Fiolee: A Thousand Years in the Making

Chapter 23: The Sleepover

"Don't cry Fi," Marshall said.

"What are you doing here Marshall?" I asked him. "I thought you left hours ago."

"I'd never leave you Fi," he said. "Even when you want me to leave, I'll always be there for you."

Not always, I thought.

"I'm fine," I said.

"You're fine?" Marshall asked incredulous. "Who do you think you're fooling? I wasn't born yesterday Fi. I could tell by the way you've been tossing and turning for the last three hours that something's bothering you. And counting the number of times you screamed when you woke up, it must have been something bad."

"It was nothing," I said. "I just... what happened was..."

Then I broke down and told him everything.

(Thirty minutes later)

"I'm glad you broke up with him," Marshall said.

"You are?' I asked blushing. Did he like me?

"Yes," he said. Then he realized what he just said and blushed too. "What I mean is that he shouldn't have tried to do that to you. And from what else you told me, you were right to dump him. And next time I see him, I'm kicking his scrawny ass."

"No Marshall!" I shouted. "You can't do that!"

"Why?" he asked. "Do you still like him or something?"

"No," I said. "It's not that. I mean I may have had a crush on Gumball since I was twelve, but not anymore after what he tried to do to me. And if you beat him up, word might get out about what happened."

"Word's not going to get out," Marshall said. "I don't think Gumbutt would want to spoil his reputation in his sissy kingdom."

"True," I said. "But he might spin it around that I came onto him, and my reputation would be ruined. So I don't want anyone to know about this, especially not Cake. I just want to forget it."

"Speaking of the Cat, where is she?" Marshall asked.

"She's spending the night with Lord," I said.

"They're probably doing Tier 15," he muttered.

"What's Tier 15?" I asked.

"That's a conversation for another time," Marshall said. "Anyways, do you want to have a sleepover?"

"But you don't sleep at night," I said.

"Exactly," he said. "I'll still be awake for a few more hours, so I can watch over you if you're worried Gumball or anyone else might break in here."

"Okay," I said. "Let's have a sleepover."

***

For the next few hours, Marshall and I stayed up watching movies, playing video games, and just talking about ourselves.

"So you're afraid of the ocean?" Marshall asked. "I thought adventurers weren't scared of anything."

"Everyone is afraid of something," I said. "What are you afraid of Marshall?"
"Nothing," he said confidently.

"Marshall," I said annoyed. "Come on, I know you're afraid of something. I told you my fear now you tell me yours."

"Alright fine," he said. "I admit it. I am scared to do something."

"What is it?" I asked.

"This," he said kissing me, and it felt good. Then he stopped. "I'm afraid of being alone. I'm immortal. I'll live for thousands of years so I'll outlive everyone I love or care about."

"Does that include me?" I asked.

"Unfortunately," he said. "996 years before the Great Mushroom War, I did have someone I cared about. I was only six then and there was this woman named Simone Petrikov who cared about me more than my real mother."

"What about your father?" I asked.

"I assume that he was either killed in the war or disappeared somewhere," he said sadly. "Anyways, I never saw him again. He was a human just like you."

"He was?" I asked surprised. "So does that mean your part human and vampire Marshall?"

"Yes," he said. "But I'm also part demon on my mother's side."

"What ever happened to Simone? Did you outlive her too?"

"No," he said. "In fact, she's closer than you know. She's the Ice Queen."

"Ice Queen!" I shouted surprised.

"She wasn't always Ice Queen. It all started with that stupid crown," he said looking down. "As time went on, the power of the crown was too much and it corrupted her brain. Now she's the Ice Queen, but she has no memory of our history together. So I visit her from time to time, which is why I was there after she kidnapped you from the hospital."

"I had no idea Marshall," I said. "But I kind of know how you feel. About being alone I mean."

"How is that?" he asked.

"When I was a baby, I was in the forest and went boom-boom on a leaf," I said embarrassed. "I was sitting there crying in my own boom-boom and no one stopped to help me. Until I was picked up Cake's parents, who raised me until they died a few years ago. I loved them like my own parents, but I don't remember who my birth parents are."

"You went boom-boom on a leaf?" Marshall asked, holding back a laugh. I shot him a look.

"Yes I did," I said blushing. "But that wasn't even the point of the story. The point is that we're not so different after all. We were both abandoned in some way, but were found by someone who took care of us. Even if you do outlive me, that doesn't mean you will forget about me. So I hope don't you forget about me Marshall, because I promise I won't forget about you."

"I won't Fi," he said smiling. "I won't.

***

After the talk about our fears, neither of us said anything for a while and watched Heat Signature 6. During the movie, I thought about how he kissed me and how good it felt to be with him.

But after what happened with Gumball, I wasn't sure if I was ready for another relationship or if I ever would be.

By the climax of the movie, I somehow managed to fall asleep, but I didn't have any nightmares this time.

By the time I woke up in the morning, Cake was back and he was gone.

***