...now you have me, which is probably way cooler, right?", she joked, he removed her hand from him and gave her an embarrassed look, "Wait...does that mean...are we dating now? I-I mean, w-we may have gotten it all out there...but i didn't think y-you wanted to-...you know..."
"Well, I mean...we don't have to be if you still feel uncomfortable about this...", she scratched her head, " I mean it is still kinda weird...and i'm not exactly great with relationships...considering how many got butched...", she mumbled.
"We could try?" He said, " If you want to...and just see? And if there's nothing we just...go back to being friends?"
She looked at him, "Ok...t-that...sounds cool...", she moved hair out of her face, "You uh...you took that better than i thought...I kinda thought you might you know...freak out or get upset or something..."
"No...", he said, " I think I always kinda knew...", he said, making a face.
"Don't you dare tease me about it..." She said, "It's freaking rare I end up crushing on people...and...ugh...", she face palmed herself, "This is so weird...I can't believe we just...ugh...this..."
He laughed lightly, "It kinda feels good to let it all out though..."
"Yeah...I guess it kinda does...", she said, " I mean...i guess it's kinda good to have it all out in the open...instead of us...y'know...hiding it from each other...", she said, biting her lip, "So...uh...what now?"
He sighed, "Well...we could...do something together? Maybe...i mean, if you don't want me to move then we could always just read and hang out in here...if you're ok with doing that or something..."
"Yeah...that sounds nice...especially after everything that's been happening...", she said, giving him a meek smile, "But don't think if you fall asleep again, I won't draw on you're face...", she teased.
"Awwww...marceline, but i'm injured, you wouldn't do that to me would you?", he joked back, making a fake pout and puppy dog eyes at her, causing them both to laugh at the ridiculousness of the scenario.
"I may be your girlfriend now, but that doesn't change how much i'm gonna mess with you...", she said, winking, "Oh and uh...thanks...for the sweater...i mean, you sorta bled all over it...but..."
"Anytime...", he laid down on the bed, trying to get comfortable.
Marceline laid down on the bed next to him, she brought up some magazines and books, and even a music player and headphones so they could listen together. Anything to help cure his boredom, he wasn't seriously injured, but it would still be painful to stand up and walk at the moment.
She'd probably have to take him to bonnie in the morning, just to check on him.
Bubba was breathing fine though, the most her really got was a few medium cuts, which might have been so much worse if he was human. When marceline had cleaned him up, careful to not trigger her vampire self into drinking, she tried to smooth out the skin into sticking together again.
She wasn't sure if it was successful though, did candy people regenerate cells like humans? Maybe?
Bubba ate some food that marceline had gotten him earlier, trying to regain some strength, marceline had gotten him a new shirt to put on, he happily munched an apple as she left and changed in the bathroom.
She then sat back down next to him and grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers.
Bubba turned red, looking at their hands, "Heh...I haven't been in a relationship in a long time...this will uh...this'll take some getting used to...", then he leaned over and kissed her forehead, "And you'll have to get used to those..."
She hit his shoulder gently, "You're a dork..."
"Yeah? Well congrats, i'm your dork now...and you're stuck with me...", he teased, "Like it or not...". She put an ear bud in his ear and one in hers, "We have tons of old human music you might like...we can jam and biz..."
He squeezed her hand, and attempted to lean his head on her shoulder, she put her head ontop of his.
"Never go running off again ok?", she told him, "You freaked me out more than you know, it was already scary enough having you kidnapped, or having you almost dead, geez...who knows what could have happened if that girl had her way tonight..."
"Yeah...i'm sorry, I-I was kinda under the influence...I shouldn't have been talking to her...", she admitted, "I was so vulnerable...i was just too easy for her to get a hold of...all because I was so upset..."
"Well, hey, you aren't dead...", she kissed his cheek, "But try to not get caught or hurt next time, i'm gonna need to make a tally for every time i save you at this rate...you can't be enjoying it very much..."
"Nah but...it does bring back alot of memories from home...", he sighed.
"They can't have been very great memories though...", she bit her lip, " I'm not gonna let you get kidnapped again bubs...you've suffered enough in your time here...this isn't gonna happen again..."
"And you'e gonna make sure of that i assume?", he said, " How do you plan on doing that?"
She looked at her axe bass leaning against the wall, "Nothing in particular, and it'll stay that way as long as things don't end up worse...". She looked at his injuries, " I'm sorry you got hurt..."
"Well...I'm not dead, or worse...because of you..."He told her, " some small cuts and injuries are nothing compared to what could've happened...thank goodness for your powers huh? You probably freaked her out..."
"Well, I can heal myself...so she couldn't exactly take me out, but she did get her hands of your because of my stupidity, i should've just picked you up and left her sad butt in the mud..."
"Did you kill her?", he asked, slightly unnerved.
"Dude...no, she got away...", she said, "And if she's smart, she'll leave and get as far away as she possibly can from me...", a new song can on, somthing much softer and less aggressive than the last song.
She felt drowsy, she didn't realize how exhausted she was today.
"I'll make it up to you tomorrow...ok?" She told him softly, squeezing his hand, "I'll make up for everything, me being a wad, you getting hurt, losing your only way home...i'll fix everything..."
"You can't fix everything marcy...some things you can't help...", he told her, " It's just how things work...as much as i hate to say it...". He smiled at her though, "But thank you for caring about me so much though..."
"It's kinda my job nowadays..." She joked, "I'm bubba-sitting..."
"Very funny...i'm glad you're enjoying this...", he teased back, " But hey...it's almost like having servants back home so you know what, babysit me all you want...i can live with it...", he grinned, winking at her.
"Oh...shut it...you know i have to..."
"I know..."
Marceline opened her eyes, rubbing them and checking the clock, it was after midnight. Bubba was still clinging to her, they must have passed out during their reading together, she yawned, and the body next to hers snapped open it's eyes as well.
"M-Marceline?!", he yawned, "Go back to bed..."
He reached up to hold her shoulder, face still buried in his pillow.
She huffed, holding her head, " Ugh...what the heck?! I need to get back to sleep...stupid brain...". He sat up next to her and hugged her, " You having nightmares again? It's ok...I have them all the time..."
"No...I guess i'm just stressed...can't sleep as well..." She sighed, rubbing her face.
"I'll stay up with you if you want?", he said, "I don't need to sleep...we could just stay in bed all day if you want...". Then he gave her a smirk, "Or we could both cuddle ourselves to sleep...if that's cool with you?"
She playfully put her hand on his face, "Ugh...I can't sleep tonight bubs...how are you feeling? How's your hand, and chest and stuff?", she grabbed his injured hand and held it out in front of her.
"I'm fine...don't worry so much...it's practically a paper cut..." He replied, " I'll be just fine...c'mon...we both need to get some rest for today...remember...you promised me a nice normal day..."
"Bubba...our "Normal" days...lead to stuff like this!", she said, Then she looked around the room suddenly, and saw something on her desk, she summoned it over, a small skull with writing on the bottom.
Bubba looked at her, "What's wrong?
"This...this is a message sending thingamajig, it wasn't here before we went to bed...", she read what was written and her eyes grew wide, she didn't say anything, unsure of what to say first.
"Who is it from?", bubba asked, interrupting her silence.
"Jess..." she whispered, " She's in hiding..."
Bubba couldn't hide the disappointment in his face as his smile faded from the news, "Well, she's not caught...that's a good sign...but...i guess this means she can't come back to us...", but marceline put her hand over his mouth now, "That's not all...she needs us to help..."
"How?"
"We need to stop bonnie's search for her...find some way to stop those wizard armies and devices from searching for her, that biz...cause if they find her, it's over...", she bit her lip, "Ugh...but bonnie will be so pissed though, she's doing this to make up for what we did..."
"Us?...take down someone as powerful as her? Is she nuts?"
"A vampire-wizard with magic drawing abilities? Nah, i'm sure she's pretty much sane...", marceline joked, before toning down into something more serious, "But...how? this wouldn't be an easy job to ask anyone to do..."
Then she looked at his bandages, and gave a knowing smirk.
"But i think i might have an idea of how we're going to get to talk to bon..."
"Then i suppose we'll need to figure it together then...if it's my only way of getting home..." He said, "Guess it's back to us against the world again huh?", before hitting her on the shoulder, "You up for some new adventure?"
She pouted, before grabbing his shirt and finally pulling him into deep kiss.
"Shut up..."