•Fionna•

"So..." Marceline says to me in a weird tone of voice as the both of us sit at a small table.

I raise an eyebrow at her tone. "So...?" I ask curiously, wondering what exactly Marcy is getting at. Even now, after years of knowing her, she's still a mystery to me at times.

Marceline had called me here to a cafe to have a drink and "chat", so I'm definitely curious because not once has Marceline ever said she wanted to "chat" with me before. She usually just flat-out says what she wants to say when she wants to say it. Simple and straightforward, one of the things I like about her.

But now, she wants to "chat" which I assume is code for "girl talk", and that really surprises me, considering the fact that Marceline is like me; she doesn't do girly stuff, "girl talk" being of one them.

But now she wants to "chat"...

Yep; still a mystery after all these years.

Marceline cuts off my train of thought by giving me a look. A sly one, which just makes me nervous and suspicious.

"Um, why are you staring at me like that...?"

Marceline's sly look remains on her face. "Valentine's Day is coming up," she simply says, as if that explains it.

I give her a confused look. "So?" I ask. She's right, though; the days have come and gone so quickly and now we are suddenly in the month of February, Marshall and I have been together for a little over a month now, and Valentine's Day is only four days away.

Where did all the time go? Wherever it went, it sure flew by quickly.

It seems like yesterday that we had just arrived back at school to start the second semester.

Marceline rolls her eyes at me, as if I am the most dense person in the world. "So, it's going to be your first Valentine's Day with you being Marshall's girlfriend! It's going to be your first Valentine's Day together as a couple!"

My eyes widen as I realize what she said. "Oh glob, you're right! Well, obviously this isn't going to be like other Valentine's Days! This one has to be special, somehow...!" I can't believe Marshall and I are going to be officially together on the most romantic day of the year! Back when I was still hopelessly swooning over Marshall, I would have flipped out if I knew this would be happening to me! "But how exactly am I gonna make it special? I've never put any special thought into Valentine's Day before, because there was nothing special to put any thought into! Now..." I shake my head. What am I supposed to do? I've never had this happen to me before! I mean, I had been with Flame Prince during Valentine's Day before, but he told me he didn't care and didn't want to do anything. Then again, neither did I. I guess, deep down, I knew we were never going to last.

But this is a different story; I'm dating Marshall Lee Abadeer, who is quite possibly (and I certainly hope so) the love of my life--I'm in this relationship for the long-run, and I'm pretty sure he is too.

This isn't going to be just any ordinary Valentine's Day, that's for sure.

Marceline senses I'm now nervous and puts a soothing, supportive hand on my arm. "Don't worry, Fi, I've got an idea of how you can make this Valentine's Day special for you and Marshall," she says, a knowing smile on her face.

I lean forward, hopeful. "How?"

Marcy's answer is very blunt and sends my head spinning.

"Sleep with him."

I nearly fall out of my seat. I immediately feel my entire face heat up in a mad blush at her words. Three little words have made me into a complete blushing mess. "W-What?" I gape, wondering if I heard her wrong.

She giggles at my response. "That means have sex with him, honey. Tier 15, Fi--"

I cut her off, my blush only growing. "I-I know what it means...!" I stutter, embarrassed at the suggestion. I mean, how could I not be embarrassed? We just suddenly moved on to a topic that's way outside my comfort zone! Marceline just out of the blue suggested I have sex with her brother. How would anyone feel if their best friend suddenly and so casually suggested they sleep with her brother?

Exactly.

Marceline just snickers at the expression I must have on my face. "God, Fionna, if I had known you'd be so utterly mortified at the idea of sleeping with Marshall--"

I cut her off. "I-I'm not mortified at it... I mean," I swallow, probably blushing even more, "sex with Marshall sounds...," I shiver and feel goosebumps erupt all over my skin at the image the words sex with Marshall produces, "kind of amazing..."

And it does sound amazing! But, on the topic of sex, I'd have no idea whatsoever on what to do! I mean, I'm still very much a virgin, and Marshall is very much not, mainly considering the fact he's hundreds of years old. He's been with several girls before me--I definitely wouldn't be his first.

As much as the thought of Marshall being with tons of girls before me makes me want to punch something (or someone), it's sadly the truth.

I'm definitely NOT experienced in bed in any way; I've never slept with anyone before! I'd probably be awful compared to the other girls he was with.

But, Marshall says he's madly in love with me, so I'm inclined to believe he'd look past my ignorance of what to do and how to do it in bed.

Marceline suddenly gives me a disgusted look, derailing my train of thought. "Okay... good... but let's not hear about how 'amazing' you think it'll be; no details, please!" she says, her face scrunched up, now obviously disturbed.

I roll my eyes. "Don't worry, Marce, I'm not gonna scar you for life...," I mutter. "Besides, who says I'll even end up sleeping with Marshall, anyway? Who says he'll even want me to?"

Marceline leans forward. "Fionna, this is my brother we're talking about, this is Marshall we're talking about--Marshall Lee Abadeer. Trust me, with the way he operates and the fact that he's a guy, he'll definitely want you in bed... sooner rather than later. And, I'm not saying this just to reassure you. These are just the facts."

I look down and bite my lip. "Well... I mean, are you sure about that? Marcy, you very well know that I'm a virgin and therefore have never had sex before ever. I'd have absolutely no idea what to do even if Marshall would want me in bed with him! I'm probably terrible in bed, and I don't wanna risk Marshall thinking I'm the worst person he's ever slept with. And, this is assuming he actually wants to sleep with me!" I retort, feeling even more unsure about the whole thing.

This time Marceline rolls her eyes. "Honestly, Fi, you are some times so oblivious! Marshall checks you out literally every time your back is turned and he looks at you like you're the most delicious thing since the color red; he's obsessed and I can plainly tell he's been itching to get you to sleep with him and he's only waiting because he's not sure if you're ready. Marshall thinks you're the hottest girl in the universe, trust me, I heard all about it considering he talked about you constantly after he found out that I knew he liked you. Plus, just look at yourself," She gestures at my body. "You're a babe, Fionna! If only you could see the way guys ogle you and eye you up all the time! I swear, besides Marshall, I've never seen one person get checked out so much. You're eye candy; why do you think Gumball and Flame Prince practically threw themselves at you? You're gorgeous, there's definitely nothing wrong with the way you look, which is one of the reasons Marshall desperately wants you in bed." She raises an eyebrow at me, crossing her arms and giving me a look that says I know what I'm talking about.

My eyes widen, shocked, before I look back down sheepishly. "I... I never said I didn't think I looked good..." I mumble.

"Not out loud," Marceline counters, giving me a knowing look. I sigh. Of course she knows; she's my best friend and she's known me for years. It only makes sense that she knows about my insecurities.

I raise an eyebrow, questioning. "So, Marshall definitely wants to sleep with me...?" It's a really question rather than a statement.

Marceline nods vigorously. "Yes! And he's only waiting for you to be ready," she says tiredly before her eyes widen slightly and she looks back at me. "Are you ready?"

Am I ready? I've never really thought about it. Sex wasn't ever on my mind, mainly because I had better things to think and worry about. I mean, I knew I'd give up my V-card one day, but I certainly never thought it would happen this soon and I certainly never thought about it much.

Most (if not all) the girls in my grade already lost it and some (*cough* Ashley *cough*) have thoroughly bragged about how amazing and awesome it had been and how they gave it to someone extremely attractive and good in bed.

I already knew that after my first time, I definitely wouldn't brag about it. I'd want it to be private. I don't like people snooping in on and knowing the personal details of my life.

Am I ready to give up my virginity?

I'm seventeen, in my last year of high school, and I'm mature enough to know about the importance of using protection and what giving up your virginity means. Cake gave me "the talk" when I first entered middle school, so I understand and am fully prepared for what it'll be like if I agree to do it. Plus, it's not like I'd be having a careless one night stand with a random stranger; if I'm going to be sleeping with someone, I'm going to be sleeping with Marshall, a guy I've known and have been in love with for years, a guy who's known me for years and feels the same way I feel about him.

Am I ready to sleep with Marshall?

I answer without hesitation. "Yes."

Marceline smiles and squeals slightly. "Yay! Good for you, Fi! Marshall's gonna lose his shit when he finds out you're ready! I mean, you'll be the one to tell him, of course, it's not my place to tell. It's completely up to you when you tell him," she tells me, her smile staying on her face. It's obvious she's happy for both Marshall and me.

I smile back and sigh contently. I have such an amazing best friend. "Thanks, Marce. It means a lot," I tell her happily. Then, I ask her a question I've been wondering about for awhile now. "Uh... what's it like? Your first time, I mean..."

Marceline laughs. "Well, my first time definitely wasn't romantic nor was it with someone I loved who loved me, so I suggest you don't do what I did. Your virginity is special, so give it to someone you love who loves you," she says in reply. I nod, listening carefully.

"Was your first time with Ash?" I ask, immediately regretting the blunt question as soon as it leaves my mouth. "I-I mean... I'm sorry! You don't have to answer that...!"

Marceline silences me with a wave of her hand. "Nah, it's alright, Fi. Calm down. It's cool," she says, and I let out a sigh of relief that I haven't offended my friend or overstepped any personal boundaries. She continues to speak, a scowl now forming on her face. "No, my first time wasn't with that jerkwad, thank goodness. He never loved me, anyway. I don't think I loved him either, I mean I liked him, but not enough to call it love. We did it once and only once, mainly because it felt weird with him and I didn't like it. Actually, I have a feeling he didn't exactly enjoy it either... Huh. That's one thing he and I can agree on. Then again, back then I thought I was as straight as a line...," She smiles and snorts. "Well, surprise surprise, right?"

I laugh. "Yeah, right," I agree. I actually remember when Marceline first revealed to me that she's into girls as much as she's into guys. It was a few years back, right before she started crushing on PB.

I remember Marcy was afraid of telling me because she thought if I found out she's bisexual then I'd reject her as my friend and think she was disgusting. I told her she was being ridiculous, of course, because I could never think she was disgusting in any way, shape, or form. And, luckily, after I told her that people's sexuality doesn't define them in the slightest and I'm not her friend because of it but because she's a genuinely good person, she calmed down and grew more comfortable discussing her sexuality with me.

I was glad, and still am, because she's my best friend and she should feel comfortable discussing those types of things with me. Best friends tell each other everything, after all.

But, anyway, I'm drifting off topic here.

"Were you Ash's first time?" I ask Marceline curiously.

Marceline shakes her head. "No, Fi, he wasn't a virgin when we met. I don't know who he gave it to, but I didn't really care. I just knew his virginity was long gone. That's all I knew," Then a look crosses her face and she clicks her tongue. "Huh. Now that I think about it, he always seemed to avoid the subject of how he lost his virginity. I told him how I lost mine, but when I asked him about his he got all weird and distant. He immediately changed the subject, I remember. It was weird...," she muses before she shakes her head once more and shoots me a smile. "Oh well, it hardly matters. We're drifting off topic, anyhow. Fionna, your first time is gonna be painful at first, but don't worry! You'll get used to the feeling quickly and soon all that pain will slowly melt away into pleasure. It'll be fine--you'll be fine. Don't freak out."

I nod again, feeling a little of my nervousness disappear. "O-Okay... Cool... That sounds good," I say. "Oh, and back to the topic of Valentine's Day, I want to do something special for Marshall to show him how much I care about him. What do you think I should do? What type of present do you think I should give him?"

"Um... I thought we agreed your 'present' to him would be your virginity...?"

I roll my eyes at that. "No, Marceline, that's not what I meant! Yes, I am going to be sleeping with him, but that's not going to be my Valentine's Day present to him. I want my present for him to be sweet and thoughtful..."

Marceline gives me a look. "Hot sex can't be sweet and thoughtful?"

I feel my entire face heat up as I definitely turn scarlet red. I face-palm myself with a sigh. "Marcy, please, be serious here. I mean I want to get him an actual gift, something that shows him how in love with him I am, that I want nothing more than to make him happy... something memorable and special like... like...," My head shoots up and I snap my fingers as I feel a lightbulb flash on above my head. "I've got it!" This has to be the best idea ever!

Marceline looks at me curiously. "What? What have you got?" she asks, finally being serious, her mind finally out of the gutter (I think, anyway).

I shoot her a triumphant smile before I speak one word.

"Hamba."

Marceline's eyes instantly widen and now her attention is fully on me. "W-What? Did you say Hamba...? As in Marshall's old stuffed animal Hamba...?" Her voice trails off.

I nod. "That's exactly what I said," I reply.

Marceline shakes her head. "What...? But, Fionna, Hamba along with Hambo were sold to a witch years ago... Remember, Ash and Ashley sold them to that witch. They're long gone. They've disappeared, basically," she says.

I shake my head this time, a smile on my face. "Nothing disappears, Marce. No matter how long it's been gone, nothing just disappears. Plus, you said Hamba was sold to a witch, right? Well, just track down that witch there you have Hamba."

Marceline blinks at me in disbelief. "Wha--Fionna, that's crazy. We don't even know which witch Ash and Ashley sold them to! Do you know how many witches there are out there? A whole lot. Besides, who says the witch even still has Hamba? She could have sold both Hambo and Hamba to another witch for all we know!" she retorts, still seeming surprised I even brought up the subject of her and her brother's long lost stuffed animals at all.

"So what if she did? That means a trail's been left. And if you follow the trail, it leads you to what you want to find," I beam and jump up excitedly. I'm hyped now. "This is great! Why haven't I thought of doing this before?"

Marceline stands up too. "Maybe because it's crazy? Because it is! You don't even know where to find that witch!"

"Trust me, I'll find her. No matter where I might have to go or how many people I might have to talk to, I'll find her. I'm a hero after all; I've got a knack for tracking down bad guys. How is this any different?"

Marceline starts to speak. "For one--"

I immediately cut her off. "Exactly; it isn't."

Marceline places her fingers to her temples, probably seeing she isn't going to derail me. "How are you even going to do this? You're just one person, Fionna. How are you going to go about tracking down a witch we don't know the name of and all the information we have on her is that she bought Marshall and I's stuffed animals from our exes several years ago? How are you going to go about doing all that alone?" she questions me, an eyebrow raised.

I give her a knowing smirk. "Who says I'll be doing it alone?"