It was a shrill, almost desperate wailing that yanked Marshall awake, groaning while Gumball slept on, out so cold there was no way he could wake up in response to the loud wailing. The vampire pushed himself up, wobbling lightly on his feet from the fatigue yawning loudly while the wailing kicked up in intensity while Marshall trudged across the room, unable to really pick his feet up. When he got to the door he shoved them open, stumbling out into the hallway to the room right next to his and Gumball's. He yawned once more reaching out grabbing the door knob, twisting and pushing it open for the wailing to get what he thought to be ten times louder. He flicked the light on smiling softly before walking across the room to the pale purple crib looking down only to have watery scarlet irises up meeting his and whimpering.
"What's the matter, princess?" Marshall cooed at the baby who wailed in impatience for her father to pick her up. "Is your nappy wet? Huh?" He picked up the baby nuzzling her but she refused to be consoled when he sighed walking to the changing station. "Darling, Lacey~ My baby girl~So impatient and so so cranky~"
Lacey seemed to be soothed by her father's singing when he placed her on the changing table singing lightly still, soft nonsense that soothed her ever so happily. He undid her diaper, folding it up as he'd learned too and now quite the expert at it a month later, he hummed while he wiped her clean with a wipe, grabbed a new diaper and lifted her little legs up carefully and slid the new diaper beneath her and folded up covering her privates. He grabbed the Velcro strips from the back and pulling them snugly in place and she looked up at him, sucking on her fingers cutely.
"You're not going to go back to sleep, are you?" He asked looking at her and, seeing as she barely looked tired now that she wasn't crying, She continued sucking on her fingers and he patted her chubby belly and smiled. "And I know you're not hungry. How bout you and Papa go watch some TV though I doubt you'll even know what's going on~"
She made a tiny noise when he smiled brightly at her, walking out of the nursery. The nursery was truly amazing, the walls a deep violet, the rug black and soft, there was a bag of toys received during the baby shower months prior, her closet was just like Kaitlynn and Asher's, probably just as big too. She had a white and pink dresser with black knobs that were filled to the brim with baby clothes all so cute it was like a fashion show first thing in the morning, not that Lacey minded at all.
"You do know, it's Daddy and Papa's wedding day~ You should be sleeping!" He carefully tickled her making her flinch but her eyes were happy anyhow for a one month old. She rested happily in the crook of his arm and he smiled at her in response when he entered the rec room when he caught sight of the time. They were having the wedding this afternoon, just before dinner, so they could get both large events done and have dinner right afterwards. "You should be sleeping~"
Lacey just stared up with her large scarlet irises, too awake for noontime. Like her father she was nocturnal, sleeping in the day and active at night, amazingly so, just like she was when Gumball was still pregnant with her. He smiled when he sat on the couch, before shifting to lay back with Lacey coming forward carefully on her belly, laying out on his chest while he turned the TV on. Fionna would be coming over soon enough, anyhow, but Gumball had been so tired after last night that he wondered if the prince would even wake up. He nuzzled Lacey, who continued sucking her fingers but curled her tiny fingers of her left hand into Marshall's shirt tightly.
He could sleep, he knew that, but it was irresponsible unless he was in a much safer position to do so. He laid on his back, carefully, and yawned slightly tucking a hand behind his head turning on one of those horribly bad reality TV shows Gumball enjoyed. He closed his eyes listening while Lacey clung to him tightly and the darkness of the room was too nice and too comforting. He hadn't been aware he was drifting off when the front door, seven floors down, opened and slammed with Fionna shouting for Gumball. He sighed then sat up, Lacey making a little grumbling noise in discontent.
He chuckled standing up, Lacey still laying on his chest, and he cradled her butt carefully and then kissed the top of her soft head. "Looks like relaxing is done with~ Auntie Fi is here~"
"Ohhh my Glob it fits perfectly!" Fionna exclaimed covering her heart, sighing like she was avoiding some kind of catastrophic situation. Gumball blushed looking at himself in the mirror, feeling his cheeks burn again when he caught sight of his blushing face reflecting back at him in the mirror.
"Thank you for all this, Fionna." He softly replied looking at himself still trying to find a flaw to keep him longer in the room, his heart pounding quickly, but he found none. In just ten minutes time he'd be walking down that aisle to Marshall, then to stay while he ascended to the Crown and go from Prince to King. He was a wreck.
"It's gonna be alright, PG! I gotta go get ready, hold on until I get back?" Fionna asked tilting her head, her long blonde hair pulled back in a bun bobbed and made him smile. "I gotta pop in and check on Marsh first, as well. Just count to ten, deep breathes, and I'll be back in three minute's, four being the longest. I'll be back before walk down that aisle, I promise!"
And with that she was gone and Gumball rubbed his fingers over the tie. He was wearing a deep purple tuxedo, as white and black seemed like too much against his skin and coloring, so they went with deep purple with a dark gray dress sure underneath and a white tie. The whole thing was perfect, highlighting his violet irises making them appear bright than they truly were and he held his breath. Right now, he was Prince B. Gumball, engaged to Marshall Lee the Vampire King and mother to Princess Lacey Akina Lee. When he walked down that aisle, said his vows, he'd be King B. Gumball Lee, ruler of the Candy Kingdom.
He struggled with his breathes, to keep them even, when the door opened wide to reveal Fionna who smiled. "Oh, wow. You look beautiful, Fionna." He marveled instead of focusing on his anxiety, even if his heart threatened to pound out of his chest.
"Thanks but we all know who the real beauty King here is~" She playfully replied walking in moving her fingers through Gumball's hair, smoothing it to the side, a majority of his bangs on the left side of his face. Fionna, keeping a theme, wore a strapless plum dress that danced just below her knees when she walked and her long blonde hair was brushed so smooth it seemed to shine and fall down to the small of her back in golden locks. She'd brushed on some eyeliner and light purple eye shadow, making her blue eyes pop against all the purple on her even if it was like two items.
"I can't believe this is seriously happening." Gumball replied taking a deep breath, trying to calm the anxiety beating at his chest, his face still hot. "I thought I'd be more put together than this. I didn't think I'd be so scared and anxious!"
"It's fine, Bubs! How do you think I was when I married Phillip?" Fionna replied looking at her friend then reached out taking his hands and squeezing them softly. "You'll be okay and besides, it's Marshall waiting for you out there! He'll make sure you're okay from now on and then you'll hubbies~"
"Uh-huh." He mumbled then took a deep breath and clung to her hands squeezing them back softly. "Let's get out there and get this over with." Fionna lightly laughed holding her arm our as the exited the room, him clinging to her.
"It'll be done with in a matter of minutes, trust me, PG!" Fionna replied as they walked down the familiar second floor hallway and she squeezed his arm. "Now, here's your bouquet." She handed him a mish mosh of pin and black roses smiling. "And count to ten after I go down and follow. Okay?"
Gumball pulled in a long, deep breath through his nose holding the bouquet like it was a life preserver and he nodded. "Okay." He replied then smiled softly. "I'll see you up there, right?"
She nodded eagerly, smiling brightly. "Yup! I'll see you in literally five seconds!" She replied when a soft music change started and she patted his shoulder. "Da da da duhn~" She sang in time with the piano change then winked. "See you soon!"
She turned on her heel, walking down the stairs to that hallway, walking rather quickly leaving the prince behind, wide eyed. He wanted nothing more than to be holding Lacey who was quickly becoming his little token of calm, strangely, but she kept him even tempered. He counted to ten, taking deep breathes then walked down the hall at a normal pace, his heart thumping hard against his chest. He got down to the floor below, swallowing even if his throat and mouth were dry but he waled until he came to open doors where the music was spilling out softly, the edges of a white sort of carpet of the aisle and he took a deep breath.
He squeezed the bouquet only to step onto the white carpet only to feel his cheeks burn anew at the soft murmurs in the room and the sound of many standing up. He walked forward when the music changed once again to the bridal march and he pulled his glued eyes from the floor to look up and caught on everything. It was all white, violets, blacks and some pale blues, of flowers and ribbons decorating most of everything, the pews of seats for the kingdom in his soon to be throne room, the whole placed looked new. He caught sight of Fionna, smiling at him excitedly from his side of the altar and then looked to the right of it. Marshall grinned at him in such a way that, had he been hesitating, he felt like sprinting down the aisle to his King and get this over with.
Marshall was dressed in a tuxedo as well only his was the traditional color of black on white, his hair neat for once and appeared styled, with certain locks of bangs hanging on his forehead. Marshall grinned widely when Gumball noticed Flame King to the side of the vampire, holding the twins on his hips who were dressed adorably, Kaitlynn trying to reach for a flower was dressed in a pale lilac dress and Asher was in a black tiny tuxedo as well. He smiled at this when he looked over at Fionna again, his body moving instinctively down the aisle in time to the music, to see Lacey resting in her arms.
His daughter was dressed in a pale magenta colored dress, just as floofy as Kaitlynn's, his daughter looking around at all the colors in the room. He smiled to himself while he walked when he looked to Marshall and realized his was more than half way there and didn't panic once. He took a deep breath, clinging to the bouquet again as he approached, just thirty steps from his King, the vampire grinning wider with each step if that were possible. It seemed like forever but soon he was facing Marshall who was grinning happily.
Gumball faintly heard the ordained minister, Cake, talking and it was when Fionna nudged him that he jerked out of it with heat searing his cheeks when he spoke. "I do."
Marshall all but beamed at the prince, a soft flush in his cheeks when he spoke a few moments after.."I do~"
It seemed like, for the wedding, that the trading of vows was very quick and rushed but melted perfectly into the coronation. That was also, very quick and rushed for when he found himself standing before the Kingdom and swearing to do the best he can for the kingdom and after that it just melted into the reception of his wedding. The ballroom looked beautiful, decorated in pink and violet lights around the room all twinkling like stars in dimly lit room and the table were decorated white table clothes with the edges trimmed in black ribbons or violet or pink ribbons and many were dancing already when Gumball jerked at the soft hand grabbing his and Marshall's scarlet irises winking at him.
"Want to dance, my King?" He asked softly looking at the prince who blinked a few times then smiled softly and nodded. Marshall then wrapped one arm around him and took his hand in the other only to spin out onto the dance floor. He laughed gently at the bewildered look on the pink male's face.
"Well, that's quite the spin you got there, huh?" Gumball asked raising a brow, being whisked into the dance floor further, he smiled widely at the vampire who laughed gently again. It was the distraction Gumball needed, as eyes were always on him and it was so skin crawling he almost couldn't take it for the longest time since the ceremony started.
"Thank you thank you~" Marshall replied grinning like a bad little boy. "I'll dance with Flame King, weird as that'll be, and you with Fionna after this you know~" He smiled at the flush in his husband's cheeks and kissed his forehead.
"I see~" Gumball replied back just as playfully then squeezed his hand. "Where are we going after this? Like, the honeymoon?"
"I got a place, baby~ Right now I just wanna slow dance with ya~" Marshall sang the last part of his sentence, smiling wide making Gumball smile with him. And true to his words he was switch to Fionna, which was easier, the ring glittering on his ring finger distracting him at times. He did dance with many other people as well, person after person, coloring after coloring was nearly maddening.
"Hey, it's time for you to go!" Fionna's words cut through his dazed hiding spot, the one in the corner of the room he'd fled too to keep from interacting which was cowardly but he just needed a break. He felt her grab his hand, dragging hi out of the ball room down the hallway. "I gotta change you before you go~!"
"Alright alright! Just slow down a bit!" Gumball protested though he was the taller of the two and the strongest, he let himself be dragged by the human girl and sighed to himself. He let her drag him all the way back to the first floor living room stripping him down. "Hey!"
"No time~" She sang through him a black pair of jeans, a green shirt and a black blazer with black sneakers. What was with all the black? She plucked his crown off his head easily enough and pointed to the clothes. "Change! I gotta get the twins in the car and then we gotta get Lacey's car seat." Gumball looked surprised, must have, for Fionna laughed. "You're not taking Lacey on your honeymoon!"
"But I've only had her for a month!" Gumball protested when Fionna covered his mouth with her hand. He stared down at her only to scowl when she winked almost conspiratorial and then smiled widely, her humor something he wasn't truly understanding just yet.
"Trust me, PG, when you go on your honeymoon you'll truly thank me for not letting you take Lacey~" She replied then grinned and wiggled her fingers. "Now get dressed or I'll dress you myself!"
Such evil words, almost horrifying, to let a human girl dress him that he swore he dressed ten times faster. Just where was Marshall taking him that he couldn't bring Lacey with them? He was curious but as he dressed he had the feeling he just might know where the hell they were going and he felt a low shiver run through him. Oh Glob, let him be right!