I live! I have returned from the powerful country of China! After flight delays, exotic food, and beds that can break diamonds in half (not even kidding you. Some of the beds are as hard as rocks. No joke) I am proud to be home in my state of California. You guys miss me? I missed you!

So after a couple of weeks worth of waiting, you guys deserve a new chapter. And boy, does it feel good to write again. I wrote in my notebook but my carpal tunnel started to come back. Not that typing helps but after eating with chopsticks every meal (I'm now a master at the Asian utensil), writing by hand becomes a little... well... annoying. I drew a lot, too. Which helped pass the time. And read Heroes of Olympus... and cried at the end of The Mark of Athena.

But enough of that! I'm back, and that's what matters. Still taking songs and lines. Send 'em all in. I'll be happy to read them.

Also: Follow me on Tumblr! athpluver! That's me so go and find me. It's a little work in progress but I would like to have more followers. I'll always follow back.

Disclaimer: Pen Ward owns Adventure Time.


To say that Fionna was excited would have been an understatement. Butterflies were bursting in her stomach and her face was pink. One hand had a firm grasp on the overhead car handle and the other one was silently tapping to the beat of the song playing on Gumball's radio. She was actually on an official date with the Candy Prince. Not like the coffee grab a few morning prior but one where he was actually aware of the terms of an outing.

But she was incredibly giddy. She was almost afraid to speak. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass herself in front of Gumball. This was her chance to win him over. And possibly get him to be her date to the welcoming ball that was coming up faster than she would have liked. If not, Fionna was just lucky to have Gumball by her side to take her out to a nice dinner and a movie.

"Did you wish to go to any place in particular?" Gumball asked politely, easing his car around to the restaurants on campus.

"Whatever is good," she said honestly, trying to keep her voice level.

"How does sushi sound?"

Fionna stared at him. There wasn't any take-out sushi place nearby that she knew of. And sushi was expensive... plus, Gumball didn't seem like the type to eat anything raw. She blinked for a second as he awaited her response.

"Are you sure?" she said slowly.

"Whatever do you mean?" he said kindly, giving her a smile that made her heart melt.

"Nothing," she managed. "Sushi is nice."

With a nod of approval, he gently swerved the car around and parked outside a little Japanese place called Anime Master. Kind of a funny name for a high-end food place. Gumball stepped out and opened Fionna's car door for her. Her face was on fire. She had a feeling that if Blaise were here, he'd love to examine how hot her head was getting. He walked her to the door and opened it, too. Fionna stepped inside and her jaw dropped slightly.

True to its name, it was an anime master. Posters of several classic to modern animes coated the walls. Action figures and collectables were against shelves in the waiting area. The little TV in the waiting area had an episode of Soul Eater playing. And it was packed inside. It must have been a really good place for there to be so many people. Students talked loudly, sending conversations buzzing overhead. The sushi bars had a bunch of customers sitting and eating, calling for more food and beverages.

"Whoa," was all Fionna could say.

"Isn't it interesting?" Gumball said beside her. "I thought you'd like it."

"Do you, though?" Fionna said softly. "It doesn't seem like your type of seen."

"Oh, I enjoy a good anime every now and then. There's a lot you have yet to know about me, Fi. Shall we get a table?"

"Where?"

He pointed to a corner on one of the bars. Fionna let herself be led away from the entrance by his warm hand and seated by him on the end. He was such a gentleman. Not exactly Fionna's type but Gumball's endearing mannerisms and sweet voice made her feel all warm inside. The whole gentleman personality seemed to not matter when it was just the two of them. No Marshall Lee to ruin this moment. What was great, was that Gumball made Fionna feel like a girl. Fionna wasn't too fond of it but it was a nice change for once.

Gumball immediately started to order them food from the menu. Fionna's blue eyes absorbed the room around them, spying some of her favorite shows on the walls and favorite characters on the shelves. She eyed a mini-figure of Light Yagami from Death Note before glancing down at her fish that was freshly delivered to her placemat.

"Tell me how in the world you got a good seat," Fionna demanded of Gumball with a smile.

"I know the owner," he said with a shrug. "He worked with my uncle for a short while. He always saves two seats for me just in case."

"That's sweet of him."

"It's what friends do for each other, I suppose."

"Gumball, you didn't have to take me out to such a fancy... erm... well, expensive place," Fionna told him, toying with her chopsticks. "We don't have to see the movie tonight."

"Nonsense! I insist," Gumball said with a shake of his head.

There was a slight pause as they ate their meals. After splitting a bowl of green tea mochi, they wandered back out to Gumball's car and drove down to the small movie theatre. They decided to see a comedy and split a popcorn. Gumball kindly paid for everything. This was really a surprise for Fionna. She had brought her wallet and movie pass just in case but when she pulled it out, he pushed it away and insisted on paying.

The movie was really funny and it brought Fionna's spirits up. She had stopped eating the popcorn halfway through, however. One, because she didn't want to look like a pig after eating all that sushi. Two, because her hand kept bumping into Gumball's. So that was embarrassing. It was as if her life was some sort of cheesy romance film and this was supposed to be the moment she kisses Gumball and admits her feelings. Of course, it didn't happen so she focused on the movie and shared a few good laughs with Gumball.

They decided to take a stroll around the courtyard of their university. It was always open and lit up nicely so it was a wonderful stroll around. They would pass by a student or two coming back from late night classes or going to attend one. Maybe a professor or another employee. But throughout the entire walk, Gumball's hand was wrapped around Fionna's. Her heartbeat must have been running over one thousand beats per second. She felt her hand getting sweaty and tried to pull away and wipe it off as surreptitiously as she could but Gumball tightened his grip. Something told Fionna that he didn't care whether her hand was sweaty or not. And that was made her blood pump.

However, she couldn't help but get a nagging feeling in the back of her head that this wasn't real. Sure he had asked her out but just like that? Out of the blue. He said he was sorry about not getting her signals but... didn't... how did he figure it out? Fionna pursed her lips and sighed, her hand slipping out of the pink-haired boy's grip. It was as if something clicked into place and this entire date made sense. Surprised, Benson stopped as she walked a little ways ahead. She closed her eyes and addressed him.

"Marshall Lee got mad at you, didn't he?" she said quietly. Gumball blinked. Fionna pushed on, "He got mad and told you I was trying to ask you out to the movie night... and now I'm just on your guilty conscience."

"That's not true!" he declared, walking over to her and grabbing her shoulders gently. "Sure, Marshall told me but I was genuinely upset I rejected you. I would never do such a thing to a fair maiden like you." Boy, this guy really spoke like a prince. That was another thing Fionna liked. He was just as royal as his title made him out to be. It made her feel more like a girl.

Her spine shivered and her stomach did a somersault as Gumball took her chin between his forefinger and thumb.

"I really am sorry, Fionna, if that's what I led you to believe," he breathed. She opened her eyes and stared into his dark pink depths. "Never in my life would I wish to harm you."

He was so close. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Her knees were shaking. Any closer and he would kiss her! But to her absolute shock, he let go of her chin and gave her a smile.

"My apologies," he said, his face turning as pink as his hair. "I didn't mean to... uh... shall I take you home?"

Spectacular, Fionna thought bitterly as they walked back to his car. Just fucking dandy. Way to go, Benson. You're oblivious once again.

She let out a silent sigh as she sat in the passenger's seat, waiting for him to start the car. What was a romantic night turned out to be a disappointment. This was no date. It was just an outing to get his guilt out of the way. Or, at least, that's what it looked like.

Gumball walked her up to her door to say his goodbye. He patted her affectionately on the head and thanked her for accompanying him on such a lovely evening and strolled back to his car. Sighing in defeat, Fionna went inside. No matter how hard she tried, she would only be his guy friend.

Cake was waiting for Fionna on the couch, reading a magazine. Her movie must have ended a while ago because the DVD case was still on the coffee table. Cake looked up to find Fionna pouting slightly and sinking into their arm chair.

"Uh-oh. I know that face," Cake mumbled. "What happened, sweetie?"

"He's so complicated," Fionna replied, burying her face in her hands. "It was as if he was about to kiss me and then he doesn't. What's that all about?"

"Gumball has a tendency to be overly romantic and prince-like," Cake said. "That's just who he is."

"I guess it took me off guard. He's like the Host Club... I'm so used to people like Marshall always screwing up everything and driving me crazy. Gumball makes me feel... like a girl."

"That's a bad thing?"

Fionna smiled a little. "No, but... it's not me."

Cake stared at her and sighed. "Just wait for a while, Fi. Gumball will realize that you like him and he'll realize he likes you and then, poof, you're meshing lips."

Fionna made a face. "You make it sound so weird."


The following two weeks, Fionna heard nothing but talk about the ball. It was getting frustrating to hear since everyone, once again, seemed to already have a date. Fionna was unsure if she should even ask Gumball since he was still oblivious to everything around him. It bothered her that she was a clueless freshman and the others were trying to explain it to her like it was so simple... but no. They had no idea what Fionna was going through.

She even considered asking Blaise but he was going to be out of town that weekend to visit family. So that was one boy down. Marshall would be going with Ashley (as far as Fionna knew) and Gumball was busy actually planning the ball since he was in student council. Another lonely night. She didn't think Marshall Lee would sweep her away from the misery of being single this time.

Speaking of Marshall, he was having a complicated time as well. With his bitch of a girlfriend Ashley. It all started the week prior when Ashley had visited for a while when Gumball was out with Fionna. Marshall was worried about their date and even considered spying on them and jumping in when the chance was good, hoping to save Fionna from becoming a sucker underneath Gumball's princely personality. Not that Benson did it one purpose but, still... Fionna didn't know that. However, before he decided on going after them, Ashley called hoping for a make-out session. Being a boy, he jumped at the chance for some lip action and happily let her come over.

That was a big mistake.

Halfway through the session, which was getting really heated in Marshall's room, the raven-haired boy mumbled out a name as Ashley kissed his neck.

"F...Fionna," he let out without realizing it.

Time froze as Ashley paused her kissing. She glared up at him, a murderous fire in her eyes.

"What did you just say," she whispered in a deadly tone.

Marshall heard himself. His eyes widened. He hadn't meant to say Fionna's name. But for some reason, he couldn't get her out of his mind. And he had found himself fantasizing that it was the blonde girl kissing him, not Ashley. At first it seemed like harmless fun but... his emotions and hormones got the better of him and he moaned out her name like it was best thing in the world.

"Nothing," Marshall choked out.

He knew he was dead meat. Ashley was beyond furious. She was one to talk, though. She had shouted out plenty of names that weren't Marshall's during summer break when they were going at it. Marshall would let it roll off his back since he didn't really love Ashley but... saying Fionna's name felt so right. But in front of Ashley? Oh, so wrong.

"I can't believe you were picturing that little whore!" Ashley spat at him, grabbing her shirt and started to storm out of the room.

"Awh, babe!" Marshall called after her, snatching her wrist and pulling her back to him. "I was just playing." He wanted to yell at her for calling Fionna a whore (again, Ashley was one to talk) but that would only make matters worse. But "just playing" wasn't a good excuse.

"Fuck off, Marshall!" Ashley hissed, yanking her hand out of his. "I don't have to listen to your bullshit."

She marched out of the room, leaving Marshall Lee standing in his room, shocked at what he had done.

But over the past week, Ashley wouldn't do anything but kiss him and drag him away from his friends. Sure, it was annoying but he knew she was trying to be competitive. It wasn't like Fionna was interested in Marshall Lee like that. She was pining after Gumbutt. Stupid girl. She was just going to get her heart broken.

Marshall was sitting in Simone's class during a lecture. He wasn't bothering with taking notes like everyone else was. He was simply tilting his chair back nonchalantly, his hair in his eyes and earbuds in his ears. He was sitting on the top row of the crescent class and was looking down, his eyes resting on the back of Fionna's head. He was secretly admiring the way the weak autumn sun shined down upon her locks, making them look like gold. Perhaps he could write a song about that...

When they were dismissed, he walked as fast as he could away from Ashley and joined his friends on their usual route to their music class.

"Where have you been?" Fionna asked him.

"Dealing with stupid shit," Marshall mumbled, taking out his earbuds. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

"Well, you didn't miss much," Cake told him. "It's been quiet without you, though."

"So just stay away," Fionna poked fun at him. "We like it like that."

He smiled a little and tousled her hair. "You miss me. Admit it, Fionna."

"Whatever," she smirked, smacking his hand away and fixing her bangs.

"You don't deny it?" he teased, leaning close to her face.

"Knock it off!" three voices shouted.

They all stopped walking. One voice was Fionna's but Marshall had heard the playful tone in her voice. But the other two... He stood straight and looked to Fionna's right. Both Blaise and Gumball were absolutely shocked they had said anything. Gumball's face was as pink as his namesake and Blaise's face was a fiery red. They both spoke in tones that sounded irritated and angry. Almost jealous. Marshall blinked and then started to laugh out loud.

"Whoops," he said. He grinned deviously at them. "I didn't know you didn't like it when I flirted with Fionna, boys."

The other two wouldn't look at Cake, Mocro, BMO, or Marshall. They were most definitely refusing to look at Fionna. Marshall's grin broadened and he leaned close to Fionna's face before giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"You smell like strawberries," he commented seductively, enjoying the rising color in Fionna's cheeks. But what he enjoyed more was the angry sound both of the boys were making. So they did like Fionna. That was a plus for Gumball since she liked him too but... for some reason, Marshall didn't want either of them to win her heart.

So he was going to fight back.

He stood straight again and walked a little ways ahead. "Coming? We're gonna be late."

Fionna was rooted to the spot. She didn't know what to think. The others moved forward before she snapped out of her daze. She had no idea what just happened but she felt a little flattered and, for some reason, scared.


I'm so sorry this was a short chapter. I wanted to save the ball for the next one. That one will be based on the original Fionna and Cake episode. The first one. So get ready. I also had a bit of writers block. I've been up all night (goddamn jet lag) since it's like the afternoon over in China and this is all my confused brain could think of. I promise the next chapter will be longer.

So, what did you think? Marshall Lee, you dirty SOB. And the real fight for Fionna is starting. Let's see how that turns out! :3

Again, you can follow me on Tumblr. I always follow back. My name is athpluver, for those of you who don't know. All my other profiles are on my bio on this site so check that out. My Tumblr is a work in progress but I'll most likely be updating fan art from this story and other stories of mine. As well as my fandoms and my own books I'm working on.

See you next time!