It is imperative that we comprehend the significant disparities in state-to-state cost of living as we negotiate the current economic terrain. Your whole financial well-being and discretionary income can be greatly impacted by a variety of factors, including housing, groceries, utilities, healthcare, and other expenses.
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i have to ask because the poem in the last chapter has ruined me and if somebody wrote me a poem like that i would faint but WHERE in the heck did you find inspiration for that poem. or how the placements of the poem fits your stories so far, like wow i'm ruined here
Wow! Iâm kinda astounded that you feel that way, thank you so much!
That poem in particular was all Wirt. That section of the chapter that I wrote it in - the end of chapter 11 - came in the middle of the night after reflecting on how heâd feel if he knew Dipper was sneaking out night after night instead of talking to him. I was full with his feelings and he sort of spilled over and the poetry came naturally. That usually doesnât happen.
Usually when I decide that a scene needs a poem I open a separate document and spend at least an hour writing and editing the poem. It tends to start with one line that I absolutely fall in love with and then the rest of the poem works itself around that line. Youâll see an instance of that in the first side story, thereâs another poem in that fic that Iâm particularly proud of, but in this case, this poem wrote itself in minutes and happened right as Wirt was speaking. I didnât have to go into another document to write it. Dipper and Wirtâs feelings for him were the only inspiration I had. I think it helped that Wirt was feeling lost and helpless at the time, poetry comes easier to me when Iâm in melancholy moods.
I come back to the tag and no pinescone waaaaaaah!!! Im kidding you guys are the best you write enough pinescone as it is. Also that last ask is adorable and I dunno how anyone would get mad for the chapter not being up with such a response.
Thank you, lolWeâre sleepy people, it happens c:
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Where is the Pinescone. Where. Is. The. Pinescone.
pinescone is lovepinescone is lifepinescone is all places and no places
Though I suspect you mean whereâs the update for LCOL >.>Weeeeeeeellllll............
Last night skimmingmilk fell asleep on me while we were writing (as chap 18 hasnât yet been completed b/c itâs a tough one to write and so much is happening and i work 5 days a week so bleh)
And then I fell asleep while waiting for her to wake up and just chapter 18 didnât happen
It WILL be up this weekend, though. We only have one more scene to write, and weâll also put up another chapter of WCFF this weekend
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 9619
Co-written by: skimmingmilk and syl-writes-stuff
Summary: âI have a surprise for you!â
âThose words never end well for me.â
â
Nightmares are keeping Dipper from sleeping. In an effort to help him recover from what happened to him in the hideaway of the Society of the Blind Eye, Mabel puts a plan into motion that involves a bit of a change in scenery from their usual summers spent in Gravity Falls. A slow, normal summer spent in Lakeville, city of lakes, full of dates, frog hunts, and fun with friends might be just the thing to take Dipperâs mind off it. Not to mention give him a few extra weeks with his boyfriend and get the comfort he needs in the aftermath of Gideonâs torture. As they get used to this new relationship, itâs ups and downs, Wirt and Dipper also get to begin to piece together the puzzles that make up each other and build upon the foundation they set up in Gravity Falls.
[AO3]
Chapter 16
August was upon them.
It felt like theyâd blinked and July was gone. Two and a half weeks blown by and scattered to the banks of their memories like dandelion seeds. Two weeks ago a month had seemed endless. A month had been an eternity compared to three days or a week. A month had been more than enough.
With Augustâs arrival, Wirt came to the realization that a month wasnât nearly enough. What had started out as novelty shifted into normalcy. As odd as it had been to have someone other than his little brother share his bed, now he couldnât imagine his body filling up the space on its own. He couldnât imagine opening his closet and not finding Dipperâs trademark vest and collection of t-shirts. He couldnât imagine playful tussles over whether or not to watch a Ghost Harassers marathon or an Addicted to Rehab marathon on HGTV being stripped away from him, even if they almost always ended in Wirt letting Dipper choose the show, providing that Dipper let him use his lap as a pillow. He couldnât imagine practicing the clarinet without dreamy, lovestruck eyes watching his every move instead of practicing his sousaphone along with him.
He couldnât imagine a him without Dipper. Not anymore. Or, well, he could. If he tried hard enough, he most certainly could.
But he didnât want to.
He wasnât ready.
Theyâd only been boyfriends for a month - less than that if they only started counting from the day Wirt called him that. Two weeks. Their month was over half-done. They had a week. They were back to one week.
Unfortunately this one lacked the euphoria their first week had. Desperate not to waste any of their remaining time with petty grievances over how unfair it was that they lived on opposite coasts - because that was the way things were, there was no changing that - Wirt kept most of these thoughts confined to a notebook, his musings filling page after page, some poetry, most not, when insomnia came calling, his not as debilitating as his boyfriendâs bout. Trauma hadnât caused his, only the racing of his thoughts and the need to savor every minute he had left.
Because after this, who knew when he would see him again? He wouldnât be able to wait until next June, he already knew that. The wait between October to June this past year had been excruciating enough and he hadnât even known him or Mabel then, not really. August to June, when he loved both of them more than he could say - a true enough sentiment, he couldnât say it to either of them, he couldnât even say it to his own brother - would be unbearable. While this month had been so necessary for them, while he wouldnât trade it for anything, Wirt couldnât help but wonder if it also did them harm in allowing them to become as comfortable with each other as they had.
Parting in Gravity Falls had seemed possible. Dipper and Mabel leaving Lakeville, city of lakes, seemed anything but. Wirt didnât want it to be.
The Sunday of their last week, August second, with exactly seven days left found the boys in Wirtâs bedroom, both of them squeezed onto his bed, lying over the green comforter. Theyâd gone to the library the day before, all four of them, and had returned with a spread of books. Wirt had come away with two poetry books and two of fiction, taking the time to invest himself in Robert Frost while Dipper tapped away at his laptop, pausing every now and then to read up on something, his journals spread out over the both of them. Journal number three was open on Wirtâs stomach, two sandwiched in the sliver of a crevice between their thighs, and one was open, face-down, on Dipperâs chest.
It was the start of a lazy summer afternoon, Wirt balancing his attentions between the verses of Frost and the cadence of Dipperâs breaths as he muttered to himself, unintelligible words hissing between his teeth as they worked on the plastic casing of a pen. The sun was making its way over the house, soon to be shedding its rays through his window and onto the bed. It was easy enough to pretend this wasnât the start of the end.
Even after three weeks, it was odd to not have a million things chasing Dipper or having a million things to chase after. It was odd not to have Grunkle Stan shouting at them to come downstairs for the latest chore or to have Soos making the oddest bets with him or to have Wendy rolling her eyes at him.
It was still weird to have quiet. Even his twin was off, exploring the town with Greg in the basket of her bicycle. It was the middle of the day - passed it, really - and he was just able to breathe and relax. This, he supposed, was what summers had been before Gravity Falls. Almost.
He looked up from his research, peering at Wirt. His lips moved a little as he read Robert Frost, as though he were tasting the words and the way they flowed. It was adorable and a little more interesting as he hit a lull in his research. He was pretty sure he knew just how they were going to tug aside the veil. It was probably going to hurt like crazy; there was no way around that for him. He wasnât a proper medium, after all, or even a witch, so he wasnât designed to be able to hold the veil back. But it was possible, and he would do it for Wirt. And for Greg and, well, for Mabel too. Maybe a little bit for himself.
Decision made - no pain, no gain - Dipper began to steadily inch closer until he could nuzzle and snuggle his boyfriend to distraction. The first journal was set to the side with his laptop, the second closed and nudged closer to the foot of the bed with his foot, and the third shut when he gave up on subtlety and rolled onto his side to lightly nip his neck.
Shimmying up, tossing a leg over one of his boyfriendâs, he kissed the top of Wirtâs nose and grinned a little when it wrinkled. âYouâre lucky. You know that?â
âHm?â He finally lowered his book, turning his head to give Dipper the attention heâd been clearly trying to get. âWhat? What do you mean?â
âYou and just-â He leaned back a bit to wave his hands. âJust all this. Normal summer stuff.â
Wirtâs lips quirked up in a half-smile. âNot too boring for you?â
Dipper tugged his book away, marking the page for him before rolling on top of him entirely. Comfortable with him, he discarded his cap to keep it out of the way so he could hide his face in Wirtâs neck. âI think... I think I really needed some boring. Giant frogs aside, you know?â
Looping his arms around Dipperâs waist, Wirt brushed his lips right beneath his ear. âI can give you boring. I can give you that in spades,â he murmured, smile turning a little sad as he tightened his hold. âThat I can promise.â
Dipper huffed out a laugh, fingers curling into Wirtâs sweater. While the nightmares had once again slipped away, he was still wary of their return when they left. He was wary of a lot of things that came with leaving. Losing this - lazy summer afternoons cuddled close - was high up there. Topping the list was simply knowing that he wouldnât be able to see him after a week. He wouldnât be able to reach out and find Wirt there. He felt no more ready than he had when heâd had to stand on the porch of the Shack and watch them drive away.
âYouâre too interesting to be boring. Your townâs one thing, but not you.â He sighed. âWill you do me a really lame favor, and read to me? Frostâs not bad and I just... I like the way you sound when you read.â
âOh. You do?â Wirt squirmed some, stopping only when he realized it disrupted Dipperâs hold on him, choosing instead to avert his gaze as if looking for the book heâd taken from him while he traced meaningless circles against his back. âUm⌠yeah. Yeah, I can read to you.â
âCool. You get, like, this poetry voice when you read. I like it.â He was going to miss it.
âPoetry voice?â He scrunched his nose as he felt around for the book, tapping the binding against Dipperâs back to get him to move enough so he could keep him in his arms and still be able to read. âI didnât- I mean, itâs not something Iâm doing on purpose or anything. How is it different from my normal voice?â His normal voice cracked just then, and he made a face at himself. Well, there was one way. His voice never cracked when he read poetry. Not if he was engrossed enough in it.
Dipper snorted, ducking his head. âDonât worry about it. Thereâs just something about it thatâs different.â
âHm.â Wirt puffed up his cheeks a little as he looked at him with a discerning eye. âOkay, if you say so. Letâs see⌠there was one I just read that I really likedâŚâ He opened the book to the page Dipper had marked for him, then flipped back two. He licked his lips and cleared his throat, glancing at him once more before starting.
ââTree at my window, window tree,
My sash is lowered when night comes on;
But let there never be curtain drawn
Between you and me.
ââVague dream-head lifted out of the ground,
And thing next most diffuse to cloud,
Not all your light tongues talking aloud
Could be profound.
ââBut tree, I have seen you taken and tossed,
And if you have seen me when I slept,
You have seen me when I was taken and swept
And all but lost.
ââThat day she put our heads together,
Fate had her imagination about her,
Your head so much concerned with outer,
Mine with inner, weather.ââ
Dipper pressed a kiss to his neck. âWhen Iâm in Piedmont, Iâm going to call you some nights and just ask you to read to me. Prepare for that.â
âThat doesnât sound like too demanding of a request. I think I can manage that.â Wirt tilted his head to brush his lips over his bangs. âAnd Iâm going to call you⌠window tree.â He flashed him a grin, wrapping both legs around Dipperâs.
With a laugh, Dipper nipped his neck instead and wriggled closer. âNo way. Never that.â
âDonât draw a curtain between us, Dipper,â Wirt snickered, doing his part to press up against him. âNot that one would be able to fit. I donât think thereâs any way anything could fit between us right now.â
Thereâd be too much distance soon. âGood.â He grinned, tilting his head back to brush kisses along his jaw and pushing aside the melancholy mood trying to take hold of him. It wasnât like they were leaving that day. Â
âMmhm.â A contented smile spread lazily over his lips as he let him lavish his attention on him. âWant to hear another one?â Wirt asked him, the hand not holding his book stroked along Dipperâs side.
âYeah. Yeah, I do.â Dipper shimmied upwards, catching his earlobe between his teeth.
Wirt huffed out a laugh, cheeks warming. âHey, stop. I wonât be able to focus on reading if you keep doing that.â
âSure you will. A poetic pilgrim perseveres.â But he did stop, kissing his cheek instead.
âNot when he has an adorable and irresistable boyfriend to kiss,â Wirt pointed out, turning to the next page.
âWell, you're not kissing me, which is starting to be a real problem.â
âIs it?â He turned his head to capture his lips. âThat fix it?â
âMm. It's a good start. But two's better.â
âCanât argue there.â Wirt kissed him again, letting the contact between them linger as he deepened it by degree, as if each moment they spent kissing would prolong the time they had left together.
It ended as telltale laughter and pounding footsteps could be heard in the hallway. Sighing, Dipper tucked his face into the crook of Wirtâs neck. âFive bucks says theyâre coming in here.â
Before Wirt could respond the bedroom door flew open, with Greg attached to the handle with Mabel right behind him. âWirt! Dipper!â He grinned at them as the frog under his arm croaked. âGet your lazy bums out of bed! Weâre going on an adventure!â
The older brother arched an eyebrow as he looked at the pair of them. âOh yeah? Says who?â
âSays Sara!â
Not the answer he expected, Wirt blinked twice and lifted his head up off the pillow to see them better. âSara?â
âYes Sara!â Mabel held up her phone, wiggling it. âSomebody - and by somebody I mean you, Wirt - has been ignoring his phone!â
Wirt blinked, then glanced over at his silenced phone sitting on the nightstand. âYeah, well, I didnât want to be interrupted.â Not to mention the last time theyâd hung out with his friends had ended in a panic attack for Dipper and several daysâ worth of tension that he wasnât too keen on reliving. Not with only a week left. He could see his friends whenever once school started. He wouldnât be able to see Dipper.
âLuckily you have a little sister whoâs more than willing to drag you into the wonderful world outside!â
âI donât think âluckilyâ is the right word, Mabel.â
âYou think too much and too incorrectly. But come on! Trevor apparently doesnât believe that youâre as good a pitcher as I told him you were, and Sara got her hands on a radar gun. You havenât gotten in much practice, Dipdop. You know you want to,â she sing-songed.
Dipper wriggled a bit, suddenly restless. âMm.â
Wirt pursed his lips in thought and glanced down at his suddenly squirmy boyfriend. âDo you want to?â
âKind of. I guess. Some.â
âHm.â Wirt closed his book. He supposed, for a guy that liked to be as busy as Dipper, going out and physically doing something probably held a lot of appeal. Especially since it involved baseball. Even though Jonathan had put up the target out back, Wirt knew it probably wasnât the same as having someone catch for you. âWe can go. If you want. And I donât know⌠itâd be fun to watch you pitch.â
âOf course it will be! Thatâs why I already said yes and theyâre expecting us in, um, ten minutes.â
âOh my god.â
âCome on, boys! Like Greg said, get your lazy butts up! Grab your glove, bro-bro! Weâre going to make Trevor eat those words.â Mabel looked down at her phone, smile wide. âIsabelleâs looking forward to that.â
âIsabelleâs a fan of anything that makes Trevor look like a dolt,â Wirt snorted, untangling his legs from Dipperâs as he prodded him in the side to get him moving. âHeâs totally only saying that to get someone to play baseball with him. It doesnât matter to him if youâre good or not, heâs just desperate.â
âI wonât hurt him, then. Weâll have to make him wear some extra padding in his mitt.â Dipper rolled out of bed, set his laptop on the desk and left the journals scattered on the mattress behind him.
Mabel giggled. âSara just wants to see if youâre half as good at baseball as you are at pool.â
âOh my god. Are you texting, like, all of them right now?â
âYes.â She showed him her phone and he rolled his eyes.
âI donât get how youâre basically best friends with all of them. You even have the dweeb in here! Mabel!â
âI keep telling you heâs not a dweeb. Heâs harmless. And you know, itâs like dad says. Youâd be their friend too if youâd just-â She broke off, both twins faltering for a moment. âIâll give them your number.â
âSure. Not the dweeb,â he insisted, snagging a baseball and his ball glove from the top of Wirtâs dresser.
âOh my gosh, Dipper. Youâre so mean.â
Wirt fumbled with his laces, having pulled on two different pairs of shoes, distracted by trying hard not to listen to what they werenât saying in the conversation while actually, totally listening. âI- Iâd rather you not give Jason Funderberker his number, too, Mabel. So⌠uh⌠do it for me? Not- not to be mean or anything, but just becauseâŚâ
âBecause of your crippling insecurities?â Greg piped up unhelpfully.
Wirt stared at him for a beat, unimpressed by his deduction. âI wouldnât put it like that, exactly, but I guess.â
âDonât worry Wirt, youâve got tons of stuff that Jason Funderberker doesnât have!â Greg puffed out his chest. âLike the best little brother in the world. He doesnât have that.â
Having expected something a little more along the lines of his internal strengths, Wirt couldnât help the small hitch of a laugh. âRight. Youâve got a point there, Greg. Youâre obviously my greatest asset.â
âThatâs right. And obviously Dipperâs not going to date somebody who doesnât have me for a little brother, so you donât have to worry about Jason Funderberker whisking him away. Right, Dipper?â Greg grinned at him, hoping to bring the fun back into the air for all of them.
âYeah, Greg. Itâs got nothing to do with me liking his cute face and his poetry and his interesting mind.â He grabbed his own sneakers, tugging at the heel since he never bothered to untie them. âIâm totally dating him so you can stay my honorary little brother.â
Hands on his hips, Greg looked back to Wirt. âSee?â
âYeah.â But Wirtâs head was angled away, his cheeks and the tips of his ears red as he smiled shyly. âI see your point. Still donât want Dipperâs number in Jason Funderberkerâs phone though.â
âFair enough,â Greg conceded.
âI wasnât going to anyway,â Mabel assured them. âI just texted it to Sara and Trevor to start.â
âMay as well send it to Isabelle and Taylor, too. Not like any of them are actually going to-â Dipper broke off, eyes going round as he tugged his phone from his pocket. âOh.â
âAnd sent.â Mabel put her phone away, hips swishing side to side in delight. âNow come on, come on! Dipper, you can program them into your phone later. Letâs go!â
Wirt stood up, his hand going to Dipperâs back. âSorry, guess I shouldâve warned you that theyâre pretty chatty. Especially Trevor- whoa! Greg!â He was suddenly tugged away, dragged by his little brother out of the room and into the hallway.
âBaseball time! Baseball time!â
Mabel took the opportunity to talk to her brother alone. âIâm sorry, bro-bro. I didnât mean-â
âItâs cool, Mabel.â
âI know you donât like when I quote dad, and I know friends are hard for-â
âMabel, itâs okay.â He gave her shoulder a squeeze. âSeriously. So are we gonna go? Weâre running late at this point.â
She studied him for a moment before letting her smile return. Like Greg, she latched on and dragged her brother right off. âOnward!â
 ----
 They met up at the field for the high school. Trevor and Taylor were tossing a ball back and forth while Sara, Isabelle, and Jason Funderberker lounged on the grass of the outfield with an assortment of sodas hoarded between the three of them. They waved them over as they spied the group of four, their greetings attracting Trevorâs attention. When he caught the ball Taylor threw his way, he turned to face them.
âHey guys!â he called out as he chucked it their way. âThink fast!â
On reflex, it wasnât the first time heâd been subjected to this, Wirt stumbled forward and caught the ball before it beamed any of them in the head. âTrevor.â
âWhat? Youâre getting better at hand-eye coordination thanks to me.â He grinned and held out his mitt for Wirt to toss the ball back.
He did so, brow furrowed as his cheeks puffed out. âYouâre going to kill someone someday.â
âIf I do, itâs because they didnât think fast enough.â
âHey Trevor! Think fast!â Isabelle threw an unopened soda can at him and it hit him in the thigh as he turned. âOoh. Sorry. Guess you just didnât think fast enough.â
Trevor rolled his eyes and stooped to pick up the can. âNo one thinks youâre funny, Isabelle.â
Dipper rolled his eyes, hooking an arm around Wirtâs waist and brushing a kiss to his temple after a quick bob onto his toes. âNice catch.â
âI take my job as your shield very seriously,â he replied, cheeks dusted with pink as he tried to shrug it off. âDonât want my boyfriend bruised by my dumb friend, after all.â
âHey, I can hear you,â Trevor told him.
Wirt stuck his tongue out at him, then gasped and tried to block Dipper with his body when Trevor came at them with the soda, his fingers threatening the tab. âHey! Hey, hey, no! Not unless itâs sugar free, donât you dare!â
âDo it! Spray them with soda!â Greg cheered.
âGreg! Whoâs side are you on?â
âThe side with the most soda, and right now thatâs Trevor.â
Not wanting to get sprayed herself, Mabel quickly side-stepped. âBehave, boys.â
Dipper laughed. âMan, you pop that tab and you'll never see me pitch.â
Trevor backed off with a laugh of his own. âLike Iâd waste a good- what is this?â He held up the can to actually look at the label. âOrange soda on Wirt.â
âGood to know. Anyway, hopefully you put some padding in your glove. âCause now I'm not going easy on you, man.â Dipper tugged on his mitt and leaned over to kiss Wirt's cheek. âI've got this. Greg, you gonna call numbers for me or are you still being a brat?â he teased, sticking his tongue out at the traitor.
âI want to call the numbers!â Greg waved his arm excitedly while Wirt rolled his eyes. At least he didnât deny being a brat. âWhereâs the thing?â
Sara held up the radar gun. âOver here, Greg.â
He lit up and raced over to take it. âThanks, Sara! Here, we can trade.â Greg offered her the lucky frog. âYou can have Jason Funderburker.â
âWho? Me?â Jason Funderberker croaked, his attention redirected from offering Taylor a soda as she joined them.
Greg scoffed, hands on his hips. âNot you, Jason Funderberker. Jason Funderburker.â
Ro-rop. The frog blinked twice, then stared at the other boy from Saraâs lap. Jason Funderberker blinked back. âOh. Sorry.â
âAim for his face, Dipper!â Isabelle called out to him once Greg had the radar gun in hand.
Wirt raised an eyebrow. âPretty sure pitching doesnât involve aiming at peopleâs faces.â
âHow do you know? Wirt, Iâm like, one hundred and fifteen percent certain that you donât know the first thing about baseball.â
He opened his mouth to refute that, but immediately closed it as he realized she was right and said as much. She and Sara laughed, the latter of the two getting to her feet and dusting off her jeans. She waved Mabel and Wirt over, herding them in the direction she wanted to go.
âCome on, weâll have a better view from the dugout,â she told them.
Wirt blinked. âThe what?â
âThe dugout. You know, the place where the batters sit to wait for their turn at the plate?â She clarified, watching as Wirt only blinked again. âOh my god. Someone is seriously going to have to educate you on baseball terms if youâre going to have a boyfriend who plays.â
âI can teach him!â Trevor offered, handing Dipper the ball after kicking the unopened orange soda can aside.
âHe doesnât need to know the terminology to know that Dipdopâs awesome,â Mabel pointed out. âBut theyâd totally help since Iâm absolutely going to film bits and pieces of his games.â
âDonât you dare,â her twin warned.
âYouâll never stop me, bro-bro!â
Shaking his head, Dipper only laughed, rolling the ball along his fingers to get a feel for it. He hadnât really been expecting to pitch on an actual baseball field, so bounced lightly on the mound as he waited for Trevor to take his place. Numbers swirled and the ball abruptly stopped as a pitch clicked. Curve ball to make him think he was going to get hit in the face seemed fair.
âWord of advice, Trevor, donât move the glove. You donât have any extra equipment, so if I do hit you in the face, itâll hurt. Like, a lot. So donât move the glove unless I tell you to.â
âWhen he first joined the high school team, he knocked out a senior who didnât listen to him,â Mabel revealed, perching on the bench and hefting Greg up to sit in her lap so she could help him hold the gun up.
Trevor shot her a thumbs up, crouching down by home plate. He might not have played catcher, but he could respect the position and knew from being hit by the occasional wild pitch as a batter not to mess around. âI got you, Dipper,â he called back to him.
âHave you seen him in action before?â Sara asked Wirt, nudging his shoulder with hers as they sat on the bench beside Mabel.
âSort of? Iâve seen him throw some practice pitches.â He shrugged as the rest of the group meandered over to watch.
Mabel grinned. âHe's been practicing some out back, too, but he throws differently to a catcher. Trevor did put padding in his glove, didn't he?â
Sara and Wirt both looked to Isabelle who merely shrugged her shoulders with a, âMm-mm-mm.â
âProbably a no then.â Sara deduced, looking back to their friend with what amounted to amused pity.
âOh boy,â Wirt sighed.
Dipper twisted his cap around before settling into his stance. The first pitch came without warning, his silent stillness erupting into a graceful wave of motion.
The ball clapped loudly into Trevor's glove and 78 lit up on the gun. âPretty slow, bro-bro!â It wasn't in the slightest, average for a major leaguer, but she loved goading him.
âShut up, Mabel! First pitch and it was a curve.â He held up his glove for Trevor to throw the ball back his way. âLet me warm up some, geez.â
Whistling lowly, Trevor tossed it back. âNice, man!â he praised, grinning from ear to ear at the actual, talented player, slanting a glance Wirtâs way. âDude, your boyfriendâs awesome.â
Wirt sat up straight, his shoulders back as he preened, his own delighted smile all for the boy on the mound while his stomach fluttered with butterflies. âI know.â
Dipper sought him out as he rolled his fingers over the ball, seeking the next pitch. A change-up clicked, his grin all for Wirt while he shifted into his stance and let the ball fly. 84 flashed.
âHere we go,â Mabel said quietly, smile widening.
The group of teens murmured appreciatively while Wirt squirmed on the bench. Heâd watched him pitch before to a person, yeah, but that had been before the depths of his crush had been realized. It had been with careful distance that heâd admired the stance and the way his mind flipped through possible pitches. There hadnât been any grins aimed his way either, not ones bursting with familiarity. Familiarity after only a month. Had it really only been a month? Yes, heâd met him and Mabel in The Unknown, but that wasnât knowing them the way he did now. A month ago he watched him pitch as nothing more than an acquaintance making good on his promise. Now he was watching him as his boyfriend, as someone who loved him.
Wirtâs lips quirked up in a smaller, but no less fond, smile. Theyâd moved quickly, almost too quickly for his taste, but they really, kind of had to. The pressure of a week had been upon them, then the aftermath of what had truly been a horrific experience for Dipper - for all of them, but especially Dipper - had called for something a little above and beyond a typical, teen, summer fling. Wirt didnât really do flings anyway. It wasnât within his comfort zone for one, and for two, well, there had been too much to know about Dipper to reduce him to something he could only savor in summer. He wanted him for all seasons.
He was brought back out of his reverie when Sara laughed beside him and he blinked at the way Trevor waved his gloved hand and adjusted the mitt after throwing it back to Dipper. âOh god. I might not know the first thing about catching either, but heâs seriously going to regret this.â
âWhat position does he play?â Wirt asked curiously. Well-aware of his friendâs love of the game, once he got started on the subject, he used words that Wirt just couldnât follow for the life of him.
Sara snorted, grinning at him. âDo you even know what positions there are in baseball?â
âUm. Pitcher.â Wirt pursed his lips, nodding in Dipperâs direction. âOh! And catcher.â
âOh my god, you look so pleased with yourself.â She clapped him on the back. âTrev plays third base.â
âRight. Of course. Thatâs the⌠thatâs the third one, right.â
Mabel giggled. âThere are nine positions, sweetie. In order by the scorecard, itâs pitcher, catcher, first, second, third, shortstop, left field, center field, right field.â She tilted her head to the side. âI think I lost you after third.â
âNo. Shortstop.â Wirt corrected, the nickname Dipper had bestowed on his younger brother finally making sense. Well, aside from the obvious of Greg being short and the number of times he had to tell him to âstop.â
âAre you guys trying to teach my boyfriend baseball?â Dipper demanded, trying to pick a pitch other than the fastball his fingers wanted. He didnât really want to hurt Trevor.
âEmphasis on the word âtrying,ââ Sara called back to him.
âI didnât even know there was a scorecard for baseball.â
Taylor laughed. âHow did you think they keep track of who wins?â
âWell, I mean⌠I knew they had a points-system, I just didnât know there was⌠like an actual card they kept score on,â he explained.
âI didnât either,â Jason Funderberker chimed in.
Trevor glanced their way. âWirt, I swear to god if youâre envisioning something like a Yahtzee scorecard, Iâm going to have to break off our friendship. Forever.â
His cheeks warmed as they puffed out. âUh⌠no? Of course not. Why would I do that? Thereâs- thereâs no dice in baseball. Right?â He looked to Mabel quickly for confirmation.
âMm-mm. Iâll show you a scorecard when we get home,â she promised. âCome on, Dipdop! Whatâre you waiting for?â
He muttered under his breath, fingers settling where they wanted. They had told Trevor to put padding in his glove, so it wasnât technically his fault if this hurt him. Besides, it wasnât as though he had to pitch that hard. Yeah.
Dipper lined up the throw, and winced when Greg called out 99. âWhoops.â
âSon of a- banana split!â Trevor dropped the ball and removed his glove, waving his hand as if the rush of air would soothe the sting, glaring at the dugout when Isabelle and Sara burst into a fit of giggles. âShut up, Isabelle!â
âDipper, youâre seriously the best!â she praised him, giving him a thumbs up.
âYeah! Ninety-nine percent is almost an A plus!â Greg beamed at him.
Dipper rubbed the back of his neck. âI was kind of trying to slow that one down some, but thanks. Probably shouldâve gone with a splitter instead of a cutter.â
âDifferent kinds of fastballs,â Mabel translated, reaching over Sara to pat Wirtâs knee.
âTrev, you want to stop?â
âNo.â He shook his head, glancing around the field. âIâm gonna need that soda can back though. Wow, have you got an arm.â
Jason Funderberker grabbed one from their stash and took it over to him. Trevor clutched the cool aluminum, blowing out a short exhale of relief before setting it down at his feet. Reaching into the pocket of his cargo pants, he pulled out the padding heâd ignored earlier and fitted it over his hand. He shoved his mitt back on and picked up the ball, chucking it to Dipper.
âTo be fair, youâre like, three times better than any of the pitchers on our team,â he told him, then looked to the dugout. âWirt! Get him to move in with you so we can have him!â
âWorking on it,â Wirt replied, delighted by the attention his boyfriend was getting.
âReally?â Gregâs eyes went wide with excitement.
Heart stuttering a bit, Wirt sagged a bit at the hope his brother exuded. âNot⌠not really, Greg. Not yet. Not really not yet, but someday? Maybe? UhâŚâ
Mabel saved him, bouncing Greg in her lap. âBaby, we would absolutely move in if we could. But weâve got to see our parents. And Waddles! Poor Waddles has been all alone with the grunkles, so we have to go home and rescue him.â
âOh yeah! You canât leave Waddles! Heâs part of Mystery Best Friends, too!â Greg nodded, in complete agreement with her.
Wirt sighed quietly, shooting Mabel a grateful look. His peace of mind didnât last long though. He stiffened as the bench dipped a little with the added weight on his other side. Why? Why didnât he just go back to his original seat? Why was he sitting next to him and not Taylor and Isabelle?
âHey, Wirt.â
âHi⌠Jason FunderberkerâŚâ
Mabel prided herself on holding back the burst of giggles when she looked from them to her twin and his narrow eyes. His next pitch was almost violent, and she bit her lip at the 102. âWellity, wellity, wellity.â
âHeâs really good, huh?â Jason Funderberker croaked, leaning towards Wirt to engage him in conversation.
Wirtâs gaze flitted between him and Dipper, fidgeting after being under his narrow-eyed scrutiny and hearing the triple-digit number called out. Straightening his shoulders, he attempted a smile, tried to be at ease and not nervous because Dipper didnât need to be bothered by total package Jason Funderberker, too. âYeah. Yeah, he is.â He mentally patted himself on the back. Good, now they could move on-
âI mean, Iâm with you. I donât know much about baseball either, but itâs pretty obvious he has talent,â Jason Funderberker continued.
Wirt rubbed the side of his neck. âYeah, thatâs- I felt- I uh⌠noticed that, too. First time I saw him pitch. âCause heâs⌠yeah, heâs good.â He turned his head away to check on Dipper. Really, all he wanted to do was enjoy how awesome his boyfriend was in peace, was that so much to ask?
Apparently. âItâs too bad you wonât get to see him in actual games.â
Too bad didnât even begin to cover it. âMmhm.â
âIâll film him,â Mabel promised, reaching over Sara again to give him a pat. âI go to all his games. And youâll get to see him in his little baseball uniform.â
Wirt blinked, intrigued by the idea of Dipper in a baseball uniform when another pat to his knee had him jumping and nearly toppling off the bench. âThatâd be cool. You should get someone to film you while youâre in marching band to show him, too,â Jason Funderberker suggested.
âY-yeah. Uh-huh.â He subtly tried to slide away from him.
âFunderberker! Stop hitting on Dipperâs boyfriend! At least not while Iâm catching for him. Iâm not target practice, you know,â Trevor hollered at him.
Heat rose in Wirtâs face as he slapped his palm to it while the total package beside him blinked in confusion, his hand still on Wirtâs knee. âHuh?â
Mabel lost it, head falling back as she laughed. âOh my gosh! Trevor!â
âWhat? I donât get it.â Jason Funderberkerâs brow wrinkled in confusion.
Sara was laughing right alongside Mabel. âOh, we know. Itâs okay, Funderberker.â
âOh⌠Wirt?â
Wirt pressed his lips together, eyes closed tightly. âMmhm?â
âIs it because Iâm touching y-â
âYes, itâs because youâre touching me.â
Torn between being absolutely mortified and furious because the dweeb was still touching him, Dipper kicked at the dirt on the mound and then huffed, giving up. So he was a jealous idiot. Fine. He could be every inch the jealous idiot if it meant Jason Funderberker took his dweeb hands off his boyfriend.
Even if he had to march over to the dugout and half-drag his boyfriend off the bench to claim his lips in a greedy, possessive kiss. âFunderberker, donât touch my boyfriend,â he grumbled, dropping his cap to Wirtâs head in stubborn claim before striding back to the mound to retrieve the ball and glove heâd left in the dirt.
âYou tell him, Dipper!â Sara cheered while Wirt sat back down shakily, heart pounding and head spinning from the kiss.
âSorry, Dipper,â Jason Funderberker added, very sincere in his croaky apology.
âThat was too adorable. Wirt, how did you get such an adorable boyfriend?â Isabelle grinned at him.
Wirtâs lips quirked up in a small smile, his flush still present on his cheeks as he shrugged a little. âI ask myself that same question every day.â
âOkay, thatâs obviously why,â Taylor put in, shaking her head.
Mabel patted her heart, still giggling now and then but relieved to see the next pitch come in at a far more mild 95. âOf course thatâs why. Theyâre both really adorable.â She ruffled Gregâs hair. âOb-waffle.â
âOb-waffle,â Greg agreed, holding up the radar gun to check the speeds of the next few pitches. âWe should all play baseball while Dipper and Mabel are still here. Like a real game!â
âTrevâs got bats and stuff, and Iâve got a few extra gloves,â Taylor chimed in, smiling at him. âIt could be fun. When do you guys head back?â
âSunday.â Mabelâs smile wanted to be sad, but she wrestled it away. âWe could play now. Not like we had anything big planned for today. Dipper and Wirt have been lazing around all morning.â
Wirtâs brow furrowed. âWe were reading. Well, I was reading. Dipper was researching.â
Sara chuckled, elbowing him in the side. âCome on, Wirt. You can read whenever you want. Weâll split the teams fairly.â
âBut we have an odd number of people,â Greg pointed out.
âTrevor!â Isabelle waved to get his attention. âGo home and get your baseball bats and your sister so we can have an even number of players!â
âWhat?â
âWeâre gonna play baseball!â Greg chirped. âCan I be catcher? I want to be catcher!â
âOnly if youâre not on Dipperâs team.â Taylor gave him a pat on the head.
Greg puffed out his cheeks, the crease in his brow matching Wirtâs. âAw, beans. Thatâs a tough call.â He looked from hand to hand, weighing his options as he held onto the radar gun. âCatcher or Dipper. Catcher or Dipper⌠whoâd be the pitcher on the other team?â
Sara shrugged and raised her hand. âIâm game if no one else is. Or Wirt, maybe you should pitch.â
He snorted. âYeah, no. Thatâs a terrible idea.â
âIâll pitch,â Mabel volunteered. âAs long as Dipper actually agrees to let us hit the ball sometimes.â
âMaybe.â Amused, all for a game, Dipper left his glove on the mound and tossed the ball hand to hand. âIf I get Wirt on my team.â
âYou say that now.â Wirt couldnât help his smile as he warned his boyfriend. âJust remember all the things you like about me while weâre playing, okay?â
âDonât worry, Wirt. Youâre about to get a crash course in baseball, and youâve got the best defense on your team. Weâll be fine.â
Isabelle went with Trevor to collect the rest of the gear theyâd need to play while the remaining teens plus Greg divided themselves into two teams of five. Dipper was named captain of his team and Mabel the captain of the other. Greg happily joined Mabelâs team alongside Jason Funderburker and Jason Funderberker. Taylor also joined their team, naming Isabelle their fifth player. Dipper, Sara, and Wirt comprised the other team, to be joined by Trevor - who was the only one the entire group decided should catch for Dipper - and his little sister, Kaylee.
âSo weâll have three fielders covering right, center, and left, and then pitcher and catcher,â Sara explained. âSo Dipâs our pitcher, Trevâs catcher, center should go to his sister and then you and I can cover part of center as well as left and right. You have a preference, Wirt?â
âUh⌠left, I guess.â He shrugged, siding with his dominant hand.
âOkay, so that means youâre basically third base and left field.â
âRight.â
âNo, Iâm right. Youâre left,â she teased, chuckling when he swatted her with a glove.
âWe should have team names!â Greg declared to all of them. âThatâs the best part of all sports. Picking the team name!â
Mabel ruffled his hair. âHow about Magical Tigers?â
âYeah!â
Sara grinned at him, then looked to her two teammates. âWhat should we be?â
Wirt tugged on the bill of Dipperâs hat as he rocked back on his heels with a small smile of his own. âThe Happy Honeybees.â
âOh my god, Wirt. Weâre the Hornets. Itâs a hornet costume-â
âThe Happy Honeybees,â he repeated, then laughed when she shoved his shoulder.
Sara rolled her eyes. âWeâre not going to be the Happy Honeybees. Iâd name our team the Nerd Gnomes first.â
That got Wirt to stop laughing, his cheeks puffing out as she turned the tables on him. âI wasnât a gnome.â
âIâm sorry, man, but Iâve seen gnomes. You so were.â
âI wasnât a gnome,â he repeated, crossing his arms. âIt was my Halloween costume, I think Iâm the best judge of just what I was exactly.â
Greg tilted his head, talk of gnomes having drawn him into their conversation. âBut Wirt, you said you didnât even know what you were!â
âWell, I know it wasnât a gnome.â
âHow about you guys be the feisty kittens?â Mabel teased.
âNo way,â Dipper protested.
âFerocious kittens?â Greg suggested with a smile.
Sara grinned back at him, nudging Dipper with her elbow. âFabulous kittens,â
âFearsome kittens.â Jason Funderberker joined in.
âIâll quit this team,â Dipper threatened.
âTwo of those suggestions werenât even from our team.â Wirt wrapped his arms around him from behind, resting his chin on top of Dipperâs head. âYou canât leave me alone with them, Dipper. What do you want to call our team?â
âUh.â For a moment, Dipper didnât quite know what to say. His hands flailed a bit before resting on Wirtâs arms, color seeping into his cheeks as he leaned into him. He couldnât even tug his hat down to hide the blush since it was still on his boyfriendâs head. His tall boyfriend. It wasnât as though Dipper wasnât always aware that there was a height difference, but it had never hit him quite like this and right in front of everyone - seriously? âYâknow. Just. Whatever you want to go with is cool. I donât care.â Because his brain had simply short circuited.
Wirt tried to look down at him, ending up pressing his lips to his hair instead. âYou donât care?â
âI got it.â Sara nodded to herself. âWe should be axolotls.â
âOkay, that I can totally get behind. Thatâs a billion times better than anything kitten related.â
Sara shrugged. âAlright then, but seriously, man, whatâs with all the kitten-hate?â
âBecause when Dipper-â
Mabel broke off on a squeal, her twin putting her in an immediate headlock and clapping a hand over her mouth. âNo reason. Nope.â She licked his hand, which was gross but he held fast. Sheâd made him break away from Wirtâs hold and that deserved as much punishment as the embarrassing fact sheâd been about to share.
âOh my gosh, thereâs totally a reason,â Jason Funderberker snickered and Wirt glowered at him while he wasnât looking.
âNo, you know, if Dipper says thereâs no reason, then thereâs no reason,â he defended his boyfriend.
Sara and Taylor both shot him disbelieving looks. âThereâs no way you actually believe that. Youâre just trying to score brownie points with your boyfriend,â the former teased.
Wirt crossed his arms and lifted his chin. âI⌠am completely okay with that assumption.â
âAnd Iâm totally okay with giving him all the points.â Dipper released his sister, only to immediately regret it as she socked him in the shoulder.
âAdorable.â
âShut up.â
âYes, yes, I know Iâm adorable,â Trevor called out as he and Isabelle returned to the field bearing bats and gloves and their extra player. âProbably the most adorable person here.â
Jason Funderberker went to help them with the bats. âOnly in your dreams, maybe.â
âNo way. Wirt, câmon man, back me up.â
Wirt fiddled with the pine tree cap still on his head, smile sheepish. âSorry, Trevor. Afraid I canât this time. Not when thereâs obviously someone else here whoâs clearly the most adorable.â
âOh, we all know who you think is the most adorable, Wirt. Youâve made it completely obvious.â Taylor gave him a pat on the head as she still towered over him. âFunderberker.â
âExactly- wait what! No!â Flustered, Wirt scowled at her as his cheeks puffed up.
âAw, Wirt, you donât think Iâm the most adorable?â Jason Funderberker played along.
âOh my gosh.â Wirt buried his face in his hands. âNo, Jason Funderberker. For obvious reasons.â
âTrevor, it is now my life goal to make sure your hand hurts for the entire month. Padding or no padding.â
âWhat did I do?â Trevor pressed his hand over his heart as he gaped at Dipper, appearing wounded. âHow was I supposed to know that âadorableâ wasnât in reference to me? Besides, Wirt set himself up for that.â
âI did not!â
âTrevor, I'm pretty sure no one's ever made the mistake of calling you adorable," Mabel teased
âWell, thereâs a first time for everything isnât there?â He shrugged, then laughed as Wirt shuffled over to Dipper and slumped against him.
He sighed heavily, longing for the peace of his bedroom that theyâd had not an hour earlier. âStill want to quit the team?â
âDude, yes. Letâs abandon them.â
âForfeit means we win,â Mabel pointed out.
âItâs not forfeit.â
âMmhm. Youâre team captain, Dipdop. If you quit, itâs a forfeit and my team wins. Alpha twin!â
Dipper glared at her.
Wirt tapped the top of Dipperâs head with the bill of his own cap. âIâll kiss you a lot if you forfeit,â he bargained.
âHey, no bribery, Wirt, itâs against the rules,â Sara chuckled.
He tapped him twice more. âLots and lots of kissing.â
âCâmon, man, Trevor and Isabelle just brought us all this gear. You seriously canât just ditch.â
âYeah, but lots of kissing is a really good deal.â
Wirt tipped back the cap so he could press his lips to his neck. âSo much kissing,â he promised.
Isabelle swatted Wirt's shoulder with a glove. âYou're playing. I didn't put up with a ten minute walk with his highness for nothing.â
âYou wanted to come! You volunteered!â Trevor reminded her, handing Mabel and Greg their gloves.
Mabel tucked hers under her arm, giggling as she fetched a coin from her pocket. âYou two are playing. Itâs settled. Heads or tails, bro-bro?â
He brushed a kiss to Wirtâs temple just under the hatâs lining. âHeads.â
âTails!â Greg called out. âI want tails!â
Wirt snorted, then lifted his head to raise his eyebrow at his brother. âYou are tails, Greg.â
âI know. Iâm just making sure everyone knows Iâm happy with this decision.â
Dipperâs laugh was cut off when Mabel called âTails!â And then it was her turn to laugh, sticking her tongue out at him. âWeâll take the field first. You guys can bat.â
âCrap.â
âNo worries, Dip.â Trevor clapped a hand on his shoulder. âYouâre looking at the guy whoâs got the highest batting average on the team.â
âHeâs right,â Isabelle chimed in with a sigh. âUnfortunately.â
Leaving his hand on Dipperâs shoulder, Trevor raised one fist to the air. âIâll carry us through to victory.â
âOh, thank god. So between your offense and my defense, weâve got this in the bag.â
âDonât get cocky, bro-bro.â Mabel wagged her finger at both of them, grinning. âI know you canât hit a ball to save your life, and Wirtâs probably never even held a baseball bat before. So thereâs two automatic outs. You just have to hope that the rest of your team is good.â
Wirt tugged on Dipperâs hat, cheeks puffing out a little. âIâve held a bat. I played Little League. For a year.â
Trevor shot him a sympathetic smile. âDude, you didnât hit the ball once. Ever. You were the bench warmer. But itâs all good, you made up for it on the field. Sort of. Sometimes.â There was a beat of silence. âTo be fair, you were six and scared of everything that moved, soâŚâ
âThanks, Trevor.â
âWirt, I didnât know you played Little League.â Sara bumped their shoulders together, eyes narrowing. âYouâre just full of secrets, arenât you?â
âSo many secrets.â He confirmed, nodding as seriously as he could manage. âSix was a dark, dark time for me.â While it was intended to be a joke, his voice low and teasing, he felt his heart twist a bit at the realization that that wasnât entirely untrue. Instead he bumped Saraâs shoulder back and removed the baseball cap to tuck back on Dipperâs head. âYou wouldnât believe some of the things I did for Teddy Grahams.â
âI can. Youâre a sugar fiend, man. I can only imagine the horror you were as an uninhibited child,â Trevor jabbed as he swung a bat over his shoulder. âBut enough reminiscing, letâs play some ball.â
âAlright, alright.â Dipper twisted his cap around, fingers stilling on the bill as he realized heâd just wandered around without it. And without thinking about it. Around people. He met Wirtâs gaze, surprise melting into a grin. âLetâs do this.â
It was a fairly evenly matched game, despite Dipperâs pitching prowess and Trevorâs ability to get on base at every at-bat as Taylor utilized her own skills from years of playing softball and Mabel and Gregâs enthusiasm riled up the Magical Tigers into taking the lead twice.
Wirtâs crash course in baseball did very little to help him assist his team, but during his third time at the plate, his flinch coincided with his swing enough for him to make contact - and maybe Mabel wanted to see if he could hit the ball - and it happened to fall and bounce somewhere near Jason Funderberker's feet, the total package unable to catch it. Wirt had stared at the ball dumbly for a second before Greg was tugging on his arm - âYou're supposed to run to first base, Wirt!â - and encouraging him to run despite not being on the same team. He hadn't made it home, and it was the only time he got on base, but he was pleased with himself just the same. And the kiss heâd received from his boyfriend as he met him on the mound while returning to the field.
Greg on the other hand got several good hits off Dipper, the pitcher purposefully giving him the best angles and speeds. Both teams cheered on the two younger kids, Trevor giving Greg a âsuper high five!â when he got to home plate and scored a run for the Magical Tigers. Kaylee even got a few hits in, though the fellow seven-year-old fouled off Mabel more often than not.
As the shadows grew beneath them and the heat got to the teens and children and lucky frog alike, the Axolotls took the game at the top of the ninth inning by two runs, Trevor hitting Sara and himself home. Hot and tired, but ultimately in good moods all around, they gathered the bats and gloves and searched for lost balls in the overgrown outfield, having just as much fun tossing the ones they found back and forth between each other. Isabelle, Taylor, and Mabel flopped down in the grass, the three girls relishing in the occasional breeze that blew by, claiming that winners deserved to do all the work.
âWinners who have a pool should also invite everyone over to cool off and feed them pizza,â Isabelle piped up, arms pillowed under her head as she closed her eyes against the clouds and blue sky.
Trevor laughed, trying to juggle three of the baseballs and ultimately failing. âYou know you guys are always welcome to come over and swim. I donât need to invite you. And if somebody else pays for the pizza, I will gladly order it.â
âIâll pay for it,â Jason Funderberker offered croakily.
Taylor snorted, reaching her hand out to him. âFunderberker, the whole point is to get the winners to do things for us.â
âOh, right.â
Sara held both her hands up. âIâll chip in, but Iâm not paying for everyoneâs pizza,â she told them, glancing Wirtâs way, her gaze roving over his face and the way he held his shoulders as he toyed with the mitt he was still holding onto, rolling it in his hands as he rubbed over the seam between the thumb and index finger relentlessly. Her eyes narrowed when he said nothing and his expression was surprisingly blank considering it was Wirt, then she shifted her gaze to Dipper.
He was already looping an arm around Wirtâs waist, lifting up to press a kiss just beneath his ear. âWe donât have to swim, man. Itâs okay,â he murmured. âWe can be lazy winners and eat pizza on the sidelines.â
Wirt hummed, eyes drifting to the side so he was in his line of sight. âItâs fine. You can swim. Itâs not a big deal.â He shrugged with one shoulder. âDonât want to spoil your fun.â
âYou wonât. I like being with you.â And they only had a week left. âSo itâs fine. Unless youâre thinking you just want to go home?â
He did. And he didnât. His internal conflict warred in his gaze as he bit down on his lip. âMm-mm-mm. Donât want to spoil their fun either,â he murmured, nodding towards the rest of the group. âAnd todayâs been fun. I had fun, you looked like you had fun, so I donât really mind hanging out longer, butâŚâ Wirt puffed up his cheeks and blew out slowly. âNo, itâs fine. Weâll go for a little bit. Unless you want to go home.â
âNah, not really. I mean, your friends are...â Dipper ducked his head. âI donât know. Theyâre great. Youâre lucky. So, um, we can go for a little bit, and when youâre ready to go just let me know. Okay?â
Lucky? Wirt blinked, his grip on the glove lessening as he let go with one hand to brush a stray curl back under his cap and behind his ear. Sure, he was still surprised and flabbergasted to say the least that he actually had this group of people he could call friends - who called him their friend in return - and he thought that he himself was lucky, but why would Dipper? It didnât really make much sense.
Unless Dipper knew what it was like to be the kid without friends. The awkward interaction between the twins before they left flitted back into his mind and his hand slid down to the back of his neck to knead gently. Theyâd stay the whole time. He could handle it.
âOkay.â Wirt smiled at him and bumped their hips together. âAnd you know⌠Trevor doesnât just have a pool. Heâs got a hottub, too.â
He glanced up, whatever melancholy that tried to shake him banished in favor of a bright grin. âAre you offering to hang out with me in a hottub, boyfriend oâ mine?â
Wirt puffed out his cheeks innocently. âIâm just saying that I donât particularly have a problem with hottubs. And that there would be one there. That we could sit in. Together. Yes, Iâm offering to hang out with you in a hottub.â
âNice.â He bobbed up, pressing a kiss to his cheek. âI got pizza, guys,â was said to the entire group. âAs captain of the winning team and all.â
A resounding cheer erupted from the group and Dipper was met with a fist bump from Trevor, a clap on the back from Taylor, and squeeze to the shoulder from Sara, along with a grateful look cast his way as Wirt eased up enough to smile and laugh along with their antics as they packed up to leave the field. Theyâd accepted him and Mabel from the moment they met them at the mall, but it was definitely something to see the way theyâd welcomed them with open arms, Wirt noted as he made sure the two younger kids didnât fall behind. Hanging out with friends, an impromptu baseball game, and relaxing - sort of - in the pool with pizza as the late afternoon turned to evening, it was all normal summer stuff and Wirt was happy to give that to Dipper. He deserved it, after all.
---
A/N:Â Wirt's friends are too much fun to write, so we had to include them at least one last time in this fic. Even total package Jason Funderberker.
Plus, who doesn't love adorable nerd boyfriends doing summer things and baseball? All the baseball, all the time.
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 9531
Co-written by: skimmingmilk and syl-writes-stuff
Summary: âI have a surprise for you!â
âThose words never end well for me.â
â
Nightmares are keeping Dipper from sleeping. In an effort to help him recover from what happened to him in the hideaway of the Society of the Blind Eye, Mabel puts a plan into motion that involves a bit of a change in scenery from their usual summers spent in Gravity Falls. A slow, normal summer spent in Lakeville, city of lakes, full of dates, frog hunts, and fun with friends might be just the thing to take Dipperâs mind off it. Not to mention give him a few extra weeks with his boyfriend and get the comfort he needs in the aftermath of Gideonâs torture. Â As they get used to this new relationship, itâs ups and downs, Wirt and Dipper also get to begin to piece together the puzzles that make up each other and build upon the foundation they set up in Gravity Falls.
[AO3]
Chapter 14
Wirt woke up the second he realized Dipper wasnât in bed.
Okay, well⌠maybe not the second, but it was probably a minute. Maybe five minutes. His side of the bed was still warm, so it hadnât been longer than five. Possibly ten.
It was morning, at least. The sun was on the other side of the house, but it was still bright enough in his room for him to figure that out as he sat straight up in bed, heart hammering like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. He knew what that felt like, too. Greg had tried it once. Wirt made sure that it would only be once.
Patting his chest, he blinked around his bedroom, trying to calm himself before sprinting out of the room in a panic. It had been several days since Dipperâs last nightmare - okay, heâd been counting exactly, it had been three - so the chances that something was wrong were pretty slim. Dipperâs energy had returned to more normal levels, so it only made sense that he wouldnât want to laze about in bed for longer than he needed to, just like usual. This was usual. Normal. Fine.
Wirt was going to check on him anyway.
He slid out of bed, padding across the room to inch open his door just a sliver - in case Greg or Mabel were awake and lurking in the hall. Why theyâd be lurking in the hall waiting for him didnât really make sense, but he was still in the process of waking up - startled by the empty space beside him or not. He could have irrational theories if he wanted to.
The coast was clear, so he ventured out in search of Dipper, trying the living room and kitchen first. It didnât take long to find him, his heart grateful for it. He heard him before he saw him, though it was quiet, mindful of the fact that most of the house was probably still asleep. It came from the kitchen, along with the smell of something burning.
Eyes widening, Wirt went to check it out, poking his head into the archway leading to the kitchen. If it was at all possible, his eyes rounded further. The kitchen was relatively safe - though their toaster was still smoking slightly - and the culprit of the burning smell was a piece of blackened toast. It looked like charcoal, it honestly did, and Dipper was spreading butter and jam on it anyway. But that wasnât what caught his eye.
Dipper was dancing. In the middle of his kitchen. In his socks, boxer shorts, and shirt still. Â Earbuds in and attached to his phone, Dipperâs hips rocked to the tinny buzz of music that Wirt could hear coming from them. And he was singing along under his breath. Murmurs of the lyrics flowing freely as he moved, taking longer than necessary to spread jam on the inedible toast from being lost in the song.
ââIâm no fool, no, Iâm not a follower. I donât take things as they come, if they bring me downâŚââ he crooned.
Wirt couldnât even blink, not wanting to miss a second of it as an adoring smile spread over his lips much easier than the jam on the toast. How could someone be simultaneously the cutest thing on the planet and the hottest? He really wasnât sure, but Dipper managed to be both.
Not wanting to make his presence known until he absolutely had to - when Dipper tried to eat the toast, he was not going to let him actually eat that, seriously, how high did he set the toaster to? - Wirt hugged the wall, staying hidden most of the way as he watched and listened.
While he had been more at ease the past few days, Wirt was savoring every second of it, inordinately relieved every time Dipper could relax and be himself without the weight of guilt or fear crushing him. He wasnât awake and out of bed because he had a nightmare, because he decided Wirt wasnât worth being his shield, but because he wanted breakfast and he wanted to sing and dance to a song Wirt didnât recognize, but loved instantly. He was going to look it up and put it on a tape first chance he got, if only so he could relive this moment every time he heard it. Messy hair, sleep-mussed clothes, carefree dancing to a carefree beat. Oh my gosh, I love him. His mind and heart couldnât help feeling and thinking in sync, despite whatever was holding him back, preventing him from saying it.
ââYou know you like it, but it drives you insaneâŚââ Sucking jam off his thumb, Dipper slid his attention from burnt toast to one of the reasons it was burnt. He nabbed his pen, placed it to a page, and nearly jumped out of his skin. A jagged line slashed across the page instead of his note, the brick masquerading as toast making an audible sound when it hit the counter.
âOh my god!â He tugged an earbud out. âOh my- Wirt-!â Surprise flipped to embarrassment on a dime, color flooding his face. âHow long have you been-? Oh my god, don't even tell me.â
âOkay, I wonât.â Wirt grinned, mostly adoring still, but delighting just a bit in the way he blushed, and he eased out from around the corner to join him. âWhatâs the name of that song?â
âUh. Geez, man.â He unlocked his phone with a swipe, immeasurably grateful that âDisco Girlâ hadn't been on. The trap was much less embarrassing. ââYou Know You Like It.ââ
âOh yeah. I do know I like it. I like it very much.â
Wirt just had to. Especially because he let his gaze rove over his boyfriend purposefully, though the forward teasing still made his cheeks a bit pink. He dealt with it by sidling up behind Dipper to wrap his arms around his waist, nuzzling his neck. Cute, hot dancing aside, he'd still woken up without him in his arms and was determined to remedy that.
âDid you seriously just say that?â Dipper leaned back, trying and failing not to laugh. âI love you, man. Geez.â He unplugged his headphones and tossed them on the counter, his phone following after he restarted the song.
Wirt's heart fluttered at the ease with which it was said, the laughter that filled it. He gave him a squeeze as he placed a kiss right above his shirt collar. âI did seriously just say that, but I was talking about you, not the song, though it's a good song and I'm not gonna complain if you start dancing again. And singing.â
âNot happening, no way.â Though Dipper did wiggle against him, enjoying the attention. Heâd known very well that the appreciation - though delivered in the cheesiest, lamest way - was for him, and it delighted him to no end.
âWhy not?â Wirt laughed, making him sway with him, trying to maintain a pout as he propped up his chin on his shoulder. âI'll make you breakfast if you do.â
âIâm totally capable of making my own breakfast.â Even though it was easy to get into the beat when he was pressed against his boyfriend and whatever he made was bound to be better than burnt toast.
âOkay, you may be totally capable, but I canât in good conscious let you eat that.â Wirt looked to the toast still on the counter. âHow did that even happen? Did you set the toaster to turbo?â
âNo, I left it how it was.â He shrugged. âBut when it popped the first time, it wasnât done, so I put it in a little longer. I mean, I was gonna check on it but I got distracted. I think I might know how to find Gregâs Giant Frog, so I was working that out and then I realized the toaster was a little bit on fire.â
âOn fire,â Wirt echoed, gaze flitting to the smoke still fading from the appliance. The toaster was supposed to make a buzzing sound and refuse to be pushed down if the heat was too much, how had he set it on fire? âOkay. Youâre not touching anything remotely electrical in here again. You can touch the sink and the counter and thatâs pretty much it.â Wirt gave his hip a pat as he released him, grabbing the charred brick that had once been bread so he could throw it away.
âOh my god. Now you sound like Mabel.â Dipper leaned against the counter, fingers tapping the beat of the song against his thigh. âIt wasnât even technically the toaster that was on fire. It was the bread and the toaster was just... also there.â
âOh, so the bread caught fire all by itself?â Wirt dropped it in the garbage can, glancing at the jam that got on his fingers as a result and popped them into his mouth before waving Dipper out of the way so he could grab the bread and start over. And he thought Mabel had been exaggerating. âWe should probably look into a new brand then. Or file a complaint with the manufacturer. âExcuse me, Pepperidge Farm, but it appears your bread catches on fire when in contact with a heating element. Something should be done about this. Itâs absolutely unacceptable.ââ
âWow, man. Wow.â Dipper grabbed his phone, finding a nearby space on the counter to hop onto. Still in the mood for music, he scrolled through his files to find some of the more non-embarrassing songs. âI donât think the kitchenâs big enough to handle this volume of sass.â
âTrust me, itâs had to put up with more than this on multiple occasions.â Double checking the toaster - just to be sure there wasnât a secret âturboâ setting - Wirt placed two slices in so he could partake in some alongside his boyfriend, then leaned his back against the counter, sliding along it until he was right up next to him. âIâm sorry. Iâm tired still. Youâve seen me and mornings. But Iâll lay off and just resign myself to making the rest of your food while youâre here. When Mabel, my mom, or Jonathan arenât, that is.â
âSo basically whatâs been happening.â Dipper scooted closer, resting his cheek atop Wirtâs head. âI thought youâd sleep a little longer, though. I woke up hungry and thinking about frogs, and I didnât want to bug you.â
âItâd probably bug me more if you set the house on fire.â Wirt slid his arms around his waist. âYou can always wake me up if you need something. Even if itâs just to stick bread in a toaster.â
âI know. I thought about it, but then figured nah. The plan was to eat some toast, shake out some energy and frog theories, and then climb back into bed âtil you woke up.â He glanced at the toaster, brushing an absent kiss to Wirtâs hair. âDidnât quite work out, but this is okay too.â
âMm. Climbing back into bed sounds nice. I could probably go back to sleep, but I wonât do that to you.â When the toast popped up, he pressed a kiss to Dipperâs shoulder before going to fetch it. âBut I am glad I woke up. Got a great show as my reward. And you get to eat something that wonât taste horrible.â
His gaze rolled towards the ceiling, color rising. âIt was not a great show, oh my god.â
âI thought it was great. Definitely worth getting out of bed for and I donât get out of bed for just anything.â Wirt flashed him a grin, then held up the knife Dipper had used. âWant the same thing you had on the first one?â
âYeah.â Dipper watched him quietly, comfortable with the silence. Very soon, he was bouncing on the counter in the time with the drums pouring from his phone. Shoulders rocked, hips shimmied, eyes closing. The lyrics turned over in his mind and spilled off his tongue, almost unnoticed. ââItâs driving me crazy, and you can try to lie. But youâre not gonna, not gonna deny. No, youâre not gonna, not gonna deny my love...ââ
Wirt flicked his gaze over to watch him, grin fading as his lips pursed and color filled his cheeks. He was really too cute. Wirt stayed quiet to watch him, spreading a little too much jam and even missing the bread completely so he wouldnât have to look away. When he couldnât waste time with the jam anymore, he took both slices and slowly inched over to him, fitting into the space between his legs in front of him.
âNo, Iâm not,â he replied to the songâs lyric, corners of his mouth quirking up.
Dipper jumped a bit, a fresh blush dusting his cheeks, but Wirt hadnât made fun of him yet and the little smile was irresistible. He hooked his arms over his shoulders. ââWhen you close your eyes, tell me what you see. Locked up in your room, is there any room for me? In the spoils of your mercy, in the reverence of your bed, in the cradle of the morning,ââ he continued, then sealed their lips together.
Wirt sank into the kiss, arms lowering to place their breakfast on the counter on either side of him to give his hands the freedom to cup Dipperâs waist. Butterflies filled him, heart ready to beat right out of his chest as the lyrics were murmured to him, along to the musicâs beat, the beat that burst from the small speakers as Wirt tugged him closer, his hips and shoulders shifting to the tempting rhythm. âThereâs always room for you.â Wirtâs words and breath ghosted over Dipperâs lips before he angled his head for another kiss. âI like this song, too.â
Dipper busied himself with kissing back, fingers catching in his nightshirt, and didnât respond until it ended and he could rub their noses together. He smiled when Wirtâs scrunched. âIâll give you the files.â
âOkay. And Iâll give you toast.â He rubbed his sides, then picked up one of the slices to offer it to him. âAnd space in my bed.â
He laughed, leaving his fingers curled in Wirtâs shirt. âWhat would I do without you, man?â Expression a little wicked, he leaned forward and took a bite.
âBe forced to eat burnt things and sleep on the floor,â he quipped, grinning even as his cheeks warmed from the glint in his eyes. He swallowed, glancing at the slice of toast between them before flicking his gaze back up to Dipperâs and caught the corner of the crust between his teeth. Not quite Lady and the Tramp with their plate of spaghetti, but he could work with what they had.
Dipper hadnât been expecting that, but was all for it. He was giggling, wriggling in delight by the time their lips met in a jelly-flavored kiss. âYou dork. You huge dork. I love you like crazy.â His tongue flicked out, licking jam from the corner of Wirtâs lip. âYouâre so cute.â
Oh, but he was the one who was so cute, all giggles and wiggles and âI love youâs. His blush deepened as he ducked his head, smile shy and embarrassed when he peeked up at him through his bangs. âWell, I kinda have to be. Gotta keep your attention somehow. Being a cute dork appears to be working.â
Biting his lip, Dipper stifled the next batch of giggles and just let his gaze roam over his boyfriendâs face. Cute and shy and sweet, stubborn and strong and protective. How could he not grab his attention? Expression melting into simple lines of adoration, Dipper lowered his brow to Wirtâs on a sigh and rubbed fondly. His hat was still on the bedpost. Heâd woken up without the need to grab it immediately, and pinned that solely on the boy he held close. âYouâve got my attention, man. Youâve got all of me.â
Wirt hummed a pleased little sound, tilting his head to nuzzle back. âDipper.â He let the syllables of his name float off his tongue, tasting the letters of his name. All of him. He wanted all of him and Dipper was giving it to him freely. Loved him freely. His boyfriend was a treasure, and his morning inhibitions were still low enough for him to let that giddiness fill him.
âNot quite,â Wirt replied, arms tightening around him as his hands gripped tightly before he hauled him off the counter to support him on his own, albeit on slightly wobbly legs, but it wouldnât be for long. Just long enough for him to laugh and scrunch his nose at him. âNow Iâve got all of you.â
âDude!â Dipper clung to him, legs instinctively banding around his waist. The surprise only lasted long enough for his own laugh to build up and spill out. He was too much for Dipper to handle, from the irresistible nose scrunch to his clear delight. Their lips brushed. âPut me down. I'm too heavy for this.â
âNo youâre not. Just- um⌠there. There, Iâve got you.â Dipperâs legs around his waist helped him get a better grip on him, and also helped him to blush harder, his strong legs gripping him tightly, relying on Wirt to keep him from toppling to the floor. Wirt flashed him a triumphant grin and took a moment to slowly spin him around the kitchen as he sought a deeper kiss. ââM stronger than I look.â
âMmhm.â The feeling of being carried was unfamiliar but welcome. Dipper sank into the kiss with an eager sound, a hand stealing into his hair.
Wirt practically purred, tipping his head back to get his fingers to stroke along his scalp. His hips swayed to the beat of the new song, though his lower back began to protest the movement in combination with holding him. It couldnât multitask. He was careful in easing Dipper back down, partially bracing him against the counter without breaking the kiss. Petting his thighs, shivering at the thin material of his shorts, he got his legs to unwind and lower so he was standing on the floor once again. Wirt kept up his swaying, dragging him into a dance in the middle of his kitchen.
Dipperâs breath caught, the kiss finally breaking as he melted into the unexpected dance. This was better than moving on his own, held close by someone who made his heart race in the best of ways. âYouâre really sweet.â
âYouâre really adorable,â he replied, rubbing their foreheads together. âAfter this song, come back to bed with me? Promise I wonât fall asleep.â
âIf you do, thatâs okay. I wonât go anywhere. Iâll just poke you until you wake back up.â He gasped when he was twirled, laughed when he was brought back in. âMaybe Iâll kiss you awake instead.â
âMm, I think Iâd definitely prefer the latter.â Wirt held onto his waist with one hand, the other grabbing one of Dipperâs to tangle their fingers together as they rocked from side to side. âBut waking up with you is amazing no matter what.â
Dipper let his free hand curl in the back of Wirtâs sweater, arm wrapping around his neck. âOne day Iâll wake you up at dawn for no good reason and remind you of that.â
âThe reminder will be reason enough.â He lifted his chin a little, lips quirking up at the teasing. âEven if I try to punch you in the face at the time. Just know that I wonât be in my right mind and if I whine and wiggle away from you because I think youâre mean, I donât mean it. Iâll still think youâre the best thing that ever happened to me.â
He brushed light kisses along his jaw, not fighting the giggle. It was a morning for them. âIf youâre gonna throw punches with all your whining and wiggling, I should seriously practice kissing and cuddling you until you forget you think Iâm mean.â
âThatâs a good idea. Iâm all for it. When should we start?â
Dipper stopped dancing to bob up to his toes and lay his lips over Wirtâs for a light kiss. âNow works. Iâm totally cool with now,â he suggested and pulled him into a second, deeper kiss.
Wirt made his approval known with one of the soft sounds he knew Dipper enjoyed and a flick of his tongue. Now was good. Now was excellent. It was difficult to let go of him and squirm away, his kiss dampened lips unable to keep from smiling as he backed towards the hallway. âYouâre so mean,â he snickered.
Dipper followed him with a wide grin, catching his hands and pressing kisses to either palm. âAm not.â
âAre too. You woke me up way too early. Youâre terrible.â Wirt leaned in to brush his lips to the corner of his mouth, then wiggled out of his grasp and gave his cheek a pat.
âBut you said waking up with me was amazing no matter what.â Dipperâs eyes rounded as if hurt, continuing to follow his boyfriend down the hall and back to the very uniquely decorated bedroom. âBesides, itâs never too early to see your pretty face.â
âYou can see it and appreciate it while Iâm still asleep,â Wirt pointed out, nudging the bedroom door shut once Dipper was inside, then turned the tables by backing him up to the bed. âAnd itâs not amazing when you wake me up for no reason. Itâs rude.â
âI canât see your eyes when youâre asleep,â he defended, curling his fingers into his nightshirt. He stopped retreating, lifting up to meet him instead and capture his lips. He kept them locked together, gently stroking his cheek until he could turn them and fall into bed with his boyfriend. The kiss broke then, Dipper rolling atop him and biting his lip as he considered.
He was competitive, though, and wanted to win this teasing match. Almost as much as he wanted to assure him. He didnât need the words to know they were there in every playful fight, every impromptu dance - they were everywhere. âBesides, itâs not for no reason. I love you, and want to spend time with you. And you love me and want to spend time with me, too. Thereâs no better reason to wake up.â Dipper kissed him again, saving him from responding.
A sharp gasp escaped him nonetheless, his heart throbbing hard in his chest, leaving him winded and stunned. He knew? All thoughts of their game fled, practice tossed out the window, as he wrapped his arms around his shoulders and held on tight. He knew. Wirtâs breath hitched on a shaky exhale, eyes squeezing shut as he kissed back, grateful relief turning into desperation. He knew without him having to say it, but he wanted to say it anyway. If anyone deserved to hear it, it was Dipper.
His lips trembled as they parted, rubbing against Dipperâs. It wasnât that hard, he had to tell him. He had to. Why couldnât he do this one simple thing? His voice was completely dried up, vanished and scattered to the winds save for a near-silent wheeze. Wirt tangled his fingers in his hair, tugging him into another bruising kiss, all lips and teeth and tongue and why? Why was he so good to him? What had he done to deserve this? To deserve someone as patient and understanding as Dipper Pines?
Wirt rolled them over, surrounding Dipper with himself while he clung to him. If he couldnât say it, then heâd make sure he felt it. The demand of his own heart staggered him, giving him a moment to calm the quaking inside him. His mouth softened, losing the frantic edge, while his fingers slowly untangled themselves from his curls to pet. He knew, and that had to be enough for now. Panting, Wirt broke the kiss and dropped his head to the crook of Dipperâs neck, finally able to make a soft sound as he relaxed atop him.
âYou win,â he croaked out. âYou win, youâre right. Thatâs- thatâs a very good reason.â
Dipper couldnât respond for a moment, couldnât breathe. He hadnât been expecting to be kissed quite like that. He wasnât at all sure what to do with the tangle of confused, grateful need heâd just been given. He ended up nuzzling his hair and stroking his back. What else could he say? What else could he do but band his arms around Wirt and hold him in place, hold him close?
He brushed a kiss to his ear. âFacts always win.â
âThat a fact?â Wirt listened to and felt his pulse, his heart working to match it as their breaths shuddered in unison.
âRock fact,â he confirmed, eyelids lowering on a sigh.
âEven better.â Wirt brought his hand down, petting Dipper over his heart as he felt the sigh lift his chest. âThank you,â he murmured after a minute. âAnd sorry, I didnât mean to get so⌠carried away, I guess. You okay?â
He laughed, fingers gliding up his back to stroke his hair. âIâm good. That was kind of great, actually. Anytime you wanna get carried away, Iâm in.â
âOkay.â His laugh had Wirt smiling, the gentle petting soothing whatever tension remained. He rubbed his face into his neck and hummed, the kisses he pressed there soft as he wiggled atop him, just to feel every point where their bodies made contact. Their knees, arms, Dipperâs hip against his stomach as he slid more to the side to take the brunt of his weight off him.
âYeah.â He immediately missed the cocooning pressure, but let Wirt go since it wasnât far. Dipperâs head ducked, their brows rubbing together so he could search his eyes. âYou okay?â
Wirt squirmed some, but maintained the eye contact, let Dipper search and study to his heartâs content. âYeah. Just⌠overwhelmed by how lucky I am to have you. Youâre just so⌠I donât know. Staggering. You know, in a good way. Like⌠youâre constantly knocking me off my feet, making me think or believe things I didnât think were possible. And Iâm not talking about the paranormal stuff, Iâm talking about you as a person. What you do to me and make me feel. Itâs incredible and I wish I knew how to get a handle on it. Sometimes kissing you senseless seems like the only way to deal with it.â
âOh. Well... yeah.â Dipper ducked his head again, this time hiding his face against Wirtâs shoulder. âYou do that for me, so... so I get that.â
âI do?â Wirt gave him his moment to hide, affectionate in his touches as he picked along Dipperâs t-shirt, then scoffed. âYouâre just saying that so Iâll kiss you again, arenât you?â
It was said like a joke, and had likely been meant as one. But Dipper still lifted his gaze with a small frown. âNo, Iâm not. Youâre amazing. Youâre surprise after surprise, a puzzle Iâll never solve no matter how many pieces I get. And, man, I want every piece. Youâre something I never actually thought Iâd have, okay? Itâs crazy that you want to protect me. Itâs crazy that you care about me at all. Being with you is the most important, wild thing thatâs ever happened to me.â
Wirt blinked, lips parting in quiet surprise. âOh⌠No, thatâs not- youâve had to have done more important, wild things than be with me, Dipper. Iâm just- Iâm just a guy. Iâm⌠Iâm a pretty easy puzzle to solve. It wonât take long.â And then what? When Dipper solved him, what then? âThereâs not much to it.â
âYou have no idea, man.â Dipper reached up and cupped his face, closing his eyes against past wounds. While they were part of it, it wasnât the time to discuss them. âYouâre not just a guy. Youâre my guy. My poetic pilgrim. Youâre shy and sweet, but youâll still stubbornly call me out on my crap. Youâre quiet and serious, but youâll pick me up off your counter and dance with me in the kitchen.â
His lashes fluttered up again, meeting his gaze. âYouâre all these weird combinations, and thereâs no way to label you. You fit them all, but none of them at the same time. Iâll never solve you, Wirt. I can only, yâknow, love you.â
âDipperâŚâ Wirtâs breath caught, tears actually collecting in his eyes, so he hid them by closing them and pressing a kiss to his palm, bringing up a hand to hold it there. âThatâs⌠Gosh, why are you so sweet? Youâre smart and beautiful and pretty much my dream guy, like⌠and you see all those things in me? You. Iâm never going to be able to solve you either, Dipper Pines. Youâre absolutely mind-boggling and I-â
He opened his eyes, lips pursing as he held his gaze and his hand. âI adore you. Every part of you. Iâm⌠Iâm honored to be your guy. Thatâs one label Iâm totally, one hundred percent okay with. Anything thatâs yours. Boyfriend, shield, guy⌠Iâll be any of them.â
âWell, those are all the same thing.â Dipper hadnât meant to make him cry, sweet tears or not, so kissed his pursed lips and threw in a smile. âMine. Itâs the best label I can think of for you. Mine, all mine.â
âThatâs a good one, yeah. Like the sound of it. Almost as much as your label.â Wirt returned the smile on a small laugh, letting go of his hand to rub at his eyes.
âYours, all yours?â he guessed, newly freed hand stroking his boyfriendâs side.
âHey. Who told you?â Wirt scrunched his nose, brow furrowing in an attempt to be playful and to stop being the blubbering mess he was. âObviously someone did. I donât know how you couldâve possibly figured it out on your own.â
âI think you mightâve once or twice.â Dipper brushed his lips to the scrunch, trying to use his delight in it to soothe. âI could be wrong, though. Iâm usually pretty braindead when you say it.â
âThis is true. But you are a genius, so anythingâs possible, I guess.â Wirt tilted his head to capture Dipperâs lips with his own. âStill want to say it now though. Mine, all mine.â
âMm. My brainâs not dead enough for that. Youâll just have to keep kissing me.â
âI think thatâs a reasonable enough request,â Wirt murmured before brushing the second kiss of many against his lips.
 ----
 Papers were spread about Wirtâs bed, Dipper and Greg right in the middle of the mess. Dipper had the boy snug in his lap, the laptop in front of them as he worked. A map of the town was on the screen, and Dipper was typing dates onto various points as he spoke. âSo it looks like the Giant Frog is trying to hit every single lake and pond that he can in the whole town. Some of the big ones he hits more than once, probably trying to cover every edge. These are the places I know heâs been based on the amount of frogs in the area.â He didnât want to explain why heâd been out late enough to notice the pattern.
âDo you see it? Kind of making a spiral, right?â To help, Dipper switched colors and started to draw connecting lines to the spots. It was a sloppy, outward spiral, but he was missing a few nights here and there - the past four, specifically. âI think, if he follows the pattern, heâll be here tonight.â He made a quick star on Long Pond, right beside Goat Island. It was low, at the edge of the city. âA couple more days and heâll be out of Lakeville and onto the next town.â
âWill he take all the extra frogs with him?â Greg asked, tilting his head back to look at him. âAnd will he ever come back?â
âYes, he'll take the frogs. But I've got no clue if he'll come back. He's a busy guy.â
âThen we better go see if we can find him as soon as possible!â Greg nodded firmly, then grabbed one of the pillows from Wirt's bed and flung it at his older brother, who'd been minding his own business tinkering with his train set at his table. It smacked him in the back of the head and he dropped the piece of track he was laying. He removed his headset, music floating from the cassette tape whirring in the deck by his arm, and looked over his shoulder at them with an arched brow. âWirt! Frog hunt tonight! Be there or be square!â
At the foot of the bed, her mess scrapbook related, Mabel giggled. âAbsolutely!â
âWeâll need a boat,â Dipper mused. âMost likely, anyway.â
âA boat?â Wirt blinked.
âI bet Old Lady Daniels knows where to find a boat!â Greg grinned up at Dipper, who immediately grinned back and ruffled his hair. âShe knows lots of things. Because sheâs old.â
With a snort, Wirt shifted in his chair so he was straddling it, arms folded on the back as he propped his chin up on them. âSheâd know about boats because she has a boat, Greg, not because sheâs old.â
âYou think sheâd let us borrow it? I mean, itâs not like the Giant Frogâs just gonna be on the edge of the water.â
Wirtâs lips quirked up. âMaybe. How do you guys feel about obscene amounts of yard work?â
âNothing in this world is free,â Greg added solemnly.
âSounds like fun!â Mabel decided.
Her twin shrugged. âIâm in.â
âAlright. She lives just down the street, so we can head over there if youâre done with your research.â Wirt nodded towards the materials on the bed. âOh, um, itâs a row boat, by the way. Will that be fine? Donât want to spend the afternoon ripping weeds from the garden in the hot sun if the boat isnât⌠I dunno, sturdy enough.â
The twins exchanged looks, Mabelâs grin wide. Dipper nodded. âRow boat works. Itâs not like weâve never used them before, and I think a motorboat would scare the frog away.â He ruffled Gregâs hair again. âSo, detective, you think weâre done with our research?â
âYeah! I think weâre ready to catch ourselves a giant frog!â Greg pumped his arms back and forth as he beamed up at him while Wirt rolled his eyes at his choice of words.
âWeâre not catching it, Greg. Weâre going to⌠observe it.â
âObserve ourselves a giant frog.â His cheerfulness didnât diminish as he corrected himself.
Laughing, Dipper poked at his sides. âOkay, but why? Like, why do you think weâre done?â
âWhy?â Greg blinked at him, then shrugged a little. âUm⌠because you asked me if I thought we were done? Most people only ask me that when they know theyâre done already. Unless itâs Mom asking if I think my roomâs clean, then sheâs being ironic, I think.â
âThatâs not why I asked you.â Not enough people took kids seriously. Being seven didnât mean his brain didnât work. âSeriously, Greg. Why do you think weâre done?â
Greg glanced at Wirt, his older brother trying to hide his smile in his arms and failing. For some reason he looked like he was absolutely in love with Dipper - well, for a reason other than the fact that he was because ob-waffle. When he caught his eye, Wirt sobered up some and nodded encouragingly while he sat up straighter in his chair.
âWellâŚâ Greg drew out the syllable as he looked back at Dipper. âBecause we figured out the pattern and know where heâs going to be tonight? And weâve gotta make sure that we have all the supplies we need to be able to go on our frog hunt safely, so we need to have enough time to prepare for that.â
Dipper ducked his head, tapping the bill of his cap to Gregâs brow, grinning at him. âSounds good to me. Letâs get out of here.â
As Greg laughed, there was a knock on Wirtâs bedroom door. When the okay was given, Jonathan poked his head in. The eager energy between the two brothers faltered a bit as they looked to him, noting the hesitation in his eyes.
âHey, guys, sorry to bother you, but⌠Wirt?â Jonathan glanced from him to each of the twins, then back. âYour⌠your dadâs on the phone. He wants to know if you have a minute to talk.â His shoulders sagged when honest disbelief flickered across his face. âI can⌠I can let him know youâll call him back if youâre in the middle of something.â
âNo, no- Iâll-â Wirt almost fell out of his chair in his haste to stand up, forgetting that he was straddling it. âItâs fine. Itâs- yeah. No, I can talk.â His heart clenched suddenly and he whirled about to face Dipper and Mabel. âSorry, itâll just be- itâll just be a second. Maybe. Probably. Is that okay?â
âYeah, man, go ahead.â
Mabel nodded. âWe can start getting ready to go.â
âOkay. Okay, great.â Wirt raked his fingers through his hair, then turned to Jonathan. âWhich, uhâŚâ
âIâve got him on the office phone,â he told him, stepping aside as Wirt nodded and attempted to walk as calmly and collected as possible out of his room.
Greg waited only long enough for his dad to leave the doorway after him, then he was bolting from Dipperâs lap and out of the bedroom. Seconds later he was back with the receiver from the kitchen clutched in his hand. Bouncing onto the bed between the twins, he put his thumb over the talk button, hesitating for a beat.
âWe were just gonna go spy on him anyway,â Mabel whispered, her twin nodding. âItâs okay.â
âWirtâs dad never calls. Ever,â Greg clarified, just so they had a bigger picture. âWell, okay, he called once around Thanksgiving, but we were at school when that happened so it doesnât count. This is an important Mystery Best Friends Mystery.â With that said, he turned on the phone and put it on speaker.
âOh, so- you uh⌠you got the Fatherâs Day card I sent okay?â Wirtâs voice crackled through, sounding strange to Gregâs ears. âIt got there on time and⌠and everything? I had to send it from California because we were on vacation and I just- I just wasnât sure if it would make it.â
âYes, yes. It was nice. Thank you, Wirt.â The strangerâs voice on the other end had Greg furrowing his brow. Unlike the extreme focus his older brother seemed to be giving the conversation, this man seemed distracted. âI meant to call sooner, but things have been busy around here. You know how it is.â
âYeah, yeah, of course. No, itâs fine, I completely understand. Youâre- youâre a busy guy.â Wirt had to clear his throat. âBut um⌠about⌠about what I said, in the card, you know, um-â
âWhat have I told you about stammering?â
There was a pause. âThat⌠that no one takes it seriously if I stammer.â
âGet your thoughts together before you try to talk, Wirt.â
Greg gaped at the phone, then shifted it to Mabel and then Dipper, covering the speaker with one hand as he whispered, âNo one ever tells him not to do that.â
Dipper almost didnât hear him, blood boiling as he glared at the phone. The snippy, impatient voice. Why even call if you werenât going to pay attention? Why call if you were going to berate your own son like heâd done something wrong? And why were they talking about Fatherâs Day when it was almost August? Too busy for over a month?
Mabel bit her lip, looking from Greg to her brother and back down. She kept her voice just as soft. âItâs... itâll be okay. We donât mind when he stammers, and he knows that.â
Greg nodded, but he chewed on his lower lip as his brotherâs soft, âsorry, Dad,â floated through. He didnât know what he was expecting when Wirtâs dad was basically nonexistent, but it hadnât been this.
âI take it you want to talk about your birthday? That is what you mentioned in the card, after all,â the man continued.
âYeahâŚâ Wirt spoke slowly, taking care with his words. âI just thought Iâd see if you would⌠be free. Then. Since itâs my sixteenth and⌠everything, I thought maybe we could⌠do something? I mean, itâs been awhile since Iâve seen you.â
âI did invite you to New York for Thanksgiving.â
âThe day before Thanksgiving,â Greg hissed to the twins.
âI know, I know- sorry, I⌠I appreciated it. I did. But⌠but I still want to see you. I miss you, Dad. It just seemed like⌠seeing you for my birthday would be⌠I dunno, nice.â
âI understand, Wirt. Thatâs actually why Iâm calling. Iâll need to talk it over with your mother, but Iâm thinking of putting together a little trip for the two of us to celebrate.â
âWha-â Wirt choked audibly, but when his voice came back it was full of disbelief and something like excitement. âReally? Really? You actually want to?â
âWould I have offered if I didnât?â
âSorry, sorry, I just- wow. Um. Okay. Yeah, Momâs not home right now, but Iâm⌠Iâm open to whatever you have in mind and Iâm sure she will be, too,â he babbled.
âYes, well, Iâll still need to talk to her about it.â
âOf course, right. Right, yeah. Iâll tell her to call you. Iâll call her right now and tell her to call you and- and youâll still be able to talk, right? You wonât be busy or anything when she calls?â
âDonât bother her with it right now, Wirt. It can wait until sheâs home.â There was a shuffling of papers and something that sounded like the tapping of keys on his end. âBut youâre interested?â
âYes. Yeah, definitely,â Wirt agreed quickly.
âAlright then. Once Iâve spoken with your mother we can work out the details and get everything squared away, so thatâs it for now. Itâs been good talking with you, son.â
âOh. Uh, yeah. You too. IâŚâ Wirt paused, an internal debate filling the gap for a moment. âI love you, Dad. Thanks for calling.â
âOf course, Wirt. Talk to you soon.â
âYeah. Bye.â
When the line went dead, Mabel began quietly gathering her scrapbook supplies. âGo put the phone back, baby. Go on.â
Greg nodded and hung up the phone before scrambling off the bed. He hid the receiver behind his back as he poked his head into the hall, but no one was there yet. By the time he came back, Wirt still hadnât left the office. Greg stayed by the door, leaning against the wall as he played lookout while addressing Dipper and Mabel.
âI donât really understand what happened,â he confessed. âHis dad sounded sort of mean, but then sort of nice because heâs planning a birthday trip?â
In his brief absence, Dipper had stalked to the window. He gripped the sil, staring into the yard. âSort of,â he muttered. The man on the other end of that phone call didnât deserve Wirt.
Mabel sighed. âIt was confusing, but sometimes parents are. Maybe he really was just busy.â Dipper scoffed audibly. His sister continued to address Greg, ignoring him. âYouâve met Wirtâs dad, havenât you? What do you think of him?â
Gregâs brow furrowed and he shook his head. âNo, Iâve never met him. Iâve never even heard his voice before today.â
Dipper spun. âWhat?!â
Greg jumped a little. âWhat?â he echoed.
How could he have been around so little that Greg knew nothing of him? What kind of rotten guy- Why had Wirt been so eager to talk to him? Frustrated, Dipper turned back towards the window.
Mabel beckoned Greg over. âDonât mind him, sweetie. Heâs just as confused as you are, thatâs all.â He tossed a glare over his shoulder, and she shrugged. They both knew he was mad, but there was little use in explaining the details of why. Neither twin liked to talk about it anyway. âBut if Wirt wants to go on a birthday trip with his dad, we should be supportive. Okay?â
âOkay.â He nodded, then crossed his heart for good measure.
âI guess I shouldnât really be surprised.â With having abandoned his lookout post, Greg had no warning for himself or Dipper and Mabel when Wirt returned to the room with a sigh. âKitchen phone?â
âYouâll never convict! You have no proof!â Greg shouted, ducking behind Mabel.
Managing a smile, Mabel tipped her head to the side. âMaybe weâre psychic. You donât know.â
Wirt snorted, going for nonchalance though his posture was stiff and his arms folded across his chest. âAll three of you are psychic?â
âOnly one of us would need to be psychic,â Greg piped up. âThen that one would tell everyone else what was going on.â
âMm.â Lifting an eyebrow, he hummed his acceptance, though he did fidget when his gaze shifted to Dipper, heart clenching as he noted his back stayed to him. âFair enough. So, you guys ready to go? Since there are four of us, it probably wonât take us very long to do whatever Mrs. Daniels deems worthy in exchange for borrowing her boat.â
âYep!â Mabel hopped up, but quickly crossed to her silently fuming twin. âStop,â she whispered, staring out the window with him. âYouâll hurt his feelings if you ignore him.â
âIâm not-â
âYes, you are. Get out of your own head, Dipdop. Itâs not the same as you and dad.â
He winced. âHe talked to him like he was a waste, Mabel.â
âThen you talk to him like heâs not. Dummy.â She leaned over, kissing his cheek, and lifted her voice. âNow come on. Maybe sheâll have firewood for you to chop!â
âItâs July.â
âSo?â
âOh my god.â He forced his apprehension out of the way, his complete distaste for the man whoâd fathered his completely amazing and clearly unappreciated boyfriend, to finally turn back to the room and offer a smiling shrug.
Wirtâs answering smile was hesitant, but he did relax once he could see his face. He wasnât sure how much theyâd heard, or how they felt about it, and he wasnât exactly sure he wanted to know. Heâd spoken of his dad to Dipper once, to Mabel never, and Greg only a handful of times to assure that the man did in fact exist and was not a superhero hiding his secret identity.
Rocking back on his heels, Wirt nodded towards the hall. âSo⌠letâs uh- letâs get going then. If you want to. If youâre- yeah.â
âYeah, man.â Dipper closed the distance, taking his hand and lacing their fingers. It didnât matter that he stuttered some. He could still be taken seriously. He was important. He mattered enough to be called more by his own father. How often had Wirt wondered since sending the card if his dad had gotten it and read a question about his birthday? As much as Dipper and his own dad had their troubles, heâd never had to ask to spend a birthday together.
He was getting annoyed again, though, so lifted up and brushed their lips together. âLead the way, pilgrim.â
âOkay,â he murmured, gaze flicking from his lips to his eyes as he swallowed. âOn the way⌠I know you like answers and figuring things out, so⌠you can ask me things. About him. If you want.â
Why did you say âI love youâ to someone whoâs awful to you and barely talks to you when you canât say it to me?
Horrified with himself, Dipper pressed his lips together and shook his head. âNo, itâs- Itâs fine, man. Â Just... whatever you want to tell me is fine.â
Wirtâs brow furrowed. âYouâre sure?â The question and subsequent shift in his eyes didnât escape him, but again, the niggling worry that he didnât want to know flared up. âI mean, I donât really know where to start. Heâs just⌠heâs not around much.â Ever, but heâd pretty much gotten used to that. âIâm just letting you know that if you did want to ask anything, ever, you can. Itâs okay.â
 With a squeeze to his hand, he led him out into the hall, letting Greg go on ahead when he looked to him for permission. Oh gosh, he didnât want to go back to this. Wirt raked his fingers through his hair and gave Greg his best smile because he was fine. He was great. He was going to get to see his dad for his birthday, like heâd asked.
Except he didnât really think heâd follow through on it. He hadnât thought heâd even answer him. Heâd given up on hearing from him. It was better not to expect anything than to be disappointed when he got nothing, right?
âMaybe Iâll take you up on it later. I donât really know what to ask.â Dipper had too many questions, all parallels to his own life and things he didnât want to get into. âAnd, well... If heâs not around, itâs his loss.â
âNah, heâs way more successful and happier now than he was when he lived here-â Wirt mentally kicked himself, visibly cringing at his own dumb mouth. âWait. Sorry, no, I know thatâs not what- I- Iâm sorry. I get what you mean. Thank you.â He sought out his gaze, the smile he gave him this time leaning more towards grateful than nervous. âThanks.â
âI mean it. Youâre way more special and awesome than he realizes.â It was going to hurt to not hear it back this time, but Dipper still tugged him to a stop and lifted up, letting his lips move over his boyfriendâs. âI love you,â he murmured and sank into a kiss.
Oh. Wirtâs heart clenched tightly, just as his fingers clutched at Dipperâs shirt. He heard it in the spaces between the words, unspoken and wondering. This was the question. Oh no. âI donât know why I tell him that, I never get an answer,â he confessed in a whisper, ducking his head to press their brows together under the bill of his cap. âI guess I keep saying it because Iâm always hoping that maybe one day heâll say it back- oh, god.â
His eyes widened suddenly and he jerked away, backing up right into the wall. âAm I doing that to you?â he wheezed, staring at Dipper in horror, hand pressing on his chest as the realization knocked the wind out of him. âOh my god. Iâm making you- how could I-? Oh, god, whatâs wrong with me?â
âNo. Wirt, nothingâs wrong with you. Donât say that.â Crap, crap, crap. âI know how you feel about me. Itâs okay.â He stepped forward, cupping his cheeks. âThereâs absolutely nothing wrong with you.â
âNo, no, you donât understand. I spent so long trying to get him to love me, and I canât do that to you.â Wirt tried to shake his head, but Dipperâs hands held him in place. âI canât. I canât. You deserve someone who can say it back and say it first and make you feel special and important and wonât leave you waiting and waiting and waiting and wondering what youâre doing wrong-!â
Dipper cut him off, pressing him into the wall as their lips were pressed together. He wasnât going to let him out of this one, wouldnât let him go while he was distressed over nothing. He deepened it quickly, tongue stealing between his lips to grant as much comfort as he could. Fingers stayed on his face, thumbs brushing beneath his eyes in gentle caresses.
Wirt whimpered into the kiss, his ranting cut off and swallowed down while his mind spun and his heart hammered. He grabbed at Dipper, uncertain if he should push him away or pull him closer while his boyfriend busily made the decision for him. The panicked sounds steadily died in his throat, replaced by the soft kind Dipper preferred and his fingers tugged on his shirt to keep him as he melted, body and mind, and began to kiss back.
As the sounds had Dipper sighing his relief into the kiss, his hands slowly slid down to Wirtâs hips and glided back up to knead his shoulders. The kiss gentled, and was only broken when air became absolutely necessary. He left their lips close together, hovering on his toes. âI know you love me,â he whispered. âI know itâs there, and thatâs all I need. I know youâll say it when youâre ready. Youâre not your dad. Youâre you.â
âI just want to be good enough for you.â Wirt gulped, searching Dipperâs gaze, lips instinctively grazing. âI donât want to lose you because of three words. I can weave so many other words together that are so much less meaningful, but I canât with those three because Iâm afraid once I say them youâll stop? Itâs stupid. It doesnât even make sense. If the feelings are there, why canât the words just happen?â
âI think youâre good enough for me. I understand that you canât say it yet. Itâs not stupid, and neither are you. Theyâre important words, so Iâd so much rather you say them when youâre ready than force them out anyway. Itâs seriously okay. Just trust me, Wirt.â
âI do.â His arms wrapped around his waist to hug and hold onto. âI trust you. And youâre right⌠youâre totally right, they are important and shouldnât be forced. Youâre right.â He waited for the ball of tension in his chest to ease before trying to lighten the mood a bit. âBet Iâm subconsciously waiting for the ideal, romantic moment or something super cliche and awful thatâll make us both cringe.â
He laughed, rubbing their noses together gently. âObviously, weâve got to go on another date somewhere ideal and romantic or cliche and awful.â
âObviously.â Wirtâs lips twitched a little, smile difficult to coax out even with Dipperâs laugh, and his nose scrunched to make up for it. âIâll get right to work on that after our frog hunt. Hopefully itâll lean more towards ideal and romantic.â
âIâve got no problem with that.â Dipper brushed a kiss to the scrunch of his nose. âBefore I told you about- you know, what happened back in Gravity Falls, you said youâd wait for me to be ready. I can absolutely return that favor. I waited more than two years just to see you again, man. Now that Iâve got you, I can wait as long as you need for the words.â
Wirt lifted a hand to brush and tuck a stray curl behind Dipperâs ear, letting his touch linger as he caressed his cheek. âThank you.â His voice quivered a little, eyes lighting with awe and affection as he leaned in to place his lips against his. âSo, uh⌠where were we before I had my little freak out? Can we get back to that?â
âOld Lady Daniels and an obscene amount of yard work.â He hummed playfully, as if considering something, and made no move to step back. âIâm not really sure if I want to get back to that. Maybe we should reconsider the plans. Staying here and making out seems way better.â
âIâm inclined to agree with you. Youâre a pretty great kisser.â Wirt leaned back though and tilted the bill of Dipperâs cap down to shade his face. âBut we already agreed to a frog hunt and we need a boat. Greg will never forgive us if we donât see the giant frog tonight. Besides, you and me, on a boat on the lake in the moonlight? Sounds pretty ideal and romantic to me. Aside from the fact that those outliers of ours will be there, too, but thatâs a minor detail.â
âI donât know how theyâd feel about being called minor details, so I wonât tell on you.â He gave him a last squeeze before withdrawing, pushing the bill of his cap up. âBut maybe we should think about getting our hands on two boats.â
âAfraid I only know where to get the one.â Wirt shrugged. âWeâll have to go on an expedition to find a second one. Or you know⌠rent one, but whereâs the fun in that?â
âThereâs none at all.â Dipper sighed a little dramatically as he caught Wirtâs hands and lifted both to his lips. âBut I guess Detective Greg was right. Weâve got to start gathering our supplies.â
âWe can always make out later,â Wirt offered, blush rising to his cheeks as his smile came more easily. âTo be continued?â
âDude, is that even a question?â Grinning, Dipper released one hand, but laced fingers with the other and tugged him after their impatiently waiting siblings.
--
A/N:Â Just a heads up, guys! Skimming will be out of town next week without access to her laptop - sheâs going to be a camp counselor at a summer camp for adopted and foster children and their families in the mountains/woods so there will not be wifi, plus she doesnât really want to take her laptop there when sheâs supposed to be enjoying nature - so LCOL is going to have a bit of a hiatus next week to make up for the fact that she won't get to write much with Syl. It will only be a week though! Chapter 15 will go up this Friday and then 16 and 17 will be posted on June 29th and July 3rd respectively if all goes according to plan.Â
But! There is good news! We've been working on a fic to tide you over in the meantime and Syl will be posting parts of it next week while Skimâs gone, so keep an eye out for that! It will be Wirt and Dipper centric, but an AU based off a list of prompts we saw on Tumblr and couldn't resist, so it's separate from the Mystery Best Friends series. It's still fabulous though. We hope you enjoy it. We think you will.