Disclaimer: I don't own Adventure Time or its charaters.
Gumball couldn't stop thinking about what Marshall Lee said last night and what he didn't say. This was the same with what he did and what he didn't. Where he touched and where he didn't. The prince brought his hands to his face and held his cheeks the way the king did. It didn't feel the same. Gumball's hands were soft and smooth while Marshall Lee's were more rough and scaly.
"PG?" Gumball was startled by the sound of Fionna's voice. He turned to see she and Cake were in the doorway of his lab.
"Ah," Gumball let out as he tried to regain his posture. "Fionna and Cake, what do I owe for this visit?" He finally dropped his hands back to his side and walked over to the two ladies with one of his charming smile.
"Uh," Fionna started as she threw a concerned look over at Cake who returned it. "You asked us to come. You said you needed us to do get something for you...something to do with one of your experiments." Gumball's eyes widened with realization. How could he forget? He shouldn't let something insignificant like Marshall Lee's meaningless babble distract him.
"Oh yeah! Sorry I was a bit distracted. Forgive me."
"It's cool. So what do you need?"
"I need you to go to the Cloud Kingdom and get some cloud samples." Prince Gumball walked back in the lab to grab a hip height tube with a cork in it and came back to give it to Fionna. "I would go myself, but the experiment I need it for requires that I prepare the formula right before putting the cloud sample in it and the cloud sample will vaporize before I finish the preparations."
"So you need us to be quick?"
"Correct."
"I don't know," Cake interrupted. "It's very hard not to party while in the Cloud Kingdom."
"And I thought about that," the prince offered. "The preparations will take just about the same amount of time it takes for you two to get back from the Cloud Kingdom. I will just start whenever you contact me that you're heading back. It'll be fine, so party all you want. This isn't a pressing matter. Just don't collect the cloud samples until you are ready to leave."
"Okay. Let's go par-tay!" The human and cat ran out the lab with the tube to return most likely not until later that night. Now Gumball had the rest of the afternoon and mostly the evening to do something else. He couldn't move on with the experiment until he got the sample, so he decided to go see if he had any royal duties piled up.
"Nope," Peppermint Maid answered without even looking at the prince. She was busy checking over the maids' work as she was the head maid.
"Nothing?" Gumball was shocked. "There's nothing for me to do? No proposals? No updates? No complaints?"
"Not unless you want to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Cake again."
"That's impossible that I have nothing." Gumball just couldn't wrap his brain around this.
"You did most of your work extremely early and everything else requires for you to wait on a response back. I thought you were doing an experiment." Peppermint Maid moved on to the next room after she deemed everything acceptable in the current one. Gumball followed.
"I was, but I'm waiting for Fionna and Cake to come back from the Cloud Kingdom with a sample I need."
"You'll be waiting awhile. It's difficult not to party when you're there."
"I know that. That's why I wanted to complete some of my princely duties while I wait."
"Don't know what to tell you. You have some free time. Enjoy it." Peppermint Maid started to enter the next room before abruptly stopping in her tracks. She turned to Gumball to say, "And stop following me. I'm quite capable of completing my job on my own." She closed the door behind her. Gumball knew he could be quite particular when it came to anything he did. If he tried helping Peppermint Maid with her duties, the whole castle would probably be recleaned by him.
Gumball walked back down the hallway where he came from. It was odd feeling to him: not having anything to do. Usually he always did. There was always something to attend to or needed his immediate attention. What did he used to do with his free time?
The prince stopped in mid track in sudden realization that he didn't particularly have any hobbies. Sure he liked to bake for people who did him favors, but did that bring him joy? It was more out of obligation. The prince really did feel quite bland.
Nonetheless, he decided that baking would be a good idea to past time. Perhaps it would become more of a hobby than an obligatory project.
Gumball took the latest batch of muffins out the oven. He turned to place the pan on the kitchen island only to find it full of other baked goods. He turned back around to place them on the stove only to find that area full as well. It wasn't until he did a 360 view that he realized that there was no where to put his new pan of muffins. Gumball went overboard and he still had enough batter to make at least 3 more batches of muffins.
There were cookies, cakes, cupcakes, brownies, cream puffs, etc. Any sweet thing he could think of baking, he baked. He even decorated most of them when he was waiting for the others to bake. Everything looked no less than perfect. He just couldn't stop, but maybe now that there is no space for his new found addiction he was forced to.
Gumball turned off the oven and sat on the floor (the chairs were covered in baked goods as well). He almost place the tray in his lap before he remembered that it was hot. He decided to place it on the cool floor next to him instead. It really did get hot in there from all the baking. It's not like he realized this before now though. He was too immersed in baking to notice anything.
The prince of Candy Kingdom didn't know what time it was, so he took the communicator pendant around his neck and used it to project the time. It had been a little more than three hours since he asked Fionna and Cake to collect the cloud sample. If they had done it, they would've called. Their faces would've projected from the pendent making it impossible for Gumball not to to notice. Perhaps it's because he didn't find the appeal of unsophisticated partying that he couldn't understand how the heroine pair could party for three hours straight.
Gumball decided to check in with the two just to pass the time. He couldn't tell Fionna and Cake to hurry because he told them that they could take all the time they needed, but maybe the call could be a dropped hint of sorts.
"Hey, PG! What's up?!" Fionna yelled over the loud music and talking. She looked a bit out of breath. Her famous rabbit hood was missing from her head and her hair was in disarray. Some strains clung to the human's face from sweat pouring out her body. Her eyes kept going back and forward from whatever captured her attention outside the visibility of the pendent and the Prince.
"I was just checking in on you two and seeing how you were holding up."
"We're doing great! The party is super lit!"
"I can tell." Gumball saw the huge smile planted on Fionna's face when she first appeared in the projection. He could tell she had nowhere else she would rather be at that moment than in the Cloud Kingdom. The prince vaguely looked over all the pastries flooding his kitchen including the muffins sitting next to him and he honestly couldn't say he would rather be there than anywhere else.
There was something missing. Something was off. The room felt empty which made no sense. There were many objects within the perimeter including state-of-the-art appliances, treats, furniture, and himself. Perhaps it was him who felt empty. There was a vast space not filled—just empty—within the man. He was always too busy with his experiments and princely duties to notice this, but now he had neither. Baking could only fill but so much.
"PG?" Gumball was brought back to the fact that he was in the middle of a call with Fionna. He looked back at her projected face and saw that her ecstatic expression was then replaced with a concerned look on her face. She had one of her hands holding back her blonde bangs to fully show off her face. Her brows were frowned and drawn together and her lips were ever so slightly away from each other revealing her rows of teeth stacked on top of one another. The prince internally panicked.
"Where's Cake?" Gumball quickly diverted. Fionna's eyes widen in realization as if she forgot her best friend existed until now. She looked over both of her shoulders until her face soften a little.
"There she is," Fionna answered as she moved the pendent so Gumball could see the cat. She was dancing profoundly in a crowd as if the outside world didn't exist—as if dancing was the reason she was alive at the moment. The pendent went back to projecting Fionna. "We're fine, but we'll probably be here a little longer. Is that okay?"
The prince wanted to say no. He wanted to tell them to at least come back with the cloud sample now—that he didn't care if they went back to the Cloud Kingdom after that, but he couldn't. He couldn't ruin their fun just because he had no life outside being a prince and a scientist.
"Actually, I think I'll come join you in the festivities." This surprised the prince as much as it clearly did Fionna. She had a shocked expression complete with a "o" shaped mouth, wide eyes, and eyebrows hidden by her bangs she finally let go of. Then her expression changed as fast as it took to make the first one to excitement.
"Alright! I'll see you soon!" The call ended. Gumball didn't know what made him make that decision on the spot. He's usually more calculating, and he weighed pros and cons before making most decisions. This one was on the fly. There was no thought into this other than not wanting to be left empty in his kitchen anymore.
Prince Gumball arrived in Cloud Kingdom on top of Lord Monochromicorn. He brought his friend along as a pleasant surprise for Cake. He needed a ride, so why not? Gumball could feel the music shake his heart to the beat as he stepped off Lord Monochromicorn and onto the cloud platform. It was quite the unpleasant feeling for him.
Lord Monochromicorn wrote in morse code with his hoof that he will look for Cake. The prince waved him off leaving him alone. He figured he should look for Fionna. He didn't know any of these people, so being with Fionna would probably calm his overwhelmed senses a bit.
Gumball changed his clothes into more casual wear for this experience which he was grateful for at the moment. There were so many sweaty bodies close to each other. He had to squeeze through them meaning some of that bodily fluid rubbed off their bodies and onto his sweater. It had to be one of the most disgusting moments of his life. He made a mental reminder to wash or burn his clothes later. Most likely the latter if he were to sweat as well.
There a bunch of people as far as he could see. There was a good mix of cloud people and nymphs. The others were from all different kingdoms. As far as the prince saw, he didn't see any from his kingdom making him the only one. Some of the party-goers were holding cups, but most had nothing in their hands or on their person to prevent them from swaying to the music.
Gumball focused on the music to keep sane as he searched for the human. It was mostly electronica mixed with a hint of dubstep. It basically was beats to keep the body moving and swaying. It made it difficult for anyone here not to move at all especially how the loudness of us clawed at everyone's heart.
Someone grabbed the prince's upper arm and pulled him through some more bodies. Gumball heart skipped a beat and he started to freak out. He couldn't see who was pulling him through the crowd, and this grip was strong. The pulling abruptly stopped and Gumball ran into the person's chest. He looked up slightly to see it was Marshall Lee who had grabbed him. The vampire smirked down at him showing off his fangs with an amused look in his eyes.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Bubba," Marshall Lee practically purred. He let go of Gumball, so he stand up right. Now that they were almost at the same height Gumball didn't feel like Marshall Lee was looking down on him as much anymore. Gumball remembered it was past sundown, so of course there was a higher chance of running into the King than usual. The prince was even in the other's natural domain: a party.
"I found myself having a bit of free time," Gumball explained. "I can go out once in awhile."
"You sure the music isn't too loud for you old man?" Marshall Lee teased.
"If I recall correctly, you are much older than I am."
"Yeah," Marshall Lee agreed, "but I don't act like it." Gumball was a little pissed at this conversation, and the bass of the music and people surrounding them didn't help. Then he remembered last night. His face heated a little despite being outside.
Marshall Lee must've noticed this because he leaned forward and whispered in Gumball's ear, "What are you thinking about?" Gumball's hands automatically went to push the vampire away, but as soon as his hands reached the other's chest Marshall Lee held them there by the wrists. Marshall Lee chucked in the prince's ear causing Gumball to shiver and grow hotter.
"Let go," Gumball managed to get out in a shaking whisper.
"What if I don't want to?" It was at these times that Gumball remembered that Marshall Lee had heightened senses, so, of course, he could hear a low, inaudible mumble above everything going on around them.
"You asked me," the prince started. He didn't know to end this, but this night he went with one impulse. He might as well continue. He could always go back to his calculating ways. Nothing he could do now would be held against him later. "You asked me why Braca wouldn't be happy with me."
"Hm?" Gumball couldn't see Marshall Lee's face. He could only see the bit mark on his neck and the tail ends of his black hair. His plaid shirt was a little strenuous on his eyes to look at, but he could smell the fabric softener on it. He must've just washed it and it smelt amazing to the prince. It was almost soothing and entrancing.
"I only have the Candy Kingdom and my experiments. Today I had neither." Gumball recalled the events or lack thereof of the day. "I baked for 3 hours today. I baked until I had no where to put anymore. The reason I'm here is because I have nothing interesting about me." Someone bumped into Gumball moving him closer to Marshall Lee. Not that they needed to be any closer.
"...That's because you're a wad." Gumball looked and saw Marshall Lee's joyful expression. This reaction was different from Fionna's earlier. He was in the middle of a light laughter, but Gumball couldn't quite hear it over the music. At this moment he wished he had Marshall Lee's hearing, but he was still content with the feel of the vampire's chest constant moving from laughing under his hands and just seeing the facial expression alone.
A/N: Thank you for reading! I appreciate the follows/favorites. They really motivate me. Please review even if it's to say that you like this chapter or it's for constructive criticism. The next chapter should be up in 2 weeks.
