One year later….

Princess Bubblegum trudged up the spiral stair case, rubbing sleepily at one eye. "Oh, butternut," she mumbled through a yawn. Running a kingdom was hard enough— try running it on four hours of sleep. The princess frowned, shaking her head. If that truffle-headed Door Lord hadn't popped into her room, rummaging through her wardrobe—

"Ah, what do you think we should do, Your Majesty?" Peppermint Butler smiled up at her expectantly. Bubblegum paused on the landing, blinking. The small man had been talking to her the entire time she was spaced out. Verdammt. Smiling apologetically, the young monarch wrung her hands and said, "I'm very sorry, Peppermint, but it's been a long day, and I was not paying attention…"

Peppermint Butler's brows furrowed, and instead of looking hurt as Bubblegum expected, he nodded understandingly. "I see, Princess. It has been quite a busy day indeed, especially the meeting with Lumpy Space Princess. She can be a bit of a handful, if I may say."

Bonnibel managed a chuckle, and rubbed her cheeks. "Perhaps. But, I just did not get as much sleep as I would have liked." Peppermint Butler ushered the princess to her room, a look of worry creasing his brow as he said, "Ah, Your Majesty, I was merely saying earlier, that your birthday is fast approaching, and I was curious what your thoughts were on having a ball in celebration." Smiling, he continued, "But, we can always discuss it tomorrow. Pleasant dreams." With a final bow, Peppermint Butler descended the staircase.

My birthday…already? Bubblegum nudged her bedroom door closed behind her with her foot, and turned the dial on the wall closest to her left.

Click.

The room was bathed in a soft light.

Muffling another nearly jaw splitting yawn, Bubblegum unzipped her dress, wriggling most ungracefully from its cloth confines. The princess stood still for a prolonged moment, mind wandering back to the night before. To the Door Lord. To her.

"Oh, for Glob's sake get a hold of yourself, Bonnibel." She gathered her dress throwing it in the hamper within her wardrobe, and brushed her fingers along the various shades of pink fabric in her sleepwear section. Chewing her bottom lip, Bubblegum turned on her heel from the array of pink clothing, and walked to her bed, where a perfectly folded shirt lay.

Black— a stark contrast to the room around her and the quilt beneath it, but she loved it. Carefully, Bubblegum unfolded the shirt, fingertips pressing into the fabric, making tiny indents.

"Ha, looks like you aren't as perfect as you thought. Guess you can't judge me anymore." The vampire queen's lip curls as she floats towards Bubblegum, and the younger monarch glares.

Quickly she sets Beemo down on the stump, and stands facing Marceline grating out, "I never said you had to be perfect!"

Bubblegum puffed out her cheeks with a sigh and tugged on the shirt, small smile quirking the corners of her mouth. The shirt felt so wonderfully worn in, the material soft and breathable against her skin.

"So you really do wear it." A voice murmured quietly behind Bubblegum.

The girl whirled around, hand flying to her chest.

Marceline was there hovering just above the floor, raven hair floating about her as if she were underwater. The vampire queen could hear the pitter patter of Bubblegum's heart as it slowed to a steady rhythm, and she couldn't help but take satisfaction in the fact that she was able to do that.

Scowling, Bubblegum dropped her hands to her sides, fingers curling slightly into fists. "What are you doing in here, Marceline? I realize while you might be nocturnal, not everyone else is." The pink became painfully aware of the fact that she was lacking pants, and that realization brought heat to her cheeks and she turned on her heel, briskly walking towards her bureau.

Marceline leaned back in the air and voiced her earlier statement once more.

"So you really do wear it. And here I thought you were just talking out of your—"

Bubblegum rolled her eyes, and slipped into a pair of cupcake pajama pants, peeking out at the raven from behind the door. "I heard you earlier, you know. And of course I wear it to bed— does my word have no merit to you anymore, Marceline?" The pink girl came to perch herself on the edge of her bed, gaze piercing as it held the vampire's.

Ouch.

Marceline shook that one off because in all honesty it was deserved, and smiled apologetically, fangs peeking out to say howdy-do. "It's not that I didn't believe you, princess, it's just that…" the smile faded from her face and a wrinkle appeared between her brows, eyes flicking away.

Bubblegum was struck with the urge to smooth out that wrinkle, take the vampire in her arms, and tell her that it was okay. That she was sorry for everything and she didn't mean it and she missed her terribly—

"It's just that I know we haven't exactly been simpático with each other in a long time, and I just. I'm sorry, Bonnibel." Marceline met Bubblegum's gaze, eyes pleading.

As soon as Marceline had made her presence known mere minutes earlier, Bubblegum had been prepared for a fight, and argument.

She had been prepared for everything the queen would have thrown her way, except for that.