I stiffened, and I would've been really annoyed about the immediate shock of heat that flooded my body if I wasn't so surprised. I was flushing pink all over.
Oh my god.
He just said that.
Argh.
I'm notoriously terrible at expressing my feelings through words. It takes a very particular moment, one that can easily be moved passed for me to say anything romantic. I don't know why I'm so bad at it, but I just find it incredibly awkward to try and tell someone what they mean to me. The words always sound contrived or cheesy (though what Marshall had just said sounded completely genuine) and then I get embarrassed or I'm worried that they won't take it the way I mean them to, either over or underselling the feeling.
He was waiting, I could see that he was waiting for me to say something but I had no idea what to say. I had thought about whether I loved him or not, and when I had been watching his eyes flicker beneath his eyelids this morning I kinda felt like I did. But I wasn't sure. I wanted to be, but I hadn't thought about it enough.
Oh god, oh god, oh god...
Marshall interrupted my internal freakout by laughing and putting his hand on my thigh.
' Calm down, Fionna. That wasn't me soliciting a declaration of undying affection. Don't get all het up about it.' I threw him a hurt look, painfully aware of how brightly my cheeks would be glowing and he responded by pulling me down into his lap, off of the arm of the couch. I had no idea what he was doing so I kind of just sat there, blinking at him (the proverbial deer in the headlights) Eugh, I don't perform well under pressure. I don't plan things, but having something big sprung on me like that just throws me off so much. Marshall leaned in and kissed me once, twice, then shook his head at me.
' You're so funny.'
' S-shut up.' I grumbled, folding my arms and looking away from him. He tried to kiss me again and I refused, until eventually he was just peppering little kisses over every piece of skin he could reach while I squirmed and protested and eventually wriggled off of him, but even that didn't stop his romantic assault until I finally relented and let him, lying on my back on the couch with him leaning over the top of me. When he stopped, he looked at my face for a few seconds then gave me a breathtaking smile, that I'd never seen before. Damn, I'm so lucky.

' So what do you wanna do today?' I twisted my mouth to the side, remembering that it was a saturday and that we usually hung out today anyway. Friday night was the night he always tried to get me to stay over because I'd just be back the following morning anyway, but obviously last night was the only night he'd been sucessful. Seeing as it only took him three tries though, I guess I hadn't exactly forced his hand.
' Dunno. I feel like going to a thrift shop or something. You game for that?' I asked him.
' Sure. But can we stop off for coffee and some real chow first? Pop tarts aren't exactly high on the list of nutrious and filling breakfasts.' I grinned at him and nodded, pushing him off of me and rolling out from under him, up on my feet next to him before he even knew I was gone. I'm pretty physically competent, naturally I suppose. Maybe one of my biological parents was a gymnast or something. But then again, my foster dad was an ex-marine, so it could've just been growing up with that.

' But I dibs the shower first.' I stuck my tongue out at him then childishly ran off to the bathroom, snickering. I heard a muffled 'Hey!' from the living room as I shut the door behind me, and then Marshall's footsteps on the wooden floor outside as I walked over to the shower and inspected the bottles on the shelf inside the cubicle. Bare minimum by the look of it, just shaving cream, shampoo and a bar of soap- Wait hold on, there was also some leave-in hair product. Huh. So those perfectly tousled locks weren't an accident.
' I didn't know you used hair gel.' I called mockingly over my shoulder as I turned on the shower and undid his shirt. The water was loud enough that I didn't here him fiddling with the lock, nor the clink when that bastard unscrewed the door knob and physically removed the lock from the door. Honestly, talk about overkill. Was it so difficult for him to just be patient?
' I suggest we-' I jumped and let out a small scream in surprise when I heard Marshall's voice behind me, crossing my arms over my bare chest (Sure he had seen it before, but I was surprised.) I saw Marshall's eyes drop past that and stop in surprise when he realised I was wearing a set of his boxers too. They were just a plain black American Apparel pair I had found in his drawers because like I said, my underwear was AWOL.
' I couldn't find mine.' I stammered in explanation after an awkward moment of silence, and then I noticed what he had done to the door and my mouth dropped open in outrage.
' Dude, you broke the lock?'
' No, I just removed it.' He shot back immediately without shame, and I rolled my eyes at him. I was about to tell him to get out and just hold his horses, but when I opened my mouth Marshall immediately took advantage of it and kissed me in such a passionate manner that I was literally breathless by the time he let me go, his arms wrapped around me so tightly that I was sure it must've been painful for him where my elbows dug in to his ribs.
' I like it when you wear my clothes.' He offered after a couple seconds of panting from both of us, and I swallowed before I replied, realising my mouth did not taste like my own.
' You don't say.' He shook his head at my sarcasm and kissed me one more time, more calmly in this incidence.
' And I was gonna say, before I got distracted, that I suggest we share. Saves water, y'know.' I didn't buy it and he could tell straight away by the look on my face, but then he pulled out these adorable puppy dog eyes that he knows I just can't say no to.

I groaned and pushed him off of me, sliding my thumbs under the edge of the boxers on my hips.
' Fine. Tch, if I'd known you were gonna be so clingy the next morning I would've bolted last night.' He pouted at me and dropped his pants as I stepped under the jet of hot water, then made to come in after me but I wouldn't open the door enough.
' And we're just taking a shower, ya horn dog. Nothing else, even if it's not so bad I am in fact, a little sore.' I let him in after making this statement and he ducked down and pressed a kiss against the back of my shoulder as he reached around me for the shampoo.
' Maybe I am clingy, but I didn't actually intend anything by coming in after you, babe. I just wasn't ready to be away from you.' He said quietly as he started working the liquid through the top of my hair, lathering it into a foam. His touch was soft and it felt nice, like how I reckon a cat feels when someone strokes it.
' But I'm only in the shower.'
' That's still too far, every moment you're not in my arms is a wasted one.'
Oh my god. Again. Holy crap, this boy was smooth with words. I was sure he could tell that I was blushing, he would've seen my ears turn red. Bt he didn't say anything, just silently continuing to work the shampoo down through my hair. Sometimes I feel like I should cut it, but the feeling doesn't last long.
He wasn't usually so serious, and I wondered what had put him in such a frank and open mood. Marshall isn't a very serious person, or at least for as long as I've known him he's never come across as overly serious. It's not like I know his whole life story yet or anything, but he doesn't seem too broody about the fact that he was an only child with a negligent mother. He always has a line or a pun to make and it can actually be kind of annoying when you just want a conversation. It's endearing as well though.

' Put your head back, bunny.' He told me and I obliged willingly, and I felt his fingers start to comb between the sodden strands of my hair as he washed it out, white sud trails splattering down my legs and into the drain. When he was finished I felt his arms come around me and I half-expected him to try and make a move on me but he didn't, he just folded them around my waist, splaying his hands on the side of my ribs. He pressed the lower half of his face into the back of my shoulder and his wet hair dripped down my front.
' What you said, about how I've been there so many times, that kinda got to me. Yeah, I know I'm no virgin, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate sex as something more than just physical. So I really wanna make sure you know that I wanted to have you stay the night not so I could have another notch on my belt, but because I care about you, Fionna. You mean a lot to me now and I wanted to show you that.'
Crap. I felt guilty for bringing it up now. The jealousy and insecurity seemed so petty when he said those things, his lips moving against my skin. He was such a decent guy, I should've known he wasn't going to treat me as a number, but I had forced him to make me one. Good job, me. this also wasn't a situation where I could just blush and not say anything in return, it required a response. Jeez, I'm so bad at all this romance stuff, how does he put up with me? Maybe he doesn't mind being emotionally vulnerable, the lucky bastard.

' Watch yourself. Keep talking like that and you'll be stuck with me.' I told him, turning my head slightly. I felt him grin and then he lifted his head and kissed my cheek.
' I think that's the most romantic thing you've said so far.'
' Oh, shut your stupid face.'
' That's more typical, you went all girly on me there for a second.'
' Turn around so I can wash your hair, idiot.' I grumbled, taking the shampoo and pushing impatiently on his shoulder. Marshall's obnoxious little smile didn't fall even as he turned, and I paused for a moment, admiring his shoulders. I could see what he meant about the scars, though you had to look pretty closely. But he was just built so nicely, not to big, not to small, just right. Defined without being off-putting or all weird and like, bulgy. He had a goldilocks body in my opinion , though I doubt he'd understand that thought process and would only get offended if I said so.
' A lovable idiot?'
' Don't push your luck,' I said curtly. I could picture the look on his face though, and I couldn't help but smile a little in anticipation for how it was about to change.
' But yeah.'

Author's note: I bet you thought I had forgotten this one, eh? Well, I hadn't, and this was the final chapter so yeah, hope you enjoyed that. There will be more stories in this series though once life has calmed down a bit and I have them time and effort I want to put into this, so if you're a fan of this AU universe crazy old me has conjured up, don't worry, the ride ain't over yet! Thank you so much for being a fan and for reading my stories, and I'll see you in the next set :D

-WRA