A/N: I'm really, really happy that you guys all like my story. That being said, I have these things called responsibilities. Like a job and cosplay commissions, and an apartment to maintain, and my mouth to feed. This is all a lot of pressure. I write for pure pleasure. I enjoy that others enjoy what I write, and I try my best to please my readers and to update when I promise. Lately I have been getting rude reviews trying to pressure me into posting more. Honestly it puts me out of my writing mojo. Honestly I have been having a hard time writing lately. Now, If I updated more, and wrote less, eventually you would be stuck waiting for updates. In order to not make you, my lovely readers, wait, I keep a few chapters ahead of what is posted. This is a buffer for me, It is not so you can harass me to post more. In fact if I do continue to be harassed like this I will probably just quit posting here because writing would lose the purpose of carefree enjoyment that it holds for me. I don't like to threaten this because most of you are very kind, but I have my limits and they are close to being crossed.

Sorry to have to say all this,

NFE

Fionna hastily scampered down the hallways towards the grand dining room. Her clothes hadn't been THAT dirty. She had only been sitting around the castle, not even one adventure. Why'd they have to take her clothes again? This poofy, girly, nightmarish atrocity Peppermint Maid had shoved her into was definitely not something she'd like to be seen in, but she had promised Gumball breakfast together and Fionna doesn't break promises. Even when hideously poofy dresses are involved.

When she reached the grand hall that served as the breakfast room, she hesitated behind the door and fretted with her dress. She looked stupid, and PG would probably laugh at her. Not out loud, he was too much of a gentleman, but that made it hurt all the more. She took a deep breath, steeled herself for the inevitable reaction, and plastered a smile on her face. Pushing open the door, she peeked her head in and curled her hand in a wave towards the prince.

Having successfully caught his eye, Gumball sent her a dazzling smile and stood up, walking over to her to open the door further for her. He opened the door wide and took her hand lightly, leading her into the room. He hadn't quite taken in what she was wearing yet and began to talk as he escorted the younger girl to the table.

"Good morning! How is your leg faring?" she giggled weakly and fiddled with her clothing with her free hand.

"My leg's fine" she mumbled. He turned to her, intent on finding the cause of her gloom, and was greeted by a very pleasant and unexpectedly lovely view of Fionna in the most becoming of dresses. The prince, for the first time in a long time, found himself utterly speechless. He stood there, gaping at her, her hand in his (now tighter) grip. The girl fidgeted a bit, blushing hotly and glaring at the ground.

"I knew I looked stupid, but I didn't realize it was that bad" she said with a little bitterness. Gumball pulled himself together, almost shaking himself out of his stupor.

"Oh, Fionna. You look absolutely stunning." Fionna's eyes went wide and she choked on her own breath and almost toppled over. She would have, too, if she hadn't fallen into Gumball's arms. She found herself smushed up against his chest, his candy-sweet scent filling up her senses and messing with her head. This is Gumball, her bro, the man in constant need of saving. No longer the man of her dreams, just the friend that she could always rely on.

The prince, surprised by the normally unflappable hero's sudden lack of balance, wrapped his arms around her to steady her. The feeling of a warm body-her warm body- soft against his own was new and strangely foreign to the prince. He quickly found that he liked it, and squeezed her lightly before releasing her.

"I'm sorry, that was very forward of me." He said apologetically while wishing very much to pull her back into his arms. She did look very dizzy still. But no, it was time for breakfast. He pulled her chair out for her then took his place beside her.

Marshall watched the prince warily. He had not left that morning when Fionna woke. He wanted to see what that prissy pink prince and Fi did all day together. He expected lots of ooey gooey disgusting softness, but when Fionna practically swooned into his arms Marshall's black blood boiled.
Surely the why-wolf kickingest, dragon slayingest, adventure havingest, most mathematical girl in all of Aaa wasn't falling for that puffed up princess of a man. Not again. She wasn't into all this pretentious bullshit. He continued to watch her through breakfast. She looked a little... Off. Like she was on autopilot.

How like Princess Perfect to not notice. As the prince prattled in about boring crap and the girl just gave small replies, Marshall fumed. Fionna had never specifically told him not to come during the day, and Gumball and he had never really drawn any lines, and Flint... Well Flint had sort of disappeared. Marshall didn't waste time thinking about it, it just meant he wasn't in the way or under foot. He made his mind to join them for breakfast.

He floated above Fionna and snatched a strawberry off her plate, swiftly divesting it of its reddish hue and popping the white remains into the girls mouth as she squeaked in surprise.

"Mornin' girly." He said, "what's up"

"Marshall Lee!" She exclaimed happily after chewing and swallowing the berry.

"To what do we owe the pleasure?" The prince's voice held a poorly hidden edge of disdain. Marshall just shrugged.

"Felt like it." Gumball knew better than to press further in front of Fionna. The rest of breakfast flew by with lots of conversation and more than a few barbed jokes made at Gumball's expense.

"Fionna, would you accompany me on a stroll through the gardens?" Gumball asked when everyone was finishing up their food. The girl looked worriedly between the two.

"Go ahead, girly." Marshall assured. "I'm just going to crash in your room" he threw a smirk at Gumball whose face had grown red at the implications of sleeping in a ladies bed.

"Okie dokie," the blonde said good-naturedly, "I'll see you later." Gumball offered her his arm and she hesitantly took it. The prince surreptitiously shot a glowering Marshall Lee a triumphant look over his shoulder. But Marshall Lee would have all night, and he didn't need to force her into girly clothes and take her for walks to sweep her off her feet.

Flint rolled over on his bed and sighed heavily. It seemed that his girlfriend had wanted her space. He had run out of heat shields anyway, so why not give her the space her actions had begged for?

'Because you don't want to' his brain argued.

'Well it's not always about what I want' he had argued back. But she was in the Candy Kingdom with those two coal-for-brains being doted upon and fawned over. It's not that he didn't think she should be fawned over, rather the opposite. He just wished that HE was the one able to do the fawning. But she had made it clear through her fumbling sentences and downward gaze that he was making her uncomfortable. He didn't want to hurt her so he had stayed away.

Her friends were ok, when they weren't being over-protective or flirtatious. Marshall Lee was even pretty cool, obviously not as evil as is to be believed, but they were both hot for her. And she wanted him to ignore that.

He rolled over again groaning into his pillow. The two weeks were almost up and she would be home. Then he would go see her. Once she was home. So she could dump him. Because what kind of half-wit, lame-wad, flaming terrible boyfriend doesn't go see his girlfriend the whole time she is recovering from a wound.

This flaming idiot right here.

He lifted his head up and dropped it back into his pillow groaning loudly. Since when was he such a coward? He doesn't even know. But he does know that losing Fionna seems like the worst thing possible, like the flickering hot flame in his chest might just cease to be if she leaves him. And he can't really bring himself to just let it happen, but what else can he do?