Author's Note: Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews. Before we begin, I would like to thank JustSoph for allowing me to use her original Adventure Time Genderbent!Verse terms. Peppermint Maid is now Spearmint Maid, the Nighosphere is the Nightoplane, and the "alternate universe of Ooo" is now the land of Aaa. Although these terms are not technically correct according to Wikipedia, I will be using them nevertheless. I hope this does not offend any hardcore Adventure Time readers.

And now, without further ado, I present the second chapter of this series. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Adventure Time.

Warnings: Angst (unsurprisingly); suggestive boy x boy (yes, be excited).


"Marshall Lee, What Have You Done To Me?"

Chapter 2 – Longing

Created by: x-LittleMissAlice-x

xXx

"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved in secret, between the shadow and the soul."

Pablo Neruda

xXx

An entire day had passed since the incident, and although the chaos had finally subsided, the scars remained.

The Prince of the fallen Kingdom could see the ruin clearly from atop his balcony: debris of once occupied homes lay in the streets, and charred cotton candy trees limped weakly, reduced to nothing more than sticks and ashes from the previous raging flames. The Banana Guards were scouting the grounds, searching for survivors within the smoke of the quenched fire and melted candy roads, escorting them inside the safety of the castle walls.

Marshall had left nothing unscathed; the homes, the trees, even his citizens were gone, and he had done nothing to prevent it. His people were not only injured -they were shaken; shaken from fright, shaken in uncertainty of the future, and shaken in their trust towards their beloved Prince.

It was not just his people who were shaken. Gumball, too, was unsure of his kingdom's future, and more than anything else, himself.

"Ahem."

Slowly, numbly, Gumball turned his head. Fionna stood, a few paces behind him, her hands firmly planted on her hips, Cake mirroring her stance and determined expression.

"Would you mind explaining to me exactly what happened here?" she asked, motioning towards the remains of his kingdom, asking indirectly why Marshall had done all this. Gumball dully turned away.

"I do not wish to speak of it."

He could hear the frown in her tone. "But Gumball-"

"Fionna. Please. The damage has been done. There is nothing I can say that will make it better. Just let it go."

He did not want to think about the mistakes that had lead to this moment, and all the disaster that had been dragged with it. He did not want to think about how incompetent of a prince he was, and he most certainly did not want to think about him.

Unfortunately, he did not have such a luxury.

"…Do you hate him? Marshall, I mean," she asked, her voice softer this time.

Fionna must have moved while he was lost in his thoughts because she stood by his side now, resting her elbows on the railing of the balcony, a far away look in her eyes as she gazed into the ruin like he had before. An awkward silence lingered between them.

Did he hate Marshall? The vampire had destroyed everything he had ever built; he had not just taken his kingdom and his people, he had stolen his confidence, his pride. Could he forgive Marshall for that, for snatching away everything he had ever cared about?

The vampire's words still lingered in his mind:

"Prove to me you're the man I love, the only person I could ever love. Please."

"I… I don't know," was the answer he finally settled for. Fionna turned, her keen blue eyes piercing through him.

"You would know if you hated Marshall. By not knowing it means you don't, even after all this."

She sounded so certain, as if her simple statement was the most obvious observation in the world. Gumball did not think she was lying, and that unsettled him the most. Did Gumball have the right to not hate Marshall? After everything Marshall had done, he should hate him, right? He had done so much to make him suffer, so why… why did he not hate him? No, why could he not bring himself to hate him?

"What am I supposed to do? I just don't know anymore," Gumball sighed, burying his face in his hands. Fionna rubbed his lower back reassuringly.

"You need to talk to him, Gumball. Avoiding him isn't going to help either of you understand each other."

"Fionna, it's not that simple." He roughly brushed her comforting touch away. "It's not like Marshall stole something petty like a toy. The Kingdom itself isn't that big of a deal. With time it can be repaired, but the lives lost can never be brought back. How can I talk to him, knowing I will never see Cinnamon Bun or Archiette or even Tree Trunks because of what Marshall did? How can I forgive myself?"

"Sugar pie," Cake murmured softly, "You're just gonna have to sit down and have a chat with Marshall Lee. It's only gonna get worse if you keep avoidin' each other."

"Cake's right," Fionna nodded firmly. "I know Marshall is having the same thoughts as you. He probably wants to see you too," she added, a little more quietly.

"Mmhm," Cake hummed in agreement, swishing her tail.

"But how can I talk to him like I did before, back when we were…" Gumball trailed, unsure of what he was going to say next.

"Friends?" Fionna inquired. Gumball said nothing, only pressed his lips shut.

"Look Hun, you've gotta have more confidence in yourself!" Cake exclaimed, "You're Prince of Candy Kingdom. If you want somethin' you just go and get it, right? So if you wanna talk to Marshall Lee then go down there with your head up high and shoulders back. Go down there and see him for who he is – Marshall Lee, your friend."

Her logic was easier said than done, Gumball noted bitterly. How could he remember who Marshall was, his entire history with the vampire, without being reminded that those very memories created his present? It was painful - too painful. He wanted to run away from it all.

"And don't you dare think 'bout runnin' away," Cake added, as if reading his mind.

Feeling cornered with Fionna and Cake on either side of him, Gumball finally caved. "Fine," he said, straightening his back a little, regaining his confidence bit by bit. "But I need an excuse. I can't just go down to see him without a reason."

As if on cue a Banana Commander appeared in the doorway, stepping inside the Prince's quarters hesitantly.

A hint of a smile appeared on Fionna's lips. "Looks like he just found his excuse," she said to Cake. He could hear Cake giggle like a mad woman (cat?).

"Yes?" Gumball asked patiently.

The Banana Commander shifted on his heels, staring down at the ground. "I have news regarding Marshall Lee. We've run into a little… bit of a problem."

Prince Gumball sighed heavily. "What is it?"

"Well, um… It'd be best if you saw for yourself."

Gumball's brows furrowed. This indirectness was… unusual. Was the situation really so serious?

"Very well, I will go see him," Gumball finally said and started to follow the Banana Guard out. He paused and turned back to Fionna and Cake, smiling weakly. "Thank you, you two."

"Any time, Sugar."

"No problem and good luck!" he heard Fionna call after him before he turned the corner, following the Banana Commander to the dungeon. With each step a feeling of apprehension squeezed his gut. He did not know what the Commander was not telling him, but he supposed he was about to find out.

xXx

Little did the Prince know Fionna's eyes continued to trail after his retreating form long after he had taken his leave. Her plastered grin slowly slipped into a flat line, and her racing heart eased to a gentle thump.

"The Prince sure is sweet on Marshall, isn't he?"

Fionna snapped her head as if coming out of a trance. "W-What? You mean, Gumball is?" she asked incredulously.

Cake nodded slowly. "He must be if he's goin' to see 'im. Don't tell me you didn't notice. You even said so yourself; Gumball doesn't hate Marshall for what he did so he may be willing to give 'im a second chance. He must have feelings for 'im or he wouldn't do that."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right," Fionna repeated, sounding firmer this time, as if trying to convince herself. "That's good though, right? I mean, Marshall and Gumball will be happy."

"Fi," Cake said, her eyes softening sympathetically. "You don't have to force it, not in front of me. It's all right."

"Force what? Everything is great! Yeah, everything is going to be fine. As long as Gumball is happy, then it's okay. How I feel… doesn't matter."

"Aw babycakes, come into my paws!" Cake said wrapped her long stretched arms around Fionna. Fionna numbly hugged back.

Fionna bit her lip. "I guess I just didn't want to admit that Gumball actually…" her voice trailed, and the beginning of tears shone in her blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, Fi. Don't cry," she soothed.

"B-but I…" Fionna sobbed.

"I know you love him, Fi. I know," Cake murmured as Fionna, the strongest warrior in the entire land of Aaa, pathetically buried her face in her best friend's fur and cried.

xXx

Chaos. That was the only way to describe it: Complete chaos.

He could hear the Banana Guards' screams the moment he stepped onto the main dungeon floor. Their voices were so loud - so close and fear stricken, ringing in his ears as if only around the corner – but at the same time seemed so far away. Their voices bounced off the long halls in echoes, making it difficult to tell which direction it was coming from on sound alone. Had he not known the exact room Marshall Lee was being contained in (although he would never admit it, he had visited the vampire more than a hundred times in his mind) he would have found difficulty pinpointing its exact location.

The Prince darted forward with all his might, ignoring the protests of "It's not safe, my prince!" from the Banana Commander. Rushing down the maze of corridors, Gumball busted through a wooden door, and there flashed before his eyes was a disturbing sight.

The first sound that penetrated his ringing ears was not the Banana Guards screams, but hissing. It was a long, loud hiss of warning. Scarlet eyes glowed dangerously, exposed glinting white fangs. This person with unruly black hair could not be him. He would never have a crazed look in his eyes or an insane smirk plastered on his face. He would never look like some caged animal.

But his racing heart knew that the person still bound in the steel chair, restricted in candy rope was Marshall Lee, no matter how vastly different he looked from his perfect, smooth talking self.

Eight shaky lances were thrusted towards the beast in warning. Yelps and shrill screams would escape from the Banana Guards when the vampire lunged towards them, rocking the chair closer to them. With uncertainty, the Banana Guards turned their eyes towards the recently opened entrance – towards Gumball. Their bodies were already tensing, preparing themselves to strike at the briefest word.

Oh Glob... If he did not say something, they were going to kill Marshall.

"Put your weapons down! Please, put them away!" Gumball cried, waving his hands in a gesture Fionna had said meant "chill out" to prevent the situation from escalating further. Hesitantly they lowered their weapons slightly. Gumball had to stand in front of the line of trembling Banana Guards and force their weapons down with his hands; they were so frightened.

Marshall's eyes remained an unsettling blood red. "Marshall…?" he asked hesitantly as he turned towards him. The Prince did not know what to think of the Vampire King's appearance.

His raven black hair stuck up in all directions, making him look more crazed and wild. His fork tongued slithered between his teeth, vibrating like a venomous snake. He looked so… different. Was this the same Marshall he had known before, or had his vampire instincts completely taken over? Gumball didn't know and he hated it, but there was only one way to find out for sure.

Taking a small step forward, Gumball gazed into the Vampire King's eyes. "Marshall, are you… alright?" he asked again.

The air in the room was silent, thick with tension for several moments as they watched each other, the Prince slowly, carefully inching closer until...

"Don't let that vampire near our Prince!"

An abnormally loud hiss left Marshall's lips at the Banana Commander's orders, his chair rocking towards the candy officer in the doorway. The Banana Commander skittered back, the scare causing the Banana Guards to rush blindly in random directions.

"O-oh!" Gumball cried as he was suddenly shoved forward. He squeezed his eyes tight as his feet stumbled aimlessly. He mentally prepared his body for impact, but the pain never came. When his senses returned, he noticed he had instead landed on something soft and warm.

Gumball's eyes fluttered open. He blinked as if coming out of a daze, and there, clenched in his fists was a gray plaid shirt.

Oh Stars, he didn't… He couldn't have…

Of course he did. Glob truly hated him.

Gumball was so close to Marshall their chests grazed with each hitched breath the Prince took. His magenta eyes slowly lingered downward, noting their position with flushed cheeks: not only were his hands clenching Marshall's shirt, his legs were on either side of Marshall's waist.

He was certain of it now: he was sitting in the vampire's lap.

His body tensed when he felt a breathy chuckle against the nape of his neck. "I think I like you in this position, Gummybutt."

The teasing tone was reassuring, familiar. Gumball mentally released a sigh of relief. Despite his unruly appearance, this was the Marshall Lee he knew and lov-

He knew. This was the Marshall Lee he knew.

Or at least, his body certainly knew who he was; the vampire's whisper had sent pleasurable chills up Gumball's spine. Yes, this position reminded him of better memories. How long had it been since they were both in this same position, but on entirely different circumstances? He could feel his urges, his desires rising. His fingers itched. He wanted nothing more than to bring Marshall into his arms.

But he couldn't do that. They couldn't go back to the way things were. Not ever. Their relationship (if you could even call it that) was over. He shouldn't want to touch Marshall's pretty skin, but still his mind lingered with dangerous thoughts; like how easy it would be to run his fingertips down the vampire's chest, undoing the trail of black buttons so he could push away the material hiding the toned body he knew so well. Marshall wouldn't be able to get away, even if the vampire rejected him; he was tied up and helpless to stop Gumball from doing what he pleased. And if worse came to worse and Marshall hated him for taking advantage of him, he could always create a device to erase his memories of the event, right?

…Wait, what was Gumball thinking? These thoughts didn't sound like him at all. Marshall was close, so close – too close. He could smell his unique spicy scent, feel his hair tickling the side of his cheek; it was messing with his head. His own body was screaming at him.

Just one simple touch. You know you want to - one small lingering caress couldn't hurt, right? Go ahead; pick up your hand and-

Gumball squirmed. No, he had to stop. For once he had to stop thinking. Being this close to Marshall was hazardous; it was clouding his senses. He needed to get away from him. All he had to do was push him away – yes, push on Marshall's warm chest and… what was he supposed to do again? Oh yes, push him away, push him away…

"Your scent always smells so great," Marshall murmured, inhaling deeply.

Obviously, Marshall wasn't going to make this easy for him.

"Why are you doing this?" Gumball whispered, the hands fisting Marshall's shirt trembling.

"Doing what?" the vampire asked dumbly, his fangs grazing the Prince's throat.

"Marshall."

Was that… a whine he had heard just then, in his own voice? Certainly it wasn't; he wasn't that pathetic, was he?

"If you're talking about earlier," Marshall began, planting a gentle kiss on Gumball's jaw, no doubt hearing the prince's desperate whimper, "I was only acting crazed. I needed to do something or I wouldn't get to see you again. Threatening to eat your Banana Guards seemed to do the trick," he chuckled. Gumball could feel the vibration against his neck. "Although, I really am hungry."

"Y-you shouldn't be. Earlier today I asked the Banana Guards to bring you objects that were the color red," Gumball replied somewhat breathlessly. He hoped the mention of the Banana Guards would remind Marshall they weren't exactly… well, alone. Either the vampire didn't get the hint, or he decided to ignore it completely.

"You know me so well but I couldn't have anything, not when I knew I was going to see you," Marshall said, his voice dropping into a low, husky tone. Gumball already knew what he was going to say next; his body was already trembling in desire as Marshall's wet tongue slid up the side of his neck.

"The only thing I want to eat is you."

A distant memory popped into Gumball's mind at the familiar words. . .

The tickling of a warm breath blew over the hot lobe of his ear, the hand wrapped around his waist lingering slowly – ever so slowly – downwards. The thumping of the party music faded, instead replaced by the rapid pounding of his candy heart.

Thump thump thump! It raced as the boy came darkly near; and through the sound of the night wind rustling through the apple tree leaves, the Vampire King, fangs exposed, spoke against his lips;

"I'll steal the pink from your lips."

Gumball snapped out of his thoughts. Marshall had pulled away from his neck, instead moving in front of Gumball's face to carefully watch him.

"W-what is it?"

The sides of Marshall's lips quirked upward, forming an all-knowing smile.

"You were just thinking about me," he replied, sounding a little smug with himself. Gumball's face burned. He narrowed his eyes, forcing a (cute) glare.

"I was not."

Marshall chuckled musically.

"Whatever you say, Gumball."

Did Marshall's eyes just soften then, as he said his name? He was certain of it; the vampire was gazing at him longingly (it was impossible to miss at such close proximity). Gumball's chest ached. Was he looking at Marshall the same way? He didn't know; he didn't want to know.

They simply sat there, staring at each other for a long time. What was Gumball doing? There was nothing stopping Gumball from leaving. He didn't have to worry about the vampire's fangs – Marshall's most feared and deadly weapon – since they were no longer against his neck. He could easily leave now that his life wasn't being threatened. So why wasn't he moving? The only thing keeping him there was the vampire's longing eyes and the not-so-distant memories.

…Did those two things have more of an effect on him than he had originally thought?

Marshall's sigh prompted him to look back at the vampire. His dark hair fell over his face, his head tilting towards the ground. "I wanted…" Marshall began, swallowing his pride, "I wanted to see you to apologize, okay? About… about what I said the other day," he muttered. "Not just what I said, but what I did too. I know I hurt you and that's the last thing I would ever want."

Gumball couldn't believe his ears. Was Marshall really apologizing? The arrogant Vampire King never said he was sorry for anything. But Marshall was being completely serious; he could see it on his stern expression. The vampire's dark onyx eyes were searching into his own.

"I won't blame you if you don't forgive me, or if you even hate me," he continued. "I can't go back and change what happened, but I just wanted you to know-"

Marshall abruptly stopped, frozen stiff. Gumball didn't even realize what he was doing it until it as too late. His hand had moved, brushing Marshall's bangs out of his face; a tender, familiar gesture he had done so many times before. Marshall's dark eyes shined. Gumball smiled, through it looked somehow woeful.

"I could never hate you, Marshall," Gumball whispered, a little frightened by how true those words were.

Marshall leaned in hopefully. "Does that mean you forgive me?" he asked. "Do you think… we could go back to the way things were?"

As if on its own accord, Gumball's hand moved from Marshall's dark locks, caressing his cheek lightly, carefully, as if he was touching something for the first time, something fragile. His touched lingered down to the base of the boy's neck, stopping over two dark marks resembling a vampire bite. And there, right between them was a mark of his own – a dark, possessive hickey. He brushed his fingers over it and Marshall sighed contently. Eyes glazing over the vampire watched him, cocking his head to the side in invitation.

"Gumball," Marshall moaned, arching his body into the Prince sitting in his lap. A strange heat pooled in the bottom of Gumball's stomach as he watched the vampire's cheeks lightly flush.

Go on, a voice in Gumball's head cooed, his magenta eyes glued to the boy's neck. You know you want him. You're a prince; take what you want, do what you want. Go ahead and take him.

And he wanted to. Glob, he wanted to. He was already leaning forward, his lips moving dangerous close to Marshall's, inching closer to the boy panting lightly under him, closeandcloserandcloser until-

"No," the prince whispered into Marshall's ear firmly, "We can't go back. We can never go back to the way things were."

And with that he forced his touch away from the vampire's cold skin and pulled away from his lap completely.

"Gumball," Marshall called again before he could turn his back and leave like he had done the other day. "I… I really am sorry."

"Saying 'sorry' won't bring them back," Gumball replied stiffly. Marshall shrunk further into his bound chair.

"Will you… will you at least see me again?" he asked somewhat hopefully. "I don't care if you have to keep me tied up or if it takes several days, just, when you have the time… please?" Marshall whispered, the icy fear of rejection gripping his heart. Gumball turned, giving him a long, lingering look.

He wouldn't be able to not to talk to Marshall, or at least think about him, even if he tried.

"Perhaps," Gumball finally answered, turning towards the Banana Guards standing awkwardly in the room. "We're leaving," he said simply.

And with that Prince Gumball left the dungeon for the second time, the feeling in his chest still hurting, but the weight a little lighter than before. He had gained his confidence back, if only a little.

xXx

Marshall sat, now alone in the dungeon. He inhaled deeply; Gumball's sweet scent still lingered in his nostrils.

The uncertain promise of seeing the Prince made him feel strangely… content. It didn't matter how long he had to wait; so long as he got to see Gumball again, he was happy.


Thank you for reading. Please review. c:

To be continued. . .