Chapter 5: The Boy
Marceline's feet shuffled nervously as she waited for Bubblegum to arrive. She had aged down to match the young princess, and hoped it was okay. True, she had done it before, but this was different. This was a date. A date with Bonni…oh glob, Marceline, what have you got yourself into?
Marceline had been hanging out with Bonni a couple nights ago when the pink girl simply sprung this on her like no big deal…as if the two of them dating and going out together was the most common and normal thing in the world. I mean…its weird right? I mean, I've known her since forever…but maybe it isn't weird. Maybe it's like natural?
To further add nerves to the situation, Marceline was well aware that no one even knew that she and the Princess hung out as much as they did, though they were aware of the friendship (and disliked it), and she was more than sure that this date was a complete and utter secret. In addition to the proposal, that Marceline had almost too readily accepted, Bonnibel had insisted that one of them must play the boy, and that that one of them was to be Marceline. Maybe this whole thing is just a weird curiosity…Glob, what do I know? I haven't gone on a date in decades! I don't date! Are you supposed to date at fourteen? I suppose it's an okay age…
Mind turning over and over in anxiety and nerves and butterflies that she hadn't felt in so long, she couldn't even remember the last time, Marceline stood at the edge of the apple orchard, under the biggest tree, waiting. Assuming the role of the 'boy' to a tee, Marceline had dressed in a casual suit. A button up white shirt with black slacks, polished dress shoes, and a black vest and bow-tie made up her look, but the red kerchief in her front pocket completed it. In addition to this flair of color, she had pulled her hair back loosely and tied it with a ribbon that held the same blood-red color as the little addition.
She had decided that unless the evening required flight, she would be grounded. So she stood, feet shuffling, with a dozen long-stem roses in her hand, waiting. As seconds that seemed like hours passed by, Marceline couldn't help but glance down at the flowers. She was a nervous eater, and she had never been more nervous in her very extended life time. Get a hold of yourself; you are Marceline the Vampire Queen! You fear nothing! Except completely messing up on this date! And making Bonni hate you for eternity for messing up her first date in her life!
She unconsciously brought the central rose to her tooth and bit down, draining it of its color but not draining her of any anxiety. Just then, she heard a rustle coming up from just the other side of the tree. She cleared her throat several times over and stood with renewed posture as Bubblegum came into her view.
The candy princess was beautiful. True, she was only fourteen, but physically, so was Marceline at that point, so she figured there was nothing weird about it. The girl wore a dress that caught her developing curves and ended at the knee. Her hair was only half pulled back, and the slightly darker pink of the dress made her skin glow. She smiled upon seeing Marceline, whose mouth hung just slightly open at the sight of her. "Hello, Marceline. You are looking very dapper this evening."
Marceline, not so much playing the awkward boy but being it, simply shoved the roses at Bubblegum, blushing wildly and casting her eyes down to the floor. Okay…so we're going to go on a date. And okay, I've known her since she was like, five, but that's not new. I'm a thousand years old. Also okay, she's beautiful and I really like her and am so glad this is happening. Okay…let's do this. Suave: on, Marceline!
Bubblegum took the roses and giggled at her behavior. She smelled them lightly, then asked, with amusement in her voice, "Marceline, why is one of them grey?"
The vampire gulped in embarrassment. "I…I was so nervous waiting for you that I ate it…I'm sorry…I totally suck at this…" Marceline was feeling like a failure already, and hated to think that the date was over before it had even begun. Suave: on? Try suave: eternally off and never returning because what in Ooo made you think you were suave to begin with?
"No! Marci I like it. It's more you, after all. I also like you…being my age for this…you…you mean a lot to me Marceline." Bubble gum looked shyly down, and the words bolstered the older girl back up as she cleared her throat.
"So Princess Bubblegum, it is my royal pleasure to be your date this evening. Would you mind telling me what you had in mind?" She took a step closer to her date and smiled warmly down at her, still just slightly taller.
"Marci!" she exclaimed, "You're the boy! You are supposed to plan the date!"
"But-but…!" Marceline scrambled for words, "But you asked me out, making you in charge of like, date-planning! Anyway doesn't the boy ask the girl out anyway?" A shocked look crossed the pink girl's face. "No! No no no no no! You are not the boy nor are you a boy at all I just-! Oh glob, this is totally sucking…I am totally sucking! Ugh!"
She fell to the ground, sitting criss-cross and gazing glumly down at her shiny shoes. "I'm so sorry, Bonni…I haven't done this in ages and I kind of like…really like you. Like, like you, like you. And here I am having like, totally ruined our date."
Bubblegum crouched down next to her without sitting. "It's okay Marceline. I mean, the miscommunication was totally my fault anyway. I can see how you'd be confused. It's okay…"
Upon hearing those words from her candy date, Marceline stood up with resilience, feeling bigger than she was. "You know what? It's not okay! This is your first date ever and our first date together and dag-gone-it it's going to be like, totally awesome!" Marceline wracked her brain for all the things she could do with Bonni, and finally found the perfect answer for the science oriented girl. It's like…totally perfect! A huge grin of success took up her face, and she grabbed Bubblegum's hands. "Listen, Bonni, I have like, the most perfect dates of perfect dates. But we have to fly there, are you okay with that?"
Upon hearing the date was, indeed, happening, a smile spread across the candy girl's face, and she just nodded at whatever Marceline was saying. She didn't really thing about it until she was flying high above the ground, being held bridal-style in the taller girl's arms. "M-M-Marceline! This is-I'm like-Could you hurry!" She stammered, and clung fiercely to her flier's neck.
"Just hang on and don't be afraid. I've totally got you." You'll be glad when we get there, I promise.
It was a bit of a long flight, and while Marceline enjoyed the view of Ooo passing below her, Bubblegum enjoyed the warmth coming from Marceline's neck, as her eyes were pressed firmly shut and her face was shoved up against it.
Eventually, the two came to land at a place Bubblegum had never seen before. She looked around at the area, gathering that they were atop some sort of large hill or mountain, though she wasn't cold, and there was a strange fog all around. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Marceline, where are we? I don't understand…"
Smiling in excitement, she began to explain. "We're on Cloud Mountain. It's the only place in all of Ooo where the tip of the mountain breeches the clouds without it being like, totally way to cold to do anything. In fact, it's usually quite warm." She smiled, hoping the answers would click into Bonni's head on their own.
But it was not to be. "Marci…I still don't understand…" She shook her head.
The Vampire Queen walked up to her and took both pink hands in her own bluish ones. "Bonnibel…it's the only place in all of Ooo that always has the most beautiful and unobstructed and perfect view of the stars."
Marceline didn't let her eyes wander away from the girl as she watched Bubblegum look up and a look of sheer and utter amazement dawned on her face. On Cloud Mountain, it wasn't as though you were looking at the stars; it was almost as though you were swimming in them. The low hanging pillows of water gave it all an other-worldly feel and Bonni pulled one hand away and reached out, as if to touch the spots of bright burning light. "Oh Marceline…" She whispered in reverence, not wishing to disturb the magic quality the place possessed, "It's too perfect…"
Finally exhaling the breath she hadn't known she was holding, Marceline lay on the warm grass and pulled Bonni down with her to gaze up at the sky together. "Only the best for you, my princess," She said.
Bubblegum spent a large majority of time spouting fact after fact about stars and about how they were and what they were speculated to be and such. Eventually, she got around to naming the constellations.
Now, Marceline couldn't place the stars, but she totally knew the stories behind them, and was shocked to find that Bonni had no idea that there even were stories behind them. She had just assumed the young princess knew everything. But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. A lot of things were lost after the Mushroom War, and apparently, that was just one of those things. It reminded Marceline how old she was, but did not put a damper on her mood. She was just so happy to be there with Bubblegum looking up at the stars that she could not have cared less how long she had lived for.
The night seemed to go so slowly, but really it flew by, with Bubblegum naming a constellation and pointing it out to Marceline, who told the story behind it. The time that had moved by so slowly soon found the moos almost at the edge of the horizon. It was lucky that they had run out of constellations at that point, or the sun would have risen and Marceline would have been burned. Smiling brightly at each other, the two flew back to Bonnibel's palace. With a corny, "Let me walk you to your door," Marceline carried them to the Princess' bedroom balcony and landed in front of the large glass doors.
She put Bubblegum down, and smiled sheepishly. "Did I do okay?" She asked.
"Oh Marceline…it was more than wonderful. It was perfect." Bonnibel smiled. "And it was with you…which made it even better."
If Marceline could have turned into a tomato at that point, she was sure she would have. She cleared her throat a little awkwardly. "I had…I had the best time too, Bonni. So…what now?" she asked expectantly.
"Well…I'd say we are dating, Marceline. Though I would like to think of you as a girl, if that's okay, dapper as you look. Neither of us has to be the 'boy'. And in a few dates from now, hopefully we will be girlfriends, another reason to completely drop the 'boy' thing. Though, of course, we must keep this a secret. I don't think Peppermint Butler would approve at all, let alone Lady…but maybe one day we might-"
Marceline put a hand over Bubblegum's mouth with a quiet laugh. "You're rambling. And I didn't mean that…all that we can figure out later. What I meant was…do I…do I get a kiss?" Suddenly not nervous anymore, Marceline gave a soft, one-sided smile. It doesn't matter if I get one tonight…she said more dates and girlfriends and maybe telling people. Kisses are sure to come later. More dates with Bonni…she smiled widely at the thought.
"Oh…" Bubblegum said, and then reddened completely at the question. "Oh…!" she cleared her throat and repositioned herself, as though preparing for a pre-ordained speech, which is what it was. "Marceline, I had a most lovely evening, but a lady does not kiss until the third date." She nodded firmly, and Marceline laughed.
"That's fine, Bonni," she began to hover, preparing to go home before the sun rose. "I'll catch you later." She swooped down and placed a short sweet kiss on the girl's cheek and flew off in the direction of her house, leaving a giddy, flustered, hand-on-cheek Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum standing on her balcony.
A/N
ALLLLL RIIIIIIIIIGHT! This lovely and cute suggestion comes from Monochrome Masquerade who (after proposing marriage) asked, 'What was their first date like?' Now it may be just me, but I love the idea of Marceline in a suit-like outfit, so that had to be in there, and poof! First date came out. Thanks!
***Please continue to review and suggest, I like so much to write what others want to read, and it's really interesting how inspiration can take hold from that!***
-JD