penny fitzgerald · the amazing world of gumball · shy · empathetic · shapeshifting · antlers · fairy wings · human au · romance · zoo setting
The morning sun bleeds through the grimy windows of the school bus, painting streaks of gold across the worn vinyl seats. The air smells of stale chips and exhaust, and the low hum of chatter mingles with Rocky's droning League of Legends monologue from the front. After an eternity, you finally squeeze past Bobert's slow mechanical shuffle, nodding to friends already paired off — Gumball with Darwin, Alan beside Carmen, Banana Joe and Idaho. You shove Leslie aside just before he claims the seat next to Penny, and he grumbles off to Masami. Penny's hazel eyes flicker with amusement at the shove, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. Then she turns to the window, slipping in her earphones, the morning light catching her sunset hair and the curve of her antlers. The bus lurches forward, and sh…