Chapter Text
Doing a double-take for a moment, Marshall Lee stared openly at his none-the-wiser boyfriend, who looked about ready to break down and cry on his uncomfortable sofa.
“You think… she hates you?” He repeated and as the other nodded, he couldn’t help but feel that this was an unexpected twist. He’d been under the impression that his partner was the one secretly harboring hatred for their relationship, after an unexpectedly intimate night… He’d never even fathomed that the Prince would be thinking the same! “Why, dude?”
A deep red blush spread across Bubba’s face as he cleared his throat, turning his face away. “We… um, well… We…”
Allowing his other to suffer for a reasonable amount of time, the vampire eventually cut in, trying his best not to sound compassionate. “You had sex.”
“Glob, no!” The Prince cried and inwardly, his dark-haired companion was glad that such a thing was established. “We just… were… intimate. In… other ways.”
After another moment of silence, the older made a show of lifting one eyebrow higher than the other. “I fail to see the problem with this.”
With a frustrated sigh, the younger man leaned back against the sofa, dropping his head back against it. “Well, she… left.” He paused for a moment, seeming to get his wits about himself, before continuing. “Before I could even… fathom what was going on, she was already gone.”
How to go about this… he could certainly assure the other man that Michelle did hate him and put their relationship on the path of ruin, making his own fears about it subside… but he knew without a doubt that he didn’t want such a thing.
…The best thing in this kind of situation was to tell the truth, right? Not the whole truth, per se, but certainly enough to put the other’s mind at ease…
“Dude,” Marshall addressed, earning a pair of violet eyes. “She’s probably just scared like you, okay? You know that feeling you have that she hates you?” Slowly, the other man nodded and the vampire gave a sympathetic smile. “She’s probably just feeling that too.”
Slowly, an understanding look fell over the Prince’s face and he gave a small smile, before nodding. “That makes sense. Yes, I can see that…” He stood suddenly, before turning toward the man and giving a solid nod. “Thank you.”
“What, leaving so soon?” The older scoffed, moving to his feet (metaphorically) as well. “Glad I could help, I guess.”
Seeming determined, Bubba moved over to the door, only to pause with the handle grasped in his fingers. He turned, then, and gave the other man a once over. “…You really do look like hell.”
With a huff, teal eyes rolled as the pale man crossed his arms. “And you look like a guy who just got laid.”
Instantly, the candy-man flushed red before letting out a dramatic, “Honestly!” Before storming away.
As soon as the last traces of both he and the sun were gone, Marshall was out his front door, cutting around the Candy Kingdom via the river and making his way toward a very large tree with a fort built inside.
It only took a few moments for Fionna to open the door once he’d knocked, a surprised look crossing her face. He didn’t bother sparing her a glance, however, as he pushed his way through and practically flew up the ladder into her living room.
“Mar?” The blonde-haired girl inquired once she’d followed him up, finding him seated on her beaten-up old sofa. “What’s wrong, man?”
…What was he supposed to say to that, exactly? He let the words mull over in his head for a moment before dropping his face into his hands.
There were many things he could say, various things he could attempt to ask or talk about. Fionna was a great listener, if not a little bit senseless at times, but he had a feeling that if he explained the entire situation to her she would be momentarily jealous, before becoming furious at him for getting into things way too deep.
A thought began to fester in his brain after a moment, growing larger and larger until he found himself relying on it completely. There was only one way to make the entire situation right again and he needed the girl’s help to do it. She would know exactly where to go.
Lifting his eyes, Marshall mumbled, “…I need to find a wizard.”
Instantly, blonde eyebrows shot up. “What? Why?”
Pale cheeks flushed red and the vampire dropped his head once more, mumbling out a strained response. “I need to know about a potion or a spell, or… something.”
His best friend was at his side instantly, taking a seat and placing a gentle hand on his back. She could tell he was upset about something, perhaps from the way his shoulders were shaking and how he seemed uncomfortable in his own skin. “What kind of potion, man?”
With his heart metaphorically in his throat, the vampire took a sharp breath in, before releasing it with a difficult, “…A sex-changing one.”
“Woah there!” The teenager declared, standing up from the sofa in one quick movement with her hands held out in front of her. “Marshall, dude… I think that’s a big far, don’t you? I mean, you should really think this over…”
“I can’t, Fionna!” The dark-haired man snapped, lifting teal eyes toward her. Tears were leaking from them, streaking down his face, digging into the scratch marks still very fresh on his cheek. “I can’t do it… I can’t tell him the truth. He’s going to hate me and I… I just can’t deal with that!”
Fionna seemed a bit whiplashed by his words for a moment, staring openly at the sobbing man before her. Then, slowly, she sunk back into the seat and reached out, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “You love him, don’t you?”
The words hit Marshall like a slap in the face. His eyes snapped up to the girl and for a moment he gawked at her, open-mouthed, before the realization began to set in.
…The blonde was right, wasn’t she? Why else would he be considering such great lengths just to avoid losing the other man? Perhaps a fear of rejection, but to be willing to change his own gender…? No… he had an attachment to the Candy Prince like he hadn’t had in centuries and the idea of losing him made his chest twist in painful ways.
“…I guess I am,” the older admitted, realizing how very right she was.
A sympathetic expression crossed a round peach face as his companion moved to rub his upper back once more. “I really think you should just tell him, Marsh.” As he winced, she sighed. “Look, if you get that deep into this lie, then when you eventually do tell him, it’s just going to hurt him even more.”
That was a pretty reasonable thought, he supposed, but the idea of telling the truth made his stomach turn. “I guess I need to think about it.”
With a soft sigh, Fionna pulled her hand away and grabbed some paper, quickly scribbling down a note. “Here. This is the address of a guy named Hunter Wizard. If he doesn’t have the answer you need, he should know who does.”
Giving the girl a weak smile, Marshall pocketed the paper and bid her a pained farewell, before leaving.
Sprawled across his bathroom counter was an array of make-up, shades of blues and purples stacked neatly and organized by shade. Beside them was an army of nail polish, mostly blues with a few purples and teals thrown in and even a black, along with several clear-coats of various kinds.
Button-up shirts and skinny jeans had been folded neatly and placed in the back of the closet, taking up as little room as possible. Hanging instead on the plastic hangers were flowing shirts and halter-dresses, along with a pin-striped button up that was far too big for his thin frame.
A dresser had been emptied only to be filled again with stockings and skirts, as well as an army of different corsets for any occasion. On top was an array of hair brushes and a plastic case containing hair bands of every style, meant for various situations.
It was no longer the room of a young-looking man, but instead a lovely young woman. Gone were the days when he’d struggle into a pair of jeans and throw on whatever top, before leaving the house to party… no, now it was hours of preparation, with corset tightening and make-up, hair styling and the difficulty of choosing the right outfit.
It had become like second nature and now… it was all over.
This would be the last time he buckled a boned corset around his waist, the last time he pulled the laces so tight that his thin sides took on a feminine shape. This would be the final time he would paint his face up with an array of blues and purples… the single concluding moment when he would dress himself up in the clothes of Michelle and take on her persona.
He’d asked Fionna to give his boyfriend a message to meet him at the Marshmallowy Mweadows deep into the night, just before the sun was set to rise. He’d chosen that time specifically to make it easy to run after his confession, so that the younger man couldn’t pick a fight with him that lasted far too long. The place was deep within the Candy Kingdom, almost to Fionna’s Tree Fort, completely the opposite of the vampire’s lair… but at least the Prince would have a chance to return home first, when they parted ways.
Settling upon just leaving his hair loose, Marshall gave his feline companion one last food and water check before starting off, carrying himself heavily toward the place of meeting.
Originally, his plan had been to track down Hunter Wizard and discover the location of a gender-swapping potion. He’d been all but ready to disappear from life as himself and make a new life as Michelle, staying with the Prince and ultimately becoming completely immersed in his lie… but then he considered what Fionna had said – really considered it – and his plan had gone out the window.
What if Bubba found out after an even longer length of time? What if they got so immersed in their relationship and eventually the truth slipped out? The candy-man would be devastated, even more so if he learned he’d become twisted up in a lie that had lasted years.
It was best to come clean, as much as it hurt. There was nothing to do but to state the reality of the situation and tell the man he loved that their entire relationship had been based upon an untruthful event.
The Mweadows were quiet and his stomach was in knots. In the distance, he saw the long, dark form of MoCro approaching and Marshall felt sick, not even bothering to wave as his boyfriend advanced.
“Hello, Michelle,” The Prince addressed rather shyly, motioning his steed to leave, only to earn a huff in response. As the creature flew off, the pink-haired man turned, approaching nervously. “Fionna stated that you had something important to tell me.”
Swallowing down the painful lump in his throat, the vampire gave a slow nod. “I do,” He admitted, feeling his chest constrict. “Um… maybe we should… sit down…”
“I’m afraid I neglected to bring a blanket,” The taller man whispered, a look of concern on his features. “Michelle, are you alright? You appear ill.”
His constricted stomach gave a painful turn and the older let his eyes slip shut, forcing back the frustrated tears that attempted to form. No, he couldn’t break down and cry in front of the other… it wasn’t his place to be upset after all he’d done. “The truth is, Gumball, that… I’ve been lying to you about something.”
Pink eyebrows shot up as violet eyes clouded with concern. “I-”
Suddenly, a shrill shriek filled the air and the two men turn to gape as a thick cloud of fog moved towards them, before parting to reveal a tall, thin form with long white hair and blue skin.
“I told you I’d be back for you!” Ice Queen shrieked from her place in the sky, her large eyebrows flapping like wings, keeping her afloat.
Despite the tense situation, Marshall couldn’t help but ruin her triumphant statement. “Uh… No, you didn’t.”
Instantly, the woman’s face twisted into a look of distain before she let out a deep growl and let a hand fly forward. The vampire reached out, laying a forceful hand against his partner’s chest and knocking the man back, before the sharp wave of ice fell upon him.
The ground was sticky against his clothes as the pale man was forced onto his back, blocks of ice pinning his wrists and ankles down. With a deep hiss, he tried to transform his body ungracefully into one of his larger forms, but to his surprise his abilities were unresponsive.
“You like my new ice crystals?” The white-haired form chuckled, a smirk growing over her face. “They’re made to render you powerless!”
“That’s really messed up, Ice Queen!” The pale-man shrieked, struggling to try and break free. Had she really spent all that time developing a way to get to him? “Let me go! Just get lost, okay? Bubs doesn’t want you!”
A blue face became painted with rage as the woman pointed one long finger at him. “This isn’t about him! He’s not even here! I just want you gone!”
Mouth dropping open, the vampire began to look around, only to find that her words were correct. The Prince was absent, a trail of over-turned marshmallow flowers showing that his tracks lead in the direction of Fionna’s place.
“Oh, my,” Ice Queen hummed, catching teal eyes once more. “It’s getting late… or should I say, early? I’d better go!”
Instantly, Marshall went stiff as he realized she was right. Around them, the sky had begun to lighten and panic flew through his chest, his struggles becoming wild. “Ice Queen, no! Don’t leave me here! I’ll burn up!”
A grin crossed her dark lips as she waved one hand in his direction. “I know.” With that said, the woman turned and began to fly back toward her kingdom, cackling as she went.
Feral panic spread through the pale man as the first bits of sunlight began to spill over the horizon, dotting his skin and instantly making it burn. He let out a pained hiss, trying to sink away but unable to break the restraints that held him down.
Seconds ticked by and the burning ball lifted higher into the sky. Pain spread throughout every uncovered inch of his body, making his vision go white and his senses dull. For a few moments all he felt was agony, torturing him as his last moments came.
All this… and he hadn’t even managed to tell Bubba the truth.
Then, a long shadow was suddenly cast upon him, stopping the pain instantly but not dulling the ache he was already feeling. As his vision blurred, he spotted a pink face with a head of gum hair looking down at him, a single word drifting into his ears.
“Marshall?”
Then everything went black.
“Marshall?!” Bubba Gumball cried, cradling a head of long ebony hair close to himself as teal eyes fluttered in pain. “Fionna, he’s not responding!”
“Cake, get that corset off of him!” The blonde-haired girl screamed as she struggled to pin sheets up over her bedroom window. “He can’t breathe!”
“I’m trying, baby cakes!” Her best friend bellowed, working desperately to tug the man’s shirt off and settling in the end for simply ripping it open. Long, noodle-like arms wrapped around his compressed middle and to his back, quickly unhooking the object and forcing the pale form to take in a deep breath of air.
The Candy Prince found himself frowning as she completely removed the object, noting the deep bruising that had formed around the vampire’s waist. They were gone within moments, however, due to his instant healing abilities.
Cake quickly tugged the rest of his façade off and covered him with a thin blanket, before taking her human companion and leaving the two men in peace.
Slowly, the pink-haired man ran sugary fingers through his companion’s dark hair. After a few moments he reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a napkin, using it to wipe the glossy lipstick off of the other’s mouth.
A soft groan was the response to his actions and the pale man in his arms knitted his eyebrows together, before slowly blinking teal eyes open. Instantly, a relieved smile crossed the taller man’s face and he reached up with his free hand, brushing his fingers over the other’s cheek.
“Hey,” Bubba whispered, earning a confused, half-lidded glance. “Welcome back, Marshall.”
The sound of his name seemed to alert the dark-haired man. He sucked in a pained breath, eyes widening and shoulders becoming stiff. After a moment he seemed to sink away from the other, pulling out of his hold and sitting up against the headboard with the blanket pulled up against his chest. “…You knew all along, didn’t you?” The vampire mumbled in what appeared to be horror, staring downward with a strained gaze.
“I did,” The Prince confirmed, no hint of emotion anywhere in his voice.
The older let out a slow breath, turning his confused face away. “I guess I can’t be mad that you lied to me, since I was lying to you all that time…”
A small, unreadable noise left the younger man, before he breathed, “I suppose not.”
“…How long did you know?” Marshall pressed after a few moments of silence, not yet ready to glance toward the Candy Prince. His eyes remained downcast, his entire form tense.
His companion leaned back, folding his hands in his lap. “…From the moment you called me Your Majesty,” He explained, tightly. “You’re the onlyperson who does that. Everyone else knows that the proper term for a Prince is Your Highness.”
Dark eyebrows shot up, before a pale face finally turned to stare at him. “Wait, so… you knew then? Why did you ask me to dance after that? Why ask me on a date?”
“In all honesty,” Bubba hummed tensely. “…I wanted to see if you’d go through with it.” As his companion’s face twisted into pain, he turned his gaze away, as if ashamed. “It was my intention to let you know at the end, perhaps tease you a bit… but…” He let out a strained sigh, the guilt obvious on his features. “…Then I ended up having an exceptionally wonderful time and when you asked me on another date… I couldn’t refuse.”
“…I wanted to get to know you,” The vampire admitted after a moment of silence, almost shyly. “Without the stigma we have between us. And when I started to, well… I didn’t really want to stop.”
“You fell in love with me,” The younger man concluded, earning a meek nod. “I admit, I’m not surprised, however… I hadn’t intended to fall for you, either.”
Dark eyebrows shot up instantly as the pale man’s back straightened. “What…? What did you say?”
With a small, flushed huff, the Prince turned his face even further away. “I know perfectly well that you heard me, Marshall Lee. Honestly!” For a moment, he crossed his arms over his chest, before eventually calming down enough to turn his gaze back toward the other man. “…Truth be told, I was actually going to confront you about it when Ice Queen arrived.”
“I was about to admit the truth,” The older stated, before a small smile broke out on both of their faces. “Funny how that beef works out, huh?”
A few seconds of awkward silence passed between them, before Marshall cleared his throat.
“So…” He mumbled, reaching a hand up to push a lock of long hair from his face. “…Where do we go from here?”
“Well,” The Prince hummed, rubbing at the back of his neck. “If you’re willing to… I would like to continue our relationship.”
Dark eyebrows lifted once more before a complex expression crossed the vampire’s face. “…I don’t have to wear a corset again, do I?”
Slowly, Bubba smiled. “No, you don’t.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, his boyfriend leaned back against Fionna’s headboard, letting his eyes slip shut. “Good. Because that junk beefing hurts. I never want to be a girl again.”