Bones Exposed - Seven

"Down there, Mo-Chro." Gumball says, pointing towards a small clearing deep in the woods.

Lord Monochromicorn obediently flies down to it and elegantly lands on his feet. The gummy man gets off the unicorn, his brain failing to properly function as he looks at the sight before him.

The cabin is still there, though it definitely isn't even remotely in great condition. There are moss and weeds growing everywhere. Large chunks of the walls are missing. The windows are broken and stained with years of whatever the weather's thrown at them and maybe some other things.

"Stay here," he mumbles. "and be on guard."

The unicorn nods, and Gumball slowly approaches the worn-down structure. He runs his fingers across an area of wood that's still clean and somewhat intact.

He remembers building this place, and the worry he'd felt at how enthusiastic Marshall Lee was about chopping down trees briefly floods back into them. A small smile graces his lips at the memory of telling the vampire to watch where he's swinging so that he doesn't hurt one or both of them.

As he lightly tugs on the handle of the door, the entire thing pops off. He looks over his shoulder to Lord Monochromicorn before setting the rickety plank on the ground and cautiously stepping into the building. Vines hang from the walls, and there are some small insect-like creatures having a picnic of bread, fruit, and moss in one corner. The prince smiles at them politely before going in further.

It's really dirty and smells old, which he doesn't like in the slightest, but he makes himself continue. Good and bad things come to his mind. Making love against the now absent refrigerator. Arguing about their schedules before the vampire stormed out into broad sunlight. Profuse apologies and soft kisses to one another as Gumball rubbed Aloe Vera over the vampire's healing skin. Marshall Lee slamming his fists onto the table so hard that it split in half.

Perhaps he should leave now. He really should.

He doesn't, however. Instead, he ventures towards the restroom, where he finds a squirrel bathing in the toilet. After quickly apologizing to her and closing the door, he makes the decision to leave. But there's one last room, one last very important room to check out before he can do so.

Forcing himself to keep a steady pace, the prince approaches the bedroom. The door is wide open, and he can hear a very soft snoring coming from the room. He peeks his head inside to find an orange fox curled up on a blanket on the ground. Gumball decides to leave it alone. As he's making his way out of the cabin, he smiles to himself at how the creatures of the forests are using it to their benefits; it's nice that even though the building is old and run-down, it still has a purpose.

Once he's exited the wooden cube, he turns and stares at it again. For a brief moment, he sees him and Marshall sitting on the roof in the moonlight, the vampire's legs carelessly dangling off the edge. They had just finished making sure the cabin was strong enough to hold up for a long period time, and Marshall Lee had decided to celebrate their huge accomplishment of successful construction by having a drink on the roof (Gumball was too tired to argue with him). It certainly wasn't the smartest or most mature thing to do, but thankfully neither of them got hurt. They'd sat still, for the most part, and admired the stars, only moderately sipping from their beverages. It was a quiet and relaxing bonding moment between them.

The memory makes Gumball's eyes water, though he isn't entirely sure why. He wonders what life would be like if he and Marshall Lee were to have never split up. The thought is out of his head quicker than it entered. He swiftly turns around to face the unicorn that is carefully observing him.

"Well, this has certainly has been a nice trip, but we should get going now. It's almost time for dinner, and you and Cake have a date tonight, yes?"

A few hours later, the prince is stuck entertaining Fionna. He doesn't mind, of course, it's just that she doesn't seem to be as interested in what he's saying as usual. It's slightly offensive; there is absolutely nothing boring whatsoever about the atomic spectra.

"Hey, Prince Gumball?" she says just as he gets into the good part about quantum theory.

He looks up at her from the notes on his desk. "Yes, Fionna?"

"How did you meet Marshall Lee? And how come you've never talked about him before?"

A large lump forms in the pink man's throat. Of course poor, innocent Fionna would fall into the vampire's trap. "Why do you want to know..?"

Fionna glances down at the floor, and a small tinge of pink appears on her cheeks. "Oh. Um.. I'm just curious.."

Though he knows it'll make him seem like a maniac, Prince Gumball slams his hands down onto the counter top, Fionna quickly looking back up at him with wide eyes.

"Fionna, listen to me. You do not want anything to do with that lowlife, do you understand? He's lazy, rude, inconsiderate, and will do nothing but make your life miserable. A kindhearted person like yourself should not be hanging out with that delinquent."

The human is quiet for a moment. "I guess you two don't have the best of relationships."

The prince scoffs, "Don't have the best of relationships? He single-handedly ruined my life. Of course we don't have the best of relationships."

"Are you sure we're talking about the same Marshall Lee? Sure, he's sassy and bad and all that jazz, but he's not a terrible person. He's kind, funny, and just really good company."

"Yes, he seems that way at first, but then once he gets a hold on your heart, he rips it straight out of your chest. I'm telling you, he's bad news, and you shouldn't associate yourself with him."

Then Fionna does the unthinkable - she laughs at him. "Dude. You're delusional. You should get some rest. Cake should be back by now, I'll go meet her in the corridor."

And with that, she leaves. Prince Gumball crosses his arms over his chest and huffs. There goes yet another of Gumball's defensive towers Marshall Lee has knocked down since his arrival.

Author's Note: I think I've only uploaded legit one chapter this year? I am so sorry, oh my gosh. School, and just life in general, has been such a pain. I'm really busy with assignments, but I do have some motivation now, so hopefully I won't take several months to post the next chapter. No promises, though. I really am sorry I took so long. Let me know what you think of this chapter. I love all of you. xx