Why Marshall Always Floats

Fionna picked up her old white torn-up ball gown. She hadn't worn it since that night with Gumball/Ice Queen. It was destroyed, but she needed something. Gumball was throwing another ball tomorrow and he and Cake both insisted she come. She had stopped going to the balls after the Ice Queen thing, almost 7 years before. She and Marshall had been going together for almost as long. And even he was going! He'd asked her last night. And she'd asked him a question, too.

"Marshall, why do you always float now? I remember, before I was 16 or 17, you'd walk sometimes. Now you always float. Why?" He looked extremely uncomfortable. "Oh, uh, no reason. I just, uh, like floating." His face was turning dark gray. He was blushing! "Spill Marshall! Pretty pwease?" She made a puppy dog face and batted her insanely long eyelashes. "Pretty pwease with sugar and marshmallows and strawberries and a big fat cherry on top, please please please pleeeeeeesssssssssseeee! Please!" "Oh my Glob, FINE! I always float because, well, because," he said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Because, you're, you're," "Tell me!" "You're taller than me!" What? She's taller? She tried not to giggle, but she couldn't help it. Marshall's face looked really sad as he said "There, you happy?! Now you know that I'm a super short freak!" Wait a sec. "Marshall, come here. Now stand. With your feet on the ground!" Then she took off her shoes and stood back to back with him, and measured their head height. "Marshall Lee, you big vampire DUMB BUTT! Did you never notice I started wearing heeled shoes?!" She picked up one of her shoes. They had the heel thingy on the inside, and made her taller by 3 inches. "Of course I'm taller! My shoes make me three inches taller! I just got tired of being short when I was younger, and so I started wearing these instead of my flats! I'm, like, an inch or two shorter than you!" He got this blank look on his face and just said," Oh. So, um, whatcha wanna do on Saturday? See a movie, go out for dinner, go to Gumball's ball, make out on the couch..." She grinned. "As tempting as that last one is, I would love to go to the ball with you. And you can float, 'cause I'm wearing heels!"

So that was why she was sitting here, trying to find a gorgeous dress for Marshall. Maybe she could go see if Ice Queen was predatoring on any dudes that could help her out. She grabbed her pack and her pink crystal sword, and headed out the door. Then ran back and grabbed her yellow sweater so she wouldn't freeze her buns off.

Five minutes later, she ran through Ice Queen's door. "Ok, Ice Queen, where are the dudes?!" The Ice Queen looked up from her keyboard. "What the wad? I haven't even left my castle today. I'm working on an super rad song for Prince Gumball. 'Cause I'm a lyricist. Wanna help?" Fionna looked at her like she had two heads. "Geez, you crazy cougar, I'm SO not gonna help you predator on dudes. That's just beyond creepy. I was just bored, so I hoped you'd be doing something weird." Her face was rather downcast. "There's this stupid ball tonight, and I couldn't find anything to wear. I want to look perfect, 'cause I'm going with-" "Stay away from my Gumball!" the Ice Queen shrieked. "Sheesh, I'm not going with him! I'm going with Marshall Lee. But probably not anymore, since I don't have anything to wear." The Ice Queen got a strange look on her face. "You're going with Marshall?" she said quietly. Fionna nodded. "I don't know why, but for some reason, I want him to be happy. I think it has something to do with those dumb old tapes... Oh, whatever. Anyway, I want him to be happy, and you seem to make him happy, and so, as much as I dislike you, I'll help you out, just this once. I think I have this old dress you can wear. I'll go get it..." She walked away.

A minute or two later she came back with a gorgeous strapless blue ball gown. It was perfect! "Oh my Glob, Ice Queen! Thank you so much! It's beautiful! And ya know what? I'm gonna ask Peegles to save a dance for you! But you have to promise not to be weird. And remember he's engaged to Cotton Candy Princess." The Ice Queen grinned. "Really? That's-that's very nice of you. No one's really nice to me... But anyway, in that case, I better go get fancied up. See you at the ball! And you can keep the dress!"

So now here was Fionna, walking in on the arm of the hottest, sweetest Vampire King ever, watching Peegles dance with Ice Queen. "What the lump is Bubba doing with that cougar?" Fionna smirkes. "Long story. But let's not talk about her. Let's dance." Marshall pulls out a single dark red rose from a large bouquet that magically manifests in his hands, throwing the bouquet at LSP, and hands the rose to Fionna. A thorn pricks her, drawing a single drop of blood. He lifts her hand to his lips, licks the blood off her finger and kisses it, slowly working his way up her arm, her shoulder, her neck. He kept kissing her, moving on to her chin, her cheek, her forehead, her nose. Then, finally, his cold lips touched her warm ones, as gentle as the feeling of silk on skin. She ran one hand through his midnight hair, the other looping around his neck. As she pulled away, they noticed everyone looking at them. "Ahem," said Prince Gumball. "As I was saying, I hope everyone has a wonderful time tonight, and would just like to say, thank you for coming out. I now would like to turn the floor over to Marshall Lee the Vampire King."

Fionna turned to Marshall. He unhooked her arm from around his neck, reaching into his back pocket. He got down on one knee, holding a small black box in one hand, her hand in the other.

"Fionna the Human, since the day we met, I knew you were special. And I know exactly how corny that sounds, but it's true. You are so different from every girl I know. You are smart and beautiful and funny and sweet. That may not be so different from other girls, but you're also independent and strong and fierce yet compassionate. You're not afraid of being you. You're not afraid of anyone. Not me, not the Liche, not anybody or anything. And that's why I love you. For so long, I've been afraid to love, afraid to connect with anyone. Afraid to lose them. But you've taught me not to be afraid of love. You've taught me that sometimes, you have to take that risk. Fionna, I love you so much, I can't imagine my life without you. Whether it's for decades or for eternity, I can't-I won't be apart from you. Fionna the Human, will you make me the happiest son-of-a-demon in the world and do me the incredible honor of being the one I spend forever with?" He opens the small box, revealing a beautiful blue sapphire embedded in white gold.

She smiles, happy tears welling in her eyes. "Only if you say pretty please." He smirks. "Pretty please, with sugar and marshmallows and strawberries and a big fat cherry on top, will you flippin' marry me Fi?" She grins and says "Duh, but only 'cause you asked nicely."

THE END