When Marshall wakes up, it's light out. The sun forces its way past the clouds. Marshall groans, running his hands over his face.

"I slept through the night." He complains, "I didn't get to see Bubba…"

Slowly he stands up, glancing down at the photos by his feet. In an attempt to smooth them out, he places them under some books. Sighing, he picks up his bass, strumming a few notes. He thinks back to what his mother said. Suddenly it all seems too real.

He'll live forever. His lovers won't. Didn't. And never will.

After Ashley, Marshall told himself he'd never fall for anyone again. It hurt too badly. Even if he didn't have to watch them die, there were other things that would happen. It wasn't worth it to give his undead heart to someone who'll eventually leave him, one way or another.

Something moist falls on his hand. Looking down, Marshall realizes it's a tear. He's crying again. Furious, the vampire throws his bass on his bed before floating down the latter.

I promised myself I wouldn't fall in love again.

Furiously he throws a plate across the room. It crashes in a pile of glass, landing on the floor. It felt good, but it wasn't enough. Marshall throws more things around the room, wrecking his home. Over and over, things break and crash to the floor.

Huffing and panting heavily, the vampire freezes as he hears a knock on his door. The vampire whips the rears from his face, slowly walking towards his door. As he does, his mind races, deciding that it's his mother on the other side. Fury grows in the undead man once again.

He pulls the door open forcefully, screeching, "I told you I never want to see you again!"

But it wasn't his mother.

The two stared at each other, both suddenly feeling horrible. Gumball glared forcefully, slowly backing up, "Fine then! I didn't realize I bothered you so much!"

No. No! Not again! Don't leave me! Not like the others! Marshall does the only thing he can think of, he leaps forward, knocking both of them to the ground. Gumball's face flushed as he squirmed under the vampire. Both of them are breathing hard, scared to death, and with teary eyes.

Gumball stops when he sees just how shaken the other is. "Marshall?"

"I'm sorry." The other mumbles, "I didn't mean to yell at you. I… I thought you were someone else."

"Oh. I see." Prince Gumball smiles softly, as relief washes over him. "Are you okay? You seem a bit…out of it."

Marshall hesitates, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm great, buttercup."

"Don't call me that." Gumball deadpans.

The two laugh slightly. Neither wanting to get up, but neither wanting to be this extremely close to the other, they shuffle awkwardly as Marshall finally stands up. The vampire holds out his hand to help up the gummy man. Gumball takes it thankfully.

"Do you want to come in?" Marshall asks, wanting his crush to stay longer.

"Sure." Gumball follows Marshall inside, still holding his hand. Marshall stops in front of him as soon as he steps in. "Wha- oh my!" Gumball stares at the mess before him. There's not one thing that isn't trashed. It looks as if a hurricane had appeared in the vampire's home.

Marshall covers his face in his hands, groaning loudly. He hides behind his hands, waiting for his crush's reaction. He's probably horrified, the little OCD gummy-brat.

Gumball's mouth hang's open. "Did you do this?"

Marshall sighs, dropping his hands. Pulling a grin, sticking out his tongue, and throwing up a gang sign, he says, "Doesn't it rock? Works with the rockstar, bad boy image, right?"

Gumball rolls his eyes, smiling, "Honestly, how can anyone live like this?" He quietly told himself, 'when we're married, you won't be trashing my home.'

Marshall shrugs, saying quietly, "There's some bad days."

Slowly they make their way through the room. Marshall leads the Candy Kingdom's prince to his room upstairs. He waits as the prince climbs up the latter. "I've never been up here before." He says, as Marshall holds his hand to make sure the prince has his balance. They blush and instantly let go of the other's hand.

"Yeah, but there's something I want you to see." The vampire says quietly.

Gumball doesn't say anything as Marshall floats over to the wall adjacent to his bed. The gummy man follows, glancing at the older boy before scanning the wall. On the wall is tons of tiny pictures. Hundreds of them. There's a small hole where some look like they've fallen, but other than that, the wall is covered. All the pictures were from different angles.

Each picture has a different person on them. All of them smiling or laughing. Sometimes Marshall was in the picture too, which Gumball didn't know was possible. A vampire with crazy make-up, who plays the guitar, grinning at the camera. A shy mummy who tries hiding from the camera. A girl in dark, baggy clothes, who laughs at something behind the camera. One drawing, one playing, one eating, one posing in silly clothes. Each person looks so happy, and carefree. Men and women, of all ages, from many different regions and times. One picture is just of Marshall's bass.

"What's this?" Gumball finally asks, looking at each of the photos carefully.

"My loved ones." Marshall stares directly at the floor, his voice sad.

Gumball looks up at the vampire, "What happened to them?" Gumball regrets the question as soon as he says it. Of course they're dead. What a dumb question.

"G-gone." Marshall chokes out.

Gumball places a comforting hand on Marshall's shoulder, when a picture catches his eye, "Is that Fiona?"

Marshall looks up, chuckling slightly at her silly face. Her tongue's sticking out, fighting with Cake for who gets to be in the picture. "Yeah. You never know when she'll go, you know? She's always fighting and doing dangerous things… I had to take the picture when I could."

Gumball smiles fondly at the picture of their friend. "Yeah."

While Gumball points out his favorite pictures, Marshall tells their name and what they were doing the day he took the picture. The two crack jokes, enjoying the little trip down memory lane.

Marshall tells a story about him and one lover refusing to speak to each other for a week, simply to prove they could do it. "He was so talkative, and I bet he couldn't. He said I couldn't go a week without singing. I lost, but it was-"

"Why didn't you visit me last night?" Gumball asks without thinking. The story about ignoring one another got his mind focused on the reason he showed up to the vampire's home.

Marshall pauses, his smile fell. "My mom showed up last night. She pointed some things out to me that I already knew."

"And…?"

Marshall looks the other in the eye, "And I realized, just now actually while we were talking, I don't want to lose you." The vampire's hand finds the prince's.

"W-what?" Gumball's cheeks flush deliciously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Marshall pauses, to think it over slightly, "I mean this." The vampire leans in, pressing his lips to the prince's. Gumball slowly participates in the kiss. Their lips move in time with the other man's. Marshall's hand holds the back of Gumball's neck, keeping him in place. Remembering the candy prince has to breathe, Marshall pulls away slightly.

Gumball blushes in embarrassment, "Um… me too."

Marshall laughs, giving the other a quick kiss. Turning to a nearby cabinet, he pulls out a camera, "Then, do you mind? I'd love to add you to my wall." Gumball blushes, but nods.

The vampire swings his arm across Gumball's shoulders, holding the boy close. "Selfie!" He shouts, Gumball frowns at his childishness.

Marshall takes the picture.

"One more! On 'three'." Marshall says, "One, two," the vampire turns his head, kissing the other on the cheek, while taking the picture.

"Now just you." The vampire floats upside-down as Gumball tries to get over the shock of Marshall's surprise attack.

"Stupid, the picture will be upside-down!" Gumball laughs, still blushing.

Marshall takes the picture. He grins, "That one'll be cute." Flipping over, he takes another.

And another.

And another.

With each picture Marshall's and Gumball's smiles grow wider.

Their laughs grow louder.

Their love grows stronger.

Marshall thinks to himself, 'screw it if I get hurt in the end. I'll still have these pictures of you.'

The end!

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