Chapter V, To Keep You Close

Luckily for the duo, the portal lead them to a more soothing and calm place, instead of throwing them back into the sea of vicious bones. And as they traveled together for a while, mostly in silence, the princess and the cat finally reached their destination. A small cavern with a house inside of it, that held many secrets and even more memories.

"So, this is the place, where the demon lives? Marcel, right?..." He sniffed around. "Undoubtedly, I can smell a fiend from a mile away." He waved his tail around. "Is it a friend or foe? Probably the latter, huh? Thought that someone like you don't have much friends in their possession, pink spot."

"You know, heard a certain thing about cats in one of my books." She grinned menacingly, as she stood right next to the entrance. "That they calm down after you, should I say, shatter the diamonds?"

"We... wouldn't like that, no." He quickly changed the topic. "So why the hesitation, my bright burden?" The cat stated curiously. "Afraid of something?"

"Well, she's something else, if you must know." She shrugged, but shortly after, placed her hands on her chest. The heartbeat was unmeasurable. "Most of the times our agreements don't end on high notes." She silently whispered to herself. "Despite the fact that we want it to be otherwise."

"Well. If all else fails, you can always whack and smack. No subtlety there, pink dear, and you get what you want." He chuckled. "But that's only my advice..."

"...That you can stick right from where it came from, thank you very much."

The cat was still around, looking curiously and grinning to himself, as her hand reached for the door handle. She was shivering.

"You don't need to stare like that. It's something I need to do on my own." She was both nervous and annoyed. "So off you go, lick your... fur, or whatever your kind does in free time."

"You shatter my heart, once again!" He rolled his eyes. "No need to tell me that twice, sore pink."

"You know, you're free to go anytime you'd like." The doors were locked. Why would she even expect it to be otherwise. Was it because not so long ago, they always stood wide opened for her? "Why you stick around?"

"Oh, I do, because I'm curious. And even if curiosity sometimes maims and smothers the cat, this one is too big for that." He showed her his teeth. "And oh, you don't believe in love at first sight?"

The fiend began to laugh and as he jumped from one rock to another, he eventually found his way through the gaping hole in the ceiling, leaving her alone and pondering. Her hand eventually reached the door and knocked slightly. Deep inside, she thought if it was wise to come here. Some things are better left buried away. As she heard noises on the other side however, she knew that there's no turning back now. The gate eventually opened and two black eyes were fixated right at her, gazing curiously. Her dark hair was set loose, falling right at her slim shoulders. It would appear that she missed the bottom part of her clothing, her long shirt however provided the needed cover.

"Oh." The vampire gasped. "You're the last person I would expect here Bonnie." She grinned somewhat happily. "What made you wobble your butt all the way here?"

"Yes, nice to see you too. Marceline."

"So official! So stuck up! It's not like I'm disappointed, don't get me wrong. Just surprised. And curious. Veeery curious. Come in Bonnie." She smiled. "Like old times. You do remember some of them, don't you?"

She floated back inside and waved. Bubblegum nodded slightly and came after. The place hasn't changed at all, just like the host. Everything was in it's place the way she remembered it, aside from occasional clothes lying on the ground and overall mess in the room. She didn't mind that at all, as she was tired at times of the tidy, sterile palace walls. Marceline slowly descended and sat on the sofa. The princess found herself a comfortable place as well, right on the other side.

"Sorry for the mess. Hardly expected someone so... royally burdened around."

"Hey!" She shouted. "That's uncalled for."

"You accepted jokes better back in the days."

"Not really." The princess shook her head. "There simply was more to laugh at then..."

"Was it?" She sighted. "So why are you here Bonnie?" Her black eyes gazed at her. "We both know that you're here for something. Not just because of..." She gulped and looked at the floor. "...me."

"Actually... I'm here because of you, in a way."

"Is that so, really?" She winked a couple of time, then started to stare right at her once again. "Really-really?"

Bubblegum for some reason felt overwhelmed by her gaze and this time it was she who looked up in the ceiling, only to avoid the topic further it would seem. In the meantime, the vampire came closer and closer, eventually finding herself right next to her friend.

"So, are you gonna tell me or not?" She put her arm around the princess shoulders. "It's a thing I'd love to hear about, right?"

"I need something that belongs to you." She bit her lip. "To get away from... Something inside me."

"Oh." She forced a smile. "That something must be something fierce. So. What do you want from me? Inside you, pfff. Maybe outside as well? A comb to look better for your people? Or a certain person? Certain boy? Or Guy, yet again? Or other meaningless junk to bother me with?" Even that vague grin disappeared from her face. "It's not like I have a life, no, I'm just waiting here for you to pick up stuff you need."

"You are not making this easier for me Marceline."

"You never made it easy for me!" She shook her head. "Never..."

Again, the silence came uninvited and lasted a while between the two. The vampire still had her arm tangled around Bubblegum however and the latter did nothing to change that state.

"Just tell me..." She eventually sighted. "...just tell me what do you need..."

"Your blood. To get rid of the the Lich. Part of him is in my head." The princess poked her own forehead. "We failed to get rid of him. I failed."

"So... That means you're threatened?" She paused. "And something may happen to you?"

"I..." She couldn't further avoid her sight. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"No reasons..."

Marceline thought about it for a while. Finally as she came into a conclusion, she took a deep breath. It was as if saying those words out loud was a task beyond her capabilities.

"I will give you what you want Bonnie..." She finally managed to do it. "Then you will go, right?"

"Yes, it will be that way." Bubblegum nodded slightly, still, she was a bit suspicious. "However, just like that? No loopholes? No insults? No witty remarks?"

"Why do you expect there's always a trick in what I say?" The vampire tangled a bit of the princess hair over her finger and started to play with it. "Maybe I just... want to do something for you, you know?"

"I know you all to well Marceline."

"If you knew me all that well, you would never do the things you did."

She let go of her and started to float around, quickly drifting towards the other room. Bubblegum stood up and followed her.

"Like I said. I will give you what you need." She shook her head. "But since you act that way towards me... I want something too."

"I knew it." She gazed at her with much annoyance. "So what is it this time?"

"Something that only you can give me." She put her hands on her chest, looking at her with her dreamy eyes. "Something dear to me."

"Something dear?" The princess repeated after her, thinking what exactly does she mean.

"Yes, no need to say it again." She smiled mysteriously. "After all, you want something special from me as well."

"Marceline, that's not the time for games..."

"Games? That's not a game... It never was a game for me!" She got a bit sadder all of a sudden. "It's as serious to me, as my part in your scheme is serious to... well, you."

The vampire ran off to another room and Bubblegum fallowed her, sighting loudly as she hardly had the patience for this kind of activities. She too however took her time, looking at the furniture, the clothes laying around everywhere, notes of songs and other various things. All of that was her, all of it bare her scent. The share notion of that was thrilling. Marceline just sat on one of the chairs, looking at her and in the same time, almost begging for some attention.

"Enjoying your nostalgia trip Bonnie?" The vampire winked. "I know I enjoy looking at you here once again..."

"I still don't know where that is supposed to lead us." She rolled her eyes. "And why for that matter."

"You don't enjoy it? Even a little, tiny bit?"

"I would enjoy it more if the circumstances were different, you know that!"

Marceline nodded and escaped into yet another room. And the princess just like before, followed her slowly, step after step. As she passed by one of the cabinets, she stopped for a brief second, gazing at their old photo, still laying where she once left it. The frame was the same, just the glass behind it was held was shattered. She pondered about the reason of that, knowing that she probably deserved that, one way or another. When she finally reached the bedroom, the vampire just sat on the corner of the bed, smiling towards her playfully, apparently pretty happy of herself. But that wasn't all that she saw in those black eyes. There was also much grief. Bubblegum sighted loudly.

"Marceline, I told you this many times, on many occasions. It's not about the fact that I don't want to, I do, but responsibility is what I need to focus on! And it was never about Guy, to clear that off the bat!" She raised her voice. "Happiness is not something I can just hold onto, because when I'm happy, others suffer." Bubblegum made a gesture with her hands, almost as if he snapped someone's neck. "One way or another, because they lack of my guidance. You know that being a princess is a responsibility in it's own! Everything I do, every research, science, interesting contraption, I do it for them, not for myself!" She tapped her feet impatiently. "And now, every minute I hesitate, I put my people in danger!..."

Marceline didn't cared much about her words however. She just gazed, almost as if she was mesmerized. When the princess turned around to prove some other point, or simply to show how mad she is, the vampire quickly got rid of her clothes, tossing them aside and eventually stood up. Her hair slowly felt down over her body, covering what needed to be covered.

"And besides..." She turned around, as her eyes widened. "Oh..."

"I want you. As much as I can get, at least for this one time." She shrugged and when she did that, her hair revealed more then they should. "I don't want anything else and I won't accept anything else. Because you'll run away from me again. With Guy, Finn, or whatever will come in your way." She sniffed. "And again, I will be left with nothing."

"Marceline." She blushed a little. "Please, it's not like that. It's not the..."

"Not the time? Or am I not good enough?" She looked down and stroked her slim body, smudging her fingers around her ribs. "I... know I'm far from being perfect. You could... probably find someone better. Was that the case with Guy? I'm hardly a match, am I?" The vampire looked at her chest and almost instantly covered it, almost as if she was ashamed of it. "Someone far more... beautiful. Smarter." She began to shiver. "But, I just..."

"Marceline..."

"I'm just that way... It's who I am, alright? It's who I am, how I tick... And you mean a lot to me, alright?" She sniffed once again. "I know I'm not perfect, I never were." A vague smile appeared on her face. "But you did chose me once. And that was wonderful. If I'll have to blackmail you to do it again..." She paused, as the words could not pass by her throat. "I... won't do it. But you mean a lot to me and... and... I made a fool of myself again, haven't I?..." The princess tried to say something, but she almost instantly interrupted her. "I did. Dang it..."

Marceline blushed heavily and turned around, as she started to quickly gather her clothes. And just as she was meant to cover herself, she felt warm hands over her shoulders. And with that, came the sweet scent of Bubblegum's body behind her. As she felt her pink frame pressing from behind, as the soft, velvet arms began to embrace her, tears slowly started to slide over her cheeks.

"You know... I've been counting each day I was away from you. And each day you were away from me." The vampire sighted deeply. "Each moment we lost, that we could spend together. You think about those things sometimes?"

"I do." She silently whispered to her ear, as she started to delicately nab on it's surface. Her lips strayed lower onto her neck, almost as if she wanted to delay her words further. She knew there was no escape from this conversation however. "I really do..."

"Often?" Marceline asked, as she caught the princess hands and tangled her fingers around her's. "I'd like to think that way, you know Bonnie?"

"All the time." She smooched the vampire on her nape. "Constantly."

"Then what is stopping you from..." Her grip tightened. "...being here, with me? Close to me? When I need you? And perhaps... When you need me at times?"

"I do..." The princess breathed heavily onto her neck as she pondered what would be the best response. "And... responsibilities keep me away from you."

"Are they... more important than me?" Her eyes were wet. "Mean more to you than me? Like he meant more to you than me?"

"They aren't, it's what I need to do." She sighted loudly. Her pink body pressed even harder which indicated strength. She did it to mask the fact that her hands were shaking. "And nothing ever was more important than you."

Marceline let go of her fingers and turned around, as she wanted to look into Bubblegum's eyes. And as she gazed at her, it was as if she looked at her reflection in a mirror. Much doubt, much grief. Much longing, a bit of hope. And tears.

"Do you still find me attractive Bonnie? More than anyone?" She stroked her cheeks. "Be honest with me."

"I do." She wiped away her lover's tears. "I always did."
"Even with my sticking out ribs, pale skin, pointy teeth, matted hair, do you still feel..." She gulped. "...lust for me?"

"Yes." She responded, as her lips came closer and closer. "I think about you every time..." The princess whispered. "I crave for you all the time..."

"Then why you never told me that Bonnie?" The vampire sighted. "Even back then, you never told me those things..."

"Why is that so important?"

"Because I want to feel special." Her grip tightened. "Special for you. Because no matter how I will try, I won't find anyone like you. You know how it turned out for me when I tried. I almost lost some of my memories back then..." Marceline shook her head, as she sniffed once again. "I'm tired Bonnie. I'm tired every night when I think about you and Guy. When I consider every possible scenario with you and him in it. When in my head you do things I cannot erase. That you cared more about that... more then..."

"How can I change that?" There was desperation in her voice. Above all else, she wanted to avoid loosing her yet again. "Is there a way?"

"There is..." She smiled vaguely. "Will you show me how much I mean to you?"

"I will." She blew a small kiss on her pale lips. "I will..."

"Good..." Marceline grabbed her hands and put them on her chest. "I have a lot to show you as well..."