Guard Down (UF Commission)
Got commissioned by @editorishere, who wanted a short, sweet litle drabble of Dipper and Connie's first kiss. These two dorks istg, I really do mean to do more with them in UF and as we move further along past the rewrites eventually, hopefully, I will. But for now, here's this bundle of sword fighting and flirting:
The sound of clashing swords echoed loud and fast outside of the Mystery Shack. Dipper and Connie kept up a good rhythm with each other, just like they always did whenever they practiced. After so much time learning all the same lessons, it was easy to say they were perfectly matched. In skill, in strength, in strategy-
And in so many other ways too.
“Oo, nice block,” Connie commented in the sparse space between swings. “Pearl was right; your defense really is betting better.”
“It kinda had to,” Dipper couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ve left me with one too many cuts for me to keep my guard down.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that you always leave yourself wide open,” Connie taunted as he struck her blade squarely. She held fast against the tension he was pressing on her, returning his playful grin all the while.
“How’s this for wide open?” Dipper pushed her sword down, getting the upper hand. He dodged out of the path of her counterswing, rolling low to come up behind her. Even still, she was always better at evading surprise attacks than him. That much was clear from the way she fended off his next blow with ease.
“Nice try,” she repositioned her grip as they both pulled back for a beat. “Say, why don’t we put that new defense of yours to the test…?”
She rushed back in without much warning, but this time, Dipper was ready for her. He evenly met her next swing, staying steady and focused as he blocked the rest of her barrage. She’d challenged him just like this plenty of times before, but something seemed… different about it now. It was in the spark in her eyes, the sharpness of her smile, the way she kept looking at him like she never really had before. Whatever it was, it made his heart race, to the point that it almost proved enough to break his concentration altogether.
Things came to a head when he warded off a heavy swing before lashing out with one of his own. “Like I said,” he grinned as their swords collided once more. “I’m keeping my guard up from here on out.”
Connie smirked as she managed to shove him back. “Well, you don’t always have to be on guard against everything you know.”
“Oh?” Dipper raised an eyebrow. “Let me get this straight; you’re telling me not to be on guard when we’re in the middle of a literal sword fight? You must really want to win this one, Connie.”
“Who says I’m talking about sword fighting here?” Connie chuckled. She barely managed to outmaneuver Dipper’s next move, a fast, tricky swing that left her with no other choice but to shove him to the side. As caught off guard as he was, he was still grinning when he fell back against the side of the shack.
“Then what are you talking about?” Dipper asked, even if he had something of an idea already. Even then, he couldn’t suppress the sudden warmth that flooded his face when Connie cornered him. She pressed her free hand to the space next to his head as she perched the dull side of her sword under his chin.
“I-” Connie suddenly froze. Her steady smile faded, red rushing to fill her own cheeks as she stared him down. They were both breathless–from the flow of battle and from something else entirely. Something that had tore through both of their defenses, that had brought both of their guards down.
Something that was about to bring them closer together than they ever had been before.
For what felt like ages, neither of them said a single word. Their eyes stayed locked on each other, their shared, sharp breathing filling in the sudden silence between them. And, in a moment, an impulse, a chance that came far too quickly for either of them to stop it–
They both leaned forward and let their lips touch for the very first time.
Dipper’s sword fell first, slipping out of his grip to land on the ground beside him with a dull clang. Connie’s quickly followed as she absently tossed it over her shoulder in favor of resting her hand against the side of his face. While a light kiss, it was a surprisingly long one. Neither of them knew how to break it–and neither of them really wanted to either. For as long as they’d both been waiting for this and for as suddenly as it had come, it was well worth letting it last as long as it could.
Of course, eventually they both had to come up for air. Slowly, they pulled apart, eyes wide and faces flushed as they tried making sense of it all. Of what just happened, of how much a single moment had changed. Of all of the countless feelings flooding through them both.
Dipper was the first to speak to it, though even then, the most he could get out was a soft, stunned, “Wow…”
Connie barely managed to breathe out a laugh. “I-is that all you have to say?” she teased. “Most of the time it’s hard to get you to stop talking once you get started. Who knew a kiss was all it took?”
Dipper snorted out a laugh of his own as he lightly pressed his forehead against hers.
“I just can’t win against you, can I?”
“Nope,” Connie said with a wry smirk. “Looks like you’ve met your match.”
Dipper’s already warm smile only widened as he loosely weaved his hand through Connie’s hair. As they both leaned in for the second of what was sure to be many more kisses to come. “Looks like I have.”
