#ler!soos

The Mystery Shack had been seeing slow business that day.

With a total of two tourists in the morning and none in the afternoon, it was looking like a very uneventful day in the gift shop. This wasn't uncommon considering the lackluster quality of the attractions and the less-than-pleasant service from the curmudgeonly Mr. Mystery. Stan hated these slow days, but to the others it was an opportunity. Uneventful days did not mean boring.

With the gift shop empty, Wendy, Soos, and the kids were free to do as they pleased. If they wanted to host a spontaneous dance party, they did. If they wanted to play Who Can Stack the Most Stan Bobbleheads, they did. If they wanted to blast music through the shop that they knew Stan hated, they did. It was a time for the staff to decompress and just enjoy each others' company without the stress of customer service or a mystical threat.

Soos, ever the diligent employee, balanced goofing around with his chores so as to keep some kind of order. While Wendy and Mabel were playing catch with a shrunken head, Soos passively swept the floors while chiming in with their banter every now and then. He looked toward the counter to find Dipper sitting atop it and fiddling with his hair, which Soos found out-of-character for him.

"You got something caught in your hair, dude?" Soos asked.

Dipper startled, forgetting entirely that other people could see him. His face blushed a delicate pink as he yanked his hand out of his hair and into his shorts pocket.

"No, no- just... hey do you think girls like messy hair?" Dipper said quietly.

Ah. Girl stuff.

Soos had very little to offer in the romance department. Sure, he had a girlfriend, a wonderful one at that, but that didn't happen because he was any good at flirting or putting himself out there. In fact, it may have been the opposite that Melody found so charming. He knew next to nothing about what girls found attractive.

Soos chuckled. "I got no clue, but you might wanna start with getting that glitter off your face."

Dipper sputtered as he patted his face until he found the offending sparkles.

"Mabel! I told you to stop throwing glitter bombs in our room! You're getting glitter all over my pillow" Dipper whipped to face his sister.

A haste "sorry!" was all Mabel gave.

Soos focused back on Dipper. "Look, dude, in my experience, looks don't matter as much as what it is you do. Take me and Melody, for example! It wasn't my boyish good looks that got her to ask me out, but just being myself. As long as you just keep doing you, something's bound to turn out right, right?"

"That may have worked for you, but no girl is going to want to date a loser like me. I mean, look at me! I'm not strong, I'm not big, I can't flirt. What do I even have to offer?"

It was hard to see his best friend get down on himself, but Soos always knew how to lighten the mood back up.

He smiled brighter and warmer than the sun itself. "You got loads of stuff, dude! A monster manual, a cool hat, you even got a world record of eating nine hot dogs in under five minutes!"

"That was pretty cool" Dipper nodded thoughtfully.

"Any girl would fall over themselves to get a date with you" Soos punctuated with a poke to Dipper's side. As intended, it got a smile out of him.

"Alright, alright, you may be right" Dipper snickered as he shuffled away from the poke.

"I'm always right, dawg." Soos declared with another round of pokes up and down the boy's side. He knew Dipper was too ticklish to resist.

As he expected, Dipper began bending himself to the side in a vain attempt to shield himself, but it was no good. His snickers grew into giggles as Soos's pokes turned into worms, the handyman effectively chasing away Dipper's insecurities with silly tickles.

"Soos! Wendy's right there!" Dipper whispered urgently as he half-heartedly wrestled with Soos's hand. He would never admit it, but he wasn't fighting him that hard.

A voice came from out of nowhere. "Dude, you know I can hear you both right?" Wendy remarked.

Soos laughed. "I'm barely even touching you, man. Mabel wasn't exaggerating, huh?" All he got was a giggly groan in response. "Don't worry, dude, you're safe amongst friends. I'll let up if you're cheered up though" he teased playfully.

Dipper shrieked as a single finger wriggled it's way into his neck. "Mabel! Reinforcements!"

Mabel turned at the desperate cry for help and jumped into action. "On it, bro-bro!"

With a running start, she leapt onto Soos's other arm and tried wrenching him away from her brother. Unfortunately, she was much smaller than he was and her efforts weren't doing very much.

It was with such ease that Soos tossed Mabel into the air and caught her under his arm in one fluid motion.

"Almost got me there, Mabel," he lied unapologetically. Sure, it was dishonest, but it was entirely worth the gleam in the little girl's eye. His other hand, now holding Mabel up around her torso, started tickling away at his captive.

She laughed uproariously, squirming to free herself from his hold, while Dipper remained under his devilish pokes. The twins, though they couldn't say so, were having a ball. If Grunkle Stan was their uncle, then Soos was their cool older brother, and there wasn't a day that went by when Soos wasn't the beating heart of this family.

Soos soon began to slow down.

"Alright, alright, I'll let you both off with a warning," he laughed with a not-so-serious glare, letting them go.

As soon as his giggly victims were released, they poised themselves to strike back and get their revenge.

Soos's eyes widened as he backed towards the door. "C'mon guys, don't do this! I thought we were cool!"

The twins exchanged glances. Dipper looked Soos up and down and gave a sagely nod to Mabel. The latter looked up at Soos.

"We'll give you a head start"

Soos knew he was in for trouble now, and took off without another warning. He knew they would catch up to him eventually, but he didn't mind. He loved those little guys, and he knew that they loved him just the same. And if he had to get completely humbled in tickly combat, then that was a sacrifice he was more than willing to make.

Slow days at the Mystery Shack were really anything but, as mirthful laughter rung out throughout the yard.

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