"And over here, Princess, is the dance floor. I've been working on my science dance," said her date with a lopsided, and clearly nervous, grin. She giggled softly and kept herself from rolling her eyes. As if she hadn't been to the nut kingdom a million times, on business or for some sort of celebration like this very one. Ever since the realization of the revelation that the Duke of Nuts was not just a crazy pudding thief, and that he had an actual condition, she'd been invited to countless events in his domain. Maybe one of these days, if she ever found the time aside from her daily science work of experiments and studies, she could find a cure for him. But she had her priorities, so it was to be seen.
"Sure, Finn. Let's dance then."
Finn immediately began wiggling his arms about like a maniac, pretending to be in rhythm with the music, and it kept Bubblegum's attention for a whole five seconds. Her attention faded away to nothingness, empty thoughts of loneliness and panging regrets of Why am I even here? and How long has it been since I've seen her? It was true, that she had only come out of pure obligation. To the Duke, because she had been so cruel to him before, and to Finn, who very obviously still had some little schoolboy crush on her.
"Princess?"
"Hm? Sorry, what was that?"
"I was just asking if you wanted a drink from the punch stand."
"Oh, sure, Finn." With a grin he went away, his movements stiffened by the suit he wore for such an occasion. Bubblegum smiled. He was almost adorable, but her sights were ever captivated by the memory of… something else. He was far too young anyhow, and feeling like a pedophile was not on her bucket list.
The scene of the party was quite an interesting turnout. Every princess in existence was present, and every prince, duke, and duchess. The Duke of Nuts was in coordination of quite the hospitality. Guilt panged at Bubblegum again, remembering yet again her past treatments. Again, the thought crossed her, Why am I here? She didn't need to remind herself that it was part of her duty, but she tried to find a way out anyway. Inevitably, she couldn't.
The music stained her eardrums with slight annoyance. She couldn't even focus on its energy to at least try to have a little fun. She wanted to go home. And home wasn't necessarily the empty bed of her room in the Candy Kingdom, cold and lonely. Home was… home wasn't around anymore. Perhaps she'd just have to live with that for the rest of her life. But then she couldn't- could she? Her whole life? Grod forbid she live less than a few thousand more years. No. And then again there were always ways to cope, always some new disaster to get buried in. There were always more distractions.
Finn was back with the drinks after a few moments, with the same stupid grin on his face, enjoying his stupid evening, possibly thinking this was some kind of stupid date. And it wasn't. It would never be. The poor boy would just need to realize that, somehow.
"Here's your punch, Princess," he said. She reached out to accept the drink with thank you's and fake smiles accompanying her lips, when a streak of black caught her vision, the embodiment of the memory of long hair and pale gray skin. A distraction. With a start, she dropped her beverage, diluted wine colors drenching the floor and sprinkling her pale pink dress like dawn-borne dew on the coat of a slumbering doe. Bubblegum squeaked in surprise at herself, her attention pulled back to the scene among her, rather than beyond.
"Oh, dear," she mumbled as Finn jumped into action, eyeing her with concern. He immediately sought out a servant, alerting them to the mess. Then he rushed back to a dazed Bubblegum, who looked just as much upset as guilty.
"You're trembling," he noted, immediately shrugging off his tux to lay about her shoulders.
She didn't have the heart, after this commotion, to tell him she wasn't in the least bit cold, despite the freezing green and yellow pendant against her bare chest, and the breeze caressing her shoulders. It journeyed through the balconies and among the dancing figures as heads turned to stare at her. In all, she was a mess. And why hold back? She began to sniffle.
"What is it, PB?"
Her gaze shifted back to him as he led her away from where the servants began mopping up the mess.
"I'm sorry, Finn. I'm a colossal tragedy today. I think I just need to rest, or get some air. You should go home."
The boy's face fell before registering that her orders were not to be argued against. "I can walk you home at least."
"No… I- just please go now." She handed him back his graciously donated tux with a frown. She had to admit, this felt an awful lot like a break up, but at the same time nothing like one. Or at least, not like the only one she'd been through. But that was something else altogether. The pink girl turned away from him, not bearing to see his disappointment any longer, electing instead that indeed she would go out onto the balcony for air.
It was, in fact, chilly out there, and finally her bare skin began to prickle with goosebumps. Leaning on the railing, the thought could not escape her that she was letting her personal emotions, for someone who clearly didn't want to be around her, get in the way of her responsibilities. She needed to clear her head, or go home. Going home was probably the most prudent of options. Turning, she saw yet another flash of black, disappearing and reemerging from the coverage of the crowd. And this time, the image remained. So then, she wasn't imagining things. Could it be?
"Marcy?" she whispered. The figure turned, perhaps to speak to someone, but that person was not the princess. Anyway, how could she be heard from all the way out on the balcony? But with a new view of the black-haired profile, the identity of the mysterious girl was evident. A vampire, taller and older than the pink girl only slightly. Tempting skin, an even complexion, and with eyes Grod-given, sparkling like the very starlight trespassing on Bubblegum's own body, still shining gloriously in the chill. She looked absolutely stunning, with an abnormal but beautifully long dress, tailored in the front to be shorter, with- were those real diamonds around the collar? It was deep red, a dark cherry, almost. It was brilliantly "Marceline", despite the fact that she had only seen Marceline in a dress once or twice in their hundreds of years of knowing each other.
And then there was eye contact. Quickly, a flutter of lashes, and then nothing. But in that simple moment, Bubblegum knew with everything she had within her that that girl was hers. And anyone who said otherwise would face the consequences.
"Marcy?" she repeated, louder this time, enough to be heard. A smirk drew on the vampire queen's lips, exposing fangs beneath dangerously scarlet lips. That demon. She knew Bubblegum was trying to get her attention. And she was playing a game, a question of who could go the longest before the irresistible longing for contact arose.
Fine, thought the princess. I'll play your little game, Abadeer.
Apparently in the few minutes that such observations and decisions were being made, Finn had been conflicted as to what he should do, and was only now disappearing beyond the exit. So, in a decision of haste, Bubblegum went after him, new adrenaline racing through every vein.
"Finn!" she called, catching him and turning him gently by the shoulder.
"Princess?"
"I changed my mind, I'm feeling better now. Dance with me?"
"Um, like a science dance?"
"No silly," she laughed, "A slow dance."
"Uh- okay..."
"Don't worry," she smirked. "It'll be fun." Finn's face reddened slightly at the prospect of it all. "Come on." She took his hand and lead him rather roughly to the dance floor, where she not too long ago nearly had a breakdown. And to think the cause of it was the very reason she was leading the human boy back there in the first place. Typical Marceline, there would always be games with her, no matter how "grown up" she was after near death and terminated immortality.
"PB, if you don't mind me asking, what's going on?"
"Listen, hun, I need your help with something. I need you to pretend that we're on a date." His blush intensified, but Bubblegum pushed any sense of doubt away. She was going to win.
"I don't understand, why?"
"Just do this for me, okay? Please?" There was no mistaking the disappointment on his face, meaning that he had probably thought this was a date. But there was also no point in letting him think that way for any longer.
He nodded in agreement. Anything for the princess, of course.
"Dance?" she reminded him, holding out her arms in a slow dance sort of position. As if on cue, the music changed to a soft, rhythmic song. They danced like the loveliest couple of the town- or in the land. PB's eyes flickered away repeatedly, catching the unmistakable groove of black and gray and red. When Marceline finally caught sight of the pair, her eyes went cold, then fiery once more. It was not passion adorning her beauty.
Jealous, Marcy? Bubblegum mused.
No matter how many times they made eye contact, each refused to let down their pride. The game was not yet over. Marceline continued to dance like nobody was watching, or more like everyone was watching, because they were. She was no less than the life of the party, showing off as the pink princess rolled her eyes from across the room, a vast distance indeed. The notion though, was caught, rather than left unnoticed.
Dusk bled quickly into nightfall, the moon finally taking its rightful place in the center of the sky. Eventually the music stopped, prompting all eyes towards the band as they exited the stage, with notedly rather bitter expressions. The Duke took the stage, gleefully beaming before announcing, "An old friend of mine has unexpectedly arrived to perform! Please welcome the Queen of Vampires!" He dorkily cheered as none other than Marceline gathered the attention of every last guest, even a snail, magically pulling her bass out of nowhere. She began strumming a light but strong organization of chords, joining them with words of a melody. It was immediately recognizable to Bubblegum as the song "Slow Dance", which happened to have been written for her. She scowled, furiously searching for ways to top Marceline on this one. With her gloriously and scientifically wired brain, a plan came to her in an instant.
"Finn?"
"Yup?" He was yet again doing his science dance, which was not very appealing, to be frank.
"I think I'm getting kinda tired now. Will you walk me home?" Her pulse thudded in her temples. She knew very well that she had no intention of going back to the Candy Kingdom, not yet.
"Sure thing, Princess."
"Let me just freshen up a bit, and I'll be right out."
With a thumbs-up, he raided the snack bar while avoiding anything with chocolate. Probably to take home to the treehouse for Jake, who was neither royalty nor someone's date. Then he slipped out the great castle doors. Bubblegum silently followed him, making sure Marceline noticed. She was halfway into a dark walkway, now countless paces behind Finn, when cold hands grabbed her arm, turning her from behind.
Ha, she thought with pride. I win.
Long, thick lashes blinked at her with a scowl. "Bonnibel," the girl greeted with a slight pout, jealousy still burning strong in her captivating orbs.
"Oh! Marceline, fancy seeing you here," the princess regarded. "Vampire Queen. How'd you get in?"
"Mhm, you know, snuck in."
"Yes, I see. And that performance, was it not spontaneously unplanned? I've got you figured out, Abadeer," she said with a rather loving smirk.
"Yeah, yeah, you win."
"Well, you seem to be feeling sour, when, may I remind you, it was you who ghosted on me." The hurt in her voice was so thick as to nearly be palpable.
"I needed some time." Marceline shrugged, but empathizing nonetheless. Huh. Turns out mortal adventures had given her that ability.
"Sure, that's understandable," Bubblegum nodded. "Now if you will excuse me, my date is waiting to walk me home." She turned to leave with a grin. She was still winning. And yet the question remained, taunting her bitterly. Was this game of pride killing Marceline? Was it killing her as much as the candy girl? Winning, she decided, was also with loss.
"Bonnie-" Cold arms yet again contacted her heated, pink skin. Pink like candy rivers, like fluffy sweet clouds on a Sunday.
They faced each other once more, but neither said a word. What was to be said? How Bubblegum spent countless nights tossing and turning, indecisive over whether to go find her red-sucking companion? She always knew that the girl would be up that time of night. Or maybe how after nearly losing her best friend, every goodbye was a risk? When was it not a risk anymore? Every hello was a risk. Every time the thought crossed her mind, she battled herself, trying to run to Marceline. Perhaps it should be said how every dream was haunted, ridden with visions of fear and death, loss and grief. Guilt. Endless guilt never escaped her. Maybe, she should explain how every second of every single day, she missed the vampire. She missed cold, yet just as warm embraces. She missed late nights and abandoning science projects. She longed for the adventures, vandalizing underground caverns, escaping monsters and varmints, sleeping on shoulders with the touch of tickling, silky black hair, softer than any fabric Bonnie could ever hope to invent or discover. Yes, that's what needed to be said. But then, didn't the silence say it all? The silence, with not a single breath taken, was so loud that it crushed the both of them.
A breath still did not escape. And then it was hands on waistlines, trembles and light tears tasting of the sea, black and pink, lips on lips, then resting foreheads, and the quiet sob of a vampire just born to the truth of life. The truth of love.
"Come home, Marcy," Bubblegum whispered, daring to break their cacophony of silence. And then the quiet sob of a ruler, effective and strong-willed, truly defeated for the first time, so that for the thousandth time, she could taste her victory. "Please come home."
Rain pattered the external castle grounds as death held life, quite literally, as they left floating through no longer harmful bliss, viewing skies that left vampires to thrive.
"Hey Bonnie?"
"Yes?"
"I did need time."
"I know, Marce, I didn't lie when I said I understood. Because I do. It just… hurt."
"I never meant to hurt you, I think you're smart enough to realize that."
"Of course, I did. I just needed to hear you say it. But how to shake any doubts when the thought kept harassing me from the back of my head? Constantly whispering wonders of how to be something you miss."
One stern look from Marceline of Did you seriously just say that? and Bubblegum knew immediately that yes, that was sort of a ridiculous thought to have. They flew on a ways before Marceline felt a pang of remembrance.
"Bon?"
"Yeeess?"
"Whatever happened to Finn?"
The candy princess turned in the hold to look her in the eye, a look of guilt pulling at her features.
"Oh," said Marcy, gesturing yonder and descending slightly from the clouds. "Look." Just beyond them was the treehouse.
"Jake! We can tell him to go get Finn, who's-"
"Who is probably fighting imaginary monsters that he thinks captured the precious princess."
The two laughed despite their fault, and adjusted their destination to the home of the infamous heroes, Finn and Jake.
And so, for the very first time since poison veins, stakes through hearts, and mortal dreams, they were healed. For the very first time, it was agreed, that in order to love, they would become willing to lay down their weapons. And they did. There would always be games, but the war was over. With eternal blurs of cotton candy skin and the blackness that was home, garden kingdoms and strawberry lip balms underground would only be the past. They were finally healed.