Chapter 1

MARSHALL

I woke up to see the sun shining through the huge gaping hole of my cave. I groaned and rolled over, with a major pounding in my head. Man last night was so killer, I thought, getting up out of my bed. Let's just say that last night I had a bunch of people over, Fiona, Cake, Finn, you name them, they were here, unfortunately. Staying up all night shouldn't be a problem for the King of the Vampires, but when I didn't suck the red out of anything, and had a couple (well, a lot actually) drinks, then of course I'm gonna crash, I mean anyone would. I began to pick my way across all the strewn bodies, bottles, and cups that littered the cold stone floor of my cave. I came to a stop at my guitar, irregularly shaped like an axe, it was my most badass and prized possession. I picked it up and put it back on its stand. Sleeping peacefully next to the stand was Fiona, and I don't care what any of you say, I don't really like her as more than a friend. I like her in the way a brother likes his sister, that caring way, and she knows it, too. She has a crush on the Flame Prince, good thing is that he likes her back. Speaking of the Flame Prince, he was sleeping some yards away, snoring loudly with a bottle clutched to his chest. The only one who was up was me, cleaning my stone floor, wow I never thought that I'd say that before… Haha.

Well I was picking up the last of the trash when everyone started waking up and realizing just how late it was, mumbling apologies and running out of my cave. After the last people left, I flopped back on my bed, wondering what to do. I could go and tease His Royal Highness Gum-gum today, I thought about other stuff I could do, but decided that that would be the most fun. I grabbed my bone umbrella and floated all the way over to the Candy Palace. When I got there, I flew up to Gummie's balcony, I didn't expect him to be in his room, so I looked through the windows on the French doors more closely. Man his room was colored like a giant bottle of Pepto Bismol, and finally after scanning his room a million times, he finally emerged from his pink bathroom, wearing nothing but his pants and a towel around his pink shoulders. Never one to spare him a moments embarrassment, I floated in through the doors and placed my umbrella on the floor.

"Hey-oh Gumbo!" I said, teasing him with his least favorite nickname.

Gumbutt rolled his eyes, and glared at me "Marshall," He said, nodding towards me.

"Looks like you need to spend less time in the sun, you look like a day at the beach gone horribly wrong." I said winking, and he started to pull on and button one of his many shirts. He ignored my comment and kept looking ahead at the mirror. I got tired of the silence and floated to him, turning upside down as I did so. When I stopped in front of him, I realized how small the space between us was. Only a few more inches, then I can…. Woah, what am I thinking, kiss Gumbutt? No way. When I snapped out of my thoughts, I realized that he totally ignored me. If I didn't know him any better, I'd say that he was blushing, only then, I felt a blush starting to creep up my neck as well.

I turned away from him, and began to examine my upside down reflection.

"So, how do you think I look?" I asked, and when he didn't reply again, I turned back around, righting myself. "Ok, Gumbo, what's with you? Why are you all silent?" I asked.

"Because Marshall, I don't waste time on people like you." He said to me stonily, I chuckled a little bit and came close enough to be able to whisper in his ear.

"You would if you knew how fun I was," I said teasingly, my lips brushing his ear slightly, but I was surprised to see him blushing slightly again after I pulled away.

"I'm pretty sure that I know how annoying you are," He snapped, turning away so I couldn't see his face.

"Oh come on, Gum-Gum, quit being a royal stick in the mud."

"I happen to like it actually."

"Ha, you just know that you won't be able to handle me," I whispered, coming closer, "Don't worry, I'll be gentle." Gumball backed away until he hit the door, horror written across his face, but I could have sworn there was something else in his eyes.

"Marshall, I'm warning you." He said, his voice was super shaky now, like he was trying to contain something. When I got close enough, he looked in my eyes, and I doubled over with laughter.

"Man… Gumball, that gets funnier…. every time" I said in between each laugh that came out of my body.

"You are a shameless flirt Marshall Lee," He said, "No man or woman, for that matter, would ever hit on me like you do."

"Well, someone's gotta loosen you up." I said to him, still laughing.

"And I'm pretty sure I can handle you." He said and then covered his mouth, like he hadn't meant for that to come out.

I stopped laughing and looked at him, "You sure about that Gummie?" I asked him "I can be very… rough. Sure you wanna take that risk?"

"You pervert," He said blushing profusely.

"All part of the job description." I said, floating over to the various shelves in his room, all lined with cook books of course. Until I stopped at something that made me almost drop out of the air. I picked up the picture frame and looked at it dumbly. It was the picture of me sucking all the red out of his strawberry cupcakes, and he was furious. I looked back at him. "You kept this?"

"Yeah," He said walking over to take it out of my hands, "I keep everything."

"So you don't hate me?" I asked, and he blushed again, He's a professional in blushing that's for sure. I thought.

"No, I don't. No matter how perverted or flirtatious you try to be, I know that it's just a huge joke to you. So I really don't take it seriously when you 'make a move'" He said, making quotation motions around those last three words, "You're still my best friend."

I looked at him stupidly, I could feel myself blush a little, so I covered it up by turning away from him and looking back at the bookshelf. If only he knew, I thought.