I made this for the Summer of Pinecest Contest hosted by @pacific-ship. I’d like to thank her for motivating me to get off my lazy butt and write this story. I hope you all enjoy it.
A red, green and white radiance filled Mabels room, giving it a dimly lit warm feeling. Normally she had different string lights hanging in her room that included a variety of colors, but for the holidays she decided to decorate her room in accordance with the season. She took another look around her room, proud of how the decorations came out but feeling strangely foreign in this room.
She had only been at college for a semester, but so much had happened in that time that it felt like an eternity. She had met so many new people and made many new friends. Between college classes and other activities she was swamped. So much so that she even had trouble finding time to call Dipper every once in a while. Which made today all the more exciting.
Mabel had arrived home from college for winter break a few days earlier than Dipper, and had to find things to keep her occupied while she waited for him. After she had unpacked her things and settled back into her room, she decided to explore her old stomping ground. She had visited old friends from high school and greeted her neighbors. She visited an old park her and Dipper used to frequent with her friends and went sledding down one of the snow covered hills.
Back in her room, she heard the distinct sound of a car door slamming outside and quickly ran to the window. She peeked outside and saw a taxi pulling away, as well as the distinct figure of Dipper walking up the walkway to their house. She excitedly skipped into the hallway, downstairs and to the darkened front door.
She saw the doorknob turning and reached to open it and beat Dipper to the punch. She yanked the door open and Dipper's larger form came falling through with it. Both of them yelped as they collided and tumbled to the ground.
“What the- Mabel?” Dipper asked, startled.
Mabel giggled as Dipper climbed off of her and got to his knees. He stood up and helped her up as well. Mabel reached through the darkness of the foyer to find the lightswitch and flipped it on. Both her and Dipper flinched as their eyes adjusted to the light.
Mabel looked at Dipper, and as his face came into focus, Mabel noticed that something was off. It was different than when she had last seen it. It took her a few seconds to realize. Atop Dipper's lip sat a big, bushy chevron mustache.
Mabel couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her jaw fell open and she gawked at him for a few seconds. Dipper looked back at her, clearly feeling suddenly self conscious. He gave a bashful smile in response.
“Hey Mabel.” He said.
Mabel burst out laughing. She couldn’t control herself as she backed into the wall behind her and slid to the floor. She wrapped her arms around herself as she was overcome with laughter and felt a stitch in her side.
After what felt like an eternity, her laughing died down and she looked back up at Dipper. His arms were folded in front of himself, and the lower half of his beet red face was tucked into the neck of his sweater, effectively hiding his mustache.
“Well… I thought it looked good.” He grumbled, clearly embarrassed.
“Nooo, nooo! It’s great!” She assured him, trying hard to stifle a laugh.
“Oh, please.” He said, starting to sound a bit annoyed.
“No, seriously. I’m not being sarcastic.” She stood up and walked close to him. “It’s cute.” She said as she lightly brushed it with her fingers. “It’s like a fuzzy little caterpillar.”
Dipper sighed, clearly this was not the reception he was expecting.
“Well let’s put it to the test. Bring it in for a kiss.” Said Mabel. Tapping a finger to her lips.
“Okay…” Dipper said, sounded slightly uplifted at the prospect of finally being able to kiss his girlfriend that he’s missed for so long.
They came close and kissed, just as they had countless times before.
Mabel jumped away with a yelp, rubbing her top lip. “Ow. You stabbed me.” She whined.
Dipper let out a noise that was a mixture of a sigh and a groan. “Fine. I’ll go shave it.”
Mabel grabbed his sleeve as he turned to walk upstairs and held him still. “Nooo, come on, one more time. I’m sure it’ll be better this time.” Mabel said, still trying to not laugh at the humor of the situation.
Dipper stared at her. His face wore an expression of clear embarrassment and exhaustion. With one foot on the first step of the staircase, he looked upstairs, then back down at Mabel giving her best puppy eyes
“One more time.” He relented. He took his foot off the steps and turned to face Mabel again. He quickly combed and straightened out his mustache with his fingers to try to reduce the odds of stabbing her again.
They came close again, this time being extra careful during the kiss. It was slower, and thankfully without any stabbing. This time Mabel was actually able to enjoy the kiss, and she realized just how much she missed this. The last time they kissed was just before leaving for college a few short months ago, but in that time she could already feel herself having withdrawals.
They broke apart and Mabel wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against him.
“Feeling better?” Mabel cood to him.
“Yeah. A little…” He really did sound better. Mabel cupped his face in her hand, running her thumb across his jawline, taking a moment to admire his facial hair. It really was a good mustache. It was fuller than she thought he was capable of, and surprisingly well groomed. This may actually grow on her. Figuratively.
“You look like dad.” Mabel added.
Dipper chuckled. “Okay, don’t make this any weirder than it already is.”
Mabel giggled. “Come here.” She pulled him close and kissed him again. “No go put your stuff away,” Mabel shoo’d him toward the steps. “Mom and dad will be home any minute.
Dinner that night was almost just as awkward as the kissing debacle. The Pines family all sat around the table, eating their food in near silence as they all stole obvious glances at Dipper's mustache.
He pretended not to notice, trying to start conversations to draw attention away from his face. He asked about what they had done since he and Mabel left, how Mabel’s classes were, and trying to talk about his own experiences. But the conversations were always short lived.
Mabel looked back and forth between Dipper and their father. The similarities between their mustaches were simultaneously uncanny and comical.
“Saving that for later?” The twin’s father asked when Dipper had a piece of broccoli stuck above his lip.
Dipper stretched his lip out in search of what his father was referring to, swiping at the hair in search of the particles of food. The rest of the family laughed as he did so.
Dipper sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Only joshing you.” The Pines father said.
“Yeah…” Dipper said.
“I think he looks handsome.” Mabel said from beside him.
Dipper peeked over to her and smiled. “Well, I guess that’s enough of a reason to keep it.”
I got the idea to this story from artwork by the talented @3three-question-marks. I’d also like to thank @pacific-ship for her amazing help beta reading this story for me. Enjoy!
A cold breeze came flowing into the attic of the Mystery Shack as Dipper cracked the door slightly and quickly slid his way through. “Close the door, hurry!” Mabel commanded from her bed.
“Okay, okay!” Dipper said as he fidgeted with the door. The handle wasn’t working correctly, so after a few failed attempts to close the door by turning the knob and pushing it, he decided to forcefully barge his shoulder into it, causing it to jam shut.
He turned around to see Mabel sitting at the head of her bed. She was sitting up, legs crossed as she cupped the lantern between their bed with gloved hands. “My fingers are cold.” She whimpered dramatically.
Dipper brought his hands up to his face, balling them into fists and twisting them next to his eyes with a sad face in a non verbal ‘boo hoo.’ Mabel gasped in response, and Dipper just barely had enough time to duck as a pillow came flying over his head.
“Hey!” He shouted. Mabel smirked back at him.
“Could you toss that back to me?” She asked in her overly gentle voice she used when she asked for something.
“What? You really think I’m gonna give it back?”
Mabel flickered her eyelashes and smiled innocently. “Please?”
Dipper groaned. He paused for a moment as he thought. “What if I don’t?” He asked boldly.
“You will.” Mabel said with a smirk. Dipper raised his eyebrows as a challenge, and Mabel raised hers right back. Their impromptu staring contest stretched on for a moment before Dipper groaned again.
“Ugh. Fine.” He picked up the pillow and tossed it back to her. She caught it and hugged it snuggly to her chest.
“Thanks, Dip.”
“Don’t mention it.” He sat down on his bed and took off his outer coat. Mabel went back to cupping the lantern for warmth.
Winter in Gravity Falls was a whole different ball game than Piedmont. The twins knew this when they prepared for winter break in Gravity Falls by packing lots of cold weather clothes, but this was ridiculous. Soos had installed insulation during renovations to the shack, but it was still freezing cold.
To make matters worse, the heating to the shack had broken just before the twins arrived, so they had spent the entire first week of their trip doing whatever they could just to keep warm. They usually didn’t hang around the shack unless they were working. Instead, they’d go somewhere warmer, like the Gravity Falls public library or Greasy’s Diner. Anywhere to get out of the cold.
Unfortunately for them they couldn’t do that today. A massive blizzard had blown through town, and they had been snowed in, hardly able to even leave the shack. They had to find a way to stay warm. They were pleased to find a decent source of heat from the old, beat up wood furnace in the kitchen. The twins sat next to it and occasionally fed it wood during their game of cards.
At first it wasn’t very strong, so they had to sit next to it in winter clothing to keep warm, but by the end of the day they managed to warm the entire kitchen. They even had to take off their outer layers to keep from sweating. But of course, it couldn’t last, and soon the time came to sleep.
At first they thought about sleeping in the kitchen. They tried to lay out their sleeping bags, but it just wasn’t comfortable. Eventually they gave up and resigned to the freezing attic. Now here they were, desperately trying to keep warm.
”Jeez. It’s so cold up here. I’ve got no idea how we’re going to get any sleep.” Dipper grumbled. Mabel looked around the room at their beds and covers.
“Well Dip, I’ve got a fantabulous idea!” She grabbed her pillow and blanket before standing up and skipping excitedly across the room until she stood next to his bed. “Cuddle time!”
“O-okay.” He unfolded his arms from around his chest and scooted back on the bed to make room for her before extending his arms as if to greet her with a hug.
“Wait, what?” Mabel was thrown for a loop.
“What about what?”
“Just like that?”
“Just like what?”
“Usually you do that whole, ‘ugh Mabel I don’t wanna cuddle with you cause we’re way too old for that’ act, but I totally know you actually do wanna cuddle and you’re just faking it cause you wanna seem ‘grown up’ and all, then I gotta sweet talk you into it, then we cuddle and you pretend to not like it but I know you totally like it. So what gives? What’s the deal? You luring me into a trap or something? Gonna prank me?” She jokingly raised her fists in a defensive posture. Mostly jokingly.
Dipper sat in silence for a moment. His arms had lowered and his hands had fallen into his lap during Mabel’s rapid fire spiel. Mabel was ready for some sort of witty response. Instead, Dipper extended his arms out to Mabel again. “Please, Mabel. I’m so cold.”
Mabel was overwhelmed with sympathy and lowered her fists. She felt slightly guilty that she would think he would try to trick her. “Aw jeez, Dip. You’re such a cutie. I can’t say no to you.” She sat down on the bed next to him and they embraced each other.
It was nice to lay down next to Dipper, but it didn’t feel like they were actually cuddling with all these layers on. She wanted to actually feel his warmth. “Hey Dip, take your coat off.”
“What? Why?”
“Cause this isn’t real cuddling. I need skin contact!” She whined.
“But isn’t the whole point of this to stay warm?”
“Skin contact!”
“Okay, fine! Crybaby.” He grumbled.
“Fine then! With that attitude I’ll just go back to my own bed.” She started to get up, but was quickly stopped when Dipper wrapped her in a hug.
“No! Please, Mabel, I was joking! I’m sorry!” She chuckled as she sat back down.
“Yes ma’am.” Dipper replied as he took off his coat.
They laid their coats on top of themselves to provide an extra layer from the cold. They cuddled close and wrapped their arms around each other, pressing their bodies together and snaking their arms around each other. Mabel breathed a comfortable sigh of relief. Much better.
She had to admit that they were getting a bit too old for this. Or rather, too big. They were in their sophomore year of highschool, but thankfully were still able to fit on a single twin bed together.
Several minutes passed in blissful silence. Their breathing became steady and slow, and soon Mabel began dozing off into sleep. Unfortunately, her dozing was interrupted by Dipper shifting away from her. The gap between them left room for the cold air, which to Mabel, felt comparable to a cold bucket of water being dumped on her legs.
She quickly shifted closer to Dipper to close the gap between them and was satisfied by the warmth she found. She barely breathed a sigh of relief before Dipper shifted further away again. Mabel was especially annoyed once she realized he was keeping his distance intentionally.
“Diiiip, where are you going? Get back here bro!” Mabel whined. She tugged on him to draw him back to her, but he continued to resist her.
“N-no I don’t think we should get that cl-” Mabel linked her hands behind his back and pulled so that they collided together. He let out a high pitched squeak, squirmed out of her grasp and scurried away. But it was too late. In the short time that they were together, Mabel felt something brush against her thigh. Something warm, swollen and hard. She didn’t understand at first, but after a moment of eye contact with Dipper's flushed and embarrassed face, it dawned on her what was happening.
“Oh.”
“Ah jeez!” Dipper backed up so far he banged his head against the wall. He held his head where it hit and clenched his eyes shut. “I’m sorry, Mabel, I shouldn’t ha-”
“Dip!” She interrupted. He went silent and peeked up at her. She didn’t know how she was feeling about this exactly, but she did know she didn’t want to hear Dipper apologizing right now. She wasn’t offended, that was for sure, and she wasn’t angry. At the most she was a bit shocked, but she was more curious than anything else.
“Why… why is it… I mean… why?”
“W-what?”
Mabel took a moment to collect herself before trying to form an actual question. “I mean… I know why it’s like that but… what’s causing it?”
Dippers face was continuing to get redder by the second. He opened and closed his mouth a few times with no words coming out before he finally spoke. “Are we really talking about this?”
“Dip! You don’t need to-” She took a breath to dial herself back and remember the kind of state he was in. “You don’t need to be ashamed. I’m not angry or anything. I swear. Just be honest.”
”Well… you really… I mean… sorry, it’s freezing out and I guess cuddling with a pretty girl really made my body… react.”
“Oh…” Was all Mabel said before they fell back into silence. Mabel tapped her fingers together while Dipper rubbed his face in shame. ”You think I’m pretty?” she asked after a long pause.
Dipper gave an embarrassed laugh at that. The question caught him so off guard that he thought she was joking at first. It wasn’t until he looked up and saw the hurt and confusion on her face that he realized she was serious.
The smile disappeared from his face. She was trying to keep her face inscrutable, but Dipper saw the fear hiding behind her eyes. She looked so vulnerable, and he had laughed at her. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but he could tell she was hurt by him laughing. “Of course. You’re the one who’s always bragging about how cute you are.”
“Yeah I know that but… do you think I’m pretty?” Dipper looked down at the sheets at that, and even through the darkness Mabel could see a red tinge on his cheeks. He stayed like that for probably half a minute, silently considering what to say, hoping the darkness was concealing his embarrassment.
“Y-yeah.” He said it like a guilty man confessing to a crime.
She could tell she was blushing from that. She didn’t realize she had such an effect on Dipper. Mabel thought he was cute when he was embarrassed. But boner or not, she wanted to cuddle again.
“Well can we maybe… get back to cuddling?” Mabel asked.
“Y-you still wanna cuddle? Even after… even with my…” He gestured down to his crotch area, blushing even more than he already was.
“Yes Dip, I’m sure of it. Like you said; your body and mind are all out of whack, which is fine. So stop being weird.” She gave him a bright smile and poked him in the shoulder in an attempt to dispel the awkwardness.
He shrugged awkwardly. “O-okay, I guess.” He laid down on his side and lifted the blanket so that Mabel could join him, which she did with an enthusiastic smile and a light giggle. She wrapped him in a hug and nuzzled into his side. After several minutes they got back into a gentle rhythm of breathing.
Mabel felt safe and secure in his arms, just like she had before the whole awkward cuddling boner situation unfolded. Speaking of which, she could still feel tension in his pajamas, a clear hint that it hasn’t gone away yet. Not that she minded, it’s not like he could control it.
She thought again about what he had said, ‘cuddling with a pretty girl…’ She felt butterflies flutter in her stomach at the memory of those words. His words were so simple, yet so genuine. She could tell that he meant it.
She turned her head up to look at him, and found him looking down at her. His eyes were different. There was an intense energy behind them that she couldn’t name, but it made her butterflies flap even harder. The feeling of comfort mixed with nervousness inside Mabel.
He was handsome, she thought. She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek as he did the same for her, rubbing a thumb across her jaw and making her skin tingle.
They were staring each other in the eyes, briefly flickering their gazes down to each other's lips.
”Hey dudes! I got the heat fixed!” They suddenly heard Soos call up the stairs and his footsteps coming closer.
They briefly shared a look of terror before Mabel lunged to her bed, almost tripping on the blankets. She was sitting on her bed when the door creaked open and Soos peeked in.
”Hey dudes, I fixed the heat- woah! What happened?”
It was at this moment that Mabel realized how they looked. They were both red in the face and breathing heavily. Dipper was on his bed with both their blankets and Mabel was sitting on her bed awkwardly.
”You okay dude?” He asked Mabel. “You look red as a tomato.”
”Yeah, I’m fine. Just… hot.” She said as she glanced toward Dipper.
”Really?” Soos sounded puzzled. “Well if that’s the case then I guess I’ll just leave the heat off-”
“No! No!” The twins interrupted, causing Soos to jump.
“Sorry… please keep it on.” Dipper said more calmly.
Soos looked between the two of them with a mixture of suspicion and confusion. “........You got it dudes!” He said before closing the door. His footsteps soon disappeared down the stairs.
The twins looked at one another. A million thoughts ran through their heads about what just happened, and what could have happened if they were caught doing what they were just doing. Soos probably wouldn’t think anything of it. They hugged, held hands and sat side by side on the couch all the time. But this was different, there was something more to what they just shared. Mabel thought. Or hoped.
It started off as a giggle between them, but soon they were both laughing heartily, the noise bouncing around the attic and neither of them could contain themselves. Soon it died down and everything was silent again. They stared at each other for a moment before averting their gaze. Mabel felt the cold grip of embarrassment as she wrung her hands. She had no idea what to say.
“Hey.” She looked up to see him toss her blanket over to her and she caught it just in time. She spread the blanket around her bed and laid back, then looked up to see Dipper laying on his back and smoothing out his sheets and pillow. He stopped and looked over at her.
He had a gentle smile on his face that perfectly communicated how he felt, and she knew they felt the exact same way: There was something more behind what they just shared. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it was something deeply personal and intimate. And they were both totally cool with it. That made Mable’s insides goey for some reason.
“Goodnight, Mabel.”
“Goodnight, Dipper. I love you.” Every muscle in Mabel’s body tensed as she realized what she had just said. She sat motionlessly in terrified silence, wondering why she said that. Then she wondered why something she had said thousands of times suddenly felt so different. It felt as though an eternity had passed before Dipper's response came.
“I love you too, Mabel.” Her horror evaporated in a second. The icy grip of embarrassment was suddenly replaced with a gooey warmth that made her face hot and built pressure in her stomach. She wondered why something she’d heard constantly from him was suddenly turning her into such a nervous, sweaty mess. She had no clue why anything this evening had happened the way it did. All she knew was that she was in way over her head.
Uh oh.
===
===
The attic was warm. Well, warmer.
Mabel lies alone in her bed. She had shed her winter clothes and changed into her pajamas. There was no need now that the heating was fixed.
She was so glad to finally have a sanctuary from the frigid cold. Now they didn’t have to loiter somewhere just to stay warm. But she couldn’t feel totally at ease. She was warm enough to sleep, but she didn’t feel comfortable enough to sleep. Tonight felt incomplete, like she had unfinished business.
She laid on her side, looking at her brother. Her eyes were barely open, just a sliver as she stared at him through the darkness. He was still in his pajamas, his orange nightshirt. He was laying with his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling, seeming to be in deep thought.
She wanted so badly to be in his arms again and feel his warmth.
Mabel always thought it was cute when he made his thinking face when he didn’t think anyone was looking. The way his eyebrows would furrow and he would have a focused look in his eyes and his nose would scrunch slightly. This could be caused by any range of emotions, this time he seemed anxious.
He looked over at her, and she quickly shut her eyes. “Mabel. Mabel, are you awake?” He asked. She stayed silent. She didn’t want to talk. She was still shaken by what happened earlier, and they haven’t spoken since. She knew that any conversation they had would inevitably lead to it, and she had no idea what to say. She felt so awkward, something she rarely felt, and she hated every time she felt it.
She heard him shift slightly and could tell that he went back to staring at the ceiling. She slowly cracked her eyes open again, and saw that he had. Suddenly she felt a tickle in her nose. It was growing fast, and she couldn’t stop it before she inhaled and let out a quick sneeze.
There was a moment of silence and Mabel shut her eyes again. No doubt Dipper was looking at her. She was waiting for him to go back to looking at the ceiling so she could—
“You know it’s physically impossible to sneeze while sleeping, right?” Mabel could hear the grin on Dipper's face. Mabel cursed herself internally. Was that true? Is he just trying to trick her? Dangit Dipper!
Mabel groaned as she propped herself up on her pillow to make eye contact with him. “Ugh, jeez. You’re such a dork. Why do you know so much useless garbage.”
“It’s not useless if it came in handy, is it?” Dipper said, still smiling.
“Ugh, mega dork!”
They stared at each other for a little. Not breaking eye contact other than to blink. Dipper’s cocky grin had faded, and now his eyes seemed to be full of questions he was too afraid to ask. Mabel was sure she probably looked the same. But it wasn’t just that. There was something else in his eyes. Something powerful. Something she had only ever seen earlier when they were cuddling during their brief eye contact. It scared her.
“Can’t sleep?” Dipper broke the silence.
“Nope.”
“Still cold? I could give you my jacke—”
“No it’s not that.” Mabel felt her insides tingle at his concern. Gosh he’s such a sweetheart. “Just… lonely…” She said vaguely.
Dipper scoffed lightly. “Lonely? I’m right here!”
“Yeah, aaaaall the way over there.” Dippers eyebrows raised slightly. He seemed to understand, but didn’t say anything. He was silent for a moment, clearly thinking. He seemed nervous about whatever he was mulling about in his mind.
“Want to… come over? We could have a sleepover?”
Her smile spread into a grin and her heart began beating faster again. “Y-yes… I’d love that!” Her face erupted with a huge smile and Dipper’s face mirrored her in turn.
Wrapping herself in her blanket, she journeyed across the creaking wooden floor to Dipper’s bed. He scooted away closer to the wall to make space for her before she laid down next to him. She curled right into his chest and they intertwined their legs so just about every part of them was touching.
Whatever questions or worries they had could wait for another time. But for now, they could enjoy each other's warmth.
Thanks to @3three-question-marks for beta reading this and helping me name it.
The pitter patter of rain and low volume pop music filled the Pines twins' car as they drove along Route 97 northward to Oregon. Dipper was hunched over the wheel staring hypnotized out the windshield as Mabel rested leaned back in the passenger seat with her eyes closed.
They started off the road trip, like all road trips between them, with high energy, singing along to pop songs and eating snacks they picked up at a gas station on the outskirts of Piedmont. They packed their things the night before and excitedly left immediately after getting home from school. Now though, several hours into the trip, they were both beginning to feel exhausted. Dipper was sure the sun had set by now, and it was pitch black because of the overcast.
They passed a familiar sign, and Dipper got in the right lane to prepare to take the exit. The steep turn seemed to wake Mabel from her half sleep. She sat up and took a deep breath as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
A few minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store they went to every trip to Gravity Falls. It was more than halfway there, but far enough that they unusually considered eating at a nearby restaurant before finishing their trip.
Dipper put the car in park before sitting back in his seat. He rubbed his eyes as well and turned to see Mabel looking at him. They maintained that sort of tired eye contact for a few seconds before reaching out and holding hands. Mabel smiled as Dipper rubbed small circles with his thumb over her knuckles. She leaned in and gave him a long, tender kiss on the cheek, followed by another kiss on the lips.
”Be sure to get some condoms.” She said. Dipper's eyes widened slightly and he chuckled lightly. Hearing her say that with such nonchalance stirred his insides and made him excited. Sometimes he really liked how blunt she could be when she was tired.
“Sure.” He let go of her hand and went to unbuckle his seatbelt but stopped suddenly. “Hold on…” He said, voice suddenly stressed. “We need to go in separately. And don’t stand too close to me. I don’t want anyone asking if we’re related.”
“Ugh.” Mabel rolled her eyes. “Jeez Dip,” She moaned tiredly. “no need to be so paranoid. We’ve been through this place tons of times.”
”But never as a couple! I just don’t want anyone getting suspicious. Humor me, please?” He tried to pull off his best puppy eyes.
Mabel laughed and sighed. “Alright.”
Dipper’s posture relaxed slightly. “Thank you.” He kissed her hand again with a smile.
“In exchange,” Mabel said. “Promise we’ll get ice cream at one of these fast food joints before we get back on the highway?” She asked innocently.
“I dunno, Mabes.” Dipper said hesitantly. “You’ll be bouncing off the walls till sunrise. I’m not sure if it’s a good ide—”
“Pleeease?” Mabel interrupted, giving her own puppy eyes and puckering her lip. Dipper couldn’t handle it.
“Arg! Fine! Damn, Mabel. Why do you have to do that to me?”
“Cause I’m just so darn cute. And bee-tee-doubleyew, Dip. THAT is how you do puppy eyes. Not,” She scrunched her face into a gross sort of wrinkly scowl as an imitation of his attempt at puppy eyes.
“That is not how I was doing it! I’m way cuter than that!”
“Yeah, you are.” Mabel said. “Now get going.”
They went in one at a time. Dipper made sure to spend a bit of time getting various snacks before discreetly grabbing a pack of condoms. Mabel had walked in shortly after, not paying as much attention to how discrete she was being, instead just focused on getting what she needed.
Dipper walked to the counter, casting his eyes downward to avoid the gaze of the teenager behind the register. He placed the pack of condoms on the counter along with a few snacks, making sure to make as little eye contact as possible.
”Do you have a rewards card?” The boy asked as he scanned a bag of chips.
”No.” Dipper said quickly. The cashier scanned all of the snacks first. Sweat formed on Dippers forehead as he looked down at the pack of condoms sitting alone on the counter. The cashier picked it up and carefully inspected it for what felt like far too long to Dipper. He adjusted his hat so that the brim almost completely covered his eyes. The cashier finally found the bar code and scanned it, placing it in a bag with the snacks. Dipper handed him a twenty dollar bill.
”Opening one tonight?” The cashier asked suddenly. Dipper’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest. His heart rate soared and his cheeks flared. Was he really asking that? Why would a stranger ask someone that? Maybe he was trying to be chummy in a way some guys he knew in school do. Did he notice Mabel? Had they been that obvious? Of course they were being too obvious! They were the only two in the store! How could he not have seen this coming?
He had no idea what to say. Several questions flew through his mind in an instant. How should he respond? Should he laugh it off? Should he tell him off? ‘That’s my sister, you perv!’ No, he shouldn’t. What if he asks any follow up questions about Mabel and asks her a question when she comes up to the counter and they don’t have their stories straight? What if he mentions him in a conversation to someone who knows someone who knows someone who is friends with the twins.
Was he going to open one tonight?
He turned around and looked back at Mabel, who was browsing a shelf of birthday cards, giggling adorably at one that sang a song when she opened it.
“Uh… maybe.” He said as he turned back to the cashier. There was a moment of silence between the two of them as they made an awkward prolonged eye contact. The boy's face was blank, but it slowly twisted into a look of confusion. He had no playful demeanor about him, which worried Dipper even more. Was this guy a cop? Were there dozens of cops in a van outside waiting to storm this place and arrest him and Mabel for something?
Dipper waited with bated breath as the boy opened his mouth to speak.
”Do you want a rewards card?” Dipper was silent.
That was what he was talking about? God damn, Dipper wanted to slap himself across the face.
”Yes.” He said quickly. The boy reached out and handed him a card and the change from the twenty, which he quickly grabbed and muttered a quick ‘thank you’ as he fast walked, or nearly ran, out of the store.
He sprinted through the parking lot and sat in the driver's seat, leaning on the wheel and breathing as fast as he could to supply oxygen to his rapidly beating heart. He looked at the store card in his hands. He didn’t want a rewards card! Why did he say that? That was so stupid! He repeatedly hit his head on the wheel. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Only a minute or two passed when Mabel sat down in the passenger seat next to him. She closed the door and laughed as she dug through her bag of snacks. She opened a pack of gummy koalas and popped a few in her mouth. “Ha! You should have seen those birthday cards, Dip. There was one with a dancing cactus that was super adora-woah! What’s wrong, broseph?” She asked after seeing the state Dipper was in.
He shook his head as he wordlessly turned the keys and put the car in reverse. He pulled out of the parking lot and back onto the highway before he was calm enough to speak again.
Here’s a story I’ve been sitting on for a while that I finally got around to finishing. Hope you all like it.
The sharp noise of an alarm clock pierced the morning silence, repeating three times before being tapped off. Cassie was already awake. She had woken up five minutes before her alarm clock went off, but decided to grant herself a few extra minutes of laziness before she started her day.
She took a deep intake of breath through her nose before jumping up out of bed. She quickly rushed through her morning routine and went through a mental checklist to prepare for the day. She was sure to be quiet as she got ready since the rest of her family was still asleep. The sun hadn’t even risen by the time she was out the door.
Saddling her bike, she clipped her helmet on and began her trip to the Trenton fire department.
She had been volunteering as a firefighter since the moment she turned sixteen several months ago. Her parents were initially skeptical, but after seeing just how passionate she was about it, they were fully supportive of her. She was volunteering as a firefighter, but was also trained in basic life saving, so she could operate with medical teams in an ambulance, should the need arise.
She knew the experience she was getting now would open up a lot of doors for her later on. Once she graduated highschool she planned on moving out to Oregon and working as a wildland firefighter, making regular visits to Gravity Falls anytime she wanted. It was an absolute dream!
Cassie was enrolled in a dual enrollment program that allowed her to attend community college at no cost and receive both high school and college credits for her classes. She wasn’t a fantastic student, but she was a hard worker. Anything she found herself lacking in, she would fight tooth and nail to catch up. That aside, she was pretty good about not getting overwhelmed by the classes. On her current track, she expected to graduate high school with an associates degree.
School often bored her, except for history, which she found a natural interest in. Much of it really seemed like busywork to her, but she understood that it still needed to be done.
Her parents valued academics very highly, and were apprehensive about her adventuring after highschool, instead urging her to at least complete her studies first.
Sure, she still had other dreams and aspirations for things she wanted to accomplish later on, such as getting her degree, she assured them. There will be plenty of time for her to go to college and study for whatever job she wants later. But right now she is young, and craving adventure!
Locking her bike outside the rescue station, Cassie walked to the front door where she was greeted by the night staff who buzzed her in.
She put away her bag and personal belongings before going to the garage to start on the equipment check while the rest of the morning crew arrived. She opened the door to one of the ambulances to find a man in a navy blue uniform facing away from her as he dug through a duffle bag of supplies.
“Hey McCleskey.” She greeted.
The man jumped at her intrusion and bumped his head on a low hanging cabinet. “Ow, damn!” He cursed and brought a hand to the back of his head to rub the point of impact.
“Hey Killer Cassie!” He said cheerfully as he turned around to face her. “I started on the equipment check already. Ready to take on the day?”
“You bet!” Cassie responded with panache.
McCleskey chuckled. He took off his cap and ran a hand through his graying hair. “Heh. Jeez Cass. I never met someone your age willing to wake up this early on a saturday to do such a shitty job without pay.”
Cassie blew a raspberry. “What are you talkin’ bout? I love this job!”
McCleskey Chuckled. “Oh sweet summer child. Just wait until you’re scaping puke off the walls.”
“Oh please, I’ve cleaned up puke plenty of times!”
“No, I know. But there's a quantifiable amount of puke you have to clean up before you start to get really fed up with it. You’ll get there someday.” Cassie giggled at that. McCleskey smiled. “Alright now. Best be gettin’ about yer duties.” He said in a pirate accent.
“Aye aye, cap’n.” Cassie said as she saluted him.
“Oh almost forgot… “ McCleskey said as he pointed to a box on the small counter. “The AED is out of battery. Mind fetching me a fresh one?”
“Can do.” Cassie said as she walked off in search of a battery.
The rest of the morning crew had arrived by the time they finished the equipment and function check. After they took attendance and relieved the night crew, they sat around and waited.
This was the part of the job Cassie wasn’t too fond of. Sitting around and waiting for something to happen. Sometimes they would go an entire shift with nothing happening. When they did get calls, many of them turned out to be nothing. Someone thinking they ingested poison really just had an upset stomach. When they got a call for a building fire, it was really just a bag of popcorn that someone overcooked.
When they did get a good call, Cassie was reminded of why she loved it. She loved the thrill she got when she brought a man back from cardiac arrest with a defibrillator. Or the time she put out a roaring fire when a car had crashed into a fuel pump at a gas station.
Until the time came for a call, however, she would be stuck waiting in the lounge area, watching the clock tick.
Thankfully she had plenty of schoolwork to fill her time.
She was so focused on her work that she didn’t realize an hour had passed before they got their first call. The tone blared and the red lights on the ceiling lit up. Cassie felt her adrenalin start to key up as she grabbed her jacket and sprinted to the ambulance alongside McCleskey.
“What’ve we got?” Asked Cassie.
“OB call. ALS is already on scene.”
Obstetrics call. Cassie had never responded to one of those. This was definitely gonna be a cool call.
They turned on their lights and sirens as they dashed down the street toward the address. Cars cleared the way, and Cassie could feel herself getting more excited as she fidgeted in her seat.
Once they arrived at a large apartment complex, she got the go-bag out of the back and hurried inside alongside McCleskey. They rode the elevators up and walked down the hall to the room they were told, and were greeted by a paramedic already inside.
McCleskey spoke with the paramedic to catch up to speed on the situation while Cassie walked into the other room to find a young EMT next to a large pregnant woman lying on a bed.
McCleskey and the paramedic entered the room.
“So what’s the word? How can I help?”
“‘Help?’” The paramedic asked. “This is a BLS skill. You can do it yourself!” He said with a wide, almost sadistic grin.
The back of her neck went cold and the color drained from her face. She turned to McCleskey, looking for an answer. Hoping the paramedic was joking.
“Don’t look at me.” McCleskey said with a smirk. “You need the experience. Now get your OB kit.”
A moment later, Cassie stood in the middle of the apartment in a full kit. Goggles, face mask, plastic apron and gloves.
“Okay… okay I got this…” She whispered to herself as she inhaled deeply.
It started off pretty easy. It was just like the textbooks she studied. But once the baby started to crown she could see the amniotic sac hadn't broken. She gently tore it apart with her fingers and immediately got splashed with a wave of fluid. She used her gloved thumb to wipe away a thick layer of liquid obstructing her vision as a shiver ran up her spine. Gross.
She is usually good with gross stuff but this is beyond gross. She was getting sprayed with blood and various fluids she couldn’t name, trying her best to stay focused all the while the mother writhed in pain. She communicated occasionally with the other medical professionals in the room as they assisted with various parts of the delivery, but for the most part she was entirely focused on her job.
After several long hours, Cassie could tell the delivery was nearing its end. Once the baby's shoulders passed through, the rest quickly slid out easily, where Cassie was waiting to catch it with a towel.
All she felt was excited, but the excitement from her adrenalin rush began to wear off when she realized something. The baby isn’t crying. The baby isn’t breathing. Her adrenalin keyed up a hundred times higher than it was before. Her mind went completely blank. Seconds stretched into hours as she waited for the baby to breathe. Part of her still had the sense to dig through her mind and remember what she was trained to do in this case. She pulled down her mask and took a slow, deep breath before forcefully blowing out onto the baby’s face. Suddenly the sound of crying filled the room and Cassie felt more relieved than she did in her entire life.
Feeling relieved, she took a moment to look down at the baby in her arms. She realized with an odd amazement that she is the first person to ever hold this baby. Her mind continued to wander as she realized her parents were around her age when they had her. They had been through this entire crazy situation before and held her for the first time, just as she was now holding this baby. She could hardly fathom the amount of responsibility thrusted upon two people who were essentially still children. She knew that, were this her child in her arms, she would feel woefully unprepared.
”Pines!” She was suddenly snapped from her thoughts and remembered where she was. She looked around, suddenly self-conscious as she realized the whole room was staring at her.
“Sorry!” She said. With the help of the other’s, they wiped the baby down and cut the umbilical cord, making sure to check the baby’s airway wasn’t blocked by mucus. Once they were sure the baby was okay, they handed it to the mother, who was crying as she had been stabbed. And bleeding likewise.
They put the woman on a gurney and brought her downstairs to the ambulance, then transported her to the hospital.
On the drive back to the station, Cassie was in shock. Her jaw hung open and she slumped back in her seat. She felt so dirty right now. Absolutely filthy. She wanted nothing more right now than to furiously scrub her entire top layer of skin off and submerge herself in a tub.
“Heh…” Her thoughts were interrupted by a laugh, and she turned to see McCleskey softly chuckling as he drove. “Jeez, Cassie. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that. Really, she didn’t want to. She was far too tired. It was just past noon, yet Cassie felt like she had the life sucked out of her.
“You did a good job today, Cassie. You should be proud of that.” He said as he pulled into the station and shut off the engine. “You should wash up and change into a clean uniform. I’ll get one of the rookies to sub for you while you’re gone.”
“Thanks.” Cassie said genuinely, barely an exhausted whisper. Cassie always knew McCleskey was looking after her, for which she was grateful. She would have to pay him back sometime. But for now, she needed a shower.
===
===
It was late at night when Cassie finally arrived home. All the lights were off and the house was dead quiet as she gently closed the door and hung up her rescue squad jacket. She took off her boots and placed them neatly by the floor next to the other shoes.
She tiptoed through the foyer to stay silent, only to stub her toe on some unseen object and grunt in frustration.
She had a brief moment of terror as she saw a large figure standing on the other side of the living room facing her. She quickly pulled back her arm and clenched a fist, ready to strike the figure, should it come any closer. Her fear quickly melted away as her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she realized it was her family sitting together on the couch. She breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her arm as her eyes adjusted further.
Her parents were leaning on each other, Mabel resting her head on Dipper’s shoulder as Connor sat between them, wrapped in a tight hug. Cassie gave a barely audible ‘aw’ at the endearing display before her. She pulled out her phone and made sure her flash was off before taking a picture.
She admired the scene for a few moments longer before picking Connor up and carrying him upstairs, laying a blanket over their parents before she went.
She carefully laid him down in bed before tucking him in.
She looked at Connor’s sleeping face, lightly brushing his hair with her fingers and just thinking about how much she loves this amazing kid. Though she felt very much at peace right now, part of her feels melancholy at the thought of him growing up. He won't always be the adorable little kid who loves running around in the rain during thunderstorms and playing in the mud. Building pillow forts with her when they got bored. She wouldn’t always be able to give him a piggyback ride or tuck him in and kiss him goodnight.
Cassie remembered the time he cut all the Marigolds from the pots hanging from the windows that she had been growing and made them into a pretty bouquet. She had been growing them for weeks, but for as frustrated as she was, it was such a sweet gesture and he was so excited to give them to her that she couldn’t bring herself to be mad. She was frustrated, and warned him not to do it again, but it was still cute.
Even for his young age, he could notice the small signs when she was upset. Sometimes she would come home from a long day of school or work. She didn’t want anyone to see her upset or frustrated, but Connor could tell.
She would sit down on the couch or lay down in her bed, staring at the ceiling and silently stewing in her thoughts. Without a word, he would walk over to her and sit down next to her. He would wrap her in a big hug and nuzzle into her side. Every time, she would always feel a little bit better.
He’s always been such a sweet boy. And absolutely adorable. With a cute shyness that made her heart melt.
She was definitely excited for the future. Moving out to Oregon would be the adventure she’s been waiting for her entire life, but she’s so nervous about what she might miss. She may miss a birthday or two of her family, only able to call and briefly say hi. She would miss Connor starting school and watching him learn and make new friends. Cassie gasped— she may miss him losing his first baby teeth! Oh gosh, she thought, she couldn’t miss that.
But she had to. She wanted so much to explore. And if she really wanted to she couldn’t let these things get in her way.
She wiped a tear forming in her eye and stood to turn off the light. This wasn’t the time to be upset. Connor was right here in front of her. She should instead be spending that time with him.
It’s already been such a long day, and she was excited for tomorrow. Sunday’s are usually her day off to spend with family or friends. But she already knew this week she was going to be Connor in whatever shenanigans he may be up to.
She gave him a goodnight kiss on the forehead, turned off his bedside lamp and left to her room.
She planted her backpack down by her desk, retrieved her books from it and placed them on her desk.
She took a deep breath and stretched her arms out before refocusing on the papers lying on her desk. She had better finish off this work if she wanted to spend tomorrow with Connor.
Sorry for doing this through your blog, I’m not comfy coming off anon, but: THANK YOU, jengis-morrangis, for the link! Super grateful! I tried the Wayback Machine but I guess I used it wrong. You rock! :)
@jengis-morrangis And yes, I also thank you.
I'll have to try to dig up the login info for the pines-fix2 account and add this drabble. The original author must have neglected adding it to their master fic list. I wonder if there are more that also got missed?
Thanks for the link. Unfortunately the fic I’m hunting for is not there. It WAS involving Soos; and there is a moment when he’s going to tell Stan what the twins were doing, then realizes Stan already knows; and he chooses to keep his mouth shut about the whole thing because he doesn’t want Stan to be hurt as a result of the twins being upset. Thank you all the same. :)
Huh. Well I know I reposted every single story that was in pines-fix's own list of fics. So either they neglected to include the story you remember on their own list, or (more likely) the story you are remembering was written by someone else.
To everyone reading this: does anyone have any memory of the story that Anon is describing? Because, as usual for me, I don't! LoL
Thanks for the link. Unfortunately the fic I’m hunting for is not there. It WAS involving Soos; and there is a moment when he’s going to tell Stan what the twins were doing, then realizes Stan already knows; and he chooses to keep his mouth shut about the whole thing because he doesn’t want Stan to be hurt as a result of the twins being upset. Thank you all the same. :)
Huh. Well I know I reposted every single story that was in pines-fix's own list of fics. So either they neglected to include the story you remember on their own list, or (more likely) the story you are remembering was written by someone else.
To everyone reading this: does anyone have any memory of the story that Anon is describing? Because, as usual for me, I don't! LoL
Do you know where I can find a fic where Dipper receives an HJ underwater while he and the gang is in a hot tub?At first he thinks it's Wendy but then realizes it's Mabel in the end.
I appreciate that I am again being called upon as an authority for remembering old Pinecest fics. But once again I have failed. If I have ever read a fic with this premise, I have no memory of it at all.
Once more I call on anyone who follows me to help out an Anon. Thanks in advance!
Father’s Day can be very eventful for someone like Dipper Pines.
*
(So this fic is a companion piece to Happy Uncle’s Day. Whereas that earlier story was told from Cassie’s point of view, this is the same day as experienced by Dipper. As with all my stories, it is not necessary that you have read any of my previous stories, but you will probably get more out of this one if you’re familiar with what I’ve written before in the “Unexpected AU”.)
This story contains NSFW Pinecest, over 15K words. Thanks to my friends @pinestimes2 and @yaschiri for the beta reads, and to my excellent buddy “MRH” for suggesting this idea and providing valuable feedback for the entire time I wrote this. You folks are awesome!
I decided to write a story based on @edward-or-ford’s Unexpected au. This is my first entry into the Unexpected au but it will certainly not be the last.
I got this idea after reading his fic We’re a Family. Sad angsty Dipper ahead.
In the end it was for the best. But that didn’t make it hurt any less.
Mabel met Jody one day at the hobby store when he was looking for a gift to give to his younger cousin. They had only been talking for a few minutes when he asked her out on a date. A few nights later they went out together.
Their parents loved Jody. Not that it would be very hard for them to approve of any boy that wasn’t Dipper. They invited him to dinner one night and their parents were absolutely charmed by him.
He was stunningly smooth, even Dipper had to admit. He was very smart, funny, energetic and sociable. A perfect match for someone like Mabel.
He was only a few years older than the twins, but seemed to really have his life together. He had just gotten his college degree, had several job offers already lined up and had a promising career ahead of him.
At first Dipper thought it was all an act to throw their parents off. To convince them that they truly had no feelings for each other and they could go back to being normal siblings again. That was, until he saw the way she looked at Jody. It was a smile like any other she gave Dipper ever since they realized their feelings were mutual.
It terrified him.
Their parents invited Jody over for dinner every week and every week Dipper would sit across the table from him and pretend to be happy. The entire time he felt like he was grinding his teeth to powder.
The weeks turned into months and they continued to meet whenever they could. Dipper always thought that soon she would break it off, but as time marched on he became more frustrated. He hated the fact that he didn’t have any reason to hate Jody. He was kind to Mabel. He knew how to make her smile just as Dipper had. He was good looking and their parents loved him. But most of all, he adored Cassie and was it was clear he was willing to fill the role of father she so desperately needed.
One night during dinner, Mabel appeared to be restless. Fidgeting in her seat, wringing her hands together. She was clearly anxious, but no one called attention to it.
They finished their meal, each doing their part in cleaning dishes, putting away leftovers. Everyone was waiting for her to speak, the air was thick with tension. Once they were finished, she said she had an announcement.
“Sooo Jody and I have been talking,” She began with a nervous smile. “He’s moving up to Massachusetts for his new job soon, and he said he wanted me to move in with him!”
Dipper felt like he had just been struck by lightning. His jaw dropped, and he suddenly couldn’t breathe. He could faintly hear his parents talking, celebrating. They both gathered around her in a joyous embrace. They were so glad that Mabel had finally found a significant other. A real significant other.
The scene before him seemed like a surreal nightmare. His parents were elated, hugging and congratulating Mabel. Dipper couldn’t move, he was parylized.
Finally, she looked at him. Between her nervous expression and hunched posture, it was immediately clear how she felt. Her eyes screamed ‘I’m sorry.’
The entire rest of the night, Dipper felt subdued, like a robot going through the motions. His movements didn’t feel like his own. He couldn’t believe this. She was leaving. Leaving him. Her and Jody’s relationship wasn’t an act, it was real. Real as she and Dipper’s relationship had been.
That relationship was over now. Neither ever said it, but they knew it had been over for a long time. Between work, school and taking care of Cassie, they hardly ever saw each other any more. Cassie was all they focused on. There was no time for anything else.
At least, that’s what Dipper told himself. But deep down, he still held some shred of hope. Hope that Mabel didn’t actually love Jody, hope that she was just doing this because she thought it would best help them move on from each other. Hope that she would realize she didn’t need to, because they could stay together! Dipper hoped.
When they retired to their rooms, they both stopped in the hallway to look at each other, each of them clearly reading the sorrow written across each other’s face. Dipper desperately wanted to ask the question, but felt like he’d known the answer for so long.
Do you still love me?
Nothing good could come from any answer she gave.
They waited out on the porch as Jody and Mabel made the final preparations to leave. Jody’s car was all packed and Cassie was sitting happily in the back seat playing with the stuffed pig Dipper and Mabel gave her for Christmas. They said their final goodbyes, shared hugs and they were off. Dipper and his parents waved until the three disappeared down the street and around the corner.
Dipper lowered his hand and felt his entire body turn to jelly. He fell to his knees and choked on a sob. He really tried to contain himself, but his heartbreak was unparalleled by anything he ever experienced. She’s gone. For good.
The worst part about this was not only does he lose Cassie, his own daughter, but he loses Mabel as well. Not only as his significant other, but completely lost her. Whatever semblance of normalcy, whatever roaring fire of love they had before would now be extinguished because of that man.
The best thing to come out of all this was that they didn’t need to lie anymore. What they would tell others and eventually Cassie later would be true: her father left her.
He knows it’s best for Cassie. And that’s all he can hope for.
So here’s another fic. I don’t really know where I was going with this. Any feedback is always welcome and my ask box is open.
For some problems, Dipper could usually trace them back to a single event and find out what caused them. It may not be so direct all the time, rather more of a small snowball rolling down a hill, collecting more snow as it goes along until it forms a massive snowball.
This time, however, Dipper remembers exactly what caused the problem.
They were fourteen. Mabel was out with their mother getting a checkup while Dipper stayed at home reading a book on the couch. The door burst open and Mabel came running in the house and bolted upstairs with tears in her eyes, avoiding looking at Dipper. He put down his book and got up to follow. Something was wrong. As he approached the bottom of the staircase, his mother walked in and motioned for him to stop. He could tell by the look on her face that she was stressed.
“Hold on there, Dipper.” She said. “I think it’s best we let Mabel have some time to herself for now.”
“Why? What happened?” Dipper asked concerned. Ms. Pines didn’t answer right away. Instead, she sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to her. Dipper sat down and she reached out and took his hands. She wasn’t making eye contact, and the longer she didn’t speak made Dipper’s worry grow more and more.
“During the checkup this morning,” She said with a voice so small and that tugged on Dipper’s heart. “The doctor found out that Mabel can’t have babies. She’s devastated and I think it’s best we give her some time alone.” Dipper couldn’t believe what she was saying. Mabel loved babies. If anyone deserves a baby it should be her.
He waited on the stairs for about forty-five minutes, give or take a few. His mind was everywhere at once. This was such a surreal situation. He had no idea what to say, he just knew he had to be with her right now. Be by her side. He could hear her crying from her room, and every instinct in his mind told him to go to her, but he forced himself to wait.
When he no longer heard her crying, he quietly walked up the stairs and stood at her door. He took a breath before gently rapping on her door and announcing himself. “Hey Mabel. It’s me. I’m coming in, alright?”
He slowly opened the door and saw Mabel on her bed wrapped in her sweater. He quietly tiptoed across her room and sat on the edge of her bed. He looked down at Mabel silently sobbing in her sweater. He gently laid his hand on her arm. She shifted slightly and her hand popped out of the hem of her sweater in search of his. He held it tight as she took a deep, shuddering breath.
She peaked out from the neck of her sweater and Dipper’s heart nearly snapped in two. She had a look of sadness like none other he had ever seen in her. Her eyes were filled with tears. He knew immediately that her despair was immeasurable. She was heartbroken.
He wanted nothing more than to fix this. He would do anything. But even though he didn’t want to accept it, he knew this couldn’t be fixed.
===
===
As time went on, Mabel began to recover, but he knew she would never be able to fully move on from it. She was different. Ever so slightly. Most people wouldn’t even notice, but Dipper did.
There were a few times when he noticed her behaving differently. Sometimes when they walk through a park or down the sidewalk, he caught her staring at a mother and her child with a look that can only be described as envy and longing. He thought that someday she may be able to overcome it and fill the void, he hoped so.
Years passed, and one day in the middle of their junior year of high school their parents sat them down to talk. They sat across from each other at the dinner table, with the twins on one side and them on the other. The twins could tell it was something serious by the way their parents were acting. They didn’t usually have ‘family meetings’ unless it was something important.
“Kids,” Their mother said with a voice of excitement. She looked at her husband with a look of anticipation that he returned as they squeezed their hands tighter together. “Your father and I are excited to say that soon you two are gonna be older siblings!” She said excitedly.
“What do you mean?” Dipper asked cautiously. She wasn’t saying what he thought she was, was she? Ms. Pines gave another excited breath.
“We’re having another baby!” She announced merrily.
Dipper’s eyes shot open, he gasped and started coughing uncontrollably as he choked on his own spit. He was excited about the news, as he rightfully should be. But he couldn’t shake the worry of what this might mean for Mabel. His parents could see the look of anxiety on his face.
“Easy there, Dip.” Said Mr. Pines. “There’s no need to freak out over this. We’ve raised both of you, so one more baby won’t be too different. Just think about it; soon you two are gonna be older siblings! How cool is that?” Mabel was bouncing up and down in her seat in excitement, shaking Dipper by the arm.
“Oh my gosh, Dip! I’m gonna be a big sis!” She squealed.
“Alright, settle down now.” Their mother said with a grin. “We expect you guys to help out with things. Having you two was a lot of work, and this baby is gonna require a lot of care, so we need you two to pitch in.”
”Oh my gawd! I gotta tell Wendy and Grenda and Candy and ahhh I can't believe it!” Mabel squealed excitedly before running off, screaming in delight. Once she had disappeared up the stairs, Dipper turned back to his parents. The news was delightful, but he couldn’t help his worrying for Mabel’s sake.
“You guys don’t think this might be unhealthy for Mabel?” He asked. “I mean you’ve seen how she acts around babies. You really think she can handle this?”
“Dipper, didn’t you see how excited she was? Everything is gonna be fine.” Mr. Pines assured. Dipper still didn’t feel convinced.
His parents must have been able to tell, because his mother added, “Look Dipper,” Her voice was gentle and caring. “I know you’re looking out for your sister, and that’s really sweet, but we didn’t plan this. It’s not usual for adults our age to have another baby, but I can promise you this will be heavily rewarding, just like you two were.” He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. Immediately he knew she felt the same way; she was worried. The scars were still fresh, and what happened to Mabel had hurt them all.
“Okay mom, I trust you.”
===
===
The months went by with them performing their extra duties. They all had to pitch in to be sure their mother and the baby were healthy. Dipper had never seen Mabel so excited. She would always spend time with their mother if she could, holding her belly and pressing her ear against the ever growing bump. Like a child waiting to open their christmas gift. His worry began to melt away gradually as he saw how happy she was. She never seemed to be upset by any of it.
Soon their mother gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Little Gabriel. He was so small. No bigger than a loaf of bread. He was so warm in Dipper’s arms as he slept peacefully.
Mabel was always excited to interact with him. Whether it be feeding, changing, or playing. Dipper also enjoyed it, and had eased back on his worrying about Mabel. He loved seeing her smile so much.
It might have been a side effect, but Mabel also seemed to be more touchy-feely and affectionate with Dipper. More sleepovers in the same bed, more cuddling time on the couch, and a daily kiss on the cheek. He didn’t think much of it— Mabel had always been affectionate, and judging by how joyful she was it seemed fitting. It seemed like she may finally be making serious progress, and Dipper couldn’t be happier for her.
As spring break was nearing, their parents had gone out for their first date night since Gabriel was born and had left the twins in charge to take care of Gabriel for a night.
Dipper had gone to the store to pick up groceries for dinner, and Mabel stayed home to watch after Gabriel. When he came back, he entered quietly since Gabriel was sleeping when he left.
He began preparing dinner, expecting Mabel to come downstairs and give him one of her usual hugs and a kiss on the cheek, but there was nothing. Not a sound.
Once he finished preparing dinner he went upstairs to find Mabel, but she was not in her room, so he assumed she was attending to Gabriel.
The door was slightly ajar, so he silently opened the door and stepped in. Across the room he saw Mabel in a chair next to the cradle as she held Gabriel in her arms. She hadn’t noticed Dipper yet as he looked at her. She had a deep look of love and affection that made him feel warm. He looked down at Gabriel and noticed part of Mabel’s shirt was pulled up and Gabriel was sucking on her breast.
Dipper froze. He wasn’t quite sure what he was seeing. In that moment Mabel looked up and made eye contact with him. She froze as well, and the loving look she had before was now replaced with fear. After a few seconds of their awkward staring contest she quickly pulled down her shirt and stood up. She took a step away from Dipper and pulled Gabriel closer.
“Mabel… what was that?” Dipper asked with trepidation. “What were you doing?” He spoke calmly, but serious. He forced down the anxious voice in the back of his mind to keep himself from panicking. He didn’t want it to be true, but knew the answer was obvious. “Mabel, were you… were you breastfeeding Gabriel?” She looked down at Gabriel, face suddenly flushed. Dipper was no expert in biology, but he was pretty sure that wasn’t how breastfeeding worked. “Mabel, hand me Gabriel.” He said, reaching out to her. She shied away and held Gabriel closer.
“No no no no.” She spoke quickly in panic as she shook her head. “Dip please you can’t take my baby.” He stopped dead in his tracks. His jaw dropped and the back of his neck turned cold. She looked him in the eyes with sheer terror. More pieces started to fall into place.
“Oh no.” He said quietly. “Oh no, Mabel.” He thought from her excitement for Gabriel that she had somehow been at peace with it, but clearly it hadn’t seemed to change much, if at all. “Mabel, I’m so sorry for what happened but Gabriel isn’t your baby.” Mabel began to cry. Her sobs were painful, and Dipper felt horrible.
Dipper extended his arms and she reluctantly but carefully handed him Gabriel. He put Gabriel back into the cradle before turning back to Mabel. She was curled up in a ball with her knees drawn to her chest. She was sobbing into her arms as they wrapped around her knees and shoulders. He knelt down next to her and wrapped his arms around her in a protective hug. She lifted her head up and their eyes met. He knew just from her eyes how much this tore at her, how long she had held this in. He wanted nothing more than to help her, to fix the problem, but he knew he couldn't.
Before he realized it, she was pressing her lips to his. Dipper completely froze, and his eyes were wide with shock. They both stayed there for a moment before she pulled away. She looked him in the eyes again, she was so scared. She became flustered, and was shaking as she quickly stood up. She started backing away towards the door, rubbing her trembling hands together nervously. Dipper had never seen her like this.
“Oh my god.” She said. “Oh my god, Dipper I’m so sorry.” She began sobbing into her hands as she quickly walked out the door and down the hall. Dipper heard her door slam shut a few seconds later.
Dipper couldn’t move. He was confused, shocked, but concerned. He didn’t know how to respond to this. It took him a while to really wrap his head around what is really going on. He didn’t want to even think it, but it seems like Mabel must have developed some sort of mother complex over Gabriel. Oh boy.
The more he thought about it, the more pieces began to fall into place; her behavior around Gabriel definitely seemed like that of a mother, she spent pretty much any time she could with him, and now the breastfeeding. Dipper knew this wasn’t healthy for her. Then there was that other thing. The kiss. Yeah, that thing.
What was that for? He didn’t want to think it, but he knew it was likely true; she was putting him in some sort of father position over Gabriel. They would have some nights where they would watch over Gabriel together. Mabel would usually lean into Dipper and rest her head in the crook of his neck as they looked down at the small baby sleeping gently. Thinking back, it seemed so obvious. Thinking about it made Dipper’s stomach tighten.
Mabel’s outburst must have startled Gabriel, because his cries suddenly filled the room. Dipper sat in the chair next to his cradle and gently rocked it side to side, Suddenly feeling so alone and so underprepared for this, so lost. Alone with his thoughts, and crying baby Gabriel.
I really like the headcanon of the twins slow dancing every once in a while.
I got this idea while listening to this song.
Ms. Pines quickly fidgeted her house key into the lock. She held her suitcase above her head in an attempt to shield her from the rain pouring down on her, with a heavy wind slapping her in the face. She felt the click of the lock, quickly turned the knob, pushed the door open with her shoulder and closed it behind her. She wiped the wet strands of hair from her face as she placed her suitcase on the floor beside her. She raised her arms and looked down at her jacket and pants, both soaked from the rain. She gave an exasperated sigh and let her arms flop down by her sides.
It was bad enough that it was pouring rain her entire way to work, causing numerous traffic jams on top of her usual commute, but when she realized she forgot a project report at home, she had to rush home back through the rain to get them.
She took off her wet shoes by the door and hung up her jacket on the rack. She walked through the living room to the stairs, sure to be extra quiet as she walked through the house. It was a Saturday morning and she knew the twins usually liked to sleep in on days they had off, and with senior year in full swing, she sympathized with them by granting them as much sleep as they could get.
She quietly made her way to her office and immediately saw her flash drive on her desk. She let out a sigh of relief as she picked it up and tucked it away into her pocket.
She left the office and walked to the room she and her husband shared. She opened the closet and shuffled through the shirts and sweaters hung up on the hangers until she found a raincoat. She took it off the hangar and put it on, but noticed something about the closet seemed different—more empty than usual.
She didn’t have time to think about it, and waved it off as a missing sweater she misplaced while doing laundry. She left her office and began her way back down the hall towards the front door.
She was nearing the staircase when she heard the faint sound of music from a nearby room. She assumed that meant one of the twins was awake, and she decided to check up on them and at least say hi before she left for work.
It was coming from Dipper’s room. The door was barely ajar, and she casually peeked in to investigate. She was about to knock on the door when she saw movement and looked again.
She wasn’t quite sure if she was seeing it right or if she was hallucinating, but there in the room were Mabel and Dipper slowly twirling about to the music, which was playing on a small speaker in the corner of the room. Dipper was wearing a tuxedo, and Mabel was wearing a wedding dress. She identified them as the same clothes she and her husband wore on their wedding day.
Something about the sight troubled her. Why were they doing this? Had they done this before? Why had she or her husband never heard about it?
Her worry began to fade after she took another look and saw them. Actually saw them. Their eyes were closed, and they were holding each other so close. It seemed like such an intimate bond. She always loved how well they got along, and seeing them like this filled her with such pride. She thought it was adorable that they were dancing in wedding clothes like they did playing wedding as young children.
She watched as they slowly moved in a circle. Heads moving closer to one another until they came together for a kiss. It wasn’t a light kiss; it was passionate and meaningful.
She felt like she should intervene here, step in and stop them, but she doesn’t move. She felt like she shouldn’t like this, but she just loves seeing how much her twins care for one another. If there is something harmful about this, she will approach them later, but for now, she just wants to let them be. They’ve always been there for one another, and from the looks of it, they’ll be there for each other a long time from now.
She turns around to see a family picture hung up on the wall. The twins in winter clothes at a nearby park that they would go sledding when it snowed. They were smiling at the camera, smushing snow into each other’s faces as they laughed.
She turned back to give one last look at them as they danced. She couldn’t help but smile as she walked down the stairs and out the door.
Alright, this is my first semi-attempt at writing kinda smut so just bear with me. I’m not very good at it but this is an idea I’ve had for a while. It’s not my proudest work but I got it done.
Dipper was trying to keep her shaking breath steady. She anxiously checked her phone for the umpteenth time, waiting for a message. She looked at herself in the mirror. She could hardly tell herself apart from her sister by this point; her soft, rosy cheeks. Her long, curly hair that she spent so long growing out for this night. So many small details that she had memorized about her sister that made Dipper love her so much. She used makeup to cover her birthmark and spent a long time growing her hair extra long. She asked to borrow some of Mabel’s clothes and perfume for a ‘special occasion’ without telling her too much about the said occasion. Her phone vibrated on the desk and she picked it up to see a message.
Eric: I’m outside
They had communicated that he wouldn’t knock on the door since she wanted her family to know as little about this as possible. She picked up her backpack and quickly walked downstairs and outside, saying a rushed goodbye to her family as she did so. She saw Eric across the street next to his car, leaning on the hood with his arms crossed as he stared up at the stars. He noticed her as she walked across the street and they met in an intimate hug. Eric was a giant compared to Dipper. He was at least a foot and a half taller, and nearly a hundred pounds heavier. He was very physically fit, being on their school’s football team, and he was warm to hug.
They got along well for their shared interest in many clubs and activities after school. They would spend time together outside of school as well, like getting lunch or going to see movies. He would help cheer her up sometimes when Mabel wasn’t around. They were close and could confide in each other, but tonight was much different from anything they had shared. Eric knew about Dipper’s unorthodox love for her sister and was perfectly okay with it. But after a further discussion about it, they managed to come to a mutual agreement.
They drove to Eric’s house, listening to the radio as they passed street light after street light. Dipper looked out the window at the moon, feeling as if it were a big eye in the sky, silently judging her for what she planned to do.
Upon arriving at Eric’s house, they made their way upstairs to his room. It was a comfy little room, with posters on the walls above a queen sized bed and a soft carpet under their feet. There was a small TV with a VHS and DVD player connected underneath, with a shelf of movies next to it. His parents were out of town for the weekend, so they had the house all to themselves. Dipper knelt down and placed her backpack on the floor, retrieving the carpet and rolling it out on the floor. She stood up and stepped back, looking at Eric as they came close to rub their feet on the carpet and connecting fingers and a spark flew between them. Their visions went white and they both fell to the floor. Dipper opened her eyes to find herself staring at the ceiling, and after a moment of getting her bearings, sat up to see herself lying on the floor a few feet away.
They took a few minutes to adjust to their new bodies before moving to Eric’s bed. They cuddled together with Dipper as the big spoon as the movie played. She almost forgot it wasn’t Mabel in her arms. It was Mabel in every sense of her. She sounded like her when she spoke or laughed, smelled like her, felt like her. Inhaling her fruit scented hair filled Dipper with euphoria, and her laugh sounded like a siren singing sweetly to her. To Eric’s body, she was no bigger than a paperweight but was warm in his lap. There was a moment when they reached a lull in the movie, and they resorted to making fun of the subpar special effects. Their laughter ceased when they made eye contact. They could each tell that they wanted to go through with it, and now is the time.
With a great frisson of excitement, they began to undress and help each other take off the various garments they weren’t used to. Dipper admired everything about her look alike. She noticed her similarities to herself, but she is interested more about what made her look like Mabel. This beautiful girl under her wasn’t someone else in her body, this was Mabel. The girl she grew up with and loved more than anyone in the world.
She maneuvered her new body into position, pulling herself closer. After final confirmation, Dipper slid her new body into Mabel. It was an entirely new sensation from anything she had ever experienced. Starting off slow and gentle, moving in and out and watching Mabel writhing in pleasure under her. She began to speed up, quickening the pace as Mabel moaned into her ear with her arms wrapped around Dipper’s neck. Everything about this was amazing. It was a dream come true. Every memory they shared together swirled around her mind at that moment.
She felt herself coming closer to the edge. She sped up as she pulled their faces together for a kiss. Wave after wave of pleasure zapped her skin as she rode out her orgasm and collapsed on the bed.
After they finished their ragged panting and catching their breath, they reached out and pulled each other into a close hug. Dipper wrapped her arms protectively around Mabel as the world around them dissolved. In her mind, she was laying in bed with her twin sister, whom she just made passionate love to. Her dream that she had fantasized for so long had just come true. She gave her a kiss before drifting off to sleep, and she dreamed of the night they shared together, smiling in her sleep.
In the early morning, they switched to their original bodies and Eric drove her home. He walked her to the door and gave her a sincere goodbye, with a hug and kiss on her birthmarked forehead. Dipper went inside and made sure to throw all her sister’s clothes into the washer before going to take a shower. She felt a slight soreness in her cervix that flooded her with the warm memories of the previous night. She explored herself with wandering hands as the warm water from the shower bounced off her skin. Once she was done with the shower, she dried herself off and put on an extra large shirt she used for pajamas and a pair of shorts.
She walked into the hallway and into her sister's room. Mabel was still asleep, and Dipper cuddled up next to her in bed and held her close. She could smell her hair and the scent of her fruity shampoo. She can almost pretend like it actually happened, but for now, this is as close as she can get.
This took me waay too long to make. I decided to take my own spin on the separated at birth story. Like I said in the previous post, I’ve got a few other ideas coming down the pike so stay tuned. Enjoy!
P.S. The Starship Troopers movie sux!
Mabel bounced her legs against the park bench where she sat, crunching snow beneath her winter boots as she waited anxiously. She shook slightly at a cold gust of wind and tucked herself deeper into her sweater.
She was waiting on a bench outside a study hall on the University of Oregon campus, holding a manilla folder tightly to her chest. Again she opened the folder and reread the description for the twentieth time in the last hour, even though she had memorized the entire thing: five-ten, brown hair, birthmark on forehead, and a few other details.
Soon a group of a dozen students began emptying out of the classroom hall. Some walked off to their own devices and some chatted in groups as they got out, but none matched the description so far. Suddenly she spotted a man walking out with his hands tucked into his sweater and steamy breath billowing through his scarf. He had a blue backpack on and was walking tall with his shoulders back. She stood up from the bench and approached him.
“Hi there.” She said, trying to hold back her hopeful excitement. He stopped and looked down at her. “Are you Frederick Ottinger?”
He paused for a moment, quickly looking her up and down. He pulled his scarf down and spoke. “Yes, that’s me.” He said casually. Mabel squealed in delight, hopping up and down before lunging forward and wrapping him in a tight hug. He didn’t hug her back, instead he tensed up and held his arms out awkwardly to his sides. “I’m sorry, but do I know you?” He asked.
Mabel let go and backed away, suddenly feeling bashful. “No, no you wouldn’t remember me.” She said, much quieter. She perked up as she remembered the folder in her hands. “I’m your twin sister, Mabel!” She said enthusiastically.
He didn’t say anything at first, frowning in confusion. “What?” He asked after a moment of pause. “How can that be?”
Mabel held out her arms, presenting him the manilla folder. He looked down at the folder, then back to her eyes, then back to the folder before tentatively taking it from her hands and opening it. His facial expression changed every few seconds as he read through its contents. “When we were born, a nurse immediately took you away and sold you to human traffickers. They told our parents that you had suffocated to death.” She said as he continued reading. “When law enforcement found out what happened and the nurse was arrested several months ago, we hired a personal investigator to track you down.”
He was silent for a while. He was still reading, only now he seemed completely shocked. His Adam’s apple bobbed and he didn’t seem to be breathing. “Th-this is crazy!” He said with a shaky voice. He looked at his watch and back to Mabel. “Look, I’ve really got to be somewhere soon, but I really want to talk about this.” He said genuinely. “Maybe over dinner?”
Mabel smiled. “I would like that.”
===
===
“I can’t believe this.” Fred said distantly as he reread the folder. Mabel sat across the table from him in the small booth of the restaurant they decided on. It was a small hole-in-the-wall pizza place that seemed comfy enough. They sat down and ordered food before she gave the folder to Fred, allowing him to read it again.
Mabel took another bite of her cheese pizza as he placed the folder on the table and rubbed his temples. He let out a stressed sigh and looked up at Mabel. This was clearly a life changing discovery for him, and even though he was clearly stressed, he was also trying to keep calm and figure the situation out.
“So… what’s your story?” Mabel asked tentatively.
“My story?” Fred asked.
“Yeah, catch me up to speed.” Mabel was hesitant to ask. Even the best case scenario after being sold into human trafficking couldn’t have been too good.
He waited for a moment, deep in thought. “Well,” He began slowly. “I don’t remember the people who originally took me from…” He paused. “Our parents.” He said, gesturing between himself and Mabel. “My earliest memories were probably around three years old, when I was growing up in an orphanage in Oregon.” He looked down at the table glumly. “Rough times in there.” He paused for a moment, and Mabel felt a ping of regret for asking. He seemed so pained by it, and judging by her first impressions of him, he seem good at containing his more intense emotions.
He realized how long he had been silent when he looked up and made eye contact with her. He quickly sat up straight and wiped the look from his face. “Anyway, I was adopted by a family when I was seven. I was confused at first when you said my last name was Ottinger, ‘cause that’s what it was originally before I was adopted, when it became ‘Corduroy.’”
“Corduroy? Wait, your last name is Corduroy?” Mabel interrupted, and Fred seemed surprised by her reaction.
Fred nodded cautiously. “Yeah, is there something wrong with that?”
Mabel shook her head. “No, not at all. But did you happen to have a sister named Wendy? She was a redhead. She had a bunch of brothers. Always wore flannel.”
He frowned. “Yeah, I did. How did you know that?”
“I hung out with her all the time! This is so cool! How did I never see you before?”
“Hold on, you’ve been to Gravity Falls?”
“You bet I have! I went there every summer since I was twelve! I stayed with my great uncle Stan. Oh my gosh, it was the coolest place on earth, with all the weird junk that went on there.”
He seemed taken aback by this new fact. “Wow. Yeah I usually went to work with my uncle Steve at his logging camp in upstate Oregon over the summer. I do know Stan. The ‘Man of Mystery.’ Seemed pretty neat. Kinda weird to think I’m related to him. My sister worked at his shop.”
Mabel was amazed. “Woah, what a small wor— wait a minute. Your dad made you work at a logging camp over the summer?” She interrupted herself.
Fred shrugged. “Eh, I think he did it to toughen me up. I was a pretty wimpy kid by Corduroy standards. It was all in love, though.” He pulled out his wallet that contained a family picture of he and his siblings. His brothers and sister were all smiling together, one next to the other while he stuck out due to his differing hair color and noticeable size difference. He handed the wallet to Mabel, who looked at it with adoration.
“Aww, that’s so cute!” She exclaimed. She looked up and down from the picture of the small, skinny boy to the grown, filled out man in front of her.
“Yep! Never enough children for the Corduroy family.” Said Fred.
“How cool is all of this? Our entire lives we’ve been almost crossing paths and never knew it?” She shook her head in amazement and handed his wallet back. “So how did you end up here in Eugene?”
He snapped out of a similar daze to Mabel. “Right, well once I graduated high school I joined the navy for two years and served as an engineer on a destroyer. I got out a year ago. Now here I am, going to college.”
“Wow! This is soo cool!” Mabel whispered in amazement. “Frederick Corduroy…”
“Please, call me Dipper.” He said, pulling up his hair to reveal a constellation shaped birthmark.
Laughing as they walked out the restaurant, Dipper held out his arm that Mabel linked with hers before they strolled down the street, talking as they enjoyed each other’s warmth. “So where to now?” Asked Mabel.
“Well, there’s a movie theater nearby, a park. Uh, hmm let me think.” Dipper stroked his chin as he pondered. “Well there’s also a mini-golf course down the street. Hmm, but it’s probably too cold for that.”
“Are you kidding me?” Mabel yelled in excitement. “I’m totes down for some mini-golf! Let’s boogie!” She shouted while tugging him along. “Prepare to get schooled, chum!”
===
===
“Mabel Pines lines up her shot. This old timer from Piedmont, California is infamous for her skill in mini-golf. She is a champion of golfing competitions all around California, and from the looks of it, this windmill doesn’t stand a chance.” Mabel narrated herself. “She lines up what looks to be a solid fourteen footer,” She brought back the putter and tapped the ball. “She takes the shot, she scores!” She shouted as the ball maneuvered around the obstacle and dropped into the hole, before making a fake cheering sound as she waved her arms through the air.
“Impressive!” Dipper admitted. “You seem to really know your way around a putter.”
“You bet your bottom drawer, buster! I’ve been doing this since I could make a fist with my ravioli-sized hand, and from tonight’s performance, you better pick up the pace if you ever wanna come close to beating me.” Mabel bantered.
“I think I can get there one day.” He said before tapping the ball on the same windmill, only for it to hit one of the barrier walls and roll back towards him until it was five feet behind the starting position. He looked up at Mabel and shrugged. “Maybe.” He said flatly before they both burst into laughter.
They moved onto the next obstacle, which Mabel surpassed with ease. “Man, you must have done this with your friends all the time growing up.” Dipper commented with amazement at how nothing could truly stand in her way.
Mabel’s shoulder slumped slightly at his words. “Mmm, not really.” She said deflated. “I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up. Most people just wrote me off as ‘weird.’” She said bitterly. She forced herself to look down. She didn’t know why she just said that. She got too comfortable around Dipper. She got too comfortable and now he knows one of her deepest, most personal insecurities. He can put two and two together to realize from her previous behavior from the moment she first hugged him that she was just a spazzy social outcast.
She saw Dipper glance at her out of the corner of her eye, but he didn’t say anything. She knew he was reading her, examining her body language. She suddenly felt very exposed. A churning feeling in her stomach grew as she froze and felt her cheeks heat, despite the cold. She didn’t want to show any signs of weakness or emotional distress. The last thing she needed was his pity.
She didn’t realize she hadn’t moved until Dipper intruded on her thoughts. “Hey Mabel,” He said gently. Mabel pried her eyes away from the golf ball on the ground and forced herself to meet his eyes. She expected to find him looking at her with pity, what she saw instead shocked her. He was looking at her with an expression of total understanding. Empathy. “I get it, Mabel.” He said in a way that, paired with the look he gave her, made her insides twist in an entirely different way. It wasn’t what she was feeling a minute ago, instead more similar to that of butterflies. It helped to calm her, and in that split second she realized just how caring her brother turned out to be.
“I’m sorry.” She said in almost a whisper.
“It’s alright, Mabel. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He assured her. They stood there for a moment, the silence of the night penetrated only by a passing gust of chilling wind and the distant talk of other golfers. She surprised even herself with a sad sniffle. One that she isn’t unfamiliar with, and Dipper came to her in an instant. Wrapping her in a hug so warm and safe in contrast to the air around them that she pulled him closer, tighter. He gently stroked her hair and let her cry into his shoulder.
“I-I’m just s-so glad I’ve finally found you.” She sobbed. “It’s been so l-lonely, growing up by m-myself.”
“I know, Mabel. I know.” He whispered. Mabel was so happy to hold him, to finally have someone in her life who would stick up for her and stand by her side for support.
“I always wondered what it would have been like if you had survived. How different our lives would have been if we’d grown up together.”
Dipper chuckled slightly at that. “Heh, we probably would have been close.” Mabel tightened her lip in a smile as more tears streamed down her face. She squeezed Dipper a little harder.
Once Mabel had stopped crying, they pulled away and found comfort in each other’s smile. “I think we’ve had enough mini golf for tonight.” Said Dipper. “You ready to go?” Mabel nodded.
They arrived at the counter of the quartermaster and returned the equipment to the young woman stationed there. As she was checking in the putters, she kept stealing glances at the two of them, but said nothing. It was when she handed them the receipt that she said, “You two make a very cute couple.” She said it kindly, but Mabel immediately felt herself blush and get even redder than from the cold.
“Oh, we’re not—”
“Oh, we’re not—” They interrupted each other.
“Together.”
“Together.” They both finished, laughing heartily at their tandem speaking. The young woman nodded bashfully and stowed the equipment. The twins walked off, arm in arm as they strode down the street, chatting away about anything and everything. All the years they missed, all the moments they never shared. Hours seemed to pass in an instant when they arrived at Mabel’s apartment. Dipper walked her to the door.
“Tonight was nice. I had a lot of fun.” Dipper said with a lopsided smile.
“Me too.” Mabel returned the smile.
There was a beat of silence between the two of them.
“Could I see you again sometime?” Dipper asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, right!” Mabel said after she realized she had been silently staring at his chestnut eyes. “Yeah, that would be awesome! I’d love to hang out again.”
Dipper smiled before bringing her in close for a hug.
“Take care, Mabel.” Dipper said as he walked back to the sidewalk.
“You too, Dipper.” She replied. They waved goodbye and Dipper started to walk down the sidewalk. Mabel watched him for as long as possible until he disappeared down the street. She made her way to her room and suddenly found herself in her bed wearing her pajamas. She had a lot on her mind. Time seemed to flash by. She laid her head on her pillow, feeling calm and subdued.
For a few minutes she didn’t want to sleep. She just wanted to bask in the happiness of today. The fact that her twin brother is alive. The fact that he is so kind and sweet. The fact that they get along so well they are already finishing each other’s sentences. She giggled a bit at that last thought. She thought about how much she wished she could date a man like Dipper; he was sweet, handsome, and completely adorkable. But that was another thought for another day. She picked up her phone from the nightstand next to her bed and dialed a familiar number. She waited excitedly as it rang a few times until an answer came from the other end.
“Hey mom. I found him!”
===
===
Eventually they decided it was time for Dipper to meet their parents. They made the trip to Piedmont one day, arriving outside the house as he nervously prepared himself and Mabel reassured him. It was a whole new flood of emotions upon meeting his parents for the first time. More so for their parents. Dipper didn’t remember them at all and had no real emotional connection to them, but he understood the magnitude of the moment and was still delighted to meet his biological parents.
They met up several more times after the visit to their parents. Anytime they had no classes or other obligations. They did anything from a trip to the bowling alley or mini-golf, to Dipper leading a game of DD&MD. Dipper told Mabel all about his interactions with the supernatural and taught her how to make coded messages, while Mabel told Dipper more about their parents and family and taught him how to knit and make sweaters.
They had a lot to catch up on after two decades of not knowing each other. Their lives had played out so differently in so many ways. But Mabel could tell they’re interactions were different from how she had known other siblings to act. In a way it was a lot closer in their own unique way. She didn’t think much of it; she loved to see him and after all this time, rightfully so. She loved just about everything about him. The feeling of his warmth when they hugged, holding his hand and running her thumb across his wide knuckles, looking into his eyes and admiring just how handsome he was.
There were a few times that she had to pry her eyes away from him after she realized she had been staring too long, and realizing where she had been staring. His eyes were a sight to beheld. They were a mirror of her own, but there was something so intense in them. Everytime he looked at her there was some sort of spark in them that made her heart flutter in an odd way she couldn’t quite put words to. Weird, huh?
Tonight they decided to watch a movie together at Dipper’s small apartment off campus. It wasn’t the first time they decided to. They usually went back to his apartment after a night out to watch a movie or cook dinner, only to fall asleep on the couch together. They were laying down, snuggled closely together with Mabel resting her head on Dipper’s chest with her arms wrapped around his body and he rested his arms on her back as they watched the movie.
“Come on you apes! Do you wanna live forever?” Shouted the soldier on screen as he and other soldiers ran out into a hallway and onto smaller spaceships. As they zoomed off towards the surface of a nearby planet, text came up on the screen that read:
They’ll keep fighting
And they’ll win!
The credits rolled soon after that, and Mabel cheered. “Yeah! Go humans! Get those stinky bugs!”
Dipper blew a raspberry and rolled his eyes. “Man, this movie always gets on my nerves.” He said annoyed. “The director didn’t even read the book! And yet he wants to make a satirical movie of it?” He shook his head dramatically. “Heinlein must be rolling in his grave.”
“Yeah whatever, mister party pooper.” Said Mabel as she playfully jabbed him in the chest, before cuddling up closer to him. “If you’re so smart, why don’t you make a better one?” She asked rhetorically.
He frowned as if in deep thought for a few seconds before puffing up his chest exaggeratedly. “Maybe I will…” He said with a sly grin.
Mabel giggled at his enthusiasm. “You’re so silly.”
“What? You don’t think I will?” He asked with faux offense. “I’ll show you. I’ll show everyone!” He jabbed her in the sides, causing her to flinch. He continued to tickle her and she giggled in response. She tried to counter him—grabbing at his hands, jabbing at his sides, tickling his stomach and chest. She started to gain the advantage and Dipper was on the defensive. He howled as she began to overwhelm him. They fell to the floor, Dipper on top of her, both in a fit of laughter as pressed their foreheads together.
A nonverbal ceasefire was declared as they caught their breathe, heaving air to slow their rapidly beating hearts. Mabel looked him in the eyes again. There was something different about them. A spark, that wasn’t new, but had been growing every time he looked at her. It was there from the very beginning, but now it was so warm and inviting. They slowly moved closer to one another, and she could feel his warm breath on her. Their lips brushed against each other, until they came together for a kiss.
They melted into each other. Exploring each other’s mouths as their hands roamed each other’s bodies and combed through each other’s hair. One of Dipper’s hands found itself under her t-shirt, gently kneading her soft breast. She felt such ecstasy from his warmth. She could feel his excitement through his shorts as he pressed into her hips while she wrapped her legs around his waist. They soon broke apart, gasping for air as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Everything about this moment made butterflies flutter in her stomach. She wanted more.
At that thought, she bolted upright as an alarm sounded in her head. She started to quickly scoot away from Dipper as he stood up on his knees and reached his arms out, saying something Mabel couldn’t process in an attempt to get her to keep calm. Her eyes were open wide with terror, staring at him from only a few feet away. Every time she scooted scooted away, he scooted forward in trying to close the space between them. Voices chided her as she tried to figure out what was happening.
‘Uh Mabes, this is your brother. Y’know, like blood related! Like, long lost twin bro, who you shouldn’t be macking faces with!’ She didn’t realize she was hyperventilating until Dipper snapped her out of her shock.
“Mabel… don’t freak out here, alright?” He said cautiously.
“Wha-whadya mea- what?” Mabel stuttered. “What do you mean ‘don’t freak out’, do you realize what just happened? What we just did?”
“Mabel please, just listen to be before you jump to conclusions.”
“Jump to conclusions? What does that even mean? This is pretty straightforward!” Mabel couldn't control her voice from rising. He scooted a knee forward and reached out for her hands. “No, don’t come any closer!” She shouted, and he flinched and drew back like he had been burned. He sat down on his knees, looking at the floor. Mabel felt guilt growing in her stomach. She didn’t want to hurt him, she was just afraid. “I’m sorry, Dip. I don’t mean to be cruel, I’m just not sure what this means.” She brought her knees to her chest. “And I’m scared.” She mumbled into her pajama pants.
Dipper was scratching the back of his neck anxiously. He looked up and made eye contact with her for a split second before darting his gaze to the floor. “Can I just… talk?” He asked nervously.
Mabel gave him a frightened and uncertain look, afraid of what he might say, but she willed herself to nod-- she at least wanted to let him say what he has to say before she has another outburst. He took a deep breath before sitting down flat on the floor and crossing his legs as he leaned his back on the couch.
“When I was younger, I really looked up to my siblings. Especially Wendy.” He emphasised. “In more ways than I should’ve…” The way he said that made her look up at him to see his expression, only to find him looking back at her with a look of sorrow. “I was…” He gulped. “Not so platonically attracted to her.” Mabel felt her grip tighten on her pajamas.
“She was just so… wonderful. I truly felt something great for her. Maybe even loved her…” He paused for a moment and shook away the faraway look in his eyes. “My family eventually found out and my mother gave me a talk.” He looked down at the floor again. “I was heartbroken when I had to come to terms with the fact that I had to give up what I felt for her. I realized just how truly impossible it was. But you Mabel, I’ve never felt so connected with anyone than I have with you. And I don’t want to throw that all away out of fear of what others will think.”
Mabel couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She certainly felt conflicted, but all the little voices of logic in her mind were screaming at her that the answer was obvious. “Dip, I really want to agree with you right now, but I just can’t— can’t…” She didn’t want to finish that sentence. “I mean, what would our parents think? What would your family think?”
Dipper scowled in contemplation. It was clearly something he hadn’t quite thought of. “Our families will want what we think is best for us.” He said firmly after a moment of thinking. Mabel didn’t respond. It was almost a minute before he spoke again. “But I think the better question would be whether or not it’s what you want.”
Mabel hesitated. “I dunno, Dip.” She said nervously. She could feel her throat tightening as she spoke. “This is a lot to take in and— I mean I really just met you and I really don’t want to mess up what we have because I like— really care about you and— and…” She dropped her head into her hands and choked on her words. She felt Dipper’s hand rest on her shoulder.
“I get it, Mabes. I feel the same thing.” He said as he scooted closer to her. “I don’t want to lose what we have, but at the same time I feel like there’s more to us than just… this.” He gestured between them.
He moved his palm to cup her cheek. Mabel steadied herself and nuzzled into the comfort of his hand. She looked up to see him looking at her with that spark in his eyes. It amazed her, even now.
“I’m not entirely sure what the future holds. I don’t have all the answers, but I know that what I feel for you is genuine. And our families would want what we feel is best for us, and we should want what’s best for us.”
He moved his hand from her cheek and wrapped his arm around her back. He pulled her close to his side and kissed her on her forehead. She felt the butterflies fluttering in her stomach finally conquer the twisting in her gut.
“Okay.” She said with a bit more confidence. “I trust you.”
As she leaned up to kiss him, she knew she was making the right choice.
Howdy all! This is the first fic I’ve posted so I decided to kick it off with something light and fluffy. This story in particular isn’t really cesty but eyy there’s more stories to come. I’ve got a few other ideas I’ve been working on for a while that I’ll hopefully be posting soon. I got my wisdom teeth removed a while back and decided to write a little story related to it. Enjoy the fic!
“Alright sweetie, I trust you with this, but make sure your brother doesn’t mess with the stitches in his mouth or do anything that might hurt himself. And be sure to change out his gauze regularly and that he gets plenty of rest.” Ms. Pines said worriedly over the phone.
“Don’t worry, mom. You can count on me to watch after Sir Dippington. But can I have tell him to do the lamby-lamby dance while he’s on the anesthetic? Just once?”
“Mabel!”
“Just joking.” She said assuringly. “I’ll be sure to keep an eye on him.”
“Alright. And Mabel, be careful around him when he’s on the anesthetic. He might stumble or fall if he loses balance, and since he’s bigger than you he’ll be hard to adjust. Just make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.”
“He’ll be fine, mom. I promise.”
Mabel heard her mother sigh over the phone. “Okay. I love you, sweetie.”
“I love you too, mom.” Mabel hung up the phone and put it in her pocket. She looked around the neat waiting room to find a pile magazines messily stacked on one another. She picked one up at random and started to read. Since it would take Dipper several days to recover, it was agreed that he would get his wisdom teeth removed at the start of spring break to assure he wouldn’t miss any school.
She was flipping between articles when a nurse walked out and told her they were done with the surgery. She put the magazine down and followed the nurse back into the room to find Dipper woozily looking around the room. He closed his eyes and passed out, causing the doctor to tap him on the arm to wake him up, only for him to fall back asleep. Mabel walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked up at her. He opened his eyes wide, and gave her a smile of bloody teeth and swollen cheeks. “Hey dea Maubel.” He tried to say.
“Hey there, Dip Dop.” She giggled.
Mabel sat down in a chair next to him as he continued to wake up. “Goss Maubel, you look show preddy.” He said with an awestruck look.
Mabel felt herself blush slightly from the look on Dipper’s face. It was clear that he really meant it from how amazed he was. She knew from what she’s been told that the anesthetic they administer makes people more talkative. He began playing with her hair as she sat next to him, twirling her chestnut locks around his index finger and pinching it between his thumb as the doctor briefed her on what they had to do to ensure he would heal properly and what precautions to take. She had to force herself to focus on what the doctor was saying with Dipper twirling her hair. Once he was finished with his directions, the doctor gave her extra rolls of gauze and medication, as well as Dipper’s wisdom teeth in a sealed container. She thought they would make a great addition to a friendship bracelet for Dipper, but realized that he likely wouldn’t appreciate it.
She helped Dipper to his feet and thanked the medical professionals as they departed from the office. She guided him all the way to the car and buckled him into the passenger seat.
The drive home gave Dipper plenty of time to yammer on about nothing in particular. Mabel thought it was adorable when he complimented her about how cute she was or how much he loved her sweater. There was a lot that she couldn’t understand through his mouth full of gauze, but she nodded and agreed with whatever he said to humor him. Partway through the drive, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and called a friend from school to apologized for something minor he said when they were eleven that his friend didn’t remember, before Dipper told him he was busy and that he had to go. He must have forgotten that he was the one who called and not the other way around. She made sure to record him in case he wanted to see it later, or for blackmail material. Maybe both.
Upon their arrival home, Mabel turned off the car and came around the other side to help Dipper out. He stumbled at first, but she managed to help him and the way up the steps and into his room, where he promptly took off his shoes and flopped down on his bed. Mabel wrestled his legs onto the bed and wrapped his comforter around him. She lowered the blinds over the windows before giving him a kiss on the forehead as she tucked him in. She left his room and made herself some eggs and sriracha for breakfast, since it was only around 9AM and they left before eating. She made sure to feed Waddles and Mittens, and give them some attention before starting on her chores. In not too long, she cleaned the dishes and started a load of laundry, along with several other tasks before she decided to take a short nap.
She dreamed that she was in an old-timey cartoon, whistling as she steered a steamboat down a river. A growing vibration in the world slowly tore her boat apart, but she was at peace with it as she started to float with the shreds that remained. Someone must have turned off the gravity.
She awoke from a consistent subtle thumping downstairs, and could tell from the vibrations in the walls that it was the cleaning cycle ending on the washing machine. She stretched out her limbs and tiredly stood up to investigate the source of the ruckus. Walking down the hallway, she could see Dipper’s door was open and he was gone from his previous place on his bed.
She descended the steps in search of her brother. The kitchen and living room were empty. She assumed he must have been in the bathroom upstairs, as she realized the door was closed. She decided to move the load of laundry into the dryer. As she approached the laundry room, she heard a faint whimpering that grew louder as she approached. When she opened the door, she was met with the sight of her brother, collapsed on the laundry room floor on his knees, sobbing as he shifted through the sopping wet laundry from the machine.
“Maubel! Maubel, whea ah you?” He cried through his gauze. Mabel felt her heart swell. Even in his current state he is still trying to be the protective brother and make sure she was safe.
She walked over to him and he notice her legs out the corner of his eyes. “Hep me loog for Maubell! Pleath!” He sobbed, not looking up to see who the legs belonged to. Mabel bent her knees, coming down to his level and turned his face to look him in the eyes. He paused for a moment, and his sobs became quiet. After a moment of processing the situation, he wrapped her in an exhausted hug and his sobs became louder, but not as loud as before. He leaned his weight on her, bringing her to the floor and cried on her shoulder. “Oh my god, Maubel! I taught I would nevah she you again! Am tho glad yuh okay!” He cried with relief. Mabel felt her mouth curl up into a wide smile. For some reason she thought it was really sweet of him to look for her and make sure she was safe, despite the mess.
After several minutes of letting him cry, Mabel carefully led him back upstairs and helped him change into a dry and clean pair of pajamas. She tucked him in again and waited until he was asleep to go back downstairs and clean up the mess of water pooling in the laundry room and loading the wet clothes into the dryer. She was surprised by how exhausted she was as she changed into a dry pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, since she was wearing her pajamas when Dipper gave her that sopping wet hug.
She went back into Dipper’s room to be sure he was asleep. She knelt down by the side of his bed, kissed him on the forehead and he hummed in response. She stood up to walk out and sleep when she felt Dipper tug on her hand. She looked down to see him shaking his head with his eyes still shut. “Pleath done go, Maubel.” He moaned. Mabel giggled in response. He was so sweet like this. He was always so protective of her, wanting to make sure no harm came to her, and here he just wanted to be close to her and make sure she was okay.
“It’s alright, Dip. I’m not going anywhere.” She assured as she slipped under the comforter, facing him and wiggled under his arms, which he wrapped protectively around her. She giggled as he planted a puffy-cheek kiss on her cheek and pulled her closer.
“I lub you, Maubel.” Dipper said tiredly before drifting off into sleep.
“I love you too, you big dork.” Replied Mabel as she wrapped her arms around his larger frame and snuggled her head into the crook of his neck, feeling his chin on her forehead. She knew soon they’d have to wake up, change his gauze and give him the antibiotics, but for now she could just enjoy cuddling time and think about how excited she was for when she had to get her wisdom teeth removed, and he would have to look after her.
