(Author's note: Hey guys!! It's been a while since I've wrote anything, so I'm a little rusty. Please forgive any mistakes, as I typed this thing up on my phone, and it's NOT the most user friendly. Please also feel free to leave a review if you have suggestions, or if you like the story! Reviews are definitely a good motivator for writing.)
"I said NO!" Cake growled stubbornly, her tail bristling in anger.
Fionna gave an exasperated sigh in response. "Why not?" She complained.
Avoiding eye contact with her VERY pregnant sister, the human girl slung her backpack onto the couch and plopped miserably down beside it. She could feel the spongy material of the couch nearly absorb her, it's scratchy fabic adding to her mounting discomfort.
"Because I said so!" Cake snapped.
The cat's voice was taking on a dangerous edge, but it did little to intimidate the human girl who was still sitting on the couch, arms crossed in contempt.
"I don't know what's gotten into you recently, but I KNOW you don't have goop for brains to think that it's okay to go wandering around by yourself at night." The cat hissed.
"Glob you are so LAME!" Fionna spat back," I'm 17 years old Cake, I'm not a little girl anymore! You're not my mom!"
Cake's eyes widened from her sister's comment. Swelling with rage, the cat's body ballooned out, her form so large that her ears nearly touched the ceiling.
"I may not be your mom, but I AM your big sister, and what I say goes! I don't care if you're, 17, 20, or 100! You are not going ogre hunting by yourself in the dark!!"
Fionna sprang to her feet. She had enough.
"I'm going upstairs..." she grumbled.
The teen did her best to feign defeat as she pushed by the blimped up cat.
"So unfair." The girl whispered under her breath.
Without so much as a glance back she ascended the ladder to their bedroom, grunting as she reached the top step. Cake watched her sister disappear from sight. her whiskers bristling with disapproval.
"I swear..." the cat huffed, gruffly. Her body shrank back to normal size. Placing a paw gingerly on her swollen belly, Cake's tail flicked in agitation as she waddled over to the fridge to grab a carton of milk. Hoping a drink would calm her nerves, she poured herself a saucer of milk and lapped at it thoughtfully. The cat could not help but feel a pang of sadness from her and her sister's bickering. Fionna had been begging Cake to let her go adventuring, but the cat had been feeling very reluctant to let her do so. Chalking most of it up to crazy hormones and her surfacing maternal instincts, she had become increasingly concerned for her younger sister. She knew fully well that Fionna was more than capable of taking care of herself...but going out at night by her own? It just sounded like a bad idea. Her sister may be 17, but she still had a lot of growing up to do. In her opinion, Fionna just wasn't ready for solo adventures.
Cake let out an exhausted sigh and rested her head against her paw, eyes closing in contemplation.
"Oooh She's probably still mad at me...I guess I'll sleep in my cat bed down here tonight. Baby girl just needs some space right now."
Cake cast a reluctant glance at her kitty bed that was settled by the furnace. Quietly she padded over to it and curled up into a ball. The bed was uncomfortablely small, and it did little to accommodate her large belly.
Letting out one last small snort of indignation, the cat mumbled to herself worriedly, "All this fussing ain't doin me good. I just sure hope my kittens don't end up having a mouth like her's."
Fionna laid silently in bed. She stared at the black abyss that was her ceiling, her eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness. The girl's brows knitted in concentration as she heard the faint sound of Cake's snores downstairs. One would think the quiet ambience that filled the treehouse would help the adventuress fall asleep, but it did the opposite. It only fueled her restlessness. No matter how hard she tried, sleep couldn't find her. The fire in her stomach was still ablaze from the argument she had with her sister earlier. This had been the fourth time this week Cake had stopped her from adventuring. Sure, it was dark outside, but that never bothered the feline before. Why couldn't she just mind her own business?
Feeling an itching sensation on her back, Fionna's lips tightened and she wiggled her body in discomfort. Her sleeping bag felt tight, suffocating, and hot. It was like her own personal Nightosphere...
After a while, Fionna finally gave up on the thought of sleep. Shifting herself to a sitting position, she unzipped her sleeping bag and listened. She could still hear Cake's light snores from downstairs.
This was her chance.
Fionna slipped from her bed and crept to her dresser. She started collecting a number of things from her room and began filling her green backpack. BMO watched curiously from the bed, the computer's digital eyes darting back and forth while the human girl gathered supplies.
"Where are you going friend?" The computer asked, it's digital voice echoing off the walls of the bedroom.
"Shhhh!!" Fionna nearly hissed.
BMO quickly clasped its screen in surprise.
"Quiet BMO!" The girl harshly whispered while pressing a finger against her lips in mock silence. "You're going to wake Cake up."
"But BMO is confused!" The computer hushedly exclaimed. "You're not leaving are you?!"
Fionna, who was stuffing a first aid kit into her bag, paused and glanced over at the computer. The digital line that made up BMO's mouth wavered as it struggled to keep composure.Trying her best not to seem frustrated (after all, it wasn't the computer's fault her sister was being a total blee-blob) she walked over to BMO and crouched beside the bed so she could be eye level.
"I'll be okay, I promise." Fionna reassured her friend softly," I'm not leaving you and Cake, I love you guys too much. I just need to get out for a while. Cake's mood swings are really getting me down and I could use some fresh air."
BMO studied Fionna's face, she could tell the computer was analyzing every word of her sentence.
After a moment or two, BMO finally let out a small pout and grumbled.
"BMO will stand guard..."
Fionna smiled and nodded. She watched as they hopped off the dresser and ran over to the ladder to keep an eye out.
After gathering the rest of her supplies, Fionna crept over to the window. The moon's light spilled beautifully through and it illuminated the girl's face as she quietly undid the latch. Up until this point, Fionna's mind had been blank. She felt mostly like a robot, her actions were lined-out and every move had purpose. This would be the 3rd time this week she's snuck out like this. While she did feel guilty doing it, it was strangely also kind of thrilling at the same time. Fionna did her best to convince herself that all of this was a necessary evil. Cake's literally backed her into a corner, what else was she supposed to do? Her sister wouldn't let her do anything anymore! The treehouse was no longer home, it was a prison...And Cake was the warden.
"Sorry Cake..." Fionna mumbled beneath her breath.
The window sung open with a creak, and Fionna exhaled a sigh of relief as the coolness of the night air kissed her face.
Freedom.
With an eager smile, the girl grabbed a handful of willow vines and shimmied her way down. It was a chore to navigate through the tangles of foliage, but once she finally reached the ground the reward was well worthwhile.
Taking in her surroundings, Fionna couldn't believe how beautiful it was tonight. The grass wasn't green, instead it was a contrast of blues and purples that reflected the moon's luminescent glow.
In the distance she could see Candy Kingdom and the Gumball guardians resting at their usual posts. The pillowy sweetness of the kingdom's walls towered over everything else in the distance, their foreboding appearance softened by a combination of pinkish pastel colors. It was a sight to behold, and it was one that the adventuress could appreciate even more now that she's been cooped up. Knowing it has been a while since she's actually visited the Candy Kingdom, Fionna secretly wondered what Prince Gumball's been up to. Giving up on any sort of romantic interest in the candy prince long ago, she still missed her friend's sugary sweet smile. The prince's quirky habits and overly polite demeanor came to mind, and the girl couldn't help but smile and shake her head in humor. It felt like it wasn't that long ago when she devoted most her time and energy to PG, running to accomplish even the most mundane of tasks, trying everything in her power to grab the prince's attention and affection. Those days of puppy love, however, were long gone. Fionna had finally come to terms with the fact that she and Gumball would never become more than good friends...and as strange as it was, she was completely fine with that. Even so, the days when she did admire the prince held some of Fionna's fondest memories. Things were, after all, a lot simpler back then...(she didn't have to sneak out of her own house for one thing...)
Adjusting the straps on her green backpack, the heroine took in a deep breath, the crisp night air filling her lungs. Time to go kick some ogre butt.
The ogre fell to the ground with a large thud, it's face disfigured from the impact of Fionna's fists. Standing victoriously over the slain beast, the girl stretched her battle worn arms and let out a happy sigh.
"Now that's more like it!"
The ogre let out a groan of pain as the girl used his broken nose as a stepping stone to the ground. Ignoring the monster's cries of pain, Fionna glanced around curiously.
Strange how no one in the village heard the scuffle she thought. Normally everyone would be out to greet and thank her by now. Then again, it was kind of nice to be able to go about her business without being doted on by the public. It was different to see the world in it's sleeping state, but it was surprisingly peaceful. Why was Cake so against night adventuring?
As she was thinking this, a familiar silhouette caught Fionna's eye. It was hard to pick the figure out in the darkness of the night sky, but as soon as her eyes focused in she was able to catch a glimpse of a red guitar and a boy. It was then she was able to identify the mysterious stranger.
"Marshall Lee?" She asked herself, her voice a mixture of confusion and curiosity. A blush crept across her face.
What's he doing here?
Without much thought, the girl hopped back on top of the unconscious ogre to get a better view. She tried to ignore the fact that the heels of her mary janes were sinking into the creature's back fat as she watched her friend float over the village. By the look of it, he was heading back to his house. Knowing that morning was just around the corner, Fionna could only guess he was trying to make it home before sunrise.
Puffing out her cheeks, Fionna slipped a hand beneath her hat and scratched her head in puzzlement.
It was a surprise to see him. A few weeks back the vampire had up and vanished without a trace. No one knew where he went, not even Gumball. Normally there wouldn't be anything to worry about, Marshall Lee was more of the loner type, and disappearing without telling anyone wasn't anything out of the ordinary. His recent absence however was more on the peculiar side since he'd been gone for almost an entire month without explanation.
"Time to pay paste-face a visit," Fionna hummed to herself in delight. Jumping down off the ogre, she could feel her stomach churn excitedly as her feet came in contact with the ground.
It didn't take long for Fionna to reach the mouth of the cave. Just as she suspected earlier, the sun began to rise in the horizon behind her. Athough Cake had already explained it to her before, it still confused her that the sun was a giant glowing ball of fire that was millions of miles away in space. She could have swore it lived here on earth with how it just seemed to sit on the horizon. Oh well. Science was weird and she had better thing to do than worry about such things.
Dodging the occasional stalagmite or two, Fionna casually walked up to the house that was situated in the darker part of the cave. She could hear the faint sound of music coming from inside. Upon hearing the faint melody, a strange sense of warmth overcame her. It was like a cladder of kittens had suddenly settled on her heart. (Then again, it could be indegestion. She did help herself to some expired milk earlier that day.)
The adventuress did her best to shake the feeling off and nervously climbed the steps that led to the front door.
Passing by one of the windows, Fionna felt compelled to look at her reflection. Much to her annoyance, she realized that she was covered in dirt and sweat. The long lock of hair that hung from her hat was also a frazzled mess. The teenager puffed out her cheeks and did her best to straighten out her hair with her fingers. She then tried to pat the dirt off her shirt and skirt. It didn't really work, but then again, why did she care? She was just visiting Marshall Lee, it wasn't like she was trying to impress him or anything...
Right?
Swallowing hard, Fionna pushed the thought to the back of her brain and knocked on the door.
knock knock*
"Marshall?" Fionna called. She pressed her ear to the door and noticed that the music had stopped. Feeling a tad uneasy, she stepped back and waited.
About five minutes had passed, before she grew impatient.
knock knock knock*
"Marshall Lee?" She called again. Still no answer.
creeeaaaak~
Fionna jumped as the door creaked open. Hesitantly, the girl peered inside. It was suspiciously dark in the house, and it was quiet. Too quiet.
"Marshall Lee?" she called again, her blue eyes scanning the living room for movement.
A knowing smirk stretched across the girl's face as she entered.
Almost as soon as she had crossed the threshold, the front door shut with a bang. A sinister cackle rose from behind her, the menacing voice dripping with mal-intent. Fionna could feel the heaviness of a looming presence press against her back. Two hairy large hands with claws snuck over the girl's shoulders and extended their way in front of her, their frightening presence appearing to block her from potential escape.
"FiiiOooNnaaaaa~" a demonic voice trilled.
The smirk on Fionna's face twisted into a contorted smile as she tried her best to hold in her laughter.
Another dark cackle rose from the darkness, and a mass of black tentacles slithered across the floor in front of her.
"ArE YoU SCARED?!"
Unable to maintain her composure any longer, Fionna crumbled into a heap on the floor. She began to convulse into a fit of laughter. As uncontrolled giggles erupted painfully from her chest, the girl could only clutch her stomach in joyful agony.
The lights in the room abruptly switched on. Fionna snapped momentarily out of her fit, and a not so pleased Marshall Lee hovered into view.
Fionna took in the Vampire King's disheveled appearance (something she realized she's been doing a lot of lately).
Marshall Lee's coal black hair was messy and unkempt, and it framed his pale boyish face. His body frame wasn't very muscular and overly matured like most of the humanoid males Fionna comes across. Instead, he was built more on the lean side and his frame mimicked the toned physique of a teenage boy, despite the well known fact that he was over 1,000 years old.
She remembered stealing curious glimpses of him one time while he was changing his shirt. He had accidentally spilled ketchup all over himself one day while they were having jam session, and he had been completely oblivious to the fact that Fionna was mesmerized by his physique.
His lean muscles gave him a lithe appearance and it amplified his already unnatural vampire elegance. Fionna also noticed he was wearing an old band tee along with some ripped jeans. Fionna could only guess that his attire was hundreds of years old by how faded they were. They were also in definite need of wash. Despite all this, he still wore them pretty well.
Out of all the characteristics though, the feature that stood out the most were the vampire's dark red eyes. They almost seemed to pierce through the girl as she laid there. It made her feel vulnerable, but she wasn't scared. Fionna recalled feeling unsettled by his predatory gaze upon their first meeting, but over the years she's known him, she realized they were nothing to fear. They just became another cool feature of the o' so great Vampire King.
"You're no fun anymore." The undead monarch grumbled bitterly. Brooding over the fact that his "awesome" prank had been unsuccessful, he floated over to the couch grumpily. Fionna watched him in amusement, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.
"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed while clambering to her feet, "I couldn't help it! It was a nice try though." Fionna watched as her apology fell on deaf ears. She was only rewarded with an indignant sniff.
Unaffected by her friend's aggreived response, she shrugged off her backpack and threw it in a corner. She then made her way to the kitchen. Marshall Lee appeared to ignore the girl as she helped herself to a glass of water. Observing the vampire discreetly from the corner of her eye, she watched as he hovered above the couch in a casual floating position and picked up his guitar. He began to strum random chords. They started out loud and messy, but then they became organized and more thought out. His eyes drifted close and he began to hum an unfamiliar tune. Fionna wasn't sure if it was the soft strums of his guitar, or the hum of his voice, but something began to flutter in her stomach. Feeling her cheeks become warm, she sheepishly averted her gaze.
"So what brings you by, squirt?" Marshall Lee asked mischievously.
His red eyes crinkled in amusement as Fionna winced at being called "squirt". The demeaning conotation behind the vampire's labeling made the girl clench her teeth, her eyebrows narrowing in annoyance. Enjoying the adventuress' obvious discomfort, Marshall Lee threw his head back in laughter.
If there was one thing the Vampire King was good at, it was getting under people's skin.
"I noticed Cake's not with you.." He added, his observation hinting at genuine curiosity.
Fionna scoffed and she set her glass down. She ignored his comment about Cake's absence and decided to steer the conversation in the opposite direction. She didn't really want to go into detail about how she's been having to sneak out the past few days.
"Says the guy that hasn't been around for weeks..." The girl replied grumpily. Although she tried not to show it, she was still hung up on the whole "squirt" thing.
With an eyebrow raised, Marshall Lee chuckled at her quip.
"You're crazy, I haven't been gone."
Suprised, Fionna gave him a puzzled look. It was her turn to raise a brow.
"But Gumball said he hasn't seen you around either. He said so when I called him the other day."
Fionna watched as Marshall Lee rolled his eyes and placed his guitar on the floor. The instrument gave an angry twang as it came in contact with the ground.
The vampire gave her a fanged smile before replying," You seriously think Gumwad would know? If you haven't noticed, he and I aren't the best of bros."
Fionna tilted her head thoughtfully.
"I guess you're right..."
Before she had the chance to add to her sentence, Marshall interjected. "As a matter of fact, everyone's been wondering where YOU'VE been."
The vampire then cast Fionna an evil grin.
"LSP's been going around telling everyone that you've been living in the forest as a hobo...something about you two getting engaged?"
Fionna, who was drinking from her glass, choked and sputtered.
"LSP said WHAT!?" She asked, her voice shrill. The girl's fists tightened into balls of rage as anger began to boil in her stomach.
Seeing Fionna's reaction, Marshall Lee cackled in delight.
"I'm kidding!! I'm kidding!"
Fionna stared daggers at him, her brows furrowing in annoyance as he laughed at his own joke. Her patience was wearing thin.
"That's not funny..." she growled.
"It is to me!" Marshall managed between his cackles.
Fionna rolled her eyes.
Despite feeling rather annoyed by him, the teen made her way over to the couch.
All of that ogre slaying earlier made her feel tired, and she was eager to sit down and relax. Not really thinking about it, she sat on the farthest side away from the vampire and cringed. The couch dug painfully into her back, it's scratchy material grating her skin. She watched in envy as Marshall Lee floated just above it in comfort. Despite not actually sitting on the couch, he was still close enough that he was able to lazily prop his elbow up on the arm rest.
"So what've you been up to?" Fionna asked, trying to make casual conversation while she rested her monster slaying muscles.
"Nothin much, just been doing gigs here and there. I met up with Gal from my old band, and we hung out."
Fionna deadpanned. Gal...Who's Gal?
"Oh?" She replied tartly.
Realizing there was unexpected edge in her own voice, the girl's cheeks flushed red. She also felt a pang of...what was it..Jealousy? Begin to stir within her.
The adventuress' eyes grew wide as saucers as her own voice rang in her ears, the sharp tone replaying in her head over and over. Did she really just say that!?
Marshall Lee seemed startled too by the sudden change in her tone.
"You okay?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow in her direction.
Fionna blushed from his question. It caught her off guard, and she couldn't really pick up on the emotion in his voice. Then again, the sound of her own blood roaring in her ears as her heart raced made it extremely difficult to hear much of anything.
"Um...yeah. Sorry." She blurted out, trying to hide her alarm.
Marshall Lee stared at her, his red eyes analyzing her face. He looked annoyed.
"Um...anyways." Fionna began, trying to change the subject," What did you and Gal do?"
Forcing the lump down in her throat, Fionna felt a prickling sensation on her skin. Turning her head slowly, she saw that her friend was still watching her, his gaze piercing her flesh. He wore a disgruntled expression, and he had one of those looks where Fionna swore he could read her mind.
There was silence.
After a few moments passed by, Marshall Lee reluctantly replied.
"Oh you know..." he began, non-chalantly," We just jammed out and talked about the good old days. Other than that, we didn't really do much..."
Despite her friend's calm demeanor, Fionna could tell he was still studying her suspiciously. He was watching her every move, his gaze attentive. Fionna could only sit there, still as a statue...screaming internally.
She really couldn't blame him for being confused. Heck, her own reaction confused her.
Did she actually get jealous a minute ago? This was Marshall Lee we're talking about. Her best buddy, her bro. She's known him for years, and although he occasionally teased and flirted with her, she knew his actions held no seriousness. Sure, she thought he was attractive, and yeah she enjoyed his mischievous jokes. But did she really like him like that?
Shifting uncomfortably, Fionna carefully glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He seemed less suspicious now. He was droning on and on about some kind of band drama. She was trying to listen, but her focus kept zoning in on something else. Blame it on teenage hormones, but her gaze kept landing on his lips. They were pale, and they looked soft. Were they soft? She was curious to know.
Fionna's pulse began to quicken. The roaring in her ears from earlier returned, and it drowned out all noise aside from the sound of her heart beating angrily in her chest.
Badump. Badump. Badump.
She saw how his fangs would occasionally flash when he talked. They looked sharp and dangerous. They drew in her attention, (they always have). In spite of their intimidating appearance, she secretly wondered what it would be like to...
"Fionna!"
Fionna snapped from her trance, her face turning beet red as her eyes locked with his.
Marshall Lee was frowning at her again, a look of frustration planted plainly on his face.
Fionna sucked in a breath, too scared to breathe. Did he see her just now? Did he know?? What in Glob's name was wrong with her???
"Um..." Fionna sputtered, trying to think of something to say.
Think. Think. THINK.
"Did you hear anything I just said?" Marshall Lee asked in annoyance.
The irriation in his voice made Fionna flinch. It had been a while since she had seen him so angry.
"I...um.."
The adventuress was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to answer. Not only was she embarrassed by the entire situation, but she was taken aback by her own behavior.
Had she finally snapped? Did the multiple rejections from Gumball finally drive her looney? She couldn't remember feeling this way a month ago...did she?
Anyways, she had to get out of there. This was no time or place for a romantic revelation, especially when that revalation was sitting right next to her. How could she suddenly be okay with the fact that she might that have a crush on her best friend?
"I...I need to go."
Author's Note: ...awwwkward!