Hey! Alrighty, okay, so, I already know that this is probably just going to sound very, very confusing, because apparently none of the links that I had added onto my profile forever ago work anymore so I'm just stuck with having to describe everything, but have any of you ever seen that fanart (fanart? I think it was fanart) picture of Gumball giving Fionna this big box of chocolates, and she kinda looks really happy, but Marshall Lee is hidden behind a shaded building, and he just looks absolutely heartbroken? Okay, well, if you have, that is fantastic! I thought of the idea for this story after I had seen that picture, and this story is really the aftermath of that moment in time. And, well, if you haven't seen it… sorry! I really don't know what I can do to help with that, and I don't even really know why I thought that it was so important to explain all of this, but I guess that you'll just have to read this and imagine what I was talking about. Anyway, I don't own anything, and the song used in this is called 'Perfect' by Hedley. Enjoy!

That's it… She likes him… It's done… I thought, turning away and swearing to myself as I ran my fingers through my hair. I turned back to the brick wall that I was using as a shaded shelter from the day, before I squeezed my eyes shut and punched it as hard as I could, almost completely shattering the bricks underneath with the force. It hurt my hand, sure, but I couldn't even completely focus on it. I should have expected it. I mean, every girl wants to marry a Prince, right? And she's had a crush on him for as long as I've known her. Why did I even think I had a chance? It was him that she had came to see that night at the Bubblegum Ball, not me. It was him that she spent so much time with every day, and talked to constantly because of it. Maybe I just thought that she had changed… Maybe I thought that Fionna would be different… I don't know anymore. I sighed, looking up to the brightly clouded sky, and before a complete thought could even begin to form I decided that maybe today… it was just worth the pain. I flew out from the protection of the building, intent on leaving the stupid Kingdom and hiding away back in my caves. I dropped the flowers as I flew, knowing that they didn't really have much purpose anymore. I think that they might've landed on Peppermint Maid, but I didn't stop to make sure. I couldn't bring myself to really care about them anymore.

. . .

Prince Gumball held the heart-shaped box out for me once again, and I stared blankly at them, not entirely sure about what I should say. I looked back at him for what could have definitely been the hundredth time, before I glanced past his shoulder and noticed the familiar figure flying away from the Kingdom. Wait, why was Marshall here? I thought, and I squinted slightly, as I could have sworn that he had dropped something as he was flying away, but I couldn't be sure. "Well?" the Prince asked again, expectantly, and it snapped me back to the matter at hand.

"What? Oh, ah…" I hesitated, before I bit my lip. "I'm really flattered, Prince Gumball, but… I have to… go."

Before he could say anything else I quickly pushed passed him, knowing that he must have been at the very least quite surprised, and I started to run in the direction that Marshall had flown off in. It wasn't like Marshall to be in the Kingdom without saying a word to either of them, and he definitely would have teased Prince Gumball if he had seen what he had done, so I knew that something wasn't right. I knew that his caves were in the same direction that he had disappeared in, so I hoped that that was where he was heading, so that then I could find out what was wrong much easier. It wouldn't be too difficult to find him otherwise, as he usually would only stick around in a handful of places, but I hoped that today it would just be easier.

When I finally made it to the caves, I walked toward his house, but before I could even raise my fist to knock on the door I heard a soft noise coming from behind the house. I paused, knowing that it had to have been Marshall, before I quietly walked around the house and saw that he was indeed there, singing softly as he played a piano that he had set up a few weeks earlier. I could still remember the day that he had gotten it, and how excited he had been when he did. I felt like I should go over to him, or just make sure that he knew I was there, but something held me back as I listened to him.

"…a thousand feet per second, you still take me by surprise…

I just know we can't be over; I can see it in your eyes.

Making every kind of silence, it takes a lot to realize…

It's worse to finish than to start all over and, never let it lie.

And as long as I can feel you holding on…

I won't fall… even if you said I was wrong.

I'm not perfect… but I keep trying,

'Cause that's what I said I would do, from the start.

I'm not alive if I'm lonely,

So, please, don't leave…

Was it something I said? Or just my personality?

Making every kind of silence… it takes a lot to realize…

It's worse to finish than to, start all over and never let lie.

And as long as I can feel you holding on…

I won't fall… even if you said I was wrong.

I know that I'm not perfect… but I keep, trying,

'Cause that's what I said I would do, from the start.

I'm not alive if I'm lonely,

So, please, don't leave…

Was it something I said? Or just my personality?

When you're caught in a lie,

And you've got nothing to hide…

When you've got nowhere to run, and you've got nothing inside;

It tears right through me…

You thought that you knew me,

You thought that you knew…

I'm not perfect… but I keep trying…

'Cause that's what I said I'd do, from the start!

I'm not alive if I'm lonely,

So, please, don't leave…

Was it something I said? Or just my, just myself…?

Just myself…? Myself…? Just myself…?

I'm not perfect, but I keep trying…"

I stared at him, and I slowly began to piece together everything that had happened, and I realized what was going on. I cautiously rose from my hiding spot and walked toward him, and I knew that he must have been too focused to hear me, as he didn't turn around. That, or he didn't want to admit to himself that he knew I was there. "Marshall?" I called out, and he flinched. He mustn't have known I was there.

He immediately turned away from me, and I was almost certain that I caught a glimpse of his flustered face. He didn't want me to hear that song. I knew it. He quickly rose from the black piano and walked toward the lake, almost just completely tearing off his shirt. "What?" he asked bitterly, in a tone that I had never heard him use before. It almost hurt. He dove into the water, appearing a few seconds later, a good distance away from me. "Shouldn't you be with your new beloved boyfriend?"

Okay, that one did kinda hurt. "What?" I asked, still slightly surprised as to why he could ever had possibly thought that I would say yes. I now felt like he had most definitely seen the scene with Prince Gumball earlier – it was obvious, I think – but as to why he thought that I would ever possibly say yes was still unknown to me.

"Bubble Brains," he replied simply, pushing himself under the water again and holding his breath for a minute. Was he trying to hide the fact that his face was pink? When he surfaced again, he was almost glaring at me. "I saw what he did at the Palace earlier."

I quietly walked down the deck and sat down, dripping my toes down into the cool water. I was still afraid to swim, but I didn't really focus much on that as I stared at him, and he pushed himself a bit farther away from me. I noticed that his knuckles on his left hand were actually bruised, and even had some blood on them, and it looked like he had even put a small bandage on the worst of it. Had he broken his knuckles? "Marshall…" I said gently, and I tried to find the right words to piece together a sentence. "…Prince Gumball asked me to be his girlfriend, but I said no."

He stopped, and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?" he questioned. "You've had a crush on the guy since you were twelve."

I blushed slightly, looking down and chuckling as I moved my feet. "Yeah, but I realized that it wasn't always fun to have to save the guy you like from everything, all the time. And until today, I didn't even think that he would ever see me as more than just a kid." I said, and Marshall turned, going under the water again. I waited, and when he surfaced again I continued. "And I said no… because I was too worried about you."

He finally turned completely, and looked into my eyes. "Wait, what? Seriously?" he questioned, and I nodded.

I felt an innocent smile creep onto my lips, and my cheeks felt warm as I looked down again. "Really… I said no because of you." I admitted finally, and he completely froze. He pushed himself closer to me, and it was quiet for a moment, before he cleared his throat.

"So… am I allowed to ask you now, then?" he asked, with his voice coming out all nervously croaky and sweet. I smiled.

"Ask me what?" I questioned.

He ran his fingers through his dripping hair, and looked back up at me. "For you… to go out with me?" he said, and I smiled. I held on to the side of the deck and leaned down, kissing his forehead softly.

"Of course." I said, attempting to still seem like I was suave and cool but failing due to the burning on my cheeks. He smiled, which was a sweet smile, and which was nice to see after hearing that song. It made my heart go ka-thump, and he suddenly pushed himself out of the water and grabbed onto my hands. I squealed as he suddenly pulled me back down with him, and pulled me down into the water.

Marshall grinned happily under the water, leaning in and kissing me as we floated back up. I would have normally panicked because I was in the water, but Marshall held me closely and instead I actually giggled, and used all my weight to push him back down again, to which he laughed. When we leaned closely to each other once again, I smiled, pecking his lips slightly before I whispered: "Oh, and just by the way… you are perfect to me."

Well, how was that? When I had seen the picture the first time, I had listened to the song not long after, and I had just immediately thought that they went wonderfully together, and tadaa, this story was formed. And I'm just going to apologize now for how cheesy that ending was, but I couldn't help myself. Sometimes the endings just have to be a lil' cheesy, y'know? Haha, anyway, I hoped you enjoyed, and au revoir until the next one!

~Batman's Favorite Daugther~