Don't own Naruto or Adventure Time

Shikamaru stood up and dusted the grass off him with a sigh. After he was finished, it was ten past twenty already. Spent more time cloud watching and star gazing than smoking. He gathered his stuff and put out the last stick underneath his feet.

A few steps later, he paused. The dimension always knew how to push his rationale to the brink and he could not make sense of what just happened.

Lazy, apathetic, sure but he was still a shinobi and sneaking up on him should be impossible.

For someone to that, they must have just... appeared from thin air.

Shikamaru sighed then turned his head and was face-to-face with white eyes under a heap of clothes that stared right through him. From the heap, a hand, crooked and thin like branches snapped open and reached out to him in need.

"Spare coin for a beggar?"

XII: Hassle Time II

Bubblegum stamped the last petition and forced the document into a worn-out A4 envelope. Declined was marked in red on what was left of it. She stacked them atop another envelope of the same type. And another and another and... She never accepted petitions. Simple. Rarely even bothered a read or a skim.

What could they possibly want? Everything they needed, they had already. She knew them all to a molecular level and owned every fibre of their being. She was qualified enough to know what was best for them, qualified enough to know all petitions were inconsequential at or without a glance.

But, it was only right to give them the freedom to do so.

In retrospect, Pineapple was right, might as well use them to fuel a chimney but she disliked agreeing with him, or anybody, but him especially, so, no. Plus, skim or not, she read them so he was only half right anyway.

She snuck a glance at the butler and a sigh left her lips.

He placed a cup of hot chocolate on her desk. "I think, here's fine for today."

"It's afternoon." She held it in both hands, gently blowing away the steam.

The butler chuckled. "It's nine in the evening, ma'am."

"I see..." She took a sip and almost spat it out. "Nine!"

He nodded. "Nine."

She looked out the window and the darkness affirmed it.

"I... had no idea."

The butler sweatdropped. "You never do, princess..."

She could've sworn Pineapple left a minute ago.

The butler shook his head as she sipped from the cup to hide the heat on her face. Well, no point in stopping now, still had other things to take care of.

"Since it's late..." Peppermint started.

"Oh, uh..." She pondered a little. Once in a while should be fine, right? "Alright."

Peppermint stared as if he misheard.

"What's the matter?"

He blinked away his surprise and nodded quickly like any pause or stall would change her mind.

"Why the surprise?"

He gave her a look. Nothing demeaning just incredulity and it was enough for her to get it.

"Never mind."

"Maybe you should repeal the smoking law," he muttered.

"What was that?"

"I'll prepare dinner." He bowed and went on his way.

"I thought so."

It wasn't a written law since no one did it in the first place but she'd have to update it because of him and make it very clear as well.

Mhm, she'd put it up there. Thirty-six. Impact. Boldened, underlined and maybe italicized as well. Like a topic. Just to invalidate any excuses.

Bubblegum nodded, downed the tea in one go and locked up. The butler could bring dinner up to her room.

She fell into her bed, not as paranoid. In fact, it felt comfortable, secure, and safe. Half because Pineapple's room was just ten steps away and half because... Okay, not half, that was all of it.

As much as she egged on him for his habits and attitude. It was pretty cool, what he did. Pretty cool he did so regardless of his habits and attitude.

Fine. Maybe no bold, no underline and no italics.

The scent of meatballs made her sit up and not long after, the butler walked in with one of, if not, her favourite dish. Didn't know if it was the dish itself or how Peppermint prepared it but she loved it.

He set the tray just beside her bed.

"Thank you so much~"

"It's no problem."

She picked up the fork and went for the meatball. It melted into her tongue and struck a shiver down her spine, a little sauce trickled down the corner of her lips.

Bubblegum locked eyes with the butler and he glanced away more pepper than mint.

"Whaa?" Ah, a mouthful.

She swallowed, raised a finger to her lips and stopped inches away, reached for the napkin but only just started the meal. A useless dilemma that stunned her for a second before she licked the sauce off her lips and opted to eat a bit slower.

Not like anyone was watching, it was just Peppermint.

"Ah... sorry." She giggled.

"It's fine, princess."

She swapped topics. "Has Pineapple had dinner yet?"

He shook his head and told her he prioritized her meals first and would prepare his right after

"That makes sense." She caught the look on his face. "Something the matter?"

The butler shrugged.

"It's him, isn't it?"

"Pardon?"

"Pineapple." She twisted the pasta around her fork. "You don't like him very much, do you?"

"That's nonsense." Peppermint chuckled. "Master Shikamaru and I get along fine."

"Wait." She swallowed. "Really?"

"Of course, princess."

"I thought..."

"I don't trust him fully, is all," he said. "But, every day, he proves otherwise."

"Despite the attitude?"

He smiled. "Despite the attitude."

Bubblegum let out a breath of relief. She did believe he disliked Pineapple, especially after what he told her about the timing of the rescue. While he was correct, in that it was suspicious, she was glad the suspicion came from a place of worry rather than hate. Pepper even wished he was incorrect about that. Just to be safe, though, she planned to confirm from Pineapple himself.

"Plus, ever since he arrived, you barely sleep in the office or lab anymore."

She frowned. That was only because Pineapple refused let her sleep wherever so she always woke up in her room despite nodding off elsewhere to begin with. Always treated her like a child even though she was certainly older than he was.

It pricked her bit.

"A good influence, I'd say."

"N-Not at all." She could never be that carefree. "Oh, and Finn and Jake?"

"Playing card wars in the main hall."

They probably came in after she left the office. Either that or she'd walked right past them without knowing. She hoped it was the first.

"Well, tell them to wrap up, it's getting late."

The butler nodded.

They asked to stay a day or two. Well, Jake did. Finn said nothing and it only made her curious. They said the treehouse was in perfect condition but when she asked, they went around the question in such an obvious manner that Bubblegum knew something was up. They were both see-through and not as deceptive with words as that guy, so spotting their lies was elementary.

Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She liked it that way, liked them that way. So, she welcomed them with open arms and if they hadn't crossed already, she'd like if they met Pineapple too. Two humans, they'd get along splendidly.

Speaking of Pineapple, her lips contorted into a frown, she still had to speak with him. He thought he could avoid the conversation by sneaking into his room and faking sleep, huh?

No sir, not today.

After a quick shower, she stepped out of her room in her black tee and walked ten steps to Pineapple's door. If he wanted to lie down a bit, perfectly fine, she could come over. It was her castle so Bubblegum skipped knocking and reached for the knob.

Clutching the knob, she raised a brow, slightly perplexed. The door was shut but she immediately knew Pineapple was not in there.

Bubblegum shoved the door open and, as expected, was greeted with emptiness.

How long did a smoke break take?

She walked back into her room and dialled the hospital. Princess answered and started with a greeting—

"Is Pineapple there?"

She hesitated. "Ah, no. Not anymore."

"He left already?"

"Just a-an hour ago." That didn't qualify as 'just'. "He'll show up so—"

"Why was he there?" she asked, slightly unnerved by the doctor's tone of voice. "You discharged him already, didn't you?"

"Oh, uh... It's..."

"He said not to tell me."

Princess fumbled over her words but ultimately gave in. "Y-Yes, ma'am."

"So?"

"He..."

"Yes?"

"He dropped by to, um, see the Ice King?"

"What?"

"B-But the Ice King was unconscious and still i—"

"I don't care," Bubblegum said. "What else did he want?"

"He... Well—"

"Spit it out!"

"A blood s-sample," she said. "He asked to take his blood sample."

She paused. "Did you take it?"

"I insisted—"

"Did you take it?"

"I... I didn't but he..." Her voice got lower and lower. "He slashed his palm and held it over a beaker."

"Oh my..." She held a hand over her mouth. "How much?"

"Half a p-pint."

"And you watched?"

"It... It was all so sudden," she said. "I was too stunned to do anything."

"I understand. It's fine." Bubblegum sighed. "What else?"

"That's everything. He just asked me to keep an eye on it and left," she said. "I... I don't know what... I don't—"

"Okay, um, just do as he says."

"But it was really strange—"

"I know, I know, just do as he says," she said. "Store it in the blood bank."

"A-Alright, princess."

Beep.

Half a pint... That's... What was wrong with him?

Bubblegum pinched the bridge of her nose. She'd like to believe Pineapple did things for a reason but, for her life, she never could connect the dots because his methods were so unconventional that anyone would believe it was nonsense. Hopefully, all those cigarettes hadn't gone up his head and he had a valid reason for it.

Seriously, how was she supposed to defend that without sounding crazy herself?

He knew how low his blood level was, why would he do that? She groaned. Was he secretly an idiot? He better have a thorough explanation for that when he returned.

Ugh...

Princess said he left an hour ago but he still wasn't here. She hoped he hadn't slumped somewhere around the kingdom.

Even though he deserved it.

She hurried to the second floor and looked down at the main hall from the mezzanine. Finn and Jake sat cross-legged on the floor, playing card wars.

Perfect.

"Hey, princess."

"'Sup, PB?" Finn tilted his head. "What, PB?"

"Guys, guys, I need your help."

Finn stopped with the game and turned to her. "I'm down to help."

She knew that already. "Quickly, you—"

Creak.

The front door slowly swung open and Pineapple ambled in. She squinted and spotted the gash across his palm, not even a cloth or hanky for clotting yet his bleeding had been reduced to drops at a time. He pocketed the hand a little too late then he pocketed the other.

Finn and Jake only noticed him after tracking her gaze.

Pineapple treated them as empty space, shuffled over and up the steps like a zombie. The same walk and the same countenance as usual but Bubblegum felt something was wrong with or off about him. His eyes were narrowed, physically present, mentally absent, like he was deep in contemplation but let his feet take him wherever. Wherever probably being a bed.

Bubblegum watched him walk up the steps but was stunned silent. She had no idea where to start, what to say or ask and he also didn't seem to be in the mood for questions or conversations. Frankly, he didn't seem to be in the mood for anything.

But, that was the unsettling part; he was always that way.

Why did it feel so different now?

Finn, however, took her stunned silence, her moment of pondering as uneasiness or distress and that was reason enough to reach for his sword.