Part Two

Marching out of the restaurant towards the fountain with Darwin in tow, Gumball gave him a death glare that could rival their mother. Someone would have to be very angry to measure up to Nicole's level of fury. And the fact that Gumball looked so much like her did little to ease Darwin's nerves.

In a very stern voice, Gumball finally spoke. Despite his anger, he did not raise his voice.

"Darwin... Why didn't you tell me Penny would be here?"

"Why didn't you ask?" he bashfully replied.

"I didn't think I'd need to…" said Gumball, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Neither did I…" said Darwin, rubbing his arm as if Gumball's words had actually stung him. "I mean, you told me the two of you are still friends."

"Yeah but we were giving each other some space!" said Gumball, finally raising his voice. "Why choose to put us together today of all days?"

Darwin looked back and forth as if he was struggling to contain a secret. Gumball just stood there with his arms crossed awaiting his response. He had all the time in the world. Darwin on the other hand did not…

With a heavy sigh, Darwin decided to just cut straight to the point.

"I just don't understand you Gumball…" confessed Darwin. "You had a crush on Penny for as long as I could remember. She was the only girl you ever cared about. Before you'd have done anything to hang out with her. And now… it's like you never cared about her at all."

Is that what all this was about? Was this the real reason Darwin brought him out here today? Just to play stupid cupid?

The nerve! It wasn't Darwin's place to be playing matchmaker with them. True, Gumball would admit he'd done the exact same thing to Darwin earlier on but…

'Two wrongs don't make a right?' Gumball pondered to himself.

Was that the right analogy?

'If ain't broke don't fix it?' thought Gumball.

Except, they did break up.

'If it is broken don't fix it?' Oh, what was he even thinking?

Poor Darwin. Once again his pure innocent little brother had let his noble intentions lead them into quite a fine mess. Maybe, Gumball ought to come clean and just explain things to him plain and simple…

"Look Darwin…" said Gumball facing away from him in an aloof fashion. "There's something I need to tell you…"

"I'm listening…" replied Darwin.

There was a pause.

Gumball turned to face his brother. Darwin couldn't exactly read his expression but he seemed quite indifferent towards the topic as he spoke matter-of-factly.

"Darwin, as you grow up you'll find that different people come in and out of your life. Penny and I had our time in the past and I'm grateful for that. But now… I guess the both of us have just… moved on. Is that really so hard to believe?"

"But why though?" asked Darwin. "Just what happened between you two?"

"Nothing, okay?" said Gumball defensively.

"If it was nothing, then you'd still be together."

"That's not how relationships work Darwin. There doesn't always have to be a reason. Sometimes things just aren't meant to be, even if they started out really good. I guess sometimes you can feel really passionate about something one day but then the next, you just feel… nothing."

Darwin just stood there unsure of what to say next. Maybe this had been a bad idea…

He wasn't as naïve as everyone made him out to be. He knew Gumball was upset about today and wanted to cheer him up. He'd assumed it was because of his break up with Penny. All signs seemed to point towards this.

Naturally, Darwin had thought if he could patch things up between them, everything would be back to normal. At no point did he stop to consider the possibility that the two would be content with staying apart.

He just didn't get it. Maybe everyone was right to consider him naïve. He deserved a verbal lashing for what he did.

This was quite a quandary he'd gotten them all into.

"Come on Darwin," said Gumball walking off. "We already made reservations and there's no reason we can't still hang out, dating or otherwise. Let's just try and make it work."

Darwin blinked a few times, trying register what just happened.

After delivering such a somber speech that knocked the wind out of his sails, Gumball was just going to pretend like everything was okay and go with flow? Entirely for his brother's sake? Gumball had a bigger heart then he knew…

"Oh… um right, thanks Gumball..." said Darwin, following his brother.

...

As the old cliché goes, high noon is the perfect time for a showdown.

Though surprisingly, the meal between the four friends went on without any fuss. Naturally Darwin and Carrie were happy to be together even if they weren't alone.

Neither Gumball nor Penny spoke very much throughout the duration of their luncheon. But at the same time, neither seemed particularly uncomfortable with each other's presence either. They were keeping things strictly professional between them.

Gumball's attention was squarely set towards his plate. The sudden surge in his appetite was clearly due to the fact that he was eating out of frustration. Likewise Penny took the opposite extreme. She just played around with her food, nudging it with her fork.

Darwin ended up being sick because he was having to eat for two. Carrie apologetically promised him she'd only order a salad next time… Despite that comical mishap, the tension between the four had yet to cease. Either way, by 1:30 PM everyone agreed they should move on to the next activity, watching a movie.

Apparently there'd been some sort of mix up.

Carrie claimed she'd bought tickets for The Screamening II but somehow they'd ended up in the theater screening A Pony's Tail: The Movie.

Since they were already seated and comfy, the gang decided they might as stay and watch it. Though for some reason Carrie kept insisting she was only doing so under protest.

Gumball however, said nothing in objection. That wasn't like him at all. He hated that pony franchise! Second only to Daisy the Donkey…

Yet here he sat in the theater without any complaints or groans of annoyance. His little bout of depression was really hitting him hard. He wasn't even acting like himself anymore.

Having drowned his sorrows with a cream soda, Gumball left to use the little boy's room halfway into the movie. Rather than go back inside to watch the rest, he decided he'd get himself a frozen yogurt and just chill outside alone. It's not like Darwin needed him at this point.

He couldn't care less about the film... Though if Gumball had to be honest, it wasn't as bad as he initially thought. The visuals were pretty good and at least the plot made sense. More than what could be said about The Screamening. Great, he was really acting unlike his usual self now…

Gumball sat there on the bench outside the cinema, licking his frosty treat with disinterest as someone down on the bench next to him.

"Is this seat taken?" they asked him.

"Well I guess it is now…" mumbled Gumball.

"What I mean is, mind if I join you?"

He recognized that voice. Gumball finally turned around to acknowledge his guest. It was Penny who decided to join him.

Penny.

The girl he spent so much time fawning over when he was younger. The girl whom he'd convinced to literally come out of her shell, for better or worse. The girl who had previously been the sole target of all his affection.

Just what was she doing out here?

If Gumball remembered correctly, he last saw Penny enjoying the movie with the others. Wasn't she partly the reason he came out here to be alone? Better question, why did she want to hang out with him? What was this all about? What would he do now?

"Yeah… I mean no, I mean..." he shook himself together. "Sure, have a seat."

…

Despite their breakup, here they were together on this day, against all odds. Darwin and Carrie might have encouraged this turn of events but ultimately Gumball and Penny had come to this decision on their own.

They casually sat in each other's company as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

Sure, they weren't dating anymore. And neither had any intention of getting back together any time soon.

But there was no reason they couldn't just hang out together as friends now, right? They were still friends weren't they? Why wouldn't they be? They broke up on amicable terms.

The conversation between them started off slowly and politely. As if they were getting to know one another for the first time all over again. It took them a while to properly open up to each other and relax in each other's presence.

Penny admitted she came outside for similar reasons to him. Carrie didn't need her help at this point, she was starting to feel like a third wheel and she didn't really care too much for colorful horses.

She didn't actively come out searching for him but at the same time, she didn't mind bumping into him again. Gumball found himself feeling somewhat the same.

Sure things between them would never be the same as they were before. But they could both be mature about this and simply move on.

With nothing to lose, Gumball decided he might as well just address the elephant in the room as he lay back with his eyes closed.

"What happened to us Penny?" sighed Gumball, opening his eyes again.

Penny bashfully averted her gaze, staring around herself as she sought the answer.

"I don't know… I guess we just drifted apart..." she replied.

"Was I a bad boyfriend?"

"Of course not, Gumball," assured Penny. "Just the opposite. You were always so concerned about me all the time. I felt bad I couldn't reciprocate. I know my father can be protective of me but still…"

"I'm sorry if I came off as overbearing," he replied. "What can I say? I was young."

"You still are. We both are."

"Overbearing?"

"No, young," said Penny, shaking her head. "We've still got so much more to learn."

"Some of us more than others..." added Gumball. "Carrie mentioned you're focusing on your career now."

"I guess you could say that," confessed Penny. "But I'm not very good at it."

"But you're good at lots of things."

"Yeah, a jack of all trades but a master of none. I have a hard time deciding things. My dad worries I'll turn out like my mom. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom and all but she can be quite scatterbrained…"

"Hehe, my mom feels the same way about me," he admitted. "She doesn't want me growing up to be lazy like my dad."

"You're not lazy Gumball," she told him. "I'll admit you procrastinate a lot. But you always manage to get the job done in the end. That's what counts."

"Thanks, Penny," said Gumball. "Y'know, they say life's barely long enough to master just one thing. So be careful what you choose, okay?"

"Thanks for the tip," smiled Penny.

"Now if only I could follow my own advice…" said Gumball tapping his chin.

"Maybe that's your special talent," she suggested. "You'd make a good mentor."

"I dunno," he shrugged. "I can barely solve my own problems."

"Yet you always do."

"Yeah, I make a bigger problem that makes the last one look small in comparison."

For the first time, the duo stopped to share a little laugh together.

Gumball was simply a natural when it came to being snarky. Even in such a gloomy state, he still managed to inject humor into his conversations.

Perhaps, it was his self defense mechanism. A way of coping with a situation where one might feel powerless. It did help to diffuse the tension a little bit.

"Well at least you try that's what counts," giggled Penny.

"Yet people don't judge you based on intentions, only results," Gumball replied. "Wow, can't believe my dad actually told me that…"

"I understand what you mean," she nodded. "Life can be a trial sometimes-"

"-I know I wrote a song about it once-" he interrupted.

"-But it's not a question of can you manage it but how you manage it," she finished.

"Or mismanage in my case…" grinned Gumball sadly.

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself," said Penny with pity.

"See? I'm even overbearing on myself," lamented Gumball.

"Really? Because that's not what I see."

"What do you see?"

Penny chuckled before continuing.

"Well… I see someone who gives everyone including himself a hard time because he wants them to be at their best. He might come off as a little mean sometimes but deep down he means well. He's not the hardest worker but that's only because he thinks greatness shouldn't come at the cost of happiness. And no matter how bad it gets for him, he always finds a way."

Gumball couldn't help but blush a little at her compliments.

"Hehe, well when you put it that way…" said Gumball distantly but sincerely. "I guess you're right."

"Glad to hear it."

"And y'know what I see in you?" said Gumball with a faint smile.

"Do tell."

"I see someone full of potential. She might not have a clear plan moving forward but that means she can dream of the possibilities. Some might call it disorganized but hey, at least she's living life how she wants to rather than adhering to someone else's standards. And I know whatever she does end up doing, she'll do a great job."

Once more, Gumball and Penny shared a little laugh amongst themselves. But this one felt different. It was different from the slow awkward chuckles they'd previously shared. No. This one felt more meaningful. Both of them lazily looked towards the blue sky.

"I don't regret the time we spent together," confessed Penny.

"Neither do I," Gumball agreed with her.

"But I think I know why we drifted apart..."

"Because life?"

"Because you're someone who knows who they are and what they want. And I'm someone who doesn't know what she wants but I'd rather not rush into finding out."

"Hmm…you're probably right," shrugged Gumball.

Was that the only reason? Was that why their relationship didn't last?

Sure things had changed since then and Gumball had secretly moved on but surely it couldn't be as simple as that, could it?

Maybe they were better off just believing it was that simple. Love can be a complicated subject. It's not always cut and dry. It can come in many forms. Forms which aren't so easily definable either.

In the end, none of that really mattered. Fact of the matter was, they had put their issues behind them and had come together as friends. Things don't always turn out as planned. But they were both happy that it happened instead of sad that it ended.

"I'm glad we can still be friends," smiled Penny.

"To being good friends!" said Gumball, holding up an imaginary toast.

"To being good friends," Penny mirrored his gesture.

Rather randomly, they decided to share a little fist bump. It was kinda dumb. They both knew it. But hey, that's what friends are for.

"Well Darwin and Carrie are going to be in there for a while," said Penny getting up. "You wanna maybe hang out, as friends?"

"…Sure," shrugged Gumball. "Why not?"

…

It had been a rather long day and nighttime had finally arrived.

The sky was clear and cloudless with the distant stars out on display. It looked to be a serene and peaceful night for Elmore.

While the rest of his family slept soundly, Gumball sat alone downstairs with nothing but the dim light of the TV and his thoughts to keep him company.

Lying back on the couch with hands behind his head and one leg over the other, he took another cursory glance at the clock. It read 11:30 PM.

Grumbling to himself, he turned his attention back to the TV. The passage of time had seemingly drawn to a standstill. All he wanted was for this stupid day to be over. Maybe then he could finally sleep with some peace of mind.

Thinking back to the day's events, Gumball wondered where exactly it all went wrong. Maybe that was the problem. He'd actually been right all along.

Gumball had a strong feeling today would be a bad day before he'd even gotten out of bed. Whether it was all just an unhappy coincidence or not, for once he'd have been glad to have guessed wrong.

Perhaps spending time with Penny just wasn't a good idea after all. To be fair, everything had been going fine at first. Gumball would even go as far as to say he was having fun. But then came the moment of saying farewell as he walked her home.

That last conversation kept replaying in his head like a broken tape.

"I know things didn't work out between us but I don't want to lose you as a friend Gumball."

"You don't have to. We can still hang out once in a while."

"That sounds nice. I guess I'll see you at school huh?"

"Yup, see ya later Penny."

"Say Gumball?"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking… would you ever consider… one day… maybe… trying again?"

"Um, what do you mean?"

"I'm just not ready for a relationship right now… but in future... if we're both still single…"

"You might wanna get back together?"

"Would you?"

"I… don't know… I mean-"

"-You're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked…"

"No, I don't blame you. The future's a scary place…"

"I guess I just… I dunno..."

"Just forget about it…"

Gosh darn it! Why did she have to ask him that!? To spend all that time trying to patch things up between them, only for her to trip them up at the finish line. Why!? It just wasn't fair!

Was it some sort of test? To see if they were really done with each other? Or was she simply a girl keeping her options open? Or were they both just so hopeless when it came to love that they knew someday they'll end up rebounding in to each other again? Or, had it been her intention to try and get back together all along?

He just couldn't tell…

Gumball was just about fed up with all of this. He already had someone special. And he'd stay with her for as long as he could. Whatever came after that, he'd deal with it as it came. He was done with Penny regardless of whether or not she felt the same.

Twenty minutes remained until midnight.

Having silently tip-toed away from her bed, Nicole made her way downstairs. Gumball barely acknowledged her presence, slumped on the couch with his arms crossed and pouty expression on his face. Nicole sat down next to him, encouraging him to snuggle his head on to her lap.

"Naughty Gumball," she whispered with mock disappointment, petting him on his head. "It's way past your bedtime."

"So what…?" he murmured. "I'm not sleepy…"

"Something bothering you sweetie?" inquired Nicole.

"Eh… yeah."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Eh… nope."

"Okay I won't force you," said Nicole, sitting him up. "But there's something I must know. Gumball, did you tell your father to take me out on a date today?"

"…I might have given him some ideas," replied Gumball.

"I thought so," Nicole laughed dryly. "Your father never takes action unless he's told. But why'd you make him do it?"

Gumball had a hard time answering that question. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. That all seemed so long ago.

"…I guess I just wanted you to be happy," he mumbled.

"How's that?" asked Nicole. "You know he's not much of a romantic. Let's just say after our little date we might be banned from Joyful Burger for a while..."

There was a pause.

"Mom, can I get something off my chest?" began Gumball, sitting himself up properly.

"Of course honey," she nodded.

Gumball took a deep breath. He was about to speak straight from the heart.

"I hate Valentine's day, okay? I hate it. I'd been dreading it since we... y'know, got together. All I wanted was to spend the whole day with you. But I knew I couldn't. Whether it was at home or outside, we'd worry about someone catching us. I didn't want to put you through any of that. I wanted you to have fun and enjoy yourself for once. But I'm still just a stupid kid…Too young to get a real job or do anything important…"

His voice was starting to tremble now.

"So that's why I told Dad what I did. He could do everything for you that I wanted to do but couldn't. Yeah, it made me jealous. But it's supposed to be his responsibility anyway. I just really wanted to see you happy. No, I wanted more than that..."

Gumball wrenched his eyes shut, refusing to show any tears. They managed to slip out anyway. All that frustration he'd been bottling up inside him had reached its crescendo.

"I wanted to get you a gift too…" he choked, stifling his sobs. "I wanted to make you feel special. I wanted a chance to tell you how much you mean to me, more than anything. And I couldn't! I'm sorry Mom, you deserve better…"

Gumball desperately tried to hide his tears now, shielding his eyes behind his arm and gritting his teeth to avoid sobbing. His composure hung by a mere thread that threatened to snap at any second. It was just too much.

"Gumball," said Nicole, gently lowering his arm. "Look at me son."

Nicole locked her gaze with his. It was hard to see in the dark, but Gumball's eyes were red with sorrow. They told a clear story. One of anger and sorrow.

Holding him by his cheeks and drying his tears with her thumbs, she decided to tell him exactly how she felt.

"Listen to me Gumball," she spoke in a voice that was soft as silk. "I don't want you to feel sad for my sake. I'm not upset because you didn't get me anything or because your father doesn't court me anymore. That's not why I'm upset."

"Then why...?" whispered Gumball.

"I decided a long time ago that I'd dedicate my life to my family," said Nicole taking his hands into her own. "I don't need expensive gifts or materialism to make me happy. Seeing you happy is what makes me happy. I'm upset because you think I deserve better than you, when in fact you're the best gift I could ever receive. So don't ever talk bad about yourself like that, okay?"

"Mom I…" Gumball bashfully averted his gaze, now at a loss for words.

Nicole gently held his chin, turning his head to face herself once more.

"Believe me Gumball," she continued. "The thing that matters to me most is you. Even if we have feelings for each other that we shouldn't have, I'm still your mother and it's my duty to look after all my children. Including you. You shouldn't feel guilty or inadequate. You've already done more for me than your father ever did. The love you've shared with me. The times you've comforted me. The hope you give me just being by my side is what gives me the strength to keep moving forward. And that's something I treasure more than anything."

Now, Gumball was truly speechless. Just like that, all the guilt and insecurities that had been plaguing his mind all day, Nicole had completely destroyed them with her words alone. They were words spoken straight from the heart and were as sincere she could ever be.

Looking into those same eyes now, Nicole saw a change in her son. They were sad in a different way.

It was hope.

As beautiful a sentiment as hope can be, it can also be very scary. His eyes told a new story, a glimmer of hope on a long winding journey with its conclusion uncertain.

But for the first time all day, Gumball smiled. Not just a tiny grin but a genuine smile that looked so earnest, it would be impossible to fake. He leaned himself forward, falling into his mother's tender embrace.

Nicole held onto him tightly as if she feared she'd lose him if she let go. Gumball shared her conviction, holding onto his mother as if she was the only safe-haven in the world.

"Thanks Mom," sniffed Gumball. "I'm sorry I said those things. Making you sad was the last thing I wanted to do."

"And I'm sorry too my little Gummypuss," Nicole told him.

"You are? For what?" he asked in confusion.

"Because I know it's hard for you. Being so close to the one you love yet unable to tell them. Having to meet up in secret like this. What we share isn't normal, I know. But forbidden love or not, I promise you one thing. We'll make it work, somehow. We made it this far didn't we?"

"We did," agreed Gumball. "You're right. We'll always find a way. We always do."

Gumball glanced at the clock to find less than five minutes remained until Valentine's Day was over. That meant there was still time to fix things.

"Mom, I totally forgot," said Gumball. "I do have a gift for you."

"You do?" replied Nicole, a little surprised.

"Yeah, I'd been waiting for the right time to give it to you."

"Um okay, what is it?" asked Nicole.

Without a moment's hesitation, Gumball threw caution to the wind, rushing forward to do something he had been yearning for all day. He kissed her.

Not just a brief peck on the lips or a simply smooch. Rather he pressed their lips together so tightly and with such fiery conviction, they could have melted into each other. Like two puzzle pieces being joined in perfect harmony. Gumball expected sparks and fireworks but actually it was just wet and sloppy. And he loved every moment of it.

Nicole was caught completely off-guard with his sudden change in attitude. They'd kissed before but he'd never been so bold as to seize her by the lips like this. Regardless, she put up no resistance. Before she even knew it, her body was already returning his affection with equal sincerity on its own.

Lost in a maze of intimacy, the two lovers remained content staying right where they were for as long as they could.

In a few more minutes, midnight would arrive and they have to part from each other, return to their respective beds and wish circumstances were different. But one thing was certain, no matter how hard their clandestine relationship was to maintain, it was all worth it for moments like these.

"I guess today wasn't so bad after all..."

Author's Notes:

I want to give a huge thank you to "Call Me Writefag" for helping me edit this fic and coming up with the original concept it was based on (included below for reference).

This fic was a little different from my usual style but I sure had fun working on it!

…

"How did your OTP spend Valentine's Day together?"

They didn't get to spend Valentine's Day together at all…

She spent the day with Richard, feigning an interest in him whilst anxiously worrying about how Gumball felt, and if he was angry that they couldn't be together on this special day.

He spent his time hanging out with Darwin, Carrie and Penny on what was supposed to be just a friends hanging out thing but that became kind of a double date thing, which made him upset at Darwin and Carrie for trying to shove him and Penny back together after they had drifted apart.

In the end, both Gumball and Nicole get home mentally and emotionally exhausted, exasperated and upset at the people they had to spend time with, and worried out of their minds about what the other person was thinking and if they could even keep this up, and if it was worth it at all to live this lie.

But then they get their solitary moment together, half past midnight with everyone else in bed. They sneak down into the living room so they can just sit on the couch and hold each other, and all the worry and stress dissolves in that embrace. They love each other, and Valentine's Day is just like any other day. They'll always find a chance to be together when they need it. Nicole is antsy, and wants her Gummypuss right there on the couch but he cautions against it. There'll be another time for that. They always find a time and place. So they share a quick kiss and make plans for their next clandestine meeting. Then they both go to their separate beds and wish things were different. They think again about whether it's worth it to be together, with all the world against them, scuttling about in the shadows.

But they remember their first time together, and the things they've said to each other, and how this crazy thing started in the first place. They smile. It's worth it.