Author's Notes: This story was written using the Big Damn Table from the Fanfic100 challenge community (see here at fanfic100 . livejournal . com / profile). I am not officially participating in the challenge, but I am going to be working my way through the prompts with two friends of mine.

Rating: This story is rated T for some decidedly suggestive themes and unbearable cuteness.

Prompt: #16 Purple

Late afternoon sunlight filtered in through the windows, distorting wherever it hit the many arrays of beakers, test tubes, and other laboratory equipment. The chalkboards in the corner were filled with a single complex equation. Notes and clarifying remarks sprouted like weeds on arrow-shaped stems from every line, and at the end of the equation, 3 large question marks dominated the remaining space. Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum stood at the center of a scene of controlled chaos, surrounded on three sides by her equipment. On her right, a large, complex series of glassware housed a deep red solution that was dripping into a beaker. On her left, a similar apparatus was dispensing a blue solution into a graduated cylinder.

A look of intense concentration creased Bubblegum's pink forehead above her laboratory goggles. She was setting up a Bunsen Burner on the table in front of her, casting frequent glances at the blue setup. Suddenly, she turned to her left and crouched down, eyeing the meniscus of blue solution carefully. She let one more drop fall… two… three… and then swiftly turned a dial and cut off the flow. Pouring the solution into still another beaker, Bubblegum then sucked up some of the red solution into a pipette.

She paused then to jot down some notes in an open notebook, tongue sticking out from between her teeth. Turning back to the beaker of blue, she carefully added 12 drops of the red solution and stirred the whole concoction.

Nothing happened.

The Princess nodded tightly, answering some silent question, and then lit the Bunsen Burner in front of her. She adjusted the flame and then suspended the solution over it. Last but not least, she stuck a thermometer in the beaker. If she had done her calculations correctly, all she had to do now was wait.

With the majority of the experiment completed, Bubblegum let out a small satisfied sigh and leaned back into a stretch. She loved her time in the lab. She loved the quiet of it, the way that the bubbling of beakers and drowsy drips of titrations were the only things to hear besides the occasional clink of glass tapping against glass. It had always been a place just for her, where she could indulge in the pure pursuit of knowledge and escape the burdens that came with ruling the Candy Kingdom.

As Bubblegum relaxed her focus, she became aware of a sound that was NOT caused by a beaker, a titration, or a test tube. However, instead of annoyance, Bubblegum felt a smile slide across her lips. She closed her eyes and listened to the deep, steady thrum of the bass being played behind her and the soft soulful voice that accompanied it. If she strained her ears, she could just make out a few of the words, "Bury you… ground… my sound…" These were new sounds that had entered her haven. She pushed her goggles up and turned around to lean against her lab table.

Bubblegum's smile gentled, became tender as she drank in the sight before here. There, floating gracefully 7 and a half inches above the ground was Marceline, her Vampire Queen. She was still lost in her song, swaying lightly to the beat, fingers working expertly over the frets. She was leaning over her bass, long dark hair tumbling down from underneath her sunhat almost to the lab floor below. Her red plaid flannel was the same color as her ax and hugged her thin frame in a way that Bubblegum loved. Her dark jeans were tucked into a pair of boots – and not her usual red or black pair. No, they were tucked into a pair of pink boots that had been a gift from Bubblegum, and it warmed her heart to see Marceline wearing them. The Princess was grateful, as she always was, that she and her lover could share this time together.

It was rare that Bubblegum was completely free from her duties as Princess. Before Marceline began joining her in the lab, the private moments they had together were few and far between. Marceline had decided to solve the problem in her own way. One day, she had just showed up with her bass when Bubblegum was going into the lab to do some work. Bubblegum had fought it at first, but eventually she relented and let Marceline in under strict orders to not get too loud. Marceline had pushed her way into Bubblegum's most private sphere, and to Bubblegum's great surprise, she really enjoyed listening to Marceline play while she worked.

As though Marceline could hear Bubblegum's thoughts, she looked up then, meeting Bubblegum's eyes. Her voice, barely audible before, grew louder, just loud enough to reach the Princess's ears:

"I'm gonna drink the red from your pretty pink face
I'm gonna lift you up and take you out of this place
I'm gonna bring you over to my kingdom of endless night
We can bury each other in our love until the light"

A blush blossomed in Bubblegum's cheeks and she looked away, suddenly shy. The music stopped and out of the corner of her eye, the Princess saw Marceline swinging her ax down to rest it on the floor.

"Do you frequently sing songs about me in here?" Bubblegum asked bashfully, not sure which answer she wanted to hear.

"Only all the time," Marceline replied off-hand. That must have been the right answer because warmth was spreading through Bubblegum's belly. Though there was no sound, Bubblegum could sense that Marceline was drifting closer. She turned back towards Marceline in time to catch a kiss that was aimed for her cheek right on the lips.

For a moment, they stood like that, Bubblegum's head tilted slightly back to meet Marceline's as she floated just above her, lips moving together in a kiss that was all about serenity.

Then Marceline pulled back with her typical casual smile and tweaked Bubblegum's nose. "You're cute when you blush you know," she teased, her low voice wrapping around Bubblegum and sending a sensory jumble of excitement and contentment to her brain.

"Oh stop," Bubblegum blushed again, and Marceline chuckled and brought her hand up to trace from one cheek and across the bridge of Bubblegum's nose, coming to rest cupped around her other cheek.

"You have goggle lines on your face, nerd."

"And you're floating too high for me to kiss again, punk."

Marceline descended until she was standing firmly on the ground in front of Bubblegum. "Better Princess?"

"Mmm, much!" Bubblegum leaned in to claim another long kiss.

They parted again and Bubblegum turned around to check on her experiment. The solution in the beaker was beginning to boil but otherwise there were no changes. Marceline moved forward to press against Bubblegum's back and leaned over her shoulder to study the beaker with her.

"So how's the experiment going, Doc?" She asked, pulling Bubblegum's notebook closer and pushing it away just as quickly at the sight of all the numbers and charts.

"Marceline, I've told you, I have a Master's, not a Doctorate." Bubblegum chided gently, no real disapproval in her tone.

"Fine, fine, Professor then. How's the experiment Professor Bonnibel?" Marceline amended with a grin evident in her voice.

Bubblegum huffed and rolled her eyes dramatically, knowing Marceline would know she wasn't serious. "The experiment is going well, thank you for asking."

"So are you almost done then?" Marceline queried, and Bubblegum could feel the moment that her tone shifted and went from innocent to salacious. "Because if you are, I could help you out of that lab coat and into something more comfortable," she purred.

Bubblegum's cheeks went from pink to red once again. She bit her lip as Marceline's arms snuck around her and the vampire's fingers began playing across her stomach like they had the strings of the bass minutes before.

"Y-yes I'm nearly finished. I just need to wait for this solution to turn purple," Bubblegum replied, attempting to remain focused on finishing the task at hand.

Marceline turned her head so that her face was in the crook of Bubblegum's neck, her warm breath ghosting across Bubblegum's pink skin. "Oh sure, go ahead, take your time," Marceline murmured into her neck, placing a soft kiss below her ear. Her left hand drifted between the buttons of Bubblegum's coat until it stroked over the fabric of the pink dress beneath. Her fingers traced several tiny circles that tightened and moved lower, and lower. Bubblegum's breath hitched, and just as she was about to turn and jump the vampire behind her, Marceline's hand was gone and she had glided back to her bass. She picked it up and played a few notes as Bubblegum turned to face her, disbelief and desire in her eyes. "I'll just be over here until you're done." Marceline called, her voice calm but her smile positively wicked. "I wouldn't want to distract you, Princess."

"Oh you just wait, you'll pay for that!" Bubblegum promised.

Marceline chuckled easily, "Lookin' forward to it!"

Bubblegum turned back to her beaker as Marceline began singing again:

"I'm gonna strip the clothes from your sexy pink skin
I'm gonna kiss your lips until your head begins to spin
I'm gonna show you I love you when I look into your eyes
I'm gonna make you scream with my head between your…"

"MARCELINE!"

Bubblegum's mortified shout was drowned out by Marceline's laughter as it bounced out of the lab and echoed down the hall. Bubblegum groaned and slumped against the table. Would this dumb solution EVER turn purple?