There may be a teensy bit of OOC in this next chapter. Of course, I'm trying to make them more mature, and aware of their feelings about one another. This chapter includes grim-natured rivalry, girl hogging, Fionna trying to teach Gumball to dance, and Marshall being crude. Also, booze. Sorry, no sex in this chapter.

Also, thank you to my reviewers! =) Your comments made me feel much less trepidatious about the whole idea.

As the night progressed, the party refused to wind down. The harder they partied, the more energy they all seemed to have. When Marshall took the stage with his ax and began strumming out a wild sound, one of his friends who had played vocalist before jumped up beside him and started screaming out the lyrics to some trash metal. Suddenly everyone was slamming against one another and head-banging to the music, cheering at the top of their lungs.

Gumball rolled his eyes. While he wasn't the only one not dancing, he was the only one still in his seat and not enjoying the music. Compared to most of the trash (in his opinion) that the vampire king played, this was just awful.

He, the prince, should have been in charge of all the preparations. Why, there would be tasteful music, perhaps something in the ballroom genre. The dress code would have been formal, with everyone in their church best at the very least to celebrate the momentous occasion. They would dance together like a lady and gentleman should, the group in sync as the violins-

"Oh man," Prince Gumball jerked as someone punched him on the arm. Just before he prepared to give them a sound tongue-lashing, he realized it was Fionna. Her face was flushed with exertion and her perfect, round chest heaved from her lack of air. "PG, this is like the best birthday ever!"

The prince smiled serenely as she sat opposite him at the little table. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, young hero."

Fionna blushed and pushed an errant strand of hair from her eyes. "I really am. Um… you aren't like, upset or something, are you?"

Gumball blinked. "Why, of course not. Oh!" He smiled sheepishly and gestured towards the dance floor. "No, I'm not upset. This just isn't my style of music, I was going to wait for it to slow down…" He smiled shyly at her, enjoying the way it made her cheeks turn pink. "So I could ask you to dance with me."

Fionna laughed weakly and rubbed the back of her neck. "Really?"

Worried he had messed up, Gumball reached across the table to lay his hands over hers. "Oh no, Fionna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be quite so blunt-"

Fionna giggled and patted his hand gently. "No, it's alright. It's just… I… was kind of wondering when you were finally going to ask me."

Flushed with success and a profound sense of smugness that she wanted to dance with him, not that uncivilized Marshall Lee fellow, he slapped a hand on the table. "Superb! Once it settles down-"

"Man, what party are you at?" Marshall zoomed around the Prince before floating on his side towards Fionna, his head propped up by his arm. He was well aware that he was breaking his own rule by approaching the table, but like he gave a flip anyway. "This party ain't showin' no signs of slowin', Princie-Pie. We are amped up!" He sipped at something in a blue cup, which drew curious looks from the adventuress and the prince. "What?"

"Um… what are you drinking?" Fionna asked, straining her neck to try and see in the cup.

An impish grin on his face, Marshall dropped into a chair at the table and handed her the glass, full of a deeply red liquid. "Try it."

Before she could take the cup, the dignified Prince thrust an arm across the table top and slapped her hand away from it. "Fionna don't!"

Marshall hissed at the prince. "Gum Wad what's your damage?"

Fionna was frowning at him as well. "Why are you freaking out?"

Gumball eyed the drink warily. "Fionna, number one party rule is that you don't accept suspicious drinks from anyone!"

The human was still confused but Marshall was furious. He slammed the cup down on the table and bored a finger into the candy prince's chest. "Where do you get off suggesting I would do something so low to my best friend?! To anyone, for that matter! How can you think I would do that to her? What do you take me for?"

Mortified, Gumball held up his hands. "No, I didn't mean… I don't think you would… Listen, I was just trying to look out for her."

"Mmm, this is good." Both turned to look at the girl as she drained the last of the liquid in the cup and smacked her lips. "What is this? It kinda burns my throat."

Gumball sighed and crossed his arms while Marshall snickered. "Fi, you just drank an almost full cup of booze, you know that right?"

The girl flushed and dropped the cup. "Whaaaaat?! I just drank my first alcohol and I didn't even know it?" Despair washed over her face. "Maaan, how lame am I?"

Gumball couldn't help but join the vampire king in chuckling at how upset she was. "How did it taste?"

The girl smacked her lips again. "Actually… pretty good. My nose tickles."

Gumball laughed now and slid a glance towards Marshall. "I should say she liked it."

Marshall's shoulders shook with silent laughter. "I can't believe you chugged the whole thing. You dirty little alcoholic."

The trio all laughed, ears perking up as the song changed to something more fun and up-beat. Seizing his chance, Gumball leaned forward, reaching for the girl's hand to invite her on to the dance floor. Once again, Marshall beat him to the punch though. "Fi come on, let's dance."

"Oh-" Fionna winced and smiled apologetically at the king as she pulled her hand from his grip. "Sorry Marsh… I sort of promised Gumball a dance when the music slowed down some."

Gumball threw a crooked grin at his rival and stood, bowing slightly at the waist before taking Fionna's hand. "That's right, and I think this is most adequate. May I have this dance?"

Fionna blushed and nodded, missing the rage-filled glower Marshall leveled on the prince. "Oh. Alright. I'll see you later. I guess." He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to leave but a small hand on his arm.

"Hey, Marshall, don't leave." Ignoring the faint tug on her arm by the Prince, she waited until the king turned to her with a wary expression. "I wanna dance with you too!"

The demon's face lit up while Gumball's fell. "Yeah?"

Fionna blushed. "Well duh dumbbutt. It's like a rule that you have to dance with the best friend on her birthday, right? Just wait here."

Fuming inside, the Prince pulled somewhat harder than he actually meant to on her arm as he dragged her towards the dance floor, Marshall trailing smugly a few feet behind them. "Come on Fionna, or the song will be over before we dance!"

Fionna laughed. "Okay okay, quit pulling!"

As they squeezed between the undulating forms of their friends, the song changed again. Once they found a spot big enough, Gumball pulled the adventuress close to him and wrapped an arm around her waist. Quite pleased with himself, he began to dance her in slow circles, careful not to allow any of the wild partiers to bump into her. He smiled proudly down at her, but his face fell when she began to laugh. "What? Is there something wrong with my hair?" He released her to feel out his dome, mortified.

Fionna shook her head and took his hands again. "No. Gumball, this isn't a slow song."

The prince flushed. "Oh. I know, I just…" He coughed. "I don't know how to dance like… that." He pointed into the air as Marshall dragged some lucky lady up out of the crowd and began a nasty, writhing grind with her.

Fionna and Gumball both flushed at the sight, but the girl punched her friend in the arm. "Hey, he's just being a dweeb. We don't have to dance like that. Here-" She grabbed his wrists and lifted them into the air, making him pump them alternately. When he understood the rhythm, she grabbed Gumball's hips instead, missing the quiet gasp that escaped him while she forced his body to move in time with his arms. "See, you're getting' it!" Laughing, she released him and mimicked the pose, shaking her rump from side to side.

"Yes…" He was mesmerized, absolutely enthralled, and when she began to turn, her long, lovely back and her round, firm backside were presented to him. He nearly stumbled. "Ah… yeah…"He had an urge to reach out and grab her waist like she had his. "Indeed!" Laughing nervously, he watched with something akin to hunger as she swayed and shook-

Then her lovely ass brushed against his hip, just to the side of his groin.

He nearly fainted then, but she had completed the rotation and was smiling so warmly innocence came crashing down once more onto the situation.

What a shame.

Still, he laughed with her and continued to wiggle, though he thought he probably looked somewhat ridiculous next to the curvaceous young woman. Young woman. He flushed again as someone bumped into the human, which caused her to bump into him. When she lifted her hands to his chest and stood there laughing, he felt warm from his toes to the crown on his head. It was a weird kind of warmth and he liked it very much. They were moving together now, her hands on his chest and his hands, after a long moment's hesitation, on her sides.

By the time the song ended the pair were cracking up, using each other as leverage to keep them from falling over in their mirth. "Wow… that was really fun."

Fionna nodded in agreement, grinning widely up at him. "Yeah, you're a pretty good dancer PG, when you-"

"Yoink! My turn!" Marshall swooped by, hooking his hands around the backs of Fionna's arms and dragging her away from the prince and into the air.

"Hey! I was talking to him Marshall!"

The vampire just smirked and pulled her higher into the air, grinning when she wrapped her arms around his neck in a death grip. "Yeah, well, now you're dancing with me. Come on, it's a rule, remember?"

"Pfft." She clung tighter to him as he began to zip back and forth, his hands on her waist. "Since when do you follow the rules, 'bad boy'?"

The vampire cackled gleefully and forced her body away from his, ignoring her gasps and struggles to try and get closer. "You're right, maybe I should-"

"No!" She dug her nails into his neck and finally managed to clamber closer. "Glob you can be such a butt-nut Marshall."

The vampire grinned and spun them through the air. "That's just who I am babe. I thought you'd be used to it by now." He laughed when she rolled her eyes and finally slowed their pace, coming to a stop next to the stage. One again he put his hands on her hips and began to wiggle to the beat with her. "So how was the dance with the most out-of-step snore-bore in Aaa?"

Fionna could only shake her head and give him sideways smile. "It was actually really nice. Once I got him to loosen up, we had a lot of fun."

Grimacing, Marshall dipped her. "Sounds like snooze city. Don't worry, hero, now you can get funky with me." He spun her away from his body as they sank to the ground, then jerked her back. Wanting to put the smile back on her face he spun the human around and molded himself to her backside. As planned, she giggled, totally oblivious to the lustful growl rumbling in the vampire's chest. They swiveled and shook in sync, one of his hands splayed over her hip. Her arms lifted into the air, hands rolling on her wrists while they shuffled from side to side. "I can't believe you're still standing after chugging a whole glass of that punch." He chuckled, leaning close so his lips tickled her ear. When she giggled and cringed, he leaned closer. "I thought Muscle Prince and I mixed up a really freaky brew. "

"Guess you thought wrong." She laughed and spun out of his grip, smirking evilly at the vampire as he followed her back into the crowd. "Or maybe you underestimated me."

Marshall cackled and slid on of his legs between hers, wrapping an arm around her lower back and yanking her back against his body. Her hands automatically fell to his shoulders as she glowered up at the grinning vampire king. "Fi, I haven't been stupid enough to underestimate you in years."

Her glare quickly dissolved to a brilliant smile that made his undead heart ache. "Wow… I think you just complimented me."

"Pfft. As if."

"Oh, open this one next! This is from me, it's gonna, like, be the best! Oh, it's like, from the other guys too. I guess."

Fionna had been seated in her very own throne on the dais next to her cake. Another platform had risen from the ground, this one covered in brightly wrapped packages. She was about a quarter of the way through it now, a process that had taken more than half an hour. The citizens of Aaa had gifted her with wonderful things: special armor that could emit a stink to ward off certain enemies, vials of antidotes for both common and obscure poisonous creatures, an entire collection of new weapons.

She thanked Cake as the sassy cat handed her the next box and quickly tore into it, ecstatic. If it was from the Princes, she could only imagine some crazy magical artifact that only royalty could have access to-

"It looks like my hat." She looked up somewhat confused and a little guilty at the fact that she may have come off as greedy or ungrateful, but all the princes laughed and nudged their neighbors. Gumball clapped his hands and stepped forward.

"Astute observation, champion. It is your hat, only new and imbued with very powerful magic."

"Ooh, powerful magic! Put it on girl!" Cake urged. "Show us what it does!"

Gumball laughed lightly. "Oh, you won't see what it does, Cake."

"Some present." Marshall murmured as he drifted by.

Ignoring the comment, Gumball knelt by the human girl, enjoying the flush on her cheeks. "Fionna, may I remove your cap?" When she smiled and nodded at him, the Prince stood and ever so gently pulled off her old bunny cap. Her glorious golden waves tumbled down over her shoulders and framed her ever so perfectly, giving the illusion that she was glowing. Some of the silky stuff tickled his fingers and he had to resist reaching out to run them through it. He instead concentrated on folding her old hat neatly and placing it beside her on the throne before lifting the new hat from the box and gently pulling it over her head. "This cap has been stitched together with the same spells placed on the gems of our crowns. It will shield you from any of the Lich Queen's magic tricks when she returns to Aaa in the future."

Fionna was awestruck. "Wow… that's… that's awesome. Thank you guys, seriously."

"Oh, think nothing of it-"

"Okay Okay!" LSP yelled, handing another present to Cake. "Okay, this one's just mine, so it's gonna be like, the best-best."

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