Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Go!” I shouted, swooping down and tackling the Scarab. Fionna, Cake, and Simon were just sitting there. “Ah!” I shouted, Scarab managing to stab my wing while launching me off of him. I rolled, wings and body getting scrapes all over. I felt my heart crash when just as they beamed away, the Scarab grabbed on to them.

“Damn,” I groaned as I continued to lay there. I winced as I tried to move my wing, looking over to see my feathers stained red.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Finn stated, kneeling over my injured wing.

“And let you get hurt?” I asked incredulously. “You have a family you gotta take care of.”

“Now you're stuck here,” He replied sharply. I shrunk in on myself at his glare.

“I won’t bother you,” I replied. “I can find the Enchiridion-”

“That’ll be a waste of your time,” He huffed, standing up. I stared at him in confusion, but his darkened stare kept my mouth shut. “C’mon, gotta get that bandaged up before it gets infected.”

“Oh,” I mumbled absentmindedly, scrambling after Finn as he made his way out of the crater. We walked to his house in silence. So maybe I didn’t think the self sacrificial move through…to be fair, all I could think about was saving the others since a whole world was on the line.

Finn was right, I had no way back. I’m not sure what happened to this world’s Enchiridion, and now all I could hope for was for Prismo to be okay and send me back to Ooo. I never thought I’d get scolded by Finn in my life. In fact, I’m pretty sure the Finn in my world would slap my back and congratulate me on my bravery.

“I…I really am sorry,” I spoke up, the silence killing me. “I didn’t think it through and I was being narrow minded.”

I tensed even more as he didn’t reply. When we got to the house, Jay stood near the doorway pacing, Little Destiny standing near him trying to calm him down.

“Dad!” Jay gasped, eyes darting to me next. “What happened?”

“Go get the first aid kit,” Finn dismissed, clearly not in the best of moods. I stayed silent, standing awkwardly in the kitchen as the two teens ran off. Finn motioned for me to sit on a stool, which I did. I dragged my injured wing in closer to myself, eyes on the floor. Jay came back into the room, setting the first aid kit on the kitchen table before Finn told him to head to bed.

Once again, that damned silence filled the air. I tried to suck in the pain as he disinfected the wound. Suddenly, he stopped, staring at my wing. I looked over to it as well, before looking back at him. Then I noticed the bandage in his hand, and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Sucking in a breath, I pulled the wing into its resting position.

“Y-you gotta put the bandage around the whole wing,” I mumbled. Finn’s frown grew slightly and I looked away. “I’m sure the bandage is unnecessary...”

Finn didn’t reply as he stood slightly behind me, wrapping the bandage around my wing gently yet tight enough to stay firm. When he finished I stood up, fiddling with my hands awkwardly.

“Uhm, if that previous offer still stands, I can head back to the hayloft,” I motioned outside with my thumb. “I’ll be outta your hair before you know it.”

“No,” Finn replied gruffly, putting away the healing supplies. I tensed, nodding.

“I’ll go, thank you for everything-”

“I’ll get a blanket and pillow, you can sleep by the furnace,” He continued, taking the first aid kit and walking up the stairs.

I stared at his retreating figure in surprise. He’s been giving such mixed signals all night. Giving me the silent treatment, yet taking care of me. I glanced around the kitchen, then realized it seemed to double as a living space as well. Finn came back after a little bit, handing the items to me.

He paused, watching as I set the pillow down. I felt awkwardness creep through me as I then sat down, trying to figure out how to lay comfortably. Finally, I threw the blanket over me, basking in the warmth the furnace provided.

“Thank you,” Finn finally spoke up. I turned to face him as best I could, wondering what he could possibly be thanking me for. But that seemed to be all he had in him before he grabbed the lantern and went back up the stairs for the final time.

I turned back to face the furnace, the fire seeming to entrance me. I wonder what I’ll do tomorrow. I don’t know where to go or how to get home. If the crown is gone, for all I know that means the Enchiridion is as good as burned. The way Finn reacted to me bringing it up seemed like that's a correct assumption. Before I knew it, I fell into a hazy dream of orange and yellow.

…

I woke up to the sound of heavy footfalls. Rubbing my eyes, I stretched, looking over to see Finn enter the room. The sun seemed to be just peaking above the horizon and I groaned.

“Sorry,” I murmured, wanting to keep the quietness of the house. “I should get going.”

He stared at me, those damn eyes seemed to burn into my soul. He finally spoke up after I folded the blanket neatly, “Where will you go?”

I shrugged, picking the pillow up and setting them both down neatly on the table, “I don’t know. But back in my universe, I’m used to adventures…it can’t be much different…right?” I glanced up at him, only to meet his eyes.

“...you can stay,” He grumbled, sitting on a stool. “But you gotta work, I won’t have any freeloaders.”

My eyes widened, a grin spread across my lips as I saluted, “Yes sir.”

His face looked unamused, “Do you know how to chop wood?”

Chapter Text

“What’s your world like?” Bonnie asked, eyes seeming to sparkle.

I hesitated, pausing the weeding I was doing, “I…I shouldn’t talk about it.”

Finn had been kind enough to let me stay, and I didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. One of them clearly being any talk of magic.

“Pleeeeeeeease,” Bonnie whined. “I promise I won’t tell Daddy.”

I bit my lip, eyes turning to the weeds I pulled out to avoid her puppy dog eyes.

“Are there dragons?” Fern asked, surprising me as he appeared from seemingly nowhere.

“Uh…” I trailed off, not sure what to do.

“Are there robots?” Neptr asked, joining as well.

“How about giants?” Stormo asked.

Before I knew it, most of the Mertens family was sitting around me, looking expectantly at me.

“Break it up guys,” Jay spoke up, walking over to us. “We don’t want to overwhelm them.”

“Awe c’mon Jay,” Bonnie whined once more. “Aren’t you even a teeny bit curious?”

Jay paused, Little Destiny speaking up from his side, “I’m a bit curious…”

Jay also bit his lip, seeming to know the dilemma I’m in, “I guess…”

Two more expectant eyes were on me and I felt myself caving.

“Well, I guess I can share a little…”

I talked about the candy kingdom, all the princesses, and the adventures that I was sent on. I felt myself loosen up as all their faces shared a look of awe. I couldn’t help myself from talking about the Finn and Jake from my world, explaining how Jake was like Cake but a dog, and how we all went on adventures all the time.

“Whoah,” Bonnie awed. “I wanna be a princess!”

“So I’m a pie throwing robot in your world?” Neptr asked uncertainly, unsure how to feel about that.

“What’s a video game?” Fern asked.

“Dad in your world sounds super cool!” Stormo exclaimed.

I laughed at all their comments, “Your dad here is super cool too.”

“Eh,” They all chorused, looking at each other with doubt.

I rolled my eyes at their antics, “He literally has a blow torch prosthetic.”

“What’s going on?” Finn asked, walking up to our little group circle.

“Nothing,” The kids replied over each other, quickly rushing off elsewhere. I waved them off as Finn stood to my side, watching them run with squinted eyes. His gaze then lowered to me, glancing at my bandaged wing before meeting my eyes.

“I…uh…” I rambled nervously, turning to dig out a weed I was going to before being distracted. “Just giving them weeding tips?” I replied in a more questioning tone than statement.

“I don’t want you giving them ideas,” Finn stated with a slight glare.

“I-I’m sorry,” I apologized, fiddling with the grass. “Th-they kept asking and they were giving me puppy dog eyes…”

“Don’t let it happen again,” Finn huffed, before walking off towards the house.

…

I’ve been here for a few nights, and something I noticed was that Finn seemed to have a habit of staying up a bit next to the furnace. Since that location was basically my bed, I had the pleasure of staying up with him. We never really talked, but we didn’t really need to. It was nice to just sit in each other's company…and Jake’s of course.

I scratched Jake's head gently as he laid his head on my lap. I smiled down at him, heart twisting in a bittersweet feeling. He was so old, it reminded me of Jake from my world. Except he had already…

“What’s he like?” Finn asked, and I looked up at him in confusion. “The Finn from your world.” My eyes widened, he must’ve heard more of the kids and I’s conversation then he let on.

“Brave, heroic, cheerful, selfless,” I replied, those were the first things I could think of. I smiled grimly and looked down at Jake, “But after Jake…after he passed, Finn became a bit more…careless. We drifted apart after a while, but we check in on each other from time to time.”

I looked up, meeting Finn’s gaze, “You two are pretty different personality wise, but there’s a lot of similarities. Like you seem to be just as brave as my world's Finn. You’re also protective of the ones you care for, and also heroic.” Only the crackling of the fire was heard for a few minutes. Finn seemed to be contemplating my words.

“I’m not a hero,” He finally replied in a gravelly voice. My eyebrows furrowed, how was him, willing to risk his life for us strangers, not heroic?

“You risked your life for Fionna, Cake and Simon,” I replied in confusion. “You didn’t have to, but you did.”

“You risked your life for mine,” Finn rebutted.

“And I was a hero in my world alongside Finn,” I glared playfully.

“I’ve hurt people,” Finn grumbled. “I’m no hero.”

I stared at him in concern, but he continued to face the fire. I wasn’t sure how to respond, gaze landing back down to Jake. How would Jake reply? ‘Everyone makes mistakes, we can only improve ourselves after we make them.’

“Everyone makes mistakes,” I replied. “We can only improve ourselves and become a better person after we make them.” He continued to stare into the fire, and now I knew why he held that heavy stare. At least to some degree. Something real messed up must have happened to him if he actually hurt people.

“You can’t blame yourself forever,” I finished, placing a hand on his arm.

He glanced down at my hand before looking towards Jake, “Yes I can.”

I huffed, crossing my arms, “You’re only going to make yourself miserable doing that. Look around you! You have a nice house and farm with a lovely family. Yes you may have done bad things in your past, but guess what, that’s your past. This is the present, you're a father who takes care of his family, you took strangers in even though you didn’t trust them. You’re a good person whether you like it or not.”

A warm silence settled over us after that. He seemed to be considering my words thoughtfully, and I can only hope that I got through to him in some way. He added a last piece of wood to the furnace before turning into bed.

“Good night,” Finn murmured, taking the lamp that sat next to his stool.

I stared at him with wide eyes. This was the first time he bid me a good night.

“Good night,” I smiled back at him.

Chapter Text

Bonnie pleads for the reader to tell her a night time story.

I looked down at Bonnie as she tugged on my arm, drawing my name out in a whine. “Can you tell me a bedtime story?”

I noticed how Bonnie seemed to cling to me the most, constantly wanting to hear more stories about my world. The others weren’t as pushy, probably used to their dad’s antics surrounding magic. Bonnie was the youngest though, so she probably had more leeway.

“Only if your dad’s okay with it,” I replied, looking towards said man.

“Fine,” He huffed.

“Yay!” Bonnie cheered, pulling me up to her room. This wasn’t my first time up here, as a part of my chore list would be to help the kids clean their rooms. The upstairs only held one hallway that led to only four rooms. It was two kids per room, then Finn in his own room.

All the other kids had headed to bed, but tonight, Bonnie wanted me to tuck her in. She pulled me all the way into her room before bouncing on her bed, laying down and looking at me expectantly with a toothy grin. Stormo was already laying down, the soft light of the lamp illuminating the room in a warm orange tone. I walked over to Bonnie, taking her blanket and tucking her in gently. She wiggled excitedly, patting next to her for me to sit down.

As I sat down, I tried to think of a story to tell. I felt even more put on the spot with Finn who stood in the doorway, watching over the scene with his arms crossed.

“What kind of story do you wanna hear?” I asked, looking down at the blonde girl who wiggled her head onto my lap.

“How did you meet daddy in your world?”

I smiled, “I actually helped save him and Jake. So I was flying back home when…”

I told her about how they were attacking a beast to obtain an ingredient for Princess Bubblegum, but odds didn’t seem to be in their favor. So I swooped down and distracted it, giving Finn clearance to knock the beast out. Him and Jake invited me to tag along and hang out sometime, and the rest is history. By the time I finished, Bonnie was passed out, sleeping soundly on my lap.

Not seeing a way out without waking her up, I inched lower into the bed and under the blankets. Slowly moving her head to lay on my chest. Thankfully, my injured wing didn’t need to be bandaged anymore, and the scab was healing quickly. With one wing, I draped it over the two of us like a second blanket. I then realized that I wasn’t able to turn the lantern off.

Finn thankfully, was there to save the day. He blew the lantern out, only to pat my head gently before exiting the room. I felt my cheeks flush, staring at the ceiling. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, my thoughts seemed to be rushing a mile a minute. Finn was closed off, a bit cold and standoffish. And he’s only been warming up to me. I’ve noticed how his stare directed towards me was no longer the harsh untrusting look, but a warmer, more accepting one. He started to talk to me more, taking in my input and sometimes even using my advice. Now, it seemed to even seep into a more physical form of caring.

Letting out a quiet sigh, I closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep.

…

The next day, as I was busy carrying a bale of hay into the barn, I caught sight of Finn teaching Stormo some self defense. I hurried with my task, setting the hay bale in Bartram’s stall. I gave the donkey a quick pat on the head before exiting back outside.

I took a few minutes to catch my breath. Watching as the two Mertens sparred. I was slightly surprised that Finn was willing to teach them how to fight, but on the other hand, I understood why. With gangs who prey on the weak, to the mutant creatures I’ve heard about that prowl outside, they needed to know how to protect themselves, and each other.

“You need to straighten your posture,” I spoke up, noticing how Stormo slightly hunched his shoulders in. “And widen your stance.” Walking over to the two, I fixed Stormos' posture and smiled in satisfaction as he seemed more confident.

This time, he did better during their spar. Finn didn’t seem to put his all in it, but still managed to win. I sighed as Stormo seemed to keep letting his guard down, which let Finn get hits in.

“That was a lot better,” I praised, clapping slightly. “But you gotta keep in mind your openings. With every attack, you gotta think about what you’re leaving vulnerable. Make sure you protect your head and torso.”

“Perhaps a demonstration could help,” Finn spoke up.

A mischievous grin morphed onto my lips, “I don’t know…don’t want the kids thinking I’m stronger than their daddy.”

“Try me.”

Stormo handed me the stick and I got into a defensive position, waiting for Finn to make the first move. A fierce spar it was, as we both got hits on each other. Sweat ran down my forehead as I focused on disarming the blonde haired man. We watched each other intently, and I felt like I was in my element. The urge to flutter my wings and sore around was strong, as when I sparred with my world's Finn, anything was allowed. But I kept myself on the ground, knowing it would be an unfair advantage to use.

Then suddenly, it all seemed to happen so quickly. My breath was knocked out of my lungs as Finn had managed to tackle me to the ground. Both our wooden stick swords fell…who knows where. The atmosphere grew tense as we both panted, sweat covering our bodies. Our gazes were interlocked, and I could feel his breath hit my face.

A few seconds felt like hours before Finn lifted himself off of me. He offered me a hand and helped me stand back up as well.

“It seems like you still need some practice,” He stated. But even with him speaking with his usual monotone, his eyes expressed the tease to that sentence. His lips barely quirked up, before he went back to his stoic expression.

My heart seemed to stutter, not able to make eye contact. A wave of embarrassment hit me even worse when I realized Stormo had just witnessed the entire encounter.

“I went easy on you,” I grumbled, my pride winning me over. “If I were in a real fight I have the high ground.” I fluttered my wings slightly so he understood what I meant.

“Then let’s try again,” He offered, picking up the swords and tossing me mine. “This time, don’t hold back.”

Chapter Text

The sound of crackling fire was the only thing you could hear. The warm orange glow bathing the room in a soft gentle lighting. A cozy warmth overtook me, as the company I held was warm as well. It was late at night, Finn and I sitting together in front of the furnace. A ritual that seemed to have formed during my stay.

The longer I stayed here, the more I questioned the entire situation. The thought of staying grew every day. Each day, the less I thought of home, and I grew to doubt that Prismo even knew my whereabouts. It’s gotten to the point where I wouldn’t care if that was the truth. I felt at home, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

I looked over to Finn from the corner of my eye. The orange glow hit his face so beautifully. His hat was nowhere to be seen, his blonde hair exposed. I knew that he was showing a more vulnerable side to him, as his hair was streaked with white highlights. I wasn’t told much, but with his aversion to the crown and the further evidence of white streaking his hair, I could only assume in this universe, he had worn the crown. Even Simon couldn’t escape his crown wearing self, as his hair also had a white streak in it. A constant reminder of the past.

Finn met my gaze and I felt my blood pump faster. Neither of us backed down, and stared at the other with a sense of adoration. I didn’t even notice when our faces drew nearer, breaths mingling together. The crackling of the fire seemed to go louder, all my senses trying to focus on something to ground myself. I searched his eyes, no uncertainty to be found.

I carefully placed my lips on top of his. They weren’t the softest, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Except for the fact that he was reciprocating.

I pulled back, nearly falling to the floor due to the force. My heart beat faster, this time with fear instead of enamor. My entire body felt like it was on fire, my skin felt like it was crawling. Oh glob did I actually do that?

“I-i’m so sorry,” I said desperately, unable to meet his eyes. “I-I should’ve asked first and…glob I’m so sorry.”

I stumbled back, nearly knocking into the kitchen table before running out the door, missing the fact that he reached his hand out to try and stop me from leaving. I ignored the chill of the outside air as I took to the sky, flying over the forest and away from the house. I wasn’t sure where I was going, only thinking about the weight I currently felt on my chest, and the tears that threatened to fall out of my eyes. When I felt far enough from the house, I descended into the forest, sitting under a tree. I rubbed my arms, trying to warm myself up.

I felt like a monster. How could I have done that? I thought I was better than that. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tugged at my hair, wanting to forget everything. A few tears fell before I stood up. I need to make a campfire, get my mind off of what happened until I can think more clearly. Gathering some big and small branches, I managed to get a decent sized fire going. I stared blankly into the flames, heart clenching at how just a few hours ago the situation was vastly different. Once the fire dwindled, I decided to lay down, wrapping my wings around myself like a blanket. Closing my eyes, I wished I could be anywhere but here. And like that, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

That was until my surroundings became a blinding white. And suddenly, I was in that familiar yellow cube, with a pink figure smiling sheepishly at me.

Chapter Text

“Heeeeeey,” Prismo drew out, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry about leaving you there for so long.”

I blinked, unsure how to feel. On one hand, I did want to leave my previous scenario…but leaving forever? And without saying goodbye, or letting them know that I was safe? I bit my lip glancing to the side only to see the tv wall still on. My eyes widened as it showed Finn trekking through the forest, a worried glare set on his face as he followed the lantern light in the same direction I took off.

Prismo followed my view, “Oh, sorry. Don’t mean to distract you.” Then he turned the tv off, turning the wall back yellow.

I blinked, turning to face the pink wishmaster, “I have to go back.”

This time Prismo blinked at me, “You don’t wanna go back to your old world?”

I hesitated, and Prismo seemed to notice. He turned the tv back on, revealing the Finn from my world. Turning the volume up, it revealed Finn on the phone with Marcy.

“You haven’t found them yet?” He asked in a worried tone, desperation filled his expression.

“No,” Marcy was heard from the phone. “I’m sorry man. But I’m sure they're fine, maybe they went on a trip?”

“Without telling me?” Finn asked, slightly hurt. “They’d never do that.”

Suddenly, the situation got 10x worse. I felt torn. How do I have two different Finn’s searching for me? I frowned looking towards Prismo. I suddenly felt like crying. No matter which world I choose, I’d be leaving people behind. I started pacing, thinking of all the pros and cons. My frown started to wobble, as no matter what I did, it would be the wrong choice. The thought of Finn endlessly searching for me throughout Ooo, once again being left behind by someone he cared about. Or Finn going back to his family, having to explain the person they’ve grown so used to had run off, and only glob knows what happened to them.

“Whoah, whoah,” Prismo spoke up, turning the tv off once more. “Hey, since I kinda caused this whole mess…sorry ‘bout that…I can be a bit more lenient.” I looked up at the pink deity, unsure of what he meant. “How about you go back to Ooo, talk with Finn, and then make your decision. I’ll put a sticky note in your front pocket to send you back. If you’re still unsure, I can send you to the magicless world and you can talk to that Finn. How does that sound?”

I felt myself calm, nodding my head, “That sounds really nice, thank you so much Prismo. This means a lot.”

“No probs,” He shrugged with a sly smile. Suddenly, I was transported back to Ooo, standing in the Candy Tavern.

The first thing I saw was Finn hunched over the tavern counter, not having noticed me just appear out of thin air. Dirt Beer Guy coughed, gaining Finn’s attention before pointing towards me. Finn seemed to go through the five stages of grief in the span of a few seconds before rushing to hug me.

He let out a happy shout of my name, “Where have you been?!”

I let out an awkward chuckle, hugging him back. He was nearly killing me with how hard he was hugging me…but I honestly deserved it.

“It’s a long story,” I mumbled. I can’t believe I was being so selfish. Staying in the magicless world without even telling Finn and the others where I would be staying? I’ve been downplaying my importance in Finn’s life and now I felt like a doo-doo head.

“I’ve got time,” Finn smiled while pulling away. “Get us another round DBG!”

I felt my heart clench, even more unsure of what I wanted now. As Finn and I sat down at the bar, I started from the beginning. How Prismo had accidentally brought me along with Simon, about how Fionna and Cake are real, and how I got stuck in the first universe we fell in. How in that world he had a family and I had become incorporated into it. How I ran away and ended up with Prismo taking me back to Ooo to decide where I wanted to stay.

It was awkward, explaining to Finn about how I lived with another version of him. I tried to pass over the fact that I might have fallen for that Finn and may have kissed him, but I think Finn knew I wasn’t telling the whole truth.

“That’s crazy!” Finn exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder. “I had kids! Five of them?!”

I laughed gently at his awe, “Yeah. They’re really sweet too.”

Finn hummed in thought staring at me with a somber stare, “You wanna stay there don’t you.”

I looked down towards my drink, swirling it around and shrugged, “I do…but I don’t wanna leave you here either.”

“Why don’t you bring your phone with you this time?” Finn asked, giving me a brilliant smile. “That way we can talk whenever we want!”

“Would that even work?” I asked, looking at him with hope. “And you’d really be okay with that? And I mean seriously. Not just saying yes for my sake.”

“Of course!” Finn said, leaning over to hug my side. “I want you to be happy! Even if it means smooching an alternate version of me.”

My eyes widened, face suddenly feeling like it was ablaze, “I’m not smooching an alternate version of you!”

“Uh huh,” Finn smiles cheekily. “Whatever you say. Don’t worry about me, I’m typically hanging out with Huntress Wizard anyways.” I wiggled my eyebrows at that, and he just let out a ‘pshh’.

Our laughs died down and I downed the rest of my drink.

“Hey, sorry to be a downer, but I gotta close up for the night…” DBG spoke up, putting a clean glass back in place.

“Oh! No problem bro,” Finn waved off, standing up. I stood up as well, and we exited the bar together. “So, when are you gonna head back?”

I shrugged, “Prismo said whenever I wanted.”

“You should probably go then,” Finn recommended.

I hugged him, squeezing as hard as I could, “I love you man, don’t forget that. Keep me up to date on everything, okay?”

“I will,” Finn agreed, hugging me back. “I love you too.”

Pulling away from each other, I waved at him before pulling the note from my pocket, which transported me to Prismo’s room once more.

“Welcome back,” Prismo welcomed. “Made your choice?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Oh shoot! I forgot my phone!”

“Oh, yeah that totally wasn’t gonna work,” Prismo shrugged. “You’re lucky I got you one that will work, already with your contacts transferred.”

With a snap, a phone appeared in my hands. Searching through the contacts, they indeed had all my friends listed already. A giddy grin formed on my face. Making this choice wasn’t going as badly as I thought it would.

“You ready?” Prismo asked. I nodded.

“Thank you again for doing all this.”

“Yeah, I totally shouldn’t be doing this, but since it was my fault…” He trailed off, looking to the side. “Anyways, are you sure you're sure? Cause after I send you there you won’t have a way to find me again since…well, their world has no magic.”

“I am,” I nodded with a serious expression.

With a snap of his fingers, I found myself in the living room/kitchen of the Mertens household. Suddenly, I was being tackled by a bunch of kids, all of them asking where I went and why would I do that.

Chapter Text

“Okay guys,” I laughed lightly as they had all just taken turns giving me a hug. “I gotta talk to your dad now.”

A chorus of ‘awes’ filled the room, but they trudged out of the room anyways. I turned to Finn, who watched with a blank stare. I fiddled with my fingers, knowing I left on a sour note.

“Uhm, I’m really sorry about last night,” I muttered.

“Where did you go?” Finn asked, arms crossed as he leaned against the counter.

I sheepishly smiled, explaining how I managed to get back to Ooo. How I had a talk with the Finn from my world, and decided it would be best if I stayed here. “If that's okay with you of course,” I finished.

Finn’s face softened, and he uncrossed his arms, “This is your home now, it always will be.”

I felt myself fluster, heart beating wildly at the warm gesture. I looked off to the side, unsure how to respond. I was so wrapped up in my feelings, I missed the fact that Finn closed the gap between us. It wasn’t until he placed a finger under my chin and lifted my face up that I realized the gap was nearly gone. I took in a shuddering breath, flashes of the previous night filling my head.

“May I?” He asked, his breath hitting my face lightly.

Not able to say anything, I nodded. Finn closed the gap and kissed me softly. I kissed back, holding onto his bicep for stability. He pulled back quicker than I would’ve liked, but I wasn’t complaining. His hand caressed the side of my face, cupping my neck, before letting go completely.

Suddenly, a bunch of bags poofed onto the kitchen table, a little note in front of them. I felt my face flush as the moment was ruined. I felt embarrassment rush through me as I read the note.

‘Hey, so I realized all your stuff was still in Ooo so I transported the more important stuff.

-P’

I blinked, silently cursing Prismo for being an all watching deity. But also silently thanking him for moving my stuff for me. Without a word, Finn picked the bags and my eyes widened. Where was he gonna move them? I didn’t exactly have a room.

I followed after him as he walked up the stairs. He entered his room and placed the bags down on his bed. I felt giddy at the implication.

“There's a few empty drawers,” Finn explained, motioning to his dresser. “You can put your clothes there. Anything extra can be put where you’d like.”

“Thank you,” I thanked, already starting to put my stuff away.

I felt at peace, happy with the choices I made.

Chapter Text

“Heeeeeey,” Prismo drew out, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry about leaving you there for so long.”
I blinked, unsure how to feel. On one hand, I did want to leave my previous scenario…but leaving forever? And without saying goodbye, or letting them know that I was safe? I bit my lip glancing to the side only to see the tv wall still on. My eyes widened as it showed Finn trekking through the forest, a worried glare set on his face as he followed the lantern light in the same direction I took off.
Prismo followed my view, “Oh, sorry. Don’t mean to distract you.” Then he turned the tv off, turning the wall back yellow.
I blinked, turning to face the pink wishmaster, “I have to go back.”
This time Prismo blinked at me, “You don’t wanna go back to your old world?”
I hesitated, and Prismo seemed to notice. He turned the tv back on, revealing the Finn from my world. Turning the volume up, it revealed Finn on the phone with Marcy.
“You haven’t found them yet?” He asked in a worried tone, desperation filled his expression.
“No,” Marcy was heard from the phone. “I’m sorry man. But I’m sure they're fine, maybe they went on a trip?”
“Without telling me?” Finn asked, slightly hurt. “They’d never do that.”
Suddenly, the situation got 10x worse. I felt torn. How do I have two different Finn’s searching for me? I frowned looking towards Prismo. I suddenly felt like crying. No matter which world I choose, I’d be leaving people behind. I started pacing, thinking of all the pros and cons. My frown started to wobble, as no matter what I did, it would be the wrong choice. The thought of Finn endlessly searching for me throughout Ooo, once again being left behind by someone he cared about. Or Finn going back to his family, having to explain the person they’ve grown so used to had run off, and only glob knows what happened to them.
“Whoah, whoah,” Prismo spoke up, turning the tv off once more. “Hey, since I kinda caused this whole mess…sorry ‘bout that…I can be a bit more lenient.” I looked up at the pink deity, unsure of what he meant. “How about you go back to Ooo, talk with Finn, and then make your decision. I’ll put a sticky note in your front pocket to send you back. If you’re still unsure, I can send you to the magicless world and you can talk to that Finn. How does that sound?”
Pursing my lips together, I replied, “Could…I actually talk to the Finn from the magicless world first?”

“Sure,” He shrugged, snapping his fingers. Like that, I was back to my campsite, this time, Finn was sitting against a tree. He stared at me with wide eyes, unsure of what just happened.

“Hey,” I said awkwardly. “I just…I really wanted to apologize for what I did, and…I think I might go back to my world.” He blinked, eyes turning cold. His gaze fell onto the embers of the fire that were close to dying.

“Why did you come back?” He asked, the barriers I managed to tear down seemed to be up once more.

I fiddled with my hands, not sure if this was the best thing to do anymore, “I…I didn’t want you to worry about me…and I wanted to say goodbye to the kids if I could…”

“Leave,” He snapped, glaring daggers at me. “I can tell them you’re gone.”

I shrunk down, shoulders tensing, “O-of course. I’m sorry. Bye.”

Fumbling under his scrutiny, I pulled the note out of my pocket and once more, I was in the yellow cube.

“Yeesh,” Prismo mumbled. “You really seemed to stomp on his heart.”

I felt guilt churning in my stomach as the tv projected Finn, now alone. He scowled and stomped on the fire before taking his lamp. Leaving back towards his house. I didn’t mean to, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I played with his feelings, and just left.

“It's for the best,” Prismo tried to reassure. “I’m not exactly allowed to let you stay in an alternate universe. That’s probably a rule for a reason.”

I bit my lip, looked down and nodded, “Yeah…could…could I go to Ooo now?”

“Yeah,” Prismo replied softly. Once again, I was snapped away, only to find myself in the Candy Tavern. Soft music was playing, and there were only a few patrons. It felt like there was a lump in my throat when I saw Finn sitting at the counter. Walking over, I sat next to him, staring at the table.

I heard him call my name, only to ask, “Are you okay?”

It was like he broke the dam with that question, and I felt unwanted tears start to fall. Without a word, Finn pulled me into a warm hug, letting me cry into his shoulder. I hugged him back like my life depended on it. I took in his familiar smell, focused on the feeling of his shirt under my fingers, and the sound of the soft music that surrounded us. I slowly calmed down, reluctantly pulling away, only to find a drink set in front of me.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“...it's kinda embarrassing…” I mumbled before taking a swig of the drink.

“I won’t judge,” He replied softly.

The warmth in his eyes seemed to envelope me, and I broke down, telling him about how I found myself in an alternate universe. How I managed to find an alternate version of him and how I may have grown feelings. How I even ended up kissing him only for him to not reciprocate. Then how Prismo found me, and gave me the option, and how I went back to say goodbye, only to realize how much I must’ve hurt and twisted his feelings. And how I currently felt like a monster for doing so.

“...why did you come back?” He asked somberly.

I paused, eyes watering once more, “I couldn’t leave you.”

I continued to stare at my drink, missing the way Finn’s face grew into a light rosy color. Missing the way his heart skipped a beat at such a bold confession. Missing the way he stared at me with so much love and adoration, he looked like he was going to explode. Missing the way his eyes watered as well, coming to a realization that he still had a reason to be here even after Jake had passed.

“It seems that no matter what universe, I’ll always fall for you,” Finn confessed, bearing his heart.

I tensed, looking over to him in surprise. My heart beat faster and my face felt warmer. I searched his eyes, which held no sense of joke or lies. Suddenly, I felt overwhelmed with an abundance of emotions. Confusion, gratitude, guilt, warmth, shame…love. It was all so confusing.

“I-I probably shouldn’t have said that,” Finn said, shoulders tensing as he stared down into his cup, voice raised slightly. “Forget I said that.”

“That was really romantic,” I mumbled, my ears felt like they were burning. “But…maybe we could take it slow. Let me get over…whatever in the nightosphere I went through.”

“O-of course!” Finn exclaimed. “I-I wasn’t expecting anything, I’m not sure why I even said that…well…I mean I do like you…a lot. But I don’t want to pressure you! Especially when you just got back from all of that.”

I couldn’t stop the fond smile that fell over my face at his rambling. I missed him, more than I realized.

I chuckled fondly, “I missed you so much Finn.”

Chapter Text

“That’s like…the sixth time you complimented me,” I grumbled, ears feeling unbearably hot.

Finn chuckled awkwardly, “I can’t help it, you’re just so cool.”

I looked down, feeling flustered, “I’m literally covered in grime and blood.”

“And you look totally badass!” Finn cheered.

I chuckled, rubbing my shoulder to release some tension, “I think I’d feel a lot better with a good shower.”

“We can set up our camp near the pond,” Finn offered. “We can start cooking up that beast we killed and take a dip in the pond.”

I agreed, and we did exactly that. I let Finn handle the food, and made my way to the pond. I striped my dirty clothes off, already feeling cleaner without my bloodstained clothes. Dipping my toes into the water, I hesitated as the water was a bit cool. The need to become clean overpowered anything else and I dunked myself fully in the water. When my head popped back over the water, I was met face to face with a grinning Finn.

“Hey,” I grinned back.

“Hey,” He replied softly. Lifting a hand up, Finn scrubbed some dirt from my cheek. I warmed from under his touch, even the chilly water couldn’t put out this heat. I nuzzled into his hand, closing my eyes to enjoy his touch further. His thumb softly rubbed the flesh of my cheek. Opening my eyes, I was met with his tender gaze.

“How mad would you be if I kissed you?” Finn whispered over the gentle laps of water.

I sheepishly looked towards the water and shrugged, “I don’t think I’d be too mad…”

With my confirmation, Finn pulled my face closer to his. He hesitated for a second, giving me a chance to pull away, but instead, I pushed forward. Our lips met in a gentle kiss, Finn moving his hand down to settle on my waist. I pulled away first, feeling breathless from the short kiss. Only for Finn to follow my lips and kiss me more passionately. I wrapped my arms around his neck, our bodies pulling closer. With the moon shining down on us, the moment felt magical. This time, we both pulled away, panting slightly.

“Glob, I’m so in love with you,” Finn confessed breathlessly.

My heart was beating erratically, my mind felt like it was melting with love and affection for the man who I held on to. I stared at him with as much love and affection I could muster. One of my hands moved to the back of his head, scratching his scalp gently before pulling him down into another kiss.
I let out a content sigh, “I love you more than you could ever imagine.”