Disclaimers: I started writing this, I think right after Sky Witch due to my notes for when I intended to finish/post this. My computer tells me I created the document in 2013. Yikes. Please tell me someone else, anyone else has unfinished works sitting that long. And last but not least, I am not Pendleton Ward. I merely write this for my own entertainment and need for Bubbline fluff.
It was The Day When Finn and Jake Had a Fleeting Moment of Empathy For the Biggest Weirdo in Ooo Eve in the land of Ooo.
Powdery snow covered the ground like icing sugar on french toast. The air was calm as another layer peacefully fell to the ground; Ice King hadn't done so in a fit of rage this year.
Princess Bubblegum had just, just finished down in her lab and was now lazily slipping into her favourite pajamas, ready for bed. The whole day had been spent attempting to turn dust bunnies into cotton candy. She'd gotten the formula right, and the transition worked perfectly, except for the fact they still tasted like dust. Though her biggest mistake of the day, she realized three-quarters through it, was letting Cinnamon Bun do the taste-testing. She thought she'd succeeded, until she tried one herself, and cringed.
She set her large, round glasses on the nightstand as she arched her back, a couple loud pops sounding as her spine stretched.
She yawned, ready to call it a day. The Candy Kingdom would be filled with festivals, followed by a feast tomorrow night, which she would need to be present and alert for, and that wouldn't happen if she stayed awake much longer. And then even after all that, she would have to be at the Treehouse to watch some movies on the floor next to a fire. But just as she was pulling the covers back from her bed, she saw a familiar vampire floating outside her window.
What was she doing out there this late? What was she doing out there in this weather? It had been snowing all day, and showed no signs of stopping. She dashed over to the window, hurriedly unlatching it and swinging it, "Marceline?"
"Hey BonnaBell?. What's up?"
She was dressed in her usual Marceline-attire. This variation was a fitted striped sweater that hung off one of her shoulders with some white printed design on it, and ripped dark jeans with black boots. Not winter boots. This only added to the princess's concern for her friend.
"Get in here before you catch a cold."
Marceline looked puzzled. "Bubz, I'm a vampire. I can't get sick,"
"Oh." Bubblegum could have smacked herself. "Right." Still, it felt wrong to let her stand... float there. Out in the cold. "Well, would you like to come in anyway?"
Marceline nodded, drifting in past the pink-haired princess and straight to above her bed, relaxing just like she would if she were laying across it. Marceline seemed to have no trouble making herself comfortable anywhere; maybe it was because she didn't require furniture, but Bonnie was almost positive it was simply part of the vampire's being. She always seemed so calm. So…at ease.
If it didn't fascinate Bubblegum so much, she would have been a little jealous.
"Nice shirt," she heard Marceline say, and she realized she was staring.
Bubblegum looked down, smiling. It was the one Marceline had given her. The one she barely ever took off, ever since it was stolen and Finn, Jake, BMO, Marcie and her had spent the day together making music. But she wasn't about to tell her that. As far as she knew, it was still just pajamas. "Thanks."
Suddenly, she wasn't so tired any more. But that wasn't good. She needed to be tired; she needed to rest for tomorrow.
Tomorrow. Focus on tomorrow.
"Will I see you at Finn and Jake's tomorrow night?" Bubblegum asked, closing the window and brushing the snow from the sill as she tried to keep them from falling into silence. "Do you have your sweater ready?"
The vampire rolled onto her stomach, resting her chin in one of her hands. "I think so. There's a few somewhere in my closet, I'll find one. Maybe the red one."
"Or grey?" teased Bubblegum.
Marceline blew a raspberry at the princess. "You act like I can't control myself."
Bubblegum shrugged, playing coy. "I don't know, you are the Vampire Queen, how can I trust you not to drink the red from my pretty pink face?"
In an instant, the vampire had moved from the above bed to behind Bubblegum, hovering behind her shoulders. Lurking. The princess could feel the tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickle. "Are you offering?"
"Try it and see what happens," Please.
Bonnie's eyes widened at the realization of the thought, and pressed them closed again. She was glad Marceline couldn't see her face. She hadn't been caught. She took in a deep breath. Tomorrow. Focus on tomorrow.
She heard the vampire laugh. PB opened her eyes to see her now in front of her, a grin across her face. "Relax, Bonnie, that was just a song. I would never. Not unless you asked of course." She pushed her pink hair over her shoulder. "And daring is different than asking."
Bubblegum knew she was staring, but she couldn't decide what to say. Was Marceline waiting for her to 'ask'? Did she want to?
Did she want her to?
She looked from her friend''s dark eyes to her white fangs and back up to her eyes. How would it feel?
Would it hurt?
Would she like it?
Would she be able to stop?
Now, it was Marceline's turn to keep them from falling into silence.
"I have something for you," Marceline smiled as she reached behind her back, and produced a small box, wrapped in green paper with a dull grey ribbon around it."Sorry about the ribbon." she hung her head. "I kind of, got a little hungry on the way over."
Bubblegum grinned, resisting the urge to remind the vampire of her earlier comment. She was too cute. "Marceline, you didn't have to get me anything,"
Marceline shrugged, adjusting the hem of her shirt. "I wanted to, ya Butt."
"Thank you." That was all she could say. She hadn't gotten her anything. She hadn't even thought to.
"Don't thank me yet," the vampire's smile fell flat. "You may not like it,"
"I'm sure I'll love it," P.B smiled reassuringly as she began to tug at the ribbon.
Marceline sprang forward, cool hands over the princess's in an instant, stopping them. "No. Open it later."
Bubblegum looked up at her pale, dark haired friend. Even in the moonlight she looked alive as ever. "Later as in once you're gone, or tomorrow?" she asked in a playful tone. She wasn't going to wait any longer than she had to.
"When I'm gone as in dust or gone as in left your bedroom?"
"Marceline, that's a little macabre," PB nearly winced at the thought of her no longer existing. "Besides, you're a vampire, the only one in Ooo who will outlive you is me,"
"Who's being dark now, Bubz?"
"You're right. That's the last thing we need to think about tonight." Maybe now was the time.
She knew this time of year had that effect on people. Everyone was in an altered state of warmth and joy. Of thankfulness. Of romanticism.
Still, knowing that didn't help ebb all these feelings being stirred up inside her. She held in a breath, ignoring the rock in the pit of her stomach. "Marceline, do you think we could talk about—"
A tapping at the window cut her off. Followed by a voice. This one, not as welcome as the long-haired vampire queen's.
"YooHoo! Princess! It's me! Ice King!"
Bubblegum rolled her eyes before turning to the window. Ice King was on the other side, as he had announced, one hand up to knock on the glass, and the other holding up a navy blue thermos, a toothy smile on his face. Like his arrival was not only welcome, but expected.
"Look, I've brought some hot beet broth to celebrate the holiday with you."
"Tomorrow Ice King," Bubblegum promised, not moving towards the window. "I have company right now, we will all celebrate tomorrow," Though it was clear she had no intention of doing so. Not with him at least. She hoped he'd forget about it by then anyways.
He looked at his unadorned wrist. "It's almost tomorrow. And I have enough for all of us. How about I wait right here?"
She saw the left side of Marceline's mouth tug upward at the scene. Bubblegum knew her friend still had a soft spot for the king. Despite his lack of mental stability. And his persistent advances on the princess.
"I'll take care of him," She said quietly, patting Bubblegum on the shoulder. Then, even more quietly, and closer to the princess's ear, she whispered, "Enjoy your present, Bonnabell." Then, so softly and quickly P.B couldn't be sure she felt anything, except for telling sign of her body's reaction, she felt the cool lips of the vampire queen on her cheek.
The princess barely had time to respond, let alone get her heart beat back to normal and settle the frenzied butterflies in her torso before Marceline was outside, joining the crazy king.
"So, Simon," she heard her say in a light voice, "what videos are we going to be watching tomorrow?"
And that was all before the flew out of sight.
P.B took a couple hesitant steps towards the window, just in case the vampire had only given the Ice King the boot and stuck around, however, she saw nothing but the snow covered ground, serine and undisturbed by footprints and dark night sky.
She looked down at the present in her hands, reassuring herself that the previous events had happened. She sighed, and held the small gift close to her chest. "Thank you, Marceline,"