The 15 Tiers

The Beginning

The day you met Finn, he was a joyous stuttering mess. He couldn't contain his sheer excitement over the fact that you - a human - was here in Ooo, nonetheless his age and opposite gender.

It seemed like fate from the very beginning.

You'd taken up residency in the nearby Candy Kingdom, not wanting to have to rely on the boys for support as you wanted freedom and independence, as well as gotten a job as an official Candy Counselor.

Fighting had never been your go-to; it was simply easier to talk through problems instead, and the citizens of the Candy Kingdom made it super easy as their problems were never usually that complex.

However, Finn suddenly started coming to you about his problems; the stress of being a pure, righteous hero, determining what was right and wrong, and trying to keep his thoughts together between Flame Princess and Princess Bubblegum. But then he stopped talking about the princesses, and soon stopped talking about his problems all together, instead changing the subject to that of you.

What was your favorite flower? How do you feel about adventures? Do you like spaghetti?

These questions surprised you, they flattered you, and never failed to make you blush. As much as you enjoyed listening to people, being talked to was nice too, and you grew fond of your talks with Finn, maybe a little too much.

These talks often escalated your intensely growing crush on him; how he always managed to be a perfect boy, no matter how many times things went wrong, he was always there to fix them with a sword and a smile.

In the beginning, Finn thought of you as a friend, someone to bond over shared experiences. However, after a few weeks of talking and getting to know you, Finn wasn't quite sure why he felt so awkward and nervous around you - he used to talk to you about anything and now he just felt jittery and embarrassed.

When he thought about it, he didn't initially understand what he was feeling - the gooey warmth in his stomach or the way his heart pulsed as if he had just ran through a dungeon. Then he realized these were the same feelings he once held for previous princesses, and it all made sense.

Finn sprinted to your house that same night, ignoring Jake and BMO as they called out to him. It was getting dark; the sun had just began to slip below the horizon, the first pinpricks of stars appearing for the night. He huffed as he burst through the Candy Kingdom gates, banana guards confused by his exasperated nature.

"Uh, Finn?"

He ignored them too, pushing past them to get towards your house. He looked down the street frantically. One house, two houses, three...

Finally, he reached yours. The tall gingerbread building stood before him, showing your office below and your apartment above; the lights were still on upstairs.

He squatted, placing his hands on his knees in an attempt to catch his breath. His heart was still jittery, the sprint from the treehouse not helping his gunked up nervous system.

C'mon Finn, it's just a girl... you talk to them all the time!

But you weren't just any girl - you were a human girl.

He brushed his flustered, disheveled self off, fixed his hat, and then pressed the peppermint doorbell. Now to wait.

Finn fidgeted with his feet, stepping back and forth, wiggling his toes. The pressure was building up in his chest, the anxiety of spilling his feelings out for you, to see if they were requited or not.

You frowned and pulled open your door slowly, wondering who it could possibly be at this time of evening, when you saw the popular hero of Ooo, looking down at his feet. You suddenly blushed, embarrassed at the fact that you were caught dressed for bed, in one of his signature blue shirts and short-shorts, but he noticed you at the door before you had time to run away.

You offered him a sleepy wave and smile, forcing the blush down and attempting to act as casual as possible as to not arouse any suspicion to your obvious crush on him, "Hi Finn. What's up?"

Finn's mouth hung open, his cheeks flushing with an embarrassed yet smitten hue of pink. You were wearing his shirt, the one he had lent you the day you had met as to replace yours, which had gotten all ripped and dirty from a monster attack. He swallowed thickly, choking out a meek "hello".

Silence. It was densely quiet, not even nearby sounds of candy laughter and chatter could break the tension.

Finn's heart was racing, he felt like he couldn't breath.

You frowned, confused by his strange behavior, and opened your mouth to ask if he was alright.

"I think I like-like you, a lot!" Finn blurted. He couldn't meet your surprised inquisitive gaze, opting to look down at his toes, scuffing the ground. His face was burning - when did he get this bashful? "You make me feel all mushy and hot and my brain goes all stupid and I just want to be with you all the time... I- uh, w-will you be my girlfriend?"

He looked up shyly, scared to see your response.

Your eyes were wide, your hand over your mouth in surprise. You couldn't believe it. The famed hero of Ooo, with as many girls after him as he did, had asked you to be with him. Your gaping expression curled into a shy smile, and you nodded. "Of course I will."

Finn's heart skipped a few beats.

You said yes.

He grinned, looking down, scratching at his red cheeks. "Well, I, uh, I'll catch you tomorrow?"

You nodded softly, said goodnight, and closed the door. You stood behind the door for a few moments after closing it, stunned. He had asked you! Your deepest desire ever since your talks, feeling slightly jealous over princesses, having just been normal with no kingdom or wealth to your name, but he didn't care about that. You bit at your bottom lip, squealing a bit in excitement.

Finn immediately breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the door clicked shut, and fist pumped the air in excitement. Everything felt a bit lighter inside, but he couldn't shake the pink hue from the tips of his ears and cheeks.