Marshall Lee was stumped. Fionna had built a maze in his house. How could he top that? He would not let her win this war, he was ancient and terrible in his wisdom and she was merely an infant. If she won, even in something as insignificant as pranking, he'd never ever live it down, and Marshall Lee had millenia ahead of him. He wracked his brain, consulted books, asked Gumball (who laughed in his face. Way to be a bro Gumwad), and mostly thought himself into a grumpy despondency.

Well into his third week of brooding, Marshall snapped his fingers. He had it! he grabbed his stack of old newspapers and flew to the girls' place. Carefully he taped newspaper over the door. Just one thin layer. He chuckled to himself and prepared to spend a week or so at the tree house.

"Marshall's prank was so lame." Fi had her butt in a chair but she was practically laying on the table, arms stretched out above her head and a cookie hanging out of her mouth. "It was so lame I'd feel bad for doing anything back." she groaned, upset about the rather anti climactic turn in the prank war she was beginning to thoroughly enjoy. Gumball hummed in agreement, torn between discomfort at her complete lack of table manners and desire to point out that Marshall Lee was probably building to something bigger than just newspaper over a doorway. Instead he just stared at the cookie between her lips, til a tiny pink tongue flicked out and ushered it the rest of the way into her mouth. The candied ruler cleared his throat, redirected his gaze, and continued to make small talk, glad that Fionna was preoccupied with Marshall and the prank war instead of gushing about the Flame Prince. He'd already had to endure talking about two more of their dates, obviously Marshall Lee had not done his job properly. Scaring a sheltered young boy couldn't be that hard, even if he was an evil sheltered young boy.

"Maybe he was taking it easy on me cuz I flipped out on him..." She said contemplatively. She grabbed another cookie and shoved it into her mouth.

"You "flipped out" at him?"

"Yeah he crossed a line, something about bases and sex? I don't even know." She sighed around an atrociously full mouth and shoved another cookie in her face. Gumball looked appalled. Fionna didn't know if it was her fault or Marshall's and shoved another cookie in her maw, which she could no longer completely close. Gumball's back had gone rigid.

"What, exactly, did you say he did?"

"Well," She said spewing bits of cookie everywhere. "I was just drawing, trying to figure out how to deal with the obvious problems between me and Flint. Y'know, touching and whatever. And he comes floating in, and he totally stole my hat! So I was all like HA and SWOOSH and junk trying to get it back." She was gesticulating wildly, showing how she had lunged and swiped at the vampire and also spraying more bits of cookie. "Then he picked up one of my drawings and asked what I was doing, so I told him cuz I thought he might help, but that jerk just called me a KID. Said something about me being too young for second base. What the glob is second base? I asked him to talk more plainly. I don't understand all this tier and base bunk. Cake and Marshall Lee are crazy. Anyway, so I said to him to talk more plainly and he was all like 'It would just be easier to show you'." She mimicked the vampires deep voice. "I mean I smacked him real good. He went flying into the wall even. But seriously. What's his damage?" Gumball frowned angrily.

"I am very sorry he did that to you. I'll have a chat with him." He said seriously, taking Fionna's hand in his and patting it comfortingly. She looked at their hands then up at the prince, who offered her a smile and she could only blush.

"No PG you don't have to do that, I just needed to vent." She squirmed in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable under his gaze. Gumball had been acting weird lately and she wasn't sure why. "I mean if I told Flint I'm pretty sure he'd have burned the whole world down, and Cake would have used Marshall's face as a scratching post. You are like the most chill friend I've got!"
The prince internally sighed, of course he would stay his hand to spare her further embarrassment. That didn't mean he had to enjoy it. So he sat and made small talk and ignored Fi's horrendous table manners for another hour before she left the Candy Kingdom for home.

When Fionna was well and truly gone the genial smile dropped off the young rulers face and he called for Peppermint Maid. He had worried for her safety anyway when he found out she was dating the prince, but he hadn't thought of the possibility of the boy quite literally blowing up because of something as thoughtless as Marshall Lee's insufferable flirting. He was quite certain that Marshall could not give up flirting. Well more like he would not give up flirting. It was his favorite pass time. To the vampire flirting was almost as natural as breathing, so the only solution was to send Flint away. But how?

When Fionna got home her door was papered over again. She shook her head and ripped through it to the door. Seriously, Marshall must be desperate if he was just repeating the same prank again.

"It was sorta funny the first time dude, not so much the second!" She yelled towards the ceiling, knowing he was around and would hear her. With a strum of his guitar he appeared next to her.

"Hey Fionna." He said sorta subdued, his eyes focused on his fingers as he played a deep melody.

"I think your pranking skills need a little work, dude." She motioned at the door. He only shrugged and continued playing.

"It is what it is. Do you mind if I crash here today?" He would do it regardless of her answer, he just didn't want to piss her off again and crashing in her place without asking could very possibly do that. The girl thought about it for a second. Flint was coming over today and he and Marshall do NOT get along. On another hand, it was about noon and the sun was deadly to Marsh and he was her best bud. They were both important to her and so she decided that the two stubborn boys would just have to learn to deal with each other.

"Okay. Do you want my bed?"

"Nah, that's okay. I'll just float over the couch." He set his guitar down carefully and flopped onto the air above the couch rolling over to face the wall. Fi giggled at the obviously exhausted actions and went to her room to freshen up, throwing a "good night" behind her. When she came back downstairs Marshall was fast asleep, snoring lightly with his tongue lolling out of his mouth and his hand on his stomach pushing up his shirt a little. She couldn't help but snicker at the display. In sleep he looked so much younger, so much more innocent, the only hints of his tragically scarred self were the fangs he bore and the twin marks on his neck. She smoothed his hair out of his face and turned to leave.

Upon opening the door she found Marshall had papered it over again and had half a mind to go smack him awake, but she didn't have time and just ripped through the paper again. Flint was walking up and she waved to him, shutting the door behind her.