Gumball is twenty two weeks pregnant, which is six months!
"I'm sorry." Gumball whimpered the words softly again while sitting at the island table of the kitchen and Marshall looked up tiredly but smiled softly. Back when Gumball had been eighteen weeks, which was hard to think of as just four weeks ago when they assumed there had be no new symptoms, it seemed it was Marshall's turn to go through whatever it had been when Flame King had when Fionna was pregnant at that time.
The snoring Gumball had that afternoon, asleep on the floor, continued lightly and delicately which wasn't the worst of it. He rubbed his back when it was sore, genuinely feeling sorry for Gumball as he had to lug around his large belly, which stretched tight against his new set of clothing and making him constantly upset. He had an increased appetite, devouring everything for a two person breakfast in the morning and while it was good he was eating so much Gumball often wailed about getting fat and Marshall not wanting him anymore. He got dizzy frequently so he had to sit down a lot, which he hated, but Marshall demanded with little things of withholding like hugs, cuddles in bed, hand holding or kisses. His legs cramped in the night, waking him up and Marshall would rub his legs until those cramps lessened and he was able to fall back to sleep.
However, that seemed like the easiest thing of all the symptoms he's had. While Marshall rubbed his back, his leg cramps, helped him walk around when he was unsteady, rubbed his ankles and made sure he was well fed, he was genuinely okay with that. But there was one hindrance to it all. He couldn't say it was late for Gumball but since Marshall was a nocturnal being, needing to sleep during the day and thankfully they kept heavy curtains around the palace for him to walk freely in the day, it was cutting into his sleep. The main reason, however, as to why he wasn't sleeping was this scenario right now.
It was ten in the morning, while Gumball could be awake without Marshall, he had grown nocturnal as the baby was active at they were warned it might not be until Gumball was closer to twenty five weeks pregnant the baby started kicking back when he turned twenty weeks and the baby did so with zero mercy on her mother. She kicked at night, punching and kicking, at the pseudo wombs walls and while it was marvelous to see the baby kicking and tiny bumps forming from a fist or foot, it was tiring on Gumball who couldn't sleep at night anymore. But because his nights and days have now been temporarily flipped he slept in the day, which was Marshall's sleeping time, he got hungry. A lot.
Like right now, Gumball had been wanting eggs and poking Marshall until they went downstairs. While the pink prince looked wide away, the baby kicking once in a while as if to remind hm she was still there, he was alert and his stomach growled softly from time to time. Marshall, however, was utterly exhausted after two weeks of random bouts of insomnia that it was physically beginning to take toll on him and he knew it made Gumball feel horrible. Marshall, barely sleeping anymore for though he was tired he wanted to be up when Gumball needed him, now dragged his feet not having the actual strength to float he was so tired, bags have formed under his eyes. The dark color looked like ink blots had pressed again his skin and bled out unevenly under his eyes which made the scarlet more ghoulish.
"It's fine, Bubs." He mumbled back unable to speak louder right then, wanting nothing more than to just go to sleep. He wasn't angry at Gumball, no way was he angry, he was just so tired and he just needed to close his eyes for just a few minutes...just a few minutes of sleep and he'd have his patience...
"Marshall!" Gumball cried out stumbling out of his seat to reach out and yank the vampire back who snorted, eyes snapping open to see the fire on the pan where he'd been making the eggs. Had they been burning this whole time? He brought it to the sink quickly and turning the water on listening to it hiss loudly. "Marshall Lee, go to bed! You can barely cook, I can do it myself. I'm pregnant, not debilitated."
"But-" He mumbled when Gumball spun him around to look up at him and he jerked at the flames that seemed to have jumped from the pan to his violet irises. He'd never seen Gumball so irritably worked up like this, his eyes flames of anger, and he blinked tiredly.
"Go to bed! Or I refuse to interact with you in anyway until you sleep longer than three hours! I ask a lot of you, I have this whole pregnancy, so I am asking you to go lay down and sleep, wake up when you can, take a shower and eat a proper meal!" Gumball ordered using his Royal Voice as Marshall called it and pointed to the kitchen doorway. Marshall, however, blinked groggily at this like he couldn't understand what was going on.
"Fine." He finally sighed out walking out of the kitchen leaving the angry Gumball in the kitchen without a fight. He trudged out of the dining room into the front hall's little hall that would lead to the front hall. That made him frown at how that sentence literally made no damn sense and he rubbed his hands over his face. Man, he should really get to bed.
He sped up just a bit, trusting Gumball could get upstairs after he ate and he yawned before he could stop himself. He climbed up the stairs with his sluggish legs which felt like the prince had tied weights to them before he left and he could barely pick them up high enough to go up the steps. He rushed anyhow to get up those seven flights of stairs, rushing down the seven hallways to the bedroom and he could've sang at the sight of the last flight of stairs he'd have to climb and set up them eagerly. He used the rest of his bodily strength to lift his feet higher to get up them faster and he walked down the hall to the master bedroom struggling to keep from tripping, stumbling a few times. He reached out, grabbing the knob, pushing the door open and let it swing shut when he threw himself on the bed.
Just a few minutes, like he said in the kitchen. He'd sleep for just a minutes...
When Marshall woke up he was slow to really come into consciousness, only aware of a warmth curled next to him against his back and he opened his eyes slowly. He rubbed them then, rolling onto his back only to flinch from the soft lamp light as he struggled to get his eyes open wide enough when he caught sight of Gumball's soft smile and he felt tiny thumps against his hand. He blinked slowly opening his eyes wider feeling stiff but the tiny thumps hitting the palm of his hand were what woke him up further and the soft warmth of Gumball's hand on his.
"Little Monster is really active right now, ain't she?" Marshall got out in a cracked voice, stopping to clear his throat, when he was handed a cup of something red. It was dense, not like blood, but dense in color like he couldn't see through it and it honestly looked like Gumball melted a bunch of red crayons. He looked up curiously.
"I figured you'd be rather thirsty when you would wake up so I figured out a way to extract the red out of some apples to make that cup for you. Drink up, before I take it away." Gumball replied in a soft tone while the baby kicked away for attention and even a few punches making him chuckle softly to himself. He stroked his belly up and down, lovingly and adoringly, his chest cramping happily with every punch or kick the baby delivered.
Marshall took large gulps from the cup so fast he was almost sad when it was gone and he was staring at the bottom of the cup. He sat up then, clearing his throat again, when he looked at Gumball. "How long was I out for?" He asked looking at Gumball who's face was carefully blank other than that soft chuckle before. "Bubs?"
"You were out for a full two days, Marshall." Gumball finally got out in the same soft tone and, like she could hear that soft tone, the baby stopped kicking and punching. It was like the stop of music and it made Marshall's heart ache when Gumball held his hand in both of his, rubbing his thumbs against the top gently. "I delayed your sleep so badly with my insomnia and asking so much of you that I made you forget about your own needs."
"It's okay, baby. It really is!" Marshall replied leaning forward just a bit when Gumball turned his head, his face hidden now and he blinked staring at his boyfriend. "Baby? What's wrong?"
"I'm a horrible person, doing that to you. I don't think it's okay and so it isn't," Gumball got out in a soft tone that was suddenly so thick with emotion it nearly hurt Marshall's heart. He opened his mouth to speak when he felt something drip on his hand, Gumball's head falling forward just a bit, and he felt his eyes widen. "I'm a horrible person. I truly am, making you forget your own needs to focus on my petty ones."
Marshall noticed Gumball's body heave like he was holding something back or trying to be quiet when he sat up reaching out pulling the pink prince to his chest. His chest was immediately getting drops of warm water on it, the fabric of his shirt soaking it up like a hungry sponge and yet he held Gumball tightly. "Prince B. Gumball, you listen to me and you listen good. You. Are. Pregnant. That doesn't make you a horrible person either!"
Gumball blinked the tears away in his eyes and Marshall held him tighter. "But-"
"But nothing." Marshall cut him off quickly, swift and sure, squeezing Gumball. "I have needs, yes, but they are just as important as yours! Bubs, you're carrying my baby! You have double needs, yours and hers, which you need to take into account for the next three remaining months! If I can do anything to help you or the baby you need to tell me! But this won't happen again, if that puts your mind at ease."
"It's because this happened, Marshall, that I feel horrible!"Gumball wailed the words making Marshall jerk then sighed hugging the now sobbing prince to his chest, stroking his hair. Though it was true, the past two weeks Marshall had pushed his own health below Gumball's that he crashed so hard, he would do it again. They had three months left and what was the prince going to do when the baby was here? According to Fionna some babies can be quiet, as Asher was, or others could be a screamer like what Kaitlynn was in the first weeks of her life and they barely got any sleep.
"Bubs, what are you going to do when the baby comes and I don't sleep then either?" Marshall softly spoke stroking Gumball's hair softly and held Gumball tighter when he felt the tiny kicks and punches against his side from Gumball's stomach. "I'll be okay, I'll watch myself. I'll watch you too until this is over."
"Just don't let this happen again, please. Please." Gumball whimpered pathetically into the vampire's chest and Marshall smiled softly. He kept one hand on the prince's hair and then moved his free hand forward to rest his hand on his side.
"I won't let it happen again, baby. I promise." Marshall replied kissing the top of his head lovingly and assuredly. He wouldn't let it happen again, he wouldn't. He knew what to expect now but he also had to remember that if Gumball were to be up with his insomnia maybe he could stay up for a little while or if the pink haired male got hungry he could go and get something himself. He shouldn't stretch himself so thin!
Gumball sniffled rather loudly, clinging to Marshall when he sat up onto his knees looking at Marshall with his watery eyes. The other smiled lifting his hand stroking his wet cheek softly like the tears didn't exist. Gumball looked at Marshall in response then took a soft deep breath. "Hey, Marshall?"
"Mmm?" Marshall played with a lock of Gumball's hair, rubbing a piece of pink hair between his fingers happily. "What is it?" He only half focused on his words, liking the rather soft but silky feel to Gumball's hair but focused when he noticed a red flush creeping into Gumball's cheeks then.
"I know we-we talked about it," Gumball started off reaching for Marshall's hand, the one on his stomach, and twisted it up staring downwards at it tracing the faint veins under the light gray skin like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. Marshall remained quiet as waited for Gumball to finish speaking. "But, um, I also know this isn't the most romantic but, uh, would you...marry me?"
Marshall blinked, rapidly, staring at the pink haired male. "Did...you just propose?" Marshall asked looking at Gumball who's face was so red it was adorable. What was with these rapidly changing moments between them lately? Was it just the pregnancy?
"For-Forget it!" Gumball stuttered rolling over carefully and curling up on his side then, feigning sleep. The vampire just stared at the pink prince, blinking a few more times quickly, that when he finally did reach for the prince, how had been feigning fall asleep had actually fallen asleep.
"Well, shit." Marshall whispered staring at the pink prince who was sleeping rather quickly now, as if the tiny bumps kicking at him were nothing now. He stared at the prince's sleeping face, then at his left hand which was laying limply on his stomach when he began to delicately snore. Marshall looked at his sleeping boyfriend then grinned widely picking up his left hand, staring at the ring on his middle finger and the wide grinned turned into a very mischievous one as he placed a kiss against his cheek. "Love you, Bubs~"