This is just a little bit of fluff, as any of my regulars will know I have a thing for little bits of fluff. Any ways I don't own any of these characters I just borrowed them. I did invent Star I just kind of went with the flow with her invention I hope she reads well. The usual warnings of man on man love and well fluff so enjoy, I do have dyslexia so be nice.
The last piece of the puzzle.
The grand summer ball in the candy kingdom was in full swing, all those present at the event were dressed in their finest and clearly having the best time of their lives. Fionna looked around smiling she had to admit that it was great to see so many people here it also made her really happy that they were having a good time together. In honour of the formality the night the adventuress wore a plain short blue dress in the shade of the t shirt that she usually wore which fell to just below her knees. Her long blond hair had been worked up by Cake into an ornate bun so that it was out of her way as she danced the night away this bun was decorated a little white bunny clip in her hair instead of the usual hat. In the name of practicality and in case the Ice queen turned up, the adventuress also wore flat white dolly shoes meaning that if she needed to go into action she could.
As the eyes of the young woman surveyed the ball room from where she stood sipping a drink and taking a break from the dance floor they eventually found prince Gumball and her smile grew. He was every inch the prince tonight, dressed oh so formally in a princely outfit in pinks, whites and gold, his pink hair was slicked back and neat for the occasion. Fiona had to admit Gumballs cloths made the most of his physique drawing the eyes to the broad shoulders and narrow waist, the adventuress had never seen the prince look so handsome before. At his side was the princess of the kingdom of dreams called Star, the two were conversing happily together and clearly she had the prince's full attention. The princess was quite small reaching only Gumball's shoulder and delicate with pale glittering skin, her hair was shining silver and her eyes were also grey in colour. The ball gown which Star wore was well fitted to her fine figure with had wide skirts, the dress was midnight blue and decorated with silver glittering stars.
Fionna couldn't help but feel that it was about time somebody noticed how wonderful Gumball was and took a romantic interest in him. Yes he could be a little formal, perhaps a little stuck in his ways but considering that Gumball had needed to rule his kingdom alone since he was young that was understandable. The blond was even happier about what appeared to be the start of a romantic relationship because over the last few months Gumball had seemed down and it was good to see him looking happy again. The adventuress hoped that being Star would help Gumball to relax a little but that at the same time the princess would support the pink prince in the running of his kingdom.
Then out of the corner of her eye something caught Fionna's attention, when she turned her head to look at what it was she was happy to see the dark figure floating in the corner of the room, Marshall always made things more fun for her. The blond wasn't too surprised to notice that he was the only person casually dressed the vampire never did dress up for any event no matter how important she guessed it was the rebel in him. Fionna then realised that Marshall was glaring across the ball room at Gumball and Star and this fact concerned her. The adventuress wondered what was bothering the vampire about the newly forming couple, she knew that the two men did not get on but Marshall was not usually as clearly hostile towards the pink prince as he was appearing to be tonight.
Determined that for once the undead man would not spoil the good time Gumball was having tonight Fionna quickly made her way across the room to him. Just at the same time the blond got to the side of the vampire a slow song started and Gumball took Star out onto the floor. Being this close to the vampire Fionna could now hear that Marshall was growling furiously and as he went to move towards the floor the adventuress snagged his arm and hastily pulled him down. "Don't even think about ruining this for Gumball." Fionna hissed at the raven haired vampire angrily.
"Why can't I ruin his fun?" The vampire asked an angry tone to his voice instead of the usual mocking or petulant tone to his voice that he tended to use when asking her such a question.
"I don't know what is wrong with you tonight Marshall Lee but do me a favour and leave Gumball out of your bad mood. For the first time in a long while he is actually happy and I am not going to let you spoil it." The blond told him sternly.
When Fionna said this to him Marshall somehow just all at once deflated, he leant heavily into Fionna and she shot him a concerned glance. "Oh Fionna what have I done..."
"Marshall?" She asked him both confused and worried for her friend.
"I'm such an idiot..." The grey skinned vampire confessed as he looked across the room at Gumball gliding round the dance floor with the beautiful princess in his arms.
"Why are you an idiot?" The blond asked the vampire made truly curious by his words and the wistful tone he said them in.
Marshall let out a deep sigh and then answered this question in a soft voice. "I love him."
Fionna blinked for a few moments her mind struggling to follow those words and when at last she did realise what Marshall was telling her the adventuress's eyes widened. The blond found herself unable to stop herself asking him the absolutely obvious question of. "You love Gumball?"
"Yes..." This one word was whispered with a depth of emotion which she was not used to hearing from the vampire.
"You have a funny way of showing it." Fionna told him the angry edge to her voice back again. The Adventuress then folded her arms and glared at the vampire.
The dark haired man looked down at the floor and let out a deep sigh. "I can't help it every time I get close I say something stupid...I always regret it after wards, I always want to apologise but I can never get it right. As soon as I see someone else getting close to Gumball my behaviour always gets worse because I feel so possessive, I can't help but lash out. I always try to drive that other person away or put a wedge between them I usually do this by flirting with the girl myself just to prove to Gumball that they don't really want him."
The blond haired young woman shook her head at Marshall and placed both hands to her hips. "You really are an idiot. Why don't you try to show Gumball how much you really care for him?
The vampire looked at her quizzically. "How can I do that after what I've done? He would never believe me and I wouldn't blame Gumball for that. "
Fionna raked her eyes over Marshall's tatty black jeans, old red flannel shirt and raised her eye brows at him. "Oh I don't know you could actually attend one of these formal events Gumball throws dressed neatly for once. It really wouldn't hurt you to show your true rank in your dress in fact it would be guaranteed to get Gumballs attention which is exactly what you want. It wouldn't kill you to be polite to Gumball you could ask him to dance with you instead of attacking him. I know you Marshall Lee, I know that if you really wanted to you could sweep Gumball right off his feet. Doing any or all of those things would be a start, sometimes it is the simple things which have the best affect Marshall."
Marshall stared at her in stunned silence for a few moments as he processed this information and then spoke. "Excuse me I think I need to go home and change."
"Good." Once this was said by Fiona the vampire floated off to go home and change.
The adventuress did not see Marshall for a few hours but when she did next catch sight of him the blond adventuress froze and then smiled slowly. The vampire's usually untamed hair was styled neatly atop the vampires hair was a tall spiky black crown, with red diamond shaped gems hovering between the spaces of these spikes. He wore tight black trousers, elegant long black leather boots which clung to his legs and ended just bellow his knees. His top was also black well fitted to his figure showing off his strength, in fact Fiona noticed that all the clothing made the most of his fit form just as Gumballs did his. The blond found herself wondering where the king of the vampires had been hiding this outfit all this time. Fionna had to admit that all the black made his grey skin look even paler than normal making Marshall appear handsome and otherworldly.
As Marshall crossed the ballroom to reach the side of the Candy Kingdom prince his red gaze did not waver from the face of the pink prince. Seeing the darkly clad king coming in their direction people just moved quickly out of the way of the vampire king making a strait path for Marshall towards his intended destination. Gumball stood his pink eyes wide, he was clearly completely transfixed by the sight of Marshall dressed like this coming towards him. During his confidant stride across the ballroom to the side of Gumball the whole room had fallen silent, even the orchestra had stopped playing and all eyes had become focused on the pair who stood eyes locked on each other nether saying a word for a long moment. Then Marshall bowed his head politely to the prince, he held his hand out to Gumball and then addressed him in formal tones. "Would you do me the honour of dancing with me Prince Gumball?"
The pink prince gulped, he gave the vampire a bow in recognition of his higher rank, a single nod was the answer that the king received to this question and then slid his hand into Marshall's. Smiling with satisfaction the vampire led Gumball out onto the dance floor, the orchestra suddenly seeming to remember why they were there began to play a waltz. Marshall placed a hand to the slender waist of his partner, before taking the one hand in his and began to lead Prince Gumball round the floor in a smooth waltz. Slowly the pink man looked up into the eyes of the vampire holding him both gently but firmly as they danced together. "Marshall...What...Why?" He stuttered out both confused and embraced at the same time.
"Because I wanted to show you the truth, that being the fact I wished to be with you. I've spent all night hating watching you with Star...I wanted it to be me at your side. I've been such a fool Gumball, I kept teasing you, kept taking girls from you all because I wanted to keep you as mine and make sure you would be no one else's." Marshal told him deciding the best thing he could do at this point was be as up front with the one he loved as much as possible.
The prince stared at him with surprise for a moment before speaking a stern tone to his voice. "This better not be a joke."
Marshall let out a sigh. "I can hardly blame you for saying that, I haven't given you many reasons to trust me. However let me say this, why would I dress like this and approach you in this way if I was attempting to tease you?"
Gumball contemplated this for a few moments and then smiled slowly at the man holding him. "You are being serious."
"Thank you for believing me." The vampire king said gratefully to his dance partner.
As the song came to an end the pair left the dance floor side by side, Marshall laid Gumballs arm along his and held on gently but firmly to the younger mans finger tips. The pink man took a deep breath, he felt himself blushing as he met the unwavering red eyed gaze of the vampire at his side. Gumball did not try to gain his arm back instead the prince walked calmly alongside the powerful looking king of the vampires. As Fiona watched the two men side by side she couldn't help but see how right that they looked together. The blond young woman smiled to herself it pleased her greatly to see two of her best friends so happy together and she hoped whole heartedly that they would always continue to be this happy.
Gumball and Marshall stood side by side many people came over to them to talk, a few tried to separate them but when the dark haired king turned an angry glare on them people stopped trying to break up the pair. As the ball finally started to wind down and people drifted away to go home the king and the prince still stood together. Marshall Lee was clearly not intending to leave Gumball's side as he busily thanked people for coming and said his farewells to them. Fionna was the last person with Cake at her side to come over to the two men, she smiled at them both and said. "Good night you two. Thank you for a wonderful night Gumball."
The prince smiled at his friend. "Good night Fionna, I am glad you came and that you had a good time."
Cake spoke up then. "Good night, you Majesty, your Highness. It was a wonderful party."
Both men blushed slightly as Cake made it sound as if the two of them had hosted the party together. It was Marshall who found his voice first out of the two of them. "We are glad you had a good time Cake."
With this the two ladies left side by side, this at last left the two of men alone in the ball room save the servants who were cleaning up what mess there was. Gumball turned to his darkly clad companion, the prince tried to draw back his hand and arm from the other male but Marshall tightened his hold softly causing Gumball to ask softly. "Aren't you going to go home?"
"Actually I was hoping we could retire to your room and have a private discussion about a few vitally important matters." The Vampire told him seriously.
The pink haired candy man eyed him for a few moments before letting out a sigh and saying. "Very well come with me." Together the two men left the ballroom and made their way side by side to Gumball's room.
Once inside the pink prince took his hand from Marshall's, although the dark haired man instantly felt the loss of his closeness to the one he loved the king permitted the pink haired man to have his hand back this time. Gumball quickly closed the door to his room firmly behind them to insure that this conversation would be completely private. The prince crossed the room, he gracefully settled onto the edge of his bed then glanced across the room at his unexpected guest before gesturing to a chair at his desk in the room. "Please sit."
Ignoring the chair he was offered Marshall instead settled on the bed next to the prince enjoying the feeling of being so close to him once more. "Gumball I know I am asking a lot of you but I would wish to woo you properly with a view to our marrying."
The cheeks of the younger man went red and he stared at the man next to him for a few moments before saying anything in response to this. "Are you sure you wish to do this with me?"
"Oh yes more than anything." Marshal assured the pink prince gently placing his hand over Gumballs which sat on the other man's knee.
Gumball sat quietly for a few moments, the vampire did not take this badly he could clearly see that the prince was thinking over this then eventually Gumball spoke. "I would be honoured to be wooed by you properly Marshal...However I cannot help but think you will return to how you have been. I do not want to be teased and I also have no desire for this to all be some kind of twisted joke."
"I think only time can lessen your fears about this being one of my ways to tease you, I can understand why you think this way. There will be times I tease you Gumball it is part of my nature, but know this if I do it is because I want to see you laugh or because I am trying to be affectionate. I promise I will no longer tease you to humiliate you love, I will admit to being ashamed of the way I've acted around you and the way I have treated you. I can't promise however that I will be able to hold myself back if someone tries to flirt with you or tries to take you away from me." Marshall told the prince sitting next to him with all seriousness.
"Your very possessive of me aren't you?"
The king let out a low growl. "You have no idea how much I hate seeing other people with you romantically."
Gumball smiled at the vampire slowly and said softly. "Oh I think I have some idea of how that feels."
It was at this moment that the prince lent into the vampire, he kissed the other man very gently and rather nervously. Marshall wrapped his arms round the pink man and slowly ran his fingers down the back of the prince which caused him to moan softly. Gumball responded to the king doing this to him, swiftly the prince put his arms round vampire pushing himself closer to Marshall enjoying the feel of their bodies so close together. Eventually the two men pulled apart from the kiss, their gazes met, they both smiled and Marshall said in a whisper. "This seems like a good start."
"Yes this is a very good beginning, were the end will be we shall see." Gumball said before, removing his arms from round the vampire, taking his crown off and popping it safely on a bedside table. The prince then moved back to sit once more at the side of Marshall before leaning into him and placing his pink head onto the shoulder of the king.
With a soft smile the vampire wrapped his arm round the prince he held him gently. When eventually Gumball fell asleep on him Marshall lifted the other man as though he weighed nothing placed him on the bed stripped him down to his under clothes then placed Gumball under the bed sheets. The king watched the pink man sleeping, he pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, then left him a note under his crown on the bedside table explain that he'd had to go home before dawn and he planned to come back to see Gumball again the next night.
The two men met every night so they could spend time together, it took them time but slowly and surely they fell more and more in love with each other. Over time the king proved to the man he loved how much he cared and that this relationship was no joke to him. For Marshall when Gumball at long last confessed he was in love with him as well it was the most wonderful night in his long existence. Every so often the vampire teased his beloved but over time Gumball also joined in with this teasing.
Two years after they had begun to see each other the prince had managed to surprise the vampire king by going against tradition and asking Marshall to marry him. The shocked vampire had taken a few moments to respond to the question but when he had done Marshall was so full of joy that it was hard to miss for all those present.
It was exactly three years after the ball which had brought them together the two men married and as they were royal this was a large lavish event celebrated by both their kingdoms. Marshall had taken the part of the groom being of the higher rank and Gumball of the bride, after a long discussion both men had been happy with this arrangement. The pink prince had asked Fionna and Cake to be his bride's maid and they had been ecstatic. Theirs was a long and happy marriage thought it was not without its problems but they always resolved them before they went to bed.