Marshall Lee was too strong for his own good. Then again, that came with the whole "being a vampire" thing. Sometimes his strength scared him. Most of the time it scared others.
Before he had met Fionna, Marshall had enjoyed scaring the living math out of poor creatures that had the unlucky privilege of getting in his way. He'd sneer and laugh as he watched them cower in fear. For Marshall, scaring never got old from him.
Fionna made him forget just how strong he was. And how fiery his temper could be. The fear he longed to see turned to ash when he saw how scared he could make the young adventurer. He hated how she told him she wasn't afraid when her legs were obviously trembling, a quake in her voice. Those where the moments where Marshall truly hated himself. Hated what he was. He'd leave for long periods of time only to come back and find her waiting for him.
She'd always be mad at how long he'd be away for. Marshall forgot how long time really is when you aren't immortal. He'd just float and stare when Fionna nagged about where he had been and how scared she had been for him.
Marshall didn't like to talk about his feelings. Or feelings in general. Especially with Fionna. It was hard, seeing his best friend cry over the pink prince, laugh when she was with her adopted sister and how angry she could be with the ice queen. Whenever Marshall was around, it was like she had a whole different emotion. An emotion he wasn't used to.
Marshall had moments where he would just lose himself. Those moments that would let him know just how strong he was. No...how fragile Fionna is. Sometimes it'd just be a little argument, and one thing would lead to another and he'd have both of her wrists firmly in his calloused hands. He'd squeeze, being as light as possible, but he'd always be shocked at the bruises that formed on her skin when he pulled away.
Fionna would always try to convince him that she was fine. He shouldn't worry. But Marshall wasn't known for being a good listener. He'd get lost, wondering why she continued to stay by his side. Why she always forgave him in the end. Why she'd pretend it never happened when sometimes the pain he inflicts would be remembered through the scars on her arms and face.
That was just how Fionna was, though. She never cringed in the face of danger. She never let pain stop her from living life. That's probably why he loved her. Not that he would ever admit that.
Marshall couldn't pin point exactly when he had fallen for her. Or why. She was his best friend. And best friends don't love each other like that. She loved Gumball. Not him. He was just a dead freak. A freak that hurts her. A freak that never gave her anything but pain.
He had expected Fionna to flinch away when he kissed a wound he created. When she didn't, he didn't know who to be afraid of most. Him, for creating the wound on her delicate skin, or the fact that she didn't run away from him.
Marshall memorized the way Fionna took his face in her hands, stroking away the tears he had yet to shed and lightly kissed him. He knew if he had been alive, he would be blushing and gushing with tears. How could he hurt something so fragile? Something so beautiful?
From then on, Marshall still couldn't learn his lesson. Then again, you don't break a wild horse overnight. The fights would go on and he'd always pin her to the wall, to the door, to SOMETHING; fangs bared in all of his fury. He could tell she was afraid. She had a right to be. But she'd always kiss him fiercely, as though she were trying to turn the tables.
Sometimes he'd let Fionna have her way. Make her think that she really was stronger than him. Marshall wanted to think that she really was stronger. In some ways, she was. In others, not so much.
Marshall never thought he could love someone so much. That he could ever find something in this world that he could cherish more than his bass guitar. More than he had loved Hambo, his lost stuffed toy.
He gave Fionna so many bruises over the years. So much pain and so many scars. But still the adventuress would stay. Would always hug him and kiss him so deeply, he was sure the deepest trench in a sea would be envious.
When holding Fionna's tired and battered body well into the night, Marshall would contemplate his emotions. For the girl in his arms and the world around him. He'd count the bruises on her and wonder if he should count his strength as a blessing or a curse. He'd consider running away and never seeing Fionna again. Never seeing her again would mean not hurting her. But before Marshall Lee could run away and disappear into the ends of the earth, Fionna would open her blue eyes and give him a look that shook his undead heart and only then did Marshall realize how strong he really was.