Author's Note: Well, hey, look at that. Ya'll didn't have to wait for three months for this chapter! Hooray!
So I just want to say thank you for everyone's support and kind words. I'm glad that the story isn't too boring and you like the political build up. I promise it has a point. Hopefully I can manage to make the ending as epic as it is in my head. Speaking of the ending, I have a weird question for you. So I have the next chapter planned, and then I have the ending planned… but I'm still working on what happens between them. I have a few ideas, but some ideas make the story a bit longer. Do you want longer, or are you sick of waiting for updates and would rather this just be over faster?
I do actually care what you, my beautiful and amazing readers, think and want. Anyway. I hope you enjoy this chapter- finally, there is some improvement on the relationship side of things. I love you, stay awesome, all that jazz. Let's go!
Bitter Sugar: Chapter 6
As the next few weeks passed in the Kingdom of Nightos, Princess Bubblegum found a significant change of atmosphere in her daily life. She had taken the time to respond to Lady Rainicorn and the other's letters, which ended up the length of a graduation thesis. True to her word, however, Marceline's soldier Fionna got the letters through safely and replies now came swiftly.
Fionna had also proved more than capable as a "handmaiden", although Bubblegum considered "bodyguard" to be a better word for the woman. With the bunny-hat-wearing woman around, Bubblegum could go out and explore more. The foreign princess was more than happy to help around the city, especially in the lower sectors where other royalty never visited. There, she often doled out medicines she had created or worked to improve the living conditions by updating things like the water purification plants.
] Bubblegum's volunteer work was gaining her some popularity among the fanizens, and she had even begun receiving fan mail. The kid that had helped her before always managed to find her when she visited the city to deliver a new pile of letters and small gifts. The young child revealed her name to be Shoko, as well as the fact that she was a girl and not a boy as Bubblegum had first suspected (much to her embarrassment), and declared herself Bubblegum's official fan club founder and president.
The situation at home had improved as well. Most of the housing and guard staff had started to regard her more pleasantly than before. Bubblegum suspected Fionna likely had something to do with the sudden change in attitude. Either way, she was not complaining.
Lady Marceline began to join Bubblegum for dinner in the evenings, listening patiently as the Candy Princess babbled on about the day's work. Despite Bubblegum periodically asking for Marceline to play her bass, it still hadn't happened.
"Music is very personal for me," the Vampire Queen admitted quietly one evening over a bowl of strawberries. "It's not something I can share very easily."
Things took a sudden turn one day when an angry fanizen unexpectedly charged Bubblegum in the street. Fionna had the man pinned to the ground before the princess even knew what was happening, but that did not assuage Marceline's anger. The Vampire Queen came flying through the doors of Bubblegum's personal sitting room early that evening, demanding to know what had transpired.
"There were more onlookers than usual, milady," Fionna reported from her kneeling position on the floor. "It was my mistake."
"No, it wasn't," Bubblegum corrected the woman, looking up from her most recent letter. While she wouldn't admit it aloud, Bubblegum had become quite fond of Fionna over the past month and wasn't going to allow any reason for Marceline to take her away now. "She did all the proper security checks, and even took the extra four guards like you always insist. It wasn't her fault, she did her job. Besides, she did stop him."
"You should be more bothered by this," Marceline challenged, glaring at Bubblegum. "It was an attempt on your life!"
"Oh please," the Candy Princess huffed, going back to her letter. "That was probably the fourth worst planned out attack I've experienced since I was ten."
"There have been others?" Fionna asked, looking at Bubblegum quizzically.
"There is always someone unhappy with the current ruler," Bubblegum shrugged. Enemies and plots had been a part of her life since she was little; it was something anyone from a royal family should be used to in her opinion. Perhaps things were different in Nightos where there was more than one "royal" family. "But you did your job and now I am fine."
"You're going to start learning self defense," Marceline announced suddenly, hands on her hips.
"What?"Bubblegum groaned, almost whining in protest. While she was thankful they had become comfortable enough with one another to speak this openly, she was not amused by her wife's ideas of how to fix the situation. "I thought that was what Fi is for."
"Fi?" the blonde woman echoed in a flat voice, obviously not amused by the nickname.
"Yes, it is. But if there had been a second assailant or more… you could have been seriously injured! Or worse!" Marceline argued, moving as if to stomp her foot on the ground only to forget she was floating.
"Besides,"Marceline continued, seeming to calm down a bit after managing to look somewhat ridiculous. "I told you before, everyone in Nightos has at least a minimal level of training- it's considered a core part of all school curricula. If you know absolutely nothing, then you are at a serious disadvantage."
"I guess you have a point," Bubblegum assented, sinking deeper into her chair.
Marceline made good on her threat to train Princess Bubblegum starting the very next day, arriving an hour before dinner with an extra set of work out clothes. The princess was hesitant at first, keeping a safe distance from Fionna and Marceline's examples as she watched. As Bubblegum began to treat the exercises as an experiment in observing action and reaction, Marceline had the sneaking suspicion that the princess might be enjoying herself more than she let on.
In terms of practical application, Bubblegum actually learned more quickly than Marceline anticipated. It wasn't even two full weeks of nightly practices before Bubblegum accidentally threw Marceline over her shoulder when the Vampiress was lost in thought.
"Oh glob!"Bubblegum gasped over Marceline's twitching body. "I'm sorry! You said to go all out- I thought you'd… I don't know… fly out of it?"
"Ouch…"Marceline coughed, grinning slightly up at her wife. "Well, I think you've got the body slams down at least. That was really good; don't apologize for doing what you're supposed to. But uh… let's take a rest," she sighed, flopping her arms out to her sides.
After a moment's hesitation, Princess Bubblegum quietly laid down on the floor next to Marceline, her body pointed in the opposite direction. They stayed that way for a bit, staring up at the ceiling. Marceline's thoughts returned to what had distracted her during the practice fight: the Peppermint Advisory. While nothing major had happened in a while, Marceline's personal spies had reported a continued increase of their presence in unwanted places.
"Princess…you should stay as far from the Peppermint Advisory as possible," she said gravely. It was the first outright serious topic either of them had breeched with one another, but Marceline felt it was important. "If they approach you, please tell me."
"I don't trust them either," Bubblegum replied, turning to meet Marceline's gaze evenly.
Marceline met the woman's pink eyes for a few moments, before making a decision that would change things, in one way or another. "I can trust you."
Bubblegum grinned ruefully. "You're just now figuring that out?"
Marceline chuckled softly, turning her gaze back up to the ceiling. "The Peppermint Advisory has been popping up in influential positions all over the kingdom. They've been influencing our military in particular more than I'd like to admit. I want to say that they haven't reached my father's ears but sometimes…I don't know."
Bubblegum rose to her elbows, her face a screwed into a serious expression of thought."They are also in the Candy Kingdom," she said.
"What?" Marceline asked in surprise. "How did I not know that…"
"They appeared about six months before I was sent here," Bubblegum began, speaking softly but with deliberation. Marceline could tell that it was difficult for the Princess to open up about these things, and listened in quiet appreciation. Bubblegum explained how the Peppermint Advisory had appeared in the Candy Kingdom, but the previously weak-willed Gumball was the only one to take them seriously. After their uncle, the regent and former ruler, mysteriously passed away, Gumball invoked some strange law that no one was actually sure existed to steal the throne from the true heiress, Bubblegum. Now, all of Lady Rainicorn's letters seemed to include comments on how Gumball only listened to the Peppermints, was obsessed with "striking first in the upcoming war," and had even picked up only drinking the Peppermint's signature wine.
"You were supposed to be Queen, the actual ruler of the Candy Kingdom," Marceline murmured once Bubblegum had finished. That particular detail had escaped any of the correspondence from Gumball and her father. It gave an entire new angle to the situation that she hadn't even known existed. She ran a hand through her long hair with a sigh. "No wonder you were so unhappy coming here."
"No, I-"Bubblegum started, but took a deep breath. "I was unhappy. Very unhappy…But… I'm not anymore," she said, glancing at Marceline.
The Vampire Queen smiled a bit, somehow relieved to hear that at least. "Since the Pepps have shown up, whenever something strange happens, we find the same chemical in everyone's bloodwork. The footman who brought you into the party early had it. Your handmaidens, who were supposed to take you places, had it."
"And me, when I snapped at them," Bubblegum admitted, although she didn't seem abashed about it. "At least we think so. But I don't interact with the Peppermint Advisory at all."
A silence fell over them as they both became lost in thought. "Agh!" Marceline growled in frustration. "It's like we are so close, but there's something missing… Some link between the Pepps and that chemical. How are they infecting people? I suspected the wine at one point… I refuse to drink it. But the one time I did, I checked and there was nothing. My brother seems to fancy it…"
"Marshall?"Bubblegum piped up. "Doesn't he make his own?"
"Sure but if it's in the wine then it must be involved in how it's made, right?"Marceline scratched her head. "Maybe who makes it is important?" she grumbled. "If I just had a sample… but I can't get a hold of one without looking suspicious…"
Bubblegum laid quietly next to the Vampiress, tapping her lower lip in thought. Without warning, the Princess sat up straight with a gasp, making Marceline jump."Where are the wedding presents?"
"Huh?"Marceline floated off of the ground, righting herself.
"The wedding presents we received at the after party!" Bubblegum almost yelled excitedly, inching towards the door. "You kept them, right?"
"Well custom dictates you keep them at least six months before throwing out what you don't want," Marceline shrugged. "I think they're in the cellar…"
Before she could finish her sentence Bubblegum was out the door and running down the hall. Marceline sighed as she floated out of the room, chasing after her suddenly crazed wife with resignation. After reassuring three different servants that everything was fine, she finally caught up with Bubblegum in the dark cellar beneath the house. The Princess was knee deep in a pile of presents, throwing things out of her way unceremoniously.
"The missing link is just what you suspected," Bubblegum grunted as she moved a particularly heavy box. "How do you get someone… to ingest something… oof…without suspicion? Aha!" She turned, holding a large dark bottle up in triumph."You offer them a customary glass of wine."
Marceline flew over, taking the bottle from Bubblegum's hands. "The wine! I forgot we received this," she murmured, looking it over. It was unopened and completely in tact, the contents still inside. "Bubblegum, you're a genius!" she cried elatedly, picking up the princess in a fierce hug.
"Oh, sorry, um… Princess," Marceline panicked, putting Bubblegum back onto the ground gently. "My apologies, I didn't…"
"Its fine,"Bubblegum shrugged with a grin. "And… just call me Bonnibel."
Marceline raised an eyebrow in suspicion. The jump from formal "Princess" to a first name basis was a rather large one. "But you said…"
"I know what I said," Bubblegum huffed, rolling her eyes as she propped her hands on her hips. "But, Marceline," she suddenly looked serious again. "The day I was acting strange… the only wine I had was from Marshall."
Marceline's brows furrowed in thought as she looked at the bottle again. "Yes… I also had wine from him. And I checked myself afterwards, but there was nothing. He said he had made it himself, so whatever is in it must be something the Pepps add. So he must have served you the wine they made." And the bigger worry here was that if this wine proved Marceline's suspicions, then that meant her brother was probably another victim of their machinations if he was drinking it, she thought silently.
Bubblegum's face fell as she tried to think. "I don't think… I mean, I can't quite remember," she rubbed her temple.
"We still don't know quite how it works yet," Marceline said, trying to comfort Bubblegum even a little. "But now we have a start, and a generous sample to study, thanks to you." She looked up at Bubblegum from the bottle. "Will you help me?" she asked seriously.
"Of course!" Bubblegum agreed instantly, smiling at the prospect of getting back into real science. "If you help me get out of this mess," she said, gesturing at the huge pile of fallen gifts around her feet. Marceline laughed as she wrapped an arm around Bubblegum's waist, flying her to freedom out of the cellar.
Much to Bubblegum's delight, and Fionna's boredom, the Candy Princess now had full access to Marceline's private laboratories. She immediately began working in the evenings to decipher the mysterious chemical's construction and purpose. Bubblegum was more than happy to again be using her brain to its "true purpose"as she deemed it. The days where Marceline joined seemed to be more enjoyable than others, although she never admitted such a thing to anyone.
Bubblegum periodically thought about her relationship with the Vampire Queen and how much it had changed since she arrived. It was true she was no longer unhappy to be here. She could even admit to herself with confidence that she was not unhappy being married to Marceline. There were far worse fates as far as political marriages were considered.
The only awkward part of their relationship came in public, where they were expected to be a loving couple. Marceline would often make small gestures of affection so the paparazzi had something to gush about, things like holding hands or an arm around her shoulders. Once back in private, however, Marceline was careful to keep a natural distance between them- except for self defense training that still happened three times a week at least. Bubblegum wasn't sure how she felt about the matter, or the feelings the small touches left in the pit of her stomach, so she simply refused to think about them.
Despite Bubblegum's invitations to join in the evening research, Marceline never involved herself in the work. "I'm better with computers, programming, and theory. Not the actual science-y stuff," Marceline joked one day, floating upside down to watch over Bubblegum's shoulder.
During the day, a large portion of the couple's time was spent at various interviews, especially considering the approaching summer solstice celebration. Twice a year, at each solstice, the royalty got dressed up in the best of their best clothes and attended a ball that was televised for every fanizen to see. According to the "best gossip", as Fionna referred to what passed as news in this country, Bubblegum and Marceline were the most anticipated attendees of the ball.
"Are you terribly excited about the upcoming Summer Ball?" an interviewer with particularly wild purple hair asked excitedly.
"Oh yes,"Bubblegum answered with a smile. They were sitting on the love seat of yet another talk show, where Bubblegum did most of the talking while Marceline sat quietly. "I've heard there are few things as grand as Nightos's famous solstice balls. I'm really looking forward to it."
"Any insight as to the type of gown you'll be wearing?" the interviewer leaned forward, hoping for every last detail.
"Well we've been visiting the Vampire clan's family dresser for weeks for fittings, but I can't tell you more than that," Bubblegum laughed.
"Well snap!" the woman actually snapped her fingers. "It was worth a try. We are all so looking forward to it. Alright folks, after the break we'll be hearing from none other than Marshall Lee, Lady Marceline's twin brother! But first, a word from our sponsors."
On their way out of the backstage exit, a stagehand stopped them to consult Marceline about an upcoming solo interview. Bubblegum excused herself politely, letting go of Marceline's hand to visit the drink and snack table on the opposite wall. She stretched her fingers as she walked, trying desperately to not be conscious of how strangely empty her hand felt.
Bubblegum was sipping her glass of ginger ale when she noticed a floating figure nearby. She turned to find none other than Marshall single handedly demolishing the plate of bite size cheese. "Hi Marshall," she greeted him pleasantly, walking closer.
Marshall turned his head to gaze at Bubblegum, an odd unimpressed look on his face. "Well, well, Princess Bubblegum. You see to be in brighter spirits lately."
"Yes, I am. Thank you," she replied with a smile.
"I suppose you and my sister have managed to find some common ground, although it is strange considering the history," he commented, turning his attention back to the cheese.
Bubblegum's smile faltered. Marshall was acting noticeably different from their interactions before. "History?" she asked, keeping her voice polite. "Do you mean the last war?"
"Yes," Marshall sighed, rolling his eyes. "The war. Your people always seem so war happy. First your father, now your brother. His Highness King Gumball seems especially keen on the idea of destroying his enemies thoroughly and ruthlessly. It must run in the bloodline, eh?"
Bubblegum stared at the Vampire King, completely unamused. His comments were highly indecent and uncalled for, in her opinion; but perhaps in the safety of the shadows, he felt that he could say what he wished. "I am neither my brother nor my father," she stated confidently, "and I will never advocate for war."
"So you say," he glanced at her again, his eyes cold. "And yet here you are, living as the payment for a bond to strengthen our fighting forces. Nevertheless," he shrugged, "perhaps you shouldn't allow your obvious case of Stockholm Syndrome to get too strong in case your brother's war goes anything like your father's."
"Stockholm?" Bubblegum's voice raised in offense. "I respect your sister as my political wife and friend- I do not see her as some sort of… kidnapper. And my entire existence here is to represent the new peace between our nations- so that we will not war again."
"It's nice you think that," Marshall smiled, but it was full of venom and spite. "Perhaps it is your ignorance that allows you to be so carefree. I pity my sister." Without giving Bubblegum a moment to respond, Marshall turned and floated away.
Bubblegum stood there for a moment in shock, unsure of how to take Marshall's sudden coldness to her. His taunting left a sour taste in her mouth, as if he was holding something over her that she didn't even know. She recounted the conversation to Marceline during their ride home. While her wife expressed dismay that this somehow proved Marshall was also under the effects of the Peppermint Advisory's drug, Marceline noticeably refused to comment on anything to do with the past war as well.
Later that evening, after Marceline had left the house for a meeting, Bubblegum visited the house library. The last war to ravage the land of Ooo had been almost twenty years before, when she was still but a baby. She had read various accounts of what had happened, but they all seemed to suggest the same. A scuffle on the border between the Candy and Ice Kingdoms had escalated, eventually reaching the shared border of Nightos. When movement began on the borders of Nightos, Bubblegum's father, fearing a double sided war, made a few strategic strikes on the border to dissuade further action. It had only been minor skirmishes between soldiers, nothing severely damaging. Even now, in a Nightos library, she couldn't find much information. It seemed twenty years was still too short a time to collect reliable accounts.
Finding no help among the official records, Bubblegum decided to ask Fionna about it. "Honestly," the woman responded between grunts as she lifted weights. "I was just a little kid, so I don't really remember anything. Just the stories I've heard since."
"What stories?" Bubblegum asked. "I mean, the war was mainly between the Candy Kingdom and the Penguin tribes of the Ice lands. Nightos was hardly involved."
Fionna offered Bubblegum a strange look without comment, something of a mixture between annoyance and pity. "Oh, just the typical worries we would have had to fight two wars at once. The Timeless country to our north can be quite ruthless when they attack."
Bubblegum had the distinct feeling that Fionna was omitting something. Afraid of accidently prying into something personal, she didn't press the issue. "Well, what about Marshall Lee?" she changed the subject.
"Milady's twin brother?" Fionna changed the weight to her opposite hand. "He's a bit of an oddball that one. Really plays up the badboy image for the public, but he's got plenty of fanizens so it works for him I guess."
"You don't fall for his image?" Bubblegum inquired, amused at Fionna's take on the royalty.
"Nah, I'm my own woman and perfectly fine living for me a while," Fionna dropped the weight and stood to stretch. "I'll know what kind of person I'll want if and when they ever come along."
Bubblegum smiled despite herself. "You're pretty cool, Fi."
"Yeah, I know," her bodyguard responded lightheartedly. "How about you, princess? You have a type?"
"I have a wife," Bubblegum remarked seriously. "I don't have the luxury of having a type."
"Come on," Fionna teased. "I know ya'll's marriage was a political stepping stone, but it can't be all that bad."
"No," Bubblegum answered honestly without a second though, surprising herself a little. "Marceline is, well…" she rubbed her chin in contemplation. "A mystery for one."
Fionna cocked an eyebrow. "Hmmm. I see."
"What do you see?" Bubblegum inquired, confused.
"Oh, nothing," Fionna grinned at her. "You'll catch on eventually," she patted Bubblegum's shoulder as if offering consolation.
A few days later, Bubblegum and Marceline were visiting the family's stylist for the final alterations on their ball outfits. By the third visit, Bubblegum had gotten used to the old man's complaints about how the pink shade of her skin was so difficult to match with anything. Now she just completely blocked him out, her mind busy with other, more pressing issues than the tint of her skin.
On the one hand, she still hadn't been able to find much information concerning the past war. She hadn't approached Fionna again, but for some reason she felt wary of approaching Marceline about the subject. The evening before, she had added in a small note to the historian of the Candy Kingdom's records in her letter to Rainicorn, asking for an honest and detailed report on the matter. Now, she just had to wait.
On the other hand, why hadn't she been able to more adequately answer Fionna's inquiry about Marceline? It had been a simple question, and yet when put on the spot… At least she no longer felt any resentment towards her political wife, like when she first arrived. Marshall's snide comment about "Stockholm syndrome" reared its ugly head, making her grimace.
Pushing that aside, she considered Marceline. While the Vampire Queen hadn't fully opened up about everything, they definitely had a trust of sorts building. She wondered how Marceline regarded her. Granted, Bubblegum hadn't made the best of first impressions when she arrived, but Marceline's actions suggested she held no negative feelings. Surely the woman would be incapable of all the cozy love-bird acting she put on in front of the paparazzi if that were the case.
The thought of Marceline's actions to present an image of a happy couple flooded Bubblegum's mind, making her face hot for some reason that entirely eluded her. It was all just an act any way, it was ridiculous to be affected by it. Rather than make her feel better, that reminder only managed to dampen her mood further.
"Princess!" the stylist's voice rose an octave. "Are you all right? You're suddenly a much darker shade than usual, the color coordination is completely off. I can't have this!"
"I'm fine," Bubblegum sighed.
"Who ya thinkin' about?" Fionna grinned cheekily from her chair in the corner of the room.
"It's nothing important, my color will return to normal momentarily," Bubblegum huffed, the picture of annoyed royalty.
Mumbling under his breath about people who couldn't keep their coloring a constant shade, the stylist returned to his work. A few hours of standing and three pin pricks later, they were finally done. When Bubblegum emerged from the dressing room, she found Marceline waiting by the entrance. "Ready to go?"
"Absolutely," Bubblegum sighed. "I'm starving!"
Marceline chuckled as they exited the front doors. They both froze as they were immediately bombarded by a gaggle of paparazzi with voice recorders and flashing cameras. Fionna and Kovmir jumped right into action, attempting to force their way through the throng and create a path to no avail. Bubblegum startled at the feeling of a hand around her waist, followed by Marceline's whispered voice in her ear, "We may have to fly out."
"Joy," Bubblegum sighed. While flying didn't make her as sick anymore, she suspected it would never be her favorite activity.
"Quit jostling!" a young voice sounded nearby. Bubblegum looked over Marceline's shoulder to find a large portion of the crowd near the Vampiress was actually comprised of younger children. She nudged her wife's arm and pointed in the direction of the kids.
Marceline released Bubblegum and approached the kids, who suddenly looked very excited and nervous. A few of the older children even saluted, which Marceline returned. Bubblegum watched in amusement as Marceline began to sign autographs, while every camera in the area attempted to capture the moment. This was a good representation of Marceline's image, Bubblegum thought. At first glance, a dark and intimidating warrior who, on closer inspection, had a rather approachable demeanor.
Bubblegum's amused thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of something tugging on her dress. Turning, she found Shoko grinning up at her. " 'ello Lady. You done got some, too," the young girl gestured at a smaller group of kids behind them. "So quit starin' all lovey-dovey at yer wife 'n pay us some attentions."
A few of the cameramen had turned their attention to Bubblegum, and were laughing at Shoko's comment. "It's 'attention'," Bubblegum grumbled. "Singular."
"Whatever Lady," Shoko shrugged with a cheeky grin.
Bubblegum turned towards the small group of mostly girls, unsure of how to react. It was the first time she was being directly approached by anyone other than Shoko. She studied the group for a moment, noticing that most of them were wearing some item of pink… and that they all shared some sort of deformity, like most fanizen children. Not for the first time, she wished someone would explain these odd conditions of Nightos to her.
"Hello," she said nervously, unaccustomed to dealing with children. "How can I help you all?"
Within seconds all the children were talking at the same time, until Shoko calmed them down as president. With a bit more decorum, they began to more or less take turns in speaking.
"Princess Bubblegum, you're sooo pretty!"
"Yeah, we dun agree with tha' Teller guy. I mean, you have a higher biomass, but you're still beautiful."
"I love your hair!"
"My momma says what makes you so great is yer con… confa… confadance?"
"I wanna be like you one day…"
"Yeah, and I wanna be a scientist like you and make de' sick people all better."
Bubblegum turned her gaze towards the last kid that spoke, a very small girl with only three fingers on one hand. Before she had come to this place, the only child she would have bothered listening to was this one- the one who expressed interest in something intellectual. As a ruler in the Candy Kingdom, she would have shunned anyone who commented on physical appearance before mental capability as not worth her time. It was difficult to admit to herself, but it was true.
Now, however, she looked at this group of children, every single one who had their share of injury or deformity for reasons she still didn't quite understand, the ones wanting to be "pretty" as well as "smart" and saw them for what they were: dreaming children. They were simply, in their own way, looking for someone to follow and reassurance that they were on some semblance of a right path. All young people needed to feel validated, in some way, in a world that told them they were "not enough".
Bubblegum knelt down so that she was eye level with most of them, taking a deep breath as she considered her words. "I'm afraid that is impossible," she stated, looking at each of them in turn. She noticed Fionna glare at her, but she ignored the woman. "Because," she continued, "every one of you is already beautiful and smart in your own way. Instead of wanting to be like me, I want you to have the confidence to be yourselves."
Some of the kids looked at each other in confusion while others smiled up at her. "That ain't what the other royals say," Shoko commented suspiciously.
"Well, you asked me, didn't you?" Bubblegum furrowed a brow at the girl. "I want to see what you all can be through your own strength."
Shoko merely nodded as if she only now approved of Bubblegum, despite having founded the fan club and being self-proclaimed president. Suddenly the smallest boy in the front of the group began to cry, making Bubblegum jump. "D-does dat mean… y-you can't be m-m-my favorite anymore?" he asked through hiccups.
"Oh no, I would be honored to be your favorite!" Bubblegum replied, trying not to laugh, patting the kid's head. Seemingly placated, he wiped the tears from his eyes as his sniffling quieted. Some of the kids requested an autograph before they all waved Bubblegum goodbye as she stood. Turning back, she found Marceline staring at her oddly, with something of a bemused smile on her face.
"What?" Bubblegum huffed, tired of people looking at her like that.
"Nothing," Marceline held out a hand. "Ready to go?"
"Wait! Bubbline!" someone in the thrall of paparazzi called out.
"Bubbline?" Bubblegum asked quizzically.
"Apparently that's our couple name," Marceline informed her.
"Couple name?"
"What do you think of the new couple name the fanizens have christened for you?" someone asked, pointing a recorder towards Bubblegum's face.
"It's… nice?" Bubblegum murmured, trying to mask her true opinion on the topic.
"It's better than Marcegum," Fionna commented behind her. Plenty of the onlookers laughed at her joke, although Bubblegum didn't find it particularly amusing.
"Come on, Bubbline, give us a kiss! A real kiss!" someone cried. Bubblegum and Marceline looked at each other in surprise, both being put on the spot. "We've not had one since the wedding!" someone else cried, quickly followed by agreement from the rest of the crowd. We haven't had a proper kiss since the wedding either, Bubblegum thought grumpily.
As the crowd began to chant "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" around them, Bubblegum turned to look at Marceline. It would be suspicious for a happily married couple to deny something as simple as a kiss, she supposed. Not to mention the damage it could do Marceline's image to refuse. Marceline's face was stoic, but Bubblegum could see the conflict in the Vampire's eyes, although they refused to meet her own.
Taking a measured breath, Bubblegum steeled herself against the insane beating of her heart. Why was she nervous? They had done this once before, it wasn't a big deal. "Come on, Marcy," she joked, trying to sound confident as she elbowed her wife in the arm. "Surely it won't hurt to share a little bit?" she said, hoping she sounded teasing and not nervous.
Marceline finally looked down to meet her gaze. There was a brief moment where a look of resolve crossed Marceline's face, before she sighed as if giving into a begging child. "Well if you all insist."
Marceline suddenly stepped forward so they were barely an inch apart, tilting Bubblegum's face upwards. Her mind seemed to stop working, everything happening too quickly to process properly. Before she knew it, Marceline's lips met hers and a strange chill ran through her body from the icy touch. The only strange thought that seemed to cross her mind was that it wasn't a bad feeling after all. Rather than the dead, intrusive feeling like on their wedding day, it made her feel excitement, like standing on the edge of a waterfall before diving into the water below.
After what felt like forever, but also only a few spare seconds, Marceline pulled away and turned back to the paparazzi who all cheered their appreciation. "If you'll excuse us," Marceline was saying pleasantly, "we have another engagement that we shouldn't be late for."
Before Bubblegum could protest, Marceline wrapped her arms around the Princess's waist and hoisted her up into the air. They flew in silence, while Bubblegum thankfully was able to hide her burning face in Marceline's shoulder.
"I'm sorry you had to do that," was all Marceline said, her voice strangely flat.
Something seemed to crumple in Bubblegum's chest. Was it truly so awful an experience that Marceline felt the need to apologize for it? And why was she reacting over something as simple as a kiss? She'd had plenty of meaningless kisses in her life, now was not an exactly ideal time to be having such a crisis. Unsure whether Marceline's apology or her own feelings were of greater disturbance, Bubblegum offered no response as they flew home in silence.
