Marshall Lee was bored. Not just bored, but restless. He leaned his head back, shifted his hands, cracked his toes, then finally drifted into the air, head falling backwards and eyes squeezed shut. "Boooored," he moaned, opening his eyes to glare at the ceiling. "Gotta fix the boredom," he muttered. He eyed his axe bass, and grinned. Let's hunt for inspiration.

He grabbed an apple and swung his bass around his shoulder, gliding out of the mouth of the cave and into the night. He sucked on the apple as he went, gliding over Aaa at a leisurely pace. He let his thoughts wander, drifting higher into the clouds, shirt flapping about in the cool breeze. He thought about visiting Fionna and Cake (they were always good for a laugh, and were easy victims to his amusing tricks) but tossed it aside. No, they were bound to be asleep by now. Or, at least, trying to. Besides, he'd seem them yesterday.

No, he knew who he wanted to see. Before he even realized where he was going, he was floating over the Candy Kingdom. Most of its residents were already asleep, its sugary roads empty and most if the cane-lined windows dark. But as he hovered, hidden in clouds, he saw the window near the top of the castle still lit. He grinned and floated lower, making sure he was still hidden. "Oh my prince," he said, watching the window he knew belonged to Prince Gumball. He grabbed the strap of his bass and pulled the instrument off, strumming it a few times before finding a solid chord.

He plucked and strummed for a while, keeping it quiet, emotional, his. "I'm gonna bury you with my sound," he sang, softly, surrounded by other softer notes. "I'm gonna drink the red from your pretty pink face," he sang, grinning, eyes on the sky. "I'm gonna...

"Marshall?"

His hand slipped on the bass and he ducked down, eyes wide. He hissed on reflex, then processed the voice of the person that had called out to him. He waited a moment before rising above the clouds, looking casual. "Prince Gumball. I'm surprised you're awake."

"Oh Marshall Lee, why are you hiding up in the clouds?"

"Psh, who's hiding?" He said, sliding his bass back over his shoulder. "I don't hide. Just enjoying the night air," he said, waving a hand. "Um, what are you doing awake?" He asked, hovering lower.
The prince shrugged, smiling. "Reading a rather charming book. Why don't you come down and join me? It looks lonely up there."

Marshall waited a moment before shrugging, unable to hide a small smile as he glided down to the window. Gumball stepped back and Marshall slid easily into the room. He stared around at the room, looking at anyone but the prince standing to his right. He eventually did a full turn and was forced to look over at him. His eyes widened, and he couldn't help but grin, one eyebrow rising.

"I see you're wearing it," he said, eyeing the prince with amusement. He floated in a lazy circle around him, knees just above the floor. "And here I thought you never wore it."

The prince was wearing a black shirt that clashed horribly with his pink hair and complexion. He looked down at the large shirt he was wearing and smiled. "I love this shirt! I wear it all the time to sleep," he said, smiling. Marshall's cheeks grew hot, and he realized he was blushing, of all things. He wrinkled his nose and tried to school his into one that was less emotional, but it seemed he'd been caught. The prince watched him, looking curious. "What were you singing about up there?" he asked. "I could hear your bass. It was lovely."

"You?" he said before he could stop himself. He tried an eyebrow wiggle, and the prince laughed.

"I had a feeling," he said, smiling. Marshall swallowed, feeling both warm and uncomfortable. He didn't know if he wanted to spill out all of his thoughts, or run and hide in a cave for a week. He opted for hovering awkwardly, staring at the boy with the bright pink hair.

"Oh Marshall," Gumball said with a laugh. "Come here," he said, sitting and patting the bed next to him. Unable to think of anything to say, he went to the edge of the bed and sat obediently. Without any formal warning, the prince leaned over and pressed a small kiss to his cheek. Marshall's hair seemed to stand on end and his skin felt like it was glowing.

The prince laughed, a light and pleasant sound. "I'd love it if you sang for me," he said.

Marshall grinned and returned the gesture. The prince's cheek was warm, and he felt him chuckle beneath his lips. "For you? Always."

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thanks to STARK for this lovely little story. ♥️

"-- ...of levitation, pyrokinesis, telekinesis, invisibility, and necromancy, near instantaneous self-healing, the spooky vampire walk, as well as the ability to shape shift into numerous monstrous forms, including a bat, a wolf, a reptilian creature, or a tentacled monster. Also unlike traditional vampires, Marshall is capable of sustaining himself on "shades of red," such as the color in strawberries, and is not limited to surviving on blood." "vulnerable to sunlight"

Name: Marshall Lee
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown but more than 1000, appears 18-21 years old
Species: Vampire
Occupation: King