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Chapter Text

Rob - It seems you've run out of luck.

Gumball - Not quite!

But before the blue cat could think of a follow-up quip or press any of the universal remote's buttons, his thumb disappeared off of his four-fingered (more like three-fingered cuz-) paw.

Rob - ...AND fingers.

In slight frustration Gumball threw the remote in which Rob was lucky enough to catch in his blocky grey hand.

Rob - Thank you.

Gumball - Dagnabbit!

Rob pointed the weapon of choice at Gumball's incomplete design, threatening to push the OFF button with an evil grin on his polygonal face. Finally he would get his revenge for the pain and suffering he ached to endure through the entirety of his newly found villain-arc. Gumball braced himself for the worst as the disembodied music around them intensified.

Rob's un-rendered thumb inched closer and closer towards the OFF button, his grin turned into a gritted frown as he struggled in decided whether or not this was what he actually wanted. Would it be worth ridding of the main character off his own show which he didn't even know was one in the first place to fulfill his goal? Would erasing the blue cat from this world fill the emptiness of his disfigured model with pride or will it fill it with the sorrow that would come after?

Seconds after thinking about it, Rob snapped out of his vengeful demeanor and cursed himself out.

Rob - Darn it! I can't do it... what am I going to do?

The cyclops questioned himself, realizing the dire situation he had brought himself and many innocent people into. His thoughts were however interrupted by Gumball, whose body had unexpectedly resumed to disappear out of existence.

Gumball - Um, whatever you decide, make it fast!

His wide hipped torso shrunk into his big head and his face sucked into itself, suffocating his worried screams. Rob acted quickly by placing his pink hand onto the poor cat's swollen fuzzy forehead and pushed the rewind button, their confrontation flashing before their eye(s) until they reached the void's opening within the mall. Rob hit pause and Gumball was back to his normal disproportional self, tail and all.

Rob - I couldn't do it, you came all that way to save me. you're actually kinda hard to hate.

Rob confessed with honesty, Gumball was quite surprised that the cyclops would admit this, especially after realizing how bad he had treated Rob up to this point. Putting it beside him though, he got up and wiped away the nonexistent dust off his sweater.

Gumball - So, does that mean we're friends?

Rob - *sigh* I guess so. I'm sorry, I-I was wrong about you...

Gumball - Uh- You were wrong about more than that. You kinda destroyed everything and everyone I love.

Rob - Hey, it takes a big man to admit he was wrong.

Gumball - And it takes a bigger man to not rub it in the first man's face. I am not that big a man. HAA!

Gumball childishly mocked in an attempt to lighten the situation. Annoyed by this, Rob took back his compliment.

Rob - I take back what I said about you being hard to hate.

Gumball - Ah...

Gumball looked over at the paused mess that surrounded him and Rob; his parents aged down to babies crying helplessly in the ball pit, Darwin's dead, unevolved body, Penny falling to her death...

Gumball – So, how are we going to sort this mess?

Rob - Not "we", this is something for ME to fix. I'm going back in time.

After hearing the cyclops' plan, Gumball quickly realized what this meant.

Gumball - Wait, so this means we won't be friends anymore?

He said in disappointment, seeing the potential Rob had in rehabilitating himself not as a villain, but as someone cool enough to befriend (even though he still did try to bomb a school bus with his classmates AND his and his classmates' dads-) would not come true.

Rob - Yeah, I guess none of this will ever have happened, and things will get back to normal.

Hearing how sad the blue cat sounded deep down hurt the glitchy cyclops, but neither of them had any other choice. It was either live in a world of chaos and anguish caused by the spite of an enemy, with nothing but traumatic memories to look back on, or return to what the world intended itself to be, a lively, zany world of all sorts of beings of all dimensions, with the main character just being himself with his dysfunctional family as they get into crazy predicaments all over town, and with Rob as his personal obstacle throwing nemesis.

Before the cyclops could even think of going back, to Rob's surprise, Gumball reached over and hugged him (well, hugged his legs-) as to show his thanks for saving him seconds before.

Gumball - I, uh, hope to be your enemy in the future?

The blue cat spoke, a sense of bittersweet optimism in his speech. His affectionate gesture towards the tall one-eyed kid felt quite nice, so nice a small smile formed on Rob's polygonal face.

Rob - Heh, me too.

Not wanting to waste more time, Rob softly pushed Gumball away to end the hug.

Rob - Goodbye.

He bid, before pressing the rewind button. All the horrific and traumatic scenes that had been shown on screen the last 10 minutes passed through in a blink of an eye. Each Watterson that had been affected by the remote returned back to normal/existence.

Once he was back at The Awesome Store's van, Rob looked down at the destructive remote. All this power this remote held wasn't that of this world and needed to be destroyed.

Rob - This is too dangerous.

And with that, Rob forcedly threw the universal remote on the parking lot road, its interior and exterior parts shattering before his eye as it dramatically glitched out before transporting out of existence.

The deed was done, the remote was no more.

But it still had a price.

Awesome Store Guy - That remote was $12.99.

Rob groaned, knowing he still had to pay for his damages financially. A happy tune from the Wattersons' car drove through, giving evidence that nothing that happened 11 minutes ago will be remembered by anyone, but him.

Rob reached into his short's pocket for "his" wallet to pay the mysterious man, but instead of just giving him the amount he owned, he ran for it.

Awesome Store Guy - Wh- HEY!

The cyclops was gone.

Awesome Store Guy - Eh, I'll get a new one.

Once he had fled from the mall's parking lot, Rob deemed he needed to take a rest. A LONG one. A lot of weird, extravagant things happen in Elmore, which was normal, but even those last 12 minutes would be hard to explain to even the most observant characters in the show.

Rob didn't crash at random people's basements anymore, learned a lot the last time he did, so he just resided at an abandoned construction warehouse that no one but him would dare enter. It was lonely, and occasionally infested with raccoons and such, but it's all Rob could afford.

He soon reached the doors of the building, opening them to a room of various clusters of construction pipes, bars, and mangled junk which took up the back of the room. At the center was an old mattress Rob had found in the junk pile, it wasn't the best but it was at least comfortable enough to lay on.

The lanky cyclops walked over to the mattress and lied down on his back as he breathed a deep breath before exhaling. His eye starred up half-lid at the ceiling constructed of wooden and metal planks. Lord knows how much he envied the people in Elmore that lived in decent housing in contrast to his secret hideout.

Rob [thinking]  - One day, somehow, I won't have to hide away from this world like this. Maybe sometime in the future, things will get back to normal. Somehow, I might be able to be me again, but will people even care? Certainly didn't when that cold and...eerie void hid me away.

BZZZZ!

A buzz sounded underneath the mangled bed mattress which caught Rob's attention quickly. He reached to pick it up and the phone's screen turned on when he held it near his face, its faint light shining in his singular eye. God was his depth perception bad.

There on the phone's screen showed a blue and red generic abstract wallpaper with a notification from a news app below the current time and day. The notif read along the lines of:

"Young wannabe supervillain arrested for his failed masterminded plan to bomb a school bus full of kids and their dads and the school's principal." [READ MORE]

Curious yet anxious of what these journalists had written regarding that episode, Rob went ahead and pressed the "READ MORE" button, taking him to the article within the app. In it were mugshots of him that made him self-conscious of how disfigured his model really was, and underneath was the traditionally formatted article explaining the incident in detail (AKA various witness testimonies written and edited together to fill the page).

A lot of the content within the news report was surprisingly true, although hurtful at some points, but hey, what he did wasn't excusable, but he'd do it again. He'd do ANYTHING to eradicate that fluffy face off of that stupid blue cat's big head. And he did.

But this time, he went too far. After all, there was still some more show the audience needed to see of that blue glorified puss before he got rid of him again for good. But honestly, why should he? Oooh, he knew why.

That cerulean ball of fur is the reason he's even in this dump in the first place. HE is the reason Rob made headlines. HE is the reason he's so destined to play his role as his arch-nemesis. Gumball was the reason...nobody remembers him.

But maybe he had it all wrong-

No, Gumball deserves this torment, just gotta be less excessive next time.

Chapter Text

Rob soon grew tired from reading the news article and turned the phone off, now lying on his side as he soon drifted into sleep. On top of that traumatic experience in the mall, Rob hadn't slept much the day prior. It was kinda hard to sleep in a place with unpredictable temperature changes and sometimes the unsettling silence that surrounded the building if an orchestrated music track wasn't playing in the background.

Darkness. That was what Rob dreamt of. Darkness. No exciting or extraordinary dreams that'd take up the animation budget, just pure, pitch-black darkness.

That is, up until today.

A minute or so in his dark dream, he heard a voice. It was faint and hard to decipher what was said by it, until it soon became more clearer and louder.

??? - Roooob...

It spoke.

Rob - Wha...

??? - Rooooob...

Rob - W-Who's there?

??? - Roooob...it's me.

A familiar blue figure showed up behind the cyclops. It didn't show its face to him which worried him.

Rob - Gumb...Gumball?  W-What's going on?

Gumball(?) - I think it should be obvious to you, Rob. You've ruined my life.

Rob - Y-Yeah but I-

Gumball(?) - -You fixed it in the end, of course, but I remember. I'll always remember what you took away from me. I'll remember the cries of my parents, the sheer pain of my siblings as they disappeared, the fear in Penny's eyes as she fell to her death, and your arrogance in letting this happen in the first place.

All of this was undeniably true; though it wasn't Rob who pushed the rewind button on Richard and Nicole that started all of that, everything that happened all led to him stealing that remote to begin with. And he let it happen, all just to torture Gumball in less than 7 minutes at best.

Gumball(?) - If it were up to me, I would make you feel the pain I felt that time, however, I don't think it'd be enough...only once...

No, YOU SHOULD DROWN IN SHAME FOR AS LONG AS YOUR EYE IS SHUT AND IN SLUMBER. I'LL MAKE SURE YOU DON'T EVER FORGET YOUR HOSTILITY TOWARDS ME AND THEN SOME...

Nightmare Gumball's voice boomed harshly as Rob could feel himself falling into a darkness telekinetically casted by the being. 

Rob - Wh- No, NO! AAAAAAAAH!!

The cyclops screamed as he found it difficult to breath while he fell. All he saw out of the darkness were the cold, intimidating eyes from the nightmare Gumball that burned into his singular one. 

Nightmare Gumball - Goodbye...MY NEMESIS...

Rob - AAAAHH!

Rob woke up in a yelp, it was night already outside from how dark it was inside the room. Worried over this, Rob checked his surroundings to make sure the nightmare was over. Lucky for him it was, but what was said to him about it happening again horrified him deeply. So, he tried his best to stay awake, but failed time after time. The nightmare kept its word. 

Every time Rob fell asleep it all started and ended the same; the nightmare Gumball grew more and more hateful towards Rob, mixing how Gumball actually acted with this hatred, making their fake interactions all and all more "realistic".

He pleaded for these damning night terrors to end for once, but it was no use. He has to live with this guilt. Even if he found a way to change everything for good, it wouldn't change that he went this far.

*******

Morning came to the rescue, but the cyclops was far from well rested after dealing with those haunting nightmares all last night. Part of him was sure only he remembers the event's from yesterday, but part of him also believes somehow, Gumball remembers. The real, canon Gumball.

Rob didn't do much on weekends except just buy food and steal any goods from people, and since he thinks it'd be unnecessary to get an education at a fictional school, he had nothing better to do other than just survive by his instincts. You don't need school to know a stove is hot or a bear will kill you in one swipe of its claws.

To attempt to take his mind off of that night, Rob had put all possible assumptions that Gumball might recall that day behind him and strived to set his gimmicky, lackluster traps across town for the blue cat or perhaps someone else to get caught in, just to make himself feel better.

And so, the glitchy cyclops embarked on his morning long montage of setting up traps to capture his ignorant fluffy nemesis.

Come to think of it, Rob hasn't actually seen Gumball since he got arrested, which was over a month ago. Gumball was known for forgetting things a lot, even if he hadn't intended to. Sometimes he needs to be explicitly reminded, so what should he say when he sees him?

Speak of the devil-

Rob had spotted a blue figure that matched that of Gumball's iconic appearance. He hid himself lower behind the bush so only the top of his pre-rendered head and what used to be his hair could be seen to give the cat a sign of who he was dealing with.

Gumball himself had woken up quite bored and had decided to walk around the neighborhood to test that boredom until something interesting happened. So far nothing caught his attention, all until he saw something. Something...familiar.

Gumball - Huh? A rope? Why is this rope tied to a tree?

Gumball questioned himself as he observed Rob's rope trap, wondering who put it there until he put two and two together.

Gumball - *GASP* No way...

Rob [thinking] - Ugh, what's taking so long?

Rob lifted his head from behind to see what the holdup was until he saw Gumball's ears flicker up, meaning the cat heard him. Gumball turned his head to the sound to see what it was. Rob was luckily quick enough to hide back down. He saw nothing but a tree much like the one he was at right now and a bush which made the noise. Was he being watched?

Despite this, Gumball shrugged it off and continued his walk, leaving the trap untouched.

Rob - Darn it! Almost had him!

The cyclops cursed to himself in disappointment. But, on the bright side, he still had many more chances to capture his short attention spanned nemesis, as long as that blue twerp even remembers their deal.

Spoiler alert, he doesn't.

Every time Rob believes he got the feline, some random character or some off-distance "side-plot" event takes away his attention from his obliviousness to Rob's silly traps. He had been following the cat ALL DAY, and Gumball has not been caught in a SINGLE one.

After a while, Rob had given up all hope and decided to head back to the warehouse when suddenly-

*SWOOP*

Chapter Text

The blue cat's hind paw had gotten caught in a snare trap tied to a tree much like the first one he saw. Rob turned to the trapped cat after hearing the sound and exclaimed:

Rob -  Aha!

The cyclops rushed forth to reintroduce himself and say his villainous quip, though he stumbled the whole way as his own legs were wrapped in rope.

Gumball was hanging off the ground, panicking in finding a way to escape. He attempted to scratch at the rope with his claws but to no avail.

Rob soon noticed the cat was trying to escape the rope trap and picked up his pace, the rope around his lanky legs somehow still catching up to him and tripping him.

The blue feline then grabbed the knot around his paw with his front paws, lifted his big head to the rope and bit the rope, gnawing it off with his sharp, feline teeth. He was free, but not before falling into the bush underneath which was covered in thorns. The cat boy yowled in pain as he felt the thorns prickle onto his back. Gumball tried to roll himself off the prickly bush by grabbing the tree with his clawed paws but ended up letting go and rolled the other way and tumbles down the hill that lead to an undisclosed field of mostly grass, bushes and flowers sprinkled around.

Meanwhile Rob, although finally got the rope off of his legs, was too late to reach Gumball to mock his oblivion. He looked to see bits of Gumball's sweater shredded on the bush the cat had unfortunately landed on. The cyclops looked down the hill to see the blue cat's body lie behind a patch of safer bushes.

Rob [thinking] - Ah, geez. Well, he had it coming. Guess I'll do him a favor by letting him try to figure it out himself again, now with pain on his mind.

The disfigured one-eyed kid was going to leave the cat boy to essentially die in that field but suddenly, something hit him.

Rob [thinking] - Mm- actually, that fall looks pretty bad, I can't just leave him- W-What am I saying?! Ooh, but I REALLY can't- BUT I MUST!- BUT I CAN'T!

The cyclops struggled internally to resist the instinctive urge to help Gumball. He's supposed to bring hate and heartbreak to the cat, not give him a helping hand!

But, after looking back down at the feline's senseless body face down in the grass again, he gave in and went down to check on Gumball, regret already on his mind. In an attempt to do so, however, Rob slipped on the top of the hill and fell face first onto the grass field, not hitting the bushes unlike his smaller nemesis.

The two characters of different animation styles laid there on that grass beside each other for a while. Soon enough, Gumball regained consciousness and slowly got himself up as his eyes were fixed on Rob, who groaned softly from the pain of the fall.

Gumball - Rob?

The cat asked, confused of why and how the glitchy cyclops got down the hill with him. Rob heard the blue cat's voice FINALLY call him his actual name and not "Rich" or "Roy" or something of the like for once and heavily raised his 3-dimensional head up whilst his yellowed eye steadily opened.

His vision was blurred due to dropping down on his face, but indeed could recognize Gumball's blue furry face was close to his. How exactly close the feline kid's face was to the cyclops was undetermined from Rob's POV considering his awful depth perception. Once his vision cleared nevertheless, the lanky cyclops jumped back in surprise, not knowing what to say considering he was the reason they were both in this mess.

Rob - AAH, wh- ...

The two glazed at each other for a short while; Gumball hadn't seen or heard from Rob ever since he was arrested that whole month ago, so seeing him again like this was both refreshing yet intimidating. Rob himself, although secretly happy to know the cat was alright, kept his silence about it.

Gumball - Hey.

The blue cat started,

Gumball - Haven't seen you in a while. How was jail? And how did you get out?!

Rob - W-well-

Gumball - WAIT, don't tell me, you planned out an overly complicated operation and escaped, then set up that trap as an "I'M BACK TO WRECK YOU!" message!

Gumball exaggerated excitedly, motioning his theories in various movements and overly dramatic poses.

Rob - Eeheh- not really, they let me go early after finding out I was only 13, buuut not after making me do community service for the entirety of those weeks. I can still hear the sounds of criminals ripping each other apart all night in the most vicious of ways ever animated or implied...

Slightly disturbed by the second part of Rob's more horrific dialogue, Gumball's ears lower to point to the ground as an unsettled expression appeared on his 2D animated face to match them. 

Realizing how explicit his line was voiced to the cat about his experience in Elmore's jail, Rob quickly excused himself for this and apologized.

Rob - Sorry, didn't mean to get so descriptive.

Gumball - Pff- It's fine, I've imagined worse, trust me.

With the crazy stuff Rob himself had accidently found once of what the show's fandom had made (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), he was quick to believe the cat's unfortune.

Despite this little chat, soon both of them had nothing else to really say to one another since they didn't hang around a lot. In an effort to end this already awkward interaction, Rob stuttered,

Rob - Sooo...uhh, you wanna maybe, uuh...go do something?

Gumball - Well, I'd fight you but I'm kinda tired, not to mention I think I still have a PATCH of thorns in my fur somewhere.

Rob - I- hmm, you know what, same. Plus, the last thing I'll need are spiky plant remains whenever I lay a punch on you-

Gumball - COUNTER ATTACK!

Gumball attempts to punch the cyclops but Rob is quick to catch his fuzzy fist in his unrendered hand, and as it turns out, a couple of thorns were on Gumball's paw, just invisible.

The vengeful preteens flinch back collectively, yelping and whimpering over the pain they shared from the thorns in a comedic fashion.

Gumball - Uh, could you maybe get these thorns actually?

Gumball asked Rob, searching his back for where the prickly plants were then lifting his sweater off at neck length to the inflicted area on his blue, shorthaired back.

Rob - Ah- *sharp inhale* sure.

With that, the cyclops went ahead and helped the blue cat to remove the thorns, though NOT being gentle about it.

Gumball - AAAH! D-DUDE- AAAAH!!! BE GENTL- AAAAAH!!!!

The cat yowled in agony as Rob RIPPED the prickly thorns off of his back, though the cyclops didn't listen. This'll probably be the only pain he'll be up to inducing onto Gumball right now.

Rob - How can one be gentle in taking out thorns, think about that.

Gumball - Aah, mmh, y-you got a POINT!!- AAUH!!!

Moments later after that excruciating endurance, Rob and Gumball just chilled on the grass field. After removing the pricks, the cyclops wrapped some bandage around the cat's lower torso which was underneath his sweater. Minutes later, Gumball fell asleep on the grass tired from the pain. He looked peaceful  ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶k̶i̶n̶d̶a̶ ̶c̶u̶t̶e̶ ̶s̶l̶e̶e̶p̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶  , so Rob didn't bother waking him up. 

Looking for something to preoccupy himself, the CGI cyclops pulled out his phone to check his "vast varieties" of social media networks and apps, but as soon as he pulled up the app version of ElmorePlus, Rob snaps into slumber himself, for his body finally figured out it needed sleep.

Hours have passed as the two boys slept amongst each other in the conveniently placed grass field, Gumball was first to wake up since he dozed off before Rob. The cat opened his eyes to a sleeping Rob next to him. Unlike the cyclops, Gumball attempted to wake him up.

Gumball - Hey, dude. Wake up.

Rob heard the feline call for him and awoke from his power nap. 

Rob - Mmmh...W-What time is it?

Gumball - It's like, almost 8.

Rob - What?

He was surprised that they had both slept this long considering it was already about time to sunset based on the color of the sky and the color palette of their setting.

Gumball - Yeah. Time in Elmore is really weird, y'know?

Rob - Everything in Elmore is weird.

Gumball - Yeah, just how I like it.

The two fictional boys both rolled into their backs as they looked up at their photo-realistic sunsetting sky in tranquility. Besides their quite frankly awkward (and painful) interaction earlier, both did enjoy this small time together, though it was more obvious coming from Gumball.

Rob's pupil looked over at Gumball, who was lost in admiring at the sunset. For once, him and Gumball weren't fighting each other. Some part of him couldn't believe it but another part didn't care and...liked it. This felt...good. Everything about this felt good, the scenery, the atmosphere,

and Gumball right beside him as his blue, shorthair fur and his cartoony eyes shined in the dusk's light.

Gumball soon noticed Rob was looking at him and asked,

Gumball - What'sup?

Rob softly gasped after being caught staring, the 2D animated side of his polygonal face slightly burned a dark grey in embarrassment.

Rob - Uuh- nothing. Uh...S-sorry about your back...

Gumball - It's ok, isn't the worst pain I've felt.

Rob - What is?

Gumball - Hmm?

Rob - AH- uh, dumb question, sorry...

Gumball - No, dude, you're ok.

Gumball rose up to sit as he prepared to tell the cyclops what was on his mind when he was asked that.

Gumball - You know...I know it may seem like I'm always optimistic in life, but sometimes, I just aren't. Sometimes, I worry about the future more than I should, y'know? This sounds kinda weird but...I'm...kinda afraid of growing up.

Rob - Oh?

Gumball - Yeah...everyone always hypes up the idea of growing up but- I don't know, I just, don't know if I'll be too ready, it pains me the most that i might never even BE ready, pretty dumb, huh?

Rob had not expected such a deep response from the blue cat, though he could see where Gumball was going. Eventually, a time will come in the series where certain characters will have to mature, and mostly for the better. When shown, it can be understandable to feel a sense of uncertainty, but, with the right amount of support, it can be worked out.

Rob - No, not at all.

Gumball's ears flicked up hearing Rob say this.

Rob - Eventually, we'll all age up someday, it's hard to believe but with most of the shows out there nowadays it's possible. Only those out there, wherever they are, truly know our fates, but that doesn't mean you have to go through it alone. You have an ENTIRE cast of people in this world I know would be there by your side as you progress, but even if they aren't physically present, just know you're not alone.

Gumball was oddly lightened up by Rob's reassuring speech, and this guy is supposed to be his arch enemy!

Rob - Did I say too much?

Gumball - No, no, I get it, guess I just have to learn to live up to it...Um, Rob?

Rob - Yeah?

Gumball - Thanks, thanks for telling me that. 

Rob -  Of course.

BZZZZ!

Gumball's phone vibrating in his trousers' pocket caught his and Rob's attention; the screen showed 6 missed calls and messages from Nicole and Darwin asking where their son/brother was and if he was ok.

Gumball - Ah gee, my family's worrying about me, I gotta go.

Rob - Oh, m'kay.

Gumball got himself up to leave as he stretched his body out just before yawning much like a feral cat.

Gumball - Bye.

Rob - Bye, this was nice.

The cyclops openly admitted.

Gumball - Yeah, wish we had more time.

Rob - What are you doing tomorrow?

Gumball - Uh, school?

Rob - OH, yeah, right. Well, I don't want to keep you, c'ya later.

Gumball - Bye!

And so, the cat was off to go back home. The grass field he and Rob were at was luckily not too much farther from his house and many of the lights in the streets were still on to find his way around. As for Rob, he stayed in that field for a while longer, watching as the sky's orange hue slowly but surely shifted into a beautiful blackish blue accompanied with stars and the moon that lit up the night.

Rob wished his time with Gumball had lasted longer, once people got to know the cat, Gumball was actually a pretty chill kid to be around. Sure he had his flaws, but Rob would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy being close to him, 

not just as his nemesis, but as a friend.

But what would Gumball think about that idea? He himself did encourage Rob to be antagonistic towards him, so why change that? 

Maybe, Rob and Gumball aren't meant to hate each other. Perhaps- nah...

But maybe...

Chapter Text

Gumball had returned back to his blue, two-story house safely. The front door was fortunately unlocked so he went inside. It was quiet and dark, though thanks to his cat vision he could see the stairs up to his room through the darkness.

Nicole - GUMBALL TRISTOPHER WATTERSON!

Gumball [thinking]  - Oh no, full name!

Before sneaking over to the staircase, Gumball was caught by his mother, Nicole, who was worried sick over him not answering her calls or messages and not coming back to the house in time for bed. She was sitting on the couch and had been constantly checking her oldest son’s messages in-app and was even considering calling the police even though the law enforcement in Elmore was horrible.

Nicole - Where were you?! 

The motherly blue cat demanded as her son quickly gathered an answer.

Gumball - I- uh…I-I was out, in the neighborhood-

Nicole - -For 11 hours?!

Gumball - Y-Yeah-

Nicole - Doing WHAT?

Gumball - Uh- just walking around cuz’ I was bored, b-but then I…

Gumball stopped, he knew Nicole wasn’t going to let him go until she heard what happened, but didn’t want to bring Rob up, knowing all too well what his mother was capable of. The blue cat then thought up a lie but tied in some of the truth to not COMPLETELY lie to his mom.

Gumball - …I-I tripped on a rock or something and fell down a hill. When I woke up, it was night and… yeah.

Worried that her cat son might’ve hurt himself, Nicole asked,

Nicole - Oh, are you alright?

Gumball - Yeah, just kinda sore.

Nicole - Well, next time you go out, tell me first. I was worried sick these past few hours and I’m already going through enough stress.

Gumball - I’m sorry…

Nicole - *Sigh* It’s fine. All that matters is you’re alright. Now, go to bed.

Gumball - Yeah mom. G’night.

Nicole - Night.

The blue cat boy followed his mother’s orders and went up to his room. Once he opened the door, he saw that Anais was already asleep on the top bunk, whilst Darwin was still seemingly awake in his fishbowl, pondering over his brother’s disappearance.

Gumball - Hey dude!

Darwin - Gumball!

The two exchange a small hug. Darwin was relieved his older brother was alright.

Darwin - Where were you?

Now with Darwin, Gumball was more comfortable with telling the truth of his long disappearance, since the two were the closest to Rob. Gumball parted from the goldfish and sat on his bed to explain.

Gumball - I was out in the neighborhood but then got caught in one of Rob’s traps. I freed myself but then hit a thorn bush and fell down a hill. I’m guessing Rob came to help but fell down too. We talked for a little then he helped to get thorns out of my back. I wish I could say he was gentle about it but I guess he’ll stop at nothing to make me suffer.

Gumball lifted his sweater to reveal the bandage Rob had wrapped around his wounds to his younger goldfish brother.

Darwin - Does it hurt?

Gumball - Not too much.

Gumball continued his story,

Gumball - After he treated my wounds we both fell asleep together, looked like he needed it himself. We slept for a while until it got dark, so I told him I had to go.

The blue cat purposely left out him and Rob’s little exchange when they both woke up. Though he knew his family would understand, he still felt embarrassed about it, even after Rob’s comforting speech.

Darwin - And he didn’t try to destroy you at all?

Gumball - At first, yeah, but no. We were too tired to fight.

Gumball got up and looked for his pajamas. He found them in the usual pile of clothes near the closet and picked them up.

Darwin - Did anything seem…”strange” about him?

Darwin asked, mildly skeptical of what the cyclops might’ve been planning considering he’d gotten arrested for LITERALLY trying to bomb a school bus full of people.

Gumball - Not really, he just seemed tired and stayed quiet if I didn’t talk to him most of the time, guess cuz’ he probably didn’t sleep last night.

Gumball responded, taking off his beige sweater and (somehow) putting on his white and red night shirt.

Gumball - I’m sure he would’ve done something by now if he was up to it. Everyone takes breaks.

Darwin - Well, yeah…

Though still suspicious over this, Darwin shrugged it off and climbed back into his fishbowl to get some rest. Gumball, now finished changing into his pajamas, headed over to his bed again, pulling over the covers and getting in, snuggling in them. He yawned softly before reaching forth for the alarm clock and setting the alarm for school.

Gumball - Welp, g’night buddy.

Darwin - G’night.

And so, the Watterson brother’s fell asleep.

MEANWHILE,

Rob returned back to the warehouse soon after Gumball left. He must admit, he’d much rather sleep on his cold, ripped up mattress than a patch of irritatingly pokey grass. He laid there on that mattress as he sighed in satisfaction. Today went alright, beside the falling down the hill part. Rob actually couldn’t stop thinking about when he and Gumball watched the sunset over an hour or two ago. He wasn’t sure why, it just felt “nice”. He needed to see Gumball again to figure out why and where this feeling was coming from.

He would go to Gumball’s house to talk to him there but felt WAY too tired to go anywhere and didn’t want to wake him, so Rob reached for his phone and searched through ElmorePlus to find Gumball’s account. He dm's Gumball;

“ - Hey.”

Doubtful the cat might respond, Rob went to delete the message until-

“ - dude it's like 12 at night whats up?”

He…responded.

Now was his chance.

“ - Uh, you maybe wanna talk again? Maybe after school or something?”

“- It’s ok if you don’t want to.”

“ - mm maybe, as long as i don’t get put in detention again lol”

“ - LMBO.”

“ - u punctuate a lot of your messages-“

“ - Well, at least my sentences are legibly written.”

“ - lol whatever weirdo “

“ - What. Did. You. JUst. Call. Me???”

“ woah calm down im just /j-ing “

“ - Idk what that means so I can’t accept your excuse. We shall settle this when we cross ways again. Until then, Watterson.”

“ - well good night, WEIRDO “

“ - I SHALL BRING MY WRATH TOWARDS YOU!!!! “

“ - Good night, fluff face. “

“ - lol thats the BEST you’ve got?- ”

“ - You’re lucky this is a TV-Y7-FY show, because I would have definitely said something WORSE.”

“ - ur weird lol”

“- I hate you!”

“- i know~”

“ - GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD RIDDANCE YOU BLUE FUR BALL OF PURE ANNOYANCE! “ 

Rob childishly ended the conversation, doing a quick search of what “/j” means before heading off to bed. Gumball on his end got a kick out of messing with Rob, he was always so dramatic whenever he wanted to be.

*******

Ms. Simian - DETENTION!

Gumball - What?! W-What did I do?

Ms. Simian - Nothing, just feel like seeing you suffer today. You may have saved Nigel from that FREAK, but don’t THINK any of that will protect you from me.

Gumball [to himself] - Ugh! This is a BUNCH OF BALONEY!!

The cat angrily ranted to himself, not caring if any of his classmates heard.

Ms. Simian - DETENTION FOR 3 HOURS!!!

Gumball - WHAT?!

Ms. Simian - Would you like to make 4?

Gumball - [SIIGGH] No, Ms. Simian…

So, after school, Gumball had to stay in detention for over 3 hours. Why at his highlights is the world against him the most?

An hour and a half has passed and Gumball was feeling bored fast, since neither Simian nor Principal Brown gave him much to do. Sometimes when he was certain he was alone, he’d just play around on his phone until he suspected someone was coming.

Gumball did it again, opening ElmorePlus and scrolling through his feed. After a while, he went to his dm’s and his and Rob’s conversation from last night caught his eye. Maybe if Rob wasn’t still too angry, he could get the cyclops to bail him out of detention, as bad as that sounded in concept. He’s sure the whole school would be too afraid of him to do anything, especially Principal Brown.

4:46 PM

“ - Guess who got detention :,)”

“ - are u around?”

“ - What’s it to you?”

“- are you still mad over me calling you ‘weirdo’?”

“- No, lol.”

“- But don’t think I’ll back down in making you feel my WRATH!”

“ - yeah yea”

- Look, im kinda bored and I don’t want to anger my mom more than she already is for getting detention for NO REASON AT ALL”

“ - And wanting me, a practical CRIMINAL to come to break you out of school will somehow make her less angry?”

“ - …yea?”

“ - Alright. I’ll come.”

“ - BUT, at a price.”

“ - lol name it, it’d be prolly better than this rn”

“ - I’ll tell you when I get there.”

And so, Gumball waited. Why didn’t Rob say what he wanted from him? Probably something illegal like helping him pirate an entire movie series or raid an actual pirate ship or something.

The door knob soon clicked and in came Rob. Gumball was surprised he didn’t try to use the window or crawl through the vents.

Gumball - Oh hey! Why didn’t you just break the window?

Rob - This is school property; I’m not going to destroy something of that high a value unless I have to. Also probably the best I did because Brown and Simian…uuhh…

Gumball - What?

Rob - Uuuuuhh…I don’t want to talk about it.

Gumball - Huh- OOH. Ew, yeah let’s not. Um, so, what did you want me to do?

Rob - It’s nothing too difficult for YOU to handle, I hope. Just want you to get something for me.

The cyclops leaned into the cat’s ear to whisper what he wanted, despite it being only them two in the room.

Gumball - W-Wha, Dude I am NOT doing that!

Rob - Welp, see ya’ then-

Gumball - W-WAIT! Ughh, I’ll do it.

Rob - Great. All we have to do is sneak to the-

Gumball  - Dude, it’s like, 5 something. 

Rob - Ugh…All we have to do is walk to the city dump, create a cheap distraction, take out the guards, then-

Gumball - Again, it’s like 5 in the afternoon, there’s not gonna be any guards-

Rob - LEMME FINISH YOU- UGH- J-Just follow me!

The two arrive at what Rob described as the town’s dump. Gumball’s smart-aleck predictions were correct, there were no guards and the place was still free to come by (for workers anyway).

Gumball - So like, what did you want me to get again?

Rob - It’s a trophy, a trophy made of the rarest gems to ever be created in the Earth’s core. If I cannot harness a suitcase of millions of dollars, I can possess the most priceless relic to ever be modeled and animated into this world! 

Rob exaggerated evilly, greed and mischief in his singular eye.

Gumball - Well ok.

Rob [thinking] - He’s not going to stop me? Well, whatever. He’ll catch on soon.

Gumball - Where is it?

Rob - At the tippy top of the highest pile of cars in a specially packed box-

Gumball - Like a cardboard box?

Rob - No- UH- Y-Yes.

Gumball thought it was weird that an artifact with such high rarity would be placed in something easily destructible, much less in a dump, but thought no less of it and climbed to it. He almost fell at times, but thanks to his claws he got to the box pretty quickly,

Gumball - Alright, I got it! Wh- where is he?

The blue cat looked down and around for the cyclops but he was gone.

Gumball - Dude! You can’t just leave me here! R- Wait a minute-

Gumball heard ticking within the box and ripped it open to find not a priceless trophy, but a bomb! What was up with this dude and explosives?

In a panic, Gumball threw the box as far as he could as it exploded mid-air, the ground shook slightly, causing Gumball to lose his balance and fall from the car pile but landed into a tire head first. The cat managed to miraculously pull his big head out the tire hole, for a second his life flashed before his very eyes.

? - Ha ha HA! Foolish kitten!

Gumball was quick to recognize the voice that mocked him. 

Gumball - Rob?

The cyclops stood onto a broken-down bus on its side behind the kitten.

Rob - You called correctly! FYI, there IS no trophy, sadly.

Gumball - Are you telling me, you got me out of detention just to KILL me?

Rob - If I didn’t have a heart, yes. The bomb was supposed to be set longer but, I lost track of time.

Gumball - Oh, THAT WAS AMAZING!

Rob - Wh- WHAT?! I LITERALLY COULD’VE KILLED YOU!

Gumball - That’s what makes it amazing! It was unexpected! I mean, the cardboard box made it seem obvious but, oh my gosh! How long did it take you to do this?

Rob was greatly confused in the cat’s enthusiasm for his faulty and deadly plan, but (secretly) enjoyed seeing him light up.

Rob - In like, under ten minutes. I don’t go to school anymore so I have a lot of time on my hands. It does get boring here though.

Gumball - Wait, you LIVE here?

Rob - Unfortunately, yeah. It’s kinda ironic, too. Someone who was erased from this world like overflowing trash…

Gumball - Aw, dude, you’re not trash.

Rob - Gumball, LOOK at me! I don’t belong here! When someone asks what characters are from this show, the first people that come to mind are people like you! Not me…Sorry for ranting…

Gumball - No, dude, it’s ok. I know I’ve been treating you badly lately, so I thought encouraging you would make you feel better.

Rob - So…You WANT me to almost kill you? You LIKE it?

Gumball - If I don’t die, then yeah! You’ve got potential, dude!

Rob - Heh, well thanks. Uh, just to be sure, you didn’t get hurt too badly, did you?

Gumball - Eh, not really. Being in detention for 3 hours would’ve done a lot more damage than a bomb.

Rob - Huh, maybe I shouldn’t have bailed you out then.

Rob teased jokingly, getting a snort of laughter from Gumball.

Gumball - Pft- shut up! Speaking of detention, I should probably head back actually. 

Rob - Already?

Gumball - Yeah, I think Dad’s supposed to pick me up or something but I doubt he’ll be up to it if Mom doesn’t remind him first. Why, did you want to try to destroy me again?

Rob - Uh, actually, I wanted to um, to talk again.

Gumball - Oh?

Rob - B-But if you need to go-

Gumball - No, maybe we can talk the way back to school? I think I might get lost going back myself actually.

Rob - You sure?

Gumball - Yeah.

Gumball held out his paw to the cyclops as if in offering to hold his hand during their walk. This cat was about to be blown up minutes ago by him and yet he still wants to be associated with him? 

Rob hesitated for a moment as small grey blush lines came up on his face unbeknownst to him. Not wanting to keep the blue cat waiting though, he took Gumball’s paw in his unrendered grey hand. His long, blocky CGI fingers gripped around the cat’s soft 2D paw. The softness felt oddly comforting to Rob for some reason.

Gumball - Ready to go? Rob?

The blush lines on Rob’s face grew bigger as he heard Gumball speak again.

Rob - Uh- Y-Yeah. Let’s go.

And off they went, paw and hand. It was unbelievable in how they were even able to feel each other’s hand considering they were animated in different dimensions, but this was Elmore after all.

Chapter Text

The walk back to Elmore Junior High took a bit longer than the walk to Rob’s warehouse, since the construction site was near a fairly busy street, they did have to wait for traffic a couple of times. 

Gumball - So why’d you settle for a dump anyway?

Rob - It’s not really a dump, more so just an abandoned construction site. Learned my lesson the last time I tried living in someone’s house.

Gumball - Oooh…yeah, sorry about that day.

Rob - Nah, I was being intrusive and you and Durwin didn’t deserve to be punished for my wrongdoings.

Gumball - His name is Darwin.

Rob - Ooh, sorry. I’m a little disoriented right now for some reason. Guess I’m just not used to being with someone so long, much less…holding their hand…

Gumball - Do you want me to let go?

Gumball asked, thinking Rob was getting uncomfortable about them holding hands for much longer. He loosened his grip from Rob’s grey hand but the cyclops gently tightened his own grip before the cat’s paw was completely out of his hand.

Rob - NO! Uh- I mean!- No, no thanks. It, uh…it feels nice…

Rob openly admitted, the tone of his face burned dark grey again as his pupil looked to the side. Gumball looked up at his tall one-eyed nemesis in pitiful enlightenment. It was clear to the cat that Rob wasn’t used to affection of any kind, so he continued to cup his paw in his hand for the rest of the journey.

When they finally returned to the school, Richard’s car wasn’t anywhere to be found yet, so they had a little more time to talk. They stood in an area in front of the school to rest up and wait.

Gumball - What did you mean when you said you had a “major in Canadian history”?

Rob - What? When did I say that?

Gumball - When you tried to blow up our school bus.

Rob - Ohh, I don’t know. Guess I was too caught up in the moment and it just slipped out of nowhere. Think I was trying to reference a book or something.

Gumball - Oh. I remember something else, though it’s kinda random.

Rob - What?

Gumball - When we were singing that love song to Bobert, you sang something along the lines of “love has no name”. What did THAT mean? [Gasp!] Is there somebody you’re not telling me about?~

Gumball mocked coyly, though to him Rob didn’t seem like the kind that’d be crazy about dating anyone.

Rob - Uuuuh- N-No. I-I just wanted to be included in the song, it-it was just a…dumb line.

The cyclops stuttered in response; the blush that had returned to taunt him didn’t help either.

Gumball - Step one: denial.

Rob - I-I’m not denying anything! I’ve seriously never had a crush on anyone before! Besides…who’d take a chance on someone like me?

Rob spoke his last line in dismal. 80% of the time looks wouldn’t matter in a relationship, but let’s face it, Rob was a freak beyond repair. No one of the right mind would want to waste their time with someone so disfigured.

Gumball - …I would.

Gumball nonchalantly murmured, not realizing Rob could hear him.

Rob - What?

Gumball - Ah- nothing-

Rob - No, what did you say?

Gumball - I…I said…I would, b-but I didn’t mean it that way!

Gumball exclaimed, trying not to make this awkward or uncomfortable for the cyclops.

Rob - What way did you mean it then?

Gumball - I meant it like friendship, or I guess in this case “nemesis-ship”. 

Rob - Oh…

Gumball - Sorry…

Rob - No, I understand. I know you’ve got a girlfriend, correct?

Gumball - Yeah. I love her more than anything, other than my family and Darwin of course. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to her or them.

Ouch, too soon…

Rob - Ah…

Anxiousness arose in Rob’s expression, which worried the blue cat. Was this getting too personal for the cyclops?

Gumball - What’s wrong?

Rob - Uh…nothing...I uh, I think I should be going now.

Rob was about to retreat from the school’s premises but Gumball halted him.

Gumball - Aw, w-wait. Was it something I said?

Rob - N-No, just don’t want to alarm your dad when he comes to get you.

Gumball - Oh right, criminal record. Well, I’ll c’ya later?

Rob - Yeah, if you’ll have me.

Gumball - As long as you don’t destroy me first!

Rob - As long as YOU don’t try to stop me!

The two share a small chuckle before Rob departs from the building's property. Gumball could hear a car’s engine roar from a distance. The vehicle in question was the Wattersons’ signature yellow and brown car, driving the car was in fact Richard as Gumball anticipated. The Oldsmobile pulled over where the blue cat was standing and down the window came to reveal the pink rabbit, ready to pick up his oldest child.

Richard - Hey son!

Gumball - Hi Dad.

The cat opened the passenger door and went inside, taking a seat on the left-hand side of the cushion and putting on his seatbelt.

Richard soon drove off from the school, the car’s radio played music on low volume as he drove. Gumball leaned his big fuzzy head over to the window of the door, looking through it as they passed through various life-like streets and buildings. His face showed a sense of concern which caught Richard’s attention when they were at a traffic light.

Richard - You look a little sad, what’s wrong?

Gumball - It’s, it’s nothing. Ugh, I didn’t even do anything.

Richard - Don’t beat yourself up over it. When I was your age, I got put in detention ALL the time for doing nothing.

Richard said in the hopes to humor his son even though this fact pained him deep down. Clearly Gumball wasn’t feeling it so the pink bunny tried to think (oh wow! Richard THINKING! omg!!) of something else to lift the blue cat’s spirits.

Richard - Well, I forgot the groceries again, so tonight we’re getting some Joyful Burger. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll let you pick out your own order and promise not to tell your mother if you promise not to tell her about the groceries. Would you like that?

Gumball - Mmmm…sure.

Richard - Alright, let’s go!

Richard drove him and his son to the nearest Joyful Burger to order their dinners. With food of his choice on his mind, Gumball put aside his worry to enjoy this meal once they got home.

MEANWHILE

That night, Rob couldn’t stop thinking about his and Gumball’s walk. The fact that this blue kitten would want to interact with someone who swore to be hostile towards him any chance he could was still beyond belief, though that’s the life of a main protagonist, he thought. What really stood out in his thoughts of that interplay was what Gumball initially meant when he said “...I would” in their conversation about the past few episodes Rob had been present in.

He wasn’t that dumb to know that the cat had recontextualized this line so he wouldn’t make him feel uncomfortable with the idea of dating in case he wasn’t queer or turned out to be aromantic, but it still hit him either way.

If he and Gumball weren’t nemeses, would Gumball actually consider it? Of course if it turned out the cat was polyamorous and so was his girlfriend. Rob on his end didn’t want to feel like he was taking Gumball away from Penny or anyone else that meant a lot to him.

At least, if he survives to do so anyway.

If Rob wanted to keep seeing this cat, he'd have to go the lengths to do ANYTHING to nearly eradicate him, and if they got tired or bored, they could hang out if any of them were feeling it.

So, the glitchy one-eyed antagonist got to work and spent most of the night plotting his schemes specifically set up for his anthropomorphic feline nemesis to fall victim to. He won’t know what’ll hit him, or better yet, WRECK him.

*******

It had been over a week since Gumball and Rob’s last “encounter” with each. The two still talked but only either over the phone or through text. Gumball wasn’t sure how the cyclops got his number in the first place but hey, he didn’t mind.

Today, whilst working on a project in class, Gumball had ran out of crayons after having to give up most of them to Darwin and had no choice but to use Miss Simian’s ANCIENT “crayons” which were literal rocks dyed in dried up spices giving them the dull colors which had faded LONG before either of his grandparents were even born.

Gumball - Still can’t believe these are supposed to be crayons.

Gumball grabbed the rugged box of the pointy art supplies from the desk and prepared to go back to his seat. What the blue cat didn’t know was this rock was tied to an invisible string which connected to a small catapult behind Simian’s desk which held more of her rocky crayons.

[Snap!]

The cat’s ears flicked up at the sound and turned to the desk as the crayons flew towards him. Fortunately, Gumball is able to dodge them by ducking himself; his classmates, however, were different stories.

Gumball - AAH! WHAT THE WHAT?!

Once he thought it was safe, the cat rose up, his fur slightly pricked from shock. Everyone behind Gumball glared angrily at him, some of them looked ready to beat him up.

Gumball - H-Hey! I-it was an accident!

Ms. Simian - What’s going on here?! [GASP] My crayons! WHO, class?

Every classmate except for Darwin, Carrie and Penny pointed to Gumball, who crouched instinctively as his ears folded down.

Gumball had detention AGAIN and had a pretty good guess of who pulled this stunt.

“- what the WHAT dude!”

“- HAH!”

“- Seems like curiosity got the better of the cat.”

“- not cool dude!”

“- everyone totally hates me now!”

“- Good on their ends.”

“- you better be lucky detention is for an hour this time cuz when i see you again”

“- I'LL KICK YOUR GLITCHY BUTT”

“- Oh, REALLY?”

“-YEA”

“- I’d like to see you try!”

“- I WILL”

“ - Because I’m outside the window right now.”

Gumball scoffed at Rob’s last message, but looked over to the window anyway in case. To his surprise, the cyclops kept his word and glanced at the cat through the window with a sneering look on his face.

Gumball - AH!

Rob - Hello, Gumball, we meet again.

Gumball - Wh- How- W-

Rob - I’ve been here the whole time if you’re wondering.

Gumball - How did you even-

Rob - Set it up earlier, for a sharp teacher, Simian really doesn’t look out for her surroundings. So now-

[Cl-Click]

Rob - What were you saying about kicking my butt?

Gumball’s eyes shrunk when Rob pulled out a big machine gun. To his luck though, it was just a plastic gun.

Gumball - Tch, what’cha gonna do? Snerf gun me?

Rob - Hah! You think shooting plastic bullets is the WORST I can do to you? Oh no no my furry fiend!

Rob pulled the trigger and shot inside the room, Gumball felt something wet and cold splash onto his sweater. He looked down at his wet clothes in relief and annoyance.

Gumball - Ah- Duuude! My mom JUST did the laundry!

Rob - Which is why you are powerless against me and my new water balloon super weapon! Batteries not included.

Rob shot fire again, missing the cat purposely to provoke him as the water balloons splashed into the empty classroom. 

Gumball - Ugh- Rob! You’re gonna make a mess!

Rob - So what are you going to do about it? Clean it up?

Gumball - Not if YOU end up helping me!

Rob - As if!

Gumball looked at the classroom door, ready to run out to find any teacher still in the building to tattle on the cyclops.

Rob - [Gasp] You wouldn’t dare.

Gumball - Oh, I dare~

The blue cat ran out the classroom as Rob climbed through the window and chased after him, armed with his toy gun. Gumball tore across the halls as he looked for the principal’s office whilst dodging Rob’s attacks.

After a while, the cat had grown tired of running and hid in the janitor’s room to catch his breath, locking the door behind him as he frantically searched for his phone to use its flashlight.

Rob - Guuumball~

The cat hushed himself as he heard Rob’s voice call his name like an owner would call for their pet only to take them to the vet afterwards.

Gumball shined his phone’s flashlight across the closet room, looking for anything useful to defend himself. Upon the shelves of various cleaning products were a pile of “freshly clean” towels and right next to him was a recently bought mop in an empty bucket.

Rob - If you’re hiding, it is no use, this building may look fresh and clean on the outside, but eventually age catches up.

Gumball’s pulse raced as he then heard lockers being forced open and shut harshly. With this adrenaline rush and his imagination, Gumball quickly gathered the supplies he had seeked, tying the towels to himself by securing them with two worn out cloths, almost like a towel armor.

The cat stuffed his phone back into his trousers’ pocket then grabbed the mop’s handle upwards as he prepared himself to fight his one-eyed foe.

[Click! C-Cli-Click! C-Click!]

Rob - Always hiding behind locked doors, eh? Or is this your deadbeat janitor sleeping on the job again? Perhaps I should reintroduce myself and alert him of your incompetence.

Gumball - You wish!

Gumball squawked back as he forced the door open, Rob almost fell back from the impact but was able to keep his balance. Inside the closet stood the blue feline wrapped in towels, armed with his mop in paws.

Rob paused and glanced at Gumball’s get-up, only to snicker at how utterly ridiculous the cat looked.

Rob - Tc-heh- You’re kidding?

Gumball - Do NOT underestimate me and my uh…mopping skills just yet! I’ll have you know I’ve been mopping myself to victory since day one!-

[Cl-Splash!]

Gumball - H-Hey!

In response to Rob's sudden attack, Gumball swung forth the mop and attempted to hit his opponent but missed every blow as Rob effortlessly dodged the mop. When there were openings, the cyclops shot his water balloon gun at the kitten, soaking him every round. The towel armor did work for the most part, but water was still able to drench the open parts of his fur, head and all.

The two boys took this fight to the back entrance doors as it seemed Rob had been cornered despite his winning streak in intensively soaking Gumball.

And, after countless failed attempts to hit the cyclops, Gumball finally was able to land a hit to a side on his polygonal head, following it up with a combo of swings across his other CGI modeled sides. Rob, almost knocked out from these blows, fell to his knees as his grip on his toy gun loosed, it dropping before the kitten’s hind paws.

Gumball - End of the line, Rob!

Gumball boldly spoke, pointing the slightly drowsed mop head towards Rob’s face as the cyclops looked up at him in petty defeat.

Gumball - Help me clean up your mess or face my wrath!

Rob - My mess?

Gumball - Uh- Yeeah!

Rob - But why should I…when I don’t even go here anymore?~

Gumball - …Cause’ you like, shot water balloons everywhere?

Rob - I- Ugh! Nevermind. Gimme the mop.

Rob grumbled, gently snatching the mop out of Gumball’s paws as he got up, remembering the time Gumball had to stay was tight.

Gumball - Plus, there’s security cameras like, EVERYWHERE-

Rob - Shut up!

Gumball - WITH audio-

Rob - SHUT, UP!

Gumball - AND in high quality~

Rob - AuuaAAH!

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.