Fionna felt like she had just collapsed into her bed as her alarm went off, waking her in time for her date with Flint. She groaned and rolled over to silence the abomination that was her clock.
She went into her closet and picked out some clothes, however most of her clothes were the same. Fionna was of the "if it's not broken why fix it" mentality. With her fresh clothing in hand she took her hat off and shook out her waves of long blonde hair. What time is it? Shower time!
She turned on the faucet, adjusted the heat, and quickly brushed through her hair with her fingers before jumping into the spray. From down stairs Marshall heard all the activity and went invisible. It would be no good being spotted and having to explain himself. Not that he would explain himself, but Fi would expect it.
He listened as the water came to a stop, and then the scuffling on the floor as she dried and dressed. He wondered if she would attempt to put make up on for her date with the prince. He absently thought about the last time Fi had put makeup on herself and had to hold back a snicker. The young girl was terrible at all things considered womanly. Now, when Cake did her make up, she looked every bit the demure young woman. He only hoped that dreadful cat was still asleep, it wouldn't do for her to be too enticing to the fire royal.
The girl came down out of her room in all the adventure-ready glory that was everyday Fionna. 'Good.' Marshall thought to himself 'Normal is good.' He followed her as she readied a picnic basket with seemingly random things, butter, a package of bread, some cheese, even some marshmallows. What was she going to do with all those ingredients. He mentally shrugged it off. What did he care what the two kids did on what was likely to be their only date.
Fionna messed around, fidgeting nervously and repeatedly checking her face in the mirror, until Flint knocked on the door. She squealed excitedly and jumped a few times before taking a deep breath and calming herself.
"Be cool, Fi. It's just a date no big deal." She breathed before opening the door with a big goofy smile spread across her face. The Prince of Fire bowed low at the waist.
"Good afternoon, Miss Fionna." He said with a smile. He straightened back up. "I must admit I have been greatly looking forward to today." Marshall Lee rolled his invisible eyeballs and almost scoffed out loud. This guy was so cheesy. Despite the ridiculous amount of cheese, she fiddled with her hands nervously and smiled brightly at him.
"Let's go!" She said, donning an oven mitt and grabbing his hand and grabbing her picnic basket with the other. The fire elemental blushed and looked away sheepishly as Fionna dragged him away from the tree house. The vampiric teen just gagged at the display.
Marshall Lee was starting to feel like he was chaperoning a field trip instead of secretly crashing a date and was seriously regretting not just finding the hot headed adolescent before said date and scaring the spit out of him. He listened to the two of them make small talk. The prince made the mistake of asking Fionna exactly how many swords she had. The girls eyes sparkled as she went over a detailed account of her massive sword collection. Unlike most of the other princes in Aaa, Flint did not recoil in fear as she animatedly talked about which swords could do what, what they felt like slicing through things, and the like. Marshall had to at least give him some credit there, sometimes Fionna's dramatic, overzealous love for swords and cutting things with them got even the undead king uncomfortable.
When they reached a blanket spread out on the ground Fi released her grip on the elemental and began to fuss with the things in her basket. Flint approached more slowly, watching the excited girl with a small smile. She pulled the food she had brought out of the basket and began buttering the side of one piece of bread.
"Put your hand out like this" she said to Flint and showed him her hand palm up. He looked confused but complied and she slapped the piece of bread, butter side down, on his open hand and continued to make her grilled cheese sandwich. When she decided the one side had been cooked enough she turned it over and placed the other butter-covered side of the sandwich on his hand. The boys face was caught between anger, embarrassment, and amusement, at his dates rude but silly actions. Marshall, who was watching this whole thing, watched the fire prince closely and, when he'd decided the prince wouldn't flip out at Fi, allowed himself a good internal laugh. That was flipping hilarious. Leave it to Fi to think of the most insulting thing she could possibly do, except she was totally innocent. She just thought she was being resourceful.
Flint allowed her to finish making her sandwich and then calmly asked her to next time inform him of her intentions. Just slapping food on a fire elemental was pretty rude, and the cold butter had hurt his hand. She blushed and mumbled an embarrassed but sincere apology which Flint readily accepted. The young couple ate and chatted. Marshall tuned most of this out. He wasn't there to infringe on Fionna's privacy, just to ensure her safety. After about an hour or two, the two started to pack up their picnic and Flint walked Fionna home.
When they got to the door, the two fidgeted and repeated good byes but neither moved.
"May I take you out again sometime?" He asked, a flaming orange upon his yellow cheeks. Fionna's cheeks colored prettily.
"Yeah, s-sure." And she suddenly wished she could hug him and began to reach forward but stopped herself and turned even more red. The fire elemental smiled and his fire grew a little brighter and he took a step closer to her, as close as possible with out burning her. Marshall sort of bristled at this, even though Flint was being careful it sort of bothered him, it seemed some how indecently intimate. He watched, disgruntled, as the two inched as close to each other as possible and whispered their good byes.
When Flame Prince finally began to leave (Finally!) Marshall followed him. When they were well out of sight and ear shot from the tree house the Vampire King got to work. He conjured up a storm as if he was about to summon the undead and, with a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning, appeared in front of the younger boy. Despite himself, Flint took a step back and his breath caught in fear. Marshall smiled, wide and cruel and full of long sharp teeth, and his eyes were glowing a bright red as he bared down on the prince. The prince held his ground, though his hair was flickering in fear. Once again he had to give credit where credit was due, but credit wouldn't help the prince right now.
"We need to talk" Marshall hissed sharply, flicking his forked tongue out like a snake.
"I see you haven't gone soft" The prince replied, the edge to his voice hidden under practiced courtesy. Marshall laughed, dark and unkind.
"And you don't know when to shut your mouth." Marshall snapped, baring his teeth in a vicious sneer. "This isn't a two-sided conversation." The younger of the two, much to his own chagrin, audibly gulped. "I don't know what she sees in you, and frankly I don't care. If something should happen to her, I will do unspeakable things to you and your whole kingdom." Genocide was generally distasteful, but the vampire was capable of it, and if the threat of it would keep Fionna safe, he would definitely be willing to back that up. Flint only nodded and, with the same flourish with which he appeared, the menacing vampire vanished and the boy fell off his now weak knees, glad that he hadn't done so with the other still present. Fionna seriously pranked this guy? That girl was crazy. Or dumb. But as crazy or dumb as she may be, she was also wonderful and brave and kind. So he would suck up his fear and hate towards her friends and deal. When the weakness in his lower extremities lifted he got up and continued to walk home.