#marshmallow crush crush | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

steeltwigz · 2 months ago

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(this might b a little ooc idk what pepper is like and its 12 am so im not proofreading it sorryyyy)

Marshmallow stood at the stove, idly melting sugar. She was making treats for Bow, who had still been working up to testing new physical sensations again, and decided sugar-coated fruit was probably a good way to go, given her girlfriends’ shared sweet-tooth. Currently, they were outside using the combined strength of a possessed Bow-pple to race whoever in a wood-chopping contest. The lack of people in the house was calming, if Marsh was being honest. She had space to breathe again, but was still close enough to the action to not feel too left out. She could hear the group outside cheering and laughing, and the distant thunk of wood being chopped. And maybe she missed the presence of one of her girls by her side, but she had planned this as a surprise anyways and needed to take the opportunity while she had it, even if she was a bit disappointed in missing the way Apple’s arms would flex, body shining, glowing in the sun through her sheen of sweat and the ethereal glow of possession, and Bow’s determined and proud laugh, sharp teeth flashing dangerously at the taste of victory and- Marshmallow shook her head to stop herself getting distracted, turning to focus on her cooking instead. She could miss this once. It wouldn’t be hard to get another competition going anyway. She looked back to her pot.

The sugar smell was calming and she watched it bubble, stirring it just to admire the swirl, smiling absentmindedly. She hadn’t felt so content in a while, and hadn’t realized just how badly she had missed her normal, significantly quieter life. The cheering behind her grew louder suddenly and a small breeze blew into the kitchen, making Marsh shudder slightly. She turned over her shoulder, glaring against the sunlight, then smiled politely as the door closed and she could make out a form.

Pepper crossed the foyer and into the kitchen, smiling briefly at Marsh.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hi,” Marsh replied, “How’s it going out there? Sounds pretty intense.”

Pepper shrugged one shoulder, gazing down at the floor briefly before stepping in toe the kitchen properly, walking towards the fridge. “You know how it gets,” She said in lieu of a proper answer, and Marsh nodded anyways because she knew what Pepper meant. Bow and Apple were competitive enough on their own. Putting everyone in a house together was bound for trouble. She huffed a laugh and turned back to her sugar syrup, stirring it again.

“Yeah, I do,” she said, amused lilt in her voice. She smiled and felt her cheeks dimple slightly. There was a sudden crash of glass falling against glass and Marsh jumped and looked up. Pepper was fumbling glass bottles in the fridge, though her eyes had been on Marsh until they locked gazes and Pepper hurriedly looked away.

“Sorry,” she said, trying to balance them, voice slightly panicky and too apologetic, “sorry, sorry. Slipped.” She smiled up at Marsh awkwardly and nervously, and Marsh decided she didn’t like it, stepping forward to help. Her hand brushed Pepper’s arm, squeezing her amicably on her shoulder and taking some of the bottles out of her hands.

“It’s ok. Here, let me help you,” Marsh said, genuinely.

Pepper’s mouth opened, then shut, then opened again before she nodded. “Y- yeah! Okay. Th- thank you.”

Marsh took some of the bottles and placed them on the island in the middle fo the kitchen, bending down and searching for a bag to put the bottles in. She heard Pepper mutter something to herself, then follow Marsh’s lead, placing her bottles on the counter too. She heard Pepper shift her feet, then found a bag and tugged it out of the cupboards. With a huff, she stood back up, placing it on the countertop as well, then smiling at Pepper.

“Here you go! If you ever need help with something, you can let me know. While you’re in my house, you’re my guests. And I take care of my guests. Okay?”

Pepper took a sudden surprised inhale, then nodded, cheeks slightly flushing, out of embarrassment, Marsh figured. “Uh-” Pepper started, fidgeting with the bag, putting bottles inside. She was slow and cautious, awfully careful, not the Marsh minded. She appreciated her trying to take care not to mess up the kitchen. “What’s that you’re making?” She asked. Marsh slapped her hand to her cheek and turned back to the stovetop.

“Right! I almost forgot about that.” She stirred it again, reaching for the fridge handle while stirring. Her reach was a little short, and Pepper hopped up to get it for her. “Ah- thanks. That cup of water, please.”

Pepper grabbed the cup, silently handing it to Marsh, who stirred the sugar syrup then took to spoon and dropped a single bit of syrup into the water. She watched it harden, and smiled, placing the cup down. Pepper just watched, confused, tilting her head.

“It’s sugar syrup,” Marsh explained, reaching for a pre-prepped bowl of fruit. Tangerine slices and grapes and strawberries. She hummed when she realized they didn’t have any skewers and bit her lip. “Uhh- hang on, I can show you what it’s for I just- Could you get me that box there?”

Pepper nodded, walking past Marsh and grabbing a skewer from beside her, from a box that Marsh had left just out of her reach. The countertops had been a bit less organized than Marsh usually had them, and she was too used to working with Bow or Apple, and now Paper and Paintbrush on occasion, that she had set everything just slightly too far. She grabbed the stick from Pepper and mumbled a soft ‘thank you’ that had Pepper do that small gasp thing again. Marsh didn’t pay it much mind, skewering a strawberry and dipping it into the bubbling syrup. She swirled it, holding the pot at an angle to show Pepper and make sure the whole berry was covered.

“Basically, you melt the sugar like this, to dip fruit into it. The cup thing was just to make sure the sugar was at the right temperature, that it would harden right. And when you’re done,” she said, pausing to tap the skewer on the edge of the pot softly to shake off any extra syrup, “you put them somewhere to cool so the sugar hardens. I just have this other cup.” She flipped the skewer so that the strawberry stuck up in the air, dropping the stick into a cup to the side so the sugar would harden. Pepper watched intently, nodding along. Marsh looked to the side and couldn’t help but smile at Pepper’s genuine interest in what she had to say. It reminded her of Apple and she looked away shyly.

“Wow,” Pepper said, voice filled with genuine awe, “that’s really cool! How long does it take to cool?”

Marsh shrugged, holding out her hand for another skewer which Pepper placed into her palm quickly. She grabbed a few fruits, putting them on the same skewer to save time. “Not too long. By the time the last fruit is done, it should only be a few minutes. Five or so. Stick around and I’ll let you have one, if you want.” She said, turning to wink at Pepper.

Pepper blushed again and nodded, turning away. “R- right.” She said. She smiled softly. “I will. Thank you.”

They worked in silence for a while, finding a rhythm. Marsh was comfortable, even though she didn’t know Pepper very well. They had both forgotten about the sodas warming on the counter. Marshmallow skewered more fruit, the last few left, and swirled them in the syrup. Pepper watched intently as she tapped it against the side of the pot just as she had all the others and placed it in the cup. Marsh flicked one of the older skewers, nail clicking against the hard shell of the candy. She smiled and grabbed it, a combination of one of each fruit. She turned and held it out to Pepper.

“Here,” she said, raising it to Pepper’s mouth, “this one’s good.” Pepper looked down at the fruit apprehensively, then back to Marsh, who smiled reassuringly, “try it, you’ve earned it.” Pepper’s face flushed again, but she leaned down to take a bite of fruit anyway. Marsh had intended for her to take the whole skewer, but didn’t mind, watching as Pepper delicately took one of the fruits in her teeth and pulled it off easily. Soft crunches sounded as she chewed, lips stretching into a smile as she hummed. Marsh smiled, taking the other fruit Pepper left behind, humming in pleasure herself.

“It’s sweet,” Pepper said when she swallowed, licking sugar off her lips. Marsh chuckled, and nodded.

“Yeah,” she agreed, “Bow likes sweet foods. Apple too.”

Pepper leaned against the kitchen counter, sized Marshmallow up and down, and nodded. “Yeah, that checks out.”

Marsh choked on her candy, swallowing hard and laughing. She reached out, grabbing Pepper’s shoulder to steady herself as Pepper blushed again and laughed with her, nervously. After a moment to compose herself, Marsh stood upright, wiping her eyes. She snorted, giggling off the last of her laughing fit. She smiled at Pepper.

“Where did that come from? Have you been this funny the whole time, or am I just lucky?”

Pepper smiled and Marshmallow, now slightly closer, admired the asymmetry of how it rose higher at one end.

“You are lucky,” Pepper said, sincerely in a way that confused Marsh, like there was some deeper meaning to it. She tilted her head, a habit picked up from Apple. “I mean-” Pepper said, biting her cheek. She stepped away, leaning against the island tabletop instead of the counter next to the oven. She shrugged. “Look at this place. Your home is beautiful. You have this great place, you live with amazing people. You make them cute little snacks.” She shrugged again, shuffling her feet and looking down shyly. “So, y’know. You are lucky.”

Marsh smiled, creasing her brows slightly. The dramatic shift in tone confused her, and she rubbed her arm, embarrassed at having been put on the spot like that. “I- Thank you.” She inhaled, studying the way Pepper’s brows knit together, suddenly noticing a deeper, tired expression on her face. She placed her hand on Pepper’s arm again. “Hey,” she said, softly, leaning in slightly, “You okay?”

Pepper gave her a glance, then blushed at Marsh’s genuine concern and turned away. She smiled uncomfortably. “It’s- it’s nothing. Forget it.”

The expression left a sour taste in Marsh’s mouth and she squeezed Pepper’s arm slightly. She hadn’t gotten to know Pepper that much on the show or at the hotel, and she was kind of regretting it now. What had she missed?

“Pepper, please. You can talk to me.”

Pepper turned to Marsh with genuine surprise, then hurriedly wiped her eyes and scratched her arm nervously. She bit her lip, then turned back. “Promise you won’t laugh?” She whispered. Marsh squinted slightly, confused, but nodded. Pepper turned away again and sighed. Suddenly, she hardened her gaze and turned to face Marsh fully.

“I need to ask you something.” She said, voice brave, braver than it had to be. Marsh nodded again.

“Sure. Anything.”

Pepper glanced away nervously, and a blush rose to her cheeks. She inhaled deeply, gathering her courage, then turned back to Marshmallow. “How- how did you know you liked girls?” She asked, voice low and hushed. Marsh’s eyes widened and she smiled, almost laughing before she remembered herself.

“That’s it? Pepper, that’s- I mean, I didn’t expect-” Pepper’s face turned scared and pleading, and Marsh shut up, clearing her throat. “Right, sorry. Well, uh… Gee. Jeez, I’m not sure. I just, y’know. I guess before Bow and Apple came around, I never really thought about it. No one on the show was really that appealing. And then they showed up and, I don’t know. I couldn’t ever stop thinking about them after a while. At first I thought I hated them, and I did a little, but, I don’t know. They grew on me, I guess. Honestly, I can’t imagine a life without them. I’m happy with them, happier than I’ve ever been. God, I mean I can barely go a few hours alone without missing them. I-" Marsh realized she was rambling and paused, clearing her throat, "uh… Does that answer the question?”

Pepper gulped, and glanced down at her feet again. “I’m… not sure…” She said, turning back to the wall. Marshmallow huffed a self-conscious laugh and turned away too, rubbing her neck.

“Yeah, I guess not…” She said, and they both stared at the wall in silence for a moment. “You know…” Marsh started slowly, scratching her cheek. Pepper looked down at her curiously. “You could always try the old-fashioned way…”

Pepper tilted her head. Marsh stood up straighter slightly, rubbing her hands together nervously. She bit her lip, then turned to look at Pepper.

“Have you ever kissed a girl before?”

Pepper blushed deeply but shook her head. Marsh nodded.

“I, um-” Marsh tapped her thumbs together, “Do you- want to?”

Pepper’s blush deepened and she turned to look nervously back at the front door, before turning back to Marsh. She nodded, shyly at first but her confidence quickly grew and the nodding became determined.

“Okay,” Marsh said. She hummed. “Uh… Just, y’know. Relax.” She reached out to hold Pepper’s cheek. Pepper jumped slightly, but still obliged, leaning down slowly as Marshmallow moved forward. Pepper suddenly paused, biting her lip and moving back slightly.

“What about your girlfriends?” She whispered. Marsh could feel Pepper’s breath on her face and huffed a laugh, rolling her eyes. She smiled.

“Pepper, this is hardly an affair. Besides, Bow'll think it’s for a good cause.”

"Is it?" Pepper asked. Marsh shrugged.

"You tell me," she said.

Pepper glanced away, thinking, then turned back and nodded slightly. “Okay,” she whispered, letting Marsh pull her down again.

“Okay,” Marsh whispered back. “Keep your lips parted slightly,” She guided, “and don’t get too tense.”

Pepper nodded again. “Alright-” She started to say, before Marsh softly pressed their mouths together. Pepper squeaked, and Marsh pressed in further, admiring the way Pepper’s lips were smooth, glossy and cool, and how they tasted like sugar syrup and grape lip balm. She rubbed her thumb along Pepper’s cheek and Pepper nervously reached out, caressing Marsh’s face too with shaky hands. Marsh hummed contently, holding the kiss for a moment, before pulling away from Pepper, breaking apart with a soft pop. Pepper stared, awestruck, slowly reaching a hand to her mouth and touching her lip. Marsh chuckled, lowering her hand and rubbing the back of her neck.

“Aww, c’mon, I’m not that good," she said, voice amused. Pepper, dazed, just nodded.

“Uh-huh…” She mumbled.

Marsh sat beside patiently while Pepper’s eyes shifted, glancing around quickly as her thoughts raced. At a loss of what to do, Marsh decided to let Pepper have her moment, reaching across the counter to grab another sugary fruit candy and crunching it. Suddenly, the front door opened again, someone storming inside.

“Happy to help,” she said, just as earnest. Pepper smiled, Salt suddenly crossing the foyer to grab her by the wrist and drag her off. Marsh hummed, turning around. The taste of sugar and lipgloss lingered on her lips, and she indulged in it as she began to clean the kitchen, listening as Pepper and Salt’s voices faded into the crowd once again.

“Pepper, what’s, like, taking so long? It’s been for-everrr!” The voice, Salt, said. The atmosphere broke instantly, like a bubble popping, and it made Marsh's eye twitch slightly, unexpectedly adn suddenly annoyed. Pepper shot up, back straight, hand covering her mouth, and eyes blown wide.

“Shoot! I forgot the sodas, uh-!” She started hurriedly stuffing them in the bag, darting around the counter, stumbling over herself. “Coming, Salty Salt!” She shouted, racing to the kitchen doorway. She paused, hemming, then turned back to Marsh quickly. Their eyes met, and Pepper blushed slightly again. “I, uh- Thank you.” She said earnestly. Marsh smiled back at her.

#inanimate insanity #marshmallow ii #pepper ii #this is obviously pretty shippy I Know but would you believe me if i told you this was meant to be totally platonic. if not like a one-side #crush on pepper's part #for the worlds no 1 marshplebow-er i sure do make marshmallow kiss lots of other girls #just the power of yuri #writing tag #i always forget that one augghhhh

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