*Finn's Age: 25*

Marceline's P.O.V

"Hey, Flamy! You want some chips or something?" I call from my kitchen.

"Sure. Thanks, Marcy!" The walking matchstick replies. I shrug and rummage around through my pantry, seeing what all I can conjure up for me and the girls.

We're currently having a sleepover/ladies night at my house, just chilling, gossiping, and talking about kingdom stuff. That last bit was particularly boring when Bonnie and Phoebe wouldn't stop talking, but LSQ changed the subject before I could throttle the both of them. Sometimes, I swear that my ex and the Fire Queen are too involved in their political lives that they can't even break away from closely related topics revolving around it. But then that's where I come in.

Grabbing some bowls, some cheese slices, freshly cut salami, the chips Flame Girl wanted, and a couple bottles of sparkling grape juice, I float out to my living room where the girls sit in deep conversation. Our little group tonight consists of Bubblegum, Flame Queen, Breakfast Princess, LSQ, Hotdog Princess, and Slime Princess. Though Bonnie and I split up again, I don't mind having her around as a friend. Just because you can't work out with someone romantically doesn't mean you can't keep the relationship that came before it.

Spreading out the various snacks like a Christmas buffet, I lean back and hover over my couch lazily, watching my friends dig in like the wolves I used to chase across the Grasslands. I had had some red earlier, so I was perfectly content with having them go at it. Besides, they promised to bring their own next time so I wouldn't have to empty out my snack treasure trove.

"Hey, Marcy..." LSQ speaks up "What's on you're mind?". I turn my head and look over at my purple cloud-shaped friend.

"Nothing right now. Why? You have something you'd like to discuss?" I ask questioningly.

"You know it, girl" LSQ smiles "It's time for boy talk!".

I freeze. Oh sweet almighty Glob! I should've expected that this would come up, but now that it's happening right here and now, I'm scared. I can't just admit that I'm crushing on Finn the Human while his ex and his past love interest are here! What would they think of me? Ah well, best get it over with before LSQ brings it up on a later girl's night.

Sighing, I sit up and float down so that I'm seated next to Breakfast Princess and Slime Princess. The rest of the ladies have circled around the table like we're about to play something secretive. Flamy looks particularly eager, but as to why that is, I'm nervously unsure. However, I have a sneaky suspicion that she'll admit to something that more than one of us here already has on our minds.

"Since you're the one who suggested this, I'm guessing that you already have a man you're interested in" Breakfast Princess guesses, raising an eyebrow at Flame Queen. The hothead only grins in reply.

"Of course I do. Though it might not be who any of you suspect" FQ smiles mysteriously. That gets the princesses all rowdy, myself included.

"Who is it? Lumping tell us!" LSQ demands eagerly.

"Yes, who is it?" Slime Princess asks, very interested. Phoebe opens her mouth and I pray over and over that it's not my crush.

"It's Finn".

The princesses spaz out, minus Bonnie and I. I'm absolutely crushed by what she just said, but then when I run it over in my head, does she really have claim on him? After going through a relationship with him already, you'd think Finn or her wouldn't be anxious to date each other again. But, then again, that was years ago. Nevertheless, I'm not gonna lay down and give up just cause she thinks she has the first shot.

"Why the sudden desire to rekindle your old relationship? I thought you two would never end up back together after what happened last time" Bonnibel states the obvious. Flamy rolls her eyes.

"Yes, I'm very much aware of that, as is everyone else in this room. Time changes all things, Bubblegum. When Finn retired from fighting for your kingdom, I was overjoyed and sent out a personal invitation to come serve me instead. He denied, but I still didn't give up. If he accepts, he'd be around me more often and it'd give me multiple chances to make advances on him. I do hope I hear from him because after having him not be near me for so long, I crave and thirst for his touch. Who knows, I might even get him to make love to me" The flame elemental explains, blushing at the last part.

"I kinda doubt that. Sticking his dick in crazy is not something Finn has been known to do" I smirk at her. The princesses all "Ohhhh!" at that little diss. Flame Queen just gives me this half-lidded look.

"Don't think you can out-diss me, Vampire Queen. As one of the best rappers of this generation, I could end any music career you have with a single track" Phoebe boasts rather arrogantly.

"That didn't work with GoldenShadow though, did it?" Hotdog Princess pips up. Flame Girl goes silent and gives HDP an angry look.

"Remind me again, how did that feud go?" Breakfast Princess asks.

"If I remember correctly, you dissed him on Know Your Enemy and he responded with his song Dethroned. Then, even though you lost, you put out another diss called Stay In The Shadows to try and keep your reputation. However, he buried you the rest of the way with Burnout. Nearly all of Ooo accepts that GoldenShadow won the feud, except you of course" I recite from memory, having kept track as the feud happened. GoldenShadow is by far my favorite rapper and I'm a definite hardcore fan. I love his music and want desperately to meet him, though I'm pretty sure all the other girls hate his guts because of all the disses he threw at them in Sorority.

"I only dissed him because I wanted him to know that there can be just as much a Rap Queen as a Rap King. Besides, he never shows his face, so what right does have to be called the best when he can't have the guts to show Ooo who he is!" Phoebe huffs.

"If that's the case, then it's safe to say that the Rap Queen got dethroned" I grin, throwing some shade back at her. Flamy's head shoots up in a raging bonfire, which would be terrifying if it wasn't me, but before she can get any angrier, Breakfast Princess gasps.

"Girls! There's an interview with GoldenShadow premiering on Celebrity Engagement right now!" The edible monarch exclaims. Everyone's eyes go wide, even Bonnie, who's more than on board at this point.

"Quick, turn on the TV, Marcy!" My ex urges. I make haste and fumble with the remote, turning my television on and navigating to Celebrity Engagement. To summarize, it's a talk show hosted by Engagement Ring Princess that's all about famous people. All of us have been on there from time to time, me the most for my music. As I settle on the channel, the girls and I huddle closer to the screen, watching as the studio camera zooms in on ERP at her desk.

"Hello everyone and welcome back to Celebrity Engagement. For our next guest, we have a rare treat for all you watching at home or online. Tonight, the legendary rapper known as GoldenShadow has accepted our request for an interview" Engagement Ring Princess narrates, her audience gasping like we did a second ago "This will mark the first time he's ever agreed to show his face. So, please help me in welcoming to the stage, GoldenShadow!".

Her audience applauds and the rapper himself walks out from behind the entrance curtains. As the studio camera zooms closer, I feel myself freeze. The girls, along with the whole show audience, then gasp in shock. It's......It's........Finn! The crowd then erupts in loud, thunderous cheering and clapping. The ladies are speechless and all we can do is watch as Finn, revealed to be the legendary rapper GoldenShadow, walks across the stage and sits down in the guest chair opposite Engagement Ring Princess.

"Why hello, Finn! Thank you for agreeing to come and talk with us today" ERP says, obviously trying to keep the excitement contained within herself. Finn just nods, his face as flat as a stone wall.

"I appreciate the invite, Princess" Finn replies. Immediately after he talks, I feel myself charmed by his looks. He's grown some facial hair, but it helps complete the look besides his hat with a hood on over it, jeans, and some black sneakers. Finn also wears a gold chain around his neck, the endpiece hanging down to his chest. It reads "Shadow", spelled out in bling. All that pales in comparison to his voice though. Once I heard him speak, I felt like I became pregnant. Looking around at the girls, most of em are looking like they want his babies too. Since I'm feeling the same thing, I can't really blame them to be honest.

"Now, I understand that you recently came out with a new album. Could you perhaps shed some light on the meanings behind the songs?" Engagement Ring Princess asks. I lean closer to the screen, interested in what Finn will say. Flamy and Bubblegum inch closer too, their curiosity outweighing their shock.

"Sure. The album is called Reflection and has fifteen songs on. In order they are Have Mercy, Dead To Me, Tyrant, Soul Locked, Friends, Redemption's Bliss, Hero, Overlooked, Just A Kid, Still Hoping, Angel Among Devils, Illusion of Love, Myself and None Other, Errandboy, and No Longer Lovers. The meanings behind these are varied to some degree. While some like Just A Kid and Tyrant are disses against Princess BubbleBUM and the other Princesses who ran me around like some commoner, examples like Overlooked and Friends are songs that show my more personal take on how my life is and the deepness of my emotions" Finn elaborates, his tone flat but with a hint of resentment in it too.

"Very interesting" Engagement Ring Princess nods "Are there any that you would consider your favorite?". Finn bites his lip and grips his chin thoughtfully.

"I'm usually not one to play favorites, but I'd have to say Angel Among Devils. The reason behind that is because I was given the chance to collab with Marceline the Vampire Queen. Though we never interacted face-to-face during the process, it felt nice to work with someone that I consider to be on the same level as me. She handled the chorus while I did the rest of the heavy lifting and personally, I very much liked how it all came together" He explains.

I feel myself freeze, the burning gazes of my friends pointed right at me. It is true that GoldenShadow reached out to me to work on a song, but I never knew it was for a new surprise album of his. Due to the secrecy, I recorded my part and sent it to him via mail. He made sure to notify me that he received it and thanked me for my help. I had no idea it was Finn this whole time, but now that I do, I wish that I could've worked with him more on this album.

"Very nice..." Engagement Ring Princess comments "Now, if you wouldn't mind, could you tell me and the viewers just how you decided to pursue rap? Because, it's not just me that thinks this, but it's different than what you've been known for previously ".

"I can see where you're coming from. I'd probably wonder the same if our positions were reversed. So, ok, I'll let a little background drop for you" Finn nods, his face still impassive "It started right after Golb was defeated. Everyone had seemingly moved on and secured their futures. That is, everyone but me. Sure, Mom came with the humans and I helped them set up a settlement but even after that, I had yet to feel complete. Like I still lacked that one thing that would make me feel as if I belonged. That's when I tried reaching out to my friends. In truth, they felt more like family to me than Mom ever has. When I wanted to get together with them though, it felt like they were trying to avoid me, saying every time that they were either busy or couldn't do it. I began to feel alone, like they all were just ignoring me as someone who didn't matter to them. My emotions then started bottling up, causing me to be really angry at times and others just ending up with me crying. People could call me 'weak' and 'pathetic' but these emotions are what make me human".

There's total silence in my living room, the princesses absorbing his words. Bonnie and Phoebe look sad, staring at Finn with regret like they're the one's who did this to him. And in all truth, they definitely did. I tried talking to him at Jake's funeral, which I'm sure he'll bring up next, but he wasn't interested in talking with me. It really hurt that my best friend wouldn't tell me what was troubling him. I ended up leaving that funeral more sad and broken than when I arrived.

"Thoughts collided with emotions and the only place I felt I had left was to express myself through music. I'll admit that I never thought I'd be much of any good but time and practice does work miracles. I'd put out What Did You Expect? along with So Far Away at that point and the reception was already coming in. It was then that I realized that this was my true passion. Tragedy then struck, my brother dying only a week after my fifth song came out. The funeral was a dark, rainy day, many people coming from princesses to rainicorns. A lot of them tried to talk to me, saying that they hadn't heard from me in a while and that they 'missed' me. I didn't believe them. Why should I? They didn't miss me when I was missing them first. So I left without saying a word, going right back to the Treehouse. Once I got home, the idea for an album came to mind. I decided to call it My Take. The more time passed, the more I distanced myself from my friends but at that point, I struggled with even calling them that. Surprisingly, many knocked at my door, saying that they wanted to see me. I ignored them and just kept working on my album. It was almost like I didn't need them or their sympathy. The more I thought about it though, the more ideas for lyrics came to mind. Fast-forward a year and a half later and here we are" Finn concluded.

"Geez, guys, were you really ignoring him like that?" I said, turning to look at the girls.

"Not intentionally, no!" Flame Queen exclaimed "I was just caught up in the duties of my kingdom. It requires more work than you would think. Besides, I was also waiting to see if he had matured enough as to where I could accept dating him again".

"Course, if they watch this, they'll try to justify their reasoning with the fact that I was still 'immature' and that they wanted me to 'grow up'" Finn adds, surprising us"Seems to me like they're just people that I shouldn't involve myself with if that's what they expect out of me. Sure, I'll admit that I wasn't the most mature person in Ooo some time ago but that doesn't mean that won't change once I get older. You see, that's the problem with most of them. They all have a pattern. They're all royals, they're all incredibly stubborn, and a lot of them are pretty self-centered. You're pretty good though, ERP".

"Oh, thanks" Engagement Ring Princess smiles, accepting it.

"It just seems to me that most of them only wanted me around for what I could do that would ultimately only benefit them. In the end, that's why I quit being the protector of the Candy Kingdom, because Bubblegum just grew to be quite annoying to deal with" Finn vents, leaning down and running a hand over his hooded head.

Glancing back at Bonnie, I can tell she's pained by what she's hearing coming out of her former champion's mouth. I know that she didn't realize any of this, cause I went through something similar when we were together, and seeing history repeat itself must've finally knocked some sense into her.

"Finn...." I hear her whisper.

"Thank you for your input, Finn" Engagement Ring Princess says, shuffling some papers and turning back to the camera "Now, I'll open up the line and allow questions for those of you watching at home".

A call then comes through, literally surprising everyone by how quick it was.

"Hey there, handsome, your future Queen speaking here and I was wondering what is your take on the whole feud with you and the Flame Queen?" A voice that's all too familiar says. We all look over at Lumpy Space Queen, who has the phone beside her head.

"Nice to hear from you too, LSQ" Finn says, his tone a little less monotone "A very interesting question too. She technically began our little back and forth feud and I only saw fit to put her ego back where it belonged. Phoebe was saying things to try and put me down, along with my music, but-"

"I wouldn't have done so if you had just told us that you were GoldenShadow, Finn!!" Flame Queen exclaims, snatching the phone from LSQ and making her voice heard on the other side of the TV.

"Ah, hello to you, FQ. Are you and PB having a girls night with your friends? If so, I do hope you're enjoying yourselves" Finn says, obviously trying to be nice with still a hint of resentment in his tone.

"Finn, why did you do this to me? To Bubblegum? To Marceline? You have no idea how much I've wished you were next to me during all the difficult times. I sent letters, I called, and you didn't even answer! Why?!" Phoebe demands hysterically.

"Why indeed. Why would I choose to entertain the idea of me serving as your champion instead of Bubblegum's? And, do tell me, why do you think I owe you any loyalty after you refusing to talk to me after I helped you reclaim the Fire Kingdom?" Finn sighs,

"Finn, you're not some stranger to me. Don't act as if we've never shared a relationship before. Besides, as much as I would love for you to be my champion, I wouldn't do it for self gain and to make myself look better than the other kingdoms" Flame Queen answers "But please, think about my offer. You could be a well-respected knight of the Fire Kingdom, be allowed almost anywhere being a part of my inner circle, and you could even stay in my personal chambers. I would love to have you around and if you wanted, we can even start dating again".

Finn pauses on the other side, resting his chin on his fist. The show's audience is dead silent, really curious and interested in what Finn will say. Even Engagement Ring Princess is curious, leaning forward in her seat while glancing over at him. Finn and Flame Queen were a well-known power couple years ago but phased away after a short but bright burn on Finn's behalf. Finn knows that it was on him and I think it's why he wasn't all that eager to begin dating again. Still though, I doubt he'll be anxious to shack up with the matchstick in her little underground oven all that quickly.

"I'm gonna have to politely decline on that, Flame Queen" Finn finally responds "I just don't think I belong down there. Besides, what else would you have me do? Comfort you in your bed, maybe give you an occasional massage? Then you'd try and get me to fall for you by reeling me in with affection that I wouldn't know if it's real or not to then escalate to full on intercourse? Nice try but I've already had that happen to me more times than I want to remember".

Flame Queen blushes, having obviously thought about it but never thinking that Finn would reach that conclusion on his own. As a matter of fact, I'm blushing too from thinking about it. Though personally, my perverted mind is putting myself in the place of Phoebe and having Finn do the same thing to me. Bonnibel then takes the phone from the fire elemental, wanting her turn to talk.

"Finn, you can't say that we're entirely in the wrong here. We're princesses. We have responsibilities and duties to our citizens, so we can't always be spending large amounts of time away from the important things we must focus on" She speaks.

"Says the person who is talking to me in the first place while having a girl's night. So......yeah, not really buying the legitimacy of what you're saying here, PB. Now, if you have a question, I'd appreciate it if you'd ask, otherwise it's probably best we move on to the next caller" Finn replies, a hint of a smile on his lips. I hold back a chuckle, loving how Finn just roasted Bonnie. When she doesn't answer, I take the phone and finish off the call.

"You did her dirty, Hero. I'd pride myself in taking credit but you seem like you're a natural anyways. That's gonna be all from us and I hope to meet up sometime" I say.

"Thanks Marcy. I'd actually like that. Bye" Finn concludes as I hang up.

The princesses then start chatting up a storm, Flamy and Bonnie obviously emotional about what just happened. However, before I can jump into the conversation, the phone rings. I answer it and float into the kitchen, choosing to not distract the others.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Marceline! How's my baby girl been?" The voice on the other end responds. I nearly drop the phone in surprise.

"Dad?! How are you calling me from within the Nightosphere?" I exclaim.

"Magic has its many purposes, sweetie, and this is just one of them. But enough about that. Are you still liking that human? Finn...I think is what his name is" Dad asks.

"Dad, I don't really like talking about it" I sigh, leaning on the counter and looking out into the living room where the princesses bicker.

"Ok, that's fine. But from what I heard you say to him just a little bit ago, coupled with how he looks now, it wouldn't surprise me if you'd still be interested in him" Dad continues.

"Wait, you were watching the show too?!" I exclaim yet again.

"Not initially, but when I heard the guest that would be on, I changed my mind. Now that I now it's the human who's GoldenShadow, it makes me alright with saying that I'd be perfect fine if you two were to get together" He answers.

"Ok..um...thanks Dad" I reply hesitantly, biting my lip.

"No problem, my little monster"

"Anyways, I gotta go...." I say, wanting to end the call before I let my actual feelings for Finn be accidentally spilled.

"Of course. Take care, sweetie, and I hope to see you in the Nightosphere sometime" Dad wishes.

"You betcha. Bye Dad"

"Bye Marceline"

I then hung up and hovered back into the living room. Flame Queen is arguing with Breakfast Princess, looking so angry that she could very well cook her until she's overdone. Bonnibel just sits and sulks, her chin between her hands as she looks at the floor. Slime and Hotdog Princess sit on both sides of her, trying to get her to talk. It's a big, giant mess if I've ever seen one. The only one who isn't causing a ruckus is LSQ, who floats over once she notices me. She then hovers beside me and watches the scene unfolding with me.

"It's amazing what one boy can do" Lumpy Space Queen remarks, shaking her head while growing a smirk "Still, since it's Finn we're talking about, I can't really blame them".

"Yeah" I sigh, a smile appearing on my face "I guess so".

LSQ then turns to me, a frown on her face from my obvious change in tone.

"Is there something wrong, Marcy? Or is it..." LSQ then begins smirking again "Oh, I see what's going on here". I sigh, huffing a tiny bit.

"Yeah, I know, it's how he looks. But I can't just go by that. I want to know that if he likes me back, he won't just talk bad to me like he did Flamy and Bubblebum over there" I rant, pointing over to the commotion "Ash was the last guy I dated and I don't want Finn to be a repeat of that. It's just scary to think because of how similar they talk. Finn used to not have a mean bone in his human body. Now....I don't know anymore".

"Well, you'll never know for sure unless you talk to him" LSQ advises.

"Ok, but how would I do that? Finn's hard to get a hold of nowadays, at least relatively speaking" I ponder.

"Simple, girl. You call him, probably end up leaving a message, and invite him over. Just don't sound incredibly desperate when leaving a message. A lot of dates got turned off whenever I did that. Remember though, he said that he would like to meet up with you, so you already have some skin in the game" Lumpy Space Queen adds.

"Got it but what about them?" I say, referring to the other royals. LSQ sighs in annoyance.

"Tell ya what, I'll get them to leave but in return, I'm gonna need your help when I prank someone. Is that a deal?" She asks.

"Deal" I nod.

I then head back into the kitchen and make the call, going right to voicemail as expected. I say that I'd love it if he could come over and that we could just sit, talk, and catch up. I then hang up and head back into the living room, getting quiet tired of all this back and forth.

About an hour or two goes by, me having my fill of various red-colored foods while Bonnie talks among her, Flame Queen, and Breakfast Princess. I don't really pay attention to what they're talking about, mainly cus I could care less, and instead think about what's gonna happen when Finn arrives. I'm still a little nervous about it to be honest.

Then LSQ enacts her end of the deal and gets everyone's attention. She then claims that she's got a date with Finn, promptly angering everyone else in the room, minus me of course. She's then chased away out the door, leaving me as the only one left. Sighing, I shut my front door and float up to my bedroom, laying down on the bed and facing the ceiling. In a bored/dazed state, I just lay there without a care in the world, feeling like nothing can change how I feel.

A knock then sounds at my door, causing me to sit up with newfound vigor. Hovering downstairs and opening the door, I happily see Finn himself standing there, same get up and everything. I'm so happy to see him that I can't resist hugging him, his scent so alluring that I feel like collapsing. I feel kinda sad when he pulls back, even though I know it can't last forever.

"Thanks for coming, Finn" I say.

"It's no problem at all, Marcy" He answers "By the way, you look exceptionally beautiful tonight".

Looking down at myself, and noticing just what I'm wearing, I blush at his compliments.

"You're too kind, Hero" I manage to say.

Once I let him in, he asks where we should talk. I accidentally say 'my bedroom' and before I know it, we're both sitting on the edge of my bed. It's hard for either of us to start up a conversation at this point, for me being because I'm just getting lost in his eyes. Something about them is just so transfixing.

Heat then rushes to my cheeks and my breathing increases, so much so that I'm outright panting. My face moves closer and closer to his until its just inches away. When Finn turns his head, his eyes lock with mine while his body remains stationary. I feel my mind letting go and with my breath hitching, I lean in the rest of the way and kiss him, my head slightly tilted. He then slowly but subtly pulls me onto his lap, my palm resting flat against his chest while the other glides up his neck and holds him gingerly.

We just stay that way for a while. Just kissing. No talking. Just the feeling of our lips melded together as we enjoy each other's company. I don't think I even need to ask him at this point because the answer is clear enough in my mind. And all I gotta say is...

He's the only one I'll ever need.