3:15 AM
Marceline's POV
Bonnie's tear-streaked face was terrified as she stood up. But not a fear-for-your-life terrified. More like a you know my secret terrified.
And it scared Marceline.
She didn't know what to do. She'd never seen that expression on Bonnibel's face. Or heard that tremble in the princess's voice as she rambled.
"Marceline! What are you-- Oh, I'm sorry, I should have expected you... I--"
"Bonnie, don't be sorry! Bonnibel, what's--"
"Nothing, nothing. It's nothing. I'll just..." The princess looked away, obviously nervous. Her fingers were fiddling with the hem of Marceline's old rock shirt, which was way too big on Bonnibel's small frame.
Marceline floated closer, slowly, as if she were approaching a wild animal. "Bonnibel, what happened?"
Bonnie's head jerked up suddenly, startling the vampire. "Oh, Marcy, I don't know. It's just... My head doesn't agree with my heart."
Marceline smiled. "You never did like that." She floated closer, until she was right in front of the princess. She couldn't help noticing, this close, how beautiful Bonnibel was. How the soft light shone on her pink hair, how the trails of her tears--
No, she thought, shaking her head slightly. Now is not the time. Focus!
Marceline grabbed Bonnie's hands, ignoring the tingling she felt where their skin touched.
Bonnibel gasped, pulling her hands away quickly. Marceline, assuming the princess was disgusted by her, backed up quickly, trying to keep her expression neutral.
Bonnie's POV
The princess twisted her fingers together, then touched her shirt, then tried to hold her hands still.
"What time is it?" she asked timidly. She still hadn't looked at the vampire. She couldn't bear to see that beautiful face, shrouded in shadow. Bonnie had noticed that her best friend was wearing on of her own pink shirts, worn and slightly ripped on one sleeve.
Marceline glanced at her watch. Bonnibel couldn't read her face. She thought she had seen a flash of hurt and sadness when the princess pulled her hands away. "It's 3:20."
Bonnibel hadn't wanted to pull her hands away. Marceline and Bonnie touched a lot, hugging and all that.
But this time had felt different.
"Well, I... came to bring you this. Marshall Lee wanted me to bring it to you. He said it was important.
Bonnie looked up quickly, to see an envelope being offered to her by a pale hand, with fingernails painted black. She couldn't look away from those fingers. They were long and slender, made for playing bass.
The princess was pulled out of her stupor when one of the fingers twitched. She wasn't sure how long she had been staring, but decided it had been too long.
She took the envelope, careful not to brush her fingers against Marceline's. She muttered a "thank you" and opened it.
It was short, an offer of some limestone for the foundations of the palace. It was signed with a flourish, by Marceline's father.
"This could have waited until morning," she murmured.
"I-- I'm sorry, I... Marshall was being really weird, he said you wouldn't mind if-- but I'm sorry, I didn't know what it said, if I had I wouldn't--"
Bonnibel stood abruptly, tossing the envelope onto the bed. She crossed the room quickly and took Marceline's hands.
"I know you wouldn't have. You always take care of me." She gave the vampire a wobbly smile. "My knight in shining armor."
It pained her to be this close, close enough to see the rims of red around Marceline's brimming eyes, the dark circles that meant she wasn't sleeping, the tears spilling over...
