Fell For Her Song

Chapter 3: Letting It Out

Gumball looked down at Marceline as he pressed her body to his when they began their dance in the middle of the ball's dance floor. Marceline looked up at Gumball with wide eyes and Gumball smiled. Marceline was obviously floating while he pushed her around.

Gumball leaned over her until he reached her ear. He whispered, "I would like to dance with you. Stop flying."

Marceline blushed and dropped a few inches shorter. From anyone else's point of view, it looked like Prince Gumball was whispering sweet nothings to the Vampire Queen, making her blush.

Finally, Prince Gumball was dancing with a graceful vampire that was Marceline. Though on the outside he looked in control, on the inside he felt like his legs were going to give out in the middle of their dance and his heart would beat up into his throat and out of his mouth until it danced out the castle doors. Marceline was pressed tightly against his body, but he was making it that way. His left arm was wrapped around her upper waist and his right hand held her's. He twirled her and saw her black dress spin around her blood-red high heels.

Marceline was also having a great time, though she tried to look tortured, she couldn't help smiling, or blushing, or laughing, or pinching the bubblegum hair on the back of Gumball's neck. Whenever Gumball dipped her, she got a clear look into his bright blue eyes. Or when he twirled her, she got to hear his musical laughter. She kept trying to crack a few jokes in the dance to prevent it to become anymore heated than it was. She wanted to keep her distance from Gumball. She didn't want to become too close.

Finally when the final beat of the drums indicated that the song was over, Gumball let out a breath and it washed over Marceline's face. She realized the song was over and widened her eyes before pushing away from Gumball rather forcefully and stunning him.

"There! You got your dance. I'm gonna go talk to Bubblegum..." And Marceline scurried away. She searched the crowd for her pink friend in a light blue silk dress. She found her with Marshall Lee sharing jelly donuts and laughing. Perfect, at least she'll get to know Marshall a bit more if she stuck with them for the rest of the night.

"Marceline! Wait!" She heard Gumball chasing after her. She huffed and stopped moving, not trying to get away from him so he wouldn't follow her to where Bubblegum was.

"Why don't we dance again?" Gumball asked, smiling, but confused.

"No. No. No... I... I'm too full on red to dance anymore. That's all." Marceline turned around and was going to take a detour to Bubblegum's table.

"I thought you didn't know what 'full' meant?" Gumball joked, but stopped when Marceline continued to run away, "Stop moving, Marceline!" Gumball cried.

Marceline tightened her fists, getting ready to punch Gumball in the nose. Her fists began to shake as she turned around with a snarl on her face. "What? What else could you possibly want from me?" She snapped.

Gumball's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he was intimidated by the vampire. A dangerous vampire who could suck the pink out of my skin- he reminded himself. He chose his words wisely, "Sorry for bothering you. I hope you enjoy the rest of the party, Marceline. I had fun dancing with you. You're not bad." Gumball gave her a forced smile, though his eyebrows were still furrowed in worry and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. He started backing away from Marceline, turned, and shuffled away with his head down. Marceline growled in frustration. She felt like breaking something. She abandoned her plan to talk to Bonnibel and Marshall and pushed passed the crowd of party-goers towards the staircase that would lead to the hallway to her bedroom.

She grabbed her dress, so she wouldn't step on it as she ran, and hurried up the stairs. She could have flew, but she needed to get her frustrations out somehow without screaming yet.

Marceline ran to her room and slammed the door closed and threw her hands in her hair, groaning. She knew she was developing a crush. She slid out of her dress as calmly as she could before flying around her room as fast as a fly would. She zipped around her room in only her under garments and jewelry. When she stopped flying, she shot her arms outwards, causing her bracelets to fly off her wrists and shatter against the wall and floor. She kept her earrings on, as they were not bothering her, and yanked off her silver necklace and threw it over her shoulder. She put on sweat pants and was going to wear the top she arrived to that castle in, but when she sniffed it, it smelled too much like Gumball. She threw it in the trash and pulled out a black tank top instead. She pulled on some leather hiking boots and picked up her ax bass. She flew out of the balcony in her room and floated down into the palace garden. She sat on a bench in the shadows that was surrounded with thorned roses.

Before she was going to open her mouth to sing, she heard Jake laughing and Lady talking. She also heard another group. A white cat with golden spots and a dark unicorn.

Deciding to have some fun to take her mind off of Gumball she came out of the shadows. "Hi, Jake..." She said deviously. Jake's eyes narrowed and he began shaking. The cat looked at Marceline and started hissing and yowling at her. Scratching at the air between them. Marceline laughed maniacally. "Who are your friends, Jake?"

"They-they-they..." Jake couldn't say a word. Lady rolled her eyes, seeing that Marceline was trying to scare them. In her language she told Marceline, 'They are Cake and her husband Lord Monochromicorn. Now Marceline where are your party clothes? Even I am dressed up!'

"Sorry, Lady. I left the place early. It was too... boring, I should say. There was nothing to do but having guests bow to you. And if you wanted to see my dress, Bubblegum has a picture," Marceline said nonchalantly, floating on her back above the group. Marceline let her hair tickle Cake on the ears. Cake shrunk and hid in Lord's mane.

Lady pressed her lips together and glared at Marceline for scaring Cake. Marceline laughed again at the sky. Her smile faded, and she looked at her friends with her glowing green eyes and let her tongue slither out of her mouth. She hissed. "Leave!"

Cake and Jake shrieked and screamed at their spouses to fly away. When the unicorn's turned to fly away, Marceline laughed, returning to her pleasant form. "Enjoy the party..." Marceline whispered to the ground after they left.

Marceline turned around and saw they were gone and she was alone. She screamed and punched the air and kicked and hit the air with her ax bass. Finally calming down, she settled back in the shadows and the bench. She stared at the roses growing up the pink brick of the castle. She took in a deep breath and began to sing. Can't get too close... You'll cut me like a thorn... Draw me in with your sweetness...From which you were born...

Watching Marceline flip out like that earlier made Gumball cringe. What had he done wrong? Did she not like the way they danced? He saw her smiling and laughing with him when they were dancing. When he had turned away from Marceline, and he had walked far enough away from her, he held his head up again, thinking to himself that I will find out what I did wrong. She is my guest.

Gumball turned around but couldn't find Marceline anywhere. Gumball saw all of his subjects and citizens pointing with widened eyes. He turned to what they were staring at and saw just a flash of the black dress and Marceline's hair fly around the wall and into the hallway upstairs. They all turned to him.

Saving his back, Peppermint Maid stepped on stage to interrupt the scene and make a toast.

"Attention! Attention!" Peppermint Maid said smiling politely to everyone and adjusting the microphone to her short size, "I would like Prince Gumball and his guest, Princess Bubblegum, to come up on stage, please!" He heard everyone around him cheering. He especially heard Finn and Fionna cheering together in the back of the room with their flame royals at their sides.

Giving his speech about his sister, and pretty much paraphrasing what he says to the crowds every year, Gumball lifted up the glass Peppermint Maid gave him and made a toast. "To another great year of the Candy Kingdom rule!" This was his traditional toast and every guest that came previously knew that.

But Finn, who had never attended and wanted to support Gumball cried, "Long live Prince Gumball!" And the crowds cheered. Gumball blushed as the audience of guests chanted it and cheered again. Princess Bubblegum was clapping at the back of the stage along with many other officials that attended. Looking back at Bubblegum for support, Bubblegum only winked and smiled at him.

After that unexpected extra cheering, Gumball was attacked with hugs from his friends. Except Marceline, who he had been thinking about the whole time. He was hoping that he could slip away and look for her, but he didn't know if he could politely leave his own party. Especially now that all of his subjects would like to congratulate him face-to-face. After being attacked, there was a scene by the punch bowl and that was the perfect oppurtunity to slip away. Squatting and marching awkwardly towards the stairs to his wing of the palace, Gumball tried to look like an other small citizen in the crowd and blend in.

Successfully escaping, Gumball found some more casual clothing in his closet. He changed into a pink hoodie, purple skinny jeans, and sneakers. Putting on the hood, he went back downstairs and avoided the ball room, finding the back door and escaping through it.

He had already checked Marceline's room. The door was unlocked and a tad open. When he knocked and no one answered, he opened the door himself and saw that the balcony doors were open. He closed them and figured she was in the palace garden since that was where the balcony's view was supposed to lead.

He walked around until he found the garden. He couldn't find her anywhere. He sat down on a bench, his back against a wall that roses grew on. He thought he heard music from nearby but thought it was just the party from inside. But then he heard Marceline voice singing along and he knew it wasn't the party. He listened to her words and was saddened by the depressing tune.

Knowing you'll sweep me off my feet... I pushed away your charm... Avoiding all of your heat... From reaching my dark heart...

I'm becoming this... This mushy mess of a girl... Melting in your arms, you prince... Thinking that I was an oyster and you were a pearl...

Gumball repressed a sigh as he listened, laying down on the bench and his legs hanging off. He wanted to see Marceline singing. He stood on the bench and balanced on his tippy-toes as he looked over the wall, only his eyes and hair being able to see over the wall. He saw a sparkle in the darkness in a corner. Right under him, where the light didn't reach, on the other side of the wall. Strumming along on her axe bass, and singing words from the top of her head. She had something around her neck, but Gumball didn't know what it was, a tape recorder? She must just be recording what she's singing. Marceline looked up unexpectedly with a glare.

"What do you want Gumball?" Marceline snarled. Gumball panicked, being caught. "I-I-I was looking... for you..." Gumball blushed as Marceline flew on the other side of the wall to where he was standing. She didn't land, just standing close to the ground. She watched Gumball with a blank expression as he got off the bench and approached her. He stood right in front of her, they were the same height now.

Marceline smirked. "What's with your clothes? You don't seem like the type of guy to dress like - well - this," Marceline joked, looking like she was laughing at him in her head as she looked down at his clothes.

"Whatever Marceline. I just wanted to know why you made such a scene back there."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Marceline denied, slung her bass onto her back, and crossed her arms, looking away.

"Yes, yes you do! After we danced?" Gumball yelled hysterically.

"You must be slow then."

"What?"

"I heard you the second you were in my bedroom," Marceline chuckled, remembering what Marshall Lee had called the prince, "Gummy-balls." Gumball blushed, but tried to keep his angry stature on.

"So?"

"Wow, you are slow. The reason why I made that scene? Were you listening to a word I just sang? I knew you were there the whole time! Think over it... Gum-balls." As Marceline flew over him, she flicked him on the head and headed back to her room and opened the balcony doors. She closed them as soon as she was inside. Gumball only stared after her. Feeling the flick on his forehead as if she kissed him, he smiled.

So let me know what you think about it and uh... see ya in two days?

And sorry. I suck at poetry, much less song writing. Marceline's song was pretty bad...