Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

…

Gumball had undiagnosed ADHD and nobody even knew.

It wasn’t the kid himself, really. His teachers would complain about his restlessness, his constant chatter, his inability to pay attention, his tendency to get in trouble and his parents were baffled.

The doctors just thought he was a hyper kid. And, well, maybe that was true. But hyper and undiagnosed ADHD are two very different things.

Gumball had a hard time staying still and keeping quiet, and the doctors just chalked it up to a lack of exercise and a sugar addiction. It was the exact opposite. The boy needed to constantly move, to talk, to fidget. He got bored easily and had a hard time paying attention.

The kid never really had a reason to question it. He knew he was different from his siblings, but it wasn’t until Darwin noticed something was off about his best friend that he got concerned.

They were both laying in the grass one day after school. The sun was setting and the sky was a pretty pink color. Gumball was rambling about some new show he was watching, but Darwin was distracted. His friend was moving around a lot, his hands flapping and his legs wiggling. He was talking way faster than a normal person, and his eyes were darting everywhere.

Darwin looked at the sky for a while before speaking up.

"Gumball, you do realize you're doing that thing again, right?"

Gumball stopped talking, and turned his head. "Doing what thing?"

Darwin didn't know how to respond. How could he describe what his best friend was doing?

"You know," he said, gesturing with his hands. "That thing. You were doing it the other day at lunch."

Gumball frowned. "What thing?"

Darwin sighed. How could he describe what he meant. He had no idea what it was called. He sat up. "Look, you're just... wiggly. All the time."

Gumball furrowed his brows. "What's wrong with that?"

Darwin huffed. "Nothing! I mean... I don't know."

The blue cat sat up too, crossing his legs and looking at Darwin. "I don't understand what you mean. Wiggly? I don't wiggle."

Darwin looked away. "You're not... normal."

Gumball frowned, his face going red. "Wh-what?"

Darwin looked back at his friend. "Not like that! It's just... I mean, you're not..." He groaned, not knowing what to say. "I dunno, man. You're just not like anyone else."

Gumball's ears went back. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Darwin's face went red too. He didn't know how to express what he was feeling. He didn't mean it as an insult. "No, dude, I'm serious! You're so much more hyper, and wiggly, and fidgety, and loud... you're just different."

Gumball crossed his arms and looked down. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Darwin quickly realized what he had done. "No, dude, I don't mean that in a bad way! It's just weird. And not normal. You know, for people."

Gumball looked away. "Oh. Okay."

Darwin felt a little guilty. "I mean, that's not a bad thing! I'm not saying you're a freak or anything. You're not a freak."

Gumball was silent for a moment, before looking up. "Thanks."

Darwin nodded, and looked back at the sky. He still wasn't sure what he was trying to say, but it felt important.

After a while, Gumball spoke up.

"So, uh, what should we do now?"

Darwin shrugged. "Wanna go home? I'm hungry."

Gumball's eyes lit up, and he jumped to his feet. "Yeah!"

He held out his hand, and Darwin grabbed it, letting the cat pull him to his feet. They were off, running toward the Watterson house.

…

Anais had noticed her brother was a little different from her. It wasn't really a big deal, just a few small things that made her wonder if there was something off about him.

He was always really fidgety, always bouncing his leg and playing with his hands and tapping his feet. He was constantly moving. It was exhausting just to watch.

When he was really hyper, he tended to ramble about anything that popped into his mind, and when he did that, his eyes would dart everywhere and he would get a glazed look.

He was always so loud, talking at a hundred miles an hour and laughing like a madman. And it was annoying. She never knew what was so funny.

One day, she was studying at the kitchen table when her mom walked in.

"Hey, honey. Whatcha doing?"

Anais held up her book. "Studying."

Nicole put the box on the counter, then went over and gave her daughter a hug.

"That's good. Your brother was studying too, until he started bouncing off the walls."

Anais frowned. "I saw him earlier. He was fine."

Nicole nodded. "Yep. Just fine. Until he got bored."

Anais was confused. "Wait, so what was he doing?"

Nicole shrugged. "Just bouncing around, talking about nothing. And when I told him to sit down and calm down, he just kept getting worse."

Anais was curious. "Why would he do that?"

Nicole shook her head. "I don't know. I just think he's a little too hyper."

Anais nodded. She thought so too.

Nicole looked at the clock. "Well, I have to go get some groceries. I'll be back soon. Bye, honey."

She kissed Anais's forehead and walked out the door.

Anais sat back in her chair, staring at the table. She'd have to ask Darwin about Gumball's behavior. She was smart, but this was confusing her.

A few minutes later, the front door slammed open and Gumball came bounding through. He had a huge grin on his face.

"Hi, sis! How's it going?"

Anais sighed and looked back down at her book. "Good."

Gumball walked over and peered at the pages. "What're you reading?"

"Math."

"Oooh, math! I hate math!"

Anais glared at him. "Go away, Gumball. I'm trying to study."

Gumball giggled and plopped down in the seat next to her. "Come on, you can study with me! It'll be fun."

"Gumball-"

"Let's see what you got." He grabbed her book and flipped through the pages.

"Hey, stop that!"

"Whoa, these are complicated."

"Give it back!"

"Oooh, what's this one mean?"

Anais groaned. This was a terrible idea.

"It's a quadratic equation. Give it back."

Gumball's eyes widened. "Wow, that's hard."

"I know."

Gumball put the book down, and started tapping his fingers on the table.

Anais glared at him. "Could you please keep your hands to yourself?"

"Sorry." Gumball put his hands under the table. "It's just that, you know, when you're trying to concentrate, you gotta focus, right?"

"Gumball."

"Like, focus, focus, focus. You gotta keep your mind on the task at hand, you know? And you can't let anything distract you. It's just so hard to do that, though. Because there's so much going on, all the time. There's so much to see and do and think about. It's really hard to keep still."

Anais sighed. "Are you gonna stay quiet now?"

"I dunno." Gumball looked up, then back at her. "Do you think I could?"

"If you keep still."

"Huh." Gumball stared at the table, not moving. "Okay, then."

Anais went back to studying, and Gumball sat there, staring at the table.

The room was quiet, and she found herself relaxing a bit. She liked it better when he wasn't talking.

After a while, though, Gumball started humming. It wasn't loud or annoying, but it was enough to distract her.

"Gumball."

"Yeah?"

"You're humming."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I'll stop."

"Good."

"But it's so quiet in here."

"Just be quiet."

"Okay."

There was silence, for a few minutes. Then, Gumball spoke again.

"So, you're pretty smart, huh?"

"What?"

"You're pretty smart. Like, for your age. And I'm not. I guess that's why we get along."

Anais blinked. She wasn't expecting that. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Gumball leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. "Like, you're really smart. You always get good grades. And I'm not. I guess that's why I always come to you when I have a problem. I know you can help."

"I can't help you with everything."

"You can do a lot of stuff, though. And I'm grateful."

"Uh, okay."

"Thanks, Anais. You're a great sister."

Anais was a little taken aback by the compliment. She'd never heard her brother say something nice about her before.

"Uh, thanks, Gumball. I guess."

Gumball grinned and leaned back.

"So, can you help me with math homework tonight?"

"Sure."

"Awesome."

And he was back to his normal self, grinning and laughing and bouncing in his seat.

Anais sighed and tried to focus on her book, but it was hard to ignore him. She was used to his antics, but they still annoyed her.

Maybe he was right. Maybe they were just different.

…

Penny was aware that Gumball had a few... quirks. But that didn't mean anything. She liked him just the way he was.

He was always so excited, and happy, and energetic. She loved that about him. He was the happiest person she knew.

He always bounced his leg and tapped his feet, and when he talked, he always waved his hands around.

When they were watching movies, he would get so wrapped up in them, that he would jump around the couch, laughing and cheering and making silly faces.

He was just so full of energy, and it was infectious. She couldn't help but laugh along with him.

One day, they were in her room, doing homework together. She was writing an essay, and he was drawing some pictures.

He was humming and bouncing his leg, and when she glanced up at him, he was scribbling away furiously.

"What are you drawing?"

He looked up and smiled. "I'm drawing you."

"Oh." She looked back down at her essay. "That's nice."

She heard him laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I just, um, like drawing you. A lot."

"Why's that?"

"Because, you know, you're, like, the most beautiful girl ever."

Penny's cheeks flushed red.

"Gumball..."

"No, seriously! You're just so gorgeous."

"Thank you."

He nodded. "You're welcome."

She glanced at him, and he was grinning from ear to ear.

"You're such a dork," she said, smiling.

He laughed. "Yeah, I guess I am."

She looked back at her essay, and they were quiet for a moment. Then, out of the blue, gumball just started yapping about nothing.

"Oh, man, that reminds me of this time when I was little and I was, like, eating an ice cream cone, and I just fell over and dropped it and it landed on my face. And, like, it was hilarious, and I was laughing so hard, and my mom was, like, freaked out and I was just, like, sitting there, laughing my butt off."

"Really?" Penny was surprised.

"Yeah, I was like, oh, man, this is so funny. I can't believe I did that."

"That's hilarious."

"Right? It was, like, the funniest thing ever."

Penny tried to hold back a laugh. He was just so weird.

"And, like, oh my gosh, that reminds me of another story, where I was, like, at the mall, and I was walking down the stairs and I tripped and fell and, like, everyone was laughing, and I was, like, 'yeah, laugh, it's funny,' but it was, like, embarrassing, you know? But, like, also kind of funny."

"Oh, yeah. That's pretty funny."

"Right? And, oh my god, you're gonna love this story, this one time when I was, like, riding my bike, and I just, like, ran into a wall and blah blah blah…” Penny started to tune him out, focusing on her work.

This was how it usually went. They would hang out and talk and then he would just start rambling on about random stuff. He could go on for hours.

She was used to it by now, but sometimes she wondered if there was something wrong with him.

Maybe she should ask her parents about it. Or Darwin. They would probably know.

She shook her head. No, he was fine. He was just weird. She liked that about him.

She just wished he would stop bouncing his leg.

...

Gumball was sitting in class, doodling in his notebook. He was trying to pay attention, but it was really hard.

His teacher was talking about something boring, and he couldn't concentrate. He was just bored.

He glanced around the room. Everyone else seemed to be paying attention, but he wasn't. He couldn't.

He sighed and put his head down. This was torture.

The bell rang and he stood up, relieved.

"Don't forget to finish the reading for tomorrow," his teacher said.

Gumball nodded and made his way out the door.

The halls were full of people rushing to got home, and Gumball just wanted to get home. It was so loud, it was hurting his ears.

He covered his ears and walked as fast as he could. He hated crowded hallways.

He finally made it outside, and he was relieved to feel the fresh air on his face.

He started walking home, trying to clear his mind. He was still trying to understand what his teacher was saying.

He was so deep in thought, that he almost didn't notice a hand grabbing his shoulder.

"Gumball," someone said.

He jumped and turned around.

"Dude, you okay?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry."

It was Darwin. He had a concerned look on his face.

"You look stressed."

"What?"

"You look really stressed. Is everything alright?"

Gumball rubbed his forehead.

"No, I'm fine."

Darwin raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? Because you look like you're gonna explode."

Gumball shook his head.

"No, no, I'm fine."

Darwin crossed his arms.

"What's going on, man?"

“I don’t know, everything is so loud and the lights are really bright, and I’m feel so…eughhh!” Gumball said, waving his arms around.

"Whoa, slow down, buddy."

"I can't slow down! It's all happening too fast!"

Darwin put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Okay, calm down. Deep breaths. In and out."

Gumball closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

"Now, tell me what's going on."

"I don't know. I just feel…weird."

"What do you mean, 'weird'?"

"I dunno. Just weird."

"Can you explain it?"

"I can't explain it. It's just a feeling."

"Try."

Gumball took a deep breath.

"Okay. Um, it's like... I feel really stressed, and, and I can't concentrate, I can't hear very well, and everything is so loud, and I'm tired, but I can't sleep, and my stomach hurts, and my head hurts, and I'm just... eughh."

Darwin nodded. "I think I get it. You have sensory overload."

"What's that?"

"It's when your senses are overloaded, like when everything is too loud or too bright."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So what do I do?"

"Just, um, try to calm down. Focus on one thing. Like, the grass."

Gumball looked at the ground.

"Okay."

"Take a deep breath."

"Okay."

"Focus on the sound of my voice."

"Okay."

"Try not to think about anything else."

"Okay."

"Do you feel better?"

"A little."

"Okay, good. Just keep focusing on the sound of my voice."

"Okay."

Darwin kept talking, and Gumball started to relax. He closed his eyes and focused on the sound of his friend's voice.

After a few minutes, he opened his eyes.

"Thanks, Darwin. I feel better now."

"No problem, man."

They walked in silence for a while, until Gumball spoke up again.

"So, what caused that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why did I feel like that?"

"I think it's because you're, uh, hyper."

"Hyper?"

"Yeah, like, you have a lot of energy. And when your senses are overloaded, it's really uncomfortable."

"Huh."

"Yeah. So, just try to stay calm and focus on one thing."

"Okay."

"I'm here for you, dude."

"Thanks."

"No problem. I'm here for you, whenever you need me."

Gumball smiled.

"Thanks, buddy. That means a lot."

"Anytime, man."

They walked home together, enjoying each other’s company.

Chapter Text

…

Nicole has always known that Gumball had a few…things about him. Like, his constant energy, and his hyperness, and his restlessness, and his inability to sit still. And she had always thought it was cute, his enthusiasm and his excitement. It was one of the things she loved about him. But at the same time, it was kinda annoying.

One day, after he had come home from school, he was bouncing around the living room, talking a mile a minute about his day.

"And then we did science and we learned about, like, chemicals and stuff, and it was really cool. Oh! and then we did, like, math and stuff, and it was super boring, but it was, like, okay, and then we did history, and we learned about, like, wars and stuff, and it was, like, so cool, and then we had gym, and we did, like, running and stuff, and it was, like, so cool, and then we had lunch, and we ate, like, pizza, and it was, like, so good, and then we had, like, music, and we learned about, like, guitars and stuff, and- Oh, I love playing the guitar! Maybe I should…blah blah blah…”

Nicole sighed and rubbed her temples. She loved her son, but he could be so exhausting.

She looked at him, bouncing around the room.

"Gumball, please stop talking."

"Why?"

"Because, honey, I have a headache. I need to take some medicine."

"Oh, okay. Sorry."

Nicole sighed and got up. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. She took a sip and went back to the living room.

She saw her son, laying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

"About what?"

"Dunno."

"Oh."

Nicole sighed and sat down on the couch.

"Gumball, what is it that makes you so restless?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're always bouncing around, and talking, and moving. Why?"

Gumball sat up and shrugged.

"I dunno. It's just, like, how I am."

Nicole shook her head. "There has to be a reason. Do you think there's something wrong with you?"

Gumball's eyes widened.

"You think there's something wrong with me?!"

Nicole laughed.

“No, honey. I mean, I think you have, like, ADHD or something. You’ve been like this your whole life, so I think that might be it."

Gumball looked confused.

"What's ADHD?"

Nicole sighed. "It's a... medical condition. It's where your brain is, like, wired differently. It makes you more hyper and restless.”

Gumball sat up.

"You mean, like, I'm a freak?"

Nicole smiled.

"No, sweetie. Not a freak. Just, a little different."

Gumball didn't say anything. He just looked down.

"Honey, it's okay. You might not even have it! But we’re gonna take you to the psychiatrist to get you tested, ok? Then we can get you the help you need."

Gumball didn't answer.

"Honey?"

Gumball nodded.

"Ok. Thanks, mom."

Nicole smiled and ruffled his fur.

“I’ll make an appointment for next week, ok? For now, you should go upstairs and do your homework with your siblings, and I'll call you guys when dinner's ready."

"Ok."

Gumball got up and left the room. Nicole sighed and pulled out her phone. She needed to make an appointment.

…

A week later, he, Darwin, and Nicole were all sitting in the waiting room. Gumball had begged Darwin to come along, claiming he was ‘nervous’, so he did. 

As they were waiting, Gumball couldn’t sit still. He was bouncing his legs, playing with his shirt, and biting the skin off of his fingers. 

“Gumball, calm down.” Darwin said, placing a hand on Gumball’s knee.

“Sorry, sorry. I just…I don’t know.” Gumball mumbled.

“Hey, it’s ok, you’ll be fine. It’s not like they’re drawing blood or anything, they’re just gonna, like, I don’t know, ask you a bunch of questions.” 

“Right, ok.” Gumball sighed, his legs not bouncing as much. Darwin smiled and gave Gumball’s knee a little squeeze, comforting him. 

He smiled, then went back to chewing at his nails. 

A couple minutes later, the psychiatrist came out of the room and motioned for Gumball to come in.

Nicole waved to him. “Good luck honey!”

“You’re Gumball, correct?” She asked as Gumball stood up.

“Yea.” 

“Welcome! My name is Doctor Hans. I’ll be testing you today. How are you feeling?” She asked Gumball as she led him back to her room. 

“Uhm, good I guess..” gumball muttered. 

“You're nervous, I can tell. It’s ok, this isn’t anything bad! I’m just gonna ask you a couple questions and you're gonna answer them, ok?” 

Gumball nodded and sat down once they reached the room. 

“Ok good!” She said, smiling wide. 

Gumball took a deep breath and sighed. He was gonna be ok, it’s fine.

—

A while later, he came back out to the waiting room, waving to his mom and brother. 

“Hi honey!”

“So man, how’d it go?” Darwin asked, standing up.

“Not that bad actually, she asked me a bunch of questions, I did some Math and English, and I filled out this form thing. That’s about it.” 

“See, I told you!” He said, putting his hand on his shoulder. “Do you know your results yet?”

“No, she hasn’t told me.” 

Just then, Doctor Hans came out of the doorway, clipboard in hand. 

“So, I have your results. We also tested for some other things besides ADHD, but that was the main thing we tested for.” Doctor Hans said, tapping her clipboard. 

“Anyway, Gumball does have ADHD. He’s pretty high up on the spectrum for it. He also appears to have a little bit of anxiety. There is a medicine we can prescribe for him, it should help with hyperactivity and talkativeness.” She said, looking up from her clipboard, smiling.

Nicole stood up, nodding her head. 

“Thank you Doc. I appreciate it.” She said, shaking the doctor's hand. 

“Here’s the note for the medicine. I have sent the medication to your local pharmacy. I hope you have a wonderful day!” Doctor Hans said. 

The family waved and walked out of the office, saying they’re goodbyes. 

They got in their car and pulled out of the driveway.

“Sooo, how do you feel dude?” Darwin asked, looking towards his brother. 

Gumball had his chin on his palm, staring out the window. 

“I feel ok, I guess.” 

“Alright, just…you know, don’t let this get to you, ok? You're still you.” Darwin said, placing a hand on Gumball’s thigh. 

Gumball only nodded and placed his free hand on top of Darwin’s. 

The rest of the car ride was silent. 

…

(I based this next part off my feelings of getting diagnosed, so I’m sorry if not all of you guys can relate to this. <3)

After getting diagnosed, he wasn’t too happy about it. But he wasn’t mad either. It just made him feel weird inside, like he wasn’t himself anymore. 

The doctor said he should take the medication to make it easier for him to get through school, but Gumball didn’t want to. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to accept that he was the way he was. He hadn’t even realized how hyper or annoying he had been before. 

But the worst part was, the diagnosis made him feel like a failure, a freak. It was more like an insult than anything else. 

Not only that, but it made him feel like his family wasn’t proud of him anymore, like he didn’t belong with them. 

He knows that isn’t true, but he just can’t help but feel that way. 

And once the kids at school found out, it didn’t make things any better. At all.

He knew they were only teasing, but the little remarks just made him feel worse about himself. 

They weren't very nice, calling him a freak or a…retard. He wanted to yell at them, or tell them to shut up, but he was scared. What if they teased him even more?

He didn't want to risk it, so he just kept his mouth shut and let them talk.

It was frustrating, but he couldn't do anything about it.

Another thing was he’s been feeling forgetful and clumsy. He actually didn’t know if it was him or the medicine, but either way he's noticed it happening a lot lately and he hates it.

—

One day, he was sitting at lunch with his friends, and they were all talking about a movie they'd seen the other day.

Gumball was talking the most, he had forgotten to take his medicine that morning. He was talking so fast, the others couldn't keep up.

"I don't know, I didn't really like it," Darwin was saying. "I mean, the story was good, but the special effects were a little cheesy."

"I liked it," Penny said. "The effects were great. I loved the scene with the spaceship."

"Oh, yeah, that was awesome," Gumball agreed. "The, uh, the, um, the spaceship, yeah, and the aliens and, like, the, uh, the lasers, and the, the, the, the spaceship, and the aliens and, uh, yeah, I, uh, I, uh, I liked it."

Darwin stared at his friend, who was rambling on and on.

"Gumball, slow down," Penny said.

"Uh, sorry, I'm just, like, excited, and, uh, and, and…yeah."

Darwin shook his head.

"Man, you need to take your medicine."

"No, I don't. I'm, uh, fine, yeah, totally, totally fine."

"Gumball, come on. You know you're not supposed to skip it."

"I'm-I'm, uh, I'm fine. I don't need it."

Darwin sighed.

"Dude, you're a wreck. Just take the pills."

“It’s..it’s not my fault I keep forgetting.”

"Gumball, stop being such a baby and just take them."

Gumball looked down.

"It's not my fault, I, I just forget. It's, uh, not, not my fault."

"Yeah, it is. You're the one who forgets."

Gumball felt his chest tighten.

"I-uh, I-I'm sorry.”

Darwin sighed.

"It's ok. Just take the pills."

Gumball took a deep breath.

"Ok."

He got up and walked out of the cafeteria.

He went to the bathroom and grabbed the bottle of pills from his backpack.

He took one out and stared at it.

"Just, take the pill, it's, it's easy," he told himself.

But he didn't want to. He was scared.

What if it didn't work? What if he turned into a different person?

He sighed and threw the pill away.

He didn't want to take it. He couldn't.

He would rather live a life of being made fun of than lose his personality.

He walked out of the bathroom and headed back to the cafeteria.

…

After a while, his parents finally started noticing. They noticed his forgetfulness, and the way he would zone out for hours at a time. And they began to worry.

Nicole tried to convince him to take his medication, but he wouldn't listen.

He was determined not to lose who he was.

Finally, his mother had enough. She decided to talk to him.

When she got home, she cleared all this kids out of their room except for Gumball. She sat down next to him on the bed and started talking.

"Honey, please, listen to me," Nicole said. "You have to take the medicine. It's important."

"I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"Because, it's, uh, it's, I-I don't know."

"You don't know why not?"

"I-I don't wanna take the pills. They, they make me, uh, uh, make me feel, um, weird, I-I guess." He said, rubbing his hands together.

"They don't make you feel weird. They help you focus and control your hyperness."

"Yeah, uh, no, they make me, like, a different, person. I feel different taking them. I-I don’t feel like…me, I guess..”

Nicole sighed and put her hands in her lap.

"Honey, that's not true. The pills don't change who you are. They just help you be a better version of yourself."

“But-but-“

“No. No buts. Look at me.”

Gumball looked up.

"You're my son, and I love you, and I want you to be the best you can be. I want the best for you.” She says, placing a hand on Gumball’s shoulder. She points at his heart. 

“Listen to me. You will ALWAYS be you, no matter what. Nothing can change that. This medicine, it only helps you be the best version of yourself. I promise you that.”

Gumball blinked.

"Really?"

"Yes. And you know I never lie."

Gumball swallowed. "Okay."

Nicole smiled.

"I'm proud of you, sweetie. Now please, keep taking the medicine. If you still continue to forget things, please let me know so I can tell the doctor. That must be some side effect. Please.”

Gumball nodded.

"Ok."

"Thanks, honey. I love you."

"Love you, too."

Nicole gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"Now, I've gotta start dinner."

She got up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Gumball sat on his bed, thinking.

Maybe his mother was right. Maybe the pills didn't change him. Maybe they only helped him be his best self.

He didn't want to believe it, but he knew it was true.

He smiled slightly. 

‘You know..’ the thought. ‘Things really aren’t that bad. It might take some time getting used to, but I know I can.’

He gets up and goes to his siblings in the living room. He smiles at them and they smile back.

Things are going to be ok.

…