Chapter XX, Mists

Eventually they reached the borders of the Fire Kingdom. It was quite the relief to see it for the last time, as the heat got tiresome after a while. Death left them and went off in the direction known only to him. This time around he didn't say a thing about their next goal. Perhaps he wanted them to have a bit of a break? It was always hard to tell with that one, since he was quite the riddle. And they ventured onwards as the steam poured from each and every direction. It was because this very land was clutched in battle between two opposing elements, as the kingdom of flame adhered to the ice lands themselves. After a while, when the journey throughout those clashing opponents got tiresome, the girls found themselves a place right in between to rest for a while. A small cove, hid from both the powers with a small pond right in the middle.

"Quite the place." Marceline joked around as she fixated her new hat. "Not as nice as my new ware, still.."

"At this point, everything is better than the heat out there."

"Speaking of heat!" She shouted and clapped her hands vigorously. "We need to take care of you."

"Of me?" Bubblegum raised her eyebrow. "How come, I think I'm managing quite..."

"Hush, hush."

The little vampire swirled around the pond. She placed something over the rocks near the water and waved at the princess invitingly. What she was up to this time, Bubblegum wondered as she looked at the object. It happened to be a small, fluffy pillow. The one they used in coffins. Now that was a curious sight.

"Is that a metaphor for... what?"

"A pillow is a metaphor for a pillow Bonnie." She rolled her eyes. "And they say you're the smart one."

"Bah, not my point... where did you even got that from?"

"Let's say that the hat wasn't my only snatch. I grabbed other things. Mostly the ones that he hardly cared about anyways. He basically said 'grab what you want' you know?" She whispered to Bonnibel's ear. "Still, don't tell him that."

Bubblegum just shook her head, seeing as asking any kind of questions on the subjects would be a waste of time. She just laid her head on the thing, just as her partner wanted. Marceline obviously playfully sat near her and it looked almost as if she planed on something else. Now that was a more interesting notion.

"Enjoying yourself Bonnie?" She said, as she began to caress her body. The princess knew where this is going. Did she opposed? Not really. "Hm?"

"A bit..." At first the strokes were hardly working but by the time her lover reached her thighs, she purred a little. "Mmm... Got anything useful from him maybe?"

"Maybe..."

"What would that be then?"

She shuffled about her whereabouts for a while. The pink one took a glimpse of her backpack. The amounts of things she grabbed from the dead one was astonishing. There were some old coins, probably predating the Candy Kingdom, some pieces of rags, manuscripts and even a small, strangely shaped toy. Eventually, Marceline found what she needed as she waved it in front of her lover's face.

"Bandages and plasters!"
"Mhmm... Wait, what?"

The little vampire obviously had her own ideas of having fun, as she grabbed her pink hand and began to inspect it closely. Wasn't the princess the one that complained about the burn marks on her sweet skin? Therefore the pale girl did exactly that – attended to her 'wounds'. She did that in her own way obviously, as she began to lick the spots, tangling her long, swift tongue around them. Not that Bubblegum opposed much. She liked that slippery eel. She liked her lips. She craved for her touch. She strove for her scent. As the pale girl finished with her arm, she placed a single plaster to mark her doings.

"There. All better. Now, time for the rest!"

"The rest?" She looked in her black eyes. "Oh..."

The girl wasn't the one that liked to hesitate. She almost instantly pulled her lover's shirt, as she started to count each and every mark she found, playfully smooching over the surface. The sweetest of tastes, so delightful, so pleasing, so appealing. It was a curious notion - each time she tasted her skin, she strove for more. Each time it tasted different. Each time it tasted better. Was it because each time she simply felt more and more towards her? Was it even possible? She hardly cared, as she knew one thing – she wanted more.

"Oh, you have a mark here..."She playfully said as she smooched her belly. "And here. And, ooh. There."

Her pink body was almost made for her plays. So what that with each burnt mark she spotted, she left one of her own in a form of two, round dots. So what that she was going lower and lower with her carefully planed venture. So what that she began to press harder and harder, as her tongue was more and more slippery. The princess only hoped that it won't end. Still, she liked to talk. A bit too much at times.

"Where this will lead us, I wonder..."

"Why you ask about things you are sure of?"

"Courtesy, simply courtesy."

"I'll stick that courtesy up your butt one day, you know?"

"You'd like that." Bonnibel bit her lip. "Don't you?"

Almost as if the vampire wanted to underline those words, she slapped her lover and chuckled. And they began to cuddle around, as their lips met once more in their passionate motion. The steam surrounding them only add to the charm of this very moment, as the mists flew constantly around them with their every move.

"There is still some fire to put out."

"Isn't there always?"

"Hey, I'm just grabbing what I can. "

Marceline said, as she playfully stroked her partner's body. Her mood once again changed however, as her eyes got a bit hazy. She was like a handwritten book – sometimes it was hard to read the words within her or even gasp their meaning.

"Because?"

"Well, some say that I'm the wild card." She massaged her harder. "But you, oh Glob. Despite what you say, all the nice things, I still have a lot of doubts. "

"Doubts?"

"Again, with the one word questions. Yes, doubts, ugh. You say a lot of things, things that are charming at times. Beautiful, at times." She swiftly kissed her lips "But, at the end... "She pointed the finger at her forehead. "There are things in there that I'm afraid of."

"Well, the Lich is truly..."

"Not the Lich, you, dummy. You." She sighted. "Just you. Each time we have our little plays, somewhere in my head a thought appears – how little you speak about yourself, how little I know you in some ways. That's why I doubt at times. Because, despite the fact that I love you and know you, at times, I feel like I don't..."

"Perhaps you shouldn't doubt in me all that time." The princess hardly was in a mood for such conversations. "And I will tell you more... one day..."

"Perhaps it is you that should make up your mind." She replied in a quick and dry matter. "You know, because I care and want to be sure that I know you enough that you'll stay."

"Oh yeah?" Bubblegum raised her eyebrow. "Perhaps I have other duties to fulfill before I'll throw everything away for you."

"Perhaps I want something more than what if's." Now it was Marceline who got more and more annoyed. "Since I've got so many of them before?"

"Perhaps that will come in time, dumdum."

"Perhaps you always say that and that's the point that worries me the most!..." She said with a sneer. "...Princess Bubblegum."

"Don't call me that. I don't like it, not from you."

"Why not, your majesty?"

The pink one simply had enough. She grabbed her lover by the shoulders and threw right into the pond. As she looked at her reflection in the water, her lover eventually emerged from within the depths, as her black, wet hair made her look quite frighting.

"Now that was rude."

She floated up a little to get out of this mess. Bonnibel tried to stay mad at her, but as her lovers wet clothes adhered to her body, as every slightest curve was now visible despite being covered, seeing as once again water slide over her skin, she simply bit her lower lip. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Pushing me like that, huh." She stroked her body around. "We can push more things, if you wish, miss bubble butt."

"Maybe."

Marceline playfully reached her lovers hand. As their fingers tangled, they looked at each other warmly. But before the princess could process that notion in her pink, smart head, the vampire quickly pulled her right into the water.

"Hah, gotcha!"

"Alright, should have seen that coming."

Marceline flew away right into the steamy mists chuckling while at it, apparently pretty proud of herself. Bubblegum finally climbed out of the pond, as she began the search for her lover. She heard noises, mostly murmurs and giggles in the air. She could hardly see a thing however, being completely lost in this transitory maze. From time to time, she felt slick, cold hands smudging over her body, yet each time she turned around to catch their owner, she saw nothing but clouds of steam. Not that she didn't enjoyed those little games. She did – immensely. She would love to start the main course however at this point, as deep inside, despite the things she says at times, she both loved and craved for the little vampire. Marceline obviously knew that. She knew that the princess is hard to deal with. That she's a pain when things don't go the way she planned. She knew that very well each time she smudged her hair in the mists. Each time she groped her hips in the steamy fields. Each time she almost took a bite of her neck when the pink being wasn't paying attention. But eventually, like with every game of this sort, it tired the pale one, as she appeared right before her lover. It would seem that she was quite swift with getting out of her clothes in the meantime.

"Hello."

Before the princess could properly react, her lover snatched her from above and flew with her, placing right on the rocks around the pond. As the crude stones drove into her back, her pale lover pressed hard onto her body and swept off all the pesky clothes. The blissful touch smudged all over her pink skin, as each stroke was delicate and carefully placed, as each stroke gently played on her trembling frame, as each stroke agitated the delightful notion. It was beyond simplest of connections, it was beyond simplest of affections, as their bodies collided in yet another graceful dance. One could say it was always the same, as each mangle is bound to be made of repetition. Not in their case however. When they raveled around themselves, the whole world stopped in one place, just for them, just for this one moment they had together. Despite the harsh words at times, despite the hasty acts they made in the past, their longing was beyond that. Beyond the share notion. Marceline looked her in the eyes. Did she really needed to know every aspect of her pink lover to fully appreciate her company? Was that really all that necessary? She would like that, yes, but was that the thing she couldn't live without? No, of course not. She knew however that she wouldn't be able to live without her, not after all of that, not after all the close touches, not after all the warm words, not after the gestures on their skin, not after the cheerful melodies. Each and every time she saw that smile, each and every time she looked into those beautiful eyes, when she saw the sparks within them, she could forgive everything. She could forgive each wound of the past. She could forgive each word that made them different. And within that notion, she began her play. Within that notion, the pink frame was bound by the movement of her fingers. Within that notion, they collided once again to put out the fires. Bubblegum trembled with every slightest smudge over her spine. She moaned after each precise bite. After each carefully waged lick. She was always there for her. She always supported her. She always loved her. She always aroused her.

"I love you. I'm sorry..."

"Shhh..."

Marceline quickly silenced her and proceed lower. Bubblegum on the other hand just looked in the misty sky above. She bit her own lip as soon as she felt the raveling tongue around her chest. It swirled so fast that she almost couldn't catch her breath. The vampire knew her well, that's for sure. Perhaps she was right after all, that one day, she should get to know her better as well. Perhaps that's another thing that missed in times they parted. Perhaps they should learn to talk more. To talk about the things that matter. And what mattered more to Bonnibel than this little, pale fiend? She knew the answer before finishing that very question. She pressed her lover's head harder whenever she felt her teeth on her skin. It gave her goosebumps each time the little vampire presented her repertoire over her soft skin. In those short moments she thanked Glob that her flavor is so sweet. That it attracts her lover so much. That it drives her so crazy. Despite the fact that she was meant to be a creature of shadows, despite the fact that she was meant to be a cruel fiend, there was more beauty in her than in anything in this crude world. Her sunken cheeks over her belly – charming. Her pointy teeth over her pink skin – wondrous. Her pale hands over her thighs – blissful. The sparks in her black eyes – divine. She thought to herself. Divine. When was the last time she could consider herself that way. Did it even mattered? The answer came quickly, as the long velvet touched the blooming flower. All that mattered in this world was between her legs now. That celestial little vampire. She stopped caring how blasphemous that sounded. Deep inside, she knew that she stopped caring about that a while ago.

###

Marceline sat by the pond with her lover's head on her lap. The princess finally felt asleep, but she constantly shivered and gasped for air. It wasn't hard to figure what's in her head right now. Or rather, who's there. This time around no matter how many songs she sang, how many times she stroked her head, how many times she smooched her on the cheeks as nothing seemed to do the job. How easier things would be without that horrendous presence lurking within her mind. How easier things would be if he could just vanish without a sight. They could finally be free, together, whenever they wanted, wherever they wanted. But then, just like that, her lover calmed down almost as if someone cast a spell on her.

"A nice view we have here, eh?" Said a voice behind her. "Having fun?"

"Hey boney."

"Hey bats."

He bowed down and inspected her closely. She looked quite pale, even by her standards. The huge shadows under her eyes indicated that she haven't slept for a while now. Not that he cared all that much. Or, maybe just a little bit.

"You're late for the party." She stated jokingly as she caressed her lover's head. "Quite the sight."

"Doubt I'd be on the guest list."

"True, it was a private one, still... Hey, I'm not the one that cares that much if someone is looking."

He chuckled a bit and simply stood still. The steam poured through his skeletal body, coming in and out from within every hole, especially his eye sockets. When he opened his mouth, the mists flew from within it's depths, almost like a ghostly figure.

"So. It kinda slipped my mind last time..." She poked the princess on her head slightly. "What's your deal with the thing in her mind? Honestly though."

"Oh, you doubt that I'm doing this willingly?"

"Of course not." She smiled. "I know you're the very essence of charity, still..."

As usual, his face lacked any kind of expression. Battle waged however in his eyes. It was quite some time since he told someone this story. Not that he cared about it all that much. Not that he craved to tell it and let it out. Or maybe... maybe it was quite the opposite, and that was the case? One could never be sure when dealing with Death.

"It's quite... Complicated."

"It would be boring if it were otherwise!" She winked to him. "Everyone has their fries eaten at some point in life, huh?"

"Still, it was my mistake." He scratched his chin. "A mistake that I shall never repeat cherry cheeks."

Marceline almost clapped in excitement, but when she reminded herself that her lover is sleeping on her laps, she stopped herself from doing just that. Still, she was a curious sort. The one that needed to know every bit of those steamy details, every bit of his curious past. Why was it? It was hard to tell. Perhaps she was like that because she simply enjoyed to compare failures of others to her own.

"I do like someone's mistakes!"

"They make you feel better batsy?"

"Naw. But it makes me feel bit nicer that I'm not the only one tangled in sh..." She quickly stopped herself. "Poo."

"Well, either way, I don't think it will be an issue to tell you. After all, it's you two who chase things around and doing the work I guess..."

Death finally sat next to her, putting his bone legs into the water. He grabbed her hat and slowly placed it on the surface. It flew around almost like a small sailboat. It was quite mesmerizing to look at, as he apparently directed the way it went.

"You act weird sometimes boney."

"Don't we all fiendy?"

She shrugged. She hardly could argue about that. Still, he acted quite strange, even considering the way he normally acted. Who would have thought that he is so focused on the past despite his doings and words. Who would have thought that he has his regrets.

"So there was this chit. He brought so many into my domain... so many..." He thought for a bit as his eyes lighted up once again. "I don't deal with names. But this one, oh, this one I remember... Billy was his name. Some called him Hogarth I think, long, long time before..."

"That Billy?" Marceline pondered. "The hero and whatnot?"

"I do not know if it was 'that Billy', as any other 'Billy' hardly ever concerned me." He scratched his bold head. "The one I speak about was different. That one was special."

"Well..." She grinned. "Aren't we special to you as well?"

"Hah..." he shook his head sadly. "Every soul is special to me, in a way. But he, now, he was something else."