"Hey Marceline?" Finn knocked on Marceline's door the next day, fidgeting all the while. There was no answer.
He knocked again. Maybe she wasn't home, but maybe she just didn't hear him.
"Alright, alright, I'm getting it," came a groggy voice.
Marceline opened the door with one hand, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with the other. Her hair was mildly disheveled, and she was decidedly dressed in what passes for pajamas. Fuzzy slippers too.
"Finn? What's up? Its like," she turned her head, "It's like not even dusk yet," she noted the few beams of light illuminating her cave. Enough to hurt her if she stood under them, not enough to bother her while occupying her doorway.
"Yeah, I know, sorry," he appologized quickly, "I just- we need to talk."
"Yeah, sure, about what?" she asked automatically as she yawned.
"About being your boyfriend," he answered, somewhat put at ease by her casual response.
"Huh?" his words sobered her quickly.
"You know..." he said nervously, no longer quite as confident, "couples stuff."
"Oh man," she drifted over to the couch and settled down, averting her gaze. "Look, Finn, I told you to forget about that. It was weird, it was wrong, and I'm sorry."
"No, its okay," Finn hopped on the seat next to her, "I wanna do it."
"Woah." Marceline was taken aback.
"IMEANIWANNABEYOURBOYFRIEND" he quickly clarified.
Marceline let out a sigh of relief.
"Man, you had me going for a second there," Mareceline smiled nervously. "So... for real?" she asked.
Finn took her hand between his and looked at her seriously, "Yes, totally for reals."
"PFT." she tried to surpress a laugh, but was ultimately unsuccessful. "Ahaha!" Finn deflated.
She pat him on the head, "I'm sorry, its just that you're adorable when you're all serious like that."
He pouted.
"...so what changed?" Marceline asked, "I mean, you were weirded out yesterday, and suddenly today you're cool with it?"
"Sort of," Finn replied.
"And how about that torch you're holding for Bonnie?"
"I thought about it. Like, a lot. I'm not really good at it, so I kind of strained my brain," he explained. "But, uh, it was a bunch of stuff. You're a radical dame. That's always been true."
"Heh. Okay, I'll give you that."
"And, you know? I get lonely too," Finn added.
Marceline sank deeper into her not-so-comfortable couch.
"Man. You weren't kidding when you said this thing sucks," she punched the cushion, hoping to soften it. "But you? Lonely? Last I checked you're sort of a big deal hero. Everybody love you."
"Yeah, but, I dunno. Its like... I can be their hero, and even their friend, but I can't always be me, right?"
"Okay, I buy that," Marceline reflected, "but two people being lonely isn't exactly a great reason to date. It can be nice for a little while, but... yeah."
"Well, there's one more thing."
"What's that?"
"When you tease me, you know, hugging me, kissing me, that sort of thing?"
"Yeah?"
Finn put his hand over his heart, "I get the same feeling I do with Peebles. I never thought about it too hard because I figured it was just you messing with me like always, but, I dunno. We're totally chilling one moment, and the next, I'm all wound up inside."
Marceline sighed again and drew Finn in close beside her.
"Look, Finn... its not that part of me isn't really tempted. But I'm probably gonna jack up your brain if we do this."
"Maybe," Finn replied.
"And sometimes I can be kind of a jerk."
"I know."
"And you still want to do this?" Marceline asked, uncertain.
He merely nodded.
She sighed, and took a long hard look at him. He looked back at her, full of youthful earnestness.
"Okay," she said finally.
"Okay," he echoed.
A pause.
"Now what?" Finn asked, uncertain.
"That's it," she smiled, "We're boyfriend and girlfriend."
He took a moment to take it in. He felt giddy.
"Cool."
She laughed at the understatement. "Yeah, it is cool," She yawned, "Now get out of my house."
"Huh!"
"I was sleeping Finn, glob. I'm freaking tired. So get out of here, unless you want to come to bed with me."
Finn froze.
She snickered. "Maybe some other day," she gave him a kiss on the cheek, then upon further consideration, a quick peck on the lips. "Alright, get out of here," she smiled.