The following takes place the day after "Temple of Mars."

Jake the Dog whistled as he spread garlic aioli on his second sandwich of the morning. He wasn't even hungry-just enjoying the freedom to eat whatever he wanted that wasn't cocktail sausages and clown cake. He'd been ready to die to save his puppies, but ready and excited were two different things, and Jake was so happy to be back he was squeezing five weeks of living into a few days.

He hadn't gotten back to the treehouse until an hour ago. Right after his brothers had brought him back to Ooo, he'd wanted to go tell Lady he was OK. Of course when she heard he'd been starving to death she wanted to feed him, so of course he insisted on cooking, and that had turned into a whole night and morning. Jake had figured Finn would understand.

Right now, Finn was slouching with one leg over the edge of the couch, playing BMO. Every now and then he'd glance over at Jake, and then, as if satisfied, look back at his game. After the third time, Jake abandoned his sandwich and informed Finn that this was giving him the heebies.

"Sorry, dude," Finn said. "Just making sure you're still real. I dunno if I trust King Man not to give me an illusory Jake and think he's helping."

Jake stretched his arm across the room to mess up Finn's hair. "Mega-real, bro. I know things are nuts right now, but I'm the one thing you don't gotta worry about."

"Cool." Finn beamed. "Oh, by the way, just so you don't freak, I had a friend over last night. She's not up yet."

"She?" Jake's ears perked up. "Over? Night? Had? Is it who I think it is?"

Finn sat up. "Who do you think it is?"

"Uh, an exceptional beast?" Jake smirked.

"Whatever, dude, she doesn't even say that anymore-"

"What don't I say?"

Finn, Jake, and BMO all turned toward the ladder. Huntress Wizard, clad in her usual green tights under one of Finn's old blue shirts, climbed three rungs down then hopped to the floor.

"Jake!" She smiled when she saw them all together. "Finn told me you were back. Do you feel all right? Any adverse effects of interstellar travel?"

"Nope, just hungry," said Jake through bites of sandwich.

HW went over to sit next to Finn afterward. "Hey."

"Hey," said Finn, while Jake analyzed their body language. Tier 9. Spooning. Possible antler contact. More information required.

"What's the game?" Huntress asked.

"Wizard City Ransom. BMO, can she jump in?"

"My works are meant to be appreciated in full," said the console haughtily, but let Huntress take the second controller.

Jake tried to jerk his head as subtly as possible toward the observation boat. Finn got the hint, turned to Huntress, and asked, "Hey, I think Jake wants to talk in private. Can you keep us alive until I get back?"

"I believe I've got it." HW stared menacingly at the screen. "Punch the evildoers, right?"

"Pretty much." Finn stood. He lingered for a while as though there were something else he wanted to do, but eventually followed Jake up the two ladders.

When the brothers were seated in their shaded boat, with the whole glorious earthbound vista of the grasslands spread out before them, Jake asked, "So she stayed the night?"

"Yeah!" Finn was happy, but at the same time, Jake had this obnoxiously adult sense of loss over the time he'd missed. He and Finn hadn't been apart for that long since their parents had died and they'd moved into the treehouse together. Now his brother had spent five weeks growing up without him. He'd never get that time back.

"Then...it's kinda serious, huh? Eh?"

Finn shrugged. "Iunno. We were both fully pj'ed. She and I were just talking after you went to see Lady, and she didn't wanna leave. We gave it a try."

"What do you think?" Jake poked Finn softly with an elbow. "Really gets a hero ready for action to wake up with a lovely lady, huh?"

"Mostly I learned my bed is too small for two. She said her place next time."

Jake wiggled his eyebrows. "Next time!"

"Jake, help me." Finn suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders and stared in abject fear. "This is getting into new realms. I don't wanna mess it up. What if she sees my internet history?"

"Relax, man. You haven't searched Flame Princess for like a year now."

"But what if she sees something else?"

"What else is there?"

"I'm not telling you, man, she might hear!"

"Look, bro." Jake gently pried Finn's hands off his arms, and hugged him around the shoulders. "You're gonna wanna overthink every little thing that happens. And I can't stop you. All I'm gonna say is that bein' with a lady or anyone else is about trust. Whether she's a rainicorn or a princess or a wood nymph or...I dunno, a different rainicorn...you gotta trust that she likes you for you. You like her for her, right?"

Finn nodded vigorously.

"Then there you go!"

"But what if I miss something? Or I'm supposed to do something and I don't do it?"

Jake gave Finn a squeeze and let go. "People aren't dungeons, bro. You're not gonna fall in a trap. Let love steer you right."

"People aren't dungeons," Finn repeated. "Heh. Thanks, Jake."

Heh indeed. Jake smiled to himself. Looks like I'm not too out of practice after all.

"Hey, Finn?" Huntress Wizard chose that moment to poke her head through the window. "I think I messed something up on the game. What's a secret bonus level?"

Finn whipped his head around. "You got the bonus level?"

Jake poked his brother in the side. "Go to her, Finn. Your lady needs you."

Finn nodded and scampered back down the ladder. Jake, finally feeling like the world was putting its pieces back together, sat back in the boat and watched the clouds drift across the wonderfully blue sky.

Author's note: Even though this is a shipping fic, there's always time for homies helping homies. I wanted to write a scene about how Jake is making room for a new important person in Finn's life, in the same way that Finn gets that Jake loving Lady and the puppies doesn't mean he loves Finn any less. I like how it turned out.

Next one will explore the interim period between Flute Spell and Wild Hunt. Stay tuned!