Chapter Text
After an “epic” fight in the hallways, the two begun cleaning up their mess before Gumball’s time in detention was up. It wasn’t a huge clean-up thankfully, as they had finished in under 10 minutes.
Gumball - Wow, we cleaned up fast.
Rob - Welp, that’s the power of jump cuts.
Gumball - The what?
Rob - The- nevermind.
Gumball - So, how does it feel to lose?
Gumball teased, rubbing his glory in Rob’s face.
Rob - Don’t make me drench you into a damp fur mat again.
Rob pettishly threatened, the water balloon gun in his pink hand which he held downward, the part where the water balloons shoot out of facing the floor.
Gumball - Heh, as if you’ll ever get the chance to, detention ends in like, five minutes.
Rob - Ah.
Gumball - I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t fun though. If I could, I’d get myself into detention all over again if it meant epically fighting like this.
Gumball sincerely admitted, a small grin came up on his light blue muzzle.
Rob - Yeah?
Gumball - Yeah.
Rob - So… I guess I’ll be going now.
Gumball - Oh, yeah. Uh, bye.
Rob - Bye…
Rob left through the window, only to fall onto his face first on the road-like ground. Gumball notices and looks outside to check if he is alright, he eventually lifts his head off the ground and sees the cat look at him. Quite embarrassed by how clumsy he was in front of someone he ambushed minutes ago, Rob got himself up and ran off to Gumball’s surprise before the latter could say anything.
***
- Later, at the Wattersons’ -
Nicole - You got into detention again?! In less than a week too?!
Gumball - Yeah…someone put a trap on Miss Simian’s desk and all her “crayons” flew everywhere, now everyone probably thinks I did it.
Nicole - Well, did you?
She asked rhetorically to make sure her son wasn’t lying.
Gumball - Wha- No Mom! I don’t like her but I wouldn’t want to hurt her!
Nicole - Hmm… Well, no matter, I still have to punish you, but I’ll be nice and only cut off one-fourth of your allowance.
Gumball - What?! Eeh wait, that’s not too bad. M’kay.
Nicole - Now go wash up for dinner, we’re eating that leftover spaghetti.
Gumball - Eww, from last week?
Nicole - Yes, I’m not going to waste anymore food, we’re already so broke as I’ll get out.
Gumball - [Sigh…] Okay…
Gumball groaned, walking up the stairs. Feeling empathy for her eldest child, Nicole called to him before he was at the top of the floor.
Nicole - Hey. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll sprinkle some catnip onto yours.
Gumball thought for a second, he didn’t like mentioning it to anyone since it sounds shady, but sometimes Nicole would put some catnip in his food for him if he felt low. Ultimately the younger blue cat replied with a small smile.
Gumball - ‘Kay.
Gumball reached the second floor and ambled into the bathroom, closing the door behind him just before he turned on the sink and washed his paws for a minute. After a while, the kitten stopped and turned the sink off, drying his paws off with the nearest towel he hoped to GOD hasn't been used since he hated how the paper towels dried them up. Once they were dried enough, he put the towel right back and tried to make it look untouched, mildly succeeding.
The blue cat exited out from the bathroom and into his and his siblings' room, going straight for his bed to rest on as he took out his phone to kill time until his mother called for dinner.
The feline scrolled mindlessly on his phone, though nothing seemed to intrigue him long enough so he sighs as he clicks the off button, laying it down on his chest. Staring up at the underneath of his sister's bed above his own, his mind wandering. It seemed to flash images of the events that transpired. Seeing Rob, seeing his smile or hearing his voice echo in his mind. Gumball's stomach felt.. fluttery. He didn't even realize he was smiling until his paw instinctually touched his face, realizing how warm it was brought him out of his trance.
Gumball - W-Why is my face heating up? Am I…blushing?
The cat questioned himself, his other paw touching his other cheek, the palms of his paws warming up from their cool state.
Gumball - Why am I blushing?
He thought for a moment.
Gumball - Well.. I was thinking about Rob and-
He was interrupted by his own tail thumping a bit, like a happy dog.
Gumball - W-What is going on?? This…feeling…I-I remember it.
Gumball spoke, a memory suddenly hitting him of when he’d first felt like this, when he first met Penny.
He remembered his stomach fluttered quite like now, his face burned into a violet sunset, his tail thrashing all over the place, and his heart…It beated so loudly in his chest…
Just like now.
Gumball - Am…Am I…? D-Do I?
[D-Ding!]
Right before Gumball could finish his thoughts, he'd received a message notification from Penny. It simply read,
-hey, u doing ok?
The cat tapped on the notif which took him to his and Penny's messaging chat to respond to his glowy girlfriend.
-yeah, just got home from detention
-oh ok
-whats up?
-well i figured its been a while since we've gone out on a date sooooo uhhhh
-only if your up for it anyway
-o ofc <3
-where?
-maybe the mall again, i'll let you pick while we're there
-perhaps...this saturday?
-sounds like a date
-love u <3
-love you too <3<3<3
Gumball smiled at Penny's last message, sighing lovingly knowing he'll be able to spend some more time with her again, despite already doing so at school.
It has been more than half a year since the two had been together and Gumball couldn't be anymore happy to be able to call his childhood crush his beloved. Everything about her sparked joy and pleasantness within him; her sweetness, her smarts, her strengths, the way she literally lights up, the blue cat felt lucky to have her.
But, after reliving such a feeling for Rob of all people, a part of the feline felt a weird sensation in his chest.. like some.. guilt was looming over him. He loves Penny, doesn't he? Well, of course he does! He loves her with all his heart, but...
Does this mean he...
Gumball - N-No! Of course not! That's dumb! I love Penny! But...why...why do I feel like this for him? I-I shouldn't, I can't! But...I can't help it...he's just so...
His face was incredibly warm, his heart beat increasing by the second.
? - Gumball!!!
A voice calls out, for a moment he was so distracted he didn't even register who called him. A second later, he realized it was his mom.
Nicole - Gumball! dinner!
Nicole called again from outside.
Gumball - O-Okay!
Gumball got up from the bed and ventured out from the room.
***
Larry - Doo do do do doo, delivering pizza, doo do do do doo -
Larry hummed to himself as he arrived at his destination to deliver some pizza. He went up to the door and knocked twice, waiting for his customer to answer.
Larry - [Siiigh] I'm such a slave to this town...
The origami rock grimaced to himself, undenounced to the person on the other side of the door.
? - What was that?
Larry - UH!- N-Nothing, I-I have your pizza sir!
The door opened to a more disturbingly ironic customer as Larry could smell a familiar stench as soon as he was face to face with him.
Melted Cheese Guy - Huh! Took ya' long enough. Uhm, hold on, lemme get my money.
The humanoid cheese man dug into his cheese filled pocket for his money. Larry wanted to gag as he had to hear the gross squishes of his customer's slimy hands potentially sticking what is basically his own body on and all over the desired dollars.
Larry - Ooooh boy...
What the pizza guy and his patron didn't know was that across the street hid a certain hungry cyclops who wasn't interested in paying for his food tonight. Once he was sure both Larry and the Melted Cheese Guy were distracted with each other, Rob swiftly crossed the street and went straight for the carrier that held the Americanized-Italian cuisine.
He zipped open the carrier and flipped it open to a stack of 3 pizza pies. Their hot, greasy steam made the cyclops' mouth water a tad. If he didn't live at that dump of a construction site, he'd hijack the whole scooter.
Rob had to be quick but careful as the pizza boxes where seemingly hot to the touch. He put his preferences aside on what could be inside each one and quickly slid out the top box, his eye checking both the box so it doesn't fall and on Larry.
Once the box was out from the carrier, Rob zipped it back up and ran off, hiding behind a tree right next door to the Melted Cheese Guy's house. He held the box close to himself as he caught his breath, its hot exterior slightly burning his mix-matched CGI hands and warming his static forearms. The cyclops looked back at the scooter until Larry ventured back onto it and drove off. Once the rock man was off the street, Rob rushed off from the premises.
The sun was starting to set once Rob had returned to his "home", but not enough to hinder his sight to the doors of his warehouse. Once inside, the cyclops went straight to his mattress just before also taking an old newspaper for the pizza box.
Rob - Ugh, extra cheese again?
Rob exclaimed in disappointment as he lifted the carboard top of the box, revealing the cheesy, meatless pizza.
Rob - [Sigh...] It'll make do.
The cyclops grabbed a piece of the cheesy pie and bit into it. His mouth nearly drowned with grease as he chewed the pizza slice.